«Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis, et onerati estis, et ego reficiam vos» — "Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you" (Matt. 11:28).
Point I
Our loving Savior, having to depart from this world after having accomplished the work of our redemption by His death, did not wish to leave us alone in this vale of tears. «No tongue is sufficient (said St. Peter of Alcantara) to declare the greatness of the love that Jesus bears to every soul; and therefore, this Spouse, wishing to depart from this life, so that this absence of His might not cause her to forget Him, left her this Blessed Sacrament as a memorial, in which He Himself would remain, not willing that between the two there should remain any other pledge to keep His memory alive but Himself.» This great token of love of Jesus Christ therefore deserves great love from us; and for this reason in these last times of ours He has willed that the feast in honor of His Most Sacred Heart be instituted, as He is said to have revealed to His servant Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque, so that we might render with our homage and affections some recompense for the loving dwelling that He makes upon the altars; and so at the same time make amends for the contempt that He has received and still receives in this sacrament of love from heretics and from wicked Christians.
Jesus has left Himself in the Blessed Sacrament: 1. to let Himself be found by all; 2. to give audience to all; 3. to grant favors to all. And as to the first: He makes Himself present on so many different altars, to let Himself be found by all who desire to find Him. On that night in which the Redeemer was taking leave of His disciples to go to His death, they wept in sorrow, thinking that they had to part from their dear Master; but Jesus consoled them, saying (and He was then saying the same also to us): My children, I am going to die for you, to show you the love I bear you; but even in dying I do not wish to leave you alone; as long as you are on earth, I wish to remain with you in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. I leave you My body, My soul, My divinity, and all of Myself. No, as long as you are on earth, I do not wish to be separated from you. «Ecce vobiscum sum usque ad consummationem saeculi» — "Behold, I am with you even to the consummation of the world" (Matt. 28:20). «The Spouse wished (wrote St. Peter of Alcantara) to leave His bride some companionship during this so long separation, so that she might not remain alone; and therefore He left this sacrament, in which He Himself remained, who was the best companionship He could leave her.» The Gentiles have imagined for themselves so many gods, but they have not known how to imagine a God more loving than ours, one who dwells nearer to us and assists us with such love. «Non est alia natio tam grandis, quae habeat deos appropinquantes sibi, sicut Deus noster adest nobis» — "There is no other nation so great that has gods drawing near to it, as our God is present to us." This is precisely how Holy Church applies this passage of Deuteronomy (ch. 4:7) to the feast of the Blessed Sacrament (Resp. 2, Noct. 3).
Behold, then, Jesus Christ, who dwells upon the altars, as though confined in so many prisons of love. The priests take Him out of the tabernacles to expose Him, or to give Holy Communion, and then they shut Him in again. And Jesus is content to remain there day and night. But what was the use, my Redeemer, of remaining in so many churches even at night, while people lock the doors and leave You alone? It would have been enough for You to stay only during the hours of the day. No—He wills to remain even at night, though alone, waiting so that in the morning whoever seeks Him may find Him at once. The sacred bride went about seeking her beloved, and asked whomever she met: «Num quem diligit anima mea vidistis?» — "Have you seen Him whom my soul loves?" (Song 3:3). And not finding Him, she raised her voice, saying: My Spouse, let me know where You are: «Indica mihi ubi pascas, ubi cubes in meridie» — "Tell me where You pasture Your flock, where You rest at midday" (Song 1:6). At that time the bride did not find Him, because the Blessed Sacrament did not yet exist; but at present, if a soul wishes to find Jesus Christ, she need only go to the parish church, or to some monastery, and there she will find her beloved waiting for her. There is no village, however wretched, and no monastery of religious, that does not keep the Blessed Sacrament; and in all those places the King of heaven is content to remain shut up in a little wooden box, or in a stone, where He often stays alone, with hardly an oil lamp, without anyone to attend Him. But, Lord (says St. Bernard), this is not befitting Your majesty. It does not matter, answers Jesus; if it is not befitting My majesty, it is indeed befitting My love.
