Day 31

DANBURY CT, 1950

PRAYER BEFORE VISIT

JESUS AT JACOB'S WELL

 

"Jesus, therefore, sat thus by the well." (John 4).
A beautiful sight it was that day―the sight of Our Sweet Redeemer as He sat beside the well, tired from His journey. Gentle and loving, He was waiting there for the Samaritan woman to convert her and to save her.

But now the very same Jesus comes from Heaven down on our altar―this same altar becomes a well of grace. There He waits the whole day long in all His meekness, lingering in our midst. His invitation goes out to all to come and share His company even though it be for only a little while―He wants to draw you to His perfect love.

Jesus speaks from every altar where He dwells in the Most Holy Sacrament and this is what He says; "Why do you keep away from me? Why do you not come close to me? I have come to you in lowliness because I love you, and I want to do you good. What are you afraid of? It is not to judge you that I come down to earth now; but I have come hidden in this Sacrament of love. I want only to be of help to you―to give salvation to every one who comes to me: 'I have come not to judge, but to save the world.' " (John 12).

In Heaven, Jesus is "always living to intercede for us." (Heb. 7). In the Sacrament of the Altar, without interruption, night and day He is taking on Himself the office of our merciful Advocate; He is offering Himself to the Eternal Father as our Victim to obtain mercy and numberless graces for us. Let us understand this well.

Thomas à Kempis says that we should come near to Jesus in this Sacrament; that we should speak to Him at our ease and with no fear―as a friend speaks to the friend he loves; "As a loved one speaks to the one who loves him, as friend to friend."

My hidden King, my Master, I will open my heart to you and I will say: O my Jesus, O you who love souls with such a great love, I know well the wrong that men do you. You love them: and you are not loved. You do good: you receive contempt. You want them to hear your voice: they will not listen. You offer them graces: they refuse to take them.

My Jesus, it is true that I also at one time was among those ungrateful ones who treat you so. Yes, my God, it is only too true, but I want to make up for it now. For the rest of my days I want to do something to make amends for the pain that I have given you; now I want to give you pleasure and joy as far as lies in my power. Tell me, dear Master, what do you want me to do? I want to do it―to do it all and without reservation. Let me know, by means of holy obedience, what it is, and then I hope to do it.

My God, firmly I promise you now, that never any more―from this day forward―will I leave any thing undone, once I know that it is for your greater glory; even though in doing this I should lose everything―my parents, my friends, my reputation, my health, or even my life itself.

O God of my heart, if I lose everything, and in doing so I give joy to you, it will be a happy loss indeed; for such a loss, and such a sacrifice, will have only one aim―to give joy to your loving Heart.

My God, my Supreme Good, you are more lovely than any other good, and to an extent that is boundless: and it is you I love. My heart is only small, and it is poor; but in loving you I join with the great ones who love you―with the Seraphim, with the Heart of Mary, with the Heart of Jesus: and now, my God, I love you with my whole being. I want to love you only; I want to love you always.

Aspiration―O God, I am yours; and you are mine; and you are my God.

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

WATCHFUL MOTHER

Blessed Amadeus tells us: The Most Blessed Virgin, face to face with the Creator, is always interceding for us in prayer that is of mighty power. Mary our Queen, high in heaven, is always in the Divine Presence; there she acts as our advocate praying for us, and her prayer is most powerful with God. "This sweet and gentle Lady," he says, "sees our perils and she looks down on us with a mother's love." She sees our unhappy state, our dangers: with the kindness and love of a mother she is filled with compassion and comes to help us.

My advocate, my most loving Mother, at this very moment you can see the poverty, the needs of my soul. You can see the dangers in which I am placed and you are praying for me. Pray; keep on praying; never cease to pray until you see me safe and thanking you in Heaven.

Your servant Blosius says of you, "After your Son you are the sure hope of all the faithful." Most sweet Mary, after your Son you are the sure salvation of those who are your faithful servants. To be your faithful servant even until death―this is the grace I ask from you today; so that when I reach Heaven I will bless you in the security of never any more being parted from you―safe at your feet as long as God is God.

ASPIRATION - Mary my Mother, make me yours forever.

