The Voice of the Disciple.
1. O Lord, my God, prevent thy servant in the blessings of thy sweetness, that I may approach worthily and devoutly to thy magnificent sacrament.
Raise up my heart towards thee, and deliver me from this heavy sluggishness;
Visit me with thy grace, that I may taste in spirit thy sweetness, which plentifully lies hid in this sacrament as in its fountain;
Illuminate also my eyes to behold so great a mystery, and strengthen me to believe it with an undoubting faith:
For it is thy work, not the power of man; thy sacred institution, not man's invention:
For no man can be found able of himself to comprehend and understand these things, which surpass eventh subtlety of angels.
What shall I therefore, an unworthy sinner, who am but dust and ashes, be able to search into, or conceive of so high and sacred a mystery?
2. O Lord, in the simplicity of my heart, with a good and firm faith, and in obedience to thy command, I come to thee with hope and reverence; and I do verily believe, that thou art here present in the sacrament, God and man.
It is then thy will that I should receive thee, and through love unite myself to thee.
Wherefore I implore thy mercy; and I beg of thee to give me for this a special grace, that I may be wholly melted away in thee, and overflow with thy love, and seek no more any comfort from any thing else:
For this most high and most excellent sacrament is the health of soul and body, the remedy of all spiritual diseases, by which my vices are cured, my passions are restrained, temptations are overcome or lessened, a greater grace is infused, virtue receives an increase, Faith is confirmed, Hope strengthened, Charity enflamed and enlarged.
3. For thou hast bestowed, and still oftentimes dost bestow, many good things in this sacrament to thy beloved who communicate devoutly, O my God, the support of my soul, who art the repairer of human infirmity, and the giver of all interior comfort:
For thou impartest unto them much consolation, to support them in their many troubles; and thou liftest them up from the depth of their own dejection to the hope of thy protection; and thou dost recreate and enlighten them interiorly with a certain new grace; in such sort, that they who before communion were anxious and felt no affection in them, afterwards being fed with this heavenly meat and drink, find themselves changed for the better.
And thou art better pleased to deal thus with thy elect, to the end that they may truly acknowledge, and plainly experience, how great is their infirmity, when left to themselves, and how much they receive from thy bounty and grace:
For of themselves they are cold, dry, and indevout; but by thee they are made fervent, cheerful, and devout.
For who is he that approaching humbly to the Fountain of Sweetness, does not carry away with him some little sweetness?
Or who, standing by a great fire, does not receive from it some little heat?
Now, thou art a fountain always full, and overflowing; thou art a fire always burning, and never decaying.
4. Wherefore, if I cannot draw out of the fulness of the fountain, nor drink my fill, I will at least set my mouth to the orifice of this heavenly pipe; that so I may draw from thence some small drops to refresh my thirst, to the end that I may not be wholly dried up:
And if I cannot as yet be all heavenly, and all on fire like the cherubim and seraphim, I will, however, endeavour to apply myself to devotion, and to prepare my heart for the acquiring some small flame of divine fire, by the humble receiving of this life-giving sacrament.
And whatever is wanting to me, O good Jesus, most blessed Saviour, do thou in thy bounty and goodness supply for me, who hast vouchsafed to call all unto thee, saying, Come to me all you that labour, and are burthened, and I will refresh you. Matthew xi.
5. I labour indeed in the sweat of my brow, I am tormented with grief of heart, I am burthened with sins, I am troubled with temptations, and am entangled and oppressed with many evil passions; and there is no one to help me, no one to deliver and save me, but thou, O Lord God, my Saviour, to whom I commit myself, and all that is mine, that thou mayest keep me and bring me to everlasting life.
Receive me for the praise and glory of thy name, who hast prepared thy body and blood for my meat and drink.
Grant, O Lord God, my Saviour, that with the frequenting this thy mystery the affection of my devotion may increase.
The Voice of the Beloved.
