Key Of Heaven/Devotions for Communion
Devotions for Communion.
AN ACT OF FAITH.
MY Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, I firmly believe that Thou art really present in the blessed sacrament: I believe it contains Thy body and blood, Thy soul and divinity. I acknowledge these truths; I believe these wonders; I adore Thy power, which has wrought them; I praise Thy infinite goodness, which has prepared them for me; and with David, "I will praise Thee, my God, with my whole heart, and will recount all Thy admirable works; I will rejoice in Thee and bless Thy holy name" In this faith and with this acknowledgment, I presume to approach this adorable banquet, wherein Thou bestowest on me the divine food of Thy body and blood, to satiate my soul with Thyself and Thy Holy Spirit. Grant, O Jesus, that I may approach Thee with such a profound sense of reverence and humility as are due to Thy infinite majesty. Who am I, O God, that Thou shouldst work such wonders for my sake? Grant, O Lord, that I be not altogether unworthy of them, and that I may now receive Thee with a pure heart, a clean conscience, and a sincere and lively faith. Pardon my sins, which have rendered me most unworthy to approach Thee; I detest them from the bottom of my heart, because they are displeasing to Thee, my God; I renounce them forever, and promise to be faithful to Thee. Take courage, then, my soul! raise thyself up: go and receive thy God, and with Him, all the favors He has prepared for thee in this divine sacrament.
AN ACT OF DESIRE.
AS the wearied hart thirsts after the fountains of water, so doth my soul pant after Thee, my Saviour! my Lord! and my Jesus! It ardently longs to drink of those fountains, which Thy love has opened for its comfort and relief. Tired, therefore, with my own evil ways, I now return hungry and thirsty, crying out aloud, have mercy on me, O Son of God, and permit me to taste of Thy banquet, that my soul may be refreshed. O that I had the affections of the heavenly spirits, that my soul might truly languish after Thee, the fountain of life, of wisdom, and of eternal light, the impetuous torrent of celestial happiness! O that my soul did truly hunger after Thee, the bread of angels, the food of blessed souls, and that all that is within me might be delighted with the taste of Thy sweetness! I here despise all human consolations, that I may be comforted by Thee, my only good, my God and Saviour, whom I love above all things, and desire to entertain within my breast, with as much devotion and affection as is conceived by Thy chosen servants, who now sit at Thy table of celestial bliss. And however I may have been hitherto wanting in my duty, or unjust to Thee, in misplacing my affections, I now forever renounce my folly and weakness, and from my heart request, that for the future, my joy, my relief, my treasure, and rest, may be entirely centered in Thee. May I never desire anything besides Thee; and may all things seem contemptible and as nothing without Thee, O my God!
AN ACT OF HUMILITY.
O IMMENSE, powerful, and incomprehensible God, who am I, that Thou shouldst vouchsafe thus to come to be my food, and to take Thy habitation within my soul? It is in this I conceive something of Thy infinite goodness and mercy, and my own miserable baseness and ingratitude. Thou art the King of kings, and sovereign Lord of the universe at whose presence the earth trembles. Thou art the fountain of holiness, in whose sight the angels themselves are not pure. Thou art the bright sun of eternal day, who dwellest in light inaccessible. But, as to myself, what am I, but a poor worm of the earth, subject to innumerable miseries; distracted with passions; fond of vanity; defiled with sin; encompassed with darkness; busy about folly; and careless of eternity! How, then, dare I approach Thee, who am thus miserable and unprepared? With what confidence can I appear before Thee, most just Judge, in whose presence the very pillars of heaven tremble? I, who by my sins have run astray from Thee, though Thou art present in every place? I, who have polluted my soul, espoused to Thee in baptism, with filth and wickedness, abandoning Thee, my Maker and Redeemer, for the love of vanity and deceitful pleasures? Thou hast created me from nothing, and, by Thy grace, plentifully furnished me with the means of obtaining eternal happiness; and how ill a return have I made for these blessings, by living in sin, and by not being solicitous to please Thee, but rather to satisfy my own corrupt inclinations! Thou hast prepared for me a banquet of heavenly sweetness; and I have longed after the flesh-pots of Egypt. Yet still, O my God of infinite goodness, behold, I, who am nothing but dust and ashes, presume to speak to Thee. Receive, then, Thy unworthy servant into the compassionate arms of Thy mercy, since, with so much love and solicitude, Thou hast labored for my conversion. I am now sensible, O my God, that, without Thee, I am nothing, nor can do any thing; and that, without the aid of Thy grace, there is neither life nor salvation for me. Cast, therefore, all my sins out of Thy sight, and, with the tenderness of a loving Father, extend Thy arms to receive an unworthy child, who returns to Thee; and let me effectually experience the truth of the prophet's words, a sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit, and a contrite and humble heart Thou wilt not despise.
PRAYERS AFTER COMMUNION.
I RETURN Thee thanks, O eternal Father, for having, out of Thy pure mercy, without any desert of mine, been pleased to feed my soul with the body and blood of Thine only Son; and beseech Thee, that this holy communion may not be to my condemnation, but available to the effectual remission of all my sins. May it strengthen my faith; encourage me in the practice of good works; deliver me from my vicious customs; remove from me all concupiscence; perfect me in charity, patience, humility, obedience, and all other virtues. May it secure me against all the snares of my enemies, visible and invisible; prudently moderate my inclinations, both carnal and spiritual; closely unite me to Thee, the only true God; and finally settle me in unchangeable bliss, by admitting me, though an unworthy sinner, to be a guest at that divine banquet, where Thou, with the Son and the Holy Ghost, art the true light, eternal fulness, everlasting joy, and perfect happiness of all the saints: through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
AN ACT OF HOPE.
