  Before Communion. A Prayer Which May Be Said Some Days Before Communion. O Lord Jesus Christ! Whom I aspire to receive in a few days within the temple of my soul, I come to implore that Thou wilt Thyself prepare Thy destined abode, cleansing it from every stain, and enriching it with ornaments worthy of Thy presence. Grant me an increase of faith, hope, and charity; grant me true contrition, and profound humility; grant me to sigh with holy Simeon for Thy coming, and, like him, to centre in Thee alone the ardent affections and fervent desires of my heart. O Lord! Whose throne is surrounded by cherubim and seraphim! Whose presence is felt by all creation, Whose spotless sanctity the angels themselves contemplate with awe, I acknowledge my extreme unworthiness to receive Thee; but animated with lively confidence in Thy paternal goodness, I conjure Thee to prepare me Thyself, and to supply from the treasury of Thy abundant mercies for all my deficiencies. O Thou Who hast come on earth to save me, and Who by Thy sufferings hast opened heaven to receive me, grant me grace to profit by all Thou hast done and endured for my salvation! Aspirations Which Should Be Used The Days Preceding Communion. As the wearied hart pines for the refreshing water, so does my soul thirst for Thee, O Lord! [pg 619]My soul sighs for the possession of God; when shall I come and appear before Him? Lord, I come to Thee; but how shall I prepare the way for Thee? I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof; say but the word, and my soul shall be healed. How can I receive Thee into a heart so full of iniquities, and yet how can I abstain from the living Bread come down from heaven to give life to the world? Have pity, I beseech Thee, on me, a sinner; and deign to prepare Thyself a dwelling in my heart; grant that from Thy adorable body may proceed a virtue to give strength and life to my soul. Prepare me for Thyself, O Jesus! and render me worthy of Thy visit; look on me, O Lord! and inflame me with Thy love; that I may run after the odor of Thy perfumes. Grant me humility of spirit, and pure charity, to render me worthy of participating in the blessed food of heaven. I wish to attract Thee by my love, and to enjoy Thy presence in the centre of my soul. O my God! my life! my all! I beseech Thee to come into my heart, and to unite me to Thyself forever. Act Of Faith. “Behold, He cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping over the hills.”—Cant. ii. 8. Ah, my most amiable Saviour, over how many, what rough and craggy mountains, hast Thou had to pass in order to come and unite Thyself to me by the means of this Most Holy Sacrament! Thou, from [pg 620] “Behold He standeth behind our wall, looking through the windows, looking through the lattices,” Cant. ii. 9. Behold, O my soul, thy loving Jesus, burning with the same love with which He loved thee when dying for thee on the cross, is now concealed in the Most Blessed Sacrament under the sacred species: and what doing? “Looking through the lattices.” As an ardent lover, desirous to see his love corresponded with, from the Host, as from within closed lattices, whence He sees without being seen, He is looking at you, who are this morning about to feed upon His divine flesh. He observes your thoughts, what it is that you love, what you desire, what you seek for, and what offerings you are about to make Him. Awake, then, my soul, and prepare to meet thy Jesus; and, in the first place, by faith say to Him: So, then, my beloved Redeemer, in a few moments Thou art coming to me? O hidden God, unknown to the greater part of men, I believe, I confess, I adore Thee in the Most Holy Sacrament as my Lord and Saviour! And in acknowledgment of this truth I would willingly lay down my life. Thou comest to enrich me with Thy graces, and to unite Thyself all to me; how great, then, should be my confidence in this Thy so loving visit! [pg 621]Act Of Confidence. My soul, expand thy heart. Thy Jesus can do thee every good, and, indeed, loves thee. Hope thou for great things from this thy Lord, Who, urged by love, comes all love to thee. Yes, my dear Jesus, my hope, I trust in Thy goodness, that, in giving Thyself to me this morning, Thou wilt enkindle in my poor heart the beautiful flame of Thy pure love, and a real desire to please Thee; so that, from this day forward, I may never will anything but