1. If thou hast the purity of an angel, and the sanctity of St. John the Baptist, thou wouldst not be worthy to receive or handle this sacrament:
For this is not due to any merits of men, that a man should consecrate and handle the Sacrament of Christ, and receive for his food the bread of angels.
Great is this mystery, and great the dignity of priests, to whom that is given which is not granted to angels:
For priests alone, rightly ordained in the Church, have power to celebrate and consecrate the body of Christ.
The priest indeed is the minister of God, using the word of God, and by the command and institution of God: but God himself is there the principal author and invisible worker, to whom is subject all that he wills, and to whom obeys all that he commands.
2. Thou must therefore give more credit to an omnipotent God, in this most excellent sacrament, than to thy own sense, or any visible sign:
And therefore thou art to approach to this work with fear and reverence.
Take heed to thyself, and see what kind of ministry has been delivered to thee by the imposition of the bishop's hands.
Lo! thou art made a priest, and art consecrated to say Mass: see now that in due time thou faithfully and devoutly offer up sacrifice to God, and that thou behave thyself in such manner as to be without reproof:
Thou hast not lightened thy burthen, but art now bound with a stricter band of discipline, and art obliged to a greater perfection of sanctity.
A priest ought to be adorned with all virtues, and to give example of a good life to others;
His conversation should not be with the vulgar and common ways of men, but with the angels in heaven, or with perfect men upon earth.
3. A priest, clad in his sacred vestments, is Christ's vicegerent, to pray to God for himself, and for all the people, in a suppliant and humble manner:
He has before and behind him the sign of the cross of the Lord, that he may always remember the passion of Christ:
He bears the cross before him in his vestment, that he may diligently behold the footsteps of Christ, and fervently endeavour to follow them:
He is marked with the cross behind, that he may mildly suffer, for God's sake, whatsoever adversities shall befal him from others:
He wears the cross before him, that he may bewail his own sins; and behind him, that, through compassion, he may lament the sins of others, and know that he is placed, as it were, a mediator betwixt God and the sinner:
Neither ought he to cease from prayer and oblation, till he be favoured with the grace and mercy which he implores.
When a priest celebrates, he honours God, he rejoices the angels, he edifies the Church, he helps the living, he obtains rest for the dead, and makes himself partaker of all that is good.
The Voice of the Disciple.
1. When I consider thy greatness, O Lord, and my own vileness, I tremble very much, and am confounded in myself:
For if I come not to thee, I fly from life; and if I intrude myself unworthily, I incur thy displeasure.
What then shall I do, O my God, my helper, my counsellor in necessities?
2. Do thou teach me the right way: appoint me some short exercise proper for the holy communion:
For it is necessary to know in what manner I should reverently and devoutly prepare my heart to thee, for the profitable receiving of thy sacrament, or for celebrating also so great and divine a sacrifice.
The Voice of the Beloved.
1. Above all things it behoves the priest of God to come to the celebrating, handling, and receiving this sacrament, with great humility of heart, and lowly reverence; with an entire faith, and with a pious intention of the honour of God.
Diligently examine thy conscience, and to the best of thy power cleanse and purify it by true contrition and humble confession; so that there be nothing weighty to give thee remorse, and hinder thy free access.
Repent thee of all thy sins in general, and in particular lament and grieve all thy daily offences;
And if thou hast time, confess to God, in the secret of thy heart, all the miseries of thy passions.
2. Sigh and grieve that thou art yet so carnal and worldly; so unmortified in thy passions.
So full of the motions of concupiscence; so unguarded in thy outward senses; so often entangled with many vain imaginations;
So much inclined to exterior things, so negligent as to the interior;
So easy to laughter and dissolution; so hard to tears and compunction.
So prone to relaxation, and to the pleasures of the flesh; so sluggish to austerity and fervour;
So curious to hear news, and to see fine sights; so remiss to embrace things humble and abject;
So covetous to possess much; so sparing in giving; so close in retaining;
So inconsiderate in speech; so little able to hold thy peace;
So disorderly in thy carriage; so over eager in thy actions;
So greedy at meat; so deaf to the word of God;
So hasty for rest; so slow to labour;
So wakeful to hear idle tales; so drowsy to watch in the service of God;
So hasty to make an end of thy prayer; so wandering as to attention.
