St. Alphonsus Liguori: Daily Meditations for Week of Pentecost

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Whit Tuesday

Morning Meditation

JESUS REMAINS ON OUR ALTARS THAT HE MAY BE FOUND BY ALL

St. Teresa used to say that in this world it is impossible for all subjects to speak with their king. But everyone who wishes can find Jesus, the King of Heaven, in the Blessed Sacrament, and may speak with Him without restraint.


I.

St. Teresa used to say that in this world it is impossible for all subjects to speak with their king. The most the poor can hope for is to convey what they have to say to him by means of some third person. But to speak with Thee, O King of Heaven, there is no need of any third person. Everyone who wishes may find Thee in the Holy Sacrament, and may speak to Thee without restraint. For this reason it is, says the same Saint, that Jesus has concealed His majesty under the appearance of bread, to give us confidence, and to take away from us all fear of approaching Him. Ah! how does Jesus hourly exclaim from our altars: Come to me all you who labour and are burdened, and I will refresh you-(Matt. xi. 28). Come, He says to us-come, ye poor; come, ye infirm; come, ye afflicted; come ye just and sinners, and you shall find in Me a remedy for all your losses and afflictions. Such is the desire of Jesus Christ to console all who have recourse to Him. He remains night and day upon our altars that He may be found by all, and may bestow His favours upon all.

O my Jesus, I could even die of grief when I think that hitherto I have loved creatures and my own gratification more than Thee, by turning my back upon Thee, my sovereign Good. But Thou wouldst not suffer me to be lost; Thou hast borne with me with so much patience, and, instead of chastising me, hast wounded my heart with so many darts of love that I can no longer resist Thy allurements, and have now given myself to Thee. I see that Thou wouldst have me all Thine. But since Thou desirest this, do Thou effect it, for it is Thou that must do it. Detach all my affections from myself and from creatures, and grant that I may seek no other but thee, nor think of any other, nor speak of any but Thee, and that I may desire and sigh only to burn with Thy love, to live and to die for Thee. O love of my Jesus, come and occupy my whole heart, and expel from it all love that is not for God. I love Thee, O Jesus, present in the Holy Sacrament. I love Thee, my Life, my Treasure, and my All. O Mary, pray for me, and make me belong entirely to Jesus.


II.

The Saints here in this world experienced such delight in remaining before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament that days and nights appeared to them but as moments. The Countess of Feria, having become a Poor Clare was never wearied remaining in the choir in sight of the tabernacle. Being one day asked what she was doing so long before the Blessed Sacrament, she answered with surprise: “What was I doing before the Blessed Sacrament-what was I doing? I was thanking, loving, arid asking!” St. Philip Neri, at the sight of the Blessed Sacrament, exclaimed: “Behold my Love! Behold all my Love!” Ah! if Jesus Christ were our whole love, our days and nights in His presence would also appear as moments. From this day forward, O Jesus, I hope to be able to say always of Thee, when visiting Thee on the altar: “Behold my Love! Behold all my Love!” Yes, my beloved Redeemer, I desire to love no other but Thee; I desire only Thee, Who art the only love of my soul.

Spiritual Reading

VISITING JESUS IN THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

St. John Regis was accustomed frequently to visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Sometimes, however, finding the church closed, he satisfied his longings by remaining on his knees outside the door, exposed to the rain and cold, that, at least at a distance, he might pay his homage to his Comforter concealed under the sacramental veils. St. Francis of Assisi used to converse concerning all his labours and undertakings with Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament. But tender, perhaps, beyond all others was the devotion of St. Wenceslaus, Duke of Bohemia, towards the Most Holy Sacrament. This holy king was so enamoured of the presence of Jesus that he not only gathered the wheat and grapes, and made the hosts and wine with his own hands, and then gave them to be used in the Holy Sacrifice, but he used, even during the winter, to go at night to visit the church in which the Blessed Sacrament was kept. These Visits enkindled in his soul such flames of divine love that the ardour imparted itself even to his body, and took from the snow on which he walked its wonted cold. It is related that the servant who accompanied him, and had to walk on the snow, suffered much from the cold. The holy king, on perceiving this, was moved to compassion, and commanded him to follow him, and to step only in his footmarks. He did so, and never afterwards felt the cold.