Now, what tenderness do pilgrims feel in visiting the holy house of Loreto, or the places of the Holy Land — the stable of Bethlehem, Calvary, the holy Sepulchre — where Jesus Christ was born, or dwelt, or died, or was buried! But how much greater must our tenderness be when we find ourselves in a church in the presence of Jesus Himself, who dwells in the Blessed Sacrament? The Venerable Father John of Avila used to say that he could find no sanctuary of greater devotion and consolation than a church where Jesus dwells in the sacrament. Father Balthasar Alvarez, on the contrary, wept to see the palaces of princes full of people, and the churches where Jesus Christ dwells abandoned and deserted. O God, if the Lord had remained in only one church on earth — for example, only in St. Peter's in Rome — and let Himself be found there on only one day of the year, oh how many pilgrims, how many nobles, and how many monarchs would seek the good fortune of being there on that day, to pay court to the King of heaven returned to earth! Oh, what a noble tabernacle of gold adorned with gems would be prepared for Him! Oh, with what a display of lights would this dwelling of Jesus Christ be celebrated on that day! But no, says the Redeemer: I do not wish to dwell in only one church, nor for a single day; nor do I seek so many riches and so many lights. I wish to dwell continually, on every day and in every place where My faithful are found, so that all may easily find Me, always and at whatever hour they wish.
Ah, if Jesus Christ had not thought of this refinement of love, who could ever have thought of it? When He ascended into heaven, if anyone had said to Him then: Lord, if You wish to show us Your affection, remain with us on our altars under the appearances of bread, so that we may find You there whenever we wish — how rash would this request have been judged! But what no man could even imagine, our Savior has imagined and has done. But alas, where is our gratitude for so great a favor? If a prince were to come from afar to a country expressly to be visited by a peasant, what ingratitude it would be on the peasant's part if he refused to see him, or saw him only in passing?
Affections and Prayers
O my Jesus, my Redeemer, O love of my soul, how much has it cost You to remain with us in this Sacrament? You first had to suffer death in order to remain on our altars; and then You had to endure so many insults in this Sacrament in order to assist us with Your presence. And can we be so sluggish and negligent in coming to visit You, knowing how pleased You are by our visits, so as to fill us with blessings when You see us in Your presence? Lord, forgive me, for among these ungrateful ones I too have been. From this day forward, my Jesus, I will visit You often and remain as long as I can in Your presence, to thank You, to love You, and to ask You for graces, since for this very purpose You have remained on earth, shut up in the tabernacles and made our prisoner of love. I love You, infinite goodness; I love You, O God of love; I love You, O supreme good, more worthy of love than every other good. Grant that I may forget myself and all things, to remember only Your love, and to live the life that remains to me wholly occupied in pleasing You. Grant that from today onward I may find no greater delight than to remain at Your feet. Inflame me wholly with Your holy love.
Mary, my mother, obtain for me a great love for the Blessed Sacrament; and when You see me negligent, remind me of the promise that I now make to go and visit it every day.
Point II
Secondly, Jesus Christ in the Sacrament gives audience to all. St. Teresa used to say that not everyone on this earth can speak with the prince. The poor can hardly hope to speak with him and make him aware of their needs except through some third person; but with the King of heaven no third persons are needed: all, both nobles and poor, can speak with Him face to face, since He is in the Sacrament. For this reason Jesus is called the flower of the fields: «Ego flos campi, et lilium convallium» — "I am the flower of the field and the lily of the valleys" (Song 2:1). The flowers of gardens are kept enclosed and reserved, but the flowers of the fields lie open to all. «Ego flos campi» — "I am the flower of the field" — comments Cardinal Hugh — «quia omnibus me exhibeo ad inveniendum», "because I offer Myself for all to find."
With Jesus Christ in the Sacrament, then, everyone can speak, and at every hour of the day. St. Peter Chrysologus (speaking of the birth of the Redeemer in the stable of Bethlehem) says that kings do not always give audience; it often happens that when someone goes to speak with the prince, the guards dismiss him, telling him that it is not then the time for audience and that he should come back later. But the Redeemer chose to be born in an open cave, without doors and without guards, in order to give audience to all and at every hour: «Non est satelles, qui dicat non est hora» — "There is no guard who says: It is not the hour." The same happens with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The churches stand continually open; anyone can go to speak with the King of heaven whenever he wishes. And Jesus Christ wants us to speak to Him there with all our confidence; for this reason He has placed Himself under the appearances of bread. If Jesus appeared on the altars on a throne of light, as He will appear at the last judgment, who of us would have the courage to draw near to Him? But because the Lord, says St. Teresa, desires that we speak to Him and ask Him for graces with confidence and without fear, for this reason He has covered His majesty with the appearances of bread. He desires, as Thomas à Kempis also says, that we converse with Him as one friend converses with another friend, «ut amicus ad amicum» — "as a friend with a friend."