what Thou willest. Act Of Love. Ah, my God, my God, true and only love of my soul, and what more couldst Thou have done to be loved by me? To die for me was not enough for Thee, my Lord; Thou wast pleased to institute this great Sacrament in order to give Thyself all to me, and thus bind and unite Thyself heart to heart with so loathsome and ungrateful a creature as I am. And what is more, Thou Thyself invitest me to receive Thee, and desirest so much that I should do so! O boundless love! incomprehensible love! infinite love! a God would give Himself all to me! My soul, believest thou this? And what doest thou? what sayest thou? O God, O God, O infinite amiability, only worthy object of all loves, I love Thee with my whole heart, I love Thee above all things, I love Thee more than myself, more than my life! Oh, could I but see Thee loved by all! Oh, could I but cause Thee to be loved by all hearts as much as Thou deservest! I love Thee, O most [pg 622] Act Of Humility. Then, my soul, thou art even now about to feed on the most sacred flesh of Jesus! And art thou worthy? My God, and who am I, and Who art Thou? I indeed know and confess Whom Thou art Who givest Thyself to me; but dost Thou know what I am who am about to receive Thee? And is it possible, O my Jesus, that Thou Who art infinite purity desirest to come and reside in this soul of mine, which has been so many times the dwelling of Thy enemy, and soiled with so many sins? I know, O my Lord, Thy great majesty and my misery; I am ashamed to appear before Thee. Reverence would induce me to keep at a distance from Thee; but if I depart from Thee, O my life, whither shall I go? to whom shall I have recourse? and what will become of me? No, never will I depart from Thee; nay, even I will ever draw nearer and nearer to Thee. Thou art satisfied that I should receive Thee as food, Thou even invitest me to this. I [pg 623] Act Of Contrition. I am indeed grieved, O God of my soul, for not having loved Thee during the time past; still worse, so far from loving Thee, and to gratify my own inclinations, I have greatly offended and outraged Thy infinite goodness: I have turned my back against Thee, I have despised Thy grace and friendship; in fine, O my God, I was deliberately in the will to lose Thee. Lord, I am sorry, and grieve for it with my whole heart. I detest the sins which I have committed, be they great or small, as the greatest of all my misfortunes, because I have thereby offended Thee, O infinite goodness. I trust that Thou hast already forgiven me; but if Thou has not yet pardoned me, oh, do so before I receive Thee: wash with Thy blood this soul of mine, in which Thou art so soon about to dwell. Act Of Desire. And now, my soul, the blessed hour is arrived in which Jesus will come and take up His dwelling in thy poor heart. Behold the King of heaven, behold thy Redeemer and God, Who is even now coming; prepare thyself to receive Him with love, invite Him with the ardor of thy desire; come, O my Jesus, come to my soul, which desires Thee. Before Thou givest Thyself to me, I desire to give [pg 624] Come, my God! hasten; delay no longer. My only and infinite good, my treasure, my life, my paradise, my love, my all, my wish is to receive Thee with the love with which the most holy and loving souls have received Thee; with that with which the most blessed Virgin Mary received Thee; with their communions I unite this one of mine. Most holy Virgin and my Mother Mary, behold, I already approach to receive thy Son. Would that I had the heart and love with which thou didst communicate! Give me this morning thy Jesus, as thou didst give Him to the shepherds and to the kings. I intend to receive Him from thy most pure hands. Tell Him that I am thy servant and thy client; for He will thus look upon me with a more loving eye, and now that He is coming, will press me more closely to Himself. After Communion. Act Of Welcome. Ah, my Jesus, my love, my infinite good, my all, be ever welcome in the poor dwelling of my soul! Ah, my Lord, where art Thou! to what a place art Thou come! Thou hast entered my heart, which is far worse than the stable in which Thou wast born; it is full of earthly affections, of self-love, and of inordinate desires. And how couldst Thou come to dwell there? I would address Thee with St. Peter: “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.”