Visits to the Most Holy Sacrament

VISITS

TO THE

MOST HOLT SACRAMENT, ETC,

FOR EVERY DAY IN THE MONTH.

ASPIRATIONS OF LOYE TO JESUS

IN THE HOLY EUCHARIST. % ^^2$

RULES FOR FREQUENT COMMUNION j O-r

WITH A DEFENCE OF THE SAME.

MEDITATIONS

FOR EVERY DAY IX THE WEEK;

AND

A NOVENA FOR ALL SOULS' DAT.

TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN OF

ST. ALPHONSUS M. LIGUORI,

Bishop of St. Asratha, and Founder of the Congrega tion of the Most Holy Redeemer.

BY A CATHOLIC CLERGYMAN.

TO \VIIICH IS ADDED,

A METHOD OF DEVOUTLY HEARING MASS,

BY BLESSED LEONARD A PORTO MAUBITIO.

NEW YORK •

THE CATHOLIC PUBLICATION SOCIETY,

9 WARREN STREET.

PUBLISHED V/ITII THE APPtlOBATJON OF TUB

MOST REV. S. ECCLESTON.

ADVERTISEMENT.

IN the former translation of the Visits to the Blessed Sacrament, two-thirds of the Introduc tion, a small portion of each Visit, a considerable part of the Acts for Communion, and about one half of the Aspirations of Love to Jesus in the Holy Sacrament, were omitted. All these de fects are supplied in the present translation The Visits to the Blessed Virgin contained in the former, and reprinted in this edition of the Visits to the Holy Sacrament, were taken from a French translation of the Visits to the Blessed Sacrament, and diHer considerably from the Visits to the Blessed Virgin given in the Italian edition of the works of St. Alphonsus, lately published at "\Ionza. The Devotions for Con fession were also taken from the French trans lation. The method of hearing Mass, contained in the former translation of the VISITS, is the work, not of St. Alphonsus, but of Blessed

V ADVERTISEMENT.

Leonard, it is now faithfully translated from the origii rl Italian. In addition to the matter contained in the former edition of the VISITS, the reader will find, in this volume, the sub stance of ill that St. Alphonsus lias written on the advantages of, and the rules for, Fre quent Communion, along with a defence of his doctrine on the same subject, and a Novena for All Souls' day. The first reply to the per son who assailed h;s opinion on Frequent Com munion, was Avri^n at the request of Pope Clement Ihe Thiri" *vtb.

PAGE.

CHAPTER 25. VISIT 25

26 . . . . . . . 97

27 ....... 100

28 ....... 103

29 . . ... . . .106

30 110

31 ' 113

On Preparation for Communion, . . lid Acts before Communion, .... 120

On Thanksgiving after Communion. . 126 Acts after Communion, .... 129

Aspirations of Love to Jesus in the Holy Sa crament, . . . ... . 145

Sighs of Love towards God, . . . 172 Directions for Spiritual Souls with regard to

the frequentation of the Sacraments, &,c., 180 On Communion, ...... 195

An apologetic reply on the subject of frequent

Communion, to D. Cyprian Aristasio, . 212 Devotions for Confession, . . . 242

Meditation for Sunday, . . . 255

" Monday, .... 258

Tuesday, «, . ,,. . . 263 Wednesday, . , . 266

Thursday, . , .271

Friday, . . . .274

Saturday, . . , . , . .277

On the Mass, 280

A method of Assisting at the Holy Mass, by

Blessed Leonard a Porto Mauritio, . . 285 Novena for All Souls1 Day, for the repose of

the Holy Souls in Purgatory, . . . 298 Prayers to Jesus Christ for these Holy Souls, 309 Admonitions necessary for Persons of every state of life who wish to save their souls, 311

TO THE

IMMACULATE MOTHER OF GOD,

ALWAYS A VIRGIN.

MOST HOLY QUEEN:

I do not know any one to whom I can dedicate this little book, which treats of the love of thy Son, with more propriety than to thee my most dear Mother, who, among all creatures, art the first lover of Jesus. By this little tribute which I present to thee, and which has been composed for the sole purpose of making souls more en amored of Jesus Christ, I expect to afford great gratification to thy heart, which desires so ar dently to see him loved by all as much as he de serves. To thee then, such as it is, I present it: accept it; and protect it, by obtaining, not for me the praises of men, but for all who read this little work, the grace that they may henceforth correspond with greater devotion, and with a more tender affection, to the excess of love which

V1H DEDICATION.

our most sweet Saviour has shown to us in his passion, and in the institution of the most holy sacrament. I place this little book at thy feet, and I pray thee to accept as thy own the gift and the giver, who has for a long time placed in thee, after thy Son, all his hopes ; and who wishes and hopes always to be happy with thee, O most amiable Lady, and always to call himself, Thy most loving,

Though most unworthy servant,

ALPHONSUS DE LIGUORI,

Of the Congregation of the most Holy Redeemer.

TO THE READER.

My DEAR READER : I entreat you not to de

spise this little book, which I have composed in a style altogether simple, because I thought thai simplicity of style would render the book more useful to all sorts of persons I also entreat you, as often as you use this little book in your visits to the blessed sacrament, to recommend me, whether I am living or dead, to Jesus, in the most adorable sacrament, and I promise to pray in the holy Mass for every one who shall perform this act of charity.

INTRODUCTION

TO THE

VISITS TO THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT.

FAITH teaches, and we are obliged to believe, that Jesus Christ is really present in the conse crated Host, under the appearances of bread ; but we should also know that he remains on our altars, as on a throne of love and of mercy, there to dispense his graces, and there to show his love for us, by remaining with us night and day in this hidden manner. We know that the holy Church has instituted the festival of the most holy sacrament, which is celebrated for eight days, with so many solemn processions and ex positions of the adorable sacrament, that Chris tians may, by their devotions, their thanksgivings, and affections, gratefully acknowledge and honor the loving presence and dwelling of Jesus Christ

10 INTRODUCTION.

in the sacrament of the altar. O God! how many injuries and insults must this amiable Re deemer have suffered, how many must he suffer every day, from the very men for the love of •whom he remains on our altars! Of this he bit terly complained to his dear servant, bister Mar garet Alacoque, as is related by the author of the book "On the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus." One day while she remained in prayer before the blessed sacrament, Jesus showed her his heart in a throne of flames, crowned with thorns, and fastened to a cross, and. said to her : "Behold that heart which has loved men so ar dently, which has reserved nothing, and which has been consumed for the love of them. But, in return, the greater part of them treat me only "with ingratitude, by their irreverence, coldness,, sacrileges, and by the insults which they offer to me in this sacrament of love. And what is most painful to me is, that there are among them hearts consecrated to me." Hence, Jesus re quested her to procure the dedication of the first Friday after the octave of the holy sacrament to the honor of his adorable heart, that, on that day, the souls consecrated to his love might en deavor to compensate, by their devotions and affections, the insults which he has received from men in the sacrament of the altar ; and he

INTRODUCTION. 11

promised the most abundant graces to all who should render him this homage.

This explains what the Lord had already said by his prophet, that, "his delights are to be with the children of men;" for, when they even aban don and despise him, he will not depart from them. This also shows how pleasing to the heart of Jesus are the souls who visit him, and remain with him in the holy sacrament. He commanded St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzis to visit him in the holy sacrament thirty-three times in the day. This holy spouse of Jesus Christ, as we read in her life, cheerfully obeyed, and, at each visit, approached as near as she could to the altar. But let those devout souls, who frequently visit the holy sacrament, speak and tell the gifts, the lights, the flames which they receive, and the paradise which they enjoy in the presence of this God concealed in the holy Eucharist. That great Sicilian missionary, Father Lewis La Nusa, was from his youth, even when a secular, so enamored of Jesus Christ, that he could not without great' difficulty withdraw from the presence of his dear Lord. He was commanded by his director not to remain longer than an hour before the holy sacrament ; but such were the delights which he tasted at the- foot of the altar, that, in separating fcimself, through obedience, from the bosom of

12 INTRODUCTION.

Jesus Christ, he appeared to suffer as much vio lence as an infant does, when torn from the breast of its mother. And, when he was obliged to depart, it is said that he stood looking at the altar, and bowed several times, as if he knew not how to leave the society of his Lord, whose presence was so sweet and pleasing to him. St. Lewis Gonzaga was commanded not to remain before the blessed sacrament; but, in passing before the altar, he felt himself drawn by the sweet attractions of his Saviour to remain with him, and with reluctance retired, saying with tenderness of love, Recede a me, Domine, recede. It was at the foot of the altar that St. Francis Xavier found repose and refreshment after the many labors he endured in India; for, after spending the day in saving souls, he employed the night in prayer before the most holy sacra ment. Such too, was the practice of St. John Francis Regis, who, when he found the church closed, consoled himself by remaining on his knees in the rain and cold, to honor and adore from a distance his comforter in the holy sacra ment. In all his difficulties, St. Francis of As- gisium had immediate recourse to Jesus in the holy sacrament.

St. Wenceslaus had a most tender devotion to the holy Eucharist. This holy king was so much

INTRODUCTION'. 13

enamored of Jesus in the holy sacrament, that, with his own hands, he gathered the wheat and grapes, and made the hosts and wine for the use of the altar. He visited the adorable sacrament by night, and from these visits his holy soul drew such flames of divine love, that the heat was communicated to his body, which, by touching the snow, divested it of its cold. It is related that, when the servant who accompanied the saint complained of the cold, the holy king com manded him to walk in his footsteps, and the servant felt the cold no more.

In the visits for each day you will read other examples of the tender affection with which souls inllamed with the love of God desired to remain in the presence of the most holy sacra ment : you will find that all the saints have been enamored of this most sweet devotion. On this earth we cannot find a more brilliant jewel or a more lovely treasure than Jesus in the sacrament. Certainly, after the frequentation of the sacra ments, the adoration of Jesus in the holy Eucha rist is, of all devotions, the most acceptable to God and the most useful to us. Do not then, O devout soul, refuse to begin this devotion : from this day forward retire each day from the con versation of men. and remain for some time, at least for half an hour or for a quarter, in somfc

14 INTRODUCTION.

church, befois Jesus Christ in the holy sacra ment. "Taste, and see how sweet the Lord is." Make a trial of this devotion, and you will see the great fruit which you shall draw from it. Be assured that, of all the moments of your life, the time which you spend in devotion before this most divine sacrament Avill be that which shall give you greatest support during life, and the greatest consolation at the hour of death, and for all eternity: and be persuaded that you shall gain more in a quarter of an hour spent in prayer before the holy Eucharist than in all the other spiritual exercises of the day. It is true, that God hcars.in all places the prayers of all who seek his graces ; for he has said, " Ask, and you shall receive." But the Disciple teaches that Jesus, in the holy sacrament, dispenses his favors with greater abundance to all who visit him: and blessed Henry Suson used to say, that Jesus, on the altar, hears the prayers of the faithful more readily than he does in any other place. And where but at the foot of the altar have holy souls made the most generous resolutions? Perhaps you, too, will one day, before some tabernacle, resolve to give yourself entirely to God? At least through gratitude to my Jesus, in the holy sacra ment, I must proclaim to all who read this little book that, in remuneration f >r my cold arid im-

INTRODUCTION. 15

perfect visits to the blessed sacrament, I am now removed from the dangers of the world, where 1 unfortunately lived till my twenty-sixth year. Happy you, if you can at an earlier age retire from the world, and give yourself entirely to that God who has given himself entirely to you. I repeat, I'appy you, not only in the next, but even in this life. Believe me, that all is folly. Feasts, comedies, parties of pleasure, amusements, these are the goods of the world ; but they are goods which are. full of gall and of thorns. Believe one who has had experience of them, and is now weeping for it. Be assured that Jesus Christ will give more consolation to those who remain with recollection before the holy sacrament, than they could receive from all the pleasures and pastimes of the world. Oh! how delightful is it to remain with faith, and with a tender devotion, at the foot of the altar, and to converse familiar ly with Jesus Christ, who dwells in our taberna cles for the purpose of hearing the prayers of all who visit him! How delightful to implore his pardon for our offences, to lay before him all our wants, as one friend does to another in whom he places all his confidence, to ask his graces, his love, and his glory! But oh! what a paradise to continue in acts of love of that Lord who remains on the altar interceding before his Father in our

16 INTRODUCTION.

behalf, and burning with love for us! He is content to remain there hidden and unknown, and even despised by ungrateful souls. But of what use is it to say more on the subject? " Taste and see."

With regard to the visits to an image of most holy Mary, it is the opinion of St. Bernard, and of the generality of theologians, that God gives no grace to man which does not pass through the hands of Mary. "Dews nihil volult nos habere quod per manus Maria non transiret." Hence, Saures asserts that it is the serfliment of the uni versal Church that, to obtain God's graces, the intercession of Mary is not only useful, but even necessary. " Sentit Ecclesia Virginis intercessionem esse utilcm ac nccessariam." This doctrine is strong ly confirmed by the conduct of the holy Church, in applying to Mary the following words of the sacred scriptures: "In me is all hope of life and of virtue : come over to me, all ye that desire me." (Eccl. xxiv. 25), 26. "Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watch eth daily at my gates." (Prov. viii. 34). Happy the man who is diligent in coming every day to the gate of my powerful intercession ; for, in coming to me, he shall find life and eternal glory. " He who shal? find me shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord." (Prov. viii. 35). Plence, tbe

INTRODUCTION. 17

Church justly invites us all to call Mary our common hope : " Spes nostra salve."*

* In a notice to the reader, prefixed to the GLORIES OF MAKY. St. Alphonsus explains the sense in which he wish ed his doctrine regarding the privileges of the Blessed Virgin to be understood. He concludes this explanation in the following words: "Then, to say all in a few words, the God of all holiness, in order to glorify the Mother of the Redeemer, has decreed and ordained, that her great charity should pray for all those for whom her Divine Son has paid and offered the most superabundant price of his precious jlood, in which alone is ' our salvation, life, and resurrec d'o7i.' And on the foundation of this doctrine, and inasmuch as they accord with it. I have intended to lay down my propositions, which the saints, in their affectionate coloquics with Mary, and in their fervent discourses upon her, have not hesitated to assert." — Glories of Mary, Monza Edition, vol. i. pp. 11, 1-2.

In the third chapter of the first volume (pp. 123, 124) St. Alphonsus compares the hope which we place in the Bless ed Virgin, to the confidence which a person has in a minister of state whom he asks to procure a favor from his sovereign.

': Whatsoever Mary obtains for us, she obtains it through the merits of Jesus Christ, and because she prays in the name of Jesus Christ."— Stones of Mary, vol. i. p. 183.

"Mary, then, is said to be omnipotent in the manner in which omnipotence can be* understood of a creature ; for a creature is incapable of a divine attribute. Thus she ia omnipotent, inasmuch as she obtains, by her prayers, what ever she asks." — Ibid. p. 223.

'•' To obtain favors through the intercession of Mary by piactising devout exercises in her honor, the first condition

2

18 INTRODUCTJOK.

"Let us, then," says St. Bernard, "seek grace, and let us seek it through Mary."

1 recommend you to read in the work of Father Auricmma, entitled rfjfelti Scamb., an account of the numberless favors which the Mother of God has obtained for those who have practised that most useful devotion of visiting churches or images dedicated to her honor. For blessed Al- bertus Magnus, the Abbot Rupert, and Father Suares, she obtained the gift of understanding, by which they became so celebrated for learning. She obtained special graces for Brother John Berkmans, of the society of Jesus, who was ac customed to visit her image every day in a chapel of the Roman College. In his visits, he protested, that in order to love her only after God, he re nounced all love of the world ; and, under the image of his beloved queen, he always kept the following inscription : "I shall never rest until I shall have obtained a tender love towards my Mother."

In his youth, St. Bernardine of Sienna was ac-

i, that we perform our devotions with a soul free from sin, s at least, with a desire to give up sin." "If a person tyish to commit sin with the hope of being saved l>y the Blessed Virgin, he shall thuj render himself unworthy and aicapable of her protection.1' — Glories of Mary, vol. ii. pp. 125, 328.

" 19 ...

c\is& aied to vho an linage of Marj every day in a chapel near the gaie of the city, saying, that she had wounded his heart. Hence, he called her his beloved, and used to say, that he could not do less than pay Irequcnt visits to her. Through her intercession, he afterwards obtained the grace to abandon the world, and to become a great saint and the apostle of Italy.

Endeavor, then, to unite, each day, with the visit to the blessed sacrament, a visit to most holy Mary in some church, or at least before some image of her in your own house. If you make these visits every day with confidence and devotion, you may expect to receive great favors from this most grateful queen ; who, according to St. Andrew of Crete, usually bestows great gifts on those who perform any little devotion in her honor. "Sold maxima pro minimis reddcre." Sweet Mary, my hope, who can ever forget thee f O queen of mercy, have pity on me !

ONT SPIRITUAL COMMUNION.

Since it is recommended to terminate each visit to the blessed sacrament by a spiritual com munion, it will be useful to explain its nature and its fruits. According to St. Thomas, a spir itual communion consists in desiring ardently to receive Jesus in the holy sacrament, and in em-

20 INTRODUCTION.

bracing him with the same love as if you had already received him.

By showing, to Sister Paula Maresca two pre cious vessels, one of gold and the other of silver, in the former of which he preserved her sacra mental communions, and in the latter her spirit ual communions, our Lord gave her to understand that spiritual communions are very pleasing to him, and a great source of grace to us. And, to blessed Jane of the Cross, he said, that, as often as she communicated spiritually, she received a grace similar to that which she derived from her sacramental communions. But it is enough to know that the holy Council of Trent extols the advantages of spiritual communion, and exhorts the faithful to practice it.

Hence all devout souls are accustomed to make frequent spiritual communions. Blessed Agatha of the Cross made two hundred spiritual commu nions in the day ; and Peter Faber, the first com panion of St. Ignatius, used to say, that spiritual communions are a most powerful help to receive the holy Eucharist with the proper dispositions.

Hence, I exhort all who desire to advance in the love of Jesus Christ, to make a spiritual com munion at each visit to the blessed sacrament, and at each mass which they hear. It would bo better to make a spiritual communion three times

INTRODUCTION. 21

on these occasions ; that is, in the beginning, middle, and end of the visit and of the mass. This devotion is more profitable than some ima gine it to be, and is, at the same time, most easy. Blessed Jane of the Cross used to say, that a spiritual communion may be made as often as we please, without being observed by any one, with out being fasting, and without leave of our direc tor. The entire consists in making an act of love.

AN ACT FOR SPIRITUAL COMMUKIOX.

My Jesus, I believe that thou art present in the most holy sacrament. I love thce above all things: I desire to receive thce into my soul. Since I cannot now receive thee sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I em brace thee, and I unite myself entirely to thee, as if thou hadst already come : do not permit me to be ever separated from thee.

A SHORTER ACT.

I believe in thee, O Jesus, present in the most holy sacrament. I love thce, I desire to receive thee. Come into my heart. I embrace thee, do not ever more depart from me.

"O Lord Jesus Christ, let the sweet and con suming force of the love of thee absorb my mind, that I may die for the love of thce, who didst

23 INTRODUCTION.

condescend to die for the love of me."- -St. Fran cis of Jlssisium.

"O love not loved! O love not known!" — St. Jttitry Magdalen dz Pazzis.

" O my spouse, when wilt thou take me to thy self?"— -&. Peter of Alcantara.

Jesus, source of all my good, my sweet, love, wound, inflame this heart of mine, that it may always burn for thee. Live the love cf Jesus, our life, our all, and live Mary, our hope after Jesus. Amen.

Acts to be made at the beginning of each

VISIT TO THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT.

My Lord Jesus Christ, who, through the love which thcu didst bear to men, dost remain with them day and night in this sacrament, full of mercy and of love, expecting, inviting, and re ceiving all who come to visit thee, I believe that thou art present in the Sacrament of the Altai'. From the abyss. of my nothingness, I adore thee, and I thank thee for ail the favors thou hist be stowed upon me, particularly for having given me thyself in this sacrament, for having given me for my advocate thy most holy Mother, Mary, and for having called me to visit thee in this church. I, this day, salute thy most loving heart, and I intend to salute it for three ends; first, in

INTRODUCTION. 23

thanksgiving for this great gift; secondly; in compensation for all the injuries thou hast re ceived from thy enemies in this sacrament; third ly, I intend, by this visit, to adore thee in all places in which thou art least honored and most abandoned in the holy sacrament. My Jesus, I love thee with my whole heart. I am sorry for having hitherto offended thy infinite goodness. I purpose, with the assistance of thy grace, never more to offend thee ; and, at this moment, miser able as I am, I consecrate my whole being to thee. I give thee my entire will, all my affec tions and desires, and all that I have. From this day forward do what thou pleasest with me, and with whatever belongs to me. I only ask and desire thy holy love, the gift of final perseverance, and the perfect accomplishment of thy will. I recommend to thee the souls in purgatory, par ticularly those who were most devoted to the blessed sacrament and to most holy Mary, and 1 also recommend to thee all poor sinners. Finally, my dear Saviour, I unite all my affections with the affections of thy most loving heart; and thus united, I offer them to thy eternal Father, and I entreat him in thy name, and for thy sake, to accept them.

VISITS

. TO THE

MOST HOLY SACRAMENT.

FIRST VISIT.

BEHOLD Jesus in the holy sacrament, the source of every good, inviting all to visit him. "Let him that thirsts come to me." St. John vii. Oh ! what waters of grace have the saints continually drawn from this fountain, where, according to the prediction of Isaias, Jesus dispenses all the merits of his passion! " You shall draw waters in joy from the fountains of your Saviour." Isaias xii. From her long and frequent visits to Jesus Christ in the holy Eu charist, the Countess of Feria, that illustrious disciple of the venerable Father M. Avila, was called the Spouse of the Sacrament. Being asked how she was employed during the hours which she spent at the foot of the altar, she

26 VISIT i.

replied, "I Avould remain there for all eternity; for the holy sacrament contains the essence of God, who will be the food of the blessed. Good God! I am asked what I do in the pres ence of my Saviour. Why am I not rather asked, what do I not do? I -love him, I praise him, I thank him for his favors, I supplicate his mercy; I do what a beggar does in the presence of a rich man, what a sick man does in the presence of his physician, what a person parched with thirst does before a clear fountain, or wrhat a man fainting from hunger does be fore a splendid table."

O my most amiable, sweet, and beloved Jesus ! my life, my hope, my treasure, and the only love of my soul, IIOAV dearly has it cost thee to remain with us in this sacrament! To dwell on our altars, and to assist us by thy presence, thou hadst first to die on a cross, and afterwards to submit to numberless injuries in the holy sacrament. Thy love, and thy desire to be loved by us, have conquered all diffi culties.

Come, then, O Lord, come and take posses sion of my heart. Lock the door of it for ever, that no creature may ever enter, to share in

CHAPTER I. VISIT I

that love which is due to thee. and which f desire to give entirely to thee. O rny de? Redeemer, raayest thou alone reign over me raayest thou alone possess my whole being and, should I ever be wanting in perfect obe dience to thee, chastise me with severity, that, for the future, I may be more careful to pleas* thee in all things. Grant that I may never more desire or seek any other pleasure than that of pleasing thee, of visiting thee on tke altar, of remaining with thee, and of receiving thee in the holy 'sacrament. Let others seel? earthly goods, I love and desire only the treas ure of thy love. This gift only do I ask of thee at the foot of thy altar. Grant that I may for get myself to remember only thy goodness. Yff blessed seraphim, I do not envy your glory but your love for your and my God. Teacb me what I must do to love and please him.

Ejaculalory Prayer. My Jesus, I wish u love thee only ; thee only do I desire to please.

Jtt t'lie end of each Visit you will make the Spir itual Communion. You will llien make a

CHAPTER L. VISIT L

28 VISIT i.

FIRST VISIT TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN.

Prayer of St. Ephrcm.

MOST pure and immaculate Virgin ! divine Mary, Mother of God! thou arl olnvated in dignity above all the saints; thou art the hope of our fathers and the joy of the ek'Ct. Through thee, as the Mother of Jesus, we have been re conciled with God. O great queen! have com passion on us, and grant us an asylum in the arms of thy mercy. We dedicate and consecrate ourselves to thy service; suffer not the devil to draw us with him into eternal flames.

Ejac. Cause of our joy, pray for us. A Prayer to Most Holy Mary, which ought t<i

le repeated every day at tlve, end of the Visit,

in order to obtain her most powerful patronage.

MOST holy and immaculate Virgin, to thee my Mother Mary, who art the mother of my Lord, the queen of the universe, the advocate, ihe hope, the refuge of sinners, to thee, I who am the most miserable of all, have recourse. 1 salute thee, O great queen ; I thank thee for all the favors thou hast hitherto bestowed upon me, particularly for having delivered me from hell, which I have so often deserved. I love

VIJIT ii. 29

thee, O most amiable lady, and. through the love which I bear thee, I promise always to serve thee, and to do all that I can to induce others to love thee. In thee, after Jesus, I place all my hopes, all my salvation. Accept me for thy servant, O Mother of Mercy, and take me under thy protection} and, since thou art so powerful before God, deliver me from all temptations, or rather obtain for me strength to conquer them till death. From thee I ask the true love of Jesus Christ j through thy inter cession, I hope to die a good death. O my Mother, through the love which thou dost bear to God, I implore of thee to assist me always, but particularly at the last moment of my life. Do not leave me till thou seest me safe in hea ven, to bless thee and to sing thy mercies for all eternity. Amen : such my fervent hope, such my ardent wish.

SECOND VISIT.

THE devout Nierembergh says, that since Oread is a sort of food which is consumed for nourishment, and may be preserved for use, Jesus wished to remain on earth under its spe cies, not only to be consumed by uniting him-

30 VISIT II.

self to the souls of his lovers, b\ means of the holy communion, but also to be preserved in our tabernacles, and thus, by his presence on the altar, to remind us of the love which he bears uj. "Pie." says St. Paul, "emptied himself, taking the form of a servant/' (Phil. ii. 7). But what snoulu we say when we see him taking the form ofbt^d? "No tongue," says St. Peter of Alcantara, ''"can express the great ness of the love which Jesus bears to all who are in the state of grace. Hence, that iiis ab sence from them might not be an occasion of forgetting him, this most sweet spouse, before his departure from this world, left, as a memo rial of his love, this most holy sacrament, in which he himself remained. He did not wish that between him and his servants there should he any other pledge than himself, to keep alive the remembrance of him."

Since then, my Jesus, thou dost remain in (his tabernacle, to hear the supplications of the miserable who corne to present their petitions io thee, attend to the prayer of a sinner the most ungrateful among men.

Knowing the evil which I have done in of fending thee, I repent, and cast myself at thy

CHAPTER II. VISIT II

feet. I ask the pardon of all my offences. Ah, that I had never offended thee my God! Now that I know thv infinite amiableness, I am enamored of thee, and I feel a strong desire to love thee and to please thee. But this, O Lord,. I cannot do, unless thou assist me. O sovereign Lord, make known to all paradise thy great power, and thy infinite goodness, by changing a great rebel against thy Majesty into an ardent lover of thy divinity. Thou art able and will ing to do it. Supply what is wanting in me, that I may love thee intensely, or at least as much as I have offended thee. I love thee, O Jesus, I love thee above ail things; I love thee more than my life, O my God, ray love, my all. Ejac. My God and my all.

The Spiritual Communion.

SECOND VISIT TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN.

Prayer of St. Ephrem. O QUEEN of the universe and most bountiful sovereign! thou art the great advocate of sin ners, the sure port of those who have suffered shipwreck, the resource of the world, the ran som of captives, the solace of the weak, the consolation of the afflicted, the refuge and sal-

32 VISIT in.

ration of every creature. O, full of grace! enlighten my understanding, and loosen my tongue., that I may recount thy praises, and sing to thee the angelical salutation, which thou so justly deservest. Hail, thou who art the peace, the joy, the consolation of the whole world! Hail, paradise of delight, the assured asylum of all who are in danger, the source oi grace, the mediatrix between God and man ! Ejw. Refuge of sinners, tale pity on me.

THIRD VISi *

" My delig-hts were to be with the children of men." PHOV. viii. 31.

BEHOLD ovn* Jesus, who, after having died for our redemption, wished to remain tvith us in the most holy sacrament, declaring that his delights are to be with the children of men. "O men," says St. Teresa, "how can yov offend a God who declares that among you h» finds his delights! Jesus delights in our so ciety, and shall not we de'.jght in the company of Jesus? we, particularly, who have had the honor of dwelling in his palate? How highly do vrassals esteem the privilege of living in the palace of their sovereign? Behold the palace

CHAPTER I. VISIT I

of the King, this house in which we" dwell with Jesus Christ. Let us be careful to thank him, and to avail ourselves of the conversation of Jesus Christ. Behold me, then, O my Lord and my God, before this altar, where thou dosl remain night and day for the love of me. Thou art the fountain of every good, the remedy of every evil, the treasure of every one who is in need. Behold, at thy feet, a sinner, among all the most needy, the most infirm: I ask thy mercy, have pity on me. Seeing that in this sacrament thou hast descended from heaven solely for my sanctification, I will not ahow my miseries to discourage me. I praise thee, I thank thee, I love thee; and if thou wish me to ask an alms, I ask the grace never more to offend thee, I ask the light and grace to love thee with all my strength. Lord, I love thee with my whole soul; I love thee with all the affections of my heart. Grant that I may re peat these words with sincerity, that I may repeat them continually in this life, and for ali eternity. Most holy Mary, my holy patrons, all ye blessed angels and saints of paradise, help me to love my most amiable God. Eutc. Good Pastor, true bread, Jesus, have 3

34 VISIT in.

pity on us, feed us, defend us, grant that we may see good thing's in the land of the living. The Spiritual Communion.

THIRD VISIT TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN.

Prayer cf St. G'ermanus.

MOST holy Virgin ' who art the greatest con- jlation that I receive from God, thou who art ae heavenly dew which assuages all my pains, jaou who art the light of my soul when it is enveloped in darkness, thou who art my guide vn unknown paths, the support of my weak ness, my treasure in poverty, my remedy in sickness, my consolation in. trouble, my refuge in misery, and the hope of my salvation; hear my supplications, have pity on me, as becomes the mother of so good a God, and obtain for me a favorable reception of all my petitions at 'he throne of mercy.

Ejac. O merciful, O pious, O sweet Virgin Mary.

FOURTH VISIT.

'For her conversation hns no bitterness, nor he* company any t -;;iious:i :s*." WISD. viii. 16. WORLDLINGS feel so happy in the society of ». friend, that they lose entire days in his com-

CHAPTER IV. VISIT IV

{winy. They who love not Jesus, experience tediousness in remaining with him in the ta bernacle. The saints enjoyed a paradise before the holy sacrament. After her death. St. Te resa said from heaven to one of her religious : "we who rejoice in heaven and you who suf fer on earth, ought to be the same in purity and love. And what we do in heaven be fore the divine essence, you should do on earth before the most holy sacrament." Jesus then, in the adorable Eucharist, ought to be our para dise on earth.

O immaculate Lamb! immolated for us on the cross, remember that I am one of those souls whom thou hast redeemed by so many sorrows, and by so painful a death. Since thou hast given thyself entirely to rne, and since thou dost daily ofler thyself in sacrifice for me on the altar, grant that thou mayest be for ever mine, and that I may for ever belong entirely to thee. I offer myself to thee without reserve, that thou mayest do with me what thou pleasest. I give thee my will, chain it to thyself with the sweet bonds of thy love, that it may be the eternal slave of thy most holy will. I wish to live no longer for the giatifica-

36 VISIT IV.

tion of my own desires, but for the sole pur pose of pleasing thee. Destroy in me what ever is not agreeable to thee. Grant me the grace to think only of pleasing thee, and to de sire only what thou dost desire. I love thee O rny dear Saviour! with my whole heart. I love thee because thou dost desire to be loved by me : I love thee because thou art worthy of all my love. It grieves me that I do not love thee as much as thou deservest. I would wish to die for the love of thee. Lord,, accept my desire: give me thy love. Amen, Amen.

Ejac. O will of my God, I sacrifice myself entirely to thee.

The Spiritual Communion.

FOURTH VISIT TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN.

Prayer of St. Germanus. O SOVEREIGN Q,ueen! thou art our defence and our joy. Make me worthy to share with thee the happiness which thou enjoyest in heaven. Yes, my refuge, my defence, my strength, my hope, obtain for me, by thy pow erful intercession, a place with thee in paradise. Being the mother of God, thou canst obtain it, if thou pleasest. O Mary ! thou art all paw-

YISIT V. 37

crful in saving sinners., and,, being the Mother of Mercy, thou canst want no inducement to save them by thy intercession.

Ejac. O my Mother and my hope! obtain for me the grace to be devoted entirely to Jesus.

FIFTH VISIT.

" The sparrow hath found herself a house, and tho turtle a nest for herself, where she may lay he* young-. Thy altars O Lord of hosts, my King and my God." Ps. Ixxxiii. S.

THE sparrow,, says David, has found her self a house, and the turtle a nest; but thou, O ray King and my God, hast taken up thy dwelling with us on the altar. It must be said, that thy love for man is excessive; thou couldst not to do more to gain his love. O most amiable Jesus, grant that we may love thee intensely. It is not just that we should love \vith coldness a God that loves us with so much tenderness. Draw us to thyself with ihe sweet attractions of thy love. Make us understand the strong claims which thou hast to all the affections of our hearts.

O infinite Majesty and infinite goodness, how has it happened that though thou lovest men BO ardently, and hast done so much to be loved

38 VISIT r.

by them, so fe\v of them Jove thee ? I will be no longer among the unhappy number of those who have been ungrateful to thee. I am re solved, to the utmost of my ability, to love thee, and to love thee only . Thou dost deserve my love; thou dost command and press me to love thee: I desire to obey thee. O God of my soul, make me please thee in all things. I ask and hope for this grace, through the merits of thy passion. Give the goods of the earth to those who wish for them; I only desire and seek the great treasure of thy love. I love thee, my Jesus; I love thee, infinite goodness. Thou art my riches, my happiness, and my love.

Ejac. My Jesus, thou hast given thyself en tirely to me; I give my whole being to thee. Tlic Spiritual Communion.

FIFTH VISIT TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN.

WE look up to thee, O Queen of the world!' for protection. After a life of so much sin and ingratitude, we have to appear before our Judge, and who shall appease his wrath? No one is so well qualified to do it as thyself, who lovedst him so tenderly, and wast so tenderly loved by

CHAPTER VI. VISIT VI

him. O Mother of Mercy, open then thy ears to our sighs and prayers- Thou dost not look with disdain on the sinner, however enormous his crimes may have been; if with sincere re pentance he cries out to thee and entreats thy intercession, thou dospisest him not. Thou animates! and consoles! him, and dost not abandon him, until thou hast reconciled him with his Judge.

We fly, therefore, to thy protection, entreat ing thee to appease the indignation of thy Son, and to restore us to his grace.

Ejac. O Mary ! show thyself a mother to us.

SIXTH VISIT.

r< Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (LUKE xii. 34).

JESUS CHRIST says, that whatsoever a person regards as his treasure, on that his affections rest. Hence,, the saints, who neither esteem nor love any other treasure than Jesus Christ, have fixed their hearts and all their affections on this most holy sacrament. My most amia ble Je-ous, who, for the love of me, dost remain night and day enclosed in this tabernacle, draw, I entreat thee, my whole heart to thyself, that

10 VISIT VI.

f may think only of thee, that I ma v hope omy in thee, and that I may love and seek only thee. Grant me this grace, through the merits of thy passion j through them I ask and hope for it. O my adorable Saviour! O divine lover, how amiable are the tender inventions of thy love, to gain the love of souls! O eter nal Word! thou wast not content with becom ing man, and dying for us; thou hast also given us thyself in this sacrament, to be our com panion, our food, and a pledge of eternal glory. Thou dost appear among us, al one time, an infant in a stable, and at another, a poor arti- zan in a shop ; now a criminal on a cross, and again under the appearance of bread on the altar. Tell me, what more couldst thou do to induce us to love thee? O God, infinitely amiable, when shall I begin to correspond to such an excess of love? Lord, I desire to live only to love thee. Of what use is life to me, unless I spend the entire of it, in loving and in pleasing thee, my beloved Redeemer, who hast spent thy whole life for me? And what shall I love, if I love not thee, who art all beauty, all sweetness, all goodness, all love, all loveli ness. May I live only to love thee, and may

CHAPTER VI. VISIT VI

my soul melt through, love, at the sole remem brance of thy love ; and, at the bare mention of the crib, the cross, or the sacrament, may my heart be inflamed with a desire to do great things for the love of thee, who hast done and suffered so much for the love of me.

Ejac. Grant O my Lord, that before I die, I may do something for the love of thee. The Spiritual Communion.

SIXTH VISIT TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN.

Prayer of St. Bernard. O MARY ! thou art the only woman on whom the Saviour of the world has poured the trea sures of his grace without measure; hence we are taught to honor thy chaste womb as the temple of God, wherein he was pleased to begin the great work of our redemption, the recon ciliation of God with man. Thou, O Mothei of God, art that spiritual garden, whose fruit is never gathered by the hands of sinners. Thou art that hallowed soil, where God has planted all the flowers which adorn his church, and amongst the rest, the holy virtues of humility, purity, and charity, which are greater orna ments to the souls of men than violets, lilies.

4JC VISIT VII.

and roses are to the earth. Thou art the para dise of God, whence iiovvs the stream of living water to moisten the earth. Oh, what benefits were bestowed on the world through thee. when thou wast selected to be the fortunate channel of so many graces!

Ejac. Hail! our life, our sweetness, and our hope.

SEVENTH VISIT.

" Behold I am with you all days, to the consum mation of the world." MATTH. xxviii. 20.

