Book IV, Chapter III
That It Is Profitable to Communicate Often
The Voice of the Disciple.
1. Behold, I come to thee, O Lord, that it may be well with me by thy gift, and that I may be delighted in thy holy banquet, which thou, O God, in thy sweetness, hast prepared for the poor. Behold, in thee is all whatsoever I can or ought to desire: thou art my salvation and redemption, my hope and my strength, my honor and my glory. Make, therefore, the soul of thy servant joyful this day, because, O Lord Jesus, I have lifted up my soul to thee. I desire at this time to receive thee devoutly and reverently; I would gladly bring thee into my house, that, like Zaccheus, I may receive thy blessing, and be numbered among the children of Abraham. (Luke 19) My soul longs after thy body; my heart aspires to be united with thee.
2. Give thyself to me, and it is enough; for besides thee no comfort is available. Without thee I cannot subsist; and without thy visitation I cannot live; and therefore I must come often to thee, and receive thee for the remedy of my souPs health, lest, perhaps, I faint in the way, if I be deprived of this heavenly food. For so, O most merciful Jesus, thou Wert pleased once to say, when thou hadst been preaching to the people, and curing sundry diseases — I will not send them home fasting, lest they faint by the way. Matt. xv> Deal now in like manner with me, who hast left thyself in the sacrament for the comfort of thy faithful. For thou art the most sweet refection of the soul, and he that shall eat thee worthily, shall be partaker and heir of everlasting glory. It is, indeed, necessary for me (who am so often falling and committing sin, and so quickly grow slack and faint,) by frequent prayers and confessions, and by the holy communion of thy body, to repair my strength, to cleanse and inflame myself, lest, perhaps, by abstaining for a longer time, I fall away from my holy purpose.
3. For the senses of man are prone to evil from his youth; and unless thy divine medicine succor him, man quickly falls to worse. The holy communion, therefore, withdraws him from evil, and strengthens him in good. For if I am so often negligent and lukewarm now, when I communicate or celebrate, what would it be if I did not take this remedy, and should not seek so great a help? And although I am not every day fit, nor well disposed to celebrate, yet I will endeavor at proper times to receive the divine mysteries, and to make myself partaker of so great a grace. For this is the one principal comfort of a faithful soul as long as she sojourns afar off from thee in this mortal body; being mindful often of her God, to receive her beloved with a devout mind.
4. O wonderful condescension of thy tender love towards us, that thou, O Lord God, the Creator and Enlivener of all spirits, shouldst vouchsafe to come to a poor soul, and, with thy whole divinity and humanity, satisfy her hunger! O happy mind, and blessed soul, which deserves to receive thee, her Lord God, devoutly; and in receiving thee, to be filled with spiritual joy! O how great a Lord does she entertain! how beloved a guest does she bring into her house! how sweet a companion does she receive! how faithful a friend does she accept of! how beautiful and how noble a spouse does she embrace, who deserves to be beloved above all her beloved, and beyond all that she can desire! Let heaven and earth, with all their attire, be silent in thy presence, O my dearest beloved; for whatever praise or beauty they have, is all the gift of thy bounty; nor can they come up to the beauty of thy name, of whose wisdom there is no number.
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