Visits to the Most Holy Sacrament and to the Blessed Virgin MaryVisit 23

To the Blessed Sacrament,
My Lord Jesus Christ, etc., page 123.

Many Christians submit to great fatigue, and expose themselves to many dangers, to visit the places in the Holy Land where our most loving Saviour was born, suffered, and died. We need not undertake so long a journey, or expose ourselves to so many dangers; the same Lord is near us, and dwells in the church, only a few steps distant from our houses. If pilgrims, says St. Paulinus,’ consider it a great thing to bring back a little dust from the crib, or from the holy sepulchre in which Jesus was buried, with what ardor should not we visit the Most Blessed Sacrament, where the same Jesus is in person, and where we can go without encountering so much fatigue and so many dangers! A religious person, to whom God had given great love for the Most Blessed Sacrament, amongst other things wrote as follows in a letter: “I see that every good thing that I have comes to me from the Most Blessed Sacrament. I have given and consecrated my whole self to Jesus in this Sacrament. I see innumerable graces, which are not granted because people do not go to this divine Sacrament. I see the great desire that our Lord has to dispense his graces in the Sacrament. O holy mystery! O sacred Host! Where is it that God manifests his power the most, if it is not in this Host? For this Host contains all that God has ever done for us. Let us not envy the blessed who are in heaven, since on earth we have the same Lord, with greater wonders of his love. Induce all with whom you speak to devote themselves to the Most Blessed Sacrament. I speak thus because this Sacrament enraptures my soul. Nor can I cease to speak of the Most Blessed Sacrament, which deserves so greatly to be loved. I know not what to do for Jesus in this Sacrament.” Thus the letter ends.

O ye Seraphim, who remain sweetly burning with love around your and my Lord; though it is not indeed for love of you but of me that this King of Heaven is pleased to be present in this Sacrament—O loving Angels, let me also burn with love; and do you enkindle your love in me, that with you I also may burn! O my Jesus, teach me to know the greatness of the love which Thou bearest to men, that at the sight of so great love my desire to love Thee and please Thee may go on always increasing! I love Thee, most amiable Lord, and will always love Thee; and this alone to please Thee.

Ejaculatory prayer. My Jesus, I believe in Thee, I hope in Thee, I love Thee, and I give myself to Thee!

Spiritual Communion, page 124.
Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Most amiable Virgin, St. Bonaventure calls thee, “the Mother of orphans;” and St. Ephrem, moreover, calls thee “the receiver of orphans.”² Alas, these wretched orphans are no others than poor sinners who have lost God! Behold, then, I have recourse to thee, most holy Mary. I have lost my Father; but thou art my Mother, who must enable me to recover him. In this my so great misfortune I call thee to my aid; do thou succor me. Shall I remain disconsolate? No; for Innocent III, speaking of thee, asks, “Whoever called upon her, and was not graciously heard by her ?”³ And whoever prayed to thee, and was not heard and helped by thee? Who was ever lost who had recourse to thee? He alone is lost who has not recourse to thee. Then, my Queen, if thou desirest my salvation, enable me always to invoke and confide in thee.

Ejaculatory prayer. My own most holy Mary, give me confidence in thee!

(From the Naples Edition.]

I shall say with St. Augustine, Remember, O Mary, full of goodness! that no sinner has ever been heard of that has had recourse to thy protection and been abandoned by thee. Let us, then, says St. Bernard, seek for grace through the means of Mary, because she can obtain what she asks, and her demands never meet with a refusal! O Mother of God! thou prayest for all; vouchsafe to pray for me, who am the greatest of sinners, and therefore have the greatest need of thy intercession.⁴

Ejaculatory prayer. I fly to thy aid, O sacred Mother of God!
The usual prayer, page 125.