Preparation for Holy Communion.

1. I believe most firmly, my dear Jesus, that in the consecrated Host is contained Thy humanity and Thy divinity, together with Thy sacred flesh and blood. I believe in this mystery of our faith, because Thou, Who art infinite wisdom, hast announced, “My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.” I believe as firmly as Thy holy Mother Mary believed in all the sacred truths which Thou camest to preach. With the heart of Mary, O divine Infant Jesus, I would love Thee! I would wish to receive Thee into the shelter of my heart, as Mary didst receive Thee into her arms with devotion and tenderness, and Thou didst find a resting-place. Cold and dreary was everything about Thee, that night of Thy birth, but Thou didst find a warm heart in Thy holy Mother. Let me embrace Thee with the same fervor with which Joseph and Simeon welcomed Thee into their arms. Give me now, O divine Infant Jesus, through the participation in Thy body and blood, the burning love of Thy holy spirit, which induced Thee to become my Brother. Thou didst institute this Holy Sacrament that I might be united to Thee and Thou to me. I am heartily sorry that I have, hitherto, preferred creatures to Thee, and so far have done nothing to deserve Thy mercy. Forgive the sins for which I have had only a superficial sorrow, and which I, perhaps, have confessed in the same spirit. Clothe me with the garb of innocence of Thy holy childhood; by Thy adorable blood purify me, by Thy holy spirit enliven me, [pg 058] that from the present I may no longer live, but Thou, my Jesus, live in me forever.

O Holy Ghost, Who didst prepare the body of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by the infusion of sanctity, to be a worthy habitation of the body of the divine Infant Jesus, prostrate before Thee I beg that Thy grace may also render my soul and body worthy to receive the body of Christ, that I may receive Him with purity and faith, and may through the reception lay a foundation of sanctity, which will entitle me to enter the glorious kingdom of heaven.

O my good Jesus, my whole confidence is in Thee; Thy wounds and Thy sacred blood encourage me to hope in the Lord.

O Son of the almighty God, Son of the Virgin Mary, hear me, and be merciful unto me. My heart desires to receive Thee with the same joy and desire with which Mary conceived Thee and gave Thee birth.

Come, then, dear Lord, and fashion my heart according to Thy will; and, oh, holy saints, devout adorers of the Infant Jesus, St. Francis, St. Anthony, St. Stanislaus, pray that my faith may be strong, that my hope and confidence in the Infant Jesus may increase, that my love for Him and His good Mother may burn with an inextinguishable flame.

And thou, my guardian angel, as well as arch-*angels and angels, cherubim and seraphim, accompany me to the holy table of the Lord; cover me with thy wings, for I am not worthy to receive this heavenly food.

2. O my God, my Lord, is it possible that Thou lovest me, a miserable human being, so tenderly, that now Thou dost feed my soul with Thy precious [pg 059] blood, with the bread of angels? By this sacred food Thou dost so firmly unite me to Thee as to make us one; Thy soul unites itself with my soul, and Thy body with my poor human nature. Rejoice, then, O my soul, for no longer can it be said, “My tears have been my bread day and night: whilst it is said to me daily: Where is thy God?”—Ps. xli. 4. For my food is the bread of angels and my God is not far from me and my God is in my soul! O dear Jesus, how liberal art Thou towards him that seeks Thee! How can I make return for this great kindness?

3. Consider, O my soul, that as often as you receive communion, you become, as it were, like Mary, the Mother of God, and a spouse of Jesus Christ: for in holy communion you may consider that the Lord comes to you as the little Child of Bethlehem. He becomes your Spouse because He loves you, takes care of you, and caresses you. O my soul, with what energy you ought to seek to acquire the virtues of our dear Mother Mary. She was adorned with every virtue when the incarnation took place in her, and she enjoyed the presence of her God.

Put yourself exclusively into the hands of God, and have the same sentiments that Mary had when she said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord,” or with the spouse in the Canticles: “My Beloved is a bunch of myrrh which rests in my bosom.” And with Simeon, the prophet, exclaim, “Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, O Lord, according to Thy word in peace: Because my eyes have seen Thy salvation.”