In the Visits, you will read other examples of the tender affection with which souls inflamed with the love of God longed to remain in the presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament. You will find that all the Saints were enamoured of this most sweet devotion, and, indeed, it is not possible to find on earth a more precious gem, or a treasure more worthy of all our love, than Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament. Certainly, amongst all devotions, that of receiving the Sacraments alone excepted, adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament holds first place. It is the most pleasing to God and the most useful to ourselves. Do not then, O devout soul, refuse to begin this devotion; leave the conversation of men, and remain each day, from this time forward, for half, or at least a quarter of an hour, in some church in the presence of Jesus Christ under the sacramental species. Taste and see how sweet is the Lord. Make a trial, and by experience you will learn the great benefit you will derive from this devotion.

Be assured that the time thus spent with devotion before this most Divine Sacrament will be the most profitable to you in life, and the source of your greatest consolation in death and for eternity. And you should know that in a quarter of an hour’s prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, you may gain more than in all the other spiritual exercises of the day. It is true that in every place God hears the petitions of those who pray to Him, having promised to do so. Ask and you shall receive-(Jo. xvi. 24}. Yet The Disciple tells us that Jesus dispenses His graces in greatest abundance to those who visit Him in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Blessed Henry Suso also used to say that Jesus Christ hears the prayers of the faithful more graciously in the Sacrament of the Altar than elsewhere. And where, indeed, did holy souls make their most beautiful resolutions, but prostrate before the Most Holy Sacrament? Who knows but that you also may one day, in the presence of the Tabernacle, make the resolution to give yourself entirely to God? In this little book I feel myself bound, at least out of gratitude to my Jesus in the Holy Sacrament, to declare, that through means of this devotion of visiting Him, which I practised, though with so much tepidity and in so imperfect a manner, I abandoned the world, in which, unfortunately, I lived until I was six-and-twenty years of age. Fortunate indeed will you be if you can detach yourself from it at an earlier period and give yourself without reserve to that Lord Who has given Himself without reserve to you. I repeat, blessed indeed you will be, not only in eternity, but even in this life. Oh, how sweet a joy it is to remain with faith and tender devotion before an altar, and converse familiarly with Jesus Christ, Who is there with the express purpose of listening to and graciously hearing those who come to visit Him; to ask His pardon for the displeasure we have caused Him; to put before Him our wants, as a friend to a friend in whom he places all his confidence; to ask Him for His graces, for His love, for His Kingdom. But, above all, oh, what a paradise it is there to remain making acts of love towards that Lord who is in the Tabernacle burning with love for us and praying to His Eternal Father for our welfare. In truth it is love that keeps Him there thus hidden and unknown, even though He is despised by ungrateful souls. But why say more? Taste and see.

Evening Meditation

THE PRACTICE OF THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST

XII.-THE MEANS OF AVOIDING LUKEWARMNESS AND ATTAINING PERFECTION

I.

There are certain pusillanimous souls, who, on being exhorted to communicate more frequently, reply: “But I am not worthy.” But, my child, do you not know, that the more you refrain from Communion, the more unworthy you become? Because, deprived of Holy Communion you will have less strength, and will commit many faults. Well, then, obey your director and be guided by him: faults do not forbid Holy Communion, when they are not committed with full will; besides, among your failings the greatest is not to submit to what your spiritual father says to you.

“But in my past life I was very bad.” And I reply, that you must know, that he who is weakest has most need of the physician and of medicine. Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is our Physician and Medicine as well. St. Ambrose said: “I, who am always sinning, have always need of medicine.” You will then say, perhaps, “But my confessor does not tell me to communicate oftener.” If, then, he does not tell you to do so, ask him the permission to communicate oftener. Should he deny you, obey him; but in the meantime, make him the request. “It would seem pride.” It would be pride if you were to wish to communicate against his will, but not when you ask his consent with humility.


II.

This heavenly Bread requires to be hungered for. Jesus loves to be desired, says a devout author, sitit sitiri, “He thirsts to be thirsted for.” And what a thought is this: “Today I have communicated, and tomorrow I am to communicate.” Oh, how such a reflection keeps the soul attentive to avoid all defects and to do the will of God! “But I have no devotion.” If you mean sensible devotion, it is not necessary, neither does God always grant it even to His most beloved souls: it is enough for you to have the devotion of a will determined to belong wholly to God, and to make progress in His Divine love. John Gerson says that he who abstains from Communion because he does not feel that devotion which he would like to feel, acts like a man who does not approach the fire because he does not feel warm.