vent desire they had of the coming of the Messias for the redemption of the world.
4. With these desires I should join others, of carrying the greatest possible purity of heart; endeavouring that, as the body goes to communicate fasting from all corporal meat, (so that from the midnight before it must not have eaten nor drunk anything, how little soever,) so also the soul may that day go fasting from all sin; in such a manner that, as near as may be possible, from the night before it be not spotted with any defilement 44 of the flesh" or "of the spirit," [1] and that from my mouth there issue no idle word nor from my heart any evil thought; for Christ our Lord being purity itself, it is our duty to receive Him with the greatest purity that we possibly can. And if through our imbecility we fall into any sin, we are first to purify [2] ourselves of it by the means of confession, (which is obligatory if it be a mortal sin,) or by the means of contrition, when it is but a light sin and that we were lately at confession.
MEDITATION XXXIV.
ON SPIRITUAL COMMUNION, OR A DISPOSITION FOR SACRAMENTAL COMMUNION AND FOR HEARING MASS PROFITABLY.
Spiritual communion is an exercise of excellent interior acts, by which, as St Thomas says, [3] without receiving the sacrament, we participate in the fruit of the sacrament, which is union with Jesus Christ And it serves on two occasions and for two ends.
i. The first is, duly to prepare ourselves before sacramental communion, adorning the bouI with acts of virtues suitable to this celestial banquet, ii. The second is, to hear mass every day with profit As the priest when he