So negligent in saying thy office; so tepid in celebrating; so dry at the time of receiving;
So quickly distracted; so seldom quite recollected within thyself;
So easily moved to anger; so apt to take offence at others;
So prone to judge; so severe in reprehending;
So joyful in prosperity; so weak in adversity.
So often proposing many good things, and effecting little.
3. Having confessed and bewailed these, and other thy defects, with sorrow and great dislike of thy own weakness, make a strong resolution always to amend thy life, and to advance in virtue.
Then with a full resignation, and with thy whole will, offer thyself up to the honour of my name, on the altar of thy heart, as a perpetual holocaust, by committing faithfully to me both thy soul and body;
That so thou mayest be able to approach to offer up sacrifice to God, and to receive for thy salvation the sacrament of my body.
4. For there is no oblation more worthy, nor satisfaction greater, for the washing away of sins, than to offer up one's self purely and entirely to God, together with the oblation of the body of Christ, in the Mass and in the communion.
If a man does what lies in him, and is truly penitent; as often as he shall come to me for pardon and grace; as I live, saith the Lord, who will not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should be converted and live; I will no longer remember his sins, but all shall be forgiven him. Ezekiel xviii.
The Voice of the Beloved.
1. As I willingly offered myself to God, my Father, for thy sins, with my hands stretched out upon the cross, and my body naked, so that nothing remained in me which was not turned into a sacrifice, for to appease the divine wrath;
Even so must thou willingly offer thyself to me daily in the Mass, for a pure and holy oblation, together with all thy powers and affections, as heartily as thou art able.
What do I require more of thee, than that thou endeavour to resign thyself entirely to me?
Whatsoever thou givest besides thyself, I regard not; for I seek not thy gift, but thyself.
2. As it would not suffice thee, if thou hadst all things but me; so neither can it please me, whatever thou givest, as long as thou offerest not thyself.
Offer thyself to me, and give thy whole self for God, and thy offering will be accepted.
Behold, I offered my whole self to the Father for thee, and have given my whole body and blood for thy food, that I might be all thine, and thou mightest be always mine:
But if thou wilt stand upon thy own bottom, and wilt not offer thyself freely to my will, thy offering is not perfect, nor will there be an entire union betwixt us.
Therefore, before all thy works, thou must make a free oblation of thyself into the hands of God, if thou desire to obtain liberty and grace:
For the reason why so few become illuminated and internally free, is because they do not wholly renounce themselves.
My sentence stands firm. Unless a man renounce all, he cannot be my disciple. Luke xiv.
If therefore thou desirest to be my disciple, offer up thyself to me with all thy affections.
The Voice of the Disciple.
1. Lord, all things are thine that are in heaven and earth.
I desire to offer up myself to thee as a voluntary oblation, and to remain for ever thine.
Lord, in the sincerity of my heart, I offer myself to thee this day, to be thy servant evermore, to serve thee, and to become a sacrifice of perpetual praise to thee.
Receive me with this sacred oblation of thy precious body, which I offer to thee this day in the presence of thy angels invisibly standing by, that it may be for mine and all the people's salvation.
2. Lord, I offer to thee all my sins and offences, which I have committed in thy sight and that of thy holy angels, from the day that I was first capable of sin until this hour, upon thy propitiatory altar, that thou mayest burn and consume them all with the fire of thy charity, and mayest remove all the stains of my sins, and cleanse my conscience from all offences, and restore to me thy grace, which I have lost by sin, by fully pardoning me all, and mercifully receiving me to the kiss of peace.