4. Permit me, my dear Jesus, to use Thy words in the Gospel: “I am come to cast fire on the earth, [pg 060] and what will I but that it be kindled?”—Luke xii. 49. Why is it that I receive so often, and approach this fire of divine love, and am not ignited? Let, then, this fire of love, which burns in this Sacrament, communicate its flames to me, that I may rise from the things of this world. I will now endeavor to love Thee above all things and no creature shall hinder me from Thy love. I will love Thee with my whole strength.

5. Dear Infant Jesus, Thy love has conquered my heart! I know now that Thou givest Thyself to me as my food, and as a ransom to free me from the slavery of Satan. My servitude to the devil, the flesh, and the world has been hard, but being once liberated from these chains, I hate my former cruel masters, and wish to belong entirely to Thee. There is no joy or happiness in anything in this world, but in Thee, my God, Who callest to me: “Come to Me all you that labor, and are burdened, and I will refresh you. Take up My yoke upon you ... and you shall find rest to your souls.”—Matt. xi. 28, 29. Yes, I will willingly subject myself to Thy yoke, by obedience to Thy holy commandments, which I will keep with the greatest exactitude. Permit me to approach Thy sacred banquet, for which I am now preparing.

6. In Jesus you may find all that you seek, and all that you need. Why, then, do you turn to other consolations? Seek that only Good which contains all good. Consider Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, the greatest Good, and stir up in yourself a desire for Him. He will not despise you, though you are unworthy of the favor. When Jesus dwelt on earth, and travelled through cities, towns, and country, He [pg 061] always had compassion on misery, and rejected none that came seeking relief from the ills of body and soul. And now that same Jesus is in heaven, and He can refuse no one. The woman who touched the hem of His garment was healed of a long standing infirmity. Magdalen, the sinner, kisses His feet, and her sins are forgiven. The pagan woman of Chanaan obtains the cure of her daughter. The sisters Mary and Martha obtain the resurrection of their brother Lazarus. Those possessed by the devil are freed.

My heart will not hesitate, but will boldly and humbly approach the Lord and ask the cure of my soul. He gives me His sacred body and blood, and all other needful things will be added unto me.

7. Yes, my God, my Lord, will come to me! I will not fear; I will approach with a joyful heart; I will not lose courage because I am sinful, as I know the Lord invites the sinner. He has eaten and drank with them, and treated them as His friends. He will also eat with me, and entertain me at His own table if I am only sorry for my sins. He will give me the kiss of peace and welcome me to His house. With His own flesh and blood He will feed me.

8. Come, O dear Jesus, wash my feet as Thou didst the apostles'. St. Peter refused, but when he was told that unless he complied he would have no part with Jesus, he gladly consented. Purify me also that I may have share with Thee in Thy glory. I am full of impurities in body and soul, my lips are unclean, because they utter many reprehensible words, my eyes and ears are impure, because they see and hear impurities. Who can purify me but [pg 062] Thou, O Lord, O crucified Redeemer, by Thy sacred blood which flows from the cross?

9. Who shall give me the wings of a dove, that I may fly to Thee, my rest, my peace? Give me two wings: one the firm confidence in Thy goodness, that Thou wilt allow me to claim some of Thy merits for my salvation; the other the wing of love, that I may soar beyond this world, and remain with Thee. Prepare me for Thy sacred banquet with the virtues which Thou Thyself would have in me. Teach me how I am to serve Thee. Give me a real thirst after Thy sacred blood, and a real hunger after Thy sacred flesh, that I may really desire it.

10. O consolation of my soul, dear Infant Jesus, I beg of Thee to root out of my heart all the sins and vices to which I am so much inclined; spare me not in removing them, even though it may hurt, even though I may be unwilling. Piety, humility, sincerity, modesty, and love are necessary. Then plant these virtues in my soul, and give me grace to practise them.

11. The Bridegroom is coming! I hear this cry, and I am to go forth to meet Him. Am I prepared? Have I oil in my lamp? Bestir yourself then, O my soul: it is not an angel that is coming, or a great prophet. No, it is God Himself Who is approaching: the Son of God, the King of glory. Rise, my soul, and prepare a resting-place in your heart, where the Lord may remain.

After Communion.

Ejaculations To The Dear Infant Jesus.

