love. I love thee, I say, more than myself, and than all things; at least, I most earnestly desire so to love thee, and always to adhere to thee alone. Oh, that by the force of this Sacrament there may be cemented between thee and me a union of love so great, that nothing may be able to separate me from the love of Christ my Saviour!
6. Renew thy Resolution.
But whatever is opposed to this my desire and thy command, and whatever even is an obstacle to the relish and sweetness of this heavenly Manna, such as are this N. and that N., I seriously and sincerely resolve to avoid, and this only for the love of thee. Oh, that by the power of, and in union with, this Sacrament, thy abundant and efficacious grace may assist the resolution of my will, so weak and unstable, thou knowest, O Lord, of itself! Thy eyes see my imperfection, but all my sufficiency is from thee.
7. Exercise Humility.
But how dare I approach thee? Art not thou, O God, the Lord, my Creator and Redeemer, King of heaven and earth, &c.? And what am I? A poor worm of earth! dust and ashes; and, what is worse, so often a disobedient and ungrateful sinner towards thee, &c. Worthy, indeed, I am not, O Lord, that thou shouldst enter under my roof; but, O Lord, remember that, though thou wert Lord of all, thou tookst the form of a servant, to come to us, and conversedst familiarly with publicans and sinners. Finally, thou humbledst thyself even to death. Let that humility move thee, I beseech thee, not to despise me, mean and humble as I am; but mercifully come to me, or receive me graciously when I come to thee.
8. Ask for Grace.
I beseech thee, therefore, O eternal Father, by the force of that most powerful love which drew down from thy bosom thy only-begotten Son into the Virgin’s womb, that for us men he might become man.
I beseech thee, by that earnestness of desire with which at his last supper he desired to eat the Pasch with his disciples, and to perfect the work of our redemption; by the force also of that love by which he gave himself to them and to us all, to be our food, when he instituted the Sacrifice and Sacrament of his Body and Blood, in memory of his boundless love, and for a pledge of future glory.
I beseech thee, also, by the force of that most ardent charity with which he offered himself to thee, his eternal Father, on the altar of the
