Visits to the Most Holy Sacrament and to the Blessed Virgin MaryVisit 3

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

And My delights were to be with the children of men.* Behold our Jesus, who, not satisfied with dying on earth for our love, is pleased even after his death to dwell with us in the Most Holy Sacrament, declaring that he finds his delights among men. “O men,” exclaims St. Teresa, “how can you offend a God who declares that it is with you that he finds his delights!” Jesus finds his delights with us; and shall we not find ours with Jesus? And we especially who have had the honor to dwell in his palace? How greatly do those vassals esteem themselves honored to whom the king assigns an abode in his own residence! Behold the palace of the King; it is this house in which we dwell with Jesus Christ. Let us, then, learn to thank him for it, and to avail ourselves of conversing with Jesus Christ.

Behold me, then, O my Lord and God, before this altar, on which Thou dost reside night and day for my sake. Thou art the source of every good; Thou art the healer of every ill; Thou art the treasure of every poor creature. Behold now at Thy feet a sinner, who is of all the poorest and most infirm, and who asks Thy mercy; have pity upon me! Now that I see Thee in this Sacrament, come down from heaven upon earth only to do me good; I will not be disheartened at the sight of my misery. I praise Thee, I thank Thee, I love Thee; and if

Thou willest that I should ask Thee for an alms, I will ask for this. O listen to me: I desire never more to offend Thee; and I desire that Thou shouldst give me light and grace to love Thee with all my strength. Lord, I love Thee with my whole soul; I love Thee with all my affections. Do Thou grant that I may thus speak with truth; and that I may speak in the same way during life and for all eternity. Most holy Virgin Mary, my holy patron saints, ye angels and all ye blessed spirits of paradise, help me to love my most amiable God.

Ejaculatory Prayer. O Good Shepherd, true bread, Jesus, have mercy on us: do Thou feed us; do Thou guard us; do Thou show us good things in the land of the living!’

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

Ler bands are a healthful binding” The devout Pelbart says * that devotion to Mary is a chain of predestination. Let us beseech our sovereign Lady to bind us always more closely by the chains of love to confidence in her protection.

Ejaculatory Prayer. O clement, O pious, O sweet Virgin Mary.’.
[From the Naples Edition.]
Prayer of St. Germanus of Constantinople.

Most holy Virgin! who art the greatest consolation that I receive from God, thou who art the heavenly dew which assuages all my pains, thou who art the light of my soul when it is enveloped in darkness, thou who art my guide in unknown paths, the support of my weakness, my treasure in poverty, my remedy in sickness, my consolation in trouble, my refuge in misery, and the hope of my salvation; hear my supplications, have pity on me, as becomes the mother of so good a God, and obtain for me a favorable reception of all my petitions at the throne of mercy.’

Ejaculatory Prayer. O merciful, O pious, O sweet Virgin Mary.
The usual prayer, page 125.