Visit XXIX

Sto ad ostium et pulso (Apoc. III, 20). O most loving Shepherd, who for love of your sheep, not content with having died once upon the altar of the cross, willed moreover to hide yourself in this divine Sacrament upon the altars of our churches, to be ever nearer to us, knocking at the doors of our hearts, so as to gain entrance: ah, if only I knew how to enjoy your nearness, as your sacred Bride of the Canticles enjoyed it when she said: Sub umbra illius quem desideraveram sedi (Cant. II, 3). Ah, if I truly loved you, my most lovable Sacrament! Then I too would desire night and day never to leave the foot of a tabernacle; and lingering there near your majesty, veiled under the shadow of the sacred species, I too would find those divine delights and that happiness that your enamored souls find there! Draw me, then, by the fragrance of your beauty and of the immense love you manifest in this Sacrament: Trahe me post te in odorem unguentorum tuorum curremus (Cant. I). Yes, my Savior, then I will leave creatures and all the pleasures of the earth to run to you in the Sacrament. Sicut novellae olivarum in circuitu mensae tuae (Ps. CXXVII, 3). Oh, what fruits of holy virtue those blessed souls yield to God, like new plantings, who with love attend around the sacred tabernacles! But I am ashamed to appear before you, O my Jesus, so bare and so empty of virtue. You have commanded that whoever comes to the altar to honor you should not come without offering you a gift: Non apparebit in conspectu meo vacuus (Ex. XXIII). What, then, am I to do? Not appear before you any more to visit you? But no, that does not please you. I will come poor as I am, and do you provide me with those gifts you desire of me. I see that for this purpose you remain in this Sacrament, not only to reward your lovers but also to provide the poor with your goods.

Come, begin today. I adore you, O King of my heart, O true lover of men, O Shepherd too deeply in love with your sheep, and to this throne of your love I now draw near. And having nothing else to offer you, I present to you my wretched heart, that it may be entirely consecrated to your love and to your good pleasure. With this heart I can love you; with this heart I wish to love you as much as I can. Draw it, then, and bind it entirely to your will, so that I too from this day forward may say with contentment, as your beloved Disciple said, that I am bound by the chains of your love: Ego Paulus vinctus Christi (Eph. III, 1). Unite me, my Lord, entirely with you, and make me forget even myself, so that I may one day happily lose all things, even myself, in order to find you alone by loving you always. I love you, my Lord in the Sacrament; to you I bind myself, to you I unite myself. Let me find you, let me love you, and never depart from me again. -- My Jesus, you alone are enough for me.

Spiritual Communion.

To Mary

St. Bernard calls Mary Via regia Salvatoris -- the royal way to find the Savior and salvation. If, then, it is true, O Queen, that you are, as the same saint says, Vehiculum ad Deum animarum nostrarum -- the one who carries our souls to God -- ah, my Lady, do not wait for me to walk to God if you do not carry me in your arms. Carry me, carry me; and if I resist, carry me by force. Compel as much as you possibly can, by the sweet attractions of your charity, my soul and my rebellious will to leave creatures and to seek only God and his divine will. Show paradise how powerful you are. Make known, after so many wonders, yet another wonder of your mercy, by drawing entirely to God one who was entirely far from God. -- O Mary, you can make me a saint; from you I hope for it.

O my Queen, you are called by Denis the Carthusian Advocata omnium iniquorum ad te confugientium. Since you hold the office of defending all sinners who have recourse to you, behold, today I have recourse to you, O great Mother of God, and I say to you with St. Thomas of Villanova: Eia ergo, advocata nostra, officium tuum imple. Come, fulfill your office; undertake to defend me. It is true that I have been too guilty before your Son, but the evil is already done. You can help me. It suffices that you say to Jesus that you defend me, and he will pardon me and save me.

My dear Mother, save me.