THE PRISONER
In the Sacrament of the Altar Jesus has made this beautiful promise a reality; there He remains with us night and day.
If you had remained here, Jesus my Master, in the day time only, it surely would have been enough. People would be there to adore you and to keep you company; but you remain there even during the nights at a time when the church is closed and all retire to their homes―and so you are left quite alone.
Jesus, I know your reason―it is love. Love has caused you to become a prisoner for us; the strong love you have for us has bound you here on earth; and you cannot leave us any more, either night or day. This all-powerful love of yours, Jesus my Saviour, should be in itself capable of binding all men to you, and keeping them near you in the Blessed Sacrament always until they are forced to depart: and when they do at length go away, they should leave their hearts at the foot of the altar. All their affections should turn to God, who has become Man for them: to God, who remains alone, shut up in the Tabernacle; all eyes, watching out from there to provide for our every need; all heart, thirsting for our love; anxious, waiting the long night through, until He will again be visited by the ones He loves.
My Jesus, I wish to please you; I consecrate to you all my love. O God of boundless Majesty! Yes, it is you yourself! You remain in this Divine Sacrament to be present and close beside us, but chiefly to give yourself in Holy Communion to the ones you love.
My Lord and God, who shall dare to come so near to you and to nourish himself with your flesh? But who on the other hand will dare to keep away from you, because it is for this very reason you hide in the Consecrated Host―to enter into our inmost being and to take possession of our hearts.
It is you who burn with desire to be received by us. It is you who are filled with joy when you are united with us. Oh! Come, my Jesus. Come, I am longing to receive you within myself, so that you may be the God of my heart and of my will.
Whatever I have, O my dear Redeemer, satisfactions, pleasures, self-will―everything I make over to you. O Love, O God of love, reign, triumph over my whole self; if there is anything in me that is not yours, destroy and sacrifice it. O my God do not permit that my soul, full of God's majesty―since it has received you in Holy Communion―should ever again become attached to created things.
My God, I love you; my God, I will love you always; my God, I will love you only.
ASPIRATION - Draw me close to you with the strong bonds of your love.
SPIRTUAL COMMUNION
A VISIT TO MARY
TREASURE OF GRACES
St. Bernard urges us: "Let us ask for grace and let us ask through Mary." St. Peter Damian tells us she is "The Treasure Store of Divine Graces." She is able to make us rich. She wants us to be rich. So she earnestly presses us to accept her kind invitation, "If you are a little one, then come to me." (Prov. 9).
O Lady Most Lovely, O Lady Most Sublime, O Lady Most Kind, look down upon me a poor sinner who comes to you for support and puts all his confidence in you.
ASPIRATION - We fly to you for protection, O Holy Mother of God.
PRAYER AFTER VISIT
ETERNAL REST GIVE UNTO THEM, O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM. MAY THEY REST IN PEACE. AMEN.