OUR loving Pastor, who has given his life for his sheep, did not wish to be separated from us by death. Behold, he says, O my beloved sheep, I am always with yon. For you, I have remained on earth in this sacrament; here you can find me whenever you wish, always ready to assist and console you by my presence. I will not leave you till the end of the world; as long as you shall remain on earth, I wil] dwell among you. "The Saviour," says St. Peter of Alcantara, "did not wish to leave his spouse, at such a distance, without a compan ion. Hence, he has instituted the holy sacra-

CHAPTER V. VISIT V

ment, in which he himself, the best of all spouses, remains with her/'

Most sweet Lord, most amiable Saviour, I now visit thee in this altar; but thou dost visit me with far greater love, when thou comest to my soul in the holy communion. Thou art not only present with me then, hut thou art also rny food, thou dost unite and give thyself entirely to me, so that I may then say with truth : My Jesus, now thou art all mine. Since thou givest thyself to me without reserve, it is but just that I offer myself entirely to thee. I am a worm, and thou art God. O God of love, O love of my soul, when shall I see myself altogether thine, not in words, but in deed. Thou canst make me entirely thine. Increase, O Lord, my confidence to obtain, through the merits of thy blood, the grace that before I die [ may belong entirely to thee, and that I may be divested entirely of self-love. Thou, O Lord, dost hear the prayers of all; receive this day the petition of a soul that sincerely desires to love thee. I wish to love thee with all my strength; I wish to obey thee in all things without interest, without consolation, without reward. I desire to serve thee through love, for

44 VISIT vn.

the sole purpose of pleasing thy heart, whicn has loved me to such excess. Thy love will be my reward. O beloved Son of the eternal Father! take possession of my liberty, of my will, of all that I am and have, and give thy self to me. I love thee, I seek and sigh aftei thee; I desire to possess thee.

Ejac. My Jesus, make me entirely thine. The Spiritual Communion.

SEVENTH VISIT TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN

Prayer of St. Bernard. O BLESSED Q,UEEN! it is of thee the prophei speaks, when he says, ' ' Who is she that riseth like the day star, beautiful as the moon, brilliant as the sun?" Yes, thou didst appear in the world like the bright day star, preceding by the light of thy sanctity the coming of the Sun of Justice. The day on which thou earnest into the world, may well be styled a day of salva tion and a day of grace. Thou art beautiful as the moon ; because as none of the celestial bo dies so nearly resembles the sun as it does, so there is no creature whose perfections so nearly approach to those of God as thy own. The moon enl'jghtens the night by reflecting the

CHAPTER VI. VISIT VI

rays of the sun, and ihou ehlightenest our dark ness by the splendor of those virtues with which God has adorned thee. But thou art even more beautiful than the moon., because in thee is found neither spot nor shade; thou art brilliant like the sun ; I mean that divine Sun who created the one which enlightens the earth, for, as he in his humanity is the most resplendent amongst men, so art thou the brightest amongst women.

Ejac. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners.

EIGHTH VISIT

To every soul that visits Jesus in the holy sacrament he addresses the words of the spouse in the Canticles : " Arise, make haste, my love, my beautiful one, and come." Cant. ii. 10. O soul, who dost visit me, «me, arise from thy miseries; I am here to enrich thee with my graces. Make haste, draw near to me, be not afraid of my majesty, which is humbled in this sacrament, to take away from thee all fear, and to inspire thee with confidence. My love., be no more my enemy, but be always my beloved; for I love thee and thou lovest me. My beau-

46 VISIT viii.

tiful one, my grace has made thee beautiful. And come, come and unite thyself to me, and ask with confidence whatsoever thou pleasest.

St. Teresa used to say, that this great King of Glory has clothed himself with the appear ances of bread in the sacrament, and has con cealed his majesty, to encourage us to approach with confidence to his divine heart.

Let us, then, draw near to Jesus with great confidence and love; let us unite ourselves to him, and ask his graces.

O eternal Word, made man, and concealed in this sacrament for my sake, what ought to be my joy when I stand before thee, who art my God, who art infinite majesty and infinite goodness, and whose love for my soul is so tender. O all ye souls that love God, whether you are in heaven or on earth, love him also for me. Mary, my Mother, assist me to love him. O most loving Lord, grant that thou mayest be the object of all my affections. Take full possession of me, and rule my whole will with undivided sway. I consecrate to thee rny whole mind, that it may always think of thy goodness; I consecrate to ihee ray body, that it may .help me to please thee; I consecrate to

CHAPTER VIII. VISIT VIII

tiiee my soul, that it may be thine without re serve. O beloved of my soul, that all men were convinced of the tenderness of thy love for them, that thus they might all live only to nonor and please thee as much as thou dost desire and deserve. May I, at least, live al- ways enamored of thy infinite beauty. From this day forward, I will do all in my power to please thee. I purpose to do whatever I know to be pleasing to thee, though it should cost me the greatest pain, and though it should be an occasion of losing all my property, and even my life. Happy me, if I lose all things to gain thee my God, my treasure, my love, my all.

Ejac. Jesus, my love, take full possession of me.

Tlie Spiritual Communion.

EIGHTH VISIT TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN

Prayer of St. Bernard. SWEET and amiable Mary, no one can pro nounce thy name without feeling the greatest desire of loving thee; and they who love thee cannot call thee to mind without being anima ted to love thee more. Pray for us to thy divine Son that he would vouchsafe to strengthen our

48

CHAPTER IX. VISIT IX

our favor to thy God, and ours, than thyself, who art nearest to him. Intercede, then, for us, O blessed Mother, because thy Son hear? thee, and thou canst obtain whatever thor, askest.

Ejac. O Mary, obtain for me the grace t\. have continual recourse to thee.

NINTH VISIT.

ST. JOHN says, that he saw the Lord "gut about the paps with a golden girdle.'7 (Apoc. i. 13). Jesus remains in the holy sacrament with paps full of milk; that is of graces, which, in his mercy, he wishes to dispense to all his chil dren: and, like a mother in search of her in fants to give them suck, he says to us all, "You shall be carried at the breasts." Isaias Ixvi. 12.

The venerable Father Alvarez saw Jesus in the holy sacrament, having his hands full of graces, and seeking souls to whom he could dispense them. We read of St. Catherine of Sienna, that she approached the holy sacra ment with the love and avidity with which an infant seizes its mother's breast.

CHAPTER IX. VISIT IX

0 most beloved and only begotten of the eternal Father, I know that thou art worthy of infinite love. I desire to love thee as much as thou dost deserve, or, at least, as much as a soul can ever desire to love thee. I well know that I, who have been so great a traitor and rebel to thy love, am unworthy to love thee, or to approach so near thee as I do in this church. But I know that thou seekest my love. I hear thee say, " My son give me thy heart." " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart.1' Thou hast preserved me in life, and hast not sent me to hell, that I might be entirely converted to thee, and devoted to thy love. Since, then, thou dost wish to be loved even by me, behold, O my God, I give myself to thee. I love thee, O my God, who art all goodness, all love. I choose thee for the only King and Lord of my poor heart. Thou dost wish for it, I consecrate it to thee : it is cold and disgusting, but if thou accept it thou wilt change it. Change me, O my Lord, change me. I do not wish to be ever more, as I hav« hitherto been, so ungrateful to thee, and so little inflamed with the love of thy infinite goodness, which merits infinite love. Grant that hence- 4

50 VISIT IX.

forth 1 may supply my past want and neglect of thy love.

Ejac. My God, my God, I desire to love thee, I desire to love thee, I desire to love thee. The Spiritual Communion

NINTH VISIT TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN.

Prayer of St. John Damascene.

HAIL! Mary, the hope of Christians. Hear the petition of a sinner, who wishes to love thee with the greatest tenderness, and to honor thee as thou deservest, and who reposes in thee, next to God, his hope of salvation. Being in debted to thee for the preservation of my life, I entreat thee to restore me to the grace of thy divine Son. Thou art the surest pledge of my salvation; deliver me, then, by thy prayers, from the heavy load of my sins. Disperse the darkness of my understanding; banish every inordinate affection from my heart; repress the temptations of my spiritual enemies, and so order my life that, under thy protection, I may arrive at eternal repose in heaven.

Ejac. O my Mother, obtain for me the grace that 1 may always remember thee.

CHAPTER X. VISIT X

TENTH VISIT.

O FOOLISH, miserable worldings, where do you go in search of peace and content of soul? Come to Jesus, for he alone can give that hap piness \vhicn you seek. '-"Miserable souls, whither are you going? The good which you seek is from him." My soul, do not imitate tneir folly : "seek the one good which contains all good." St. Augustine. If thou wish to find him immediaely, behold he is at hand; say to him whatsoever thou pleasest : he remains in this tabernacle to console thee, and to hear thy petitions. St. Teresa says, that all art not per mitted to speak to their sovereign. The most they can expect is to be allowed to present their petitions to him through the medium of a third person. But to speak to thee, O King of glory, the intervention of a third person is not neces sary. Thou art always ready to give audience to ail in the most holy Sacrament of the Altar. He who wishes can find thee there at all times, and can converse familiarly with thee. O how difficult is it to obtain an audience of an earthly monarch! Kings give audience to their sub jects only seldom in the year; but thou, O

5xJ VISIT X.

Lord, dost give audience night and day to all who approach thee.

O sacrament of love, whether thou givest thyself to us in the holy communion, or dost remain on our altars, thou knowest how to draw to thyself, by the sweet attractions of thy love, so many hearts, which, enamored of thee, and astonished at thy goodness, burn with the happy flames of thy love, and think continually of thee. Draw to thyself my miserable heart, which also desires to love thee, and to be for ever the servant of thy love.

From this day forward, I deposit in the hands of thy goodness all my interests, all my hopes, all my affections, my soul, my body. Accept me, O Lord, and dispose of me as thou pleasest. O my love, I will never more com plain of thy holy arrangements. I know that tiiey all proceed from thy loving heart, and shall, therefore, be full of love, and shall be for my welfare. It is enough for me that these arrangements come from thy will, I also wish for them all for time and for eternity. Do whatsoever thou pleasest in me, and with me; I mule myself entirely to thy will, \vhich is all holy, all good, all perfect, all love. O will of

CHAPTER X. VISIT X

my God,, how dear art thou to me? I wish always to live and die united and chained to thee. Thy pleasure is my pleasure. I wish that thy desires may be my desires. My God, my God, bless me, and make me henceforth live only for thee, only to wish what thou wishest, and to love thy amiable will. May I die for the love of thee, since thou, who hast become my food, hast died for the love of me. I curse the days in which, by doing my own will, I have so much displeased thee. I love thee, O will of my God, as much as I love God; for thou art one thing with God. I love thee with my whole heart. I give myself en tirely to thee.

Ejae. O will of God, thou art my love. TYwj Spiritual Communion.

TENTH VISIT TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN.

Prayer of St. Andrew of Jerusalem. HAIL ! Mary, full of grace : the Lord is wita thee. Hail! source of our joy. Through thee, as the Mother of Jesus, the sentence of our condemnation has been revoked, and changed into a judgment of benediction. Hail, temple

54 VISIT XT.

of the Deity's glory, sacred dwelling of the King of Heaven; thou art the reconciliation of God with man. Hail, Mother of our bliss j thou art truly blessed, because thou wast the only one amongst women found worthy to be the Mother of thy Creator. All nations call thee blessed. If I place my confidence in thee I shall be saved. Under thy protection I have nothing to fear, because, in being devoted to thee, I hold in my hand the most assured arms of salvation, which the Almighty grants only to those whom he wishes in a special manner to save.

Ejae. We fly to thy protection, O sacred Mother of God.

ELEVENTH VISIT.

"Let us endeavor," says St. Teresa, f;not to stray far from our dear pastor, Jesus, nor to lose sight of him; for the sheep that remain near their pastor are always more caressed, and better attended: they also receive from him some chosen morsels of the food which he himself eats. Should the pastor slumber, the sheep do not wander away from him, but ro- main near him till he awakes, or lill they rouse

CHAPTER XI. VISIT XI

him from sleep, and then he gives them new proofs of his love." O my Redeemer, con cealed in this saciament, behold me present before thee. I wish for no other favor than fervor and perseverance in the love.

I thank thee, Q holy Faith : thou dost teach and assure me that the divine sacrament of the altar, that heavenly bread, contains not bread, but my Lord Jesus Christ, and that he dwells in that sacrament for the love of me. My Lord, and my all, I believe that thou art pres ent in the holy sacrament; and, though I do not see thee with the eyes of the body, still, guided by the light of faith, I adore thee, under the consecrated host, as the Monarch of heaven and earth, and as the Saviour of the world. Ah! my most sweet Jesus, as thou art my hope, my salvation, my strength, my consola tion, so, also, I wish that thou be the sole ob ject of my love, of all my thoughts, of all my desires, of all my affections. I rejoice more in the supreme felicity which thou dost enjoy, and which thou wilt eternally enjoy, than in any good which I could possess for time or for eternity. My greatest happiness consists in knowing that thou, my beloved Redeemer, art

56

CHAPTER XI. VISIT XI

Reign, O my Lord, reign over my whole soul. I consecrate it to thee entirely, take possession of it for ever. May my will, my senses, my powers, be all slaves of thy love, and may they serve only to please thee. Such was thy life, O most holy Mary, the Mother of my Jesus j the first of all lovers : assist me, obtain for me the grace to live henceforth, as thou didst live, always happy m belonging entirely to God.

Ejac. My Jesus, may I be entirely thine, and mayest thou be entirely mine.

The Spiritual Communion.

ELEVENTH VISIT TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN.

MOTHER of mercy! appease /the anger of thy Son. Whilst thou wast upon earth, thou didst occupy only a small portion of it: but being now seated in the highest heavens, we look up to thee as the general mediatrix of all nations. We entreat thee, O sacred Virgin' to grant us the assistance of thy prayers, which are more desirable and more precious than all the treasures of the earth. Thy prayers move ttie Almighty to pardon our sins, and obtain f >r us the most abundant graces, to enable us

CHAPTER XII. VISIT XII

to practise the virtues of a Christian life; they arrest the progress of our enemies,, frustrate their designs, and triumph over the efforts of their malice.

Ejac. Mary! thou art my consolation, and, after Jesus, the foundation of my hope.

TWELFTH VISIT.

" God is charity : and he that abideth in charity abidcth in God, and God in him." (1 JOHN iv. 16).

HE who loves Jesus dwells with Jesus, and

Jesus with him. "If any one love me my

Father will love him, and we will come to him, and will make our abode with him." St. (John xiv. 23). When the holy viaticum was brought to St. Philip Neri, he exclaimed, "Be hold my love! behold my love!" Let each of us. then, say before Jesus in the holy sacra ment, behold my love, the object of all my affections during my whole life, and for all eternity.

Since then, my Lord and my God, thou hast said in the gospel that thou wilt love him who loves thee, and that thou wilt come to make thy abode in him, and never more to de part from him, I love thee above all things.

58

CHAPTER XII. VISIT XII

ness of being loved by thee more than all the kingdoms of the earth. Come and fix thy dwelling in my poor soul, so that thou mayest never more depart from me, or rather, that I may never banish thee from my heart. Thou dost not depart unless thou art driven away. I may, as I have hitherto done, expel thee again from my soul. Ah! do not permit one so highly favored ever to be guilty of such wick edness and such horrid ingratitude as to banish thee again from my heart, after having re ceived so many graces from thee. But this may happen ; and therefore, if it be pleasing to thee, I desire to die, that, dying in union with thee, I may live for ever united to thee. Yes, my Jesus, such ray firm hope. I embrace thee, my poor heart clings to thee. Grant that I may always love thee, and that thou mayest always love me. Yes, my most amiable Re deemer, I will always love thee. Thou will always love me, O God of my soul: I hope that we will love each other for all eternity. Amen.

Ejac. My Jesus, I desire always to love thee, and to be loved by thee.

The Spiritual Communion.

CHAPTER XIII. VISIT XIII

TWELFTH VISIT TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN.

Prayer of St. lUlefonsus.

O MY Sovereign, and Mother of my God, thou art blessed amongst all women, pure amongst all virgins, and queen of all the hea venly host; all nations pronounce thee blessed. Vouchsafe that I may publish as much as pos sible thy greatness, that I may love thee to the utmost of my power, and that I may serve thee with all the capacity of my soul.

Ejuc. Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O blessed Virgin.

THIRTEENTH VISIT.

" My eyes and my heart shall be there always." (1 KINGS ix. 3).

JESUS has fulfilled this consoling promise in the holy sacrament of the altar, in which he dwells with us night and day. My Lord, would it not be enough for thee to remain in this sacrament during the day, when thou mightest expect to receive the adoration of thy servants, and to enjoy the delight of their so ciety? But why remain there during the whole night when the churches are closed, and men retire to their houses and leave thee

60 VISIT XIII.

entirely alone? But I understand the reason: love has made thee our prisoner. The exces sive love which thou dost bear us has chained thee to the earth, so that thou dost not depart from us either by night or by day. Ah! most amiable Saviour, such tenderness of love should compel all men, until driven away by force, to remain continually with thee in the holy sacrament; and, at their departure, they should leave at the foot of the altar their hearts and all their affections with an incarnate God, who re mains alone shut up in a tabernacle, all eyes to see and to provide for their wants, and all hearts to love them, longing for the morning, that he may be visited by the souls whom he loves.

Yes, my Jesus, I desire to satisfy thee; I consecrate to thee my whole will and all rny affections. O infinite majesty of God, thou hast left thyself in this divine sacrament, not only to be present with, and near to us, but principally to communicate thyself to thy be loved souls. O Lord, who shall dare to ap proach thee and eat tny flesh? But who, on the other hand, can w'thdraw from thee? To come into our souls, and to take possession of

CHAPTER XIII. VISIT XIII

our hearts thou hast concealed thyself under the consecrated host. Thou dost burn with a desire to be received by us, and thou dost de light in an union with us. Come, then, my Jesus, come; I desire to receive thee, that thou mayest be the God of my heart and of my will. My dear Redeemer, whatever is in me, I yield to thy love; for thee I renounce gratifications, pleasures, self-will and all that I possess. O love, O God of love, reign and triumph over my whole being; destroy in me whatever is mine and is not thine. My love, do not per mit my soul, which, by receiving thee in the holy communion, has been filled with the ma jesty of a God, ever again to become attached to creatures. I love thee, O my God, I love thee; I desire to love thee alone, and for ever. Ejac. " Tmhe me vinculis amoris tui" Ttie Spiritual Communion.

THIRTEENTH VISIT TO THE BLESSED

VIRGIN.

Prayer of St. Ildcfomus. MOST humble handmaid of thy divine Son! I prostrate myself before thee, conjuring thee to obtain pardon of my sins, that t may be

U~ VISIT XIV.

cleansed from all the imperfections of my life. I entreat thee to procure me the grace of being always united to God and to thee, and to be ever a faithful servant of thy Son and of thee: of thy Son, as my Lord and my Redeemer; and of thee, as the cause of my redemption : for if he has paid the price of my redemption, it was with the bo;ly which he received from thee.

Ejac. O Mary! obtain for me confidence in tny intercession, and the grace that I may con tinually have recourse to thee.

FOURTEENTH VISIT.

MOST amiable Jesus! I hear thee exclaim from this tabernacle, "-"This is my rest for ever and ever: here will I dwell, for I have chosen it." (Ps. cxxxi. 14). Since, then, thou hast chosen thy dwelling among us in the holy sacrament, since thy love for us makes our ta bernacles the place of thy rest, it is but just that our hearts too should always dwell there with thee, and should there find delight and repose. Happy you, O loving souls, to whom no re pose which this world can afford, is more sweet ill an that which you enjoy in the presence of

CHAPTER XIV. VISIT XIV

your Jesus in the holy sacrament! And happy me, O my Lord, if henceforth my greatest de light shall consist in remaining always before thee, and in always thinking of thee, who art present in the holy sacrament, always thinking of me and of my welfare.

Ah ! why have I lost so many years in which 1 have not loved thee. Unhappy years, I curse you; and I bless thee, O infinite patience of my God, who has so long borne with one so un grateful to his love. But, in spite of all my ingratitude, thou dost still bear with me; and why, O my God? It is that, being overcome by thy mercy and thy love, I may one day give myself entirely to thee. I will not, O Lord, resist any longer; I will never more be un grateful to thee. It is my duty to consecrate to thee the remainder of my life, whether it be short or long. I hope, O my Jesus, to obtain from thee help to become entirely thine. Thou didst bestow many blessings on me when I fled from thee, and despised thy love; how much greater favors may I expect from thee, now that I seek after thee, and desire to love thee? Give me, then, the grace to love thee, O God, who art worthy of infinite love. I love thee

64 VISIT XIV.

with my whole heart; I love thee above all things: I love thee more than myself, more than my life. I am sorry for having offended thee, O infinite goodness. Pardon me, arid with the pardon of my sins grant me the grace to love thee ardently till death in this world, and for all eternity in the next. Omnipotent God, by thy Almighty power, show to the world this prodigy, that a soul so ungrateful as mine may become one of thy greatest lovers. O my Jesus, through thy merits grant me this favor. I desire and purpose to love thee with my whole soul during my entire life. Thou hast inspired the desire; give me strength to make it efficacious.

Ejac. My Jesus, I thank thee for having borne with me so long.

Tlie Spiritual Communion.

FOURTEENTH VISIT TO THE BLESSED

VIRGIN.

Prayer of St. jlnselm.

WE entreat thee, most sacred Virgin, by thai fulness of grace, whereby thou wast elevated to the highest degree of dignity and glory which a pure creature can possibly attain, thaf

VISIT :cv. 65

thoti wouldst procure for us a fellowship with thee in glory. Pray for us, that we may ob • tain that happiness, to purchase which for us God vouchsafed to become man in thy im maculate womb. Be not deaf to our suppli cations: whatever thou askest of thy Son, ho will grant to us: if thou desirest our salvation, and prayest for it, we are sure to be saved. But if thou dost shut the bowels of thy mercy against us; if thou, who art the Mother of clemency, dost not take pity on us, what will be our lot when thy Son shall appear in judg ment?

Ejac. O Mary! behold our danger, and have compassion on us.

FIFTEENTH VISIT.

"I am come to cast fire on the earth, and what will I but that it be kindled ?" (LUKE xii. 49).

THE venerable Father Francis Olimpio used to say, that there is nothing so much calculated to kindle the fire of divine love in the hearts of men as the holy sacrament of the altar. Hence our Lord appeared to St. Catherine of Sienna, in the blessed Eucharist, as a furnace of love, from which divine flames went forth to all

66 VISIT XV.

parts of the earth. The saint was astonished to find that all men were not on fire with the love of a God who had shown so much love to man. My Jesus, inflame my soul with thy love. Grant that I may think only of thee, and that I may desire, and seek, and sigh after thee alone. O happy me, if this holy fire of thine shall possess my whole being, and shall continue, during the remainder of my days, to consume in me all earthly affections.

O divine word, O my Jesus, I see thee en tirely sacrificed and annihilated on the altar for the love of me. Since, then, thou dost sacrifice thyself as a victim of love for me, it is my duty to consecrate myself entirely to thee. Yes, my God and my supreme Lord, I sacrifice to thee my whole soul, my whole being, my whole will, and my entire life. O eternal Father, I anite this poor sacrifice of mine with the infi nite sacrifice which Jesus thy Son, and my Saviour, offered once on the cross, and which ae offers every day so often on our altars. Accept this offering, through the merits of Jesus, and give me the grace to repeat it every day of my life, and to die sacrificing my whole oeing to thy honor. I desire the grace bestow^ \

CHAPTER XV. VISIT XV

on so many martyrs, to die for the love of thee. But if I am unworthy of so great a favor, grant me at least, O Lord, the grace cheerfully to sacrifice to thee my life, by embracing that death which thou wilt appoint for me. Lord [ desire this grace; I wish to die with the in tention of honoring and pleasing thee. From jhis moment I sacrifice my life to thee; I offer to thee my death whenever and in what way soever it shall happen.

Ejac. My Jesus, I wish to die to please thee. The Spiritual Communion.

FIFTEENTH VISIT TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN.

Prayer of St. slnsclm.

HELP us, O Queen of mercy! without re garding the multitude of our sins. Remember, that our Creator assumed from thee a human body, not to condemn, but to save sinners. Hadst thou been chosen to be the Mother of God for thy own benefit alone, thou mightest then be said to have no particular interest in our salvation; but God clothed himself in thy flesh for the sake of all mankind. Help us, therefore, and protect us: thou knowest the

CHAPTER XVI. VISIT XVI

earnestly recommend ourselves to thy prayers. Pray that we may not be eternally lost, but with thee may serve and love Jesus Christ for even

SIXTEENTH VISIT.

OH! if men always sought from Jesus in the holy sacrament, a remedy for their evils, they certainly should not be so miserable as they are! "Is there," exclaims the prophet Jere- mias, "no balm in Galaad? or is there no Physician there?" (Jer. viii. 22). Galaad, a mountain in Arabia, abounding^ in aromatic ointments, is, as Venerable Bede remarks, a figure of Jesus Christ, who has prepared in this sacrament all the remedies of our souls. Why then, (the Redeemer seems to cry out to us,) O children of Adam, do you complain of your miseries, when you have in this sacra ment the Physician and the remedy of all you! maladies : " Come to me, all you that labor,... and I will refresh you." (Matt. xi. 28). Witli the sisters of Lazarus I will say to thee, O Lord, "Behold he whom thou lovest is sick." Lord,, I am that miserable creature whom thou

CHAPTER XVI. VISIT XVI

lovest; my past sins have covei6d m} soul with wounds; O, my divine Phys_«,ian, I come to thee that you mayest heal n.c! If thou wiliest, thou canst cure all my diseases; "heal rny soul, for I have sinned againsi thee." (Ps. xl. 5).

O my most sweet Jesus, draw me to thyself by the most amiable attractions of thy love. I would rather be united to thee than be made the lord of all the eaith. I desire nothing in this world but thy love. I have nothing to give thee, but were it in my power to possess all the kingdoms of the earth, I would wish to have them only to renounce them for the love of thee. I renounce, then, for thy sake, all that it is in my power to renounce. I renounce all relatives, all advantages, all pleasures, and even all spiritual consolations; I renounce my .liberty and my will. To thee I desire to give all the affections of my heart. I love thee, O infinite goodness. I love thee more than my self, and I hope to love thee for eternity.

Ejac. I give myself to thee, O my Jesus, accept me.

The Spiritual Communion.

70

CHAPTER XVII. VISIT XVII

Prayer of St. Peter Damian.

O HOLY Virgin! come to the assistance of those who call upon thee: cast a look of pity on us. Hast thou, in the close alliance thou holdest with the Deity, forgotten thy fellow creatures? Ah! certainly not. Thou knowest loo well the misery of our condition, and the dangers to which we are exposed, and it would ill become clemency and compassion like thine to forget us. Exert thy influence in our be half. Nothing is impossible to thee, and thou canst, by thy prayers, obtain for the most griev ous sinner, the sweet hope of salvation. The greater thy power is, the greater ought also to be thy mercy.

Ejac. O Mary! thou canst by thy interces sion cleanse me from my sins, and I look foi this favor from thee.

SEVENTEENTH VISIT.

THE greatest enjoyment of loving souls is

found in the presence of those whom they love.

If, then, we ardently love Jesus Christ, -behold

we are in his presence. Jesus, in the holy

CHAPTER XVII. VISIT XVII

sacrament,, sees and hears us, and shall we say nothing to him? Let us console ourselves by his society; let us rejoice at his glory, and at the love which so many souls enamored of the most holy sacrament bear to him. Let us desire that all may love and may consecrate their hearts to Jesus in the blessed Eucharist: let us at least consecrate to him all the affec tions of our souls. Let Jesus be the object of all our love and of all our desires. Father Sales, of the Society of Jesus, was consoled by the bare mention of the most holy sacrament; his desire of visiting his Redeemer was never satiated. In going to the door, in returning to his cell, or passing through the house, he al- v/ays took occasion to repeat his visit to his beloved Lord, so that he was observed to visit tlie blessed sacrament almost every hour in the day. He thus merited the grace to die by the hands of the heretics, while he was defending the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eu charist. O most amiable Jesus, that I too had the happiness of dying in defence of the truth of this sacrament, in which thou hast shown the tenderness of thy love for us. But since fliou, O my Lord, dost work so many wonders

72 VISIT xvii.

in this sacrament, perform also the miracle of drawing me entirely to thyself. Thou dost de sire and deserve to possess my whole being; give me strength to love thee with my whole heart. Give to those who wish for them, the goods of this world: I renounce them all for thy sake; I wish and sigh only for thy love. This only do I ask, this only shall I always seek. I love thee, my Jesus : make me always love thee; I desire nothing else.

Ejac. My Jesus, when shall I truly love tLee?

TJie Spiritual Communion.

SEVENTEENTH VISIT TO THE BLESSED

VIRGIN.

Prayer of St. Damian. O MOTHER of God! cast upon us one look of compassion. I know that thou art full of goodness, and that thou lovest us in a measure that surpasses all other love. How often dost thou appease me anger of our Judge, when the hand of his justice is raised to strike us? All the treasures of mercy are, in thy hands, and thou seekest every opportunity of saving mis erable sinners and making them partakers of

CHAPTER XVIII. VISIT XVIII

thy gljry. Ah! never cease to interest thyself in our regard, that we may one day arrive at the happiness of seeing thee in heaven, as the greatest good that we can enjoy, next to that of seeing God, is 10 see thee, to love thee, and to be under thy protection. Since thy Son de sires to honor thee by refusing nothing tnat thou askest, hear our prayer, and intercede in our behalf.

Ejac. O Mary! I love thee as the most ami able of the works of God, and place my confi dence in thee.

EIGHTEENTH VISIT.

IN the valley of Josaphat, God shall one day sit on a throne of majesty; but in the holy sa crament he is now seated on a throne of love. If to show his love for the poor, a king came to dwell among them, how great would be their ingratitude if they did not frequently visit him. particularly when they knew that he ar dently desired to see them, and if HI he came among them to be visited by tLcui? Ah, my jesus, I know that through love for me thou hast come to dwell with me in the sacrament of the altar. Were, it in my power, I would

74 VISIT xvin.

wish to remain in thy presence night and day If, O my Lord, the angels continually stand around thy altars, astonished at thy love for us, it is but just that I, seeing thee in this taberna cle for my sake, should endeavor to please thee by remaining in thy presence, to praise thy love and goodness towards me. "I will give praise to thee in the sight of the angels : I will worship towards thy holy temple, and I will give glory to thy name, for thy mercy and for thy truth." (Ps. cxxxvii. 2).

O God, concealed in the holy sacrament; O bread of angels, O divine food, I love thee, but my love for thee does not satisfy thee or me. I love thee, but I love thee too little. O my Jesus, give me a clear knowledge of the infinite beauty and goodness which I love. Help me to banish from my heart all earthly affections, and to consecrate it entirely to thy divine love. To gain all my love, and to unite my entire being to thyself, thou dost descend every day from heaven on our altars ; it is, then, but rea sonable that I should think only of loving thee, and of adoring and pleasing thee. I love thee with my whole soul, and with all my affec- 'ions. If thou wishest me to love thee as thou

CHAPTER XVIII. VISIT XVIII

dost deserve, give me more love, more flames,

which will make me always advance in thy love,

and always desire more ardently to please thee.

Ejac. Jesus, my love, give me love.

The Spiritual Communion.

EIGHTEENTH VISIT TO THE BLESSED

VIRGIN.

Prayer of St. Bernard.

O SOVEREIGN queen! on thee the Almighty has bestowed the perfection of all graces. Thou art styled full of grace, because the Holy Ghost has given it to thee in its greatest plenitude. We entreat thee to impart to us a portion of the fulness which thou bast received. Re member our necessities, and hear our prayers. Make us partakers of the riches and abundance which thou possesses!. All nations call thee blessed ; the whole hierarchy of heaven sings Ihy praises, and we, who are upon earth, cry out to thee. Receive our homage, O full of grace! Mother of God, our sovereign and our queen, the Lord is with thee; make interces sion for us.

Ejac. O Mary! look down upon us, and draw our hearts to God.

76 VISIT xix.

NINETEENTH VISIT.

To enjoy the society of a dear friend is agree- able to all; and will it not be sweet to us in this valley of tears to remain in the company of our best friend, who can bestow upon us every blessing we stand in need of, wrho loves us to excess, and who, through love, dwells con tinually with us? Behold, in the holy sacra ment, we can converse with Jesus whenever we please; we can open to him our hearts, lay before him all our wants, and ask his graces. In a word, we can, in this sacrament, address the King of heaven with unbounded confidence and without restraint. Happy, indeed, was the lot of Joseph, when God, by his grace, de scended into the prison to console him. ''She went down with him into the pit, and in bonds she left him not." (Wis. x. 13). But far more happy are we in having always with us, in this land of misery, our God made man, who, by his real presence, assists us all the days of our life, with so much tenderness and compas sion. What a consolation to a poor captive to have an affectionate friend, who converses with •him, who consoles him. inspires him with hope,

CHAPTER XIX. VISIT XIX

assists him, find endeavors to deliver him from his chains ! Behold our good friend Jesus, who, in this sacrament, consoles us by the assurance that he is wilh us all days. Behold me, he says, entirely yours; behold me come from heaven to console, to assist and deliver you. Receive me, remain with me always, unite yourselves to me; and thus you shall not feel your miseries here, and hereafter you shall come with me to my kingdom, where yon shall enjoy complete happiness.

O God! O incomprehensible love! since, to be near to us, thou dost deign to descend on our altars, I purpose to visit thee frequently, I wish to enjoy as much as possible thy mos sweet presence, which renders the saints in paradise happy. Oh that I could always re main before thee to adore and to love thee! Awaken! I, entreat thee, my soul, when, through tepidity or attention to worldly affairs, I neglect to visit thee. Enkindle in my soul a strong desire to remain always near thee in this sacrament. Ah, my loving Jesus, that I had always loved thee! It is a consolation to me that I have still time to love thee, not only in the next, but even in this life. I wish to love

78 VISIT xix.

ihee, O my sovereign good, my love, my trea sure, my all. I wish to love thee with all my ' trength.

Ejac. My God, help me to love thee. The Spiritual Communion.

NINETEENTH VISIT TO THE BLESSED

VIRGIN.

Prayer of Ihe Jllbot of Ccttes.

DRAW me after thee, O Virgin Mary ! that I may run in the odor of thy perfumes. Draw me because I am impeded by the weight of my sins, and by the malice of my enemies. As no one can go to thy divine Son who is not con ducted by his heavenly Father, so I presume also to say, that no one can approach this same Jesus but through thy intercession. Thou art the teacher of true wisdom: through thee sin ners obtain grace because thou art their advo cate; thou promisest to obtain heJp for those who honor thee, because thou art the treasure of God and the depository of all his graces.

Ejac. O thou, who art the salvation of thos* who invoke thee, save rr?e.

CHAPTER XX. VISIT XX

TWENTIETH VISIT

" In that day there shall be a fountain open to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusa lem, for the washing- of the sinner." ZACH. xiii. 1 .

JESUS, in the holy sacrament, is the fountain foretold by the prophet, which is open to all, and in which we can, whenever we wish, wash our souls from the stains of our daily sins. When a fault is committed, what more effica cious remedy can there be than to have imme diate recourse to the holy sacrament! My Je sus, I purpose always to avail myself of this remedy; for I know that the waters of this fountain not only cleanse my soul, but also give me light and strength to avoid sin, and to suffer with joy all crosses, and, at the same time, inflame my heart with thy love. I know that for these ends thou dost expect me to visit thee and dost reward with so many graces the visits of thy lovers. My Jesus, wash me from all the faults which I have this day committed ; I am sorry for them, because they have dis pleased thee, give rne strength to love thee ar dently. Oh that I could, like thy faithful ser vant Mary Diaz, remain always near thee. This holy soul lived in the time of St. Teresa

80 VISIT XX.

and had 'permission from the bishop of Avila to live in the tribune of the Church. Here she remained almost continually before Jesus in the holy sacrament, whom she called her neigh bor, and scarcely ever left the church except to go to confession or communion. The venera ble Brother Francis of the Infant Jesus, of the order of the discalced Carmelites,, could never pass by a church without paying a visit to the blessed sacrament. He used to say, that a per son should not pass the house of a friend with out going in to salute him and speak a word to him. But he was not content with saying a word to his beloved Lord, he remained before him as long as he was allowed.

O my only and infinite good, I see that thou hast instituted this sacrament, and that thou remainest on this altar to be loved by me. For this end thou hast given me a heart capable of loving thee. Why, then, am I so ungrateful as not to love thee, or to love thee so little? It is not just that such amiable goodness should be so little loved. The love which thou dost bear me merits far greater love from me. Thou art an infinite God, I am a miserable worm. It would be very little for me to die, to be con-

CHAPTER XX. VISIT XX

sumed for thee wno hast died for my sake, and

who dost offer thyself in sacrifice every day for

the love of me. Thou dost deserve infinite

love. I desire to love thee with my whole

heart. Assist me, O my Jesus; help me to love

thee, and- to do all thou dost demand of me.

Ejac. "My beloved to me, and I to him."

The Spiritual Communion.

TWENTIETH VISIT TO THE BLESSED

VIRGIN.

Prayer oftJie Mlot of Celles. MOST sweet virgin, thou hast found grace and favor with God, in having been preserved from original sin, filled with the Holy Ghost and chosen to be the Mother of the Son of God. Thou holdest in thy hands all the treasures of grace, not only for thy own benefit, but also for ours ; and thou failest not to distribute them according to our necessities. Thou assistest the good, by obtaining for them grace to per severe, and thou helpest the wicked by prepar ing them to receive the divine mercy; thou aidest the dying by defending them against the snares of the devil, and, after death, thou re- 6

82 TISIT XXI.

ceivest their souls, and conductest them to the mansions of the blessed.

Ejac. O Mary ! happy is he who serves thee and trusts in thee.

TWENTY-FIRST VISIT.

" Wheresoever the body shall be, thither will the eagles also be gathered tog-ether." (LUKE xvii. 37).

BY this body the saints commonly understand the body of Jesus Christ, and by the eagles they understand souls detached from the world, who., like eagles, soar above the things of the earth, and fly up into heaven; after which, in thought and affection, they constantly sigh, and in wnich they continually dwell.