My Good, my God, you are already mine; To you I give my heart and all I have: From you I ask for nothing but yourself.

"What have I in Heaven, and besides you what do I desire upon earth? You are the God of my heart, and the God that is my portion for ever." (Psalm 72:62)

PRAYER AFTER VISIT

ETERNAL REST GIVE UNTO THEM, O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM. MAY THEY REST IN PEACE. AMEN.

30th Visit

DANBURY CT, 1950

PRAYER BEFORE VISIT

VISIT TO JESUS

VEIL OF LOVE

"Why do you hide your face?" (Job 14). Job was afraid because God seemed to hide His face from him. But when Jesus Christ hides His Majesty in the Most Holy Sacrament, it is not to bring fear to our hearts but confidence. He does it only that He might show us His love more clearly; so He comes upon the altar hidden under the species of bread. This is what Novarinus tells us—"When God hides His face in this Sacrament, He makes us see His love."

If the King of Heaven showed us the Splendors of His Glory, who amongst us would be so daring as to come up close to Him in all confidence, and lay bare before Him his feelings and his longings? My Jesus, this Sacrament is indeed a marvelous plan of your love. You have thought out a way of hiding yourself under the appearance of bread, so that whoever wants to find you and to love you on this earth can do so.

The Prophet had very good reason to say that men should lift up their voices, and cry aloud in the whole world to tell of the marvels God's love has invented for us: "Proclaim His inventions among the nations." (Is. 12). O most loving Heart of my Jesus, take to yourself the hearts of all your creatures. Heart full to overflowing; always full, and pouring over like a fountain with the purest waters of love. O devouring fire, set me all aflame; and give me a new life of love and grace! Bring about such a union between you and me that never again will I be parted from you. O open Heart into which souls can enter to find shelter there, receive me into your depths. O Heart, so saddened on the Cross for the sins of the world, give to me deep sorrow for my sins.

Those same deep feelings of love that were in your Heart as you died for me on Calvary, the same are there now in this Divine Sacrament; and so too is your great longing to unite me wholly to yourself. How can it possibly be then, that I will resist your love, and not give myself up entirely to it? O my loved Jesus, wound me, draw me, bind me to yourself; unite me wholly to your Heart—and do it through the merits of your Passion.

Today I am resolved by your grace to give you every possible joy. I will put beneath my feet all human respect; every inclination, every repugnance, and all those likes and dislikes, that can in any way stop me from giving you all possible pleasure. My beloved Master, see to it yourself that I proceed now, and from this day forward, to direct all my works, my feelings and affections, in complete conformity with your Holy Will. O Love of God, put out of my heart all other love. O Mary, my hope, through God there is nothing at all that you cannot do. Get me the grace to be the faithful servant of the pure love of Jesus even unto death. This is my hope. So let it be in time and in eternity.

ASPIRATION - Who shall separate me from the love of Christ.

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 Visit to Mary

GENTLE POWER

 

St. Bernard bears me witness when he says: "The love of the Mother of God is most powerful and it is most gentle. It abounds as it flows into action to soothe with compassion and to aid with power. In both of these she is equally rich." The charity of Mary cannot be anything else but what it is. It is superabundant and it is very powerful. When it brings solace it comes in rich bounty. When it brings aid it comes in mighty force. O Queen most pure, you are rich in mighty power; you are rich in gentle sweetness. You are able to bring salvation, and you are longing to save each one of us.

This day and for all time I shall pray to you in the words of your devoted servant, Blosius: "O Lady, when I am in battle protect me. When I am feeble give me strength." O Mary most holy, come, be my help always. When I am engaged in combat in the great battle against the powers of hell, if you see me weakening and ready to fall stretch forth your hand; in that moment support me with still more power. Even until my death there are fierce combats that await me; and in all these I must win the victory. My hope, my refuge, my strength, O never let me lose the grace of God. And here is my resolution—always and immediately in danger to fly to you and to say:

ASPIRATION - Help me, Mary; come quickly to my aid.
 
PRAYER AFTER VISIT
ETERNAL REST GIVE UNTO THEM, O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM. MAY THEY REST IN PEACE. AMEN.