A Meditation before Communion

hs E ene first, that Jesus Christ our Lord, whom we receive in this blessed sacrament, is call’d in scripture the lamb that was slain from the beginning of the world, Apocalypse xiii. 8. Because from the ` very beginning of the world there was no way of coming at God’s mercy or grace but by faith in a redeemer to come, and by the merits of his future death and Passion. Hence Christ crucified was from the beginning of the world the great object of the devotion of the patriarchs and prophets; for him they constantly sighed; him they regarded in all their sacrifices; which were indeed so many figures of him, and of his death. All these figures were to have an end, when Christ himself, the very truth, in person came into the world, and offer’d himself upon the cross a sacrifice for the sins of the world. But still his death and Passion is to be the perpetual object of the devotion of all his children and servants even to the end of the world; not now as prefigured in before Communion 2 shadows and types, but as commemorated and celebrated in the Eucharistick sacrifice and sacrament, containing and exhibiting verily and indeed, that is, in very truth, our great high-priest and victim, Jesus Christ. For the ancient figures are now pass’d, and the truth has succeeded in their place: and that same fountain of all sanctity, who of old communicated himself to his servants spiritually by faith, now gives himself to us verily and indeed in these heavenly mysteries. For this manner of communicating himself was best becoming the new law; which is a law of love, a law of grace, and a law of truth. Ah! my soul, admire and adore the riches of the bounty and goodness of thy God and Saviour, who gives thee in this sacrament so great a gift that heaven itself has nothing greater. Embrace his love; but let it be with a suitable return of love. And see thou prepare thyself worthily to receive so great a visit: O take care to open wide thy heart, that it may be capable to hold those treasures which he brings with him, and which he desires to impart to thee.