These eagles find their paradise on earth in Jesus in the holy sacrament; so that their dp sire to remain with him appears incapable of being ever satiated. "If," says Jerome, "the eagle, as soon as he perceives the smell of a dead body, sets off from a distance in search of his prey, how much more eagerly ought we to run and fly to Jesus in the holy Eucharist, as to the most delicious food of our souls ?" Hence, in this valley of tears, the saints, like the thirsty stag, have always sighed after this

CHAPTER XXI. VISIT XXI

celestial fountain. Father Balthasar Alvarez, of the society of Jesus, was accustomed, in whatever occupation he was engaged, to cast his eyes frequently to the tabernacle in which he knew the holy Eucharist was preserved. He visited the blessed sacrament very often, and sometimes spent the entire night at the foot of the altar. He used to weep in consid ering that the palaces of the great are always crowded with courtiers, paying homage to men from whom they expect some miserable re compense, and that the churches in which the Sovereign of the universe dwells with us, as on a throne of love, rich in infinite and eternal treasures, are so much abandoned. And he would frequently extol the great happiness of religious who can, even in their own houses, visit as often as they please, by day or by night, this great Lord in the most holy sacrament.

My most beloved Lord, although thou seest that I am so miserable and so ungrateful, still thou in vitest me to draw near to thee. I, there fore, will not be disheartened by my miseries. I come to thee, change me, O my Saviour; banish from me every affection which is not for thee, ev-ery desire which is not pleasing to

84 VISIT xxi.

thee, and every thought which does not tend to thee. My Jesus, my love, my treasure, I desire to content and please thee alone. Thou alone dost merit all my love, and thee only do I wish to love with all my heart. O my Lord, detach me from all creatures, and bind me to thyself alone; but bind me, so that I may never more be separated from thee, either here or hereafter.

Ejac. My most sweet Jesus, do not permit me to be ever separated from thee.

The Spiritual Communion.

TWENTY-FIRST VISIT TO THE BLESSED

VIRGIN.

Prayer of William of Paris. I ADDRESS my petitions to thee, O Mother of God! whom the whole church styles the Mother of Mercy. Canst thou, whose prayers are always acceptable to God, refuse thy inter cession in behalf of sinners? Justly does St. Bernard say, that we may cease to call thee the Mother of Mercy, if any one ever invokes thee in the hour of need, without experiencing thy assistance. Thou wilt not, therefore, ex clude me from a share in thy compassion.

CHAPTER XXII. VISIT XXII

Thou wilt inteicede for me with more earnest ness than I can for myself; and thou wilt pro cure more abundant graces than I could pre sume to ask. O Mother of Mercy! can that clemency, which never abandoned any one, refuse me its assistance in the danger to whicn I am exposed of being eternally lost? Ejac. O Mary ! I am thine : save me.

TWENTY-SECOND VISIT.

NOT finding her beloved, the spouse of the Canticles went about the city, asking, "Have you seen him whom my soul loveth?" Cant, hi. 3. Jesus was not then on earth; but now, if a soul that loves Jesus seeks him, she can find him at all times in the holy sacrament. The venerable Father Avila used to say, that he neither knew nor desired any sanctuary more amiable than a church in which the holy Eu charist was preserved.

O infinite love of my God, worthy of infinite love ! O my Jesus, how hast thou been able to submit to such debasement as to conceal thy self under the appearances of bread, in order to dwell among men, and to unite thyself to their hearts? O incarnate Word, thy humiliation

86 VISIT xxn.

has been extreme, because thy love for us has no bounds. How can I but iove thee with all my affections, when I reflect on all thou hasl done to captivate rny heart? I love thee ar dently; and, therefore, I prefer thy will to all my interests, to all my pleasures. My delight is to please thee, my Jesus, my God, my love, and my all. Kindle within me a strong desire to remain continually before thee in the holy sacrament, to receive thee and keep thee con.-- pany. I should be ungrateful if I did not ao- cept so sweet and gracious an invitation. Ah ? Lord, destroy in me all affection to creatures Thou, my Creator, dost wish to be the sole ob ject of all my thoughts and affections. I km; thee O most amiable goodness of my God; 1 seek nothing from thee but thyself. I do not wish for my own satisfaction; for me it is enough to satisfy thee. My Jesus, accept this good desire of a sinner, who wishes to lov€ thee. Assist me by thy grace, and grant thai I, a miserable slave of hell, may be henceforth t\ie happy bondsman of thy love.

Ejac. Jesus, source of all my good, I Io7« tfcee above all earthly goods.

The Spiritual Communion.

CHAPTER XXIII. VISIT XXIII

TWENTY-SECOND VISIT TO THE BLESSED

VIRGIN.

Prayer of Wittuwi of Pans.

O MOTHER of God! thy goodness never despises the sinner who recommends himself to thy patronage, however enormous his crimes may have been: and hence the Church justly calls thee her advocate and the refuge of sin ners. Let not, then, my crimes prevent thee from fulfilling this office of mercy, whereby thou becomest the mediatrix of peace, the hope and secure asylum of all who are in affliction. Let it not be said that the Mother of God, who, for the sake of the world, brought forth the source of mercy, can refuse to look down with pity on any wretch that flies to her for assist ance. Thou art employed as the mediatrix between God and man: let me experience a share of thy great compassion.

Ejac. O Mary, my loving Mother, may I, under God, owe my salvation to thee.

TWENTY-THIRD VISIT.

Tu visit the places in the Holy Land m whiciv our most beloved Saviour was born, in which he suffered and died, many Christians

00 VISIT XXIII.

submit to much fatigue, and expose themseh es to many dangers. For us., it is not necessary lo make so long a journey., nor to encounter so many perils. The same Lord is near us; he dwells in the church, at the distance of a few paces from our houses. "Pilgrims.," says St. Paulinus, " regard it as a great happiness to procure a small portion of dust from the stable in which Jesus was born, or from the sepulchre in which he was buried.7' With what ardor, then should we visit the most holy sacrament, in which tbe same Jesus is present in person, particularly when such a visit can be made without fatigue or danger! In one of her letters, a religious, to whom God granted a tender devotion to the blessed Eucharist, gave expression to the following sentiments: "I see numberless graces which art not given to Christians, because they do not go to this di vine sacrament. O holy mystery! O sacred tost! It is in this host that God manifest^ his power. This host contains all that God has ever done for us. We need not envy the blessed; for the same Lord whom they enjoy in heaven we have on earth, with greater won ders of his love. Induce all those with whom

CHAPTER XXIII. VISIT XXIII

you converse to dedicate themselves entirely to the most holy sacrament. I speak thus, be cause this sacrament enraptures my soul. Nor can I ever cease to speak of the most holy Eu charist, in which Jesus merits so much love. I know not what to do for Jesus in the holy sacrament." Thus the letter terminates.

O ye seraphim., who sweetly burn with love before your and my Lord, it is not for your sake, but for mine, that the King of heaven is present in this sacrament. O loving angels, inflame me with your ardor, that, along with you, I also may burn with love. O my Jesus, make me comprehend the excess of thy love for men, that, at the sight of such love, the de sire of loving and pleasing thee may be con tinually increased in my heart. I love thee, O most amiable Lord ; I wish always to love thee, through the sole motive of pleasing thee.

Ejac. O Jesus, I believe in thee, I hope in thee, I love thee, I give myself to thee. The Spiritual Communion.

TWENTY-THIRD VISIT TO THE BLESSED

VIRGIN.

Prayer taken from St. Jiugustin and St. Bernard. REMEMBER, O Mary, full of goodness! that

90 VISIT XXIV.

no sinner has ever been heard of that has had recourse to thy protection and been abandoned by thee. Let us, then, seek for grace through the means of Mary, because she can obtain what she asks, and her demands never meet with a refusal. O Mother of God! thou pray- est for all, vouchsafe to pray for me, who am the greatest of sinners, and, therefore, have the greatest need of thy intercession.

Ejac. I fly to thy protection. O sacred Mother of God !

TWENTY-FOURTH VISIT

" Verily, thou art a hidden God." (ISA. xlv. 15).

IN no work of divine love are these words so clearly verified as in the adorable 'mystery of the Eucharist, in which our God is altogether hidden. In taking flesh, the eternal Word con cealed his divinity, and appeared on earth in the form of man; but in mis sacrament he hides his humanity, and as St. Bernard says, "to show the tenderness of his love for us, he takes the appearance of bread. " "The divinity is hidden, the humanity is hidden, the bowels of charity only appear.'7 O my beloved Re deemer, at the sight of such an excess of love

CHAPTER XXIV. VISIT XXIV

for man I am struck with astonishment, and know not what to say. In this sacrament thou concealest thy majesty, thou debasest thy glo ries, thou dost even destroy and annihilate thy divine life, for the love of man. And whilst thou remainest on the altar thy sole occupa tion seems to consist in loving us, and in mani festing thy love for us. But what return do we make to thee, O great Son of God?

O Jesus, thy love for men is ardent to an excess; for thou dost prefer their welfare to thy own honor. And didst thou not foresee the insults to which the institution of this sa crament of love should expose thee. I know and thou also dost well know, that the greater part of men neither adore thee nor acknowledge thy presence in this sacrament. I know that these very men have gone so far as to trample on the consecrated hosts, to cast them con temptuously on the ground, and to throw them into the fire : and I see that even the greater part of those who believe in the holy Eu charist, instead of repairing such outrages by their homage and love, come to the church to offend thee by their irreverence, or abandon thee altogether, and even sometimes leave thee

92

CHAPTER XXIV. VISIT XXIV

cessary for the decent decoration of thy altar.

O my most sweet Saviour, that I could wash with my tears, and even with my blood, those unhappy places in which thy loving heart has been so grossly outraged in this sacrament! But if I am not allowed to do this, I desire at least, O Lord, and purpose, frequently to visit and adore thee, in compensation for the insults which thou dost receive from men in this most divine mystery. Accept, O eternal Father, this poor homage which I, the most miserable of men, offer to thee this day, in reparation of the injuries committed against thy Son in the holy sacrament. Accept it in union with that infinite honor which Jesus Christ rendered to thee on the cross, and which he renders to thee every day on the altar. O my Jesus, that I could enamor all men of this holy sacrament!

Ejac. O my amiable Jesus, make all mer know and love thee.

Tlw Spiritual Conmunion.

CHAPTER XXV. VISIT XXV

TWENTY-FOURTH VISIT TO THE BLESSED

VIRGIN.

Prayer taken from several of the Fathers.

LET us go., says St. Paul, to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy in the time of need. Thou, divine Mary, art this throne of grace, from which God dispenses all his blessings. Most amiable queen, thy delight is to assist those who are in the wretched state of sin: behold, then, at thy feet a grievous sinner, imploring the aid of thy prayers. Help me to (he utmost of thy power, and without delay : the wonders of thy mercy will be enhanced by saving one that has deserved a thousand hells. Thy Son cannot withstand thy intercession. I entreat thee, therefore, by the love which thou entertainest for Jesus, to 'procure pardon for me for the past, and grace to lead a holy life for the future. O Mary, thou art my strength, and the ground of my hope.

Ejac. O Mary, cast a look of compassion on me.

TWENTY-FIFTH VISIT.

ST. PAUL extols the obedience of Jesus Christ, saying, that he was obedient to his

94 VISIT XXV.

eternal Father., even unto death. "He hum bled himself, becoming obedient unto death." (Phil. ii. 8). But in this sacrament he has gone farther; for here he has become obedient not only to his eternal Father, but even to men ; and not only till death, but even to "the con summation of the world." In obedience to man, the King of glory descends from heaven, and remains on our altars. "And I do not resist." (Isa. i. 5). He remains there motion less: he allows himself to be exposed in the remonstrances, or to be shut up in our taber nacles ; to be carried to the houses of the faith ful, or through the streets; to be given in the holy Communion to sinners, as well as to the just. St. Luke tells us, that during life he was subject to Mary and Joseph : but in the holy sacrament he is obedient to as many crea tures as there are priests on earth. "And I do not resist." Allow me to speak to thee this day, O most loving heart of Jesus, from which have proceeded all the sacraments, but particu- larly this sacrament of love. I would wish to render to thee as much honor and glory as thou givest in the holy sacrament to thy eter nal Father. I know that on this altar thou

CHAPTER XXV. VISIT XXV

lovest me with the same tenderness with which thou didst love me. when, amidst the sorrows of the cross, thou didst offer for me thy divine life. Enlighten, O divine heart, with the knowledge of thy love, all who do not know thee. Through thy merits, deliver, or at least relieve those afflicted souls in purgatory, who are thy eternal spouses. With all the souls who, at this moment, love thee in heaven and on earth, I unite in adoring, in thanking, and in loving thee. O most pure heart, purify my heart from all attachment to creatures, and fill it with thy holy love. O most sweet heart, take possession of my whole heart, that it may be entirely thine, and that it may be always able to say : "Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ ?" (Rom. viii. 35). O most holy heart, inscribe on my heart the bitter sor rows which thou .didst suffer for so many years on earth for the love of me, that at the sight of them, I may henceforth, for the love of thee, rejoice in all the pains of this life, or that I may at least bear them with patience. Most humble heart of Jesus, grant me a portion of thy humility. Most meek heart, impart to me thy sweetness. Take from my heart whatever

96

CHAPTER XXV. VISIT XXV

thyself, that it may wish and desire only what thou dost wish. In a word, make me live only to obey thee, to love thee, and to please thee. I know that I owe thee a great deal, and that 1 am bound by many obligations to thee. It would be very little, were my whole being de stroyed and consumed for the love of thee.

Ejac. O heart of Jesus, thou art the only Lord of my heart.

The Spiritual Communion.

TWENTY-FIFTH VISIT TO THE BLESSED

VIRGIN.

O MY sovereign Q,ueen! thou art the trea sure of God, and in thy hands are deposited those stores of mercy, which he wishes to be stow upon us. Thou hast said, by the mouth of the prophet, that thou boldest in thy hands the treasures of heaven, to enrich those who love thee. Prov. vm.

My loving Mother, I am an unfortunate sin ner, and in the greatest need of help. Remem ber that I love thee with all my heart; yes, next to God, there is no object that I love so much as thee. because I know that this is due

CHAPTER XXVI. VISIT XXVI

to thy unrivalled perfections. Have pity on me, and forsake me not; help me during life> and help me at the hour of death, that I may one day arrive at the enjoyment of thy happy society in the kingdom of heaven.

Ejac. O Mary ! all my hopes are directed towards thee.

TWENTY-SIXTH VISIT.

' Rejoice and praise, O them habitation of Sion ; for great is he that is in the midst of thec, the Holy One of Israel." (ISA. xii. 6).

O Gor>! what should be our joy, our hopes, nnd our affections, in considering that the Holy of Holies, the true God, whose presence gives beatitude to the saints in paradise, and who is love itself, lives and dwells in the midst of us, in our churches, in the vicinity of our houses. JLmarcm, says St. Bernard, non tarn halet quam ipse est. This sacrament is not only the sacra ment of love, but it is love itself; the very God, who, through the infinite love which he bears to his creatures, is called, and is love itself. "God is charity" 1 St. (John iv. 16). But, O my Jesus, concealed in this sacrament, I hear thee complain, that tliou hast come to be our

98 VISIT xxvi.

guest on earth, and that we have not received thee. "I was a stranger, and ye received me not." Thy complaint is just, O Lord, and I am one of those ungrateful souls who have left thee alone, and have neglected to visit thee. Chastise me as thou pleasest, but not with the chastisement which I have deserved, of being deprived of thy presence. I will amend, and will correct my past neglect. Henceforth, I will not only visit thee frequently, but I will remain in thy presence as long as I can. O most merciful Saviour, grant that I may be faithful to thee, and that I may inflame, by my example, others to keep thee company in the most holy sacrament. The eternal Father ex claims, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matt. xvii. 5). Then, a God finds in thee all his delight, and shall not I, a miserable worm, feel happy in remaining with thee in this valley of tears? O consum ing fire, destroy in me all attachment to created objects; for these only can make me unfaithful to thee, and separate me from thee. "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." Thou hast already done so much for me, grant me one favor more: banish from my heart all love

TISIT XXVI, 99

which tends not to thee. Behold, I give my self entirely to thee; I consecrate all the re maining days of my life to the love of the most holy sacrament. Thou, O Jesus, in the blessed, Eucharist, shalt be my consolation and my tove during life, and also at the hour of death, when thou wilt corne to be my viaticum and conductor to thy eternal kingdom. Amen, amen, such my hope and my ardent wish.

Ejac. When, O my Jesus, shall I see toy beautiful countenance?

Tluc Spiritual Communion.

TWENTY-SIXTH VISIT TO THE BLESSED

VIRGIN.

O MARY! I will say to thee in the words of thy servant St. Bernard : thou art the queen of mercy. And who are the subjects of thy mercy but such as are in misery and affliction? Yes, thou art truly the queen of mercy, and I, the most wretched of sinners, am thy subject. I, therefore, of all others, am the best entitled to thy compassion. Turn then, O my advo cate, those eyes of mercy towards me, and after my days of exile, show me Jesus, the blessed fruit of thy womb

Coll. Christi Regis S.J. Bibl. Phil.

100 VISIT XXVII.

Ejac. O Mary,, my refuge, pray for me (o Jesus.

TWENTY-SEVENTH VISIT.

IN the office of the most holy sacrament w<J read the folio w ing words: fe Neither is there any nation so great, that hath its gods so nigh them as our God is to us." The Gentiles hearing the works of love df our God, ex claimed, O how good is this God of the Chris tians! And in reality, although the Gentiles formed Gods for themselves, according to their own caprice, still, if you read their legends, you shall find, that none of them had ever imagined a god so enamored of men as is our true God, who, to show his love for his adorers, and to enrich them with his graces, has, by 3 prodigy of love, made himself our perpetual companion, hidden night and day within our altars, as if he could not separate himself from us, even for a moment. " He hath made a re membrance of his wonderful works." Ps. ex. 4. Then, O most sweet Jesus, to satisfy thy •lesire to be near to us and present with us, thou hast wrought the greatest of all thy mira cles. And why do men fly from thy presence)

CHAPTER XXVII. VISIT XXVII

How can they live so far from thee, or come so seldom to visit thee? Such is the tedious- ness which they feel in. thy company, that a quarter of an hour spent in thy presence ap pears to them an age. O my Jesus, how great is thy patience? Lord, I understand thee: thy patience is great, because thy love for men is infinite; it is this love which makes thee dwell continually among them in spite of their in gratitude.

Ah! my God, who, because thou art infinite in all perfections, art infinite in love, do not permit me to be henceforth as I have hitherto, been, among the number of those ungrateful Christians. Give me a love proportioned to thy merits and to my obligations. I, too, once felt tediousness in thy presence, because I did not love thee, or because I loved thee too little. But if with the aid of thy grace I attain an ar dent love of thee, I shall never more experi ence tediousness in remaining with thee night and day in the holy sacrament. O eternal Father, I offer thee thy own Son ; accept him for me, and through his merits grant me so ardent and tender a love towards the holy Eu- cliarist, that always turning to some church

102 VISIT XXVII.

where he is present in the blessed sacrament, I may dwell in thought with him, &nd long for the time of going to entertain myself in his presence.

Ejac. My God, for the love of Jesus, give me a great love for the most holy sacrament. The Spiritual Communion.

TWENTY-SEVENTH VISIT TO THE BLESSED

VIRGIN.

MY queen ! thou hast said to thy servant St. Bridget, that as often as a man sins, if he re turns to thee with sincere repentance, thou wilt receive him and restore him to the friendship of God ; that thou dost not consider the great ness of his crimes, but the sincerity of his re pentance; and that thou art ever ready to apply a cure to his wounds, because thou art in reali ty, as in name, the Mother of mercy. Since, therefore, thou rejectest no sinner who ap proaches thee with a sincere detestation of his crimes, and since thou hast both the power and the will to heal him, behold, I presen myself before thee, and beseech thee to apply thy ce lestial remedies to the deep wounds of my souL

CHAPTER XXVIII. VISIT XXVIII

Thy Son can refuse thee nothing: entreat him, then, to pardon me and to grant me his love.

Ejac. O Mary ! my hope, I expect all through thee.

TWENTY-EIGHTH VISIT.

GOD has given to us his only son j why, then, says St. Paul, should we fear that he will re fuse us any good gift which we stand in need of? "How hath he not, also, with him given us all things?" (Rom. viii. 32). We know that "the Father hath given all things into his hands." St. (John xiii. 3). Let us, then, thank the most loving God, who wished to enrich us with all gifts and graces, by giving us Jesus in the holy sacrament. "In all things you are made rich in him so that nothing is want ing to you in any grace." I Cor. i. 5. Thus, O Saviour of the world, O incarnate Word, I can sav that thou art mine, and altogether mine, if I wish to possess thee. But can I also say that I belong entirely to thee, who dos* wish that I should be thine without reserve! Ah! Lord, put an end to such a deordination and to such ingratitude as that I should refus*

104 VISIT XXVIII.

to yield to thy desire, and to give my whole being to thee.

If such has hitherto been the case, O may it never happen again! I this day resolutely consecrate myself entirely to thee; I consecrate to thee for time and for eternity my life, my w:.ll, my thoughts, my actions, and all my acts of repentance. Behold me entirely thine. As a victim devoted to thee, I renounce all crea tures, and offer my whole being to thee. Con sume me with the flames of thy divine love. T wish that no creature may ever again have any share in my heart. The proofs of love which thou gavest me when I did not love thee, make me confidently hope that thou dost accept me now that I love thee, and through love offer myself to thee.

Eternal Father, I offer to thee this day all the virtues, the acts, the affections of thy be loved Jesus. Accept them for me, through his merits, which are all mine, for he has given them to me: grant me the graces which he asks for me. With these merits, I thank thee for so many mercies which thou hast shown me. With them 1 atone for the debt which I have contracted by my sins. Through them.

CHAPTER XXVIII. VISIT XXVIII

f hope for every grace which I stand in need of, for pardon, for perseverance., for paradise, and, above all, for the great gift of thy pure love. I see that all obstacles to my salvation come from myself: but to this evil, also, do thou, O Lord, apply a remedy. I ask this fa vor, in the name of Jesus Christ, who has said: "Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, that I will do." (John xiv. 13). Then thou canst not reject my petition. Lord, I wish only to love thee, to give myself entirely to thee, and never more to be, as I have hith erto been ungrateful to thee. Hear me, O Lord, and grant that I may be this day con verted entirely to thee; so that I may neve., cease to love thee. I love thee, my God; I love thee, O infinite goodness; T love thee, ray love, my paradise, rny life, and my all.

Ejac. My Jesus, my all, thou dost wish me to ^ thine; I wish thee to be mine. The Spiritual Communion.

TWENTY-EIGHTH VISIT TO THE BLESSED

VIRGIN.

O MARY, how lovely is the name given to Jxee bv thy faithful servants: most amiable

106 VISIT X.OX.

Mother. Yes, thou art truly amiable: thy beauty and thy goodness have Avon the heart of the King of kings, even of God himself. He has said to thee, " How beautiful thou art, my beloved;" and again, "Thou art all beautiful, and there is no spot in thee." If, then, thou art so dear to God, how can I, a miserable sin ner, and indebted to thee for so many benefits, refuse to love thee? I love thee, therefore, my most amiable queen, and I desire to be of the number of thy most devoted lovers. Accept my desire, and obtain for me from God the fove which I ask, since nothing is more pleas- iHg to him than to love thee.

Ejac. O my amiable Mother, grant that I may love thee with the greatest ardor.

TWENTY-NINTH VISIT.

•'Behold I stand at the q-ate and knock." APOC. iii.^20.

O MOST loving Pastor, for the love of thy sheep, thou wast not content with offering thy self once a bleeding victim on the altar of the cross, but didst also wish to conceal thyself in lliis divine sacrament on the altars of thy church, that thou mightest be always near to

CHAPTER XXIX. VISIT XXIX

Kv, to knock at the door of our hearts, and inbs obtain admission into our souls. O that I knew how to enjoy thy society, like the spouse in the Canticles, who said, " I sat down under his shadow whom I desired." Can. ii. 3. Ah ! if I loved thee, if I truly loved thee, O my most amiable Jesus, I, too, would desire to re main night and day at the foot of the altar, and, being near thy majesty, veiled under the con secrated species, I would enjoy those delights and that peace which thy lovers feel in thy presence. Ah ! draw me with the odors of thy beauty, and of the infinite love which thou dost display in this sacrament. "Draw me: we will run after thee to the odor of thy ointments." Can. i. 3. Yes, my Saviour, I shall then renounce all creatures, and all the pleasures ot this world, to run to thee in the holy sacra ment. "As olive plants round about thy ta ble." (Ps. cxxvii. 3). Like olive plants, these happy souls, who assist with love before the blessed sacrament, render to God abundant fruits of sanctity. But O my Jesus, I am ashamed to appear in thy presence so naked and so devoid of virtue. Thou hast com manded that no one shall come to honor tliee

108 VISIT XXIX.

on the altar without presenting some gift to thee, "Thou shalt not appear empty before me." (Exod. xxiii. 15). What, then, shall 1 do? Shall I no more appear in thy presence to visit thee? No ; this is not pleasing to thee. Poor as I am, I will come, thou wilt provide me with the gifts which thou dost desire from me. I know that thou dost remain in this sa crament, not only to reward thy lovers, but also to dispense thy favors to the poor. I adore thee, O King of my heart, O true lover of men, O Shepherd, too much enamored of thy flock: to this throne of thy love I approach to-day; and, having nothing else to offer thee, I present to thee my miserable heart, that it may be wholly consecrated to thy love and service. With this heart I am able to love thee; with this heart I wish to love thee as much as I can. Draw it, then, to thyself, and bind it entirely to thy will, that henceforth I may be able to say with St. Paul, who was bound with the chains of thy love, "I, the prisoner of Jesus Christ." (Eph. iii. 1). Unite me, O Lord, en tirely to thyself, make me even forget myself, that I may one day lose all things, even my self, to find only thee, and to love thee for ever.

CHAPTER XXIX. VISIT XXIX

love thee, O my Lord, concealed in this sa crament. I bind and unite myself tc thee* Grant that I may find thee, and love thee. and that thou mayest never more depart from me. Ejac. My Jesus thou alone art sufficient for me.

Tke Spiritual Communion.

TWENTY-NINTH VISIT TO THE BLESSED

VIRGIN.

O CHARITABLE queen, thou art styled by thy servants the advocate of sinners. Since, then, thou art employed in defending sinners, who place themselves under thy protection, I fly to thee, and address thee in the language of one of thy most devoted servants. O loving advo cate, exercise thy office in my behalf; under take my defence. It is true that I have been a rebel to thy beloved Son ; but the evil is com mitted : save me, then, from the dreadful con sequence of .my rebellion. If thou tell thy divine Son that thou hast taken me under thy protection, I shall be pardoned and saved.

Ejac. O my Mother, my dear Mother, save me.

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CHAPTER XXX. VISIT XXX

" Why hidest thou thy face?" (JOB xii. 24).

JOB was seized with fear when God veiled his face. But, by concealing his majesty in the holy sacrament, Jesus inspires us not with terror, hut with love and confidence; for he remains hidden on our altars for the express purpose of increasing our confidence and of manifesting his love. "While God," says Novarino, "hides his face in this sacrament, he proclaims his love." And if the King of heaven displayed on the altar the splendor of his glory, who would dare to approach him, or lay before him his affections and desires'?

Ah, my Jesus, what a loving invention is this sacrament, in which thou veilest thy di vinity under the appearance of bread, to induce us to love thee, and to give all who desire it an opportunity of finding thee on earth. The prophet had reason to call on us to proclaim to the world the inventions of the love of our great God. "Make his works known among the people.''* Is. xii. 4. O most loving heart of my Jesus, worthy of possessing the hearts of all creatures! O heart, always full of flames

CHAPTER XXX. VISIT XXX

of the most pare love! O consuming fire, con sume my entire being, and give me a new life of love and grace! Unite me to thyself, so that I may never be separated from thee. O heart, opened to be 'the refuge of souls, receive me. O heart so sorrowful on the cross for the sins of the world, give me a true sorrow for my sins. I know that thou dost now entertain for me the same sentiments of love which thou hadst for me when thou didst expire on Cal vary; and, therefore, thou dost ardently wish me to be united to thee. And can I any longer refuse to yield myself up entirely to thy love, to thy desire? Ah, my beloved Jesus, I entreat thee, through thy own merits, to wound my soul with thy love, and to bind and unite me entirely to thy heart. I resolve this day, with the assistance of thy grace, to do all in my power to please thee, arid, for thy sake, to trample under foot all human respect, all in clinations and repugnances, all pleasures and conveniences, which may b^ an obstacle to the perfect accomplishment of thy will. Grant, O Lord, that I may fulfil this purpose, so that henceforth all my actions, and all my senti ments and affections, may be in all things con-

112 VISIT XXX.

formable to thy will. O love of God, banish from my heart all other love. O Mary, my hope,, thou art all powerful before God., obtain for me the grace to be, till death, the faithful servant of the pure love of Jesus. Amen, amen. Such my hope and desire for time and eternity.

Ejac. "Who shall separate me from the charity of Christ?"

The Spiritual Communion.

THIRTIETH VISIT TO THE BLESSED

VIRGIN.

O MARY,, we are taught by thy servant St. Bonaventure to regard thee as the, Mother of orphans. Those unfortunate sinners, who have lost God, their Father, are orphans indeed. I fly then, to thee, O merciful Mother: I have by my sins lost my Father; all my hope rests in thee, who still remainest as my Mother. I feel fresh confidence arise within me when I hear a holy bishop ask, \vho has ever called en Mary without being heard? Who was ever lost, that had sincere recourse to her? I fly, fherefore, to thy holy protection; have compas sion on me; help me, and do not forsake me,

CHAPTER XXXI. VISIT XXXI

Ejac. O Mother of my God, augment daily rny confidence in ihee.

THIRTY-FIRST VISIT.

OH! how delightful to behold our Redeemer "weary with his journey," and., full of sweet ness and love seated on the fountain, waiting for the Samaritan to convert and save her. "Jesus, therefore, sat thus on the well." John iv. b. With equal sweetness and love, he de scends every, day from heaven, and remains with us on our altars, as on so many fountains of grace, expecting and inviting souls to keep him company, at least for some time, in order to draw them to his perfect love. From every altar on which he is present in the holy sacra ment he seems to say to all: Christians, why i\o you fly from my .presence? Why do you not come and draw near to one who loves you so tenderly, and who, for your sake, remains in such a state of humiliation? Why do you tear me? I am not come to judge you; but I am hidden in this sacrament of love to save all who have recourse to me. "I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." (John xii. 47). 8

IM VISIT xxxr.

Let us, then., be persuaded, that as Jesus Christ in heaven is "always living to make intercession for us," (Heb. vii. 25,) so, in the sacrament of the altar, he is night and day ful filling the office of our advocate, offering him self a victim to his eternal Father., to obtain for us mercy and numberless graces. Hence, the devout A-Kempis says, that we ought to speak to Jesus in the holy sacrament as to a beloved friend, without restraint or fear of chastisement. <e Sicut solet loqui dilcctus ad dileclum, amicus ad amicum."

Since, then, O my hidden King and Lord, thou dost invite me to speak to thee, permit me to open my heart to thee with confidence, and to say, O my Jesus, O enamored of souls, I well know the injustice and ingratitude of men to thee. Thou lovest them, and art not loved; thou dost confer benefits, and, in return, dost receive insults. Thou dost desire to speak to them, and they do not listen to thee; thou dost offer thy graces, and they refuse them. Ah, my Jesus, I, too, have been once amou*; the number of these ungrateful souls. O God! it is too true. But I desire to amend, and, by doing all in my power to please thee, I wish to

CHAPTER XXXI. VISIT XXXI

compensate, during the remainder -of my life, the insults I have offered to thee. Tell me, O Lord, what thou dost wish from me: I will do it witnout reserve. Make thy will known to me by means of holy obedience, and I hope to do it. My God, I firmly promise never to omit any act which I know to be pleasing to thee, though, the performance of it should cost me the loss of all things, of relatives, friends, character, health, ami even life. Let all be lost, provided thy will be dene. Happy loss, when all is sacrificed to content thy heart, O God of my seul. I love thee, O sovereign good, amiable above every good ; and in loving thee, I unite my little heart with all the hearts of the seraphim. I unite it with the heart of Mary and with the tieart of Jesus. I love thee with my whole soul : thee only do I wish to love now and for ever.

Ejac. My God, my God, I am. thine, and thou art mine.

The Spiritual Communion.

THIRTY-FIRST VISIT TO THE BLESSED

VIRGIN.

O MARY, thou art the tower of David, and

H6

ACTS FOR COMMUNION.

therefore., art able to defend those who «ake re*- fuge cmdeF thee. Protect all who are engaged in the contest. I experience continual assaults from my enemies, who are striving to deprive me of the grace of God,, and to withdraw me from thy protection. But thou art the fortress and the bulwark of our hope; thou dost not disdain to fight in behalf of those who trust in. thee. O Mary, deferxl me, then, against ali my enemies, and fight my battles for me, be- eause I rely with confidence on thee.

Ejac. O Mary, thou art my protectress.

My Jesus, my sovereign good, thou an mine : I give thee my heart and my whole be- *ng; from thee I wish for nothing but thyself.

"For what have I in heaven? and, beside thee, what do- 1 desire upon earth ?...,.Thou art the God of my heart, and the God that is n?y portion for ever.'7 (Ps. Ixxii. 25), 26.

\

ACTS FOR COMMUNION.

ON PREPARATION FOR COMMUNION.

"No action of the Saviour/7 say* St. Francis tie Sales, "can be considered more loving OF more tender than the institution, of the holy

ACTS FOR COMMUNION. 117

Eucharist, in which he, as it were, annihilates himself, and takes the form of food, to unite himself to tne souls and bodies of his faithful servants." Hence, the learned Gerson says, itnat the holy communion is the most efficacious means of kindling devotion and divine love in the souL

And, in reality, what act can be more ac ceptable to God than to receive the holy Eu charist? St Denis teaches, that love tends in a special manner to a perfect union; but how can the soul be more closely united to Jesus Christ than by the holy communion'? "He that eateth my flesh," says Jesus, "and drink- em my blood, abideth in me, and I in him." (John vi. 57). "If," says St Augustin, "you receive this sacrament every day, Jesus will always dwell with you, and you will make daily progress in divine love."

Moreover, the holy communion is a most powerful remedy for our spiritual infirmities: it is called by the Council of Trent, "the anti dote by which we are delivered from daily faults, and preserved from mortal sins."

"How, then," asks Cardinal Bona, "does it happen that, from so many communions,

118 ACTS FOE

Christians- draw so little fruit, and that they still remain subject to the same faults'?" ''The defect," he answers,, "is not in the food, but in the dispositions of those who eat it." "Can a man," says Solomon, " hide fire in his bo som, and his garments not tyurn?" God is "u consuming fire;" he comes to us in the holy communion tcv light up this divine fire; " and how," says William of Paris, "does it happen* that, by a diabolical miracle, in the midst of buch intense flames, our souls remain cold in divine love?"

All arises from a want of fcke pn>pes dispo sitions, and particularly from a want of pre paration. Fire instantly inflames dry, but not green wood ; for the latter is not fit for com bustion. Hence, the saints have derived great profit from their communions, because they, took great pains to prepare themselves for the k>Jy Eu-charist. St. Lewis Gonzaga spent three days in preparation far communion, and; the three following days in thanksgiving.

Preparation for cornnmnioa consists princi pally in detachment from creatures, and in a great desire to advance in divine love. First,, then, the soul should put off all worldly attach-

ACTS FOR COMMUNION. 119

merits, and banish from the heart whatever is not God. "He that is washed," says Jesus Christ, "needeth not but to wash his feet." (John xiii. 10). These words, according to St. Bernard, signify, that to receive the holy sacra ment with great profit, it is necessary not only' to be cleansed from grievous sins, but to be free from earthly affections, which are displeas ing to God ; and, because they tarnish the soul, prevent the fruits of the holy communion.

St. Gertrude once asked our Lord what pre paration he wished her to make for communion In answer, he said, " I only wish you to receivt me with a heart emptied of all self-love."

Secondly, a great desire of receiving Jesui Christ, and of his holy love, is necessary foi communion. " In this holy banquet," says Gerson, "the hungry only are satiated." And most holy Mary said, "he hath filled the hun gry with all good things." (Luke i. 53). "As,'r says the venerable Avila, "Jesus did not come into the world until he was eagerly longed for, so he comes only to the souls of those who desire to receive him: hence his holy flesh should not be given to those who have no relish for it." Our Lord once said to St. Matilda:

120 ACTS BEFORE COMMUNION.

"The bee does not fly with such ardor to the flowers from which it sucks the honey, as T, through force of love, come to Christians in the holy communion." Since, then, Jesus Christ so ardently desires to come into our 'souls, it is but just that we, too, should burn with a strong desire to receive him, and to be filled with his holy love. St. Francis de Sales teaches, that the principal intention of Chris tians in receiving the holy Eucharist should be to advance in divine love; because, as the Son of God gives himself to us only through love, so we ought to receive him through love.

ACTS BEFORE COMMUNION.

1. An, Jlct of Faith, "Behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping over the liills." Cant. ii. 8. Ah, my most amiable Sa viour, how many rough and lofty mountains hadst thou to pass in order to come and unite thyself to me in this most holy sacrament. First, from being God, thou hadst to become man; from being infinite, to become an infant: from being the Lord of the universe, to become a servant; from the bosom of thy eternal Fa ther, thou hadst to descend into the womb of a

ACTS BEFORE COMMUNION. 121

virgin: from heaven into a manger; and from a throne of glory to an ignominious gibbet. And this morning thou hadst to come from thy celestial seat to dwell in my heart.

"He standeth behind the wall, looking through the windows, looking through the lattices." Cant. ii. 9. Behold, O my soul, thy lover Jesus burning with the same love with which he loved thee when he expired on the cross : behold him concealed under the sa cramental species, "looking through the lat tices." Like an ardent lover, he desires to see thee correspond with his love. And from the consecrated host, as "through the lattices," he looks at thee, but is not regarded. There he beholds thee this morning coming to eat his divine flesh; there he observes the objects of thy thoughts, of thy love, and of thy desires, and the offerings thou dost intend to present to him.