—St. Luke v. 8. Yes, depart from me, O Lord, [pg 625] Loving Aspirations To Jesus In The Blessed Sacrament. They can be used either before or after communion, or in visiting the Blessed Sacrament. 1. “Go forth, ye daughters of Sion, and see King Solomon in the diadem wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals.”—Cant. iii. 11. O daughters of grace, O ye souls who love God, quit the darkness of earth, and behold Jesus, your King, crowned with a crown of thorns; the crown of contempt and suffering with which the impious synagogue, His mother, crowned Him on the day of His espousals,—that is to say, on the day of His death, by the means of which He espoused Himself on the cross to our souls. Go forth again, my soul, and behold Him all full of compassion and love, now that He comes to unite Himself to Thee in this Sacrament of love. [pg 626]Has it indeed, then, cost Thee so much, my beloved Jesus, before Thou couldst come and unite Thyself to souls in this Most Sweet Sacrament? Wast Thou indeed obliged to suffer so bitter and ignominious a death? Oh, come, then, without delay and unite Thyself to my soul also. It was at one time Thy enemy by sin; but now Thou desirest to espouse it by Thy grace. Come, O Jesus, my Spouse, for nevermore will I betray Thee; I am determined to be ever faithful to Thee. As a loving spouse, my whole thought shall be to find out Thy pleasure. I am determined to love Thee without reserve; I desire to be all Thine, my Jesus—all, all, all. 2. “A bundle of myrrh is my Beloved to me; He shall abide between my breasts.”—Cant. i. 12. The myrrh plant when pricked sends forth tears, and a healthful liquor from the wounds. Before His Passion, our Jesus determined to pour forth His divine blood from His wounds in so painful a way, to give it afterwards all to us for our salvation in this bread of life. Come, then, O my beloved bundle of myrrh, O my enamored Jesus; Thou art indeed a subject of grief and pity to me, when I consider Thee all wounded for me on the cross; but then, when I receive Thee in this Most Sweet Sacrament, Thou becomest, indeed, to me more sweet and delicious than a bunch of the choicest grapes can be to one who is parched with thirst: “A cluster of cypress my love is to me, in the vineyards of Engaddi.”—Cant. i. 13. Come, then, to my soul, and revive and satiate me with Thy holy love. Ah, what sweetness do I feel in my soul at the thought, that I have to receive within myself that same Saviour [pg 627] Act Of Thanksgiving. My God and Lord, I thank Thee for the grace which Thou hast this morning bestowed upon me, of coming to dwell in my soul; but I would wish to thank Thee in a manner worthy of Thee and of the great favor which Thou hast done me. But what do I say? how can such a miserable creature as I am ever worthily thank Thee? Father Segneri says that the feeling most becoming a soul who communicates is that of wondering astonishment at the thought, and to repeat, “A God is united to me; a God is mine!” David said, “What shall I render to the Lord for all the things that He hath rendered to me?”—Ps. cxv. 12. But I! what return shall I make to Thee, my Jesus, Who, after having given me so many of Thy good things, hast this morning, moreover, given me Thyself? My soul, bless, then, and thank thy God as best thou canst. And thou, my Mother Mary, my holy advocates, my guardian angel, and all ye souls who love God, “Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will tell you what great things He hath done for my soul.”—Ps. lxv. 16. Come and bless and thank my [pg 628] Act Of Oblation. “My Beloved to me, and I to Him.”—Cant. ii. 16. Should a king go to visit a poor shepherd in his hut, what can the shepherd offer him other than his whole hut, such as it is? Since, then, O Jesus, my divine King, Thou hast come to visit the poor house of my soul, I offer and give Thee this house and my entire self, together with my liberty and will: “My Beloved to me, and I to Him.” Thou hast given Thyself all to me; I give myself all to Thee. My Jesus, from this day forward I will be no longer mine; I will be Thine, and all Thine. May my senses be Thine, that they may only serve me to please Thee. And what greater pleasure, says St. Peter of Alcantara, can be found than that of pleasing Thee, most amiable, most loving, most gracious God? I at the same time give Thee all the powers of my