Part three (4): Xxvi. Prayer During Holy Mass

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sorry and ashamed I am, Most Lovable Jesus, of having been so unfaithful and ungrateful, and of having corresponded so miserably with so great and strong a love as Thine for me! My God, I cast all my sins into the stream of Thy Precious Blood, into the abyss of Thy mercies, into the fire of Thy divine love. Cleanse me and utterly consume my sins. Atone for all my failings, 0 Good Jesus, and accept in satisfaction this most holy Sacrifice of the Precious Body and Blood, which Thou didst offer on the Cross, and I now offer Thee in reparation.

0 my sweet Saviour, the disordinate love of myself and of the world is the source of all my offenses. Forever and with all my might I renounce that love. 0 Most Amiable Jesus, annihilate in me all earthly affections and establish in me the kingdom of Thy divine love.

Xxvi. Prayer During Holy Mass

0 Jesus, my Lord and my God, Thou dost descend upon this altar that I may contemplate and adore Thee, love and glorify Thee, to recall to my memory the great love that caused Thee to suffer and die for me on the Cross. 0 great God, I adore Thee and glorify Thee to the full extent of my limited powers. 0 abyss of love, 0 infinite goodness, 0 immense charity, would that I were all love for Thee! 0 Most Beloved, Most Loving and Most Lovable Jesus, when will the time come when I shall love Thee perfectly? 0 ye Seraphim, angels and saints of paradise, give me your love, that I may employ its ardor to love my Jesus. 0 ye men, 0 creatures capable of love, give me all your hearts that I may sacrifice them to my Saviour. 0 loving Redeemer, would that I possessed all the love oi heaven and earth! With what willingness would I direct i t all to Thee! 0 Thou Wellbeloved Son of the Eternal Father, 0 Thou treasure and delight of heaven and earth, how art Thou now adored, loved and glorified oa this altar by the thousands of angels who there surround Thee! How much shouldst Thou be venerated, praised and loved by men, since it is not for the angels but for love of men that Thou art present! Let all angels and men, all creatures on earth and in heaven be transformed into adoration, glorification and love of Thee! May all the powers of

Thy divinity and humanity be employed in magnifying and loving Thee forever!

0 Most Mighty Jesus, I adore the power of Thy sacred words by which Thou dost change the earthly nature of bread and wine into the substance of Thy most Precious Body and Blood. I surrender myself absolutely to Thy might, so that it may transform my sluggishness, apathy and aridity into the warmth, tenderness and vitality of Thy celestial and divine Heart. Grant that I may be so transformed into Thee as to be of one heart, one mind, one will, one soul and one life with Thee.

0 my most gentle Redeemer, Thou art present on this altar to recall and re-enact before us Thy bitter Passion and cruel death. Grant that I may possess a continual remembrance and vivid realization of all Thou didst do and suffer for me. Grant that I may bear with humility, submission and love all the contradictions that may befall me to-day and during my whole lifetime. 0 Good Jesus, Thou dost so abhor sin that Thou didst die to put it to death; and Thou dost so cherish and prize my soul as to give Thy life to make it live. Grant, 0 my Saviour, that I may henceforth fear and abhor nothing save sin alone, that I may prize and seek only Thy glory, and that I may hold everything else as unworthy of my love or hatred.

Xxvii. Prayer to Jesus Christ, High Priest

0 Jesus, I adore Thee as High Priest, Thou who dost ceaselessly exercise this function in heaven as well as on earth, sacrificing Thyself for Thy Father's glory and our love. Blessed be Thou a thousand times, 0 Good Jesus, for the infinite honor Thou dost give the Heavenly Father, and for the exceeding great'love Thou dost manifest for us in this divine Sacrifice. Thou art not satisfied with sacrificing Thyself for us so many times, but Thou dost further desire to associate us with Thee in this great work, causing us all to participate in the character of high-priest, giving us the power to participate with Thee in this supreme and wonderful act, that is, to offer Thee in sacrifice when Thou dost offer Thyself, at the hands of Thy holy priests, for the glory of the Almighty Father and for our salvation. Unite me with Thee, 0 Divine Jesus, since it is Thy will that I should now

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offer with Thee this most Holy Sacrifice. Grant that I, too, may offer it with holy and divine dispositions like Thine. Oh, with what devotion, what purity and sanctity, what charity for us, what recollection and love for Thy Father dost Thou perform this holy action! Implant these dispositions in me, that I may accomplish with Thee and like Thee this act which Thou dost perform in a manner so holy and divine.