When the soul lingers at the foot of an altar, it seems as though Jesus says to it those words of the Song of Songs: «Surge, propera, amica mea, formosa mea, et veni» — "Arise, make haste, my friend, my beautiful one, and come" (Song 2:10). «Surge» — "Arise," He says to it; "soul, do not fear. «Propera» — "Make haste": draw close to Me. «Amica mea» — "My friend": you are no longer My enemy, since you love Me and repent of having offended Me. «Formosa mea» — "My beautiful one": you are no longer deformed in My eyes; My grace has made you beautiful. «Et veni» — "And come": come up, tell Me what you want; it is for this very purpose that I am on this altar." What joy you would feel, my reader, if the king called you into his private chamber and said to you: Tell me, what do you want? What do you need? I love you and desire to do you good. This is what the King of heaven, Jesus Christ, says to all who visit Him: «Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis et onerati estis, et ego reficiam vos» — "Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you" (Matt. 11:28). Come, you poor, you sick, you afflicted — I can and I will enrich you, heal you, and console you. For this purpose I remain on the altars. «Clamabis, et dicet: Ecce adsum» — "You shall cry out, and He will say: Here I am" (Isa. 58:9).
Affections and Prayers
Since, then, my beloved Jesus, You remain on the altars to hear the supplications of the wretched who have recourse to You, hear today the supplication that I, a miserable sinner, offer You. O Lamb of God, sacrificed and slain upon the cross, I am a soul redeemed by Your blood; forgive me all the offenses I have committed against You, and assist me with Your grace, so that I may never lose You again. Give me a share, my Jesus, in that sorrow which You felt for my sins in the Garden of Gethsemane. O my God, would that I had never offended You! My dear Lord, if I had died in sin, I could no longer love You; but for this very reason You waited for me, so that I might love You. I thank You for this time that You grant me; and since I can now love You, I will love You. Grant me the grace of Your holy love — but such a love as will make me forget everything, to think only of pleasing Your most loving Heart. Ah, my Jesus, You have consumed Your whole life for me; grant that I may consume at least for You the life that remains to me. Draw me wholly to Your love; make me all Yours before I die. I hope for all things through the merits of Your passion.
And I hope also through Your intercession, O Mary; You know that I love You — have pity on me.
Point III
Jesus in the Sacrament gives audience to all, in order to bestow graces on all. St. Augustine says that the Lord has a greater desire to dispense His graces to us than we have to receive them: «Plus vult ille tibi benefacere, quam tu accipere concupiscas» — "He wishes to do good to you more than you desire to receive it." And the reason is that God is infinite goodness, and goodness by its very nature is diffusive, so that He desires to communicate His goods to all. God complains when souls do not come to ask Him for graces: «Nunquid solitudo factus sum Israeli? aut terra serotina? Quare ergo dixit populus meus, non veniemus ultra ad te?» — "Have I become a wilderness to Israel, or a late-bearing land? Why then has My people said: We will come to You no more?" (Jer. 2:31). Why, says the Lord, do you no longer wish to come to Me? Have you perhaps found Me like a barren or late-bearing land when you asked Me for graces? St. John saw the Lord with His breast full of milk — that is, of mercy — and girded with a golden girdle — that is, with love — with which He desires to dispense His graces to us: «Vidi praecinctum ad mamillas zona aurea» — "I saw Him girded about the breasts with a golden girdle" (Rev. 1:13). Jesus Christ is always ready to do us good, but the Disciple says that especially in the Blessed Sacrament He dispenses graces with greater abundance. And Blessed Henry Suso used to say that Jesus in the Sacrament hears our prayers more willingly.
