The Path To Heaven/Communion
An Act of Hope.
In thee, O Jesus, do I place all my hope, because thou alone art my salvation, my strength, my refuge, and the foundation of all my happiness; and were it not for the confidence I place in thy merits, and in the precious blood wherewith thou didst redeem me, I would not presume to partake of this banquet. Encouraged by thy goodness, I come to thee as a poor and infirm sheep to its shepherd; as a sick man to his physician; as a condemned criminal to his powerful intercessor: that, as the true shepherd of my soul, thou mayest strengthen me; heal me, as my physician; and, as my merciful advocate, deliver me from the sentence of sin and death. I, who am an abyss of nothing, invoke thee, who art the abyss of all goodness; for though my sins are innumerable, and very grievous, yet they are but light and trivial when compared to thy boundless mercy, and the infinite ransom of thy blood. Have pity, therefore, on me, O Jesus, and save me, for thou forsakest none that put their trust in thee.
An Act of Charity.
How strong was the force of thy love, my dear Redeemer, when, being about to depart out of this world to thy eternal Father, thou providedst for us this divine banquet, enriched with all heavenly sweetness. It was through the wonderful effects of thy divine goodness that thou didst humble thyself to such an excess for our redemption, as to take upon thee the infirmity of our nature. And is it not through an infinite excess of thy love, that thou hast left us thy body and blood for the food and nourishment of our souls; that, as thou didst unite thyself to our humanity, so we might here be made partakers of thy divinity? In return for this thy infinite love, I desire to love thee, O Lord Jesus, who art my only comfort in this place of banishment, the only hope of my infirm soul, and my happiness, above all else that I can enjoy. Make me to love thee, my God, with my whole heart, with my whole soul, with all my mind, and with all my strength; that as every moment is an increase of my life, so it may be also of my love towards thee. I desire, with all the affections and powers of my soul, that as the utmost thanks are due, so they may be returned to thee, by all the faithful, for this divine food, which is our refreshment, support, strength, armour, and defence in all our dangers and distresses; and that my love may never cease, inflame my heart with the fire of heaven, that it may continue burning, till nature and corruption being weakened and consumed, I may be wholly transformed into thee. Come, O Lord, hasten to release me from the bonds of sin, and prepare me for the blessings thou art now about to bestow on me.
An Act of Desire.
As the wearied hart thirsts after the fountains of water, so doth my soul pant after thee, my Saviour, my Lord, and my God. It ardently longs to drink of those fountains which thy love hath opened for Its comfort and relief. Tired with my own evil Ways, I return hungry and thirsty, crying out aloud, Have mercy on me, O Son of God, and permit me to taste of thy banquet, that my soul may be refreshed. Oh, that my soul did truly hunger after thee, the bread of angels, the food of blessed souls, and that all that is within me might be delighted with the taste of thy sweetness! I here despise all human consolations, that I may be comforted by thee, my only good, my God and Saviour, whom I love above all things, and desire to entertain within my breast, with as much devotion and affection as is conceived by thy chosen servants, who now sit at thy table of celestial bliss. And however I may have been hitherto wanting in my duty, or unjust to thee, in displacing my affections, I desire for ever to renounce my folly and weakness, and from my heart request that, for the future, my joy, my relief, my treasure, and rest, may be entirely centred in thee. May I never desire any thing besides thee; and may all things seem contemptible and as nothing without thee, O my God.
An Act of Thanksgiving.
Who am I, O God of infinite goodness, that thou shouldst permit me to partake of this bread of angels? How have I found such favour in thy sight, as to be the object of so unspeakable a mercy? Come, all ye angels and saints of God, and I will recount to you what great things our Lord hath done for my soul. He hath raised me out of the dust, and delivered me from the bonds of sin; he hath told me not to be dejected, for that he himself will be my support and my strength; and though I have most unworthily forsaken him by my repeated follies, yet behold he calls me once more, and invites me to partake of the bread of life, that, as he made me, so I may ever live by him. What thanks can I give thee, O merciful Jesus, Saviour of the world? What return shall I make thee for all thou hast done for my soul? Were I to give all I have in acknowledgment of thy love, it would still be as nothing; for thou, Lord, hast plentifully poured forth thyself upon me, and given me even all that thou art; and if, in thanksgiving for thy mercies, I were to lay before thee my body and soul, my life, liberty, and all I possess, what would they be when compared to the blessings thou hast here bestowed on me; what to the debt I owe, which is in some kind equal to what I receive, infinite as thyself? Thou hast mercifully given thyself to me, for the food of my soul: and now behold I offer thee all that I have, all that I am, all that I possess; to thee I make a full surrender of them all, that, being wholly thine, I may now no longer have any part in myself.
