God, but not even as man, and thus eclipse all the splendours of His majesty, to evince the excess of His bounty and the charms of His love for us. O my Saviour, while Thou concealest Thy divine perfections from our sight, that we may not be dazzled by their glory, Thou dost disclose to us the depth of Thy humility, that we may be induced to copy it in our conduct. O my soul, canst Thou desire to be known by others, when Thou beholdest Thy God concealed and hidden in the Holy Eucharist! How shall such a miserable worm of the earth as I am dare to exalt myself, when I reflect that my God annihilates Himself in this Mystery, to impress upon me the character of His humility?

III. Say not, Christian soul, that Thou dost not dare to approach frequently to a God so great and awful. Thou art indeed unworthy, and thou wilt not cease to be so, if thou dost not endeavour to attend diligently to thy correction; but, says St. Augustin, this bread of angels is not a poison; it is a nourishment given for thy use, and necessary for thy salvation. Receive it therefore, and frequently nourish thy soul with it; but let not habit deprive thee of all relish for this heavenly food, as it generally does for all worldly dainties. The holy dispositions in which thou shouldst receive the God of Holiness ought to increase with the frequency of thy

approach to the Holy Table. It is not for thee to know this increase; but there is always advancement when thou dost strive with greater earnestness to become more holy by means of recollection and humility.

PRAYER BEFORE COMMUNION.

I BELIEVE, O Lord, that Thou art my God, and the Sovereign Judge who will decide my eternal doom. With what respect, therefore, ought I to approach Thee! Alas! who am I, that I should dare even so much as to lift up my eyes towards Thee? How then shall I dare to receive Thee into my heart, which is so miserable, so corrupt, and so unworthy of Thee! Supply, O Lord, my great unworthiness by the excess of Thy merciful goodness, which does not suppose, but constitutes the merit of Thy creatures.

O infinite greatness! O sovereign majesty! O immensity of my God, concealed and annihilated in the sacred Host which I am going to receive! to Thee do I give all glory, and to myself all possible contempt, which alone is my due. Come, O Jesus, come and fill my empty and depraved heart with the plenitude of Thy love. Come, and do Thou take place of self within me, and raise me, who am poor, from the dust and from nothing, and elevate me to the possession of Thy love. But am I nothing? I am worse, I am a sinner, and deserve hell. Ah! I would

willingly say, with St. Peter, Depart from me, O Lord; but fearing lest Thou shouldst say to me, as Thou didst say to him, that I shall have no part in Thy glory, if I do not honour Thy humility, I consent to Thy being born in my soul although a thousand times poorer than the crib, that henceforth I may live only by and for Thee. Amen.

CHAPTER III.

THAT IT IS PROFITABLE TO COMMUNICATE OFTEN.

The Voice of the Disciple.

BEHOLD, I come to Thee, O Lord, that, by Thy gift, it may be well with me, and that I may be delighted in Thy holy banquet, which Thou, O God, hast prepared in sweetness for the poor.

Behold, in Thee is all that I can or ought to desire; Thou art my salvation and redemption, my hope and my strength, my honour and my glory.

Make, therefore, the soul of Thy ser vant joyful this day, because unto Thee, O Lord Jesus, have I lifted up my soul.

Now do I desire to receive Thee devoutly and reverently; I long to bring Thee into my house, so that, with Zacheus, I may deserve to be blessed by Thee, and to be numbered amongst the children of Abraham.

My soul longeth eagerly after Thy Body; my heart desireth to be united with Thee.

2. Give thyself to me, and it is enough; for without Thee no comfort is of any avail.

Without Thee I cannot exist; and with. out Thy visitation I am unable to live.

Therefore must I often come to Thee, and receive Thee as the medicine of my salvation, lest perhaps I faint in the way, should I be deprived of this heavenly food.

For so Thou, O most merciful Jesus, when Thou hadst been preaching to the people and curing their various maladies, didst once say, I will not send them fasting to their home, lest they faint on the way.

Deal with me, therefore, in like manner, who hast left Thyself in this Sacrament for the comfort of the Faithful.

For Thou art the sweet refection of the soul, and he that shall eat Thee worthily shall be partaker and heir of everlasting glory.

Necessary, indeed, is it for me, who so often fall and commit sin, so quickly grow torpid and faint, that by frequent prayers and confessions, and by the sacred receiving of Thy Body, I may again be renewed, cleansed, and inflamed, lest perhaps, by longer abstaining, I fall away from my holy purpose.

3. For prone are the senses of man to evil from his youth; and unless the divine medicine succour him, he quickly falleth to worse things.

The Holy Communion, therefore, withdraweth from evil, and strengtheneth in good.

For if now I am so often negligent and lukewarm. whenever I communicate or