3. What can I do for my sins, but humbly confess them, and lament them, and incessantly implore thy mercy for them?
Hear me, I beseech thee, in thy mercy, where I stand before thee, O my God:
All my sins displease me exceedingly; I will never commit them any more: I am sorry for them, and will be sorry for them as long as I live; I am willing to do penance for them, and to make satisfaction to the utmost of my power.
Forgive, O my God, forgive me my sins, for thy holy name's sake: save my soul, which thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Behold I commit myself to thy mercy, I resign myself into thy hands.
Deal with me according to thy goodness, not according to my wickedness and iniquity.
4. I offer also to thee all the good I have, though very little and imperfect: that thou mayest make it better and sanctify it; that thou mayest be pleased with it, and make it acceptable to thee, and perfect it more and more; and mayest, moreover, bring me, who am a slothful and unprofitable wretch, to a good and happy end.
5 I offer also to thee all the godly desires of thy devout servants; the necessities of my parents, friends, brethren, sisters, and of all those that are dear to me; and of all such, as for the love of thee have been benefactors to me or others; or who have desired and begged of me to offer up prayers and masses for themselves and all that belonged to them; whether they live as yet in the flesh, or whether they are now departed out of this world;
That they all may be sensible of the assistance of thy grace, of the benefit of thy comfort, of thy protection from all dangers, and of a deliverance from their pains; and that being freed from all evils, they may with joy give worthy thanks to thee.
6. I offer up also to thee my prayers, and this sacrifice of propitiation for them in particular, who have in any thing wronged me, grieved me or abused me, or have done me any damage or displeasure;
And for all those likewise whom I have at any time grieved, troubled, injured, or scandalized, by word or deed, knowingly or unknowingly; that it may please thee to forgive us all our sins and offences one against another.
Take, O Lord, from our hearts all jealousy, indignation, wrath and contention, and whatsoever may hurt charity, and lessen brotherly love.
Have mercy, O Lord, have mercy on those that crave thy mercy; give grace to them that stand in need thereof; and grant that we may be worthy to enjoy thy grace, and that we may attain to life everlasting. Amen.
The Voice of the Beloved.
1. Thou oughtest often to have recourse to the fountain of Grace, and of Divine Mercy; to the Fountain of all Goodness and Purity; that thou mayest be healed of thy passions and vices, and be made more strong and vigilant against all the temptations and deceits of the devil.
The enemy, knowing the very great advantage and remedy which is in the holy communion, strives by all means and occasions, as much as he is able, to withdraw and hinder faithful and devout persons from it.
2. For when some are preparing themselves for the sacred communion, they suffer the greater assault of Satan.
This wicked spirit, as it is written in Job, cometh among the sons of God to trouble them with his accustomed malice, or to make them ever fearful and perplexed, that so he may diminish their devotion, or by his assaults take away their faith: it haply they may altogether forbear the communion, or at least approach to it with tepidity.
But there is no heed to be taken of his wiles, and suggestions, be they never so filthy and abominable; but all his attempts art to be turned back upon his own head.
The wretch is to be contemned and scorned, nor is the holy communion to be omitted for his assaults, and the commotions which he causeth.
3. Oftentimes also a person is hindered by too great solicitude for obtaining devotion, and a certain anxiety about making his confession.
Follow herein the counsel of the wise, and put away all anxiety and scruple; for it hindereth the grace of God, and destroyeth devotion.
Leave not the holy communion for every small trouble or vexation, but go quickly to confession, and willingly forgive others their offences against thee.
And if thou hast offended any one, humbly crave pardon, and God will readily forgive thee.
4. What doth it avail to delay thy confession for a long time, or to put off the holy communion?
Purge thyself with speed, spit out the venom presently, make haste to take this remedy, and thou shalt find it to be better with thee, than if thou hadst deferred it for a long time.
If thou lettest it alone to-day for this cause, perhaps to-morrow a greater will fall out, and so thou mayest be hindered a long time from communion, and become more unfit:
With all possible speed shake off this heaviness and sloth, for it is to no purpose to continue long in disquiet, to pass a long time in trouble, and for these daily impediments to withdraw thyself from the divine mysteries.