An Act of Humility.
In fervour of spirit and humility of heart I approach thy holy altar, O my God, to implore thy mercy and assistance. I adore thee, divine Jesus, really present in this sacred host; I acknowledge my unworthiness to receive thee; yet encouraged by thy goodness, I venture to follow the impulse of my heart, which powerfully attracts me to thee. " O Lord of Hosts, how lovely are thy tabernacles! my soul longeth and fainteth" for thy possession; for " blessed is the man that trusteth in thee." Thou art the God of all glory; and what am I, and what should I have- been, hadst thou not raised me from the grave of sin? Alas! without thee, my soul is a barren hind, fertile only in the production of weeds and brambles; but with patient love thou hast come to my assistance, saying, " Fear not, O land, be glad and rejoice, for I, the Lord, have done great things" for thee. Ah, merciful Lord! what hast thou left undone to secure my happiness? And now, forgetful of all my fast ingratitude, thou invitest me to thy sacred banquet, come, then, with confidence, because " thou art my God, and hast heard me, and art become my salvation." Oh, " what shall I render unto thee, O Lord, for all thou hast rendered unto me? I will take the chalice of salvation; and I will call upon thy name. I will pay my tows to thee before all thy people; for I am thy servant" I have strayed far from thee, my God, and thou hast displayed the wonders of thy mercy, by recalling me from my wanderings, Oh, perfect thy work of love, by preserving me from ever again forsaking the path of thy commandments; " teach me to do thy will," and strengthen me to fulfil it perfectly.
Humbled, O Lord, at the view of my many miseries, and convinced of my weakness; yet. animated with a sincere desire to employ the remainder of my years in repairing my past ingratitude; I fervently implore thy powerful assistance, for, " strengthened by thee, I can all things;" with humble confidence I approach thy altar, "for with thee is the fountain of life, and in thy light I shall see light." Come, then, O blessed Jesus, to take possession of my heart:, in thy adorable sacrament. Come, and give efficacy to my resolution, of firing henceforth but for thee, and of devoting all my faculties to the promotion of thy glory. Establish thy dwelling in my soul, that, fertilised by the dew of thy grace, it may produce a rich harvest of holiness and virtue. May thy love be the end of my existence, and the only motive of all my actions; may it be my guide Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/225 Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/226 Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/227 Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/228 umphed over their enemies, done justice, and obtained the promises.
Of Hope.
I, adore thy infinite greatness, O divine Majesty, whe fillest both heaven and earth, and art adored by all the blessed spirits, angels, and saints, who, without ceasing, praise and cry out before thee, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth." Is it possible thou shouldst condescend to visit the mo# unworthy of all thy servants, and desire to dwell with him? If the heavens, nay, the heaven of heavens, cannot contain thee, how much less this habitation, which I have prepared for thy reception Thou knowest, O Blessed Jesus, how to conceal the dazzling splendour of thy; glory, and condescend to oar weak capacity, that so thou mayest communicate thyself to us the more freely. This thou didst not only at the time of thy adorable incarnation, when thou madest thyself like to the more forcibly to attract our love to thee; but also when thou didst institute this mystery, wherein thou gavest thyself to us for, the food and nourishment of our souls, the more closely to unite us to thyself, and, make us aspire to that celestial banquet thou hast prepared for the blessed in heaven. ' O God grant me the grace so eagerly to long after this eternal banquet, that the desire of hereafter enjoying it may make me despise all the goods and pleasures of this life, and labour , incessantly to prepare myself, till I am happily admitted amongst its guests. I now desire to wean my heart , entirely from all irregular and corrupt affections, that I may place my whole love and confidence in thee alone. For this end I am firmly resolved to watch over all my actions, to flee from sin and avoid whatever may be displeasing to thee, I will labour to work out my salvation by observing thy precepts, and as I have resolved, so I hone to be faithful to thee; but this resolution I acknowledge myself unable to perform without the help of thy grace, which I most humbly implore. o Jesus, save me; conduct me through the ways of thy commandments, in which I now begin to walk, Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/230 Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/231 Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/232 Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/233 Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/234 Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/235 Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/236 Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/237 Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/238 Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/239 Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/240 Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/241 Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/242 Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/243 Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/244 Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/245