Prepare thyself, then, O my soul, to receive Jesus; first, by faith, saying to him: Then, my beloved Redeemer, in a few moments thou wilt come into my heart. O hidden God, un known to the greater part of mankind, I believe thee present in the holy sacrament, and I adore

122

ACTS BEFORE COMMUNION.

thee.Ior my Lord and Saviour; and, to confess this truth, I ,would cheerfully lay down my life. Thou comest to enrich me with thy graces, and to unite thyself entirely to me. How great, then, ought to be my confidence in thee, who comest to me in so loving a manner!

2. Jin Aci of Confidence. My soul dilate thy heart : thy Jesus can give thee every good gift; he loves thee ardently. Hope, then, for great favors from this Lord, who, through an impulse of love, comes to thee all love. Yes, my Jesus, my hope, I trust in thy goodness; that in giving thyself to me this morning, thou wilt kindle in my poor soul the flames of thy pure love, and of an ardent desire to please thee, that from this day forward I may wish only what thou wishest.

3. *An Jlct of Love. Ah, my God, my God, the true and only love of my soul, what more couldst thou do to induce me to love thee. Thou was not content with dying for me, thou didst wish to institute this holy sacrament to give thyself entirely *o me, and thus unite thy whole heart to the heart of a creature so vile and ungrateful as I am. And what is more, thou thyself dost invite me to receive theej

ACTS BEFORE COMMUNION. 123

thou dost ardently desire that I should receive thee. O infinite love! incomprehensible love! a God wishes to give himself to me.

My soul, dost thou believe all this? What art ihou doing, or what hast thou to say^ O God, O God, infinitely amiable, the only ob ject worthy of all love, I love thee with njy whole heart; I love thee above all things; I love thee more than myself, more than my life. O that I could see thee loved by all! U that I could make all hearts love thee as mucfr as thou dost desire. I love thee, O most amia ble God, and in loving thee, I unite my mis erable heart to the heart of the seraphim, to th*- heart of most holy Mary, and to the hear* of Jesus thy most holy Son. Thus I love thee^ O infinite goodness, with the love with whtck the sain.ts, with which Mary and Jesus love tnee. I love thee only, because thou art worthy of rny love, and through the sole motive of pleasing thee. Begone from my heart, all earthly affections, you tend not to God. Mo ther of pure love, most holy Mary, help me to love that God whom thou dost desire to see so much loved.

4. Jin Act of Humility. Then, my sc-ul,

124 ACTS BEFORE COMMUNIOW.

thou art going to eat the sacred flesh of Jesus Christ. Art thou worthy to receive him ? My God, what am I, and who art thou? I well know who thou art, who givest thyself to me. But dost thou know who I am who am going to receive thee?

And is it possible, O my Jesus, that thou, the God of infinite purity, shouldst desire t<» come and dwell in my soul, which has beei\ so long the abode of thy enemy, and the sink of so much sin? I am sensible, O Lord, of thy great majesty, and of my own misery : I am ashamed to appear before thee. I would wish, through reverence, to remain far from thee; but if I withdraw from thee, O my life, whither shall I go? to whom shall I fly? or what shall become of me? No, I do not wish to remove from thee; but on the contrary, I desire always to draw nearer to thee. Thou dost wish, and even invite me, to receive thee for the food of my soul. I come then, O my amiable Saviour, to receive thee this morning, but I come covered with shame and confusion at the sight of my sins, but full of confidence in thy mercy, and in the love which thou dost bea/r to me.

ACTS BEFORE COMMUNION. 125

5. An Act of Sorrow. O God of my soul, I a:n sincerely sorry for not having hitherto loved thee. Instead of having loved tnee, I have for the sake of ray pleasures, offer"Kd and despised thy infinite goodness; I have Mmed my back upon thee; in a word, O my r>od, I have voluntarily lost thee. Lord, I am xnry, from the bottom of my heart, for all m^ uins. I hate above all things the offences, vvh*wher mortal or venial, which I have comrpvted against thee, who art infinite goodnes.*, I hope that thou hast already pardoned me. iJut if my sins are not yet forgiven, pardon me be fore I receive thee. Wash in my blood this soul, which thou dost wish soon to make thy dwelling-place.

6. An Act of Desire. O my SPM], the happy hour is arrived; Jesus comes to dwell in thy poor heart. Behold the King of Heaven, thy Redeemer and thy God, coming to thee. Pre pare thyself to receive him with love; say to him, with the most ardent desire : Come, O my Jesus, come to my soul; I desire to receive thee. Before thou dost give thyself to me, I desire to give thee my miserable heart; accept it, come and take full possession of it.

126 ON THANKSGIVING AFTER COMMUNION.

Come, ray God, make haste, do not delay. O my only .and infinite good, my treasure, my life, my paradise, my love, my all. I would wish to receive thee with that love with which the most holy and loving souls, with which /mmaculate Mary, received thee. With their communions I unite this communion of mine.

Most holy Virgin, my Mother, Mary, be hold I am going to receive thy Son. I would wish to have thy heart, and the love with which thou didst communicate: give me this morn ing thy Jesus, as thou gavest him to the shep herds and to the Magi. I wish to receive him from thy most pure hands: tell him that I am thy servant, and that I am devoted to thee; and when he comes to me, he will look on me with a more loving eye, and will unite him self more closely to me.

ON THANKSGIVING AFTER COMMUNION.

THERE is no prayer more pleasing to God, or more profitable to the soul, than thanksgiv ing after communion. It is the opinion of many learned authors, of Suares, Cajelan, Va- ientia, Lugo, and others, that, as long as the

ON THANKSGIVING AFTER COMMUNION. J 27

sacramental species remain, the holy commu nion continues to produce an augmentation of grace, provided the soul disposes herself for it by new acts of virtue. Eugene the Fourth, hi nis decree to the Armenians, teaches that, like corporal food, the holy Eucharist continues to operate and produce its effects in proportion to the dispositions of those who receive it.

Hence, holy souls endeavor to remain as long as possible in prayer after communion. The venerable M. Avila spent two hours in prayer after communion, even during the mis sions. Father Balthasar Alvarez used to say, that we ought to set as much value on the time after communion as if we heard from the lips of Jesus Christ himself the words which he ad dressed to his disciples : " But you have not me always with you."

It is not a good practice to begin, as some do, to read immediately after communion: it is better to spend at least a little time in holy affections, in speaking from the heart with Jesus Christ, who is within you, and in re peating several times some tender affection or prayer. Jesus Christ repeated tne same prayer for three hours in the garden. ' ( And he prayed

2 Otf THANKSGIVING AFTER COMMUNION.

ihe third time, saying the self-same words." Malt. xxvi. 44.

After communion, then, the soul should en tertain herself with Jesus, in affections and prayers. We should be persuaded that prayers after communion have greater value and merit before God than those that are offered at other times: for then the soul is united to Jesus Christ, and her acts derive value from his presence.

Moreover, we must consider that after com munion Jesus Christ is more disposed to be stow his graces. Si. Teresa says, that at that time Jesus remains in the soul as on a throne of grace, saying to her, "What wilt thou that I should do to thee?" As if he said, O Chris tian soul, I am come for the express purpose of giving thee my graces: ask what thou wishest, a'.id thou shalt obtain it.

Oh devout soul, what treasures of grace wilt thou receive if thou dost continue to entertain thyself with Jesus at least for a quarter of an hour after communion. For thy thanksgiv ing, thou canst read the following acts, which I here subjoin. But even after thy thanksgiv ing thou must, during the day of thy com

ACTS AFTER COMMUNION. i'29

munion, take care, by prayers and affections, to keep thyself united with Jesus, whom mou hast received.

ACTS AFTER COMMUNION.

1 . .In Jlct of Faith. Behold, my God is already come to visit me; my Saviour is come to dwell in my soul. My Jesus is already within my heart. He is come to be mine, and to make me belong to himself. Thus Jesus i3 mine, and I am his : Jesus is all mine, and I am entirely his.

O infinite goodness! O infinite mercy! O infinite love! A God comes to UL te himself to me, and to make himself entirely mine! My soul, what art thou doing, now that thou art so closely united with Jesus, now that thou art made one thing with Jesus? Dosi thou say nothing to him? Dost thou not speak to thy God, who dwells within thee? Enliven thy faith, and remember that the angels stand around ihee adoring thy God within my breast. Unite with them, and adore thy Lord in the midst of thy heart. Be recollected, banish every foreign thought : unite thy whole heart

130 ACTS AFTER COMMUNION.

and all thy affections with thy God, embrace him, and say :

Ah, my Jesus, my love, my infinite good, my all, mayest thou be always welcome in the poor habitation of my soul. Ah, my Lord, where art thou ? where hast thou come ? Into this heart of mine, which is more unfit to re ceive thee than the stable in which thou wast born : it is full of worldly attachments, of self- love, and of irregular desires. What has in duced thee to come into it? I would wish to say with St. Peter, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man." Withdraw from me, who am unworthy to receive into my soul a God of infinite goodness. Go and repose in those pure souls who serve thee with so much love. But no, my Redeemer, do not depart from me : for if thou leave me, I am lost. I embrace thee, my life ; I unite myself to thee. I have been guilty of an excess of folly by separating myself from thee for the love of creatures. I -have ungratefully banished thee from my heart I wish never more to be separated from thee. I desire, O my treasure, always to live and die united to thee.

Most holy Mary, ye seraphim, and all ye

ACTS AFTER COMMUNION. 13

blessed souls that love God with pu e love, obtain for me your affections, that I may wel come my beloved Lord.

2. An Act of Ttmnksgiving. My God anO my Lord, I thank thee for the favor thou has) bestowed upon me this morning, in coming to dwell in my soul: but I would wish to render thee a thanksgiving worthy of thee, and of the great favor conferred upon me. But what do I say? What worthy thanksgiving can I, a miserable creature, offer to thee?

Segneri says, that, for a soul after commu nion, the most appropriate sentiment is one of astonishment at the thought of receiving a God, A God to me! a God to me! "What," said David, "shall I render to the Lord for all the things he hath rendered to me?" (Ps. cxv. 12). But what return shall I make to thee, O Jesus, who, after having bestowed on me so many gifts, hast this morning given me thyself? Bless, then, O my soul, and thank thy God according to the best of thy ability. And O Mary, my Mother, my holy advocates, my angel guardian, and all ye souls that love God, "come all ye that fear the Lord, and hear what things he hath done for my soul:" come and

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ACTS AFTER COMMUNION.

bless and thank my God for ine; admire and praise the great graces he has bestowed upon me.

3. Jin Act of Oblation. If a king came to risit a poor shepherd., Avhat better offering could the shepherd make to his sovereign than his entire flock, such as it is? Since, then, thou, O Jesus, my divine King, dost come to visit the poor house of my soul,, I offer and give thee rny soul and my entire being, along with my liberty and my will. e:My beloved to me, and I to him." Thou hast given thy self entirely to me,, I give myself without re serve to thee. From this day forward, O my Jesus, I wish to be no longer mine; I desire to be thine, and to be altogether thine. May my senses be thine; may they serve only to please thee. "And what," says St. Peter of Alcan tara, " can be more delightful to a soul than to please thee, O most amiable, most loving, and most grateful God?" I give thee all my powers; I wish that they may be all thine. I v/ish that my memory may serve only to re member thy favors and thy love; that my un derstanding may be employed only in thinking of thee, whose thoughts are always fixed on

ACTS AFTER COMMUNION. 133

mj welfare; and that my will may be occupied only in loving thee, my God and my all, and in wishing only what thou dost wish.

I consecrate then, and sacrifice to thee this morning, O my most sweet Saviour, all that 1 have and all that I am; my senses, my thoughts, my affections, my desires, my pleasures, my inclinations, and my liberty. In a word, I consign into thy hands my entire body and soul.

Accept, O infinite majesty, the sacrifice of himself, presented to thee by a sinner, who has been hitherto the most ungrateful on earth, but who now offers and gives himself entirely to thee. Do with me, O Lord, and dispose of me as thou pleasest. Come, O consuming fire, O divine love, and consume in me what soever is mine, and is not pleasing to thy most pure eyes, that henceforth I may belong en tirely to thee, and that I may fulfil not only thy precepts and counsels, but also thy holy de sires, and whatever is most pleasing to thee.

O most holy Mary, present with thy own hands this offering to the most holy Trinity, and obtain for me the grace that it may be ac

134 ACTS AFTER COMMUNION.

cepted, mcl that I may be faitiiful till death, Amen,, amen, amen.

4. A i Act of Petition. My soul, what art /hou doing? These moments, during which thou canst receive whatsoever thou askest, are too precious to be lost. Dost thou not see the eternal Father lovingly beholding within thee his beloved Son, the dearest object of his love ? Banish, then, all distracting thoughts, enliven thy faith, enlarge thy heart, arid ask what thou pleasest.

Dost thou not hear Jesus himself speaking to thee, " What wilt thou that I should do to thee?'' What, O Christian soul, dost thou wish me to do for thee? I am come for the purpose of making thee rich and happy : ask with confidence, and thou shalt have whatever thou wilt.

Ah, my most sweet Saviour, since thou art come into my soul to enrich me with thy graces, since thou dost desire that I should ask them from thee, behold I seek not earthly goods nor riches, nor honors, nor pleasures: give me, I entreat thee, a great sorrow for the offences I nave offered to thee; give me a great light, that T may clearly see the vanity of this world

ACTS AFTER COMMUNION. 135

and thy claims to my love. Change this heart of mine, remove from it all earthly attach ments; give me a heart perfectly conformed to thy holy will, a heart which will seek only what is most pleasing to thee, and which will, aspire only to thy holy love. "Create a clean, heart in me, O God." I do not deserve this grace, but thou, O my Jesus, who hast come to dwell in my soul, dost merit it for me. I ask it through thy merits, through the merits of thy most holy Mother, and through the love thou bearest to thy eternal Father. Here stop for some time to ask of Jesus some particular favors for yourself and for your neighbor. Do not forget to pray for poor sinners, and for the souls in purgatory: pray also for me, who have composed this little book for your benefit.

Eternal Father, Jesus Christ himself, thy Son, lias said, " Amen, amen, I say to you, if you ask the Father any thing in. my name, he will give it you." For the love, then, of this Son, whom ] have in my heart, hear me, and grant my petitions.

te .imorcs mei dulcissimi, Je-m et JWana, pro

136 ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE.

vobia patiar, pro vobis moriar, sim totus vester, sim nihil mews." Alphonsus Rodriguez.

Eternal praises and thanks to Jesus in the most holy sacrament. Blessed be the holy and immaculate conception of the blessed Virgin Mary.

Whoever says the following prayer gains an indulgence.

Soul of Christ^ sanctify me; body of Christ, save me; blood of Christ, inebriate me; water of the side of Christ, cleanse me; passion of Christ, strengthen me. O good Jesus, gra ciously hear me; hide me within thy wounds. Do not permit me to be separated from thee; defend me from the wicked enemy. At the hour of death call me; command me to come to thee, that, with the saints and angels, I may praise thee for endless ages. Amen.

ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE.

Taken from manuscripts of St. Francis de Sales.

By St. Jllphonsus M. Liguori.

OH! excess of love, consecrated Host! I

adore thee within me; one heart is too little to

love thee, O my Jesus ; one tongue is too little

to praise thy goodness. O my Saviour, how

ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE. 137

great are my obligations to thee for having visited so poor a creature. I oFer myself en tirely to thee., in acknowledgment of so greal a favor.

No: I do not wish to live any longer in my self. I wish that Jesus alone may live in me. He is mine, and I am his for all eternity. O love, love! no more sins. I will never forget the goodness and the mercies of Jesus,, my Sa viour and my guest. Yes, my God, I believe firmly that thou art in soul and body within my breast; thy divinity is at present within me, and united to me.

O my God, thou comest in order to unite thyself to me, to apply abundantly to my soul the merits of thy passion, and to sanctify me. Do, then, in rne all that for which thou comest. Ah! my God, all-wise, all-powerful, do nol lose the fruit of thy journey; unite thyself to me, and me to thee, by an inseparable union, and by perfect love.

My Saviour, through the infinite goodness which has made thee descend on earth, I en treat thee to make me feel the effect of thy lovo in consuming my soul, so that despising all earthly goods, I may seek only after thee, thai

UC3 ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE.

f may think only of thee. Thus may the same ove which has made thee die on the cross, make me likewise die in thee, in order to live •ii thee for eternity.

0 God of. my soul, who dost deserve to be joved above all creatures, I protest that i re gard thee as the only object of my affection, and that I prefer thee to all the goods of the world, and to myself. I wish to be faithful to thee, and I wish never more to see myself separated from thee.

1 resign and abandon myself entirely to thee, embracing with all love and respect, all thy holy wills, and thy just designs regarding me. And I pray thee that whatsoever thou hast or dained in my regard, for time and for eternity, may be accomplished. But I hope to see one day thy divine countenance, and thy infinite beauty. My God draw me to thyself, that 1 may love thee, and may burn with thy love, in which I would wish to be consumed.

O eternal Father, for the love of thy Son, fill my memory with holy thoughts, which will make me always remember thee and thy Son. Ah! make me know and do all that thou dost desire from me. And thou, O Holy Spirit,

ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE. 139

fill my will with holy affections, which will produce the fruits that proceed from thy love. Enlighten me with thy light, that I may walk in the straight road to thee, and that my will may have liberty only to be entirely thine.

O Incarnate Word, grant that I may love thee, and love nothing but thee. Remove from me all occasions which turn me away from thy love. Grant that my heart may be wholly occupied in seeking and serving thee as the principal love of hearts. Thou hast come into the world for the sole purpose of dwelling in tne hearts thou hast redeemed with thy blood; may my heart, then, be all thine; take possession of it. Look to all my wants ; enlighten me, and make me willing to do all thy wills.

O omnipotent Jesus, take away from me all obstacles to the effects of thy power and be nevolence. I renounce my liberty and conse crate it eritnely to the arrangements of thy holy will. Have mercy on me, and cleanse me from all my stains and infidelities: fill me with thy grace and wisdom. I abandon myself en tirely to thee, O my Jesus; I wish to oe al' thine. I wish to labor fervently for thy glory

-40 ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE.

and to suffer with patience all tribulations at the sight of thy sufferings. Grant that I may be employed only in what pleases thee.

My God, though there were no punishment for sinners, I would not cease to love thee and to suffer for thee. Grant that I may corres pond to thy desires. Thou shalt henceforth be my portion for ever. O Incarnate Word, wash my heart in thy blood, arid imprint on it, as the mark of thy love, thy holy name — Jesus.

O my Jesus, through the eternal love thou hast borne me, grant that I may love thee during the short time that I have to live on this earth, in order to be able afterwards to love thee for eternity in heaven. O God of love, grant that I may live only for thee. When shall I be all thine as thou art all mine? When shall I die to myself to live entirely to thy love? I do not even know how to give myself to thee as I ought. Ah! my God, take me and make me all thine.

O Blessed Virgin, I rejoice with thee at thy having won the heart of thy God. Ah! unite me entirely to thy Son; speak to him in my behalf, and beg of him to give me the grace to

ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE. 141

do wnatsoever he will inspire me to do. Teach me to practice the virtues which thou didst practice on earth, and detach my affections from every thing which is not God, that I may love him with all my strength.

My God, inflame my whole heart with thy love, that I may seek nothing but thy pleasure; that nothing may please me but what pleases thee, and that I may banish from my soul every thing which is not agreeable to thee. Grant that I may always say with sincerity, my God, my God, I wish for thee alone, and for nothing else. My Jesus, give me a great devotion to thy most holy passion, that thy pains and thy death may be always before my eyes to inflame me always with love for thee, and to incline me always to make some return of gratitude for so much love. Give me also a great devo tion to the most holy sacrament of the altar, in which thou hast displayed the tenderness of thy love for me. I also pray thee to give me a tender devotion to thy most holy Mother, give me the grace always to love her, and to serve her by always invoking her intercession, and by inducing others to practice devotion to her, and to have confidence in her patronage,

142 ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE.

and to me and to all., grant always a great con fidence, first in the merits of thy passion, and afterwards in the intercession of Mary.

I pray thee to grant me a holy death. Give me the grace to receive thee in my last illness in the most holy viaticum., that united with thee, burning with holy flames, and with an ardent desire of seeing thee, I may depart from this world to embrace thy feet the first time I shall behold thee.

O my King, come and reign alone in my soul ; take full possession of it that it may serve and obey only thy love.

O my Jesus, that I could consume my entire being for thee, who hast consumed thy whole life for me.

O Lamb of God, immolated on the cross, remember that I am one of the souls that thou hast redeemed by so many toils and so many sorrows. Grant that I may never lose thee. Thou hast given thyself entirely to me: grant that I may be all thine, and that I may have no other desire than that of pleasing thee. I love thee, O infinite Good, I love thee in order to please thee. I love thee because thou dost deserve my love. My greatest sorrow arises

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from seeing that I have lived so long in the world and have not loved thee.

My beloved Redeemer., give me a poifion. of the sorrow which thou hadstfor my sins in the garden of Gethsemani. O my Jesus, that 1 had died rather than have ever offended ihee.

O love of my Jesus, thou art my love arid my hope. I wish to lose life a thousand times rather than lose thy grace.

My God, had I died when I was in sin, I could never more love thee. I thank thee for giving me time, and for calling me to love thee. Now that I am able, I wish to love thee with my whole soul. It was that I might love thee, that thou hast borne with me so long. Yes, I wish to love thee. Ah! for the sake of the blood whifch thou hast shed for me, do not per mit me to betray thee again. " In te Domine, speravi non confundar in se termini." What world? what riches? what amusements? wlnt honors? God, God, I wish for God alone. My God, thou alone who art an infinite good, art sufficient for me.

O my Jesus, bind me entirely to thy love, and draw to thyself all my affections, that 1

144 ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE.

may be able to love nothing but thee. Make me all tliine before I die.

Ah! rny God, while I live I am in danger of losing thee. Ah! when shall the day arrive pn which I can say, my Jesus I can never more lose thee.

O eternal Father, for the love of Jesus Christ do not reject me; accept me to love thee, and give me thy holy love. I wish to love thee tenderly in this life in order to love thee ar dently in the next.

O infinite Good, I love thee; make me un derstand the great good which I love, and give me that love which thou dost deserve from me. Grant that I may conquer all things in order to please thee.

O Mary, who dost so ardently desire to see thy Son loved, the grace which I ask thee to obtain for me is, that I may love him during all the remaining days of my life. I desire nothing more. O my Lady and my Mother, in thee I trust. Thou dost obtain whatsoever ihou askest from thy God; thou dost pray for all thy clients, pray also for me.

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ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE TO JESUS IN THE

HOLY SACRAMENT.

IIHiicu inay be used before and after Communion, also in ilie Visits to the blessed Sacratr^rd.

" Go forth ye daughters of Jerusalem, see king Solomon in the diadem wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espou sals.'7 Cant., iii. 11. O daughters of grace, ye souls that love God, go forth from the darkness of the earth, and behold your king, Jesus, crowned with thorns, with the diadem of insult and of sorrow, with which the impious syna gogue, his mother, crowned him on the day of his espousals, on the day of his death, by which he espoused himself to our souls on the cross: go forth again and behold him all mercy and love, coming to unite himself to you in this sacrament of love.

My beloved Jesus, it has, then, cost thee sc dearly to unite thyself with our souls in this most sweet sacrament. Thou hadst first to suffer so painful and ignominious a death. Come, make haste, unite thyself to my soul. I was once thy enemy by sin, but now thou dosi wish to make me thy spouse by grace. Come 10

146 ^SPFRATIONS OF LOVE.

O ray spouse Jesus: I will never more betray tliee : I wish to be for ever fokhful to thee. As a loving spouse,, I desire only to think of, and !o seek thy pleasure, I wish <;& ?oye thee Vv'ith- DIU reserve; I wish to be entirely thine. Ye.s, my Jesus., all, all thine.

2. "A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me : he skaJl abide between my breasts.''' Cant. i. 1 2. The myrrh plant, as soon as it is wounded, souJs forth tears and waters of health. To give us his blood, for our sanctification in tbis briad of life, our Jesus wished to shed the last drop of it through his painful wounds. Come, then, beloved "bundle of myrrh," my dearest Jesus, who, when I behold thee bleeding on the cross, art to me an object of sorrow and compassion. But, in receiving thee in this most sweet sacrament, thou art more sweet to me than a cluster of tike choicest grapes to a man oppressed with thirst. "A cluster of cy- prus is my love to me in the vineyards of En- gaddi." Cant. i. 13. Come, then, to my soul; heal me, and fill me with thy holy love. Ah! what sweetness of spirit do I feel in thinking shat I am to receive thee my Saviour, who didst shed all thy blood, and did st offer thyself

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in saci.-ilce on the cross, for my salvation! "Inticr vbwa iiiea ' commorabitur." No, my Jesus, 1 T\iil never drive thee away: thou shalt never agiin depart from me. I wish to love thee always, and to be for ever closely united to thee. I will always belong to Jesus; Jesus will l/i for ever .trine, for ever, for ever, for ever rrine. "L:t^t ubera men commorabitur"

3. " "VV hile my k:iig- was at his repose* my spikenard sen" forth the odor thereof." Cant, i. 11. When Jesus cones to dwell in a soul ly the holy communion, oh how the soul, with the aid of the I:ght vhich the King of heaven brings with him, sees and knows her own baseness, and, like the spikenard, the most lowly of plants, coafcss-w that she is the viles1 of creatures! Oh! vdiiM sweet odor does she, thus, humbled, send forth to her beloved King, \vlio invites her to unite herself always more closely to him!

My soul, if thou dost wish that Jesus should repose within thee, reflect on thy lowliness, what thou art, and what thou deservtst. Hum ble thyself by banishing all self-esteem, which makes Jesus depart from thee, and prevents him from coming to repose in thy heart

148 ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE.

Con<e to me, rny dear Redeemer; come, and, with thy own divine light, make me sensible of rr •< vileness, my misery, and my nothing ness- that thus thou mayest repose with de- lighl «n rny soul, never more to be separated from *ue

4. '* Think of the Lord. in goodness." (Wis. i. 1). My soul, why art thou so timid and so pu&jJKnimous at the sight of the infinite good ness and love of thy God? Why art thou diffident? Now that thou hast received Jesus Christ into thy heart, take care to correspond to his love, and to confide in the boundless goodness of thy God, who gives himself en tirely to thee. His judgments are indeed ter rible., but only to the proud and the obstinate. But, to the humble and penitent, who desire to love him and to please him, his judgments are all mercy and love, because they proceed from a heart full of compassion and love. Such are the judgments of God, that, in meditating on them, David superabounded in hope. "In thy words I hoped exceedingly." (Ps. cxviii. 43). The consideration of them filled his soul with joy and consolation. "Thy judgments are delightful." "I remembered, O Lord, thy

ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE.

lodgments of old, and I was comforted." (Ps. cxviii. 52). Ah ! this great God is too IOA ing and too good to them who seek him with love.

"The Lord is good to the soul that seeketh

him." Jer. Th. iii. 25. Oh, how good is God to all who endeavor to conform their will to his divine will! "How good is God to them that are of a right heart." (Ps. Ixxii. 1). My God, my love, my hope, my all, I desire thee, and I desire thee only to love thee, to please thee, and to do always thy holy will. Grant that I may find thee, that I may satisfy thee, and that I may never more abandon thee. Fiat, fiat. Amen, amen.

5. "The voice of my beloved knocking: open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled." Cant. iii. 2. Behold the voice of Jesus in the holy sacrament to them who love and desire him. Open to me, he rays, O Christian soul, thy heart; I will enter and unite myself with thee. Thus thou wilt be come my sister by likeness to me; my love, by the communication of my graces; my dove, by the gift of simplicity, and, my urideffled, by the gift of purity which I shall give thee.

The spouse adds: "For my head is full of

150 ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE.

dew, and my locks of the drops of the night." Cant. v. 2. As if he said: Consider, O my beloved, I have waited all the night of the life of sin, which thou hast spent in the midst of darkness and errors. Behold, instead of com ing with scourges to chastise thee, 1 now come with locks full of celestial dew, to extinguish in thee all impure affections to creatures, and to kindle within thee the happy fire of my holy love. Come, then, O my beloved Jesus, and do in me all that thou dost desire. I renounce all affections to creatures, that I may he en tirely thine, and that thou mayest make me what thou dost desire me to be, perfectly con formable to thy holy will.

G. "Let rny beloved come into his garden and eat the fruit of the apple trees." Cant. v. 1. Cornelius a Lapide, says, that this is the invitation of a soul that desires the holy com munion, to Jesus in the blessed sacrament. Come, she says, O my beloved, into my heart, which, was once unhappily not thine, but has now, by means of thy grace, returned to thee. Come, and cat the fruit of the apple trees. Come, and taste in me those virtues which tnou dost bring with thee. Ah. Lord, at least,

ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE. I5l

for the honor of thy majesty, puriiy my soul, adorn it., inflame it with thy love; render it beautiful in thy eyes, that it may become a fa abode for thy divinity.

7. "You shall be carried at the breasts." Is. Ixiv. 12. It is from the holy sacrament that Jesus gives us this sweet invitation. Come, lie says, and suck the divine milk of this sa crament, in which I give thee my own blood. "But what shepherd," says St. Chrysostom, "has ever fed his sheep with his own blood T Even mothers entrust their children to the care of nurses; but thou, O divine Pastor, enamored of souls, dost wish to nourish them with thy own blood." No wonder, then, that St. Cathe rine of Sienna approached the altar to receive this holy food with the ardor of an infant suck ing its mother's breast. No wonder that the spouse of the Canticles exclaimed, "Thy breasts are better than wine." Cant. i. 1. B/ these words, she meant that she set a greatei value on the milk of this sacrament than on aU the pleasures of this world, which are as fleet ing and vain as the sweetness and gladness Q; wine.

O my beloved Jesus, since thou dost

152 ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE.

to nourish me this morning with thy own blood, in the holy communion, it is but just that I cheerfully renounce all the delights and pleasures of this earth. Yes, I renounce them all; and protest that I prefer to suffer all evils, united with thee, to the enjoyment of all the goods of this world without thee. For me, it is enough to content and please thee, who de- servest to be pleased at any cost. Give me, I entreat thee, only thy love and thy grace, and I shall be content. I will say with St. Ignatius, "Give me thy love along with thy grace, and I am sufficiently rich."

8. "Eat, O friends, and drink, and be in ebriated, my dearly beloved." Cant. v. 1. Friends, that is, beginners, who scarcely enjoy the divine friendship, eat the flesh of Jesus Christ, but they eat it with difficulty, and without relish. The advanced drink his blood with less labor; but the "dearly beloved" are the perfect, who, inebriated with holy love, and detached from all worldly objects, live for getful of all things, even of themselves, and seek only to love and please their God.

My beloved Jesus, I am not perfect, but ihou canst make me perfect. I am not one of

ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE. 153

th\ "dearly beloved," because I have been un grateful and unfaithful to thee; but, by inebria ting me this morning with thy love, thou cansi make me one of thy " dearly beloved " spouses. "Thy kingdom come." Come, my beloved Lord, and take possession of my whole soul. Establish thy kingdom within me, so that thou only shalt reign in my heart; that there thy love only may command, and may be obeyed. Inebriate me, inebriate my whole soul. Make me forget all creatures, myself, my interests, and all things, that I may love only thee, my God, my treasure, my only good, my all; thai I may sigh and seek only after thee ; that I may think of and please thee alone. Through the merits of thy passion, grant me this favor. This gift only do I ask, and hope for from thee.

9. "'Stay me up with flowers, compass me about with apples, because I languish with love." Cant. ii. 5. The soul languishes with love, when, forgetful of herself and of all that belongs to her, she seeks only her beloved by holy desires, which are the flowers, and by good works, which are the fruits of divine love.

Ah, my God, concealed in this sacrament,

1 34 ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE.

since thou dost wish me to be entirely thine, make me what thou dost desire me to be: make me forget every thing which does not appertain to thy love. Increase continually my desires to please thee, and grant that these flowers may not be always flowers; grant that they may become fruits, by my doing and suf fering something for thee, who hast done and suffered too much for the love of me. O God, O God of my soul, make me love thee, and show my love by deeds, before I die.

10. "My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands." Cant. v. 10. Our beloved Jesus is rendered all white by purity, and all ruddy by the flames of divine love. My im maculate Lamb, all on fire with love for me, when wilt thou make me like thyself? When wilt thou make me as pure as thyself, O most pure lily? When wilt thou inflame me with the love with which thou dost burn for me? O my God and my all, I renounce all love, and choose only thy most amiable love. Depart from me all creatures; go and endeavor to gain the love of those who seek after thee. I wish only for my God; for him alone do I

ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE. 155

desire to reserve my whole heart and all its affections.

11. "The goodness and benignity of God our Saviour appeared." (Tit. iii. 4). St. Paul says, that in becoming flesh, God showed to the world the extent of his benignity to man. But, in the institution of the holy sacrament, he has displayed the tenderness of his love for Gouls. "Does it not," says St. Augustin, "appear folly to say, eat my flesh and drink my blood?" "Take," says Jesus, on the night before his passion, "and eat: this is my body." To show you the ardor of my love for you, I wish you to eat my very flesh. O holy faith ! who but Jesus Christ could have asked us to eat his sacred flesh. Who but Jesus Christ could have thought of instituting a means of giving us his body for the food ot our souls! Some of his disciples when they heard that he wished to give them his body to be eaten, exclaimed, "This is a hard saying, and who can hear it." (John vi. 61). They refused to believe the words of Jesus Christ, and "walked no more with him." But his words are of faith.

But, after all he has done for us. what more

156 ASPIRATIONS OF L.OVE.

loes Jesus Christ demand of us but to love him? " And now, Israel,, what doth the Lord

thy God require of thee but that thou love

him, and serve the Lord thy God with thy Avhole heart?" (Deut. x. 12).

Ah,, my most loving Jesus, what dost thou not give and promise to them who love thee? Thou dost promise them thy love. "I love them that love me." (Prov. viii. 17). Thou dost promise to embrace them,, though they may have turned their back upon thee. "Turn to me, saith the Lord of Hosts, and I will turn to you." Zac. i. 3. Thou dost promise to bring with thee the Father and the Holy Ghost : and to dwell for ever in their souls. "He that loveth me shall be loved of my Fa ther We will come to him, and make our

abode with him." (John xiv. 21), 23.

What more couldst thou promise or give to induce men to love thee? Most amiable Lord, I understand thee: thou dost wish to be loved even by me. I love thee with my whole heart; and if I do not love thee, teach me to love thee. Make me love thee, and love thee intensely. " Give what thou commandest, and command what the u pleasest."

A5PiRA110>-S OF J.UVE. 1.57

12. c ' Do not consider *hat I am brov/n be cause th 3 sun haiii al'ered my color.' } Cant, i. 5. The ardor of rr.v passions, says the sa cred spouse, (and much more ought I to say so, O my dec.r Jesus,) has deformed and dis colored me. "I am black, but beautiful." Cant. i. 4. O my Redeemer, my works have made me black, but thy merits have rendered me beautiful. I was once black, when I stood alone, and was separated from thee; but now that I am united to thee, thy grace, thy beauty, thy love, have made me beautiful. Yes, my Jesus, such my firm hope, be thou ever blessed lor it. But do not permit me ever more to lose thee, or to return to my past deformity. I love thee, O infinite beauty, and I wish that my soul may be beautiful, and always beautiful, in order that I may be always more pleasing m thy divine eyes, and that thou mayest always love me.

13. "Draw me, we will run after thee to the odor of thy ointments." Cant. i. 3. My clear Jesus, because I could not ascend to thee 1:1 heaven, thou hast come down to me, in order to unite thyself with me in this sacra- Liont of love; draw me, then, O Lord, entirely

158 -irPiilATJONS OF LOVE.

to Uiyieii". 1 do not '.vish to draw ihee to me that thou rnayest permjt 'me to indulge my in clinations; but I wish thee to draw me to ihy- sslf by the sweet attractions of thy grace, so that I may desire and do only thy most holy will. It is just that all my inclinations should give way to the holy arrangements. Unite me entirely to thyself, and thus united to thee, an:l free from earthly affections, I will run along with thee in the way of virtue until I shall re pose in this life and the next, only in thy di vine will. "In peace, in the self-same I will sleep, and I will rest." (Ps. iv. 9).

14. "He brought me into the cellar of wine, he set in order charity in me." Cant. ii. 4. By the cellar of wine St. Bonaventure understands the holy communion, which, by uniting the soul to her divine King, makes her relish that wine of love, which beats down the desires of created, objects, and infuses a well-regulated love, a love just and reasonable towards her self, charitable towards her neighbor, and su preme towards God; a love which makes her love above all things him who deserves to be bved above all.

O my King, Jesus, the only Lord of my

JLSmiATIONS OF I.OVE.

159

h'f":.rt, Cf.o'i hast already introduced me into this blessed cellar of thy holy love; that is, v/ithin thyself, uniting me with thee by means of this sacrament of love. Yts, rny Lord, I already perceive a cnange in my heart. I feel a holy desire, whicn gives me peace, which (ills me with disgust for all impure affections, and impels me to love thee, my God, with pure love. Ah, my Jesus, since thou hast admitted me into this blessed cellar, do nor allow me ever to depart from it. Detach me from all created love, unite me always more closely to thee in this life, that a day may come when I shall be perfectly united to thee in heaven, where I shall see thee face to face, and shall love thee with all my strength, with out interruption or imperfection, for all eternity. 15. "My beloved is gone down to his gar den to feed in his garden and to gather

lilies." Cant. vi. 1 . Ah, my most sweet Sa viour, since thou dost descend from heaven to come to my soul, make me, by thy grace, be come thy garden, that thou mayest gather in my heart lilies and fruits pleasing in thine eyes. Pardon me if I have offended thee • if x have left thee, receive me now that I am sorry

160 ASPIRATIONS OF LOVJ7,,

for my sins, and return to thee; gr*M me tki\ purity which thou dost desire from r^e, glvs me strength to do thy will, infuse into my soul thy true love, and I shall be pleasing in thy sight. I sacrifice to thee all my inclinations : I desire and wish only to please thee.

