THE COMMUNICANT SHOULD PREPARE HIMSELF FOR CHRIST
WITH GREAT CARE
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
I AM the Lover of purity, the Giver of all holiness. I seek a
pure heart and there is the place of My rest.
Prepare for Me a large room furnished and I with My disciples
will keep the Pasch with you.
If you wish that I come to you and remain with you, purge out
the old leaven and make clean the dwelling of your heart. Shut out the
whole world with all the din of its vices. Sit as the sparrow lonely
on the housetop, and think on your transgressions in bitterness of
soul.
Everyone who loves prepares the best and most beautiful home
for his beloved, because the love of the one receiving his lover is
recognized thereby.
But understand that you cannot by any merit of your own make
this preparation well enough, though you spend a year in doing it and
think of nothing else. It is only by My goodness and grace that you
are allowed to approach My table, as though a beggar were invited to
dinner by a rich man and he had nothing to offer in return for the
gift but to humble himself and give thanks.
Do what you can and do that carefully. Receive the Body of the
Lord, your beloved God Who deigns to come to you, not out of habit or
necessity, but with fear, with reverence, and with love.
I am He that called you. I ordered it done. I will supply what
you lack. Come and receive Me.
When I grant the grace of devotion, give thanks to God, not
because you are worthy but because I have had mercy upon you. If you
have it not and feel rather dry instead, continue in prayer, sigh and
knock, and do not give up until you receive some crumb of saving
grace.
You have need of Me. I do not need you. You do not come to
sanctify Me but I come to sanctify you and make you better. You come
to be sanctified and united with Me, to receive new grace and to be
aroused anew to amend. Do not neglect this grace, but prepare your
heart with all care, and bring into it your Beloved.
Not only should you prepare devoutly before Communion, but you
should also carefully keep yourself in devotion after receiving the
Sacrament. The careful custody of yourself afterward is no less
necessary than the devout preparation before, for a careful afterwatch
is the best preparation for obtaining greater grace. If a person lets
his mind wander to external comforts, he becomes quite indisposed.
Beware of much talking. Remain in seclusion and enjoy your God,
for you have Him Whom all the world cannot take from you.
I am He to Whom you should give yourself entirely, that from
now on you may live, not in yourself, but in Me, with all cares cast
away. |
That he who is about to Communicate with Christ
ought to prepare himself with great diligence
The Voice of the Beloved
I am the Lover of purity, and Giver of sanctity.
I seek a pure heart, and there is the place of My rest. Prepare for
Me the larger upper room furnished, and I will keep the Passover at
thy house with my disciples.(1) If thou wilt that I come unto thee
and abide with thee, purge out the old leaven,(2) and cleanse the
habitation of thy heart. Shut out the whole world, and all the throng
of sins; sit as a sparrow alone upon the house-top,(3) and think upon
thy transgressions with bitterness of thy soul. For everyone that
loveth prepareth the best and fairest place for his beloved, because
hereby the affection of him that entertaineth his beloved is known.
2. Yet know thou that thou canst not make
sufficient preparation out of the merit of any action of thine, even
though thou shouldest prepare thyself for a whole year, and hadst
nothing else in thy mind. But out of My tenderness and grace alone
art thou permitted to draw nigh unto My table; as though a beggar were
called to a rich man's dinner, and had no other recompense to offer
him for the benefits done unto him, but to humble himself and to give
him thanks. Do therefore as much as lieth in thee, and do it
diligently, not of custom, nor of necessity, but with fear, reverence,
and affection, receive the Body of thy beloved Lord God, who
vouchsafeth to come unto thee. I am He who hath called thee; I
commanded it to be done; I will supply what is lacking to thee; come
and receive Me.
3. When I give the grace of devotion, give thanks
unto thy God; it is not because thou art worthy, but because I had
mercy on thee. If thou hast not devotion, but rather feelest thyself
dry, be instant in prayer, cease not to groan and knock; cease not
until thou prevail to obtain some crumb or drop of saving grace. Thou
hast need of Me, I have no need of thee. Nor dost thou come to
sanctify Me, but I come to sanctify thee and make thee better. Thou
comest that thou mayest be sanctified by Me, and be united to Me; that
thou mayest receive fresh grace, and be kindled anew to amendment of
life. See that thou neglect not this grace, but prepare thy heart
with all diligence, and receive thy Beloved unto thee.
4. But thou oughtest not only to prepare thyself
for devotion before Communion, thou must also keep thyself with all
diligence therein after receiving the Sacrament; nor is less
watchfulness needed afterwards, than devout preparation beforehand:
for good watchfulness afterwards becometh in turn the best preparation
for the gaining more grace. For hereby is a man made entirely
indisposed to good, if he immediately return from Communion to give
himself up to outward consolations. Beware of much speaking; remain
in a secret place, and hold communion with thy God; for thou hast Him
whom the whole world cannot take away from thee. I am He to whom thou
oughtest wholly to give thyself; so that now thou mayest live not
wholly in thyself, but in Me, free from all anxiety. |