Yea, it is very hurtful to defer the communion long; for this usually causeth a great lukewarmness and numbness.
Alas! some tepid and dissolute people are willing to put off their confession, and desire that their communion should be deferred, lest they should be obliged thereby to keep a stricter watch over themselves.
5 Ah! how little is their love of God, how weak is their devotion who so easily put by the sacred communion?
How happy is he, and acceptable to God, who so liveth, and keepeth his conscience in such purity, as to be ready and well disposed to communicate every day, if it were permitted, and he might do it without note.
If sometimes a person abstains out of humility, or by reason of some lawful impediment, he is to be commended for his reverence.
But if sloth steal upon him, he must stir up himself, and do what lieth in him; and God will assist his desire, for his good will, which he chiefly regards.
6. And when he is lawfully hindered, he must yet always have a good will and a pious intention to communicate, and so he shall not lose the fruit of the sacrament.
For every devout man may every day and hour receive Christ spiritually without any prohibition, and with profit to his soul.
And yet on certain days, and at the time appointed, he ought to receive sacramentally with an affectionate reverence the body of his Redeemer, and rather aim at the honour of God, than seek his own comfort.
For he communicates mystically, and is invisibly fed, as often as he devoutly calleth to mind the mystery of the incarnation of Christ, and his passion; and is inflamed with the love of him.
7. He that prepareth not himself, but when a festival draweth near, or when custom compelleth him thereunto, shall often be unprepared.
Blessed is he that offereth himself up as an holocaust to the Lord, as often as he celebrates or communicates.
Be neither too long, nor too hasty in celebrating, but observe the good common manner of those with whom thou livest.
Thou oughtest not to be tedious and troublesome to others, but to keep the common way, according to the appointment of superiors; and rather suit thyself to the profit of others, than to thine own devotion or affection.
The Voice of the Disciple.
1. O Sweetest Lord Jesus, how great sweetness hath a devout soul that feasteth with thee in thy banquet; where there is no other meat set before her to be eaten but thyself her only beloved, and most to be desired above all the desires of her heart!
And to me indeed it would be delightful to pour out tears in thy presence, with the whole affection of my heart, and like the devout Magdalen to wash thy feet with my tears.
But where is this devotion? Where is this so plentiful shedding of holy tears?
Surely in the sight of thee, and of thy holy angels, my whole heart ought to be inflamed, and to weep for joy.
For I have thee in the sacrament truly present, though hidden under another form.
2. For to behold thee in thine own divine brightness, is what my eyes would not be able to endure, neither could the whole world subsist in the splendour of the glory of thy Majesty.
In this therefore thou condescendest to my weakness, that thou hidest thyself under the sacrament.
I truly have and adore him whom the angels adore in heaven; but I as yet in faith, they by sight and without a veil.
I must be content with the light of true faith, and walk therein till the day of eternal brightness break forth, and the shades of figures pass away.
But when that which is perfect shall come, the use of the sacraments shall cease: for the blessed in heavenly glory stand not in need of the remedy of the sacraments.
For they rejoice without end in the presence of God, beholding his glory face to face; and being transformed from glory into the glory of the incomprehensible Deity, they taste the Word of God made flesh, as he was from the beginning, and as he remaineth for ever.
3. When I call to mind these wonders, even every spiritual comfort becomes grievously tedious to me; because as long as I behold not my Lord openly in his glory, I make no account of whatsoever I see and hear in the world.
Thou art my witness, O God, that not one thing can comfort me, nor any thing created give me rest, but only thou, my God, whom I desire for ever to contemplate.
But this is not possible whilst I remain in this mortal life.
And therefore I must frame myself to much patience, and submit myself to thee in all my desires.
For thy saints also, O Lord, who now rejoice with thee in the Kingdom of heaven, whilst they were living, expected in faith and great patience the coming of thy glory. What they believed, I believe; what they hoped for, I hope for; and whether they are come, I trust that I also through thy grace shall come.
