Visits to the Most Holy Sacrament and to the Blessed Virgin MaryVisit 8

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

To every soul that visits Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament, he addresses the words which he said to the Sacred Spouse: Arise, make haste, my love, my dove, my beautiful one, and come.’ Thou, O soul, that visitest me, “arise” from thy miseries; I am here to enrich thee with graces. “Make haste,” approach, come near me; fear not my majesty, which has humbled itself in this Sacrament in order to take away thy fear, and to give thee confidence. ‘My beloved,” thou art no longer my enemy, but my friend; since thou lovest me and I love thee. ‘My beautiful one,” my grace has made thee fair, ‘And come,” draw near and cast thyself into my arms, and ask me with the greatest confidence for whatever thou willest.

St. Teresa says that this great king of glory has disguised himself in the Sacrament under the species of bread, and that he has concealed his majesty to encourage us to approach his divine heart with greater confidence. Let us, then, draw near to Jesus with great confidence and affection; let us unite ourselves to him, and let us ask him for graces.

O Eternal Word made man, and present for my sake in this Sacrament, what joy should be mine now that I stand in Thy presence, who art my God, who art infinite majesty and infinite goodness, and hast so tender an affection for my soul! Ye souls who love God, wherever you may be, either in heaven or on earth, love him for me also. Mary, my Mother, help me to love him. And Thou, most beloved Lord, make Thyself the object of all my love. Make Thyself the Lord of my entire will; possess my entire self. I consecrate my whole mind to Thee, that it may always be occupied with the thought of Thy goodness; I also consecrate my body to Thee, that it may help me to please Thee; I consecrate my soul to Thee, that it may be all Thine. Would, O beloved of my soul, that all men could know the tenderness of the love which Thou bearest them, that all might live only to honor Thee and to please Thee, as Thou desirest and deservest. Grant that at least I may always live enamoured of Thy infinite beauty. From this day forward my desire is to do all that I can to be pleasing to Thee. I now resolve to abandon everything, be it what it may, as soon as I perceive that it displeases Thee, however much it may cost me, even should it be necessary for this purpose to lose all, or even to lay down my life. Fortunate indeed shall I be, if I lose all to gain Thee, my God, my treasure, my love, my all!

Ejaculatory prayer. Jesus, my love, take all that I have; take full possession of me!

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

Whoever is a little one, let him come to me.’ Mary invites all children who need a mother to have recourse to her, as to the most loving of all mothers. The devout Nieremberg says, that the love of all mothers is a shadow in comparison with the love which Mary bears to each one of us.*. My Mother, mother of my soul, thou who lovest me, and desirest my salvation more than any other after God, O Mother, “show thyself a Mother.” ®

Ejaculatory prayer. My Mother, grant that I may always remember thee!
[From the Naples Edition.]
Prayer of St. Bernard.

Sweet and amiable Mary, no one can pronounce thy name without feeling the greatest desire of loving thee; and they who love thee cannot call thee to mind without being animated to love thee more. Pray for us to thy divine Son that he would vouchsafe to strengthen our weakness: no one is better entitled to speak in our favor to thy God and ours, than thyself, who art nearest to him. Intercede, then, for us, O blessed Mother, because thy Son hears thee, and thou canst obtain whatever thou askest.’

Ejaculatory prayer. O Mary, obtain for me the grace to have continual recourse to thee.

The usual prayer, page 125.