soul, and I will that they shall be all Thine; my memory I will only use to recall to mind Thy benefits and Thy love; my understanding I will only use to think of Thee, Who always thinkest of my good; my will I will only use to love Thee, my God, my all, and to will only that which Thou willest. My most sweet Lord, I offer, then, and consecrate to Thee this morning all that I am and have,—my senses, my thoughts, my affections, my desires, my pleasures, my inclinations, my liberty, in a word, I place my whole body and soul in Thy hands. Accept, O infinite majesty, the sacrifice of the hitherto most ungrateful sinner Thou hast ever had [pg 629] Come, O consuming fire, O divine love! and consume in me all which is mine, and which is displeasing in Thy most pure eyes, so that from henceforward I may be all Thine, and may live only to execute, not Thy commands and counsels alone, but all Thy holy desires and good pleasure also. Amen. O most holy Mary, do thou present this offering of mine to the most Blessed Trinity with thine own hands; and do thou obtain their acceptance of it, and that they may grant me the grace to be faithful unto death. Amen, amen, amen. Act Of Petition. O my soul, what art thou doing? The present is no time to be lost: it is a precious time, in which thou canst receive all the graces which thou askest. Seest thou not the eternal Father, Who is lovingly beholding thee? for within thee He sees His beloved Son, the dearest object of His love. Drive, then, far from thee all other thoughts; rekindle thy faith, enlarge thy heart, and ask for whatever thou willest. Hearest thou not Jesus Himself Who thus addresses thee: “What wilt thou that I should do to thee?”—St. Mark x. 51. O soul, tell me what dost thou desire of Me? I am come for the express purpose of enriching and gratifying thee; ask with confidence, and thou wilt receive all. Ah! my most sweet Saviour, since Thou hast come into my heart in order to grant me graces, and [pg 630] I deserve not this; but Thou, my Jesus, deservest it, since Thou art come to dwell in my soul: I ask it of Thee through Thy merits, and those of Thy most holy Mother, and by the love which Thou bearest to Thy eternal Father. Here pause, to ask Jesus for some other particular grace for yourself and for your neighbors. Do not forget poor sinners, or the souls in purgatory. Eternal Father, Jesus Christ Himself, Thy Son, has said: “Amen, amen, I say to you, if you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it you.” For the love, then, of this Son, Whom I now hold within my breast, do Thou graciously hear me and grant my petition. My most sweet loves, Jesus and Mary, may I suffer for you, may I die for you; may I be all yours, and in nothing my own! May the Most Blessed Sacrament ever be thanked and praised! Blessed be the holy and immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary! [pg 631]Acts Of The Love Of God. 1. My God, my sovereign good, would that I had always loved Thee! 2. My God, I detest the time in which I loved Thee not. 3. How have I lived so long without Thy holy love! 4. And Thou, my God, how hast Thou borne with me! 5. I thank Thee, O my God, for so much patience. 6. Now I desire to love Thee forever. 7. I would rather die than cease to love Thee. 8. My God, deprive me of life rather than permit that I should cease to love Thee. 9. The grace I ask of thee is, that I may always love Thee. 10. With Thy love I shall be happy. Glory be to the Father. 1. My God, I desire to see Thee loved by all men. 2. I should consider it a happiness to give my blood, in order that all men may love Thee. 3. Blind are they who love Thee not. 4. Enlighten them, O my God. 5. Not to love Thee, O sovereign good, is the only evil to be feared. 6. Never will I be of the number of those blind souls who love Thee not. 7. Thou, O my God, art my joy and all my good. 8. I desire to be wholly Thine forever. 9. Who shall ever be able to separate me from Thy love? [pg 632]10. Come, all created beings; come, all of you, and love my God. Glory be to the Father. 1. My God, would that I had a thousand hearts to love Thee! 2. Would that I had the hearts of all men to love Thee! 3. How I should rejoice were there many worlds, who might all love Thee! 4. I should be happy if I could love Thee with the heart of all possible creatures. 