In the mean time I will walk in faith, strengthened by the example of thy saints.
I shall have moreover for my comfort, and the direction of my life, thy holy books; and above all these things, thy most holy body for a singular remedy and refuge.
4. For in this life I find there are two things especially necessary for me, without which this miserable life would be insupportable.
Whilst I am kept in the prison of this body, I acknowledge myself to need two things, to wit, food and light.
Thou hast therefore given to me, weak as I am, thy sacred body for the nourishment of my soul and body, and thou hast set thy Word as a light to my feet. Psalms cxviii.
Without these two I could not well live, for the Word of God is the light of my soul, and thy sacrament is the bread of Life.
These also may be called the two tables set on the one side, and on the other, in the store house of the holy church.
One is the table of the holy altar, having the holy bread, that is the precious Body of Christ.
The other is that of the divine law, containing holy doctrine, teaching the right faith, and firmly leading even within the veil, where are the holies of holies:
Thanks be to thee, O Lord Jesus, Light of eternal Light, for the table of holy doctrine which thou hast afforded us by the ministry of thy servants, the prophets and apostles, and other teachers.
5. Thanks be to thee, O thou Creator and Redeemer of men, who, to manifest thy love to the whole world, hast prepared a great supper, wherein thou hast set before us to be eaten, not the typical lamb, but thy most sacred body and blood: rejoicing all the faithful with thy holy banquet, and replenishing them with the cup of salvation, in which are all the delights of paradise; and the holy angels do feast with us, but with a more happy sweetness.
6. O how great and honourable is the office of priests, to whom it is given to consecrate with sacred words the Lord of Majesty; to bless him with their lips, to hold him with their hands, to receive him with their own mouth, and to administer him to others!
Oh! how clean ought those hands to be, how pure that mouth, how holy that body, how unspotted the heart of a priest, into whom thou the Author of Purity so often enters!
From the mouth of a priest nothing but what is holy, no word but what is good and profitable ought to proceed, who so often receives the sacrament of Christ.
7. His eyes ought to be simple, and chaste, which are used to behold the Body of Christ; his hands pure and lifted up to heaven, which use to handle the Creator of heaven and earth.
Unto the priest especially it is said in the law, Be you holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. Leviticus xix. 20.
8. Let thy grace, O Almighty God, assist us, that we, who have undertaken the office of priesthood, may serve thee worthily and devoutly in all purity and good conscience.
And if we cannot live in so great innocency as we ought, grant us at least duly to bewail the sins which we have committed; and in the spirit of humility, and the resolution of a good-will, to serve thee more fervently for the time to come.
The Voice of the Beloved.
1. I Am the lover of purity, and the giver of all holiness.
I seek a pure heart, and there is the place of my rest.
Make ready for me a large upper room furnished, and I will make the pasch with thee, together with my disciples. Mark xiv. Luke xxii.
If thou wilt have me come to thee, and remain with thee; purge out the old leaven, and make clean the habitation of thy heart;
Shut out the whole world, and all the tumult of vices; sit like a sparrow solitary on the house top, and think of thy excesses in the bitterness of thy soul.
For every lover prepareth the best and fairest room for his dearly beloved; and hereby is known the affection of him that entertaineth his beloved.
2. Know nevertheless, that thou canst not sufficiently prepare thyself by the merit of any action of thine, although thou shouldst prepare thyself a whole year together, and think of nothing else.
But it is of my mere goodness and grace that thou art suffered to come to my table; as if a beggar should be invited to dinner by a rich man, who hath nothing else to return him for his benefit, but to humble himself, and to give him thanks.
Do what lieth in thee, and do it diligently; not for custom, nor for necessity; but with fear, and reverence, and affection, receive the body of thy beloved Lord, thy God, who vouchsafeth to come to thee.
I am he that have invited thee, I have commanded it to be done, I will supply what is wanting in thee, come and receive me.