I ADORE Thy infinite greatness, O divine Majesty, who filleth both heaven and earth, and art adored by all the blessed spirits, angels and saints, who, without ceasing, praise and cry out before Thee, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth." Is it possible Thou shouldst condescend to visit the most unworthy of all Thy servants, and desire to dwell within him? If the heavens, nay, the heaven of heavens, cannot contain Thee, how much less this habitation, which I have prepared for Thy reception! But Thy goodness, O great God, knows well how to humble itself, when it is for our good. Thou knowest how to conceal the dazzling splendor of Thy glory, and condescend to our weak capacity, that so Thou mayest communicate Thyself to us the more freely. This Thou didst not only at the time of Thy adorable incarnation, when Thou madest Thyself like to us, the more forcibly to attract our love to Thee, but also when Thou didst institute this mystery, wherein Thou gavest Thyself to us for the food and nourishment of our souls, the more closely to unite us to Thyself, and make us aspire to that celestial banquet Thou hast prepared for the blessed in heaven. O God, grant me the grace so eagerly to long after this eternal banquet, that the desire of hereafter enjoying it may make me despise all the goods and pleasures of this life, and labor incessantly to prepare myself, till I am happily admitted amongst Thy guests. There is one resolution which I here make in Thy presence, viz.: to renounce all whatsoever my irregular and corrupt affections incline me to; for they often press me to forsake the way of Thy commandments, and put me in danger of forfeiting my title to eternal happiness; but, behold, I now desire to wean my heart from them entirely, that I may place my whole love and confidence in Thee alone. For this end, I am firmly resolved to watch over all my actions; fly from sin; and avoid whatever may be displeasing to Thee. I will labor to work out my salvation by observing Thy precepts, and as I have resolved, so I hope to be faithful to Thee; but this resolution I acknowledge myself unable to perform without the help of Thy grace, which I most humbly implore. O Jesus, save me; conduct me through the ways of Thy commandments, in which I now begin to walk, with courage and perseverance. Incline my heart to love Thy divine truths; divert my eyes from beholding vain objects; enliven and strengthen me in the paths of virtue and good works, and attract me so powerfully to Thyself, that I may follow Thee as far as heaven, where Thou livest and reignest for all eternity.
AN ACT OF LOVE.
O MY God, what return can I make for so signal a favor, or what shall I do to acknowledge it as much as it deserves? Is it possible I should not continually love Thee after such manifest proofs of Thy love? Thou hast loved me to such an excess as to lay down Thy life for my sake, and shall I not make so small a return to such boundless love, as to live only for Thee? Thou hast communicated Thyself at present entirely to me, and shall not I from henceforth remain wholly Thine? Permit me not, O God, to be ungrateful, or insensible of Thy love and my own salvation; I protest, therefore, in Thy presence, that I will for the future be faithful to Thee, and never depart from Thee by the least disobedience to Thy law. I will never forget Thy bounty, nor the favor Thou hast done me, in admitting me to partake of Thy mercy. I will love Thee with my whole heart, for Thou, O Lord, art my strength, my support, my refuge, and deliverer, nay, my God, and my all. What is there in heaven or on earth I should love in preference to Thee, the God of my heart, the inheritance and only happiness I pretend to? Of Thee I have made choice, and nothing shall prevail on me to make me change.
A PRAYER FOR PERSEVERANCE.
PRESERVE, O Lord, forever, in my soul, the holy resolutions wherewith Thou hast now inspired me, and grant me grace faithfully to put them in execution. Without Thy aid, I can do nothing; I therefore earnestly crave Thy assistance to conquer all the difficulties I may meet with in the way of my salvation. Regard me with the eyes of mercy; have compassion on my weakness; and strengthen me daily with Thy grace. O glorious Virgin, unite with me in giving thanks to Thy beloved Son, who has restored me to His grace, and refreshed my soul with the banquet of His most precious body. Offer Him all the grateful service thou didst Him in this life, to supply the defects of my devotion; and obtain of Him that He depart not from me without leaving a large benediction behind Him for my soul. Holy angels! ye ministering spirits of God, behold the only Son of the eternal Father, whom you adored at His entrance into the world. O become now petitioners in my behalf, that I may henceforth serve Him with the same spirit and truth, as you did whilst He remained on earth, and with the same cheerfulness as you now do in His celestial kingdom. All ye men and women, saints of God, behold here within my breast your Lord, the origin and reward of all your virtuous actions, and let all your prayers accompany mine to the throne; that by His grace I may follow your steps in the exact performance of every duty, till, abounding in good works, I may at length be admitted into your society, and possess my Jesus for all eternity.
THE CONCLUSION.
GRACIOUSLY hear all my prayers, O good Jesus; hide me within Thy wounds, and there protect me from all my enemies. O, let nothing ever separate me from Thee. Call me to Thee at the hour of my death, that with Thy saints, I may praise Thee forever. And now, Lord Jesus, I go from Thee for a while, but I hope not without Thee, who art my comfort and the ultimate happiness of my soul. To Thy love and protection I recommend myself, as well as my brethren, my relatives, my country, my friends, and my enemies. Love us, O Lord, change our hearts, and transform us into Thyself. May I be wholly employed in Thee and for Thee; and may Thy love be the end of all my thoughts, words and actions, who livest and reignest forever and ever. Amen.