5. Thou, indeed, dost merit it, O my God! 6. My heart is too poor and too cold to love Thee! 7. O woful insensibility of man, in regard of this sovereign good! 8. Oh, the blindness of worldlings, who know not true love! 9. O blessed inhabitants of heaven, who know it and love it! 10. O happy necessity, to love God! Glory be to the Father. 1. O my God, when shall I burn with love for Thee? 2. Oh, how happy would be my lot! 3. But since I know not how to love Thee, I can rejoice at this, that so many others love Thee with all their hearts. 4. I rejoice at this particularly, that the angels and saints love Thee in heaven. 5. I unite my feeble heart to their inflamed hearts. [pg 633]6. Would that I could love Thee as well as those saints who have been most inflamed with love for Thee! 7. Would that I had for Thee a love similar to that of St. Mary Magdalene, St. Catharine, and St. Teresa! 8. Or such as that of St. Augustine, St. Dominic, St. Francis Xavier, St. Philip Neri, St. Aloysius Gonzaga. 9. Or as that which was entertained for Thee by the holy apostles; and particularly by St. Peter, St. Paul, and the beloved disciple. 10. Or, in fine, as that with which the great patriarch St. Joseph loved Thee. Glory be to the Father. 1. Would, moreover, that I could love Thee as the Blessed Virgin loved Thee upon earth! 2. As she loved Thee, particularly when she conceived Thy divine Son in her virginal womb, when she brought Him into the world, when she nourished Him with her milk, and when she saw Him die. 3. Would that I could love Thee as she loves Thee now, and as she will love Thee forever in heaven! 4. But to love Thee as Thou deservest to be loved, O God, infinitely good, even this would not suffice. 5. I should wish, moreover, to love Thee as the divine Word made man loved Thee. 6. As He loved Thee at His birth. 7. As He loved Thee expiring on the cross. 8. As He loves Thee continually in the tabernacles where He lies hid. 9. As He loves and shall love Thee forever. [pg 634]10. In fine, my God, I wish to love Thee as Thou lovest us; but since that is impossible, grant that I may love Thee as well as I know how, as much as I can, and as much as Thou wishest me. Amen. Glory be to the Father. Then say the following prayer: O God, Who hast prepared invisible rewards for those who love Thee, pour forth some of Thy love into our hearts, to the end that, loving Thee in all and above all, we may obtain the accomplishment of Thy promises, which surpass all desire; through Our Lord Jesus Christ, etc. You may also add the following: Lift up thine eyes, O my soul; behold and see the power of thy King, the grace of thy God, the love of thy Saviour, now that thou art so near to Him. Take now thy rest, taste and see how fair and how comely is the Spouse thou hast chosen. See what the delights are of that country towards which thou art sighing. See how fair the splendor of that crown for which thou toilest. See what is the essence and what the infinite grandeur of thy God, Whom thou hast loved, Whom thou hast worshipped, for Whom thou hast constantly longed. O God of my life, what praises worthy of Thee can I offer Thee? Truly I know not. What shall I render unto Thee, O my well-beloved, for all the benefits wherewith Thou hast overwhelmed me? Thou in me, and I in Thee, O Jesus, my one good; this is the thank-offering I set before Thy glory. I have nothing else beside. My one only offering is what I am in Thee, my life in Thee. [pg 635]O God, Thou sacred object of my love, expand my heart in Thee, enlarge my soul, and fill me with Thy glory. Oh, when shall it be said unto my soul: “Turn again into thy rest, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee”? When, oh, when shall I hear that blissful word: “Come, enter into the holy place of the rest of thy Spouse”? O Jesus? my sweetest peace, when shall I lay me down and take my rest in Thee, whilst Thou showest me all Thy glory? Pius VII., by a rescript, Aug. 11, 1818, granted an indulgence of three hundred days to all the faithful who should recite, with a contrite heart, a succession of acts of the love of God, arranged in form of a crown, with five Glory be to the Fathers, etc. By saying them ten times a month for a whole year, a person may gain a plenary indulgence on any day he may choose; confession, communion, and prayers according to the Pope's intentions being supposed. |
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