0 Father of Jesus, Thou hast given us Thy Son and Thou hast, as it were, placed Him in our hands, i n our power and possession. Hence I offer Thy Divine Son to Thee as though He were truly mine to give, and I desire to offer Him in union with the humility, purity, charity, love and all the other holy dispositions with which He offers Himself to Thee.

So also I desire to offer Thy Beloved Son for the same intention, with which He sacrificed Himself. Hence I offer Him to Thee:

1. In honor of all that Thou art, 0 my God, in Thy divine essence, in all Thy divine perfections, i n Thy Three Eternal Persons, and in all the great external works Thou dost effect. I offer this sacrifice i n honor of all that Thy Son Jesus is in Himself and in all His states, mysteries, qualities, virtues, acts and sufferings, and all that His external dispensations, either of mercy or of justice, in heaven, on earth and i n hell.

2. I offer this sacrifice to Thee in thanksgiving for all the benefits and graces, both temporal and eternal Thou didst ever impart to the sacred humanity of Thy Son, to His most Blessed Mother, to all angels and men, and above all to me, the most unworthy of all creatures.

3. I offer this sacrifice to Thee in satisfaction for all the dishonor given Thee by all the sins of the world, past, present and future, and above all by my own, and those of the people for whom I am especially bound to pray, both living and dead.

4. I offer this sacrifice to Thee for the fulfilment of all Thy designs, especially Thy providential designs for me and all my associates, begging Thee never to permit us to impede Thy holy will.

5. I implore Thee, 0 my God, that in virtue of this holy oblation and precious gift that I render unto Thee, Thou mayest grant us all

the spiritual and bodily graces we need, to serve and love Thee perfectly and to be Thine entirely and forever.

Xxviii. Prayer to Jesus Christ, Sacrificial Victim

0 Jesus, I contemplate and adore Thee in this mystery as the sacred Host laden with the sins of the world which Thou dost expiate, and as the Victim immolated by Thine own self for the glory of God and the salvation of men. I learn from St. Paul that Thou dost desire us all to be living and holy hosts, worthy of being sacrificed with Thee to the glory of God the Father (Rom. 12, 1). 0 my Saviour, in honor of and i n union with Thy supreme oblation and sacrifice, I offer myself to Thee to be for ever a victim of Thy will, a victim immolated to Thy glory and to the glory of Thy Eternal Father. Unite me to Thee, 0 Good Jesus. Absorb me into Thy sacrifice so that I may be sacrificed with Thee and by Thee and, since it is necessary that the host of a sacrifice should be slain and consumed by fire, make me die to myself, that is, to my vices and passions and to all that displeases Thee. Consume me utterly in the sacred fire of Thy divine love, and grant that henceforth my whole life may be a continual sacrifice of praise, glory and love of Thy Father and Thyself.

Xx!x. Prayer for Spiritual Communion

0 Most Good and Lovable Jesus, I am not worthy to think of Thee, nor that Thou shouldst think of me; still less am I worthy to appear before Thee, or that Thou shouldst deign to become present to me. Yet Thou dost not only think of me and become present to me in the Holy Eucharist, but Thou dost even long to give Thyself to me, with an infinite desire of abiding in my heart and in my soul. 0 dearest Lord, how wondrous are Thy mercies and how great is Thy kindness! Alas, what is there in me, wretched creature full of filth and sin, what is there capable of attracting Thee to me? Surely it is nothing but the excess of pure charity that urges Thee to come into my soul. Come, come then, 0 Dearest Jesus, for I love and desire Thee beyond measure! Would that I were utterly transformed into aspirations, desire, longing and love for Thee! Come, my sweet light, come, my dearest love, hasten and delay not to come into my heart

