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XXVII | INTER



FOREWORD

The Visits to the Blessed Sacrament were
published for the first time in Naples in the

year 1745. St. Alphonsus was then in his
49th year. He tells that he had composed
these Visits to the Blessed Sacrament and
to the Blessed Virgin Mary for the novices
of his Congregation and that he published
them at the request and cost of a pious
layman, who happened to have heard them
read while he was making a retreat in the
novitiate house. This pious layman, we
have reason to believe, was the saint’s
father.

The publication was like casting fire upon
the earth, which immediately enkindled
divine love in the hearts of men. During

the life-time of S. Alphonsus more than
twenty editions of his Visits were printed
in Naples and Venice

;
they were translated

into German and French, and produced
everywhere the same effect as in Italy.

In our own days the Visits are found in
almost every European language, and edi-
tion follows edition year after year. They
have been the delight of the learned and
the simple for more than 150 years, and
they are sought for now more than ever.

It will sometimes happen that you can-

not actually go to the church to make
these visits. You should then turn in
spirit towards some Tabernacle in which

Jesus remains as a prisoner of love and

thus make your visits from a distance.
Rest assured that in doing so, Our Blessed

Lord will be very near to you.



VISITS

TO THE

Most Blessed Sacrament

AND TO

Blessed Virgin Mary

For Each Day of the Month

by

St. Alphonsus de Liguori

MISSION CHURCH PRESS

1545 Tremont Street

Boston, Mass.



greater devotion and affection, with

the tender and excessive love which

our most sweet Savior has been

pleased to show us in His Passion,

and in the institution of the Most

Holy Sacrament. As such, I place it

at thy feet, and beseech thee to ac-

cept the gift as wholly thine, as also

the giver, who has long since placed

all his hopes in thee, and wishes and

hopes always to call himself, and to

rejoice in being,

Most gracious Lady,

Thy most loving, though most un-

worthy servant,

ALPHONSUS DE LIGUORI,

Of the Congregation of the Most Holy

Redeemer .

Ntljtl (iDbstat.

PATRICK J. SUPPLE,

Censor Deputatus

Slmprimatw.

* WILLIAM,
Archbishop of Boston

Permissu Superiorum

Dtsefdffled 4



VISITS TO THE MOST

BLESSED SACRAMENT

ACTS TO BE MADE BEFORE EACH VISIT

TO THE MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT.*

M Y Lord Jesus Christ, who, forthe love which Thou bearest to
men, remainest night and day

in this Sacrament full of compassion

and of love, awaiting, calling, and

welcoming all who come to visit

Thee: I believe that Thou art present

in the Sacrament of the Altar: I

adore Thee from the abyss of my
nothingness, and I thank Thee for all

the graces which Thou hast bestowed

upon me, and in particular for having

given me Thyself in this Sacrament,

for having given me Thy most holy

Mother Mary for my advocate, and
for having called me to visit Thee.
I now salute Thy most loving Heart:

and this for three ends : 1. In

Thanksgiving for this great gift;

5



2. To make amends to Thee for all

the outrages which Thou receivest in

this Sacrament from all Thine ene-

mies; 3. I intend by this visit to adore

Thee in all the places on earth in

which Thou art the least revered and

the most abandoned . My Jesus I
love Thee with my whole heart. I
grieve for having hitherto so many

times offended Thy infinite goodness.

I purpose by Thy grace never more

to offend Thee for the time to come;

and now, miserable and unworthy

though I be, I consecrate myself to

Thee without reserve
;

I give Thee

and renounce my entire will, my af-
fections, my desires, and all that I
possess. From henceforward do

Thou dispose of me and of all that I

have as Thou pleasest. All that I

ask of Thee and desire is Thy holy

love, final perseverance, and the per-

fect accomplishment of Thy will. I

recommend to Thee the souls in pur-

gatory; but especially those who had

the greatest devotion to the Most

Blessed Sacrament and to the Most

Blessed Virgin Mary. I also recom-

mend to Thee all poor sinners. In

fine, my dear Saviour, I unite all my

6



affections with the affections of Thy

most loving Heart; and I offer them,

thus united, to Thy Eternal Father,

and beseech him in Thy name to

vouchsafe, for Thy love, to accept

and grant them.