How great is Thy love, sweet Heart of Jesus, Who hast given Thyself to me as a celestial food! [pg 063] Thou deservest to be loved with an infinite love, and not with the love of ordinary creatures.

O Jesus, I am heartily sorry for having hitherto loved Thee so little! Why did I not love Thee sooner?

Would that I could redeem that time in which I did not love Thee! Where will I find hearts that are going to help me to make up for the glory that I should have given Thee up to this time?

Would that I loved Thee with that tender love with which Mary loved Thee. The angels and saints loved Thee, my Jesus; let me also join them in their love.

Offering.

I offer Thee my whole being; let it be unreservedly Thine. Thou hast taken possession of my heart, Thou art its Master; my whole life shall be used for Thy greater honor and glory. Wherever my influence may reach, there will I carry the name of Jesus. Wherever the word of God may be announced, I will glory in Thy name.

Thou, O Lord, art so full of love, and still Thou art so little loved! O would that I could enkindle all hearts with the fire of Thy love! Thou, O Lord, art the Master of all hearts; we belong to Thee because Thou hast created us, and when we rebelled from Thee and became slaves of Satan, Thou didst redeem us. What greater right have we than to belong to Thee, to be subject to Thee, and to announce Thy holy name to all, so that by our mutual example we may be encouraged to live lives of sanctity?

O that all of us would have the love of the Infant Jesus in our souls, and make earnest endeavors to [pg 064] spread Thy love among all men! When, O Lord, will I be dissolved, to live only with Thee? To Thee my sighs and desires go up day and night. When will I see Thy blessed countenance? When my time comes to die, let me die in Thy love, so that I may love Thee for all eternity. Thy will, O Jesus, be done in all things, and let me delight to walk in Thy footsteps.

Do with me what Thou wilt; I am willing to submit to joy or sorrow, life or death, fortune or misfortune. It is all indifferent to me as long as it is Thy will, only give me the grace to endure adversity with resignation. It will be a joy to me to fulfil Thy holy will in all things.

Thanksgiving After Communion.

Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, according to St. Francis de Sales.

How can I, O Lord Jesus Christ, praise Thee sufficiently for having visited my soul in Thy infinite goodness, by Thy divinity and Thy sacred humanity, with Thy body and blood? I give Thee, my Lord and my God, a loving welcome, Thou Who art my Redeemer, my last end, my consolation, my sweetest rest, my all. A thousand welcomes to Thee, my dear Jesus, my good shepherd. In the abyss of my nothingness I humbly adore Thee. I adore Thy sacred flesh and blood, which Thou hast given me for my food, and the pledge of my eternal union with Thee. I adore Thy sacred head crowned with thorns; I adore Thy eyes that have shed so many tears for me; I adore Thy mouth, with which Thou didst teach me eternal truths; I adore Thy [pg 065] sacred countenance, which has been beaten for me by cruel soldiers; Thy feet, that have been pierced by the nails and fixed to the tree of the cross; Thy arms, which were outstretched for me, for a loving embrace; Thy side which the lance pierced, and from which blood and water issued forth, the witnesses of my redemption; Thy Heart, which loved me even unto the death of the cross. My dear Redeemer, I adore Thy sacred body, covered with innumerable wounds which Thou didst suffer for me. I adore Thy most holy soul, which was saddened unto death in the Garden of Olives that I might reach eternal life.

My dear Jesus, with great love I embrace Thee, and I will remain faithful to Thee until my last hour. Bless these feelings of a good heart: grant that no storm of temptation may lead me again to be unfaithful as I have repeatedly been heretofore.

A Pious Salutation To The Infant Jesus.

Hail, holy and adorable Infant Jesus, source of mercy! Thou art the life of the sinner, unfathomable ocean of divine sweetness, our hope, our joy. To Thee, born in the dreary stable of Bethlehem, we cry, poor children of Eve, to Thee we send forth our sighs, to Thee we send up our lamentations in this valley of tears. Turn then, O incarnate love, Thine eyes of mercy towards us, O blessed fruit of Thy Virgin Mother. As Thou didst show Thyself full of kindness in the stable of Bethlehem, so show unto us, after this miserable life, Thy divine mercy, when Thou shalt come in the glory of Thy Father. O sweet, O loving, O clement Infant Jesus! Amen.