16. The spouse calls her beloved "all love ly." Cant. xv. 16. To the souls that love him as their spouse, Jesus is "all lovely," whether he chastises or consoles them, whether he is near to them or far from them; because all proceeds from love, and from a desire to be loved. Treat me, then, O my Jesus, as thou dost wish j I will always love thee whether thou dost console or afflict me. I know that all shall come from thy loving heart, that all shall be for my great good. " My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready." Behold, O Lord, my will prepared to embrace all the arrange ments of thy providence. "I will bless the Lord at all times." Ps. xxxiii. O my Creator at all times, whether in prosperity or adversity, I wish always to bless and love thee. I, who have given thee so much displeasure by my sins, neither seek nor merit consolation from ihee. I seek only thy pleasure. Provided

.'.bPJRATIONS OF LOT '?.. 161

&Gii ai-i content,, I shall cheerfully bc:ir with rrery affliction. My Jesus, my Jesus, whetlic: far or near, thou shall be always lovely, always dear : whether thou dost console or afflict ma, I will always love thee, I will always thank tnee.

17. "Who is tms that cometh up from the desert, flowing with delights, leaning upon his beloved?" Cant. viii. 5. Ah! who are these souls who, though they dwell on the earth, regard it as a desert, and, detached from visible things, live only to God, as if he alone ex isted? Kim only do they love and desire to please; and thus they leave the earth, and, raising themselves above it, enjoy the delights imparted to them only who seek God alone, and place in him alone all their hopes.

Who are these happy souls? Are they not those who frequently unite themselves by pure love to Jesus in the holy sacrament? My God, I desire to be, by thy grace, one of these blessed souls, to be detached from all things, and to be entirely thine. From this day for ward the world shall be for me a desert, where I *hall endeavor to live disengaged from every creature, and to think only of thee as if thou 11

I ft? A?tIilAT10NS OF LttY.V-

and I were alone in the world. In tho* eIo-.\3 I wish to place all my confidence and ail 1.117 affections; in thee alone, O my God, O beloved God, my hope, my love, my all.

18. "If she be a wall, let us build upon it bulwarks of silver; if she be a door, let us join it together with boards of cedar." Cant. viii. 9. Such precisely are the effects which Jesus produces in the soul when he comes to her in ilic holy communion. He sees that she ia a wall too weak to resist the assaults of hell, and therefore, by the efficacy of the holy sacrament, he fortifies her with bulwarks of silver; that is, of his own divine light. He sees that she is a door which easily grows old, and, therefore, he renews h-:;r with boards of strength and perse verance, signified by the cedar, a strong and incorruptible wood; that is, by the gifts of holy fear, of detachment from creatures, and of affection for prayer, by petitions for his grace, by holy desires, and, above all, by the gift of divine love. These are the pillars of holy per severance.

Bread strengthens the heart of rr^r.i. As earthly food supports corporal life, so rhe ce lestial bread of the holy communion prest.ivp?

ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE. 163

the life of the soul. " He that eateth me, the same shall live by me. He that eateth my fiesh and drinkcth my blood abideth in me, and I in him." Behold the consoling pro mises cf Jesus Christ to those who receive him m the holy sacrament.

Ah, my Jesus, who is more frail and un faithful than I am? Thou knowest liov/ often f have yielded to my enemies, how often they have forced their way into my heart, and de prived me of thy friendship. Ah, fortify me by thy own light and thy own strength, that I may never more lose thee, or drive thee away from my soul. My dear Lord and Redeemer, if 1 am to offend thee again, strike me dead at this moment, as I hope to be now in the state cf grace, and to be united to thee. My beloved JcoUS. I wish not to live any longer without thoe; but, as long as life remains, I shall be in danger of betraying thee as I have hitherto done. Assist me! O most holy Mary; thou art the Mother of perseverance, assist me., have pity on me, obtain for me the gift of persever ance from thy Jesus. Thee I ask to obtain it for me, through thy prayer? I hope and wish to receive it.

k64 ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE.

19. "I found him whom my soul lo\eth, 1. held him, and I will not let him go." Cant, zii. 4. Such should be the language of every soul that is united 'with Jesus in the holy sa crament. Creatures begone from me, depart from my heart: I once loved you because I was blind ; but I love you no longer, nor can I ever more love you. I have found one inn- pa tely more amiable than you are. I have within me my Jesus; he has enamored my whole soul of his beauty; to this beloved I have given my entire being. He has accepted me as his own; I am no longer mine. Crea tures farewell; I am not, and never shall be yours. I belong, and shall for ever belong to Jesus. "I held him, and I will not let him go.'7 I have received him in the holy commu nion; he is at this moment united to my heart. I will henceforth embrace him with love, and will never more permit him to depart from me.

Permit me, O most amiable Saviour, to em- orace thee, that I may never more be separated from thee. Behold, I unite myself to thee. 1 love thee, my Jesus: I love thee, I love thee* and would wish to love thee as much as thou

ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE. 1G5

dost deserve. I wish that my whole happiness and repose may consist in loving and pleasing thee. Command all creatures to depart from me., and not to disturb me. "I conjure you that you stir not up., nor awake my be loved." Ah, unless I myself wish, creatures cannot enter my heart, to disturb and separate my soul from thee. Fortify my will, unite mv miserable heart to thy divine heart, that I may always wish what thou dost wish. Grant, O Lord, this grace through thy merits. Amen, amen; such my firm hope and ardent desire.

20. "Arise, O north wind; come, O south \vind, blow through my garden, and let the aromatical spices thereof flow." Cant. iv. It). Fly from me, O cold and noxious wind of earthly affections, and come, O sweet ant" •/"arming breeze of holy love from the neart of Jesus in the holy sacrament Ah, do thou alone blow through my whole soul, which Jesus has chosen for his garden of delights. Blow, and new and sweet odors of virtue shall flow from me. My Jesus, my Jesus, thou canst infuse this holy gift into my soul; froi* thee I hope for it

iCG ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE.

21. efl liaye gathered my myrrh, with my iLromaliciu spices." Cant. v. 1. A soul that has received Jesus in the holy sacrament should be tareful to gather myrrh, that she may be able always to send forth odors of the virtues which spring from mortification. "I have eaten the honeycomb with my honey." Ibid. The soul that loves God alone, is not content with the honeycomb without the honey. Hence she says to Jesus: Lord, for me thy consolations are not sufficient without thyself, who art the source of consolation ; for me, the fruits of love are not enough without thyself, who art the object of all my love. No, my Jesus; thou art sufficient for me. I am ready to renounce all thy consolations, provided I possess thee alone, my God, and my only good. I love thee, not to please myself, but to please thee, who dost wish to be loved by me, and dost merit all the love of all souls, whether they are in joy or in sorrow.

22. "I shall want nothing; he hath put me in a place of pasture." (Ps. xxii. 1). Air, my most loving Jesus, since thou dost invite me to this table of love, to eat thy own divine flesh, what can be ever wanting to me? "Th* Lord

ASPIilATIONS OF LOVE. 167

is rny light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?" (Ps. xxvi. 1). Since thou, O omnipotent God, art my light and my salvation, whom shall T fear? I give myself entirely to thee: accept me, and then treat me as thou dost wish; chastise me, manifest thy wrath as much as thou pleasest; kill me, destroy me, still I will always say with Job: "Although he shall kill me, I will trust in him." xiii. 15. Pro vided I am thine, and love thee, I am willing to be treated with the utmost rigor, and, if thou dost wish, to be annihilated.

23. " Behold, I have graven thee in my hands; thy walls are always before my eyes." Is. xlix. 10. Behold the loving care of God for the soul he loves! That he may not forget her, he carries her graven in his hands, and declares that a mother will sooner forget her son, than he will forget a soul in the state of

grace. "Can a woman forget her infant?

And if she should forget, yet will not I forget thee." Is. xlix. 15. "Thy walls are always before my eyes." He always watches over the souls that love him, to defend them against all the attacks of their enemies. "Thou hast crowned us with the shield of thy good will.*'

1G8 ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE.

(Ps. v. 13). Our good God, always attentive to our welfare., surrounds us with the shield of his good will, and delivers us from all dangers. O my God, O infinite goodness, who, more than all others, dost love me and desire my welfare, I abandon myself entirely to thee. If thou art with me, I am willing to be deprived of all things. I know that I should endeavor to con form to thy holy desires, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Behold me, O my sweet Lord, ready and resolved to do whatever thou pleasest. "Thy will be done." I desire only to do thy will. But assist me, O Lord, other wise I shall do no good : teach me not only to know, but to do all that thou dost wish me to do. "Teach me to do thy will." Grant, O Eternal Father, that I may be able to say with truth what Jesus, thy Son, said when he was on earth : " I do always the things that please him." (John viii. 29). This grace, O my God, I desire, I ask and hope for, thrcugh the merits of thy Son, and of most holy Mary.

24. "My son, give me thy heart." (Prov. xxiii. 26). My soul, behold all that the Lord demands of you, now that he comes to visit you. He wishes for your heart and your will.

ASPIRATIONS OF L.OVE. 169

He gives himself to you without reserve: it is just that you also give yourself entirely to him, and that you seek only to do his will. "For the Lord will return to rejoice over thec in all good things." (Deut. xxx. 9). Take care that when Jesus comes to visit you again he may find that you have fulfilled his holy will in all things. My Jesus, I wish to please thee; assist my desire, give me strength, and do with me what is pleasing to thee.

25. "What is there that I ought to do more for my vineyard that I have not done to it?" Is. v. 4. My soul, do you hear what your God says to you? What ought I to do more for you that I have not done ? For your sake I have become man. 1^ the eternal Word, have been made flesh : I, the Lord of all things have taken " the form of a servant." Like a worm, I have been born in a stable, ' ' a worm, and no man." I have even died for you, and died on an infamous gibbet. "Made obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." What more could I do than give my life for you ? " Greater love than this no man hath thnt a man lay down his life for his friends." (John xv. 13). But my love has done still more

170 ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE.

for you. After having died for you, I have instituted the holy sacrament, to give myself entirely to you for your spiritual food. Tell me, what more ought I to do to gain your love?

My Lord, and my Redeemer, thou hast just reason to upbraid me with ingr?.iitude. I know not what to answer. Thou hist been infinitely good to me, and I have been ir.finitively un grateful to thee, I see thy infinite goodness; I behold my own ingratitude, and, prostrate at thy feet, I say : My Jesus, have pity on me, have pity on me, who have repaid thy love with so much ingratitude. Take vengeance on me, take vengeance on me; chastise me, but not by abandoning me: chastise and con vert me. Do not permit me to live any longer ungrateful to thee : grant that, at least through gratitude, I may love thee, and that before 1 die I may make some return for thy love.

26. "Put me as a seal upon thy heart." Cant. viii. G. Yes, my beloved Jesus, since I have consecrated my whole soul to thee, it is but just that I put thee as a seal of love upon my heart, to close the door of it against all other love, and to proclaim to all that my heart is thine, and that thou alone hast full dominion

ASPIRATIONS OF LOVE. 171

over my soul. But, my Lord, what canst thou expect from me without (he aid of thy grace? I can only give thee my poor heart, that thou mayest dispose of it as thou pleasest. Behold I give it to thee without reserve; I con secrate it and sacrifice it entirely to thy love. Possess it O Lord, for ever; I do not wish ever more to have any part of it. Ah! do not leave my heart any longer in my own hands; if thou do, I will rob thee of it again. O most loving1 God, O infinite love, since thou hast so many claims to my love, make me, I entreat thee, love thee. I desire to love thee only to please thee. Since thou dost work so many wonders in order to come into my heart in this sacra ment, perform one miracle more; make my soul become all thine, but without reserve or division, so that I may be able to say in this life, and for eternity, that thou art the only Lord of my heart, and my only riches. " Thou, art the God of my heart, and the God that is my portion for ever." (Ps. Ixxii. 26). Most holy Mary, my Mother and rny hope, assist me, and I shall be certainly heard. Amcsa; fucri my fervent wish and hope. Airier

172 SIGHS OF LOVE TOWARDS GOD.

SIGHS OF LOVE TOWARDS GOD.

1. LORD, who am I that thou hast loved me so much, and that thou dost so ardently desire to be loved by me?

2. O God, infinitely amiable, I love thee.

3. I love thee above all things, more than my life, more than myself; but still, O Lord, I see that I love thee too little.

4. O King of heaven, make thyself also King of my heart: take fall possession of rny whole being.

5. I renounce all, and turn io thee. I em brace thee., and unite myself to thee: do not reject me. O infinite good, I love thee.

6. O my Jesus, thou hast bound me to thy self: how can 1 ever bear to be separated from ihee ? I love thee. and \vill never cease to love thee.

7. Unite thyself to me, O Lord: let no* the enormity of my sins drive thee away from me.

8. O God, O God, whom shall I love if 1 love not thee, my life, my love, my till?

9. Chosen out of tiioiiscmds, HIV God, thoe orih% ihee only do ! choo?.- :'or the object of ?;.!i my io'vc*

SIGHS OF T.OVE TOWARDS GOD. 173

10. My Redeemer, I desire nothing from thee but thyself.

1 1. O that I could consume my whole being for thee, who hast consumed tnyself entirely for me.

12. Take, O Lord, my whole will, and do with me what thou pleasest.

13. O God not known! O God not loved foolish the soul that loves not thee.

14. O my God, in yielding to sin, I knev; that I offended thee grievously. Is it possible that I deliberately displeased thee.

15. Had I died in my sins, I could never more love thee; but now that I am able, I wish to love thee.

16. Lord, do not permit me, after having received so many graces, ever more to betray thee. Strike me dead rather than allow me again to offend thee.

17. Thou hast borne with me that I may love thee. I, therefore, ardently wish to iovs thee.

18. My God, thou hast conquered me. I will resist no longer; I give myself to thee.

19. O God, how many years have I lost, which I might have spent in thy love!

174 SIGHS OF LOVE TOWARDS GOD.

^0. To thee, O my God, I consecrate tke re mainder of my life; it may be very short

SI. I care not for riches, honors, or plea suies: I wish only for God, for God, for God

5?2. O sovereign of hearts, reign in my heart, Ah, draw me entirely to thyself.

22. Bind me, O God, to thee; but bind me so that I ec.n never more separate myself from thee.

£4. Thou \vilt never abandon me; I will never abandon thee. Then, O my God, my God., we will love each other for ever.

25. O my Jesus, my love, my life, my trea sure, my ail, mske me entirely thine before I di*.

£6. Ah, my Jesus, grant that I may see tlies pppeareil the first time I shall behold thee.

27. When shall I be able to say, my God, I can rever lose thee again?

23. V/hen, O Lord, shall I see thee, an! love thee face to face for all eternity, and vnth all my strength?

29. Ah, my infinite good, as long as I Irro, I am in danger of losing thee. 20. My Jesus, thou hast too many claims to

SIGKS OF LOVE TOWARDS GOD. 17 T-

rny love; I ardently desire to love thee. I love thee, I love thee, I love thee.

31. O eternal Father, for the sake of Jesus, give me thy love.

32. Accept as thy lover one of the most un grateful souls on this earth.

33. My God, T wish to love thee ardently in this life, that I may love thee with rny whole soul in the next.

34. O my Jesus, thou hast given thyself entirely to me; I give myself without reserve to thee.

35. Oh! what greater pleasure can I enjoy than to please thee, my God?

36. My beloved Jesus, I wish to love ihee as much as I have offended thee.

37. I love thee, O infinite goodness. Make me comprehend the great good which I love.

38. My Jesus, thou art the vine, I am the branch. Keep me always united to thee; do not permit me to he ever cut off from thee.

39. Oh! my God, what complacency do 1 ibel in thinking that thou art infinitely happy.

40. Ah, Lord, where art thou? Art thou whU ni':? Am I in the state of grace? Thou

576 SIGHS OF LOVE TO \VA11DS GOD.

knowest that I love thee, and that I love thee more than myself.

41. Give me. my Jesus, that love which thou seekest from me.

42. Oh that I had always loved thee.

43. Oh, if I loved thee, my God, if I loved thee ! I love thee, but I love thee too little.

44. Grant, O Lord, that I may love thee en tirely, and that I may conquer all difficulties in order to please thee.

45. I give thee my will : I wish nothing but what thou dost wish.

46. I seek not pleasures from thee: I wish only to content thee, my God, my love, my all.

4?'. O Infinite God, I do not deserve to love thee: permit me, O Lord, to love thee.

48. I hope to love thee for eternity, O eternd God.

49. O my dear Jesus, thou hast suffered &» much for me, I wish to suffer for thee as much as thou dost wish me to suffer.

50. O God of my soul, I cannot bear to live any longer without loving thee.

51. O will of God, thou art my love.

52. O omnipotent God, make me a saint.

SIGHS OF LOVE TOWARDS GOD. 177

53. It will be thy glory, O Lord, to make thy enemy become a great lover of thy divinity.

54. Thou soughtest after me, O my God, when I fled from thee. Thou wilt not drive .me away now that I seek thee.

55. My most loving Jesus, to pardon me, thou hast not pardoned thyself.

56. I thank thee for giving me time to love i nee. Yes, my God, I love thee, I love thee, 1 love thee, and will always love thee.

57. O God, worthy of infinite love, may I be one day perfectly converted to thee, my love, my all.

58. Chastise me as thou wishest, but do not deprive me of the power of loving thee.

59. Eternal Father, thou hast given me thy Son : miserable as I am, I give myself to thee: for thy mercy's sake, accept me.

GO. I wish, O Lord, to compensate the in sults I have offered to thee by doing all in my power to please thee.

61. I wish to love thee, my God, without interest, without interruption, and without re serve.

62. My Jesus, despised for the love of me, grant that I may be despised for tny sake.

"12 ...'.-.«..» " «

178 SIGHS OF LOVE TOWARDS GOD.

63. My afflicted Jesus, make me suffer with love the pains of this life.

64. I would wish, my Redeemer, to die foi thee, who hast died for me.

65. This day I resolve to give myself en-. tirely to thee.

66. Oh that all loved thee as much as thou deservest.

67. Grant, O Lord, that I may never omit *ny thing which I know to be pleasing to thee.

68. Happy me, if I lose all to gain thee, my God, my all.

69. O Jesus, immolated for my sake, I sa crifice to thee my whole will.

70. O my God, when shall I see myself en tirely thine?

71. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?

72. The mercies of the Lord I will sing for ever.

73. Who shall separate me from the love of Christ.

74. O good Jesus, do not permit me to be separated from thee, do not permit me to be separated from thee.

75. What have I in heaven? and, besides tuee, what have I on earth? Thou art the

SIGHS OF LOVE TOWARDS GOD. 179

God of my heart, and the God that is my por tion for ever.

76. May I die for the love of thee, who hay * died for the love of me.

77. My love is crucified.

78. " Give me thy love along with thy grace and I am sufficiently rich." — St. Ignatius.

79. May I die, O Lord, that I may see thee

80. Ah, my Jesus, he who does not lov<? thee does not know thee,

81. I love, O Lord, thy pleasure more than all the pleasures of the world.

82. My Jesus crucified, how does it happen that all are not enamored of thee?

83. Thou hast died for me, O that I could die for thee, my Jesus, my love, my treasure, my all

84. Lord, what return shall I make to thec- for having suffered so much for my sake?

85. O infinite goodness, I esteem thee mon than all things ; I love thee with my whok heart, I give myself entirely to thee. Accept my love, and give me an increase of love.

86. Make me forget all things to remembei thee, my love, my all.

87. I would wish to love thee as much as

180 DIRECTIONS TOR SPIRITUAL SOUiS.

thou dost deseire. Accept, O God, my desire, and give me thy love.

88. I have sinned enough against thee: I now wish to love thee.

89. O God, O God, I am thine, thou art mine.

90. Let all be lost prc-vided God is not lost.

91. Thou alone, my Jesus, thou alone art sufficient for me.

92. O Mary, look down on me, and draw me to God.

93. My mother, obtain for me confidence in thee, and the grace always to have recourse to thee.

9-4. O Mary, thou hast to save me; thou canst obtain for me the grace to be a saint ; I nope thou wilt procure it for me. Have pity on me.

DIRECTIONS FOR SPIRITUAL SOULS WITH

REGARD TO THE FREQUENTATION

OF THE SACRAMENTS.

IN this chapter, I shall speak of the manner in which a confessor should direct spiritual souls, with regard to the frequentation of the sacraments of penance and the Eucharist. Ai

DIRECTIONS FOR SPIRITUAL SOULS. 181

to confession., it is useful to recommend them to make a general confession: because, accord ing to St. Charles Borromeo, general confes sions contribute greatly to a lasting change of life. But, if they have already made one, 01 if they be tortured by scruples, the confesses must forbid them to make a general confession, With regard to ordinary confessions, some per sons of very delicate consciences have been in the habit of going to confession every day. But, for the generality of spiritual souls, and particularly for the scrupulous, it will be suffi cient to confess their sins once, or at most twice a week. In his treatise on communion, Father Barisoni resting on the authority of St. Am brose, and of many other authors, says, that when a spiritual soul feels her conscience bur dened with a venial sin which she has not an opportunity of confessing, she ought not to ab stain from the holy communion. St. Francis de Sales gives the same advice in one of his letters. The holy Council of Trent teaches that, for the remission of venial sins, there are other means, such as acts of contrition or of tharity. It is better to employ these means to purify the soul from a venial sin than to be de-

»2 DIRECTIONS FOR SPIRITUAL BOtJLS.

pnved of communion, in consequence of not having an opportunity of going to confession. And a learned director has said, that it is some times more profitable to a timorous sotil to pre pare for the holy communion, by her own acts than by confession : because, she then makes more fervent acts of sorrow, of humility, and confidence.

In allowing their penitents to the holy com munion, some confessors are too indulgent and others are too rigid. It is certainly a mis take, as Benedict the XIV., in his Diocesan synod well observes, to allow frequent com munion* to those who frequently fall into grievous sins, and are not careful to do penance for their transgressions and to amend then lives : or to those who have an affection for de liberate venial sins, and have no desire to avoid them. To such persons, when they are ex posed to the danger of mortal sin, it is some times useful to permit them to go to commu nion, that they may receive strength to resist

* By frequent communion, St. Alphonsus always understands not weekly communion, but commu nion either every day» or at least several times ia the week.

DIRECTKNS FOR SPIRITUAL SOULS. 183

temptations. But to those who are not in such danger, and who ordinarily commit de liberate venial sins without giving any proof of amendment, or of a desire of amendment, it is right not to allow communion more than once a week. It may be even useful, some times to defer their communion for an entire week, that they may conceive a greater horror of their defects, and a greater reverence for the sacrament.

If some are loo indulgent, others are too rigid, and act in opposition to the spirit of the Church, by refusing, without any regard to the necessity or profit of their penitents, frequent communion for no other reason than because it is frequent. In explaining1 the desire of the holy Council of Trent, that all who assist at Mass should communicate, the authors of the Roman Catechism, (n. 60,) say. that it is the duty of the pastor, to exhort the faithful not only to frequent, but even to daily communion, and to teach them that the soul, as well as the body, stands in need of daily food. I abstain from adducing quotations on this subject from the holy fathers, or from spiritual writers. They may be found in a great many books, which

184 DIRECTIONS FOR SPIRITUAL SOULS.

treat on frequent communion. It is. enough for me to know from the Roman Catechism, (n. 60.,) and from the decree of Innocent the XL, that frequent, and even daily communion, lias been always approved by the Church, and by the holy Fathers, who, as a learned author has shown, when they saw the practice of daily communion given up, adopted every means in their power to re-establish it. In the third council of Milan, at which St. Charles Borromeo presided, parish priests were com manded to exhort the people to daily commu nion; and, it was ordained that they who dared to teach the contrary in any diocess of the pro vince, should be forbidden to preach, and should be severely chastised by the bishop, as disseminators of scandal, and declared enemies of the spirit of the Church. In the decree of Innocent XL, bishops were commanded to en courage among the faithful, the practice of daily communion. Some rigorists admit that, for those who have the necessary dispositions, daily communion is lawful. But, what do they understand by the necessary dispositions ? If they mean that the soul should be worthy of receiving the holy Eucharist, then who

DIRECTIONS FOR SPIRITUAL SOULS. 155

should ever communicate? Christ alone com municated worthily; for a God only is worthy of receiving a God. If they mean the proper dispositions, then it has been already said, that they whose conscience is burdened with actual venial sins, or who have an affection for them., should not be allowed to communicate every day. But St. Francis de Sales, (c. 20. Dev. Life,) says, that they who have no affection even for venial sins, who have conquered the greater part of their corrupt inclinations, and have a great desire of communion, may receive the holy Eucharist every day. St. Thomas, (4 sen. dis. 12, 9 a.) teaches that "when any person knows from experience, that, by daily communion, his iove of God is increased, and his reverence not diminished, he ought to com municate every day."

And although it is an act of virtue to abstain sometimes through reverence from the holy table, still, Father Granada in his treatise on communion, says, that it is better to receive the blessed Eucharist every day through love than to abstain through reverence. This doc trine is confirmed by St. Thomas, who says; (p. 3, q. 80, a. 10, ad. 4,) "It belongs to rev

186 DIRECTIONS FOR SPIRITUAL SOULS.

erence for this sacrament to receive it daily,

and to abstain from it sometimes However,

love and hope, to which the scripture con stantly exhorts us, are preferable to fear." Father Barisoni well observes, that they who communicate with a desire of advancing in divine love, perform an act of reverence to wards Jesus Christ. They do a positive act of reverence, but the reverence of those who abstain from communion is merely negative. St. Gertrude, St. Catherine of Sienna, St. Te resa, St. Jane Chantal, and other saints, who certainly had great reverence for the holy Eu charist, have practised daily communion. To those who would say that, at present, there are no Teresas, Barisoni answers that it is temerity to suppose that the hand of the Lord is short ened. The venerable Avila goes so far as to say, that he who censures those who commu nicate very frequently, perform the office of the Devil.

From what has been already said it appears, that (if, ordinarily speaking, you except, in conformity with the practice of some prudent directors, one day in the week, and also the days on which the confessor forbids commu-

DIRECTIONS FOR SPIRITUAL SOULS. 187

nion to his penitents, in order to try their obe dience and humility, or for some other good end,) a director cannot, without scruple, refuse frequent, and even daily communion to those who desire it, in order to advance in divine love, provided they are free from affection to every venial sin ; provided also, they devote a good deal of time to mental prayer, endeavor to walk in the way of perfection, and abstain from all fully deliberate venial sins. This is, as St. Prosper says, the perfection which a soul subject to human frailty can attain. And when a confessor thinks it useful to allow frequent communion to such persons, Innocent XL, in his decree, forbids bishops and parish priests to fix, for the faithful, even for merchants, or for married persons, the number of their commu nions; and he ordains, that the communions of the people should be left to the decision of their confessors.

And if, through mere frailty, a soul should sometimes fall into a deliberate venial sin, but speedily repents of her fault, and purposes to amend, on what ground can she be refused communion, if she desires" it, in order to re ceive from the sacrament strength to avoid a

188 DIRECTIONS FOR SPIRITUAL SOULS.

relapse, and to advance in perfection? Alex ander the Eighth condemned the following propositions of Baius: "They who claim a right to communion before they have done penance for their sins, are to be considered as guilty of sacrilege." "They, whose love of God is not most pure, and free from all admix ture, are to be likewise repelled from the holy communion." The holy Council of Trent calls the holy Eucharist "the antidote by which we are delivered from daily faults, and preserved from mortal sins." It is certain that to preserve the faithful from relapses, the apostles allowed daily communion to the first Christians, among whom, as may be inferred from the epistles of St. Paul and St. James, there were certainly some as imperfect as those of whom we now speak, and perhaps more imperfect. In the post-communion of the Mass for the twenty-third Sunday after Pente cost, the holy Church prays, that "whatever is vicious in our mind may be cured by the heal ing efficacy of this sacrament." The holy Eucharist, then, has been instituted even for the imperfect, that they may be healed by vir tue of that divine food. In the "Devout Life,"

DIRECTIONS FOR ^SPIRITUAL SOULS. J 89

chapter 21, St. Francis de Sales says : "If they ask you why you communicate so often, tell them that two classes of persons should com municate frequently ; the perfect, to preserve perfection, and the imperfect, to attain perfec tion; the strong, that they may not become weak, and the weak to become strong; the sick, to be cured, and those who are in health, to prevent sickness. And as to yourself, tell them, that because you are imperfect, infirm, and weak, you stand in need of frequent com munion. Tell them, that all who are free from worldly occupations, because they have the opportunity, and all who are engaged in worldly affairs, because they stand in need of commu nion, should communicate frequently." In conclusion he says: "Philothea, communicate often, and as often as you possibly can, with the advice of your spiritual father; and believe me, that, as the hares on our mountains be come white, because they feed only on snow, so, by eating purity itself in this sacrament, you will become all pure." In his treatise on communion, Father Granada says, that a man ought not to abstain from this sacrament on account of his own tmworthiness; since it has

190 DIRECTIONS FOR SPIRITUAL SOULS.

been instituted as a treasure for the needy, and a remedy for the sick. Hence (he adds) no one, however imperfect he may be, should ab stain from this remedy, if he sincerely desires (o be cured. This author says that the weaker a soul is the more she has need of eating this bread of the strong. This is conformable to the doctrine of St. Ambrose and of St. Angus- tin. The former says: "I who always sin, ought constantly to apply a remedy;" and the latter: "you sin daily, receive daily."

St. Thomas teaches, (3 p. q. 79, a. 8,) that ihe augmentation of grace produced by this sacrament is not impeded by venial sins, unless they are actually committed in receiving com munion; and that though these are an obstacle to a part of the fruit of the sacrament, they do not hinder its entire effect. This doctrine is commonly held by theologians : it is taught by Soto, Suarez, Valentia, Vasquez, Coninch, and by many others. It is moreover the opin ion of many learned authors that this sacrament by its own efficacy remits venial sins in which the soul does not take actual complacency. In me Catechism of the Council of Trent, (euch. p. 2, n. 52,^ we read that " the Eucharist cer-

DIRECTIONS FOR SPIRITUAL SOULS. 191

fainly remits venial sins. For, washing away these lesser faults, it completely restores what ever the soul has lost by the ardor of passion." It must, at least, be admitted with St. Thomas that the holy communion excites acts of charity, by which venial sins are forgiven.

But, if by frequent communion the soul does not advance in perfection, nor abstain from de liberate faults though only venial, such, as vanity of dress or attachment to sensual plea sures, to the indulgence of the taste, of the eyes, and of the ears, then, it certainly is better to restrain the use of communion, in order to make her seriously reflect on the amendment of her life, and on her advancement in perfec tion. For my part, I would have very great difficulty in allowing frequent communion to a person, who should wish to persevere in any defect, which though not evidently a venial sin, would be certainly contrary to perfection. It must be observed that although, as St. Thomas says, "to approach the holy commu nion, great devotion is necessary," still this de votion need not be intense or sensible. It is enough for the director to know that the will of the penitent is prepared to do what is

r"2 DIRECTIONS FOR SPIRITUAL SOULS.

mg to God. They who abstain from commu nion because they do not experience great fer vor,, are., as the learned Gerson says, like the man who. when cold, refuses to approach the fire because he does not feel warm. Hence, Father Granada and Cajetan teach, that they who, through immoderate fear of their own unworthiness, omit communion, impede very much their oAvn advancement. St. Laurence Justinian says, that to continue her commu nions it is not necessary for the soul to feel in herself an increase of fervor: because it some times happens that this sacrament produces its effect, although we do not perceive it. St. Bonaventure says : (de Profectu Religios. cap. 78,) "Trusting in the mercy of God, though you feel tepid, approach with confidence: let him who thinks himself unworthy, reflect that the more infirm he feels himself, the more he requires a physician: you do not seek to unite yourself with Christ, in order to sanctify him, but that he may sanctify you." He after wards adds : "Nor is the holy communion to be omitted, because a person in his preparation does not feel a specisJ devotion, nor because, at communion or aftei it, he feels less devout than

DIRECTIONS FOR SPIRITUAL SOULS. 193

he would wish." The saint then is of opin ion, that we ought not to abstain from the holy Eucharist, though we should feel less devotion after than before communion. To forbid them communion is sometimes useful to those who have a strong desire of the holy Eucharist, particularly if the prohibition produce disquie tude; for such disquietude is a mark of pride, which renders the soul unfit for the holy sa crament: but persons who feel aridity and tedi- ousness in their communions, should be made to communicate more frequently, that they may receive strength from the sacrament.

Would to God! would to God! there were in the world, many of these souls (whom some rigorists regard as irreverent and rash,) who having a horror even of light faults, would en deavor to communicate frequently and even every day with a true desire of their own amendment, and of their own advancement in divine love. Certainly, if there wera many such souls, Jesus Christ would be much more loved in the world than he is! All who have been employed in the direction of souls know well, from experience, as I do also, that they who approach the holy communion with good 13

194 DIRECTIONS FOR SPIRITUAL SOULS.

desires, make great progress m virtue, and that the Lord draws them wonderfully to his love. It often happens,, that, for their greater good, they do not perceive their own improvement,, and that they are left in desolation and dark ness, and without the comfort of sensible devo tion. To such souls, as St. Teresa and blessed Henry Suson teach, frequent communion is a most powerful help. Hence, to conclude, let the confessor recommend communion as often as his penitents show a sincere desire of it, and as often as he perceives that, by receiving the holy sacrament, they advance in perfection. Let him also be careful to exhort his penitents to* spend as much time as possible in thanks giving after communion. Ordinarily, the thanksgiving should last for an hour; let it be made at least for half an hour, and let the soul be employed in acts of love, and in petitions to God. St. Teresa says, that, after communion, Jesus remains in the soul as on a throne of mercy to dispense his graces, saying to her: "What vilt thou that I should do for ihee?" In another place she says: " Ai er communion, let us not lose so good an opportunity of nego- tiafion; his divine Majesty does not treat with

OW COMMUNION. 195

ingratitude the abode in which he is well re ceived." Some directors do not remain suffi ciently long with Jesus Christ in acts of devo tion after Mass, and therefore they abstain from recommending to others what they them selves neglect

Let the confessor also recommend his peni tents to make frequent spiritual communions. The practice of spiritual communion has been greatly praised by the Council of Trent. "Spi ritual communions," says St. Teresa, "are very profitable : in them the Lord will try how much you love him."

ON COMMUNION.

OF all the sacraments, the adorable sacrament of the altar is the most excellent. The other sacraments contain the gifts of God, but the holy Eucharist contains God himself. Hence, St. Thomas says, (3 part. ques. 73, art 3,) that the other sacraments have been instituted by Jesus Christ, to prepare men either to re ceive or to administer the blessed Eucharist^ which, according to the holy Doctor, is the consummation of the spiritual life, because from this sacrament is derived all the perfec-

196 nN COMMUNION.

tion of the soul. For, all perfection consists in an union with God, and of all the means of aniting the soul with him, there is none hetter ihan the holy communion, by which, as Jesus Christ himself has said, the soul becomes as it were identified with him. "He that eatelli

my flesh abideth in rne and I in him." St.

(John vi. 27). Hence St. John Chrysostom says, that Jesus has given his body to us, un der the appearance of bread, that we may be come one thing with him. Corpus suum in nos conleinperavit ui umim quid simus. Ho mily 61 . And St. Cyril of Alexandria teaches, that, as two pieces of wax melted together be come one, so we, by the holy communion, are similarly united with Jesus Christ. Ut unum f.x utrisqiic faclum videaiur. St. Cyr. lib. 10, an Joan. c. 13. Hence, our Saviour instituted Aiis sacrament under the form of food, to show, that as corporal food is changed into our flesh, «o this heavenly bread becomes one thing with as; but with this difference, that earthly food <s converted into our substance, while this di vine bread transforms those who eat it, into /esus Christ. "Eat, and you shall be by grace what I am by nature." Rupert, in

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Exod. lib. 3, c. 12. "I will not be changed into you, but you shall be changed into me." St. Augustin.

2. The principal effect of this sacrament is, to preserve in the soul the life of grace. Hence, it is called bread ; for, as earthly bread supports corporal life, so this heavenly bread preserves the life of the soul, which consists in the grace of God. The Eucharist is, according to the Council of Trent, the divine medicine which purifies the soul from venial, and preserves her from mortal sins. Jlntldotum quo libercmur a culpis quctidianis, et a peccatis mortalibus preservemur. Sess. 13, c. 2. Like a stream of water, this sacrament extinguishes the ardor of the passions by which we are consumed. Let him in whose soul the flame of some par ticular passion is kindled, approach the holy communion, and he will find the passion alto gether, or at least in a great measure, destroyed. "If any of you," says St. Bernard, "do not experience such frequent or such violent mo tions of anger, of envy, or of lust, let him give (hanks to the body of the Lord, which produces fruit in his soul." (Serin, de Bap. in coena Dom.") The angelic Doctor teaches, that the

198 ON COMMUNION.

holy communion gives us strength u, overcome all the attacks of the devil. "It repels every assault of the demons.*' (St. Tho. 3, p. qu. 79, art. 1.) St. Chrysostom asserts, that wher. we receive the holy Eucharist, the devils are put to flight, and the angels run to our assist ance. Moreover, this sacrament infuses into the soul great interior peace, a strong inclina tion to virtue, and a great willingness to prac tise it, and thus renders it easy to walk in the path of perfection.

3. The holy communion as, St. Thomas teaches, infuses divine charity into the heart. Jesus Christ protested that he came into the world for no other purpose than to kindle in our souls the holy fire of divine love. " I came to cast fire on the earth; and what will I, but that it be kindled? (Luke xii. 49). The ven erable Father Olimpio, of the order of Thea- tines, used to say, that there is no mystery of redemption belter calculated to inilanie us with the love of Jesus Christ, than the sacrament of the altar, in which he gives himself entirely to us, and pours forth all his love. Hence, speaking of the institution of this sacrament, St. John says: "Jesus, knowing that his hour

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was come, to pass from this world to his Fa ther,, when he had loved his friends who were in the world, he loved them even to the end." xiii. 1. "He loved them to the end;" that is according to the commentators, he loved them to the utmost of his power. Hence, the Coun cil of Trent has said, that in this sacrament Jesus "poured forth, as it were, all the riches of his divine love towards man." Sess. 13, cap. 2. The holy communion has been called by St. Thomas, "the sacrament of love," and by St. Bernard, " the love of loves." St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzir, used io call ttie day of communion "the dsy of love," and would say, that a soul after communion might ex- claim with Jesus dying Ou. the cross, "It is consummated;" for, after having given him self to me, God has nothing more to give me, nor can I desire any thing else from him.