* 300 days’ Indulgence each time, and a

Plenary Indulgence once a month.

FIRST VISIT.

Behold the source of every good,

Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament,

who says, If any man thirst let him
come to Me . Oh, what torrents of
grace have the saints drawn from the

fountain of the Most Blessed Sacra-

ment! for there Jesus dispenses all

the merits of His Passion, as it was

foretold by the Prophet: You shall

draw waters with joy out of the

Saviour’s fountains. The Countess of

Feria, that illustrious disciple of the

Venerable Father John d’Avila, after-

wards a poor Clare, and surnamed

the spouse of the Most Blessed Sacra-

ment from her long and frequent

visits to it, on being asked how she

employed the many hours thus passed
in the presence of the Holy of Holies,

replied; “I could remain there for all

7



eternity. And is not the very essence
of God, which will be the food of the

blessed there present? Good God! am
I asked what I do in His presence?

Why am I not rather asked, what is
not done there? We love, we praise,
we give thanks, we ask. What does

a poor man do in the presence of one
who is rich? What does a sick man

do in the presence of his physician?

What does a man do who is parched
with thirst in the presence of a limpid

fountain? What is the occupation of

one who is starving, and is placed

before a well-supplied table?”

0 my most amiable, most sweet,
most beloved Jesus, my life, my hope,
my treasure, the only love of my
soul; ©h, what has it cost Thee to re-

main thus with us in this Sacrament!

Thou hadst to die, that Thou mightest

thus dwell amongst us on our altars;

and then how many insults hast Thou

not had to endure in this Sacrament,

in order to aid us by Thy presence!

Thy love, and the desire which Thou

hast to be loved by us, have con-

quered all.

Come then, 0 Lord! come and take

possession of my heart; close its doors



for ever, that henceforward no crea-

ture may enter there to divide the
love which is due to Thee, and which

it is my ardent desire to bestow all
on Thee. Do Thou alone, my dear
Redeemer, rule me

;
do thou alone

possess my whole being; and if ever
I do not obey Thee perfectly, chastise

me with rigor that henceforward I
may be more watchful to please Thee

as Thou wiliest. Grant that I may no
longer seek for any other pleasure

than that of giving Thee pleasure;

that all my delight may be to visit
Thee often on Thy altars; to enter-

tain myself with Thee, and to receive

Thee in Holy Communion. Let all

who will, seek other treasures; the

only treasure that I love, the only one

that I desire, is that of Thy love; for

this only will I ask at the foot of the

altar. Do Thou make me forget my-

self, that thus I may only remember

Thy goodness. Blessed Seraphim, I

envy you, not for your glory, but for

the love which you bear to your and

my God; oh, do you teach me what I
must do to love Him, and to please

Him.

9



Ejac. My Jesus, I will love Thee
only; Thee only do I desire to please.

AN ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

TO BE SAID EACH DAY

My Jesus, I believe that Thou art
truly present in the Most Blessed

Sacrament. I love Thee above all

things, and I desire to possess Thee

within my soul. Since I am unable
now to receive Thee sacramentally,

come at least spiritually into my
heart. I embrace Thee as being al-

ready there, and unite myself wholly

to Thee
;

never permit me to be
separated from Thee.

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In our Mother Mary we have another
fountain, which is indeed fruitful to us.
She is so rich in good things and in graces,

says St. Bernard, that there is no one in

the world who does not participate in
them : “Of her fulness we have all re-
ceived.” The Most Blessed Virgin Mary
was filled by God with grace, and as such
was saluted by the angel, “Hail, full of
grace that she might afterwards impart

it to all who are devout to her
;

“The

Blessed! Virgin received this grace, that she

might give in return salvation to all.”

Ejaculatory Prayer. Cause of our joy,

pray for us

!

10



PRAYER TO BE SAID EACH DAY.