As a mother whose breast is full of milk seeks out infants to come and suckle, so that they may relieve her of that burden, even so does the Lord from this Sacrament of love call us all and say to us: «Ad ubera mea portabimini... quomodo si cui mater blandiatur, ita ego consolabor vos» — "You shall be carried at My breasts... as one whom his mother caresses, so will I comfort you" (Isa. 66:13). Father Balthasar Alvarez once saw Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament with His hands full of graces, to give them to men; but he found no one who wanted them.
O blessed is the soul that stays at the foot of an altar asking graces of Jesus Christ! The Countess of Feria, having become a Poor Clare nun, stayed whenever she could before the Blessed Sacrament, and there she continually received treasures of graces. Asked one day what she did for so many hours before the Venerable Sacrament, she replied: «I would remain there for all eternity. What does one do before the Blessed Sacrament? And what does one not do? What does a poor man do before a rich man? What does a sick man do before a physician? What does one do? One gives thanks, one loves, one asks». Oh how much these last words are worth for spending time fruitfully before the Blessed Sacrament.
Jesus Christ complained to the aforesaid servant of God, Sister Margaret Alacoque, of the ingratitude that men show Him in this Sacrament of love, when He showed her His Heart surrounded by thorns, with a cross above it, upon a throne of flames, thereby giving her to understand the loving dwelling that He makes in the Sacrament; and then He said to her thus: «Behold that Heart which has so loved men, and which has spared nothing: it has gone so far as to consume itself in order to show them its love. But in return I receive nothing but ingratitude from the greater part, because of the irreverences and the contempt they show Me in this Sacrament of love. And what is most painful to Me is that they are hearts consecrated to Me». Men do not go to spend time with Jesus Christ because they do not love Him. They are pleased to spend whole hours talking with a friend, and then it wearies them to spend half an hour with Jesus Christ! Someone will say: But why does Jesus Christ not grant me His love? But I answer: If you do not drive out of your heart the love of the earth, how can divine love enter it? Ah, if you could truly say with your heart what St. Philip Neri used to say at the sight of the Blessed Sacrament: «Behold my love, behold my love»; you would not find it tedious to spend hours and entire days before the Blessed Sacrament.
To a soul enamored of God, the hours before Jesus in the Sacrament seem but moments. St. Francis Xavier labored all day for souls, and what then was his rest at night? It was to remain before the Blessed Sacrament. St. John Francis Regis, that great missionary of France, after spending the whole day hearing confessions and preaching, would go to the church at night, and finding it sometimes closed, would remain outside the door in the cold and wind, to pay court, at least thus from afar, to his beloved Lord. St. Aloysius Gonzaga desired to remain always before the Blessed Sacrament; but because his superiors had ordered him not to stay there, passing before the altar and feeling himself drawn by Jesus to remain, he was obliged to depart in order to obey; and so the holy youth would say to Him lovingly: «Recede a me, Domine, recede» — "Lord, do not draw me; let me depart, for so obedience requires." But if you, my brother, do not feel this love for Jesus Christ, see to it that you visit Him every day, for He will surely inflame your heart. Do you feel cold? Draw near to the fire, said St. Catherine of Siena. And oh, blessed are you if Jesus grants you the grace of being inflamed with His love. Then you will certainly love nothing but Jesus, and you will despise all the things of the earth. St. Francis de Sales says: «When the house is on fire, all the goods are thrown out of the window».
Affections and Prayers
Ah, my Jesus, make Yourself known, and make Yourself loved. You are so lovable; You have nothing more to do to make Yourself loved by men; how then is it that those who love You are so few among men? Alas, among these ungrateful ones, a wretch, I too have been. I have been grateful enough to creatures when they have given me some gift or favor; only toward You, who have given me Yourself, have I been ungrateful, even to the point of grievously displeasing You so many times, and of injuring You with my sins. But I see that You, instead of abandoning me, continue to come after me and to ask for my love. I feel that You continue to press upon me Your loving precept: «Diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo» — "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart." Since, then, You wish to be loved even by ungrateful me, yes, I do wish to love You. You desire my love, and I, at present favored by Your grace, desire nothing else but to love You. I love You, my love, my all. Help me to love You, for the sake of that blood which You have shed for me. My beloved Redeemer, in this blood I place all my hopes, and in the intercession of Your most holy Mother, whose prayers You will to aid our eternal salvation.
O Mary, my Mother, pray to Jesus for me: You inflame with divine love all Your lovers; inflame me also, who love You so much.