Visit VIII

To every soul that visits Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament he speaks the words he said to his sacred bride: Surge, propera, amica mea, formosa mea, et veni (Cant. II, 10). Soul who visits me, surge, rise up from your miseries; I am here to enrich you with graces. Propera, draw near to me; do not fear my majesty, which has humbled itself in this Sacrament to take away your fear and give you confidence. Amica mea, you are no longer my enemy but my friend, since you love me and I love you. Formosa mea, my grace has made you beautiful. Et veni, come, embrace me, ask me for whatever you wish with great confidence.

St. Teresa said that this great King of glory has disguised himself under the appearances of bread in the Sacrament and has covered his majesty in order to give us courage to approach his divine Heart with greater confidence.

Let us, then, draw near to Jesus with great confidence and affection; let us unite ourselves with him and ask him for graces.

What joy must be mine, O Eternal Word, made man and sacramentally present for me, knowing that I stand before you who are my God, you who are an infinite majesty, an infinite goodness who have such affection for my soul! Souls who love God, from wherever you are, in heaven or on earth, love him also for me. Mary, my Mother, help me to love him. And you, most loving Lord, make yourself the object of all my love. Take possession of my entire will. Possess me entirely. I consecrate to you my whole mind, that it may always think of your goodness; I consecrate to you also my body, that it may help me to give you pleasure; I consecrate to you my soul, that it may be entirely yours. I would wish, O beloved of my soul, that all men knew the tenderness of the love you bear them, so that they would all live only to honor you and to give you pleasure, as you desire and deserve. May I at least live always enamored of your infinite beauty. I resolve to do all I can from this day forward to please you. I resolve to omit nothing that I understand to be your pleasure, though it should cost me every suffering, the loss of everything, even of life. Happy shall I be if I lose all to gain you, my God, my treasure, my love, my all! -- Jesus, my love, take all of me, possess all of me.

Spiritual Communion.

To Mary

Si quis est parvulus veniat ad me (Prov. IX, 4). Mary calls all the little ones who need a mother to have recourse to her as the most loving mother of all mothers. The devout Nieremberg says: The love of all mothers is but a shadow compared to the love that Mary bears to each one of us. -- My Mother, Mother of my soul, who loves me and desires my salvation more than any other after God: Mother, monstra te esse matrem.

My Mother, grant that I may always remember you.

Prayer of the same St. Bernard:

O sweet, O great, O altogether lovable Mary, your Name cannot be uttered by a heart without your setting it on fire with your love; nor can those who love you think of you without feeling encouraged to love you more. O holy Lady, help our weakness. And who is better fitted to speak with our Lord Jesus Christ than you, who so closely enjoy his most sweet company? Speak, speak, O Lady, for your Son listens to you, and you will obtain whatever you ask of him.

O Mary, obtain for me the grace that I may always have recourse to you.