Most holy Immaculate Virgin and

my Mother Mary, to thee who art the

Mother of my Lord, the Queen of the

world, the advocate, the hope, the

refuge of sinners, I have recourse to-

day,—I, who am the most miserable
of all. I render thee my most humble
homage, O great Queen, and I thank

thee for all the graces thou hast con-

ferred on me until now, particularly

for having delivered me from hell,

which I have so often deserved. I

love thee, 0 most amiable Lady; and

for the love which I bear thee, I

promise to serve thee always, and to

do all in my power to make others
love thee also. I place in thee all my
hopes; I confide my salvation to thy
care. Accept me for thy servant, and

receive me under thy mantle, 0
Mother of Mercy. And since thou art

so powerful with God, deliver me

from all temptations, or rather ob-

tain me the strength to triumph over
them until death. Of thee I ask a

perfect love for Jesus Christ. Through

thee I hope to die a good death. O

my Mother, by the love which thou

11



bearest to God, I beseech thee to help

me all times, but especially at the last
moment of my life. Leave me not, I
beseech thee, until thou seest me safe
in heaven, blessing thee, and singing

thy mercies for all eternity.

So I hope. So may it be.

SECOND VISIT!.

The devout Father Nieremberg

says, that bread being a food which

is consumed by eating, and which

keeps when preserved for use, Jesus

was pleased to dwell on earth under

its species, that He might thus not

only be consumed by uniting Himself

to the souls of His lovers by means

of the Holy Communion, but also that

He might be preserved in the taber-

nacle, and be present with us, and

thus remind us of the love which He

bears us. St. Paul says: He emptied

Himself taking the form of a servant .

But what must we say when we see

Him “taking the form of bread”?

“No tongue would suffice,” says St.

Peter of Alcantara, “to proclaim the

greatness of the love which Jesus

bears to every soul that is in a state

of grace:. In order, therefore, that

12



His absence might not be to them an

occasion of forgetting Him, this most

sweet Spouse, when He was pleased

to quit this life, left as a memorial

this Most Blessed Sacrament, in

which he Himself remained. He did

not wish that between these souls

and Himself any other pledge but

Himself should remain, whereby to

keep alive their remembrance of

Him.”

Since, then, my Jesus, Thou art en-
closed in this tabernacle to receive

the supplications of miserable crea-

tures who come to seek an audience

of Thee, listen this day to the petition

addressed to Thee by the most un-

grateful sinner living on earth. I

come repentant to Thy feet : for I

know the evil which I have committed

in giving Thee displeasure. My first
prayer and desire, then, is, that

Thou wilt be pleased to pardon me all

my sins that I have committed against
Thee. Ah, my God, would that I had
never offended Thee! After this I

must tell Thee my next desire. Now

that I have found out Thy sovereign

goodness, I have become enamoured

of Thee; I feel an ardent desire to

13



love Thee and to please Thee; but I

have not the strength to do this un-

less Thou helpest me. Manifest, 0
great Lord, Thy supreme power, and

Thy immense goodness to the whole

court of heaven; change me from a
great rebel, such as I have hitherto

been to Thee, into a great lover of

Thee. Thou canst do it, and I know

that such is Thy will; supply all that

is wanting in me, that thus I may be

enabled to love Thee much—at least
that I may love Thee as much as I

have offended Thee. I love Thee, my
Jesus; I love Thee above all things;

I love Thee more than my life, my
God, my love, my all! Ejac . My
God and my All.

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Let us go with confidence to the throne

of grace: that we may obtain mercy, and

find grace in seasonable aid. St. Antoninus

says, that Mary is this throne, from which

God dispenses all graces.

O most amiable Queen, since thou hast

so great a desire to help sinners, behold

a great sinner who has recourse to thee

:

help me much, and help me without delay !

Ejac. Sole refuge of sinners, have mercy

on me.

14



THIRD VISIT.

“And my delights were to be with
the children of men.” Behold, our

Jesus, Who, not satisfied with dying

on earth for our love, is pleased even

after His death to dwell with us in

the Most Holy Sacrament, declaring

that He finds His delights among men.