4. Should not all, then, ardently desire to receive Jesus as often *as possible in the holy communion. We know from the Acts of the Apostles, that, in the first ages of the church, all the faithful communicated every day. " Con tinuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to. house."

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(Acts 11. 46). In the Syriac version, instead of "breaking bread," we find the words "break ing blessed bread," which express more clearly the blessed Eucharist. Besides, by the break ing of bread, the interpreters of the sacred scripture understand the holy communion. Hence, according to St. Thomas, (part 3, ques, 80, art. 10,) it is certain that, in the early ages, all who assisted at Mass received the commu nion. This fact is attested by St. Denis the Areopagite, and by St. Jerom, in his letters to Lucina an^d Pammachius, in which he states that this pious practice was preserved in Rome arid Spain even in his own time. By degrees, the piety of the faithful began to grow cold. Such was their lukewarmness in the time of Pope Fabian, that he had to command all Christians to approach the holy communion at least three times in each year; that is, on the festivals of Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas. In after ages, the tepidity of Christians became so great, that Innocent the Third obliged all the faithful, under very severe penalties, to communicate at least at Easter. The decree of Innocent was afterwards confirmed by the Council of Trent. (Sess. 13, chap. 9.) These

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enactments of Popes and Councils do not prove that the practice of frequent communion is not very laudable: they only show the decay of the fervor which animated the first Christians.

5. Among the spiritual writers of the pre sent day, some are favorable, and others op posed to frequent communion. I agree with the former; because, as the learned Petavius has shown in his work against the rigid Ar- nald, their opinion appears to be that of the holy fathers and of the Church. St. Basil, in a letter to a friend, states that it was to him a source of the greatest consolation to know that all the faithful of his diocess received the holy Eucharist four times in the week. In one place St. Augustin says: "I neither praise nor censure the practice of daily communion." The holy doctor probably used these words be cause the practice of daily communion did not then prevail in Africa, and because it was cen sured by many. But in one of his sermons, he exhorts the faithful to daily communion. "This," he says, "is daily bread: receive it every day, that you may daily draw fruit from it." Serm. 28.

St. Anton ine relates, that a certain prelate

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ON COMMUNION.

once reproved St. Catherine of Sienna for going to communion every day, and added, that St. Augusiin neither praised nor censured daily- communion. "Then/7 replied the holy Vir gin, "why do you rebuke me for a practice which St. Augustin would not censure?" The sentiment of the Church may be inferred from the Council of Trent, session 22, chapter 6, where the holy synod expressed a strong desire that all the faithful who assisted at Mass should communicate. In a decree of the Sa cred Congregation, dated February 22, 1679, and approved by Innocent XL, it is asserted that the practice of frequent, and even of daily communion, was always praised by the holy fathers. In that decree, the bishops of those places in which the faithful communicate every day, are exhorted to give God thanks for it, and to cherish, by all means in their power, so useful a devotion. Bishops and parish priests are also forbidden to fix, by a general law, the days of the week on which the people are to communicate, and are commanded to leave their communions to the discretion of their confessors. 6 In the ife of St. Margaret of Cortona, we

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read that our Lord told her that he would give a great reward to her confessor for having ad vised her to communicate often. It is related in the life of the venerable Anthony Torres, that after death he appeared in glory to a cer tain person, and said, that his beatitude in heaven had been increased because he recom mended frequent communion to his penitents. To the venerable Prudentiana Zagnoni, of the convent of St. Clare, in Bologna, our Lord once said: "If you frequent the holy commu nion, I will forget all your ingratitude." Lewis Blosius, (Monil Spir. cap. 6, sec. 1,) writes, that, of those who dissuaded others from the practice of frequent communion, Jesus Christ complained to St. Gertrude in these words: "My delights are to be with the children of men: to remain with them, I have instituted the holy sacrament of the altar. Whosoever, then, prevents a soul from receiving me, hin ders my delights." Hence, John of Avila used to say, that they who censure frequent communion perform the office of the devil, who detests the holy Eucharist, because souls derive from it great strength and fervor to ad vance in perfection.

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ON COMMUNION.

7. According to St. Thomas, it is certain that frequent, and even daily communion is in itself most useful, hut only for those who have the proper dispositions, and not for all indis criminately, who are even in the state of grace. Hence, after having said, "receive daily, that it may be every day profitable to you," St. Augustin adds: "'Live in such a manner that you may be worthy to receive every day." A person who commits deliberate venial sins, by telling wilful lies, by vanity of dress, by feel ings of dislike, or by inordinate attachments, or who is guilty of any other similar faults which he knows to be an obstacle to his advancement in perfection, and who does not endeavor to correct these defects, cannot be permitted to communicate more frequently than once a week. To receive strength to preserve him from fall ing into mortal sins, he may be allowed com munion every eight days. For my part, 1 should have great difficulty in allowing fre quent communion to persons disposed to per severe in any defect which, though not clearly a venial sin, would be certainly contrary to perfection, particularly if it were a defect against humility or obedience. But, if a soul

ON COMMUNION. 205

r.as no affection for any venial sin, if she ab stains from deliberate venial sins, and attends to mental prayer and the mortification of her passions and senses, the confessor may permit her to communicate three, four, or even five times in the week. And when a soul has at tained a considerable degree of perfection, when she spends several hours in the day at prayer, and has, moreover, conquered the greater part of her evil inclinations, she may, according to St. Francis de Sales, (chap. 20 of the Introduc tion to a Devout Life,) be allowed communion every day. For, as St. Prosper says, this is the perfection which a person subject to human frailty can attain in this life. St. Thoma? teaches,, that "if any one finds by experience that by daily communion the fervor of his love is increased, and his reverence not diminished, such a person ought to communicate every day." (In 4 Sent. Distin. 2, ques. 3, a. I.) Hence, in permitting, more or less, frequent communion to his penitents^ a confessor should be regulated by the fruits of their communions. The same rule is given in a decree approved by Innocent the Eleventh. In that decree, it is ordained that "frequent communion should be

206 ON COMMUNION.

left to the decision of confessors, who ought to prescribe what they judge to be most profitable to their penitents., from the purity of their con science, and from the fruit which they receive from frequent communion."

8. To regulate the frequency of your com munions belongs not to you, but to your direc tor: to you it only belongs to make such pre paration for the holy sacrament that your spi ritual father may find in you the dispositions necessary for frequent communion. The pre paration for frequent communion is twofold, remote and proximate. The remote prepara tion consists in detachment from creatures. In his commentary on the 131st Psalm, St. Au- gustin says: If you expected a visit from a great personage, to whom certain objects in your house should be offensive, would you not remove them before his arrival? When, then, you wish to receive Jesus Christ, you should remove from your breast all earthly affections which you know to be displeasing to him. He who wishes to communicate often must empty his heart of the things of the earth. This is precisely what our Lord once said to St. Ger trude: "I want nothing more from you than

ON COMMUNION. 207

that you come to receive me with a hsart di vested of all soli-love." As to the immediate preparation, you should begin it the evening before communion by acts of love and of desire. As soon as you awake in the morning, con sider that you are to receive Jesus Christ, and, with a fervent aspiration, invite your Spouse to hasten into your soul. Immediately before communion, you should, even though you had made morning prayer, excite in your soul lively sentiments of faith, of humility, and of desire.

9. First, you ought to animate your faith by reflecting on the majesty of him whom you are to receive. If faith did not assure us of it, who could ever imagine that a God wished to make himself the food of his own creatures? But the Church has declared in several of her councils, and especially in the Council of Trent, (sess. 13, can. 1,) that our Redeemer, Christ Jesus, is really and truly present in the conse crated host. How beautiful was the reply of St. Lewis, king of France, to a person invi ting him to behold Jesus Christ, who appeared in the consecrated host under the form of an infant: '"Let those," said the holy king, "who

208

ON COMMUNION.

do not believe by faith., go and see: I believe more firmly than if I saw Jesus Christ with my eyes." And he remained where he was. Secondly., you should excite sentiments of hu mility by considering that, in . spite of your misery, you are to receive a God into your mouth and into your heart. The venerable Segneri used to say., that, for a person going to communion, the most appropriate sentiment is one of astonishment, which would make him exclaim, "What! a God to me! a God to me!-" What would be the sentiments of a shepherd if he saw his sovereign coming to dwell with him in his tent? What are your sentiments when you behold the King of hea ven coming into your heart in the holy com munion? Will you not at least say to him with true humility, "Lord, I am not worthy thatthou shouldst enter under my roof?" To humility unite an act of contrition and of hope, confidently expecting that Jesus Christ, when he comes into your soul, will enrich you with his graces. Thirdly, you must excite an ar dent desire of receiving Jesus Christ in the holy sacrament. To nourish the soul, this celestial bread must be eaten with hunger. He

ON COMMUNION. 209

who receives it with the strongest desire re ceives from it the greatest graces. St. Francis de Sales used to say, that he who gives him self to us only through love should be received only through love. Our Redeemer said once io St. Matilda: "When you communicate, desire to have the greatest love which the saints have had from me; and, in return for this desire, I will accept your love, in propor tion to the fervor with which you wished for it." To remember these acts, it will be suffi cient to say to yourself, before communion: "Who comes? to whom does he come? why does he come?" A God of infinite majesty comes: he comes to you, a miserable sinner, and he comes to be loved by you.

10. After communion, remain with Jesus Christ as long as you can. Father M. Avila said that we should set great value on the time after communion, because it is a precious time for acquiring treasures of grace. St. Mary- Magdalen de Pazzis was accustomed to say : "The time after communion is the most pre cious part of our life, and it is fittest for nego tiating with God, and for inflaming our souls with his divine love. At that time, we have 14

210 ON coivi'3iui?rorf.

no need of masters, or of books; for Jesus Christ himself teaches us how we are to love him.'"' St. Teresa, too, used to say: "After communion, let us not lose so good an oppor tunity of negotiation. God does not repay with ingratitude the abode in which he is well received/7 In another place, she says, that after communion Jesus Christ remains in the soul as on a throne of grace,, and appears U> say to her what he said when on earth to the man who was born blind: ''What wilt thoix that I should do to thee?" Beloved soul, tell me what you want from me; I am come for the purpose of bestowing on you the graces you ask of me. It is the opinion of Cajetan, Suares., Gonet, Valentia, Lugo, and others, that as long as the sacramental species remain, the fruit of the sacrament, and divine love, are increased in proportion to the efforts of the soul to unite herself with Jesus Christ, and la the good acts which she performs. For, the operation- of this celestial bread in the soul is similar to that of corporal food, which gives nourishment and strength in proportion to the time it remains in the body. Many religious communicate frequently, and draw but little

OM COMMUNION. 21 1

%

fruit from their communion,, because they re main but a short time with Jesus Christ. To St. Margaret of Cortona our Lord once sa'id, "I treat souls as they treat me." If you are not prevented by some duty of obedience or of charity, be careful to remain with Jesus Christ at least for half an hour after communion. I say, at least for half an hour; for an hour is the proper time for thanksgiving. Endeavor lo employ yourself after communion in acts of recollection, of thanksgiving, of love, of sor row, of oblation of yourself and all you pos sess; but, above all, in petitions to Jesus Christ for his graces, and particularly for the gift of final perseverance, and of his holy love. In these acts consists that negotiation of which St. Teresa speaks. And, when you feel dryness and dissipation of mind, read a book which contains devout affections towards God. The entire day of communion should be spent in more than usual recollection. St. Lewis Gon- zaga endeavored to entertain himself for three days after communion in (hanking Jesus Christ.' Nor should your recollection be di minished because you communicate more fre quently; on the contrary, the oftener you re-

2\2 ON FREQUENT COMMUNION.

ceive the Lord, the more closely should you keep yourself united to him.

AN APOLOGETIC REPLY,

ON THE SUBJECT OF

FREQUENT COMMUNION,

TO D. CYPRIAN ARISTASIO.

AFTER the publication of my Practical In structions for Confessors, a small book ap peared, in which the author, under the feigned name of D. Cyprian Aristasio, assails several propositions contained in my work. While in Rome on the occasion of my elevation to the episcopacy, I published a brief reply to his charges. Aristasio published a rejoinder, to which, on account of my episcopal duties, I was not able to reply, and which has been learnedly answered by a member of my con gregation, in a dissertation from which I con fess that I have laker the greater part of this brief defence.

ON FREQUENT iOMMUNIOtf. 213

Anstasio has attacked several propositions of mine; but the one which he principally as sails is, that "persons who are in the state of grace,, and fall into habitual venial sins, may be allowed to communicate once in every eight days." In my Practical Instructions for Con fessors, I have said, that "it is right not to allow communion more than once a week to those who ordinarily commit deliberate venial sins, and in whom there appears to be no im provement, nor desire of improvement. Ir may be even useful sometimes to deprive them of communion for an entire week, that they may conceive a greater horror of their faults, and greater reverence for the sacrament." Behold the scandalous proposition which has given so much offence to my adversary. He maintains that weekly communion is frequent cgmmu- nion, and that therefore it should be permitted only to those " who are free from mortal sin, and from affection to venial sin, and who have a great desire of communion." Aristasio has taken this doctrine from St. Francis de Sales: (Philqthea, chap. 20:) he adds, that sucrf, too, is the doctrine of Father Avila. We shall hereafter see what has been taught by Father

214 ON FREQUENT COMMUNION.

A vila; let us first examine the authority ad duced by St. Francis de Sales, in support of his opinion.

Before we enter into the examination of this authority, it will be useful to take a view of the discipline of the Church on this matter for sev eral centuries, and of the sentiments of the holy Fathers. Cassalius (de vet. sacr. Christ, rit. c. 18,) states, that during the entire of the sixth century, the faithful were accustomed to communicate every day, or nearly every day. The same is stated by Cardinal Bona, (Liturg. 1, 2, c. 17, n. 2,) and may be inferred from St. Augustin, (ep. 54, alias 118, ad Januar.,) from St. Jerom, (ep. ad Luc.,) and from St. Isidore, (de Eccle. Offic., cap. 18,) whose words shall be hereafter cited. That such was the ancient custom appears certain, from a de cree of the Sacred Congregation, dated June, 1587. In that decree, which was made against a bishop who prohibited his subjects generally to communicate more frequently than three times in the week; it is said: " Quia omnei adslantes antiquis temporibus, peracta consecta- lionc Eucluirutiam sumebant."

In the decree of Gratian, (can. 15, de cons.

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clis. 2,) we read the following words of St. Hilary : " SI non sint tanta peccata id excom- municetur, is non debet se a medicina corporis ct sanginnis Domini separare: unde timendtim est ns, din abstraclus a sanguine Christi, alienm remancat a salute." 'If the sins of an indi vidual be not so grievous as to merit excom munication he should not abstain from the body aad blood of the Lord; if he abstain for a considerable time, it is to be feared that he en dangers his salvation."

Following Arnald, Aristasio raises two diffi culties on this passage. The first is, that th»- words are not the words of St. Hilary, but of St. Augustin, who in a letter to Januarius states first the sentiments of two learned men, (without naming them,) one of whom said, "EKgeildi sunt dies quibus purius homo vivit, quo ad tanlum sacramcntum dignius accedas:" "To approach the more worthily to so great a sacrament, a man must choose for communion the days on which he lives more purely." The other said, "Si tanta non sunt pcccata id excommunicandus homo judicctur, non se debet a quolidiana medicina dominici corporis sepa rare." " If the sins of an individual be not so

216 ON FREQUENT COMMUNION.

grievous as to merit excommunication, he ought not to abstain from the daily medicine of the hody of the Lord;" but omitted the fol lowing words : ' ' Unde t'nncndum est nc, diu abstractus a corporc Christi alienus remaneat a sahtte:" "By abstaining from communion for a considerable time, it is to be feared that he endangers his salvation. " These latter words says Aristasio, are not found in the works of St. Augustin, of St. Isidore., or of venerable Bede. After stating the sentiments of these two learned men, St. Augustin, without de ciding the question, concludes by saying, that each person should do what he believes to be conformable to piety: " Faciat autem unus- quisque quod secundum Jidem suain pie credit cast faciendum."

First, I answer, that though the words which have been cited are not found in the works of St. Hilary, which are now extant, still there are sufficient arguments and authorities of an cient writers to render it morally certain that these words were written by the holy doctor. Jt is well known that the homilies of St. Hilary on Job, his commentaries on the Epistle to Timothy, and several of his treatises on the

ON FREQUENT COMMUNION. 217

Psalms, have been lost. The passage in ques tion, then, might have been contained in some of the works of St. Hilary, which were extant in the time of Gratian. To him it was as cribed for many centuries by the learned ; to him it was attributed, not only by Gratian, but also by Ivone, Rabano, Burcardo, Polibius, and Reginone, who wrote glo'sses on the ca nons. Moreover, Antony Democaro, Antony Cunzio, Antony Agostini, and Pitteo, who were employed by Pius the Fourth, by St. Pius the Fifth, and by Gregory the Thirteenth, in correcting the canons, never insinuated that the words were falsely ascribed to St. Hilary. All this gives a moral certainty that the words are the genuine words of the holy doctor. It is true that the same words are found in the works of St. Augustin; but he does not decide the question. He only relates the words as written by another author, and who can say that the author to whom he alluded was not St. Hilary?

It is not true that the sentiments of St. Isi dore and of venerable Bede are the same as those of St. Augustin; for the two former agree in opinion with St. Hilary. After ex-

218 ON FREQUENT COMMUNION.

norting the faithful to communicate every day with faith and humility, St. Isidore says,, (1. eccle. or. offic. c. 18 editio. Paris, an. 1650,') "'' Ccetenim si peccata non sunt tain gravia quod judicatur liomo excommunicandus, is non debtl se separarc a quotidiana medicina corporis Do mini." " If the sins of a person be not so grievous as to ' merit excommunication, he ought not to abstain from the daily medicine of the body of the Lord." He then adds: " Unde timendum est ne dumqu isque diu separatur a corpore Clirisli remaneat alienus a salute cum ipsemet dical. Nisi, manducaveritis," &c. "It is to be feared that by abstaining from commu nion for a long time, he endangers his salva tion; for the Lord himself says: "except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you." Bede omits the words "wide timendum est,'' Sec.; but decides the question in the same way as St. Hilary. " Panani ccdcsttm," he says, " spiritualiter manducale: peccata, etsi sint quotidiana, non sint mo-rtifera." In Epis. ad Corinth, cap. 11. The same doctrine is held by other ancient authors, resting on the authority of St. Hilary. Thus Eterius Ussaniensis, who

ON FREQ.UENT COMMUNION. 219

lived in the ninth century,, (apud Nat. Alex. sec. 8, cap. 1, art. 8.) adopts the words of the saint: " Caztenim si non slut tanta pcccata," &c. In a letter to Guntard, Amalarius Mesensis says ; " Pracipilur in canonibus (that is, in the tenth canon of the Apostles, and in the second of the Council of Antioch.) ut omncs qui ingredir untur in ccchsiatn communicaverint , dicant cou- sam : et, si raiionabilis cxiterit indulgeatur illis : sin autcm excommuniccntur." "The canons command that all who enter the church should communicate; they ordain that those who as sign a reasonable cause for not communica ting, should be treated with indulgence, and those who do not, should he excommunicated." He then censures the opinion of Gennadius, who recommended communion only on Sun days, and exhorts those who are in the state of grace to communicate every day. In con clusion,, he says : " Fili si te noscis pcccalorcm rac pcenitentiam et in spiritu contritoet humiii- ato suscipe ilium." " Son, if you know that you are a sinner, do penance, and receive him with a contrite and humbled heart."

The same doctrine has he.en taught by Ra- ban, a Maurist monk (ist cler 1. 1, c. 31 j) by

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Beatus, a priest (Bibl. P. P. t. 13, edit. Lugd. 1. 1. p. 372;) and by Algera, who after prais ing St. Hilary, adopts his words: " Ccsterum

si non sint tanta peccata wide, timcnduni

est," &c. (De Sac. Corp. 1. 1, c. 22.) The second difficulty raised by Aristasio and Arnald against the inference drawn from the words of St. Hilary is, that the word excommunicetur snould not be understood according to its present signification ; because, in the first ageir of the church, there were two kinds of excom munication : one, by which obstinate sinners were cut off from the body of the faithful ; the other, by which all who committed even an occult mortal sin were separated from the com munion of the faithful, and were, consequent ly, forbidden to receive the Eucharist unti) they had done public penance. In answer to this objection, I say, in the first place, that it is admitted as certain, by all the learned, by Mo- rino, Petarius, Thomassinus, Bellarmine, Es- tius, Christianus Lupus, and others, that the practice of the church was to deprive sinners of the sacraments, and to subject them to pen ance, not for all sorts of sins, but only for cer tain enormous crimes, such as idolatry, homi-

ON FREQUENT COMMUNION. 221

cide3 adultery, and the like. It is disputed among the learned whether sinners were con demned to public penance for crimes of this Kind when the crimes were occult. Natalis Alexander, Juenin, and Witasse, assert that they were; but Christianus Lupus, Estius, Bellarmine., Frassen, Sirmond, T ournely, Car dinal Gotti, and others, maintain that the per petrators of the above mentioned crimes were obliged to submit to public penance only when the crimes were public and scandalous. Pe- tavius (ad hoeres. 59, t. 2, p. 248,) also held this opinion, and deduced it from many passages of the writings of St. Augustin. But, though it should be admitted that formerly the faithful were deprived of the Eucharist for all sorts of sin, it cannot be denied that they were forbid den to communicate only on account of mortai sins. For as we have seen, no one was ob liged to abstain from communion on account of venial sin.

Such was the discipline of the church for several centuries. When fervor began to de cay, and the faithful began to abstain from communion, all were commanded to commu nicate at least every week. Peter Comestor

222

OX *KEQ,UENT COMMUNION.

says : " In prima eccksia quolquot intcrerant consecrationi Eucliaristice communicabant ei- dcm. Postquam autem crevit numerusfidelium, nee omnes accedere ad Eucharistiam visum cst, slatutum est lit saltern diebus dominicis fideles, communicarcnt." Serm. 16. "In the primi tive church all who were present at the conse cration received the Eucharist. Subsequently, when the number of the faithful increased, and it was deemed inexpedient that all should ap proach the Eucharist, it was ordained that the faithful should communicate at least on Sundays."

The author de qfficiis apud bibl. P. P. torn. 10., c. 66, p. 1198., says: "Postquam autem ec- desia num&ro augebatur, sed sanctitate minueba- tur proptcr carnales, statutmn est ut qui possmi singidis dominicis communicarent." "When the church had acquired an increase in her number, but suffered a diminution of her sanctity, in consequence of the carnal affec tions of her children, a law was made that all who had it in their power, should communi cate every Sunday." In the Capitulars of the bishops, confirmed by Charlemagne, it was ordained : ' ' Ut omnes per dies dominicos etfes-

ON FREQUENT COMMUNION. 223

tivitatcs prcedaras sacra Eucharistia communi- cent nisi quibus abstinere praeceplwn est." Capitular. 1. 5, cap. 334. "That all, except those who were commanded to abstain, should communicate on the Sundays and principal festivals." Mark the words, "except those who were commanded to abstain.'' Where, I ask, is the precept to be found of not commu- cating with an affection to venial sins'? In another part of the same Capitulars, (lib. 6, cap. 17,) we find the following words : " Si fieri jjotest, omni die, dominica commit nicent ; nisi criminali (mark this word) peccato el manifesto impediantur : pula aliter salvicsse nan possunt." " If possible, let the faithful com municate on every Sunday, unless they be prevented by a grievous and manifest sin ; otherwise, they cannot perhaps obtain salva tion." Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury, remarks, (Spicil. torn. 9, cap. 12,,) that in the Greek church all the faithful were obliged, under pain of excommunication, to communi cate every eight days. Now, if, in the former ages of the church, weekly communion was commanded to all, how can it be forbidden at the present time to those who desire to pre-

224 ON FREQ.UENT COMMUNION.

serve themselves in the grace of God? My monitor will say, that even in the early ages of the church, exemption from an affection to venial sin was considered necessary for weekly communion. I say it was not: for, as we have already seen, communion was forbidden only to those who had an affection to mortal sin. Moreover, Pope Nicholas, writing to the Bulgarians, tells them that they may commu nicate every day in Lent : " Si mens sine affcctu peccandi sit, vel si hanc non de crimiaalibus peccalis conscientia impcenitens., vel non rccon- ciliatafortassis accuset:" Res. ad Bui. cap. 9. " If they be free from an affection to sin, or if their conscience should not reproach them, with the guilt of unrepented grievous sins." Thus, at that time, they who had not a con sciousness of grievous sins, nor an affection foi them, or who had confessed them, might communicate every day.

Such was the tepidity of the faithful from the tenth till the sixteenth century, that few communicated once a year, and the number of those who communicated three times a year was still fewer. To receive the holy Eucha rist six or seven times a year was regarded as

O^ FllK.<it;JiJX'T COMMUNION. 2^5

frequent communion. Religious only were commanded to communicate once a month. (Clement, ne in agr. § 6, sane do statu Mo- nach.) Hence, in the life of St. Francis de Sales, it is related, as a proof of great piety in his Father, that he went to communion once a month. And, because St. Francis Borgia, while a secular, communicated every Sunday, many accused him of going to communion too frequently. But monthly or weekly com- munion«cannot he called frequent, on account of the great coldness of these miserable times; for, according to the ancient dicipline of the church, it should be called rare, rather than frequent.

Let us now examine the argument deduced from the authority of St. Francis de Sales, which Aristasio has put forward with so much pomp. We have already seen, that in the time of St. Augustin, it was disputed whether they who were free from mortal sin should communicate everyday. Some deni ed; others, among whom were St. Isidore, Venerable Bode, Eterius and Amalarius, as serted that they ought. But Gennadius adopt ed a middle course, and expressed his opinion 15

226 ON FREQUENT COMMUNION.

in the vords ascribed to St. Augustin : " Quo- lidie E/ucharisticK communionem, percipere nee. laudo nee vitupero. Omnibus tamen dominicis communicandum suadco ct liortor, si tamen mens in affcctu pcccandi non sit : nam habentem ad- huc voluntatem peccandi gravari magis dico EucharislicK perceptions quam purijicari." De Eccles. dogmat. in cap. Quotidie, 13 de con- seer, dis. 2. " The practice of daily commu nion I neither praise nor censure ; but I strong ly, and earnestly recommend the faithful to re ceive on all Sundays, if, however, they be free from affection to sin : for persons who have an1 affection for sin, instead of being made more holy, are rendered more guilty by receiving the Eucharist."

Now, at present, all agree that these words were written by Gennadius, and that Gratian and St. Francis de Sales erred in ascribing them to St. Augustin. St. Francis inferred from these words, which he believed to be tlio words of St. Augustin, that weekly commu nion ought to be allowed only to those "who have no affection to mortal or to venial sin.57 [ntrod. part 2, chap. 20. Thus, by the words of Gennadius, "si iamcn mcns in affeclu psc-

ON FREQUENT COMMUNION. 227

candi non sit," which he attributed to St. Au- gustin, St. Francis was induced to forbid com munion every Sunday to those who have an affection for any venial sin. It is necessary, then, to examine whether these words of Gen- nadius should be understood of an affection to mortal, or of an affection to venial sin. In his book on frequent communion, Arnald says, they ought to he understood of an affection to venial sin. But others commonly understand them of an affection to mortal sin. Thus, in the Gloss on the canon Quotidic we read: te Qucersbatur utnim quotidie esset communi- candum, Aiigustinus (the Gloss falls into the error of Gratian, in ascribing the words to St. Augustin,) non mill prcecise respondere, ad hoc, sed monct omnes onini die dominico communi- care qui non sunt conscii peccali mortalis nee habentpropositumpeccandi. Sed quando did tur quod mcns cst sine affectu pcccandi? Credo quod quando pi'oponit firmiler abstincre a quo- libet peccato mortali." "Ii was asked, whether it was advisable to communicate daily? To this question St. Augustin does not give a di rect answer, but recommends all who are neither conscious of mortal sin, nor disposed

223 ON FREQUENT COMMUNION.

to commit sin, to communicate every Sunday, But when can the soul be said to be free from affection to sin? I believe that the soul can be said to be free from affection to sin when she purposes firmly to abstain from every mortal sin." In several parts of his works, St. Thomas explains the words of Gennadius in the same sense: "JVon pottst," he says, (homo) "unin Chrislo dum est in affectupeccandi morlaliter: et idea in libra de ccclcsiasticis dogmaiibus dicitur, si msnsin actu (alias ajfcctu) pcccandi est, gra- vutur magis Euchcerisliaz perception* quam puri- foaiitir." 3. p.qu. 79, art. 3. "A man cannot be united to Christ so long as he retains an affec tion to mortal sin; and hence it is said in the book on Ecclesiastical Dogmas, that a person who has such an affection, instead of being made more holy, is rendered more guilty by receiving the Eucharist." And, in another place, he says, " Tertio modo diciiur aliquis in- dignus ex eo quod cum voluntatc peccandi mor- tcditer, accedit Eudiaristiam: wide (in lib. de eccl. dogma) dicitur. Si mens in affkctu pec candi non sit." In 1 , ad Cor. 2, lect. 7. " In the third sense, a person is said to be unworthy, if he approach the Eucharist with a disposition

ON FREQUENT COMMUNION. 220

to commit mortal sin: hence it is said, in the book on Ecclesiastical Dogmas : ' if the soul be not free from affection to sin,'" &c. The words of Gennadius are understood in the same sense by St.. Antonine, (p. 3, tit. 14, c. 12:) by Tournely (de Sacr. Pomit. t. 9, p. 297;) by Theophilus Raynaud (Heter. sect. 1, Pu, n. 13:) by Frassen, Hugh of St. Victor, (tract deanima, 1, 3, c. 50:) by Hincmar, Eterius, Albinus, Flaecus, Taulerus, Granada, and by Dominicus Soto, who says: "Hoc testimonium (that is, of Gennadius,) S. TJwmas Scotus ci uinncs intdllgunt de affectu ad peccatum inor- tale. Ccrtissimwn cst intclligi de peccato mor- tali; nam affectus ad venialla non obstat cffccim hujus sacramenti." Tom. 1. in 4, disp. 11, q. 2, art. 3. "This passage is understood by St. Thomas, Scotus, and all writers, of an affec tion to mortal sin. It most certainly is to be understood of mortal sin : for an affection to venial sins is not an obstacle to the effect of this sacrament." That Gennadius intended to speak only of mortal sins, is clear from the ob ject of his book, which was to confute certain heretics., who asserted that a person who com municated frequently could not be lost though

230 ON FREQ,UEKT COMMUNION.

ne were a heretic, and guilty of the most enor mous crimes. It may be added, that from the time of Gennadius till the eighth century it was not usual to confess venial sins, as we learn from Natalis Alexander (Hist. Eccl. sec. 14, d. 15, sec. 25;) from Monsignor Milante, (exerc. 10, in prop. 16, Alex. VIII. torn. 3;) from Martene, Morino, Thomassinus, Duha- mel, and Mabillon. In saying that the holy bishop of Geneva, my special advocate, mis took, with Gratian and several commentators on the canons, a passage from Gennadius for one from St. Augustin, I did not intend to charge my saint with a want of accuracy; but I wished to show, that, had St. Francis (who was so strongly inclined to assist souls by fre quent communion) known that the words which he ascribed to St. Augustin were writ ten by Gennadius, he would very probably have paid no attention to them.

But even during the tepid ages of the church the spiritual masters recommended communion every Sunday to those who were in the state of grace. John Rusbrochius (spec, ceter. sal. coll. 1352, c. 11, a. 15,) says, that "they who are not conscious of great sins may approach

ON FREQUENT COMMUNION. 23 1

the Sacrament on Sundays, and even on other days." Salazar, a theologian esteemed even by Arnald, says, that weekly communion may be recommended " to all, even the least per fect." He adds: "When I say all, I mean those who are in the state of grace, and who shun as much as possible the occasions of of fending God by mortal sin." Lewis Blosius, (Apud Petavium, lib. 5, cap. 4,) speaking of frequent communion, says: ffj\ec perinde ne- cessaria hie est magna devotio sensibilis, sed satis fuerit nullius peccati r.iortalis sibi conscium esse el Deo velle plucere. J\"on ergo ob id abstinere dcbctis quod vitiosos vos esse conspicilis: quinimo ob hoc ipsuni tanto amplius ad luinc gratiam prcepanmdum est" L. 4, de poenit. c. 1. " Nor is any great degree of sensible devotion required. It will be sufficient if the soul be not conscious of mortal sin, and if she be sin cerely disposed to please God. You should not, therefore, abstain from communion be cause you knoAV that you are imperfect; on the contrary, this very consideration should the more readily induce you to prepare for the grace of this sacrament."

Suares says " Raro alical consulendmn ul

232 ON FREQUENT COMMUNION.

frcquentius quarn octavo die communicet." "Few should be advised to communicate of- tener than on every eighth day." On the au thority of St. Bernard he adds: "Abn. csse omiltcndani Jiujiismodifrequcntiam propter sola peccata ucnialia; quid non est exiguus hujus sa- cramsntif nidus quod in magnis peccatis impe- dit consensum." Tom. 3, in 3 p. S. Th. q. 80, a. 1 1 , sect. 3. "We should not be deterred by venial sins from such frequentation of the Eu charist, for it is no small portion of the fruit of this sacrament, that it prevents us from con senting to grievous sins." After having said, that a sinner who has confessed even grievous sins, should communicate, "in order that the life received through one sacrament may be preserved by the other," Father Granada adds: "If you tell me that you are a sinner, I answer, that when you are free from mortal sin, the very reason which makes you abstain from the sacrament ought to induce you to fre quent it; for this sacrament pardons sinners, nourishes the weak, and heals the infirm." Memor. par. 1, tr. 3, c. 8. In the tenth chap- ter he says : " It must be remembered that a Christian is assisted by this sacrament, nol

ON FREQ.UEXT COMMUNION. 233

only when he makes progress, but also when he does not go backwards. To fall into fewer sins is one of the signs of- advancing in a spi ritual life. And the remedy which preserves us from sickness is not less necessary than that which improves our health. Hence, as St. Hilary says, a person who does not commit mortal sins, ought not to abstain from the me dicine of the body of the Lord." Taulerus says: "Do then what I advise you, and hav ing grounds to hope that you are not in mortal

sin communicate every Sunday." Ser. in

dom. 7, post Trin. In a letter to a certain preacher, in which he permits weekly commu nion to married persons who have but little fervor, the venerable Father Avila says : " You ought to instruct them to satisfy their obliga tions, and to spend the time which they can spare, in some devout exercise; and you should teach them, that it will be profitable to them to communicate every eight days." Letter 3, part 1. My adversary has given a different version of this letter : he has transcribed the words of Avila from the author of his life. But the extract which I have just given is con formable to four editions, and particularly to

234 ON FREQUENT COMMUNION".

the Spah/sh edition of the letters of Aviia. IT may be useful here to add what Father Avila says in the same letter. "But it ought to be remarked., that although the fruit does not ap pear, some derive this advantage from commu nion,'' (he speaks of frequent, and even daily communion,) "that they do nol go back; ana they know by experience that when they ne glect to frequent this sacrament, they easily commit certain faults, which they avoid as long as they continue to frequent the table of the Lord. For them, then, such frequent com munion is not unfit; for, from it they derive this benefit, that through the strength which they receive from communicating frequently, they do not fall into any irregularity."

