Volume II, Treatise VIII, Chapter VI

Some Other Pious Considerations, that May Help Us to Prepare for Holy Communion

AMONGST many other considerations, that may help us to prepare ourselves profitably to receive the body of the Son of God, one of the most proper is, to call to mind his passion, and to consider with what excess of love, he delivered himself up to the torment of the cross. For one of the chief reasons, why he instituted this sacrament of his sacred body and blood, was that we might always be mindful of his passion; and it is for this reason, that he himself ordains, that as often as we participate of this sacrament, “it should be in remembrance of him.”—-(Luke 22:19) The apostle teaches us the same thing. ‘‘ As often,” says he, “as you eat this bread, and drink of this cup, you shall announce the Lord’s death.” (1 Corinthians 11:26) St. Bonaventure counsels us to meditate upon one of the mysteries of the passion, as often as we go to communion; and says, he was wont to do so, and found thereby a very great devotion and tenderness in his soul. St. Chrysestom says, that as often as we communicate, we should imagine that we apply our mouths to the precious wound of our Saviour’s side; that we imbibe his blood, and that we participate of whatsoever he has gained for mankind, by the merits thereof. St. Catherine of Sienna as often as she went to communion, looked upon herself as still an infant, and that she went to suck again her mother’s breast. Some at that time represent to themselves our Saviour crucified, planting his cross in their hearts, as it was upon Mount Calvary; and casting themselves at the foot thereof, they embrace and gather up with their lips all those drops of blood that fall from it. Others imagine, that they are at the last supper, which our Saviour made with his apostles, upon the eve of his passion; that they are present amongst them, and that they receive from his own hands his sacred body and blood in effect; and what then happens, is not only a representation of that supper, but is in effect the same banquet. For the same God who then gave his body and blood to his apostles, now gives it to us, in the blessed sacrament of the altar, and with the same love and bounty he then gave it.

It is moreover a very holy manner of preparing ourselves, to consider the following points. First, who is it that gives himself? The Creator of all things, the master of heaven and earth, the infinite majesty of God himself. Secondly, to whom does he give it? To me who am but dust and ashes, and who have a thousand times offended him. Thirdly, wherefore does he give it? To make me participate of the merits of his passion, and of the infinite treasure of his grace. In a word, for what motive or end does he give it? It is not for his own interest; because he is master and Lord of all things, and stands in need of nothing; wherefore, it is out of his pure bounty and goodness towards me, and out of a desire he has, that my soul should be saved, and remain always united to him by grace. After we shall have exercised ourselves upon these four points, we must in the last place form acts of faith, hope, and charity. Behold here another means of preparing ourselves.

But because we can never be able to prepare ourselves so worthily as we ought, if he himself vouchsafes not to bestow his grace upon us, we must therefore beg of him to bestow upon our souls all that humility, all that respect, all that love, and all that purity he requires of us; and for this end in addressing ourselves to him, we may help ourselves by this familiar example. Lord, if a great king were to lodge with a poor widow, he would not expect that she should prepare his lodging, but would send his own household and officers to accommodate it for him. Do you the same, O Lord, in regard of my soul; and because you come to lodge in it, send your angels beforehand to prepare your lodging, and to purify it from all that uncleanness it is full of, thereby to make it a fit and worthy habitation for yourself. After this we may address ourselves to the holy Virgin, and those other saints to whom we have a ‘more particular devotion, and humbly beg of them to obtain a grant and an | accomplishment of what we demand.

To all these preparations you may still add another, both very easy and profitable, which ought to be of very great comfort to you, as well as to all the world. When you feel not in yourself this - fervent devotion, and those ardent desires you would have, and which it is reasonable you should come with, to receive so great a master; exercise yourself in wishing to have this devotion, and these desires; and hereby you will supply what is wanting to you. For God who regards the heart, will receive your good will for the deed, according to the words of the prophet, “the Lord has heard the desire of the poor; thy ears, O Lord, have heard the preparation of their heart.” —(Psal. ix. 41.) Blosius says, that our Saviour himself taught this kind of devotion and preparation, to St. Mecthilda, and one day said to her, when thou art to receive my body and blood, desire for the greater glory of my name, to have all the fervour and zeal, which the most inflamed heart ever had for me; and then thou mayest with confidence approach, having this preparation. For I will behold the fervour thou desirest to have; and esteem it as if thou hadst it in effect. He relates a similarthing of St. Gertrude. One day when she went to receive the blessed sacrament, and was extremely afflicted because she had not sufficiently prepared herself for it, she begged of the holy Virgin and all the saints to offer to God for her, whatsoever they had ever done that was most meritorious, thereby to prepare her the better to receive

a him; and then our Saviour appearing to her, said, “now thou at present appearest in the eyes of all the court of heaven, adorned m the same manner as thou desirest to be.”—(Blos. e. 6. mon. spir.) So that it is an excellent manner to prepare one’s self for communion, to desire to approach with all the fervour, that ever the greatest saints have had; and to beg of God to cause that the merits of his Son, may supply those dispositions we want for this effect. We may also make use of the same method for our thanksgiving after communion, which I shall hereafter speak of in its proper place in the following chapter.

It is by means of these considerations and reflections, that we ought to endeavour to excite in ourselves that actual devotion, with which we should approach this holy table. For this end, we must sometimes make use of one, sometimes of another, as we shall find best. But as we cannot prepare ourselves after this manner, nor do our duty herein, without employing some time in it, we therefore must give so much, as shall be reasonably required for this end. St. Francis of Borgia, in a treatise he composed on “preparation for communion,” allots three days to prepare ourselves for it, and puts three others for our thanksgiving, and sets down several holy considerations and exercises, in which we may employ ourselves during the time he allots. And without doubt, this would be a very proper means to entertain ourselves in fervour and devotion all the week long: the three first days, in hopes of receiving our Creator; and the three last, in joy and thanksgiving for so great a benefit. For the bare idea that we are to communicate the next day, or that we have communicated the day before, ought to be sufficient, to cause us to remain in a great interior recollection. But if it should happen, that we could not employ all this time in preparing ourselves, it is fit that at least some part of the morning of the day, upon which we are to communicate, should be employed in prayer and meditation upon some one of those reflections I have before mentioned. It will be good also upon the eve, to go to sleep with the thought that we are to communicate the next day; and if we happen to wake in the night, we must think of the same thing; and in the morning, as soon as we have opened our eyes, we should have our mind filled with the same thought. For if our holy founder would have us every morning, as soon as we awake, presently to think upon the subject of our prayer for that day; with how far greater reason, ought we upon the day we are to

receive the blessed sacrament, as soon as we awake, think only thereupon?

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