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which renounces all else and desires nothing save Thee alone. 0 Thou king of my heart, 0 Thou life of m y soul! 0 my treasure beyond all price, my only joy, my most dear, most desired and most beloved Jesus! 0 my all, come into my mind, come into my heart and into my soul! Annihilate my pride, my self-love, m y self-will and all my other vices and imperfections. Come and establish Thy humility, charity, sweetness, patience, obedience, zeal and all Thy other virtues., Come to me, there to love and glorify Thyself and perfectly unite my spirit with Thy divine spirit, my heart and Thy Sacred Heart, my soul with Thy holy Soul. Grant that this heart, this soul and this body, which are often so closely and so intimately united with Thy Heart, Thy soul and Thy body by the Blessed Eucharist, may never have any other ideas, affections, desires or emotions save those of Thy holy Heart, Thy sacred body and divine soul. Come, my Jesus, enter into me there to live and reign absolutely and forever. Veni, Domine Jesu.

Xxx. Prayer at the End of Holy Mass

0 Jesus, most worthy of love, I praise and thank Thee countless times. I summon all the angels, all the saints and creatures to bless and glorify Thee with me, for all the graces Thou hast given me by this divine sacrifice. May it please Thee to preserve and multiply in my soul all the holy desires, thoughts, affections and sentiments which Thou hast implanted in my soul during this Holy Mass, and to give me the grace to bring forth the fruit Thou dost expect of me. Thou hast lowered Thyself to become present to me by this holy mystery. Grant, I beseech Thee, that during this day I may not let one hour go by without lifting up my heart and becoming present to' Thee in spirit. Thou didst descend to this altar to take possession of our hearts and receive from us the homage we owe Thee as our Sovereign Lord. Then take possession of m y heart, Good Jesus; consecrate it to Thee forever. I recognize and adore Thee as my King and Sovereign Lord. I render homage with my being, my life and all my acts, especially those I shall perform today. Take them and do with them whatever pleases Thee. Give me the grace to die rather than offend Thee, and to be a host at the same time living and dead

-dead to all that is not Thee, living in Thee and for Thee. May my whole life be a perpetual sacrifice of praise and love for Thee, and may I be utterly immolated and consumed for Thy pure glory and for Thy holy love. To this end I implore Thee with my whole heart, 0 Good Jesus, to give me Thy most holy blessing. 175-

The Divine Office

Xxx1. Preparation for the Divine Office

The chief reason why you are often harassed by distractions and useless and wandering thoughts during vocal prayer is because your mind needs to be occupied with some thought, whether good or bad. So, if you prevent evil and useless thoughts, you have to take great care, from the very beginning of your prayer, to give your heart and your mind quite definitely to Jesus, that He may take full possession of them. You must develop the habit of filling your mind at the outset with good thoughts and holy dispositions, taking care not to slip into performing so holy an action in a careless and perfunctory fashion, more as a matter of habit than out of true devotion.

So, therefore, at the beginning of the Divine Office, remember that you are about to perform one of the greatest and most important functions possible to you, or, for that matter, to anyone in heaven or on earth. So great and exalted an act is this, that it not only is ever the ceaseless occupation of so many millions of angels and saints, with the Queen of Angels and Saints, but it always is the eternal concern of the Three Divine Persons of the Blessed Trinity, who are continually rapt in mutual praising, blessing and glorification. An action so thoroughly holy and divine-it is called the Divine Office-must necessarily be performed with holy and divine dispositions.

Consider, then, the greatness and sanctity of this act and realize that of yourself you do not possess the least qualification to recite it worthily, but rather that your whole nature hinders you. Realize that you are completely unworthy to stand before the face of God and enter into the presence of such exalted majesty. Annihilate yourself, therefore, at the feet of your Heavenly Father. Offer yourself to Jesus, and implore Him to annihilate you and to establish Himself in you, so that He Himself may perform this function on your behalf, that He Himself may glorify His Father and Himself in you, since He alone is worthy to do so. Surrender yourself to the zeal and exceeding

great love with which He praises His Father, without ceasing, in heaven, on earth and in hell. For, strictly speaking, it is Jesus alone, in the whole universe, who praises and glorifies God in heaven forever by Himself and through His Blessed Mother, His angels and His saints. He praises and glorifies Him in heaven by Himself and through His Blessed Mother, His angels and His saints. He praises and blesses Him on earth ceaselessly in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, where He remains in a continual state of praise and adoration, and in all holy souls who praise God on earth, whether in public or privately. He praises and magnifies His Eternal Father in hell where He ceaselessly operates before the eyes Of His Father as He does in heaven. Finally, He praises and exalts Him without interruption throughout the whole universe, which is entirely filled with His divine presence and majesty and with the unending praises and blessings He everywhere renders to His Father.

