Devotions before Communion

1. Direct your Intention O LORD Jesus Christ, King of everlasting glory, behold I desire to come to thee this day, and to receive thy body and before Communion 261 blood in this heavenly sacrament, for thy honour and glory, and the good of my soul; I desire to receive thee, because it is thy desire, and thou hast so ordained; blessed be thy name for ever. I desire to come to thee like Magdalene, that I may be deliver’d from all my evils, and embrace thee my only good. I desire to come to thee, that I may be happily united to thee, that I may henceforward abide in thee, and thou in me; and that nothing in life or death may ever separate me from thee.

2. Commemorate the Passion of Christ I desire in these holy mysteries to commemorate, as thou hast commanded, all thy sufferings, thy agony and bloody sweat, thy being betray’d and apprehended; all the reproaches and calumnies, all the scoffs and affronts, all the blows and buffets thou hast endured for me; thy being scourged, crown’d with thorns, and loaded with a heavy cross for my sins, and for those of the whole world; thy crucifixion and death together with thy glorious resurrection, and triumphant ascension. I adore thee, and give thee thanks for all that thou hast done and suffer’d for us; and for giving us, in this blessed sacrament, this pledge of our redemption, this victim of our ransom, this body and blood which was offer’d for us, 262 <A Preparatory Prayer 3. Make an Act of Faith I most firmly believe, that in this holy sacrament thou art present verily and indeed; that here is thy body and blood, thy soul and thy divinity: I believe that thou my Saviour, true God, and true man, art really here with all thy treasures; that here thou communicatest thyself to us; makest us partakers of the fruit of thy Passion; and givest us a pledge of eternal life. I believe there cannot be a greater happiness than to receive thee worthily, nor a greater misery than to receive thee unworthily. All this I most steadfastly believe, because it is what thou hast taught us by thy Word, and by thy Church.

4. Conceive a great Fear, and humble yourself But, O my God, how shall I dare approach to thee, so wretched a worm to so infinite a majesty, so filthy a sinner to such infinite purity and sanctity? Alas!! my soul is covered with an universal leprosy; and how shall I presume to embrace thee? My whole life has been nothing but misery and sin; and, ’tis only by thy mercy that I have not been long since in hell, which I have deserved a thousand times; and how shall I venture so much as to lift up my eyes to thee; how much less to receive thee within my breast? I tremble at the sentence of thy apostle, that he that re-before Communion 263 ceives unworthily receives his own damnation for I cannot but acknowledge myself infinitely unworthy:: nor should I dare ever to come to thee, were I not excited by thy most loving and pressing invitation, and encouraged by thy infinite goodness and mercy. "Tis in this mercy, which is above all thy works, I put my whole trust, and ’tis in this confidence alone that I presume to approach to thee. O grant that it may be with a contrite and humble heart; for this, I know, thou wilt never despise.

5. Make an Act of Contrition Lord, I detest with my whole heart all the sins by which I have ever offended thy divine majesty, from the first moment that I was capable of sinning till this very hour I desire to lay them all down here at thy feet, to be cancelled by thy precious blood. What can Ido for them, but humbly confess and lament them all my life-time; and this I heartily desire to do, and from this moment continually to cry to thee for mercy. Hear me, O Lord, by that infinite love, by which thou hast shed thy blood for me: O let not that blood be shed in vain. All my sins displease me now exceedingly, because they have offended thy infinite goodness. By thy grace, I will never commit them any more: I am sorry for them, and will be sorry for them as long as I live;; and, according to the best of my power, will do penance for them. Forgive, dear Lord, for thy mercy’s sake; pardon me all that is past; and be thou my keeper for the time to come, that I may never more offend thee.

6. Make an Act of Divine Love O sweet Jesus, the God of my heart, and the life of my soul; as the hart pants after the fountains of water, so does my soul pant after thee, the fountain of life, and the ocean of all good. I am overjoyed at the hearing of these happy tidings, that I am to go into the house of our Lord; or rather that our Lord is to come into my house, and take up his abode with me. O happy moments, when I shall be admitted to the embraces of the living God, for whom my poor soul languishes with love! O come, dear Jesus, and take full possession of my heart for ever! I offer it to thee without reserve, I desire to consecrate it eternally to thee. I love thee with my whole soul above all things; at least, I desire, so to love thee: ’tis nothing less than infinite love that brings thee to me; O! teach me to make a suitable return of love.

