THE FOUNTAIN OF MERCY
"In that day," says the Prophet Zacharias, "for the house of David and to the dwellers in Jerusalem there will be an open fountain where the sinner may be cleansed." (Chap. 13). This fountain foretold by the Prophet is the Blessed Sacrament. We can go to it as often as we wish to do so. There we can wash the stains of our daily faults from our souls. After committing a fault the best remedy we have is―to go at once to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
My Jesus, I will always do this. I know that the waters from this Fountain of yours will make me clean; but more than this―they give me light, they give me strength not to fall again, they impart to me that joy which is my support in the midst of trials, and above all they inflame me with your love.
For these reasons, I know you expect me to come to you when I have fallen; and you reward such visits, made by those who love you, with wonderful graces.
My Jesus, come to me now and wash me from all the faults that I have committed this day. I repent of them because they have displeased you. Give me strength not to fall again; set my heart on fire with the intense longing to love you with a great love.
It would be well for us if we could imitate the faithful servant of Jesus, Mary Diaz, in her love for the Most Holy Sacrament. She was a contemporary of St. Teresa, and the Bishop of Avila gave her permission to live in a small apartment attached to the church; she referred to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament as her neighbor, and her time was spent almost always with Him; the only occasions that she left this place were when she wanted to go to Confession and Holy Communion.
It is related of the Venerable Brother Francis of the Child Jesus, a Discalced Carmelite, that as often as he passed by a church he could not resist entering it to visit Our Lord, if he knew the Blessed Sacrament was reserved there; he said that it was not becoming to pass by the door of a friend without entering, at least to greet him and exchange a few words. But he was not satisfied with a few words: he always remained in the presence of his loved Master as long as he could.
Jesus, I understand that you have instituted this Sacrament to remain on the altar to be loved by me―and you are my only Good, my Good that knows no limit and no end. The heart that you have given me is a heart that is capable of an exceeding great love. How then can it be that I have not loved you, or that I love you so little. How can I be so ungrateful? It is not right that Goodness, all―lovely as you are, should be loved so little. Besides, the great love that you have lavished on me deserves a very different love from that which I have hitherto given you: you are the Infinite God, and I am only a poor creature of no account. If I died for you, if I wore myself out in your service, it would be but a little thing: for you have died for me; and every day, for my love, you make a complete sacrifice of yourself on the altar.
You deserve to be loved with an exceeding great love and I wish to love you exceedingly. Help me to love you, my Jesus: help me to do that which you so long for me to do and that which gives you so much pleasure.
ASPIRATION - My Beloved to me and I to Him.
Jesus, I believe you are in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love you; I want you to come to me. Come into my heart; I embrace you; O never depart from me.
My Queen, most sweet, most kind, most lovely, when I go to you for protection how beautiful is the confidence St. Bernard gives me! For he tells me that you make no enquiry into the merits of those who appeal to your love, but you offer to help everybody that prays to you: "Mary does not concern herself with our merits, but she helps everyone that appeals to her." Always gentle and kind, you help me if I pray. Then listen to what I am going to ask you for: I am a poor sinner that has deserved to be lost a thousand times over; but I want to change my life―I want to love that God whom I have offended so grievously. I consecrate myself to you as your servant; poor and unworthy as I am I give myself to you. And now I can plead with you―save what is your own. My Lady, you understand me; I am confident that you do understand, and that you have kindly granted my request.
ASPIRATION - O Mary, I am yours, save me.
PRAYER AFTER VISIT
My Jesus, I will always do this. I know that the waters from this Fountain of yours will make me clean; but more than this―they give me light, they give me strength not to fall again, they impart to me that joy which is my support in the midst of trials, and above all they inflame me with your love.
For these reasons, I know you expect me to come to you when I have fallen; and you reward such visits, made by those who love you, with wonderful graces.
My Jesus, come to me now and wash me from all the faults that I have committed this day. I repent of them because they have displeased you. Give me strength not to fall again; set my heart on fire with the intense longing to love you with a great love.
It would be well for us if we could imitate the faithful servant of Jesus, Mary Diaz, in her love for the Most Holy Sacrament. She was a contemporary of St. Teresa, and the Bishop of Avila gave her permission to live in a small apartment attached to the church; she referred to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament as her neighbor, and her time was spent almost always with Him; the only occasions that she left this place were when she wanted to go to Confession and Holy Communion.
It is related of the Venerable Brother Francis of the Child Jesus, a Discalced Carmelite, that as often as he passed by a church he could not resist entering it to visit Our Lord, if he knew the Blessed Sacrament was reserved there; he said that it was not becoming to pass by the door of a friend without entering, at least to greet him and exchange a few words. But he was not satisfied with a few words: he always remained in the presence of his loved Master as long as he could.
Jesus, I understand that you have instituted this Sacrament to remain on the altar to be loved by me―and you are my only Good, my Good that knows no limit and no end. The heart that you have given me is a heart that is capable of an exceeding great love. How then can it be that I have not loved you, or that I love you so little. How can I be so ungrateful? It is not right that Goodness, all―lovely as you are, should be loved so little. Besides, the great love that you have lavished on me deserves a very different love from that which I have hitherto given you: you are the Infinite God, and I am only a poor creature of no account. If I died for you, if I wore myself out in your service, it would be but a little thing: for you have died for me; and every day, for my love, you make a complete sacrifice of yourself on the altar.
You deserve to be loved with an exceeding great love and I wish to love you exceedingly. Help me to love you, my Jesus: help me to do that which you so long for me to do and that which gives you so much pleasure.
ASPIRATION - My Beloved to me and I to Him.
SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
Jesus, I believe you are in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love you; I want you to come to me. Come into my heart; I embrace you; O never depart from me.
A VISIT TO MARY
ACCEPT ME AS YOUR SERVANT
My Queen, most sweet, most kind, most lovely, when I go to you for protection how beautiful is the confidence St. Bernard gives me! For he tells me that you make no enquiry into the merits of those who appeal to your love, but you offer to help everybody that prays to you: "Mary does not concern herself with our merits, but she helps everyone that appeals to her." Always gentle and kind, you help me if I pray. Then listen to what I am going to ask you for: I am a poor sinner that has deserved to be lost a thousand times over; but I want to change my life―I want to love that God whom I have offended so grievously. I consecrate myself to you as your servant; poor and unworthy as I am I give myself to you. And now I can plead with you―save what is your own. My Lady, you understand me; I am confident that you do understand, and that you have kindly granted my request.
ASPIRATION - O Mary, I am yours, save me.
PRAYER AFTER VISIT
ETERNAL REST GIVE UNTO THEM, O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM. MAY THEY REST IN PEACE. AMEN.