Unite yourself with all these everlasting praises which Jesus gives to His Father and to the Holy Trinity in every time and place and unite yourself also with the humility, recollection, love, purity , sanctity and all the other divine dispositions of Jesus Christ as He constantly renders fitting praise to His Father and the most Holy Trinity.

Xxx11. Manner of Reciting the Divine Office Devoutly and of Honoring the Whole

Life of Jesus in Each Day's Office

Having thus devoutly prepared yourself for the sublime action of the private or public recitation of the divine office, you may honor the whole life of Jesus in the course of each day as follows:

When you recite the first nocturn of Matins, offer it to Jesus in honor of His divine and eternal life in the bosom of the Father from all eternity, before the creation of the world.

The second nocturn is offered in honor of Christ's life in the world from the creation to the Incarnation.

The third nocturn is offered in honor of His life in the sacred womb of His most holy Mother.

Offer Lauds in honor of His Holy Childhood, from His infancy until He reached the age of twelve.

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Offer Prime in honor of His hidden life of labor, which lasted until He was thirty.

Offer Tierce in honor of His public life and ministry, lasting from the time He was thirty until His death.

Offer Sext in honor of His passion, death and burial.

Offer None in honor of His Resurrection and Ascension, and His glorious life in heaven, not only i n Himself, but in His Blessed Mother, His angels and His Saints.

Offer Vespers in honor of His life on earth since the Ascension, in the Holy Eucharist and in His Church.

Offer Compline in honor of His universal kingship over the world of nature, grace and glory, over men, angels and all creatures; also in honor of all that He ever did or shall accomplish for His Father, Himself, His Holy Spirit, His Blessed Mother, His angels, saints and all creatures.

So, when you recite each part of your office, you should reflect attentively on the mystery designated for each particular hour. You should consider the details of each mystery of His life, for instance, His thoughts and designs, His affections and dispositions, the things He did, the virtues He practised, His inward activity in relation to the Father, His own self, the Holy Spirit, the Blessed Mother, the angels and saints, and especially the thoughts, designs and love He cherished for you in particular. Consider also the glory and praises rendered to Him in that part of His life by the Omnipotent Father, the Holy Spirit, the Blessed Mother, the angels and saints.

After these considerations you should reflect upon yourself. When you see how far removed your life is from the perfection and sanctity of the life of your Head, whom you are obliged to, imitate, you should profoundly humble yourself and ask His forgiveness. Then give yourself to Him to honor and imitate that aspect of His life in all the perfection He requires of you. Pray that He will implant it within you and there glorify it Himself, destroying everything in you that might place an obstacle in its way. And finally, unite yourself with all the praises that ever were, are, or shall be given Him, in this phase of His life, by His Father, His Holy Spirit, His Blessed Mother, His angels and saints.

If in reciting the office you are honoring a mystery of the temporal life of Jesus, you ought to offer and consecrate to Him the phase of your life which corresponds to the part of His life you are honoring. Implore Him to destroy all the evil in that part of your life and to cause all its happenings to render honor and glory to what took place in the corresponding phase of His own life.

For instance, when saying Lauds, after you have considered the Holy Childhood of Jesus Christ and reflected upon your own childhood, considering how different it was from the perfect holiness of the Sacred Childhood of Jesus, and having profoundly humbled yourself for all this, you should then offer yourself to Him to honor His divine childhood in whatsoever manner He pleases. You should consecrate your childhood in honor of His own, imploring Him to destroy all that was evil in your youth, and to cause all that took place in it to give undying honor and glory to His most adorable Childhood.

Similar reflections should be employed in the recitation of other parts of the Divine Office.

You should realize, however, that there is no necessity to stop or to interrupt the recitation of office. to engage in these exercises. All this may be done by concentration on these subjects while you are chanting or reciting the office. If you have any familiarity at all With the interior life, you will not -need to take extra time to perform these acts. On the contrary, the time spent thus will seem very short, so great will be the sweetness and devotion derived from the inward application of your mind and heart to Jesus, the source of all unction and consolation.