ConsIDER, 2d/y, the figures, by which God was pleas’d in the Old Testament to foreshew this sacrament: especially these three, the tree of life, the paschal lamb, and the manna from heaven. The tree of life, which God planted in the midst of the earthly paradise, had that excellent property, that au A Meditation if sin had not banished us from that happy abode, by feeding on the fruit of it, we should have been maintain’d in a constant vigour, strength and health, and have never died. O how well does the blessed Eucharist answer this noble figure! In which we feed upon life itself in its very fountain; and by frequently and worthily approaching to it, receive a copious and constant supply of heavenly grace, for the maintaining of the vigour, strength and health of the soul; that so we may never incur the second death, but may pass from life to life; from the life of grace to the life of glory, from life conceal’d under sacramental veils, to life seen and enjoy’d without shadow or change for all eternity. The paschal lamb, which was first offer’d in sacrifice to God, on the evening on which the children of Israel were delivered from the bondage of Egypt, and then was by God’s command eaten by all the faithful, was also a figure of the blessed Eucharist, and of the true Lamb of God, there communicated to us; even that lamb which was first offer’d in sacrifice for our eternal redemption from the bondage of the infernal Pharao, and is now receiv’d by all the faithful in these heavenly mysteries, for a perpetual commemoration of this our redemption, and a daily application of the fruit of it to our souls. O my soul, let us confidently run to this Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins before Communion ARR of the world! Let us receive with all affection this Christian passover! Let us embrace this victim of our redemption, this new sacrifice of the new covenant, the covenant of life and of love! Let us sprinkle ourselves with this blood of the New Testament, that so the destroying angel may have no power to hurt us. Another figure of the blessed Eucharist was the manna from heaven, with which the children of Israel were wonderfully fed during their forty years sojourning in the wilderness, before their coming to the land of promise. This food was many ways miraculous, but nothing in comparison of that /iving bread, that bread of life, which is given us in the divine mysteries, which comes down from heaven in order to carry us up to heaven, that true land of promise, the land of the living, and which nourishes our souls to life eternal. O! heavenly manna, O! bread of angels, let my soul always hunger after thee. Thou art my true and only support during this my mortal pilgrimage. O! give me a loathing for all these husks of swine, with which this deluded world seeks to amuse me O let me ever relish thy hidden sweetness! CONSIDER, 3d/y, the mysteries which we celebrate in this thrice blessed sacrament and sacrifice. Here the whole Passion and death of Christ is solemnly acted, as a most sacred tragedy, by himself in person. Here the Lamb of God presents himself as slain to his eternal Father; and his blood most powerfully pleads in our behalf. Here the death of our Lord, the fountain of all our good, plentifully flows into our souls, and ever /ives and brings forth in us the fruit of life. Here the triumphs of our crucified King, his victorious resurrection and glorious ascension are display’d. Here we receive an assurance of the share that we have in Christ, and in his redemption. Here we partake of his body and of his spirit. Here we drink of the fountain of life. Here all the members of Christ are happily united with one another, and with their Head, ina sacrament of union and love. Here in fine we have a most certain pledge of everlasting life, and of the eternal enjoyment of him in our blessed country, who thus lovingly gives himself to us in this place of banishment. O my soul, reverence with awe, and embrace with love, these mysteries so full of majesty and of love. The high-priest of the Old ‘Testament was but once a year to enter into the inward sanctuary of the temple call’d the Holy of Holies; and then not without diverse purifications and sacrifices, and a solemn fast of all Israel:: see then how pure, how holy thou oughtest to be, who so often art admitted into the sanctuary of the New Testament, that is, to these divine mysteries sanctified by the presence of Jesus Christ himself, the true Holy of Holies, of which that Jewish sanctuary was but a shadow. before Communion 255 Consiper therefore, 4th/y, that what most especially calls for our devotion in these most holy mysteries, is the real presence of Jesus Christ himself, true God and true man, under the sacramental veils. Bow thyself down, my soul, to adore this sacred truth: let no proud thoughts of opposition arise in thee against this admirable sacrament: captivate thy understanding to the obedience of faith: build thyself upon the express words of truth itself, so often repeated in holy writ; and upon the express declaration of the Church of God, against which the gates of hell can never prevail. The glory and merit of faith is to believe what thou canst not see; to acknowledge that the Almighty can do infinitely more than thou canst comprehend; and that no effort of mercy and love can be too great for him who has died for love. See then what thy devotion ought to be in consequence of this belief; what profound reverence to so great a Lord, who lies conceal’d in these tremendous mysteries; what purity of conscience in order to approach worthily to purity itself;; what humility, what Jove, when thou art admitted to his embraces? ‘ConsipeEr, 5¢h/), how many ways thy Lord and thy God, the soveraign good, who delights to be with the children of men, Prov. viii. 31, communicates himself to thee. In his incarnation and birth he gave himself to be thy companion, and to take upon him all thy miseries: in his death, he gave himself to be thy ransom: in this heavenly sacrament, he gives himself to be thy food, the comfort and support of thy exile: and in his kingdom above, he designs to give him- ` self for thy eternal reward. O! what can he do more to testifiy his love to thee? As wise as he is, he cannot contrive any thing better for thee; as powerful as he is, he cannot do more for thee than give thee himself. O how true is that saying of the beloved disciple, that God is Jove! But what dost thou see in me, dear Lord, that can move thee to love such a poor worm; such a wretched sinner as Iam? There can be nothing good in me, but what is thy gracious gift: and, alas! I fear I have hitherto abused all thy gifts: ’tis then thy own pure goodness alone that can make thee love me; and thy pure love alone that can make thee communicate thyself to me. O let me then be no longer ungrateful to thy love! Let that divine fire which thou so much desirest to enkindle upon earth, take hold now of my heart, that I may return thee love for love, O send it now into my soul, that it may prepare thee a suitable lodging there! O! let me henceforward give myself wholly to thee, who so often givest thyself to me.