In our own times, in his " Ascetic Direc tory," (a work which, though modern, has gone through several editions, and has received the general approbation of the learned,) Father Scaramelli says : " A confessor may, and ought to allow communion every eight days to those souls whom he finds disposed for sacra mental absolution." Tom. 1, tract l,art. 10, cap. 6. And he adds: "This is the common opinion of spiritual fathers, and appears <u

ON FREQ.UEUT COMMUNION. 235

present to be the practice of the church." This last passage has greatly displeased Aristasio. Hence, in his second book, he spares me, but severely assails poor Father Scaramelli. But Scaramelli is not the only author who recom mends communion to those who are free from mortal sin. Wigandt, a doctor of the univer sity of Vienna, says, that "they who avoid mortal sins may communicate once in the week, and sometimes twice, that is, when some particular festival occurs." Tr. 12, exam. 4, de Euch. cas. 6, q. 9. Clericatus, an author highly praised by Benedict XIV., gives the following rule : "There is no one to whom monthly communion may not be recommend ed : there are but few to whom weekly commu nion should be forbidden; and very few to whom daily communion ought to be allowed." Stapleton, a doctor of Louvain, teaches that "all the proof which is required consists in not communicating in mortal sin, in having faith and charity, and some reverence due to the sacrament." Orat. acad. p. 328. Theophilus Raynaud (Heter. sp. sect. 1, pu. 4, n. 27,) as serts that all who have not a consciousness of mortal sin should be advised to communicate

236 ON FREQJJENT COMMUNION.

every Sunday. Father Francis of the An nunciation says, that "all Christians who con fess their sins with the requisite dispositions may, and ought to be permitted and advised to communicate every eight days. The rule must not be extended to a penitent who com municates without any attention to the sacra ment, without piety, and without a desire of amending his life: but persons of this charac ter abstain from the sacraments without being forbidden to approach them." Regola. 1, p. 664. In his treatise on frequent communion, (lib. 1, cap. 1,) Monsignor Cacciaguerra says: "If our bad habit was so strong as to lead us into some mortal sin, St. Augustin advises, that, to free ourselves from it, we should al ways .receive again the holy communion." And, in another place, (lib. 3, c. 1,1. 2,) he devotes an entire chapter to show that " there is no habit, however deplorable or deep-rooted, which may not be diminished, and ultimately extinguished, by frequent communion." The same doctrine is taught by Nicholas Turlot (tesoro della doctr. Christ, t. 2, p. 4, cap. 22;) by Nicholas Rogiero, a member of the congre gation of the Pii Operarii (Primo. indir. c. 3,

ON FItEQ.UENT COMMUNION". 237

s. 1 ;) and by Cuniliati, who says: "When no other fruit is derived from communion than the avoidance of mortal sins, the director ought not to be reluctant to allow it; for the preserva tion from mortal sin is one of the principal fruits of the holy communion." Catech. ragion. p. 53. He then relates the example of a cer tain nobleman, who was so addicted to a grievous sin of the flesh that he despaired of amendment. His confessor asked him whether he fell into the sin on the days of communion : the noblemen having replied in the negative, the confessor obliged him to communicate every day for several weeks, and thus freed him from the vicious habit. Such, than, being the doctrine of so many modern authors, it ap pears to me that, with Father Scaramelli, it may be very reasonably asserted that, accord ing to the common opinion of spiritual fath ers, and according to the present practice of the church, all who are not conscious of mor tal sin should be allowed to receive the holy Eucharist. ' Let us now examine the principal reason why, according to Aristasio, weekly communion should not be permitted to those who are free from mortal sin, but retain an

238 ON FREQ.UENT COMMUNION.

affection to venial sins. It is certain that the Eucharist is not only a refection which nour ishes the soul, and leads to perfection, but that, according to the Council of Trent., (sess. 13, c. 2,) it is a remedy which delivers us from ve nial, and preserves us from mortal sins. But Aristasio says, that, to those who are indis posed, food is noxious, and not nutritious. The learned Collet, the continuator of Tour- nely, (de Euch. p. 1, c. 8, cone. 3,) answers this objection by saying, that "the condition of spiritual is not the same, as that of corporal food: the latter, because it must be changed into the substance of him who eats it, stands in need of the action of a living principle ; but celestial food, because it changes into itself him who receives it, requires in him nothing more than spiritual life." Aristasio rejoins, and says, that a person who has an affection to venial sins is rendered more guilty by receiving the Eucharist; and, to prove his assertion, he adduces the words of Gennadius: "Habentem adhuc voluntatem pcccandi gravari magis qumn purificari.*1 " A person who has an affection to sin, instead of being made more holy, is rendered more guilty by receiving the Eu-

ON FREQJJENT COMMUNION. 239

charist." The answer to this is clear; for, as has been already demonstrated, Gennadius spoke of mortal sin, which, according to St. Paul, certainly renders a person who commu nicates more criminal. "Judicium sibi inaiy- aucat et bibit." "He eateth and drinketh judgment to himself."

St. Thomas asks, " Whether venial sin pre vents the effect of the Eucharist?" 3. p. q. 79, a. 8. In his work on the sentences, he said that he who commits a venial sin in the very act of communion loses all the fruit of the sa crament; but in his Sum he has retracted this doctrine. " Pcccata," he says, fe venialia dw- pliciter accipi pcssunt, uno inodo prout sunt prceterita, aliomodo prout sunt aclu exercitci. Primo quidem inodo peccata venialia nullo inodo impediunt effcctum kujus sacramenti, fyc. Se- cundo aulem modo pcccata venialia non ex tola impediunt ejf'ectum, scdinpartc." 3. p. q. 79, a. 8. " Venial sins may be considered under two respects, as having been already commit ted, or as occurring at the present moment. Considered under the former respect, they by no means prevent the effect of this sacrament ; considered under the latter respect, they pro-

240 ON FE.EQ.UE3TT COMMUNION.

vent its effect, not totally, but partially." Na tails Alexander agrees with St. Thomas, and gives the following reason for his opinion* *• The Eucharist has the power of remitting venial sins, which, because they are not oppo sed to the habit of charity, cannot prevent the entire effect of the sacrament, that is, the in crease of grace and of charity. Hence, we learn from the Council of Trent, that he who is not conscious of grievous sia has the dispo sitions necessary for a worthy communion, lilos sacrament all tcr simul ct spirilualUer Eit- chanstiam sumcre qid ita sc prius probant ct in- siruunt nt veslcm nuptialem induti ad divinum hanc mensamacccdant," Sess. 1 3, cap. 8. "Who ever is free from mortal sin is clothed with the nuptial garment; and, therefore, he can eat with profit the body of the Lord, though he should be burdened with venial sins.'7 Theo. dog. etc. 1, 2, c. 3, prop. 8, t. 1, p. 2. Gone! teaches that actual venial sins do not prevent the principal fruit of the Eucharist; that is, the augmentation of grace. He adds : " Hence, to receive this sacrament worthily, and with fruit, the Council of Trent requires no other necessary disposition than lhat a person be not

ON FREQ.UENT COMMUNION. 241

conscious of mortal sin." Manual de Euc. e. 9, q. 3. Such too, is the doctrine of Tourne- ly, ^de Euch. q. 7, art. 3, cone. 4.) of Collet (de Euch. par. 1, c. 8, cone. 3,) of Silvius, (in 4, p. q. 78, art. 8,) of Estius, Petavius, Sixtus Senensis, Genettus, Wiganut, Concina, and others. If, then, all these celebrated authors, along with the angelic doctor, teach that they who commit a venial sin in the very act of communion do not lose the increase of grace and charity produced by the holy Eucharist, how can it be said that he who communicates with an affection to venial sin is deprived of all the fruit of the saciament, and that he is rendered more guilty before God? For my part, I cannot conceive how a confessor can, without scruple, forbid weekly communion to a soul weak in virtue, who wishes to preserve herself in the grace of God, or how he can de prive her of so powerful a help to avoid mor tal sins. It cannot be denied that the mere ex emption from mortal sin is not a sufficient dis position for frequent communion; but it is sufficient for communion whicn is not fre quent, or for weekly communion, otherwise persons who have an affection to venial sins 10

242 DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION.

should be forbidden to communicate even a few times in the year. Aristasio will ask, what necessity isthere of allowing communion every Sunday to such imperfect souls; would it not he sufficient to allow them to communi cate once a month ? I answer, no ; for many by communicating every week, will he pre served from mortal sin, but not by communi cating once a month. But Aristasio says, that he will not depart from the rule laid down by St. Francis de Sales. And J answer, let nim adhere to it : but he cannot censure our opinion, which, from what has been said, ap pears to be certainly the common opinion.

DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION.

Whoever yon aie, Christian reader, that de sign to approach to the holy sacrament of pen ance, remember that you are going to under take a. work on the good performance of which, more than any other duty, your eternal wel fare depends. You must, therefore, retire apart from every external source of distraction, place yourself in the presence of God, and humbly adore him. You should then repre sent to yourself that thu is, as very possibly it

DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION. 243

may be, the last confession you will ever have the opportunity of making. This reflection will induce you to discharge every part of your duty, both as to the examination of your conscience, your sorrow for your sins, your firm purpose of amending your life, and the sincerity of your confession, in the most per fect manner possible. Begin your preparation by imploring the light and grace of Almighty God, who alone can discover to you the ma lice of your sins, and give you true repentance. For this end you may pray as follows :

SUPREME and adorable majesty, God of heaven and earth, I firmly believe that thou art present, and that thou seest me and know- est the dispositions of my heart. I adore thee and render thee my humble homage, acknow ledging thee for my God, my Creator, and my sovereign Redeemer. In testimony of this my faith, I prostrate my soul and body before the throne of thy infinite majesty, and offer thee the adoration which is due to thee alone. O Father of lights! who enlightenest every man that comes into the world, send into my heart a ray of light, of love, and of sorrow, that I ciay know, detest, and confess the sins, which

244 DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION.

I have committed against thee. I desire to see my sins in all their enormity,, and just as they are in thy sight; I wish to detest them for the love of thee, and to confess them with the same sincerity as I should be glad to do at the moment of my death. But, my God, this knowledge of my sins, and these dispositions of sorrow for them, and sincerity in declaring them to the minister, can come only from the hand of thy bounty. Since, then, in thy de sire that the sinner should no-t die, thou didst send thy Son into the world to purchase his forgiveness, I implore this grace through the merits of Jesus Christ, who died upon the cross for my sins, and who is now sitting at thy right hand, where he continually shows thee in my behalf the wounds which he en dured for me.

Mother of my God, who art so charitable to sinners that desire to repent, assist me by thy intercession. My holy angel, who hast been a spectator of all my crimes, help me to dis cover the sins which I have committed against my God. My blessed patron, and all ye saints of heaven, pray for me, that I may bring forth fruits of penance. Amen.

DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION. 245

Jin offering of the Examination.

JESUS, my God and Saviour, I offer thee the examination which I am going to make, •that thy divine justice may be glorified in it. I look to thee with confidence for the grace to do it well. Thus, therefore, in the spirit of chari ty, in order to please thee and to accomplish thy holy will, together with every intentior that can procure thee the greatest honor anc glory, I undertake it.

Here the penitent must begin the examina tion of his conscience. But it must be observed by persons of a timorous disposition, who of ten approach the sacraments, that their exami nation ought to be short and unaccompanied with disquietude and scrupulosity. It is suffi cient for persons of this description to take a momentary view of the faults into which they are accustomed to fall, and then principally to apply themselves to acts of devotion and con trition, which are always the most essential dispositions for this sacrament, and from which they may easily suffer their minds to be di verted by yielding to fears and anxiety. As for those who seldom appioach this sacrament,- it is their duty to employ sufficient time to

246

DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION.

make a diligent examination of their con sciences, and to call to mind, as nearly as possible, both the kind and the number of their sins; because, if their confession fail to be en tire for want of this necessary diligence, the sacrament will be equally ineffective as if it were received without true contrition. Per sons, therefore, of this sort, must read over leisurely and attentively the commandments of God and of the church, together with the seven capital sins, as they are found expound ed in many books of devotion. They must examine all their thoughts, words, and actions, and especially how they have fulfilled the par ticular duties of their state of life. If they can not call to mind the precise number of their sins on account of the length of time since their last confession, or the frequent habit of their sins, they must consider how often in the day or week they have sinned in each particular kind, and their confession of them in this man ner will satisfy the divine justice, which never obliges us to do what is morally impossible.

When the examination of conscience is con cluded, the penitent must proceed to excite

DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION. 247

himself to contrition, which may he done hy the following considerations:

FIRST CONSIDERATION.

On the Enormity cf Sin.

REFLECT, that sin, however trifling it maybe, greatly offends Almighty God, and is an insult to the infinite perfections of Him, whose great ness knows no limits, and who is consequently deserving of infinite love. By sin you dis please one, who loves you most tenderly. Oh, reflect well on, this, and you will discover how base, how cruel, how unreasonable it is to of fend him. But, alas! we shall never during this life he able fully to comprehend the entire malice even of a venial sin, or know what pun ishment he deserves who commits it.

Jin Jlct of Contrition.

O MY infinitely amiable God! T acknowledge that my sins are multiplied beyond the number of the hairs of my nead, or the grains of sand on the seashore. But, if I had committed only one, in committing it I have offended thy in finite perfections. Oh! why then is not my heart penetrated with infinite grief and regret?

248 DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION.

I have sinned against thy goodness, which I ought ever to have loved. I have preferred $ vile creature, a petty honor, a miserahle plea sure, some vain interest, to thy sovereign ma jesty, which I ought to have adored, served, and honored. Ah! my God, pardon my sins.

0 infinite beauty, infinite goodness! how could

1 have the audacity to insult and despise thee. But I now heartily repent of my ingratitude and disloyalty; I wish sincerely that I had never offended thee, and resolve never to offend thee again. Yes, I had rather sacrifice all that 1 possess, and forfeit my honor and my life, than ever more offend so good a God.

Here it is proper for the penitent to consider the sins to which he has heen most subject, and the best means of avoiding them for the future, and also to form sincere resolutions of guard ing as much as possible against the occasions of them.

SECOND CONSIDERATION.

On the Benefits of God.

REFLECT that God is our sovereign benefac tor, who has bestowed upon us innumerable

DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION. 249

benefits both general and particular. He has drawn us out of nothing and formed us to his own image and likeness, without his having any need at all of us: we are continually de pendent upon him for our preservation: he has redeemed us with the price of the blood of his Son : he has made us Christians in preference to thousands of others whom he has left in the darkness of infidelity : he has borne with us in our sins until the present time: he has given us many and easy means of saving our souls, and still we repay all his mercies with ingrati tude : he has created all creatures for our bene fit, and the only use which we make of them is, to offend him.

Jin Jlct of Contrition.

OH, how great has been my ingratitude! there is, there can be, none equal to it. O my amiable Saviour! is this the recompense that I have made thee, for having drawn me out of the abyss of nothing, in which I should still be, were it not for thee? »« this the value that I set upon the precious blood of thy veins, spilt with so much paii ind so much love for me 1

250 DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION.

Ungrateful creature that I am! who will give sighs to my heart, and tears to my eyes, that I may bewail, as I ought, the insults which I have offered to my God, my sovereign bene factor? O God of goodness! have mercy on me. I greatly desire, and firmly resolve, never to offend thee more. Ah! why was I born to receive so many benefits from ray God, and still to offend him so often and so grievously as I have done? How could I employ in offend ing him the hands, the feet, the tongue, the ears, the heart which he gave me to use in his service? O unhappy eyes! O criminal hands! , O unfaithful heart! you, by your sins, have been the cause of the pains, the torments, and the cruel death which the Son of God suffered upon the cross.

THIRD CONSIDERATION.

On the presence of God, before whom sin is committed. REFLECT that the most blessed Trinity, Fa ther, Son, and Holy Ghost, the only and Al mighty God, is every where present, thai he sees all things, knows all things, and penetiates into the inmost and most secret thoughts oi our Heart. He is that divine and infinite maj» sty,

DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION 251

before whom ihe highest seraphims tremble with a holy fear and veil their faces through respect; and we have the audacity to sin in his presence; to say, to do, and to think, what, if known, would cover us with confusion before the meanest of men.

Reflect, moreover, that this God, before whom we sin, is our sovereign judge, who, at the moment of our death, will inevitably pass sentence upon the thoughts, the words, and the actions of which we may be found guilty.

An Act of Contrition.

SUPREME and just judge of the nvmg and the dead, thou who seest and knowest all things, even those very secrets that pass in the interior of my heart, and which I would not have known to any creature upon earth, is it possible that I should dare to appear in thy presence, after having been so unfaithful to thee? Alas! I cannot fly from thee, because thou art present everywhere: I cannot hide myself from thy view, because thou seest all things. Ah! has not my insolence been in supportable in having dared, in the presence of thy exalted majesty, before whom the purest

252 DEVOTIONS FOR, CONFESSION.

angels cover their faces, to do what I would not have done before the meanest and the last of men? O my God! have mercy on me: I detest, with my whole heart, all my sins for the love of thee.

Jlnothcr M of Contrition.

O MY GOD! I am covered with shame and confusion, when I reflect, that 1 have lived in thy presence with so little regard and respect, and that I have so often broken the protesta tions that I have made, never to offend thee more. O God! if I had made so many pro mises to any creature upon earth, how much should I feel ashamed at having broken my word. But, where thou art concerned, I pay little regard to my resolutions, since I daily in sult thee before thy eyes. Oh! how great is thy goodness in having borne with me so long. O God of my heart ! since thou hast dealt mer cifully with me in the course of my most hein ous crimes, do not withdraw thy mercy, now that I repent of all my disloyalties, and firmly resolve, with the assistance of thy grace, never to offend thee more. Help me, O Lord, to keep this resolution.

DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION. 253

The penitent, having thus excited in his heart a sincere detestation of his sins, and firm resolutions of committing them no more, must now go and accuse himself with courage, simplicity, humility and confidence, without being uneasy, lest any thing should escape his memory. After his confession he must pay attention to, and accept the sacramental pen ance which is enjoined, listen with docility to the voice of his confessor, and consult him upon any difficulties which may embarrass his mind.

Having retired from the sacred tribunal, he must immediately return thanks to God, re new his good resolutions, and pray for the grace of perseverance. This may be done as follows :

Jl Prayer after Confession.

WHAT thanks do I not owe to thee, my God, not only for having created me, redeemed me, and called me to the bosom of thy church ; but still more for having waited for my return, whilst I was wandering from thee in the mis erable paths of sin, for having so often par doned me, as T hope thou hast done this day, and for having preserved me from so many other sins, into whicn I should have fallen had I not been prevented by thy gracious hand

254 DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION.

But my enemies will not cease to tempt me until death, and., if thou support me not, alas! I shall soon begin again to offend thee more grievously than ever. Grant me then, through, (he merits of Jesus Christ, the precious grace of final perseverance. This divine Saviour has assured us that whatever we ask in his name thou wilt grant it to us. I entreat thee, therefore, through all that thy dear Son has suffered for me, never to let me forsake thee any more. I feel the greatest confidence that, if I continue to pray for this grace, I shall ob tain it, because thou hast promised to hear our prayers. But I tremble with fear, lest, in some unguarded moment, I should forget my dependence upon thee, fail to invoke thy help. and thus relapse into my former misery Grant, therefore, that under all my tempta tions, I may have instant recourse to thee, by invoking the holy names of Jesus and Mary. Thus, O my God! I may confidently hope to die in thy grace, and to love thee for ever in heaven where T shall he sure never to be seon- rated from tnee, ana to be consumed in the fire of thy holy love, for all eternity. Amen.

MAXIMS OF ETERNITY:

OR

MEDITATIONS

FOR EVERY DAY IN THE WEEK

MEDITATION FOR SUNDAY.

On the End of Man.

I. CONSIDER, O my soul! that the being which thou enjoyest was given thee by God; he created thee to his own image, without any merit on thy part; he adopted thee for nis child by baptism ; he loved thee more than the most affectionate parent could have loved thee; he has made thee all thou art, that thou might- est know him, love him, and serve him in this life, and thereby arrive at the eternal posses sion of him in heaven. Hence, thou didst not come into this world for the sake of enjoy ment, to grow rich, and powerful, to eat drink, and sleep like irrational animals, but solely to love thy God and to work out thy

256 MEDITATION FOR SUNDAY.

eternal salvation. And is this the object, Tvhich I have hitherto had in view ? Oh ! how unfortunate have I been, in having thought of any thing rather than my last end. O God^ I beg of thee, in the name and for the love of Jesus, to grant that I may begin a new life of perfect holiness and conformity to thy divine will.

II. Consider what deep remorse and bitter regret them wilt feel at the hour of death, if, during life, thou hast not devoted thyself to .he service of God. How great will be thy disappointment when, at the close of thy days, thou shalt perceive, that nothing remains at that sorrowful moment of all thy goods, of all thy pleasures, and of all thy earthly glory, but a shadow which flies before thee, and a bitter remembrance which pursues thee. What will be thy consternation, when thou shalt discover that, for the sake of miserable vanities, thou hast lost thy God, thy soul and thy salvation, without the possibility of being able to repair thy misfortune? O despair! O cruel tor ment! thou wilt then see the value of the time which thou art losing: but it will be too late. Gladly wouldst thou then purchase time at the

MEDITATIONS FOR SUNDAY 257

price of all thou hast ; but thou wilt not be able to do it. Oil! how full of bitterness and sorrow will that day be for every soul that has not loved and served the Lord ! . III. Consider the general disregard of men for their last end. Their ordinary thoughts are upon the accumulation of wealth, the grati fication of their senses, parties of pleasure, amusement and festivity. They think nothing of God or his service; they do nothing for the salvation of their souls; they regard the affair of salvation as a trifle not worthy of notice. Thus, oh deplorable misfortune! the greater part of Christians, by indulging in foolish pleasures, and criminal gratifications, precipi tate themselves into hell. O man ! thou takest much pains to damn thyself, and wilt thou do nothing for thy salvation? Listen to the dying sentiments of a secretary of state of one of the kings of England: "'How great," said he, " is my misfortune: I have used many sheets of paper in writing letters for my soveieign, and, alas ! I have not used one to help me in the recollection of my sins, that I might make a good confession!" Listen to the death-bed sentiments of a king of Spain: "Q tnat I had 17

258 MEDITATION FOR MONDAY.

spent my life in a desert, occupied in serving God, and had never been a king!" But to wha; do these sighs and lamentations then .serve, but to augment the horrors of despair 7 Learn, then, this day, at the expense of others, to devote thyself to the salvation of thy soul : remember well that all thy actions, all thy words, and all thy thoughts, which are not directed to God, are entirely lost. Oh! it is time then to amend thy life. Do not wait, therefore, to be convinced of it till thou arrive at the gates of eternity, and the jaws of hell : it will bo then too late. O mv God ! pardon me all the errors of my life: I love thee above all things. I am sorry, from the bottom of my heart, for all my sins. O Mary ! my hope, intercede with Jesus in my behalf.

MEDITATION FOR MONDAY.

On the wiportar.cz of our last cud.

I. CONSIDER, O man! how important it ]? to thoe to save thy soul. Thy dearest interests are there concerned, because, if thou attain salvation, thou wilt be eternally happy in the enjoyment of every good both of soul and

MEDITATION FOR MONDAY. 2o9

body; lut, in losing it, thou losest thy soul and body; heaven and God: thou wilt -he eternally miserable, eternally damned. Thy only important, thy only necessary affair, therefore, is to serve thy God and to save thy soul. Do not, ttfen, O Christian! think of serving thy passions now, and of giving thy self to God hereafter. Oh ! how many has this false and deceitful hope precipitated into hell! Thousands of sinners have flattered themselves with the hopes of future repent ance; but the day in which they hoped, never arrived, and they are now suffering without resource the torments of the damned. And who amongst them all ever thought of falling into that place of wo ? Which of them had not the iisti-ntion of saving his soul? But God curses him that sins in the hope of pardon. Thou sayest perhaps, within thyself, I will commit this sin and then repent: but art thou sure that time will be allowed thro for repent ance? thou rnavest die the moment thou hast sinned. ]-ty Finning thou losest the grace of God? and what if thou never more recover it? God shows mercy to those who fear him, but not to those who condemn ami despise him.

200 MEDITATION FOR MONDAY.

Think not,, therefore, that it will cost thee no more to repent of and confess three sins than one. No: in this thought thou art deceived; God might pardon thee a first or second sin, but not a third. He has patience with the sinner for a time, hut net for ever. When the measure of iniquity is filled up,- his mercy ceases, and he punishes the impenitent sinner either by death, or by abandoning him to a reprobate sense, in which state he goes on from sin to sin without remorse, and, at length is precipitated into hell. O Christian ! attend seriously to this. It is time thou shouldst put a period to thy disorders and return to God; thou shouldst fear lest this will be the last warning that he will ever send thee. Thou hast offended him long enough, and he has borne with thee long enough in thy sins: trem ble then, lest he should forsake thee after the next mortal sin. Oh ! how many souls has this striking thought of eternity caused to re tire from the disorders and dangers of the •worM, to live in cloisters, solitudes, and de serts! Unfortunate sinner that I have been! what is the fruit of all my crimes? a con science gnawed with despair, a troubled heart,

MEDITATION FOR MONDAY. 261

a soul overwhelmed with gtief, hell deserved, and God lost! Ah! my God, my heavenly Father ! bind me to thy love.

II. Consider, O man ! that this affair of eternity is of all others the most neglected. Mankind have time to think of every thing but God and salvation. If a man of the world is advised to frequent the sacraments, or to spend a quarter of an hour daily in meditation, he will immediately reply : I have a family to provide for, I have my business to attend to, I have sufficient to keep me employed. Good God! and hast thou not a soul to save? will thy riches and thy family be able to assist thee at the hou. of thy death, or deliver thee from hell if thou be condemned ? No, no : flatter not thyself that thou art able to reconcile God and the world, heaven and sin together. Sal vation is not to be attained by a life of indo lence and ease. It is necessary to use violence and to make great efforts, in order to obtain the crown of immortality. How many Chris tians have flattered themselves with the idea of serving God and saving their souls here after, who are at this moment, and will for ever be, m the flames of hell! How great is

^ MEDITATION FOE. MONDAY.

the folly of men in attending to what will so shortly terminate, and thinking so little of that state which will never end ! Ah! Christian, put thy affairs in order; reflect that thy ail is at stake: remember that, in a very short time, thy body will be deposited in the earth, and thy soul will go to dwell in the house of eter nity. How dreadful,, then, will be thy misfor tune, if thou be condemned to an eternity of wo. Reflect well on this; for then thou :anst have no remedy.

III. Consider and say within thyself: I have a soul, and if I lose it all is lost; I have a soul, and if in losing it I were to gain the whole world, what would it profit me! I have a soul, but if I lose it, although I were to ar rive at the highest pinnacle of glory, of whai advantage will it be to me? If I hoard up ricnes, if I get forward in the world, but in the end lose my soul, what will be my consola tion ? Where are now the dignities, pleasures and vanities of those great ones of the world, whose bodies are mouldering in the dust, and whose souls are a prey to the flames of hell? Since, then, I have a soul, and only one, to save, and if 1 lose it once, it is lost for ever, I

MEDITATION FOR TUESDAY.

263

ought to endeavor to save it. This is an affair of the last importance to me. Eternal happi ness and eternal misery are at stake. O my God ! I am forced to acknowledge with shame' and confusion that I have hitherto blindly wan dered astray from thee: I have scarcely ever thought seriously of saving my soul. O my Fatner, save me, through Jesus Christ. I ani willing to part with every thing here, provided I do not lose thee. O Mary ! my surest hope,, save me by thy powerful intercession.

MEDITATION FOR TUESDAY.

On mortal sin.

I. CONSIDER, O my soul! that having been created to love God, thou hast rebelled against him, and thereby been guilty of the basest in gratitude. Then hast treated him like an ene my: thou hast despised his grace and friend ship. Thou wast aware how much sin offends him, and still thou hast committed it. Yes, thou hast turned thy back on God; thou hast insulted him ; thou hast in a manner raised thy hand to strike him; thou hast contristated his holy spirit. The man who sins says to , if not in words, at least in effect, begone

264 MEDITATION FOR TUESDAY.

from me., I will not serve thee, I will not ac knowledge thee for my God: the God which I adore is this pleasure, this interest, this revenge. Such has been the language of thy heart every time that thou hast preferred any creature to God. St. Mai$r Magdalen, of Pazzi, could not Conceive how a Christian could knowingly commit a mortal sin. O thou, who art read ing these lines, what are thy sentiments? how many mortal sins hast thou committed? O my God! pardon me, have mercy on me: I detest fill my sins, T love thee, and grieve sincerely Tor the insults which I have offered to thee, who art deserving of infinite love.

II. Consider that God thus spoke to thy heart at the moment thou wast offending him : My son, I am thy God, who created thee and redeemed thee with the price of my blood. I forbid thee, then, to commit that sin under pain of incurring my eternal displeasure. But in yielding to the temptation, thou hast replied, Lord, I will not obey thee, I am resolved to gratify my passions, I value not thy friend ship. "Thou hast said I will not serve." Ah! my God: and this I have done many, perhaps thousands of times. How couklst

MEDITATION FOR TUESDAY. 2G5

thou bear with my insults? Why did I not die rather than live to offend thee? But, O infinite goodness! I will do so no more; hence forth I will love thee with all my heart. Give me perseverance; give me thy holy love.

III. Consider, O ray soul! that, when sins arrive at a certain number, they cause God to abandon the sinner. "The Lord patiently ex- pecteth that when the day of judgment shall come, he may punish them in the fulness of sins.'7 2 Mac. v. 13. If therefore, thou art % again tempted to return to thy sins, say no more within thyself, I will commit this one, and will then repent. For what if the Lord should instantly strike thee dead? or what if he should forsake thee for ever? what has been the fate of thousands who have thus lost the grace of God ? They flattered themselves with the hope of pardon; but death surprised thorn, and hell enveloped them in its flames. Trem Die, then, lest thy fate be the same. Thrfse who abuse the goodness of God in order to of fend him, are undeserving of his mercy. Af ter the multitude of crimes that he has pardoned thee, thou hast too much reason to fear that, if thou relapse into mortal sin, he will pardon

266 MEDITATION FOE. WEDNESDAY.

thee no more. Thank him, then, a thousand times for having borne patiently with thee until now, and form the resolution rather to die than to offend him any more. Say frequently to him. my God, I have already offended thee enough ; the remainder of my life shall be spent in loving thee and in bewailing my past in gratitude. O my Jesus! I wish to love thee; grant me the grace to do it. Blessed virgin, nay mother, assist me by thy prayers. Amen,

MEDITATION FOR WEDNESDAY.

On Death.

I. CONSIDER that this life must soon termi nate. The sentence is already passed: thou must die. Death is certain, but the moment of it is uncertain: we know not when it will arrive. But, to how many casualties and ac cidents is human life constantly exposed? The bursting of an artery, a stroke of apoplexy, the sting of a venomous animal, an inundation, an earthquake,- a thunderbolt, and numberless other causes, which we can neither foresee nor prevent, may deprive thee instantly of life. Death may surprise thee when thou least

MEDITATION FOR WEDNESDAY.

expectest it. How many have gone to bed at night in apparent good health, and ia the morning have been found dead? And may not the srmie happen to thee? Numberless others, who have been visited by sudden death, never expected to die in that manner; and, if they were then found in mortal sin, what is now their iaie, and what will it be through, all eternity? Bat, at all events, it is certain that either the night will come, when ihou wilt no more see the day, or the day will conie, when thou wilt no more see the night. 1 shall come, says Jesus Christ, like a thief in the night, when I am the least expected. Thy good mas-. ter warns thee of this before-hand, because ho wishes thy salvation. O sinner! correspond, then, with this mercy, profit by this admoni tion, hold thyself always in readiness for death. When that moment cornes, there will be no time for preparation. Consider we>] that thou must certainly die. The scene of this world must soon terminate for thee, though thou knowest not when. Who can tell, whether it will be within a year, within a month, within a week; or even whether thou wilt be alive lo-

268 MEDITATION FOR WEDNESDAY.

morrow? O my Jesus! give me ligS-t, and pardon me.

II. Consider that, at the hour of thy death, thou wilt be extended on a bed, with thy rela tions and friends weeping over thee, a priest to assist thee, a lighted taper by thy side, within one step of the terrible passage into eternity. Thy head will be oppressed with pain, thy eyes will become dim, thy tongue parched with heat, thy blood cooling in thy veins, and thy heart in agony : thou wilt see the world passing from before thee. No sooner shall thy soul become separatee! from thy body, than •thou wilt be stript of all things, and cast into the earth to rot. There thou wilt become the food of worms, which will gnaw and devour thy flesh, and, in a short time, nothing will remain of thy body but a few withered bones, and a little dust. Open a grave, and take a view of the state of that rich and avaricious man! of that vain woman! Ah! such is the termination of human life; such is the end of mortal man, and such will soon be thine. But penetrate with the eyes of faith into the other world, and see the condition in which thy soul will be placed. It will instantly be surrounded

MEDITATION FOR WEDNESDAY. 2G9

by the monsters of hell, representing before thee all the sins which thou hast committed from thy very childhood. At present, the devil hides from thee the malice of thy crimes; he persuades thee that there is little evil in this act of vanity, this indulgence, this resentment, this dangerous company: hut in death he will display before thy eyes the enormity of thy sins, to make thee despair. Then thou wilt discover in the light of God himself, the evil which thou hast committed in offending his infinite goodness. Ah! hasten then, whilst time remains, to make reparation for what is past: at the hour of death it will he too late.

III. Consider that death is a moment, on which eternity depends. Take a view of a man who is on the point of expiring, and re flect that he is just going to enter into one or other of the two eternities; his fate is pending hut for a moment: when that is expired, he is either saved or condemned for ever. O this last breath ! O this moment, on which de pends an eternity! an eternity either of torment or of glory; an eternity either always happy, or always miserable; an eternity either of all that is good, or of all that is evil; an eternity

270 MEDITATION FOR WEDNESDAY.

either of heaven, or of hell. If ihou art then saved, thou wilt be secure from all evils, and at the suiTKait of happiness and content; if thou art condemned, thou wilt live in punish- ment and despair as long as God shall be God, In d»- '•;•••. wih understand the meaning of

heaven, h'--!!, pin, an offended God, the con tempt or divine laws, sins concealed in confes sion, ill-gotten goods unrestored, injuries not pardoned. Unhappy me! will the dying man say: in a (Vw moments, I must appear in the presence of God. What will my sentence be? Whither shall I go? to heaven or to hell? Shall 1 be happy with the saints, or burn with the damned? >Shall I be a child of God or a slave of the devil? Alas! but a minute more and I shall know; and the destiny which I shall then receive., will last for all eternity. Then wilt thou detest a thousand limes the day in which thou hadst the misfortune to sin. But it will be too late; thy sorrow will be fruit less, because it will proceed from the. fear, and not from the love of God. Ah! my God, from tl r 1 will turn to thro: I will not

delay ; :tance until death. I now love

thee, I embrace thee, and I wish to die in thy

MEDITATION FOP. THURSDAY. 271

embraces. O Mary! my true mother, let me die under thy protection: help me at that criti cal and decisive moment.

MEDITATION FOR THURSDAY.

On Judgment. >

I. CONSIDER that the soul shall no sooner have departed from the body, than it will ap pear be! ore the tribunal of God to be judged. This judgo is the Almighty, whose wrath is provoked by thy sins. Thy accuser will«be thy mortal enemy, the devil: the matter of thy trial will be thy sins: thy sentence will be without appeal: and if found guilty, thy pun ishment will be hell. Thou wilt not have the power of calling thy parents, friend?, and com panions to thy aid: all must be concluded be tween GoJ and thy soul. Thou wilt then see the deformity of thy crimes, and wilt not he able, as at present, to excuse them. Thou wilt be examined upon all thy sins of thought, of words, of actions, of omissions, of scandal: thou wilt IK; weighed in the terrible scales of divine justice, and, if found wanting in a sin gle point, thou art lost. My Jesus, and my Judge, pardon me before thou dost judge me.

272 MEDITATION FOR THURSDAY.

IT. Consider that, at the end of the world, our bodies will rise again to participate in the reward or punishment of the soul according to our works, when all the nations of the earth will be assembled in the valley of Josaphat to be judged. If thou art condemned, thou wilt resume thy body as an eternal prison for thy unfortunate soul. At this sorrowful re-union, the soul will curse the body, and the body the soul, so that, although at present they mutu ally consent to pursue unlawful pleasures, after death, they will become each other's tormentor. On the other hand, if thou art saved, thy body will arise beautiful, impassible, and glorious, and thus, both ia body and soul, thou wilt le judged worthy of eternal happiness. This will close the scene of this world: thus wi/1 terminate all the greatness, all the pleasures and all the pomps of the earth. Yes, all wifi be at an end; nothing will remain but two eternities, one of glory, the other of pain; one of jov, the other of torment?; the just wiil dwell in heaven, the wicked in hell. Wo then to him, that shall have loved the world! wo to him that for the vain and fleeting plea-

MEDITATION FOR THURSDAY. 273

sures of the earth, shall have lost his soul, his body, heaven, and God!

III. Consider the eternal sentence which Jesus Christ will pass upon the reprohate and the elect. This sovereign judge, turning to wards the reprobate, will say : Behold, ye un grateful wretches, the event of your crimes; my hour is come, the hour of truth, of justice, of vengeance, and of wrath. Criminal souls, you have chosen my curse, let it fall upon you; be ye cursed for all eternity. Depart from me, despoiled of every good and laden with all evil, into eternal fire. (Matt, xxv.) Then turning towards the elect Jesus will thus address them: Come, ye blessed chudrea of my heavenly Father, come and take possession of the kingdom of heaven which is prepared for you. Come, no longer to carry your cross after me, but to wear a crown. Come to in herit my riches, and to be the companions of my glory. Come from the land of exile to your true country ; come from sufferings to glory, from tears to joy. O my Jesus! I hope to be one of those whom thou wilt then bless. [ love thee above all things. Bless me at this 18

274 MEDITATION FOR FRIDAY.

moment. O my mother Mary, do thou als© bless me.

MEDITATION FOR FRIDAY.

Ou Hell.

I. CONSIDER, that hell is a dreadful -prison filled with (ire. In this fire the reprobate are enveloped, having an abyss of fire above them, and around them and helow them, in their eyes, their mouths, and throughout every part of their frame. There each sense suffers a torment peculiar to itself. The eyes are tor mented with darkness and smoke, and at the same time by sight of devils and damned souls; the ears hear nothing but continual bowlings, lamentations and blasphemies ; the smell is tormented by the stench of half putrefied bo dies; the taste by a burning thirst and cruel hunger, without the possibility of being alle viated by a drop of water or a morsel of bread. Hence proceed from those miserable captives, tears, groans, lamentations, bowlings and despair; but all in vain, they will never obtain the smallest consolation under their torments, or the least mitigation of their pains. O hell, hell! shall we wait until we are buried in thy

MEDITATION FOR FRIDAY. 273

flames to believe thee and to fear thee? And yet this is the conduct of thoughtless and un~ repenting sinners. O thou who art reading this, what is thy state? wert thou to die this moment., whither wouldst thou go? Ah! thou couldst not endure the smart of a spark of fire falling upon thy hand, and hast thou the assurance to expose thyself to the hazard of burning in a pool of .fire, in desolation and despair for all eternity ?

II. Consider (he punishments that will be inflicted in hell on all the powers of the soul. The memory will be for ever tormented with the recollection of sin, and remorse of con science; this gnawing worm will continually remind thee that thou hast damned thyself for some miserable pleasure or interest. O God ! what will the soul think of past pleasures, after hundreds, thousands, and millions of years spent in hell? This gnawing worm will call to her recollection the time which God had given her for repentance, the means of salvation wherewith he had furnished her, the good example which he had set before her, and the- resolutions which sne had formed, but Would never execute. The soul will, more-

276 MEDITATION FOR FRIDAY.

over, see that her present state is irremediable. O God, O God! how terrible is hell. The will, also, shall be eternally contradicted ; it will never obtain what it wishes, and will al ways meet with what it would gladly avoid. The understanding will discover the greatness of the good which it has lost in losing heaven and God. O God! O God! pardon me, for the love of Jesus Christ.