“O men,” exclaims St. Teresa, “how

can you offend a God Who declares
that it is with you that He finds His

delights!” Jesus finds His delights

with us; and shall we not find ours

with Jesus? And we especially who

have had the honor to dwell in His

palace. How greatly do those vassals
esteem themselves honoured to whom
the king assigns an abode in his own

residence! Behold the palace of the

King; it is this house in which we

dwell with Jesus Christ. Let us, then,

learn to thank Him for it, and to
avail ourselves of it to converse with

Jesus Christ.

Behold me, then, 0 my Lord and
God, before this altar, on which Thou

dost reside night and day for my
sake. Thou art the source of every

good; Thou art the healer of every

ill; Thou art the treasure of every

15



poor creature. Behold now at Thy

feet a sinner, who is of all others the

poorest and most infirm, and who

asks Thy mercy; have pity upon me!

Now that I see Thee in this Sacra-
ment, come down from heaven upon

earth only to do me good
;

I will not

be disheartened at the sight of my
misery. I praise Thee, I thank Thee,

I love thee; and if Thou wiliest that

I should ask Thee for an alms, I will

ask for this; 0 listen to me: I desire
never more to offend Thee and I de-

sire that Thou shouldst give me light
and grace to love Thee with all my
strength. Lord, I love Thee with my
whole soul; I love Thee with all my
affections. Do Thou grant that I

may thus speak with truth; and that
I may speak in the same way during

life and for all eternity. Most holy

Virgin Mary, my holy patron saints,
ye angels, and all ye blessed spirits

of paradise, help me to love my most
amiable God.

Ejac. O Good Shepherd, true bread,

Jesus, have mercy on us: do Thou

feed us; do Thou guard us; do Thou

show us good things in the land of

the living!

16



Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Her bands are a healthful binding. The
devout Pelbart says that devotion to Mary
is a chain of predestination. Let us be-

seech our sovereign Lady to bind us always
more closely by the chains of love to con-
fidence in her protection. Ejac. O clement,
O pious, O sweet Virgin Mary.

FOURTH VISIT.

Her conversation hath no bitterness
,

nor her company any tediousness .

Friends on earth find such pleasure

in being together, that they lose en-

tire days in each other’s company :

with Jesus in the Most Holy Sacra-

ment, those who love Him not, get

weary. After her death, St. Teresa,

who was already in heaven, said to

a nun: “Those who are in heaven and

those who are on earth should be one

and the same in purity and in love;

we enjoying, and you suffering; and

that which we do in heaven with the

divine Essence, you should do on

earth with the Most Blessed Sacra-

ment.” Behold, then, our paradise on

earth—the Most Blessed Sacrament.
0 immaculate Lamb, sacrificed for

us upon the cross, remember that I

am one of those souls that Thou hast

17



redeemed by so many sufferings, and
by Thy death. Grant that Thou may-

est be mine, and that I may never
lose Thee, since Thou hast given Thy-

self to me, and givest Thyself every

day, sacrificing Thyself for my love
on the altar; and grant that I may
be all Thine. I give myself to Thee

without reserve, that Thou mayest

dispose of me as Thou pleasest. I
give Thee my will! chain it with the
sweet bonds of Thy love, that it may
forever be the slave of Thy most holy

will. I wish no longer to live for

the satisfaction of my desires, but
only to please Thy goodness. Destroy

in me all that does not please Thee;

grant me the grace never to have any

other thought than to please Thee,

any other desire than that which

Thou desirest. I love Thee, 0 my
dear Savior, with my whole heart;
I love Thee because Thou desirest

that I should love Thee; I love Thee

because Thou art indeed worthy of

my love. I grieve that I love Thee

not as much as Thou deservest. I

desire, Lord, to die for Thy love;

accept my desire, and give me Thy

love. Amen. Ejac. O good pleasure

18



of my God, I sacrifice myself all to
Thee!

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Mary says : I am the Mother of fair love

;

that is to say, she is the Mother of that
love which beautifies souls. St. Mary Mag-
dalene of Pazzi saw the Most Blessed Vir-
gin Mary going about dispensing a sweet
liquid, which was divine love. This gift
is dispensed only by Mary

;
from Mary let

us seek it. Ejac. My Mother, my hope,
make me belong wholly to Jesus.

