Coram Sanctissimo - 31

THIRTY-FIRST VISIT

Oh, how beautiful a sight it was to behold our sweet Redeemer on that day, when, fatigued by His journey, He sat down, all engaging and loving, beside the well to await the Samaritan woman that He might convert and save her! Jesus, therefore, sat thus on the well–(Jo. iv. 6). It is precisely thus that this same Lord seems sweetly to dwell with us all day long, having come down from Heaven upon our altars, which are as so many Fountains of grace, whereat He waits and invites souls to keep Him company, at least for a while, that He may in this way draw them to His perfect love. From every altar on which Jesus remains in the Most Holy Sacrament He seems to address all, saying: O men! why do you fly from my Presence? Why do you not come and draw near to One Who loves you so much, and Who remains thus annihilated for your sake? Why do you fear? I am not now come on earth to sit in judgment, but I have hidden Myself in this Sacrament of love only to do good, and to save all who have recourse to Me: I came not to judge the world but to save the world-(Jo. xii. 47).

Let us, then, understand that as Jesus Christ in Heaven is always living to make intercession for us -(Heb. vii. 25), so in the Sacrament of the Altar He is continually, night and day, exercising the compassionate office of Advocate; offering Himself as a Victim for us to the Eternal Father, thus to obtain for us His mercy and innumerable graces. Therefore the devout Thomas a Kempis says that we ought to approach Jesus to converse with Him in the Blessed Sacrament without fear of chastisement, and unrestrained, as with a beloved friend, “as one who loves speaking to his beloved; as a friend to a friend.”

Since, then, Thou thus givest me permission, let me, O my hidden King and Lord, now open my heart to Thee with confidence, and say: “O my Jesus! O Enamoured of souls, I well know the injustice men do Thee. Thou lovest them, and art not loved by them; Thou doest good to them, and receivest insults; Thou desirest to make them hear Thy voice, and they give Thee no ear; Thou offerest them graces, and they refuse them. Ah, my Jesus, and is it true that I also at one time joined these ungrateful creatures in thus displeasing Thee? O God, it is but too true! But I am determined to amend and to endeavour, during the time that I have to live, to make up for the displeasure I have caused Thee, by doing all that I possibly can to please Thee and to give Thee consolation. Tell me, O Lord, what Thou dost wish from me, and I will execute all without reserve: make known Thy will to me by means of holy obedience, and I hope to accomplish it. My God, I now resolutely promise Thee that I will never, from this day forward, omit what I know to be the more pleasing to Thee, even were it to cost me the loss of all-relatives, friends, esteem, health, yea life itself. Let all perish, provided Thou art pleased. Happy loss, indeed, when all is lost and sacrificed to satisfy Thy Heart, O God of my soul! I love Thee, O sovereign Good, worthy of love above every other good; and in loving Thee I unite my poor heart to all the hearts with which the Seraphim love Thee; I unite it to the heart of Mary, to the Heart of Jesus. I love Thee with my entire self; Thee alone will I love, and Thee alone will I always love.

Ejac. My God, my God, I am Thine, and Thou art mine!

AN ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

My Jesus, I believe that Thou art truly present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love Thee above all things, and I desire to possess Thee within my soul. Since I am unable now to receive Thee sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace Thee as already there, and unite myself wholly to Thee; never permit me to be separated from Thee.

VISIT TO MARY

Blessed Amadeus says that our most blessed Queen Mary is always in the divine Presence, acting as our advocate, and interposing with God by her prayers, which are most powerful: “The most blessed Virgin stands before the face of her Creator, interceding with her most powerful prayers for us.” “For,” he adds, “she well sees our miseries and our dangers, and as our most clement and sweet Lady compassionates and succours us with a mother’s love.” Thou, my advocate and my most loving Mother, thou even now seest the miseries of my soul; thou seest my dangers and prayest for me. Pray, pray, and cease not to pray, until thou seest me saved and thanking thee in Heaven. The devout Blosius tells me that thou, O sweet Mary, art, after Jesus, the certain salvation of those who are thy faithful servants. Ah! this grace I now ask of thee: grant me the happy lot of being thy faithful servant until death; that after death I may go to bless thee in Heaven, where I shall be certain never more, as long as God is God, to leave thy sacred feet.

Ejac. O Mary, my Mother, grant that I may be ever thine.

Concluding Prayer

Most holy Immaculate Virgin and my Mother Mary, to thee, who art the Mother of my Lord, and Queen of the world, the advocate, the hope, the refuge of sinners, I have recourse today I, who am the most miserable of all. I render thee my most humble homage, O great Queen, and I thank thee for all the graces thou hast conferred on me until now, particularly for having delivered me from hell, which I have so often deserved. I love thee, O most amiable Lady; and for the love which I bear thee, I promise to serve thee always, and to do all in my power to make others love thee also. I place in thee all my hopes; I confide my salvation to thy care. Accept me for thy servant, and receive me under thy mantle, O Mother of Mercy. And since thou art so powerful with God, deliver me from all temptations, or rather obtain for me the strength to triumph over them until death. Of thee I ask a perfect love of Jesus Christ. From thee I hope to die a good death.

O my Mother, for the love which thou bearest to God, I beseech thee to help me at all times, but especially at the last moment of my life. Leave me not, I beseech thee, until thou seest me safe in Heaven, blessing thee, and singing thy mercies for all eternity. Amen. So I hope. So may it be.