Visits to the Most Holy Sacrament and to the Blessed Virgin MaryVisit 14

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

Most amiable Jesus, I hear Thee say from this tabernacle in which Thou art present, This is my rest forever and ever; here will I dwell, for I have chosen it.’ Since, then, Thou hast chosen Thy dwelling on our altars in the midst of us, remaining there in the Most Holy Sacrament, and since Thy love for us makes Thee there find Thy repose, it is but just that our hearts also should ever dwell with Thee in affection, and should find all pleasure and repose in Thee. Blessed are you, O loving souls, who can find no sweeter repose in the world than in remaining near to your Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament! And blessed should I be, my Lord, did I from this time forward find no greater delight than in remaining always in Thy presence, or in always thinking of Thee, who in the Most Holy Sacrament art always thinking of me and of my welfare.

Ah, my Lord! and why have I lost so many years, in which I have not loved Thee? O miserable years, I curse you; and I bless Thee, O infinite patience of my God, for having for so many years borne with me, though so ungrateful to Thy love. And still, notwithstanding this ingratitude, Thou waitest for me: and why, my God, why? It is, that one day, overcome by Thy mercies and by Thy love, I may yield wholly to Thee. Lord, I will no longer resist, I will no longer be ungrateful. It is but just that I should consecrate to Thee the time, be it long or short, which I have still to live. I hope for Thy help, O my Jesus, to become entirely Thine. Thou didst favor me so much when I fled from Thee and despised Thy love; how much more may I now hope that Thou wilt favor me, now that I seek and desire to love Thee! Give me, then, the grace to love Thee, O God, worthy of infinite love. I love Thee with my whole heart; I love Thee above all things; I love Thee more than myself, more than my life. I am sorry for having offended Thee, O infinite goodness: pardon me; and with Thy pardon grant me the grace to love Thee much in this life until death, and in the next life for all eternity. O Almighty God, show the world the greatness of Thy power, in the prodigy of a soul ungrateful as mine has been becoming one of Thy greatest lovers. Do this by Thy merits, my Jesus. It is my ardent desire, and I resolve thus to love Thee during my whole life: do Thou, who inspirest me with this desire, give me also the strength to accomplish it.

Ejaculatory prayer. My Jesus, 1 thank Thee for having waited for me until now!

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

St. Germanus, addressing the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, says: “No one is saved but through thee; no one is delivered from evils but through thee; there is no one on whom any gift is bestowed but through thee.”’ Therefore, my Lady and my hope, if thou dost not help me I am lost, and shall be unable to bless thee in heaven. But, Lady, I hear all the saints say that thou never abandonest those who have recourse to thee. He only is lost who has not recourse to thee. I, then, miserable creature that I am, have recourse to thee, and in thee place all my hopes.

Ejaculatory prayer, in the words of St. Bernard, Mary is my whole confidence; she is the whole ground of my hope !

{From the Naples Edition.}
Prayer of St. Anselm.

We entreat thee, most Sacred Virgin, by that fulness of grace, whereby thou wast elevated to the highest degree of dignity and glory which a pure creature can possibly attain, that thou wouldst procure for us a fellowship with thee in glory. Pray for us, that we may obtain that happiness, to purchase which for us God vouchsafed to become man in thy immaculate womb, Be not deaf to our supplications; whatever thou askest of thy Son, he will grant to us: if thou desirest our salvation, and prayest for it, we are sure to be saved. But if thou dost shut the bowels of thy mercy against us; if thou, who art the Mother of clemency. dost not take pity on us, what will be our lot when thy Son shall appear in judgment?

Ejaculatory prayer. O Mary! behold our danger, and have compassion on us.

The usual prayer, page 125.