7. Humbly beg God’s Grace But, O my God, thou knowest my great poverty and misery, and that of myself I can do nothing: thou knowest how un-before Communion 265 worthy I am of this infinite favour; and thou alone canst make me worthy. O!! since thou art so good as to invite me thus to thyself, add this one bounty more to all the rest, to prepare me for thyself. Cleanse my soul from its stains, cloath it with the nuptial garment of charity, adorn it with all virtues, and make it a fit abode for thee. Drive sin and the devil far from this dwelling, which thou art here pleased to chuse for thyself, and make me one according to thy own heart; that this heavenly visit, which thou designest for my salvation, may not by my unworthiness be perverted to my damnation. O! never let me be guilty of thy body and blood by an unworthy communion! For the sake of this same precious blood, which thou hast shed for me, deliver me from so great an evil: O! rather let me die ten thousand deaths than thus presume to crucify thee again!

8. Implore the Prayers of the Blessed Virgin and of the Saints O all you blessed angels and saints of God, who see him face to face, whom I here receive under these humble veils; and thou most especially, ever-blessed Virgin, mother of this same God and Saviour, in whose sacred womb he was conceived and borne for nine months; I most humbly beg the assistance of your prayers and intercession, that I may in such manner receive him here, in this place of banishment, as to be brought one day to enjoy him with you in our true country, and there to praise him and love him for ever.

At the time of communion, go up to the rail and take up the towel, and hold it before you. Whilst the clerk says the Confiteor, humbly confess your sins, and beg God’s pardon for them. When the priest turns about to give the absolution, receive it with head bowed down, as from the hand of the invisible high-priest, whom you are going to receive.

When the priest holds up a particle of the Blessed Sacrament, with those words, Ecce Agnus Dei, &c., Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who taketh away the sins of the world, humbly beg, with a lively confidence in the merits of his death and Passion, that he would take away your sins.

When the priest repeats three times Domine non sum dignus, &c., Lord, I am not worthy thou shouldest enter under my roof, speak only the word and my soul shall be healed, say the same with him in your heart, and humble yourself exceedingly through the sense of your unworthiness and sins; but let this be joined with a N lively confidence in him, who can raise you up, and perfectly heal your soul by his only word.

When the priest gives you the Blessed Sacrament, saying, The body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve thy soul to life everlasting, Amen, receive it with a lively faith, a profound humility, and a heart inflamed with love. At the time of your receiving, let your head be erect, your mouth opened moderately wide, and your tongue a little advanced, so as to rest upon your under lip; that the priest may conveniently convey the Blessed Sacrament into your mouth; which being done, shut your mouth, let the sacred host moisten a little upon your tongue, and then swallow it down as soon as you can, and afterwards abstain awhile from spitting. If the host should chance to stick to the roof of your mouth, be not disturbed; neither must you put your finger in your mouth to remove it, but gently and quietly remove it with your tongue, and so convey it down. And then return to your place, and endeavour to entertain as well as you can the guest whom you have received.

Spend at least a quarter of an hour after communion, in devotions suitable to ' that occasion, It would be a great abuse to turn your back immediately upon your Saviour, by going away, as some do, and thinking no more of what you have been doing. Particularly, I recommend to you three things after communion: Ist, to cast yourself down in spirit at the feet of your Lord, whom you have received, to adore him, praise him, and give him thanks, for coming to so unworthy a sinner, and to invite all heaven and earth to join with you in praising and magnifying his holy name. 2dly, to make an offering of your heart and soul, and of your whole being to him, that you may henceforward love him and serve him for ever. 3d/y, to present him your petitions for all the graces that you stand in need of, and to make good use of this favourable opportunity to pray heartily for yourself, and for your friends, and for the whole world,