3. When I bestow the grace of devotion give thanks to thy God, not for that thou art worthy, but because I have had mercy on thee.
If thou hast it not, but rather findest thyself dry, continue in prayer, sigh and knock, and give not over, till thou receivest some crum or drop of saving grace.
Thou hast need of me, not I of thee.
Neither dost thou come to sanctify me, but I come to sanctify and make thee better;
Thou comest that thou mayest be sanctified by me, and united to me; that thou mayest receive new grace, and be inflamed anew to amendment.
Neglect not this grace, but prepare thy heart with all diligence, and bring thy beloved into thee.
4. But thou oughtest not only to prepare thyself to devotion before communion, but carefully also to keep thyself therein after receiving the sacrament; neither is the carefully guarding of thyself afterwards less required than the devoutly preparing thyself before: for a good guard afterwards is the best preparation again for the obtaining of greater grace.
For what renders a man very much indisposed is, if he presently pour himself out upon exterior comforts.
Beware of much talk, remain in secret, and enjoy thy God; for thou hast him whom all the world cannot take from thee.
I am he to whom thou oughtest to give thy whole self; so that thou mayest henceforward live, without all solicitude, not in thyself, but in me.
The Voice of the Disciple.
1. Who will give me, O Lord, to find thee alone, that I may open my whole heart to thee, and enjoy thee as my soul desireth; and that no one may now despise me, nor any thing created move me or regard me; but thou alone mayest speak to me, and I to thee; as the Beloved is wont to speak to his Beloved, and a friend to banquet with his friend.
This I pray for, this I desire, that I may be wholly united to thee, and may withdraw my heart from all created things; and by the holy communion, and often celebrating, may more and more learn to relish heavenly and eternal things.
Ah! Lord God, when shall I be wholly united to thee, and absorpt in thee, and altogether forgetful of myself:
Thou in me, and I in thee; and so grant us both to continue in one.
2. Verily thou art my Beloved, the choicest amongst thousands, in whom my soul is well pleased to dwell all the days of her life:
Verily, thou art my peace-maker, in whom is sovereign peace and true rest; out of whom is labour and sorrow, and endless misery:
Thou art in truth, a hidden God, and thy counsel is not with the wicked; but thy conversation is with the humble and the simple.
Oh! how sweet is thy spirit, O Lord, who, to shew thy sweetness towards thy children, vouchsafest to feed them with the most delicious bread which cometh down from heaven!
Surely, there is no other nation so great, that hath their God so nigh to them, as thou our God art present to all thy faithful; to whom, for their daily comfort, and for the raising up their hearts to heaven, thou gavest thyself to be eaten and enjoyed.
3. For what other nation is there so honoured as the Christian people!
Or what creature under heaven so beloved as a devout soul, into whom God cometh, that he may feed her with his glorious flesh?
Oh! unspeakable grace! Oh! wonderful condescension! Oh! infinite love, singularly bestowed upon man!
But what return shall I make to the Lord for this grace, and for so extraordinary a charity?
There is nothing that I can give him that will please him better, than if I give up my heart entirely to God, and unite it closely to him.
Then all that is within me shall rejoice exceedingly, when my soul shall be perfectly united to my God:
Then will he say to me, If thou wilt be with me, I will be with thee; and I will answer him: Vouchsafe, O Lord, to remain with me, and I will willingly be with thee.
This is my whole desire, that my heart may be united to thee.
The Voice of the Disciple.
1. Oh! how great is the abundance of thy sweetness, O Lord, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee. Psalms xxx.
When I remember some devout persons, who come to thy sacrament with the greatest devotion and affection, I am often confounded and ashamed within myself, that I approach so tepidly and coldly to thy altar, and to the table of the holy communion;
That I remain so dry, and without affection of heart; that I am not wholly set on fire in thy presence, O my God; nor so earnestly drawn and affected, as many devout persons have been, who, out of a vehement desire of communion, and a sensible love in their hearts, could not contain themselves from weeping;