Constper, 6th/y, who it is that thou art to receive in this blessed sacrament; and who thou art that presumest to approach him. before Communion 257 He is the great king and maker of heaven and earth, and the whole creation is a mere nothing in his sight; what a little atom then art thou, compared to him! He is eternal, immense, and every way infinite in power, in majesty, in beauty, in wisdom, in glory, &¥c. And thou art a little diminutive worm, made of earth, and full of miseries. He is infinitely pure and holy, in whose sight the very heavens are not clean, and who cannot endure iniquity: and thou art the very filth of sin, and a sink of uncleanness and corruption. How then, my soul, shall we dare venture to enter into this inward sanctuary, to draw near the throne of this infinite majesty, and, unclean as we are, to touch and receive the holy of holies? Oza was struck dead for irreverently touching the ark of the covenant; the Bethshamites for irreverently looking on it; and Nadab and Abihu for offering incense before it with unhallowed fire: now, what was this ark (in which were only reposited the tables of the law) in comparison with the Lord and giver of the law, whom we here approach to? When God was about to give the law, the children of Israel were commanded to be purified, and to keep themselves chaste; and nevertheless to keep their distance from the mountain, where the Lord appeared in thunder and lightning: only Moses was permitted to ascend to the mountain’s top, to converse with the divine R majesty, or rather with an angel speaking in his person. And how shall we with so little purity dare approach this immense deity, this _ consuming fire? St. Paul assures us, 1 Cor. xi., that the unworthy receiver is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, and receiveth judgment to himself not discerning the body of the Lord:: how then shall we the most unworthy of all sinners presume to receive this Lord of glory? Must we then stay away till we have the presumption to think ourselves worthy? No certainly: for one of the most necessary dispositions for receiving worthily, is to acknowledge and believe our own unworthiness. Or must we, thro’ awe and fear of so great a majesty, abstain for ever from partaking of these tremendous mysteries? No: for it is no less certain death, to stay away from this fountain of life, than to come to it unworthily. What then must we do, my soul? We will not run away from our soveraign good: no, we will run to him. But it shall be like the humble publican, like the poor prodigal returning home, like the penitent Magdalene: such as these he never rejects: it shall be with a contrite and humble heart, which he never despises: it shall be with an entire confidence in his infinite goodness and mercy; for no one ever hoped in him, and was confounded. O grant us, dear Lord, to approach thee with these happy dispositions! And since thou art pleased to in-before Communion 259 vite thyself into so poor, so mean, so wretched a cottage as this of my breast; be pleas’d to send in thither beforehand those graces, those virtues, that devotion which may prepare the place for thee. For thou knowest that of myself I can do nothing.

CONSIDER, 7th/y, the happy fruits which this divine sacrament produces in those souls which frequent it with due preparation. The bread that I will give, says our Lord, St. John vi., is my flesh for the life of the world: and again, He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day: and again, He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him: and, He that eateth me shall live by me: and, He that eateth this bread, shall live for ever. Wheresoever our Lord comes, he carries about with him all the treasures of life; that is, all grace, charity and sanctity; and on his part is ever ready to open these treasures, and to communicate them most plentifully to those souls which he comes to visit. These treasures are infinite, and so is the love he bears to us. What gifts then, what graces may we not expect, if we come with reverence and humility, with love and devotion, to him who is the fountain of life, grace and sanctity? Here we receive the bread of life for the food and nourishment of our souls:: here we meet with a constant supply of sanctifying grace, to repair the daily decays caus’d by our infirmity and corruption; to give us _ new strength and vigour to walk on in our way thro’ the wilderness of this world to the mountain of God; and to make us continually grow in virtue; till we come to a perfect man, to the measure of the age of the fulness of Christ. Here our lesser sins are forgiven us, and we receive a soveraign antidote against the greater. Here devout souls taste the sweetness of heaven in its very fountain. Here, seated like Magdalene at the feet of our Lord, they learn from him heavenly lessons, and enjoy his delicious conversation. Aspire after this happiness, O Christian souls, which in some measure makes you enjoy heaven upon earth. If you love Jesus Christ, run to his embraces: if you love yourselves, run to your soveraign good.

But see it be with due preparation; and most especially, with faith, with fear, and with love.