III. Sinner, thou, who at present makest small account of losing God, wilt discover thy misfortune, when thou shalt see the elect tri umph and exult with joy on their entrance into heaven, and thyself banished, like an un clean animal, from that blessed country, de prived for ever of seeing the face of an in finitely amiable God, and separated from the company of Mary, of the angels and saints. Then, in fury and despair, thou wilt exclaim: O paradise of delights: O God of infinite goodness ! thou art not, and never will be mine. Repent, then, change thy life; do not wait till the time of repentance is at an end. Give thyself to God? begin truly to love him. Beg of Jesus and Mary to have pity on thee.

MEDITATION FOR SATURDAY. 277

MEDITATION FOR SATURDAY.

On the eternity of the pains of Hell. I. CONSIDER that the torments of hell will never terminate. The damned suffer in every way, and they suffer eternally. A hundred years of suffering will pass away, a thousand will pass away, and hell will be still only at its commencement. A hundred thousand and a thousand million of years and ages will go over, and hell will still begin anew. Were an angel to be sent to one of the damned, inform ing him that, after as many million of ages are expired as there are drops of water in the sea, leaves upon the trees, and grains of sand on the sea or upon the earth, he should be deliv ered from hell, this news would fill him with inconceivable joy. For although he would be compelled to suffer for an innumerable multi tude of ages, still he would be able to say : the time will come when my sufferings will end. But alas ! as many ages will really expire, and hell will 'be only at its commencement. Nay, this number of ages may be multiplied as many times as there are grains of sand on the earth, drops of water in the ocean, and leaves on the trees, and, at the close of this immense

278 MEDITATION FOR SATURDAY.

period,, hell will begin again. There is no a wretch in that abode of torments, that would not willingly make this proposition to the Al mighty : increase., O Lord, as much as ihou pleasest, my torments, prolong the duration of them to any extent thou pleasest, provided they may terminate. But no : this termination will never be granted. It would be an allevia tion, if the unfortunate sufferer could flatter himself with the hope, that perhaps the Lord would one day have compassion on him and deliver him from hell. But alas! he will al ways carry the sentence of his eternal reproba tion before his eyes, and will see that all these pains, this fire, this despair, these lamentations, will never cease, will never end. O hell! O eternity! how can men believe in you and yet continue in sin?

II. Christian soul! pay attention to these truths : remember that hell is for thee, if thou live in sin. This horrible furnace is already enkindled under thy feet, and numbers through out the' world, whilst thou art reading this are falling into it. Reflect, that if the same misfortune ever befall thee, it will be irrepara ble, if ever, then, thou deservedst hell, thank

MEDITATION FOR SATURDAY. 279

God with all thy heart for his mercy in having spared thee. Weep over thy sins; employ every possible means of securing thy salvation; approach frequently to the sacraments; read daily some pious book; entertain a sincere devotion to the blessed Virgin, recite every day the Rosary, and fast every Saturday in her honor; be firm and resolute in resisting the beginning of temptation, invoking fre quently the holy names of Jesus and Mary; fly all occasions of sin ; in short, use thy ut most endeavors to avoid eternal misery, re membering that there cannot be too great se curity, where eternity is at stake. Consider what numbers of men have hidden themselves in deserts, and shut themselves up in caverns, in order the more effectually to secure their eternal welfare. And what art thou doing? Oh! give thyself sincerely to God, and say to him from thy heart : Lord, behold I am now thy servant: ready and willing to do whatever thou commandest me. Maryr assist me.

280

ON THE MASS.

IT is certain that man cannot perform an ac tion more holy or more exalted than the cele bration of the holy Mass. "JVwIfam* aliud opus," says the Council of Trent, " adeo sanc tum ac divinum a Chnstifidelibus tractari posse quam hoc ipsum tremendiim niysterium." Sess. 22, deer, de observ. in eel., 8cc. God himself could not enable man to perform a more sub lime action than the celebration of the Mass.

All the ancient sacrifices, with which God was so much honored, were but a shadow and a figure of the sacrifice of the altar. All the honor which the angels, by their adorations, or men, by their works, their penances, and martyrdoms, have ever given or shall give to God, have not given, and cannot give so much glory to the Lord as the celebration of a single Mass; for, all the honors of creatures are finite, but from the sacrifice of the altar God re ceives an infinite honor, because the victim offered is of infinite value. The Mass, then is an action which gives to God the greates honor that can be given to him: it is a work which beats down most effectually the powers

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of hell, which affords the greatest relief to the souls in purgatory, which appeases most effi caciously the anger of God against sinners, and which brings to men on earth the greatest benefits.

Jesus Christ has promised that we shall re ceive whatsoever we ask the Father in his name. "If you ask the Father any thing in my name, he will give it you." (John xv. 23). How much more confidently should we hope to obtain the objects of our prayers, when we offer to the Father, Jesus Christ himself? Our loving Redeemer is constantly interceding for us in heaven. "Who also maketh interces sion for us." (Rom. viii. 34). But he performs, in a special manner, the office of our advocate during the Mass, in which he offers himself to the Father by the hands of the priest, to obtain for us the gifts of divine grace. If we knew that all the saints, along with the divine Mo ther, united in praying for us, how great should be our confidence? But, it is certain, that a single prayer of Jesus Christ is infinitely more powerful than all the prayers of the saints. Oh! how great would be the misery of poor sinners., if they had not this sacrifice to appease

282 ON THE MASS.

the anger of God ! " IIujus qvappt ollationc," says the Council of Trent, " placatits Dominiis, graliam d donwnpcenitenticE conccdcne, crimina et pc.ncala etutm ingentiti dimittit." In a word, as the passion of Jesus Christ was sufficient for the redemption of the whole world, so, a single Mass is sufficient for the salvation of all men. What does the priest say in the obla tion of the chalice? " Offerhmis tibi Domine

calicem salularis pro nostro ct lolius mundi

salute." " We offer to thee, O Lord, the cha lice of salvation for our own salvation, and

for the salvation of the whole world."

The Mass is, according to the prediction of the prophet, "the good and the beautiful thing'7 of the Church. "For what is the good thing of .him, and what is his beautiful thing, but the corn of the elect, and wine springing forth virgins?" Zac. ix. 17. In the Mass, the incarnate Word is offered in sacrifice to his eternal Father, and is given to us in the sacrament of the Eucharist, which, as the an gelic doctor teaches, is, as it were, the end and object of all the sacraments. "Almost all the sacraments are consummated in the Eucharist." Hence, St. Bonaventure says, that the Mass is

ON THE MASS.

•283

the work in which God places before our eyes all the love which he has home us, and is a certain abridgment of all the favors he has be stowed upon us. "It is a memorial of all his love, and, a? it were, a compendium of all his benefits." De Instil, part. 1, cap. 11. Hence, the devil has always endeavored to deprive die world of the Mass by means of the heretics, constituting them the precursors of antichrist, whose first efforts will be to abolish the holy sacrifice of the altar; and, in punishment of the sins of men, his efforts will, according to the prophet Daniel, be successful. " And strength was given him against the continual sacrifice because of sins." (Dan. viii. 12). The same St. Bonaventure teaches, that in each Mass, God bestows on the world a benefit not inferior to that which he conferred by his incarnation. "In descending every day on the altar, God appears not to do less than when he assumed human nature." Loc. cit. Thus, as the doc tors teach, if Jesus Christ had never been in the world, the priest, by pronouncing the form of consecration, would, according to St. Au- gustin, bring him there. " O venerable dignity of priests, in whose hands, as in the womb of

284 ON THE MASS.

the virgin,, the Son of God is made flesh.'7 la Ps. xxvii.

Moreover, St. Thomas teaches, that since the sacrifice of the altar is nothing else than the renewal of the sacrifice of the cross., one Mass brings to men all the same goods and salvation which were produced by the sacrifice of the cross. " In every Mass," he says, " is found all the fruit which Christ produced, on the cross. Whatever is the effect of the pas sion of the Lord, is wrought by this sacrifice." In cap. vi. Isa. St. Chrysostom says, that " the celebration of Mass is of as much value as the death of Christ on the cross." Serm. 48, apud Disci. And of this we are still more strongly assured by the holy Church, in the collect of the Mass for the Sunday after Pente cost. "As often as the Commemoration of this Victim is renewed, so often is the work of redemption performed." And, as the Coun cil of Trent has declared, the same Saviour who was offered for us on the cross, is immo lated on the altar by the ministry of his priests. " Una cnim eademque est hostia, idem mine cffe- rens sacerdotum ministerio; qui scipsum tune in cnice obtulit sola rations offcrendi diversa."

METHOD OF ASSISTING AT MASS. 285

Sess. 22, c. 2. Hence, by the sacrifice of the altar is applied to us the sacrifice of the cross. The passion of Jesus Christ has made us ca pable of redemption: the Mass puts us in the possession and enjoyment of his merits.

METHOD OF ASSISTING AT THE HOLY

MASS.

By Blessed Leonard a Porto J\Iauritio. I KNOW not what your sentiments are re garding the august sacrifice of the holy Mass. You hear Mass every day; but do you under stand the nature of that tremendous sacrifice? In the old law, oxen, lambs, and other animals, were offered to God; but, in the sacrifice of the Mass, we offer to him the true body and the true b'ood of Jesus Christ our Lord, along with his soul and divinity. We oifer Jesus entirely, true God and true man ; and we repeat, the very same action which was once performed on Calvary, with this difference, that on Calvary the most precious blood of Jesus was really shed, but, on our altars, it is shed only in a mystical manner. Had you been present at the oblation of the great Victim offered on Cal-

286 METHOD OF ASSISTING AT MASS.

vary, with what sentiments of reverence would you have beheld that sacred spectacle? how many tears of devotion would you have shed? Where then is your faith? Is not what was done on that mountain renewed on our altars? In the holy Mass the principal priest is Jesus Christ, who by his minister offers himself en tirely to the most holy Trinity. But he is not the only priest; for all who assist at Mass, per form, in a certain manner, the office of priests, oy uniting with the celebrant in offering the holy sacrifice. Hence, when the priest turns to the people, he says to them : "Pray, breth ren, that mine and your sacrifice may be made acceptable to God." All, then, who assist at Mass, join with the priest in presenting to God the great oblation. Hence, as often as you hear Mass, you perform, in a certain manner, the office of a priest. Will you. then., ever again dare to hear Mass, sitting, chatting, or half asleep? or will you assist at it with a dis tracted mind, muttering some vocal prayers?

To hear henceforward the holy Mass with fruit, you must remember, that, as St. Thomas teaches, we owe four debts or obligations to God. The first is, to praise and honor his in-

METHOD OF ASSISTING AT MASS. 287

finite majesty, which is worthy of infinite love and infinite praise. The second is, to make satisfaction to him for so many sins which we have committed. The third, to thank him {'or the great benefits he has bestowed upon us. The fourth is, to pray to him as the giver of all graces. The easiest and most profitable man ner of hearing Mass is, to endeavor, during the holy sacrifice., to discharge these four obli gations.

It is an infallible truth, that, in the holy Mass, our srood Jesus, by an act of infinite de basement, adores for us, the most holy Trinity, and humbles himself for us before God; and that, since he is not only man, but also the true, omnipotent, and infinite God, lie gives, by that humiliation, infinite homage to the most holy Trinity. Thus we, who unite with him in offering the great sacrifice, are enabled through him to give to God infinite homage and infinite honor. Yes, yes, by hearing Mass, we render to God infinite homage and infinite honor. Remember then, and remem ber it with amazement and astonishment, that as often as you hear Mass, you give more nonor to God than he receives from all the

288 METHOD OF ASSISTING AT MASS.

adorations of all the angels in heaven and ol all the blessed spirits together. For, they are creatures, and therefore their homage is limited and finite; but, in the Mass, Jesus Christ humbles himself, and the merit and value of his humiliation is infinite, and, therefore, the homage and honor which we render to God, through him, is also infinite. O, how well then do we discharge our first debt to God, by hearing the holy Mass! Will you ever again say that it matters little whether you hear a Mass more or a Mass less? Oh horrible blindness !

The second debt which we owe to God is, to satisfy his justice for our sins. Oh, how immensely great is this debt! All the good works of all the just, of all the martyrs, and of all the saints, who have been, who are, or shall ever be, are not sufficient to satisfy the divine justice for a single mortal sin. But, by the holy sacrifice of the Mass, you can most fully atone for all the sins you have ever com mitted. And, to understand the extent of your obligations to Jesus Christ, consider, that though we offended him, he not only satisfied for us the divine justice on Calvary, but has

METHOD OF ASSISTING AT MASS. 289

also given us, arid continually gives us, the means of making full satisfaction to God in the holy sacrifice of the Mass; for, there, is re newed the oblation which Jesus made to his eternal Father on the cross for the sins of the world, and there, the same divine blood, which was shed for the redemption of the human race, is applied, and offered in a special man ner for the sins of those who assist at the tre mendous sacrifice.

You will then, perhaps, say, that since the Mass is of infinite value, it .gives infinite satis faction to God, and that, therefore, to discharge tne enormous debts which we have contracted by so many grievous sins, it will be enough for us to hear a single Mass. The Mass, in deed, is of infinite value; but, as the holy Council of Trent teaches, God accepts rt only in a finite manner, according to the disposi tions of the person for whom it is offered or who assists at it. Since, then, we do not know tne manner or measure in which God accepts the holy sacrifice, it will -be always useful to hear many Masses, and also to perform many other satisfactory works. It is true that of all the good works you can perform, the principal,

290 METHOD OF ASSISTING AT MASS.

the most efficacious, and the most satisfactory is the holy Mass; for, by this alone, you make more satisfaction to God, on account of the in finite dignity of the Victim, than all the mar tyrs have rendered to him by their blood., and ali penitents, by their austerities. Arise, then, from your lethargy, and attend to this great truth : — The more Masses you hear, the sooner you shall satisfy the divine justice for the great many grievous sins you have committed.

The third obligation is a debt of gratitude to God for the immense benefits wnich he has bestowed upon us. Bring together before your mind'all the gifts and graces which you have received from God ; so many supernatural favors, your body and soul, your senses, pow ers, and health. But, above alJ, reflect on the life of Jesus his son, arid the death which he suffered for our redemption. These increase, beyond measure, the debt we owe to God. How shall we be ever able sufficiently to thank him? It is by oflering to him this groat sacri fice of the Mass, which is called the eucbaristic sacrifice, or a sacrifice of thanksgiving. By this alone we give to God, as it were, the equivalent of all that he has given or can eve"

METHOD OF ASSISTING AT MASS. 293

give to us, and we thank him most abundantly for all the benefits we have ever received from him. O blessed Mass! O blessed Mass!

By the holy Mass we can also discharge our fourth obligation to God, which is to sup plicate, and ask for new graces. You are already convinced 01 the great miseries of your soul and body, and consequently of the neces sity of having recourse to God for continual aid and succor; for he alone is the author and source of all our good, temporal as well as eternal. How can you dare to ask him for new favors, when you reflect on the extreme ingratitude with which you have corresponded with his gifts, and have even turned his graces against him ? But, have courage and confi dence; for if you are unworthy of new favors, your good Jesus has merited them for you. He offers himself in the Mass as a pacific Vic tim, or as an impetratory sacrifice, to obtain for us from the Father all the graces we stand in need of. Yes, yes, our dear and b ' Jesus, as our high priest, recommends our cause to his Father, he prays for us, and be comes our ad vocal 2. If we Knew that the great Virgin united with us in begging of the

217/ METHOD OF ASSISTING AT MASS.

eternal Father the graces we require, with what confidence should we expect to be heard? How great then, ought to be our confidence and our hopes, when we are assured that, in the Mass, Jesus himself prays for us, that he offers for us to the eternal Father his most precious blood, and that he pleads in our be half. O blessed Mass, which is the source of all our good! In what blindness have you hitherto lived? how many masses have you hitherto neglected? how many treasures of temporal and spiritual graces have you lost? Shake off your sloth, and resolve henceforth to hear as many masses as possible, and to assist at them with fervor. Behold a practical method of hearing Mass devoutly.

To pay the four debts which you owe to God, imagine that you are the debtor in the gospel who owed the ten thousand talents, and that you hear the divine justice demanding payment. Ask the Lord to have patience with you, and to allow you sufficient time to hear Mass; tell him that, in the Mass, Jenus will enable you to make full satisfaction to his justice. Then divide the Mass into four parts.

In the first part, which will be from the be-

METHOD OF ASSISTING AT MASS. ^iJO

ginning to the Gospel, humble yourself with Jesus, and, sinking into the abyss of .your own nothingness, confess sincerely that you are a most miserable nothing before the majesty of God 5 and thus humbled interiorly, and also with a composed and modest exterior, say :

"Ah my God! I adore thee, I acknowledge thee for my Lord, and the Master of my soul. I protest that all I am and have are thy gifts. And, because thy majesty merits infinite honor and homage, I, who am a poor miserable crea ture, utterly incapable of paying the great debt which I owe to thee, offer to thee the humilia tions and homage which Jesus presents to thee on the altar ; what Jesus does, I also intend to do. I humble and prostrate myself with him before thy majesty. I adore thee with tho same humiliations which Jesus offers to thee. I am filled with joy and delight in reflecting that Jesus gives thee, for me, infinite honor and homage."

Repeat many internal acts of this kind; you need not adhere to the words, it is better to use the language which your own devotion wiD dictate. Oh, how fully will you pzy yen*

294 METHOD OF ASSISTING AT MASS.

first debt., by assisting at the first part of the Mass in this manner.

In the second part, which will be from the Gospel to the Elevation,, you shall discharge your second obligation. Reflecting for a mo ment on the enormity of your sins, and on the immense debt which you have contracted by them towards the divine justice, say, with an humble heart :

" Behold, my God, the traitor who has so often rebelled against thee. Ah, with a sor rowful heart, and with all the affections of my soul, I abhor and detest my most grievous sins, and I offer for thern the same satisfaction which Jesus presents to thee on the altar. I offer to thee all the merits of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, Jesus entirely, God and man, who is here immolated again for me. And, since my Jesus himself is, on this altar, my mediator and my advocate, and since, with his most pre cious blood, he implores pardon for me, I unite with the cry of his blood, and supplicate mercy for all my sins. The blood of Jesus cries for mercy ; and my sorrowful heart also implores mercy. Ah, my dear God, if my tears do not move thee, let at least the groans of my Jesus

METHOD OF ASSISTING AT MASS. 295

excite thy pity. Why should he not obtain for me that mercy which he obtained for the whole human race upon the cross? Yes, I hope that for the sake of that most precious blood, thou wilt pardon all my most grievous sins, which I will continue to bewail till my last breath."

Repeat many such acts of true contrition, and rest assured that you shall thus most fully discharge all the debts which you have con tracted by so many grievous sins.

In the third part,, from the Elevation to the Communion, reflecting on the great and im portant benefits received from God, you shall, in rerarn for them, offer to him a £ift of in finite value, that is, the body and blood ot . Christ. Invite all the angels and saints to thank God, in the following, or in some simi lar manner :

"Behold me, O ray most loving God, load ed with the general and particular benclits which thou hast bestowed, and wilt bestow upon me, in time and eternity. I know that thy mercies to me have been, and are infinite. But I am ready to pay thee for all, even to the last farthing. Behold the tribute of mv grati-

296 METHOD OF ASSISTING AT MASS.

tude, the payment which I offer for all thy goodness, is this divine blood, this most pre cious body, this innocent victim, which I pre sent to thee by the hands of the priest. I am certain that this oblation is sufficient to pay for all the gifts thou hast conferred upon me; this gift of infinite value is an equivalent for all the favors I have ever received, or now receive from thee. Ah, ye holy angels, and all ye blessed spirits, help me to thank my God ; and, in thanksgiving for his great benefits, offer to him not only this Mass, but also all the masses that are now celebrated throughout the whole world, that his loving goodness may be fully recompensed for all the graces which he has bestowed, and is to bestow upon me now and for eternity. Amen."

Oh, how pleasing to our good God will be such an affectionate thanksgiving! What satisfaction will be afforded to him by this sole oblation, which, because of its infinite value, has greater efficacy than all other offerings.

In the fourth part, from the Communion to the end of Mass, ask with great confidence the divine graces, knowing that during that time Jesus is united with you, and prays and sup-

METHOD OF ASSISTING AT MASS. £97

plicates for you. Dilate your heart, then, and ask not things of little value, but great graces; for great indeed is the oblation of the divine Son, which you present to the Father. Say to him, with an humble heart :

"My dear God, I acknowledge that I am utterly unworthy of thy favors ; I confess my infinite unworthiness, and that, for my mani fold and grievous sins. I do not deserve to be heard. But how canst thou refuse to hear thy divine Son, who, on this altar, prays for me, and offers for me his blood and his life? A'h, my most loving God, hear the prayers of this my great advocate, and, for his sake, grant me all the graces which thou knowest to be neces sary to secure the great affair of my eten\a. salvation. I am now encouraged to ask of thee a general pardon of all my sins, and the gilt of final perseverance. Trusting in the prayers of my Jesus, I ask of thee, O my Gocl, all vir tues in an heroic degree, and all the efficacious helps necessary to make me truly a saint. I ask of thee the conversion of all sinners, and particularly of those who are related to me. I ask for my sisters in religion a great spirit of i.evotion : make all of them saints, that this

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convent may be a true paradi.se of delights to thee, and a true school of virtue to us all. Amen."

Pray, pray for yourself, and for the monas tery ; pray with great confidence, and be as sured that your prayers, united with the pray ers of Jesus, shall be heard.

But pray particularly for sorrow for your sins, for the gift of perseverance and of divine love; and recommend to God, in a special manner, your relatives, sinners, and the souls in purgatory.

DEVOUT EXERCISE FOR THE NINE D-YY&

PRECEDING ALL SOULS'-DAY, FCll THE

REPOSE OF THE HOLY SOULS IN PUR

GATORY.

BY ST. ALPHOXSUS M. LIGUORI.

Advantages of this Devotion, THE practice of recommending to God the souls- in Purgatory, that he may mitigate the great pains which they suffer, and that he may soon bring them to his glory, is most pleasing to the Lord, and most profitable to us. For, these blessed souls are his eternal spouses, and they are most grateful to those who obtain

THE HOLY SOULS FIN PURGATORY. 55fJ

their deliverance from prison, or even a miti gation of their torments. Hence, when they shall enter into heaven, they will certainly not forget those who prayed for them. It is a pious belief that God manifests to them om1 prayers for them, that they also may pray for us. It is true that these blessed souls are not in a state to pray for themselves, because they are, as it were, criminals atoning for their faults. However, because they are very dear to God, they can pray for us, and obtain for us ihe divine graces. St. Catharine, of Bologna, when she wished to obtain any grace, had re course to the souls in purgatory, and her pray ers were immediately heard : she declared that by praying to those holy souls, she obtained many favors, which she had sought through the intercession of the saints, but had not ob tained. The graces which devout persons are said to have received through these holy souls are innumerable.

But if we wish for the aid of their prayers, it is just, it is even a duty to relieve them by our suffrages. I have said that it is even a du ty : for Christian charity commands us to le- lieve our neighbors who stand in need of ou)

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assistance. But who among all our neighbors have so great need of our succor, as these holy prisoners? They are continually in that fire which torments more severely than any earth ly fire. They are deprived of the sight of God, a torment far more excruciating than all otner pains. Let us reflect that among these suffering souls, are parents or brothers, or re latives and friends who expect our succor. Let us moreover remember that these holy queens being in the condition of debtors for their sins, cannot assist themselves. This thought should impel us to relieve them ac cording to the best of our ability. And, by assisting them, we shall not only give great pleasure to God, but shall also acquire great merit for ourselves. And in return for our suffrages, these blessed souls will not neglect to obtain for us many graces from God, but particularly the grace of eternal life. I hold for certain, that a soul delivered from purga tory by the suffrages of a Christian, will, when she enters paradise, not fail to say to God: " Lord, do not suffer to be lost the person who has liberated me from the prison of purgatory, and has brought me to the enjoyment of thy

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glory sooner than I deserved." I publish the following novena, that all the faithful may, by masses, by alms, or at least by their pray ers, endeavor to relieve and liberate from pur gatory these blessed souls.

Considerations and Prayers to le read for the People on every day of the JYovcna.

Let us recommend to Jesus Christ and to his holy mother, all the souls in purgatory, but especially those of our relatives, benefac tors, friends,. and enemies, and still more par ticularly the souls of those for whom we are bound to pray : and let us consider the great pains which these holy spouses of Jesus Christ endure, and offer to God for their relief the following prayers.

Manifold are the pains which, these blessed souls suffer ; but the greatest arises from the reflection that by their sins they themselves ^ave been the cause of the torments which they endure.

O Jesus, my Saviour, I have so often mer ited hell: if I were now among the damned, how great would be the pain which I should feel in thinking that I was the cause of my

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own damnation? I thank thee for the patience with which thou hast borne me. My God, because thou art infinite goodness, I love ihee above all things., and I ara sorry from my heart for having offended thee. I promise thee rather to die than ever offend thee more. Have pity on me, and have pity also on those blessed souls who burn in that fire. Mary, mother of God, succor them by thy powerful prayers.

Let us here say a Pater and Ave for these souls. Then all the people shall say the fol lowing prayer : "O Jesus, for mercy's sake zonsole these souls, these spouses whom thoo. invest so tenderly, and who are so severely tormented."

2. Another pain which greatly torment* these blessed souls arises from the remem brance of the time which they lost, and in which thoy could have merited so much glory in paradise, and from the conviclion that • thiy loss is now irreparable. For, after death, the time of merit is at an end. Ah, unhappy me, who have lived so long, and have acquired merits cnly for keli ! I thank thee O Lord, for having given me time to repair the evil

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which I have done. I am sorry for having offended so good a God. Help me to spend the remainder of my life in loving and serving thee. Have pity on me, and have pity also on those holy souls who burn in that fire. O Mary, mother of God, succor them by thy powerful prayers.

Pater. *lve. O Jesus, for mercy's sak*>$c., as above.

3. Another pain which tortures these blessed souls is the frightful appearance of the sins for which they are suffering. In this life, the de formity of sin is not understood, but, in the next, it is fully comprehended. This is one of the severest torments of the souU» in purgatory.

O my God. because thou art infinite good ness, I love thee above all things, and I am sorry, from the bottom of my heart for having offended thee, I promise thee, to die rather than ever offend thee more. Give me holy perseverance; have pity on me, and have pily also on those holy souls who burn in that lire. O mother of God, assist them by thy powerful prayers.

Paler. Jl-vc. O Jesus, for mercy's :.;ikc,3,-c.

4. The pain which still more afflicts these

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holy souls, the spouses of Jesus, is the thought of having, during life., displeased by their sins that God whom they so ardently love. Some penitents have felt so much pain and sorrow in thinking of having, by their sins, offended so good a God., that they died by grief. The souls in purgatory understand far better than we do, the claims which God has to our love: they love him with all their strength. Hence, at the thought of having offended him during life they experience pain which surpasses all other pain.

O my God, because thou art infinite good ness, I am sorry, with rny whole heart, for having offended thee. I promise to die rather than ever offend thee more. Give me holy perseverance: have pity on me, and have pity on all those holy souls who burn in that fire, and love thee with all their hearts. O Mary, mother of God, assist them by thy powerful prayers.

Pater, i/lvc. O Jesus, for mercy's sake, SfC.

5. Another great torment of these blessed souls arises from not knowing when their pains shall cease, or how long they shall re main in that fire. They feel certain that they

THE HOLY SOULS IN PURGATORY. 305

shall be one day liberated ; but the uncertainty of the duration of their sufferings, torments them severely.

Unhappy me! O Lord, if thou hadst sent me to iieil I should be certain of never leaving that prison of torture. 1 love thee above all things, O infinite goodness, and I am sorry, with my whole heart, for having offended thee. Give me holy perseverance; have pity on me, and have pity also on those holy souls who burn in that fire. O Mary, mother of God, assist them by thy powerful prayers.

Pater. Jive. O Jesus, for mercy's sake, fyc.

6. Those blessed souls are indeed consoled by the remembrance of the passiorx of Jesus Christ, and of the holy sacrament of the altar ; because through the communions of the faith ful, and the masses celebrated throughout the Church, they have received and receive so many graces. But they are tormented by the thought of having been ungrateful during life for these two great benefits of the love of Jesus Christ.

O my God, thou hast died also for me, and hast given thyself so often to me in the holy

communion. And I have ylways repaid the? 20

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with ingratitude! But, now I love thee above all things, O my sovereign good, and I am sorry, with my whole heart, for having offend ed thee. I promise to die rather than ever offend thee more. Give me holy perseverance: have pity on me, and have pity also on all those holy souls who burn in that tire. O Mary, mother of God, assist them by thy pow erful prayers.

Pater. Jh&. O Jesus, for mercy's sake, §*c.

7. The pains of these blessed souls are in creased by all the particular favors which they received from God, such as to have been made Christians, to have been born in a Catholic country, to have been allowed time for repent ance, and to have obtained the pardon of their sins. All these favors make them feel more sensibly their past ingratitude to God.

But who, O Lord, more ungrateful than I have been? Thou hast waited for me with sc much patience, thou hast often pardoned me with so much love, and I, after so many pro mises, have again offended thee! Ah, do not send me to hell. I arn sorry, O infinite good ness for having offended thee: I promise to die, rather than ever offend thee more, Give

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me noly perseverance. Have mercy on me, and have mercy also on those holy souls who bum in that fire. O Mary, mother of God, assist them by thy powerful prayers.

Pater. *.%ve. O Jesus, for imrcifs sake, 8,'C.

8. Another very severe torment of these blessed souls is caused by the thought that, during life God showed to them so many spe cial mercies not shown others, and that, after they had by their sins compelled him to hate them, and to condemn them to hell, he, through his pure mercy, had pardoned and saved them. Behold, O my God, I am one of those ungrate ful souls who, after having received from thee such great favors, have despised thy love, and have forced thee to condemn me to hell. O infinite goodness, I now love thee above all things, and I am sorry, with my whole heart, for having offended thee. I promise thee to die rather than ever offend thee more. Give me holy perseverance; have mercy on me, and have mercy also on those holy souls who burn in that fire. O Mary, mother of God, assist them by thy powerful prayers.

Pater, dve. O Jesus, for mercy' 's sake, fyc.

9. Great, indeed, are all the pains of these

GTJ& NOVENA FOR THE REPOSE OP

blessed souls: the fire, the tediousness, the darkness, the uncertainty of the time of their deliverance from that prison: but, of all ihe pains endured by those holy spouses, the greatest is caused by their being at a distance from their spouse, and by the privation of the sight of him.

O my God, how have I been able to live sc many years at a distance from thee and bereft of thy grace? O infinite goodness, I love thee above all things, and I am sorry, with my whole heart for having offended thee. Give me holy perseverance, and do not permit me ever again to see myself thy enemy. Have mercy, I entreat thee, on these blessed souls ; alleviate their painsr and abridge the time of their exile, by calling them soon to love thee face to face in paradise. O Mary, mother of God, assist them by thy powerful prayers: pray also for us, who are still in danger of being lost for ever.

Pater. JLm. O Jesus, far mercy's sake, fyc.

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PRAYERS TO JESUS CHRIST,

For these Souis, through the pains icldch he suffered during his passion.

O most sweet Jesus, through the bloody sweat which thou didst suffer in the garden of Gethsemani, have mercy on these blessed souls.

The People shall answer:

Have mercy on them, O Lord, have mercy on them.

O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which thou didst suffer during thy most cruel scourg ing, have mercy on them.

R. Have mercy on them, &c.

O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which thou didst suffer in thy most painful crowning with thorns, have mercy on them.

R. Have mercy on them, £,c.

O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which thou didst surfer in carrying thy cross to Cal vary, have mercy on them.

R. Have mercy on them, Sec.

O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which thou didst suffer during thy most cruel cru^» fixion, have mercy on them, &c.

310 NOVENA FOR THE REPOSE, ETC.

R. Have mercy on them, &c.

O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which tfiou didst suffer in thy most bitter agony on the cross, have mercy on them. 1| R. Have mercy on them, Sec.

O most sweet Jesus, through that immense pain which thou didst suffer in breathing forth thy blessed soul, have mercy on them.

R. Have mercy on them, &c.

Let us recommend ourselves to the souls in purgatory, and say :

Blessed souls, we have prayed for you : we entreat you, who are so dear to God, and who are secure of never losing him, to pray for us miserable sinners, who are in danger of being damned, and of losing God for ever. Let its Pray.

O God, the author of mercy, the lover of the salvation of mankind; we address thy cle mency, in behalf of our brethren, relations, and benefactors, who are departed this life, that by the intercession of blessed Mary, ever a virgin, and of all the saints, thou wouldst re ceive them into the enjoyment of eternal hap piness; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

ADMONITIONS. o.J 1

ADMONITIONS NECESSARY FOR PERSONS

OF EVERY STATE OF LIFE, WHO WISH

TO SAVE THEIR SOULS.

BY ST. ALPHONSUS M. LIGUORI.

GOD wishes the salvation of all. "Who will have all men to be saved." Tim. ii. 4 And he wishes to give to all, the help neces sary for their salvation; but, according to St. Augustin, he gives it only to those who ask it from him. "JVon dat nisi petentibus." In. Ps. c. Hence, it is the common opinion of theologians and of the holy Fathers, that, foi adults, prayer is necessary as a means of salva tion; that is, that he who does not pray, 01 neglects to ask of God the helps necessary to conquer temptations, and to preserve the. grace received, cannot be saved.

On the other hand, the Lord cannot refuse to grant his graces to those who ask them from him; for he has promised to hear all who call upon him. " Cry to me, and I will hear thee." (Jer. xxxiii. 3). "You shall ask whatever you will, and it shall be done unto you." (John xv. 7). "Ask and it shall be given you/' Mat, vii. 7. These promises are not to be un

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derstood of temporal goo'Js; for God gives tem poral blessings only when they are profitable to the soul. But, he has promised spiritual graces absolutely to all who ask them; and, having promised them to us, he is bound to give them, if we pray for them. "By pro mising," says St. Augustin, "God has made himself a debtor." De verb. Dom. ser. 2.

It is necessary, then, to know that God has promised to hear our prayers, and that we are commanded, under pain of mortal sin, to pray. "Ask, and it shall be given you." Matt, vii 7. "We ought always to pray." Luc. xviii. 1. These words, "ask," " \ve ought to pray," as St. Thomas teaches, imply a grievous pre cept, which obliges us, during our whole lives, but. particularly when we are in danger of death, or of foiling into mortal sin; for, un less we have recourse to God on these occa sions, we shall be certainly conquered. And they who find that they have fallen into mortal sin, are guilty of a new sin, if they neglect to ask of God help to rise from their miserable condition. But you will ask, how can God hear those whom he knows to be his enemies? God hears sinners who pray for pardon with an*

ADMONITIONS. 313

humble heart: for it is written m the gospel, that "every one that asketh, receiveth." Luc. xi. 10. The words "every one" include all, whether just or unjust: by these words, God has promised to hear all who pray to him, whether they are saints or sinners. In another

place, God says : " Call upon me and I will

deliver ihee." (Ps. xlix. 15). Call upon me, and I will deliver thee from hell, to which thou hast been condemned.

On the day of judgment there shall be no excuse for those who die in sin. It will be useless for them to say that they had not strength to resist the temptations by which they were molested; for Jesus Christ shall answer: If you had not strength, why did you not ask it? if you had prayed for it, I should certainly have given it to you. And if you had already fallen into sin, why did you not come to me, and I would have freed you from it?

If, dear reader, you wish to be saved, and to preserve your soul in the grace of God, you must frequently beg of him to keep his hand over you. The Council of Trent has declared (sess. 6, c. 13, can. 22,) that, to persevere in the grace of God, the common help which he

314 Al MONITIONS.

gives to all, is not sufficient, but that a specia. grace, which is obtained only by prayer, is ne cessary. Hence, all theologians teach that every one is bound under pain of mortal sin, to recommend himself often to God, by asking of him holy perseverance, at least once in the month. And they who are exposed to many dangerous occasions are bound to pray more frequently for the grace of perseverance.

To obtain this grace, it is very useful to cherish a particular devotion to the mother of God, who is called the mother of perseverance. They who have not this special devotion shall scarcely obtain the gift of perseverance. Foi St. Bernard says that all graces, and particu larly the gift of perseverance, which is the greatest of all, come to us through the hands of Mary.

O would to God that preachers were more careful to inculcate to their hearers, the neces sity of this great means of prayer. Although it is the duty of preachers to preach frequently on prayer, and in almost all their instructions to exhort the faithful to the practise of it, there are some who, in the whole course of Lenten sermons, scarcely ever speak of prayer, except

ADMONITIONS. 315

perhaps once or twice in a passing way. They who are guilty of such neglect of duty, shall have to render a great account to God. There are also many confessors who attend only to the purpose of their penitents never more to ofiend God,, but take very little trouhle to ex hort them to have recourse to God by prayer whenever they shall be tempted to sin again. Confessors should be persuaded that when a penitent is strongly tempted, all his purposes and resolutions will be of little use unless he ask of God help to resist the temptation : prayer alone can save him. It is certain that they who pray are saved, and that they who do not pray are damned.

Hence, my dear reader, I say again, if you wish to save your soul, pray continually to the Lord to give you light and strength not to fail into sin. In asking this grace, it is necessary to be importunate with God. St Jerom says that "such importunity with the Lord is sea sonable." Do not omit to entreat him every morning to preserve you from sin during the day. And when any bad thought or dangerous occasion occurs to you, <lo not niy a moment's attention to the tfan^ *TV: v\ t'lt *v:ra instar'ly

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ADMONITIONS.

to Jesus Christ and to the holy Virgin, ar.cl say: "My Jesus, assist me; most holy Mary, pray for me." To banish the temptation, it will then be sufficient to pronounce the names of Jesus and Mary; but should it continue, be careful to continue to call on Jesus and Mary for aid, and you shall never be conquered.

TUX ESTB.