FIFTH VISIT.

“The sparrow hath found herself a

house
,
and the turtle a nest for her-

self, where she may lay her young

ones? Thy altars
,
0 Lord of hosts,

my King and my God” The sparrow,
says David, finds a dwelling in

houses; turtle-doves in nests; but

Thou, my king and my God, hast
made Thyself a nest and found a

dwelling on earth on our altars, that

we might find Thee, and that Thou

mightest dwell amongst us.

Lord, we cannot but say, that Thou

art too much enamoured of men

;

Thou no longer knowest what to do

to gain their love. But do Thou, my
most amiable Jesus, give us the grace

19



that we also may be passionately
enamoured of Thee. It would indeed

be unreasonable were we cold in our

love towards a God who loves us with

such affection. Draw us to Thee by
the sweet attractions of Thy love

;

make us understand the endearing

claims which Thou hast on our love.

0 infinite Majesty and infinite Good-

ness, Thou lovest men so much, Thou

hast done so much" that Thou might-

est be loved by men: how is it, then,

that amongst men there are so few

who love Thee? I will no longer be

as I have hitherto been, of the un-

happy number of those ungrateful

creatures: I am resolved to love Thee

as much as I can, and to love no other

than Thee: Thou deservest it; Thou

commandest me with so much earnest-

ness to do so, I am resolved to satisfy

Thee. Grant, 0 God of my soul, that

I may fully satisfy Thee. I entreat

Thee to grant me this favor by the

merits of Thy Passion, and I con-

fidently hope for it. Bestow the goods

of the earth on those who desire

them
;

I desire and seek the great

treasure of Thy love alone. I love

Thee, my Jesus; I love Thee, infinite

20



Goodness. Thou art all my riches,
my whole satisfaction, my entire love.
Ejac. My Jesus, Thou hast given Thy
whole self to me; I give my whole
self to Thee

!

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

My Lady, St. Bernard calls thee “the
ravisher of hearts.” He says that thou
goest about stealing hearts by the charms

of thy beauty and goodness. Steal also my
heart and will, I beseech thee : I give them
wholly to thee : offer them to God with
thine own. Ejac. Mother most amiable,
pray for me

!

SIXTH VISIT.

Where your treasure is, there will

your heart be also. — Jesus Christ
says, that where a person esteems his

treasure to be, there also he keeps his

affections. Therefore the saints, who

neither esteem nor love any other

treasure than Jesus Christ, centre

their hearts and all their love in the

Most Blessed Sacrament.

My most amiable Jesus, hidden un-
der the sacramental veils, who for the

love which Thou bearest me remain-

est night and day imprisoned in this

tabernacle, draw, I beseech Thee, my
whole heart to Thee, that I may think

21



of none but Thee, that I may love and
seek and hope for Thee alone. Do

this by the merits of Thy Passion,

through which I seek and hope for it.

Ah, my sacramental Lord and di-
vine Lover, how amiable and tender

are the inventions of Thy love to

gain the love of souls! 0 Eternal

Word, Thou, in becoming man, wast

not satisfied with dying for us; Thou

hast also given us this sacrament as

a companion, as food, and as a pledge

of heaven. Thou reducest Thyself so

as to appear amongst us, at one time

as an infant in a stable, at another

as a poor man in a workshop, then as

a criminal on a gibbet, and now as

bread on an altar. Tell me, couldst

Thou invent other means to win our

love?

0 infinite goodness, when shall I

really begin to correspond with such

refinements of love? Lord, I will only

live to love Thee alone. And of what

use is life to me, if I do not spend

it wholly in loving and pleasing Thee,

my beloved Redeemer, who hast

poured out Thy whole life for me?

And what have I to love if it is not

Thee, who art all beauty, all con-

22



descension, all goodness, all loving, all

worthy of* love? May I live only to
love Thee; may the sole remembrance

of Thy love dissolve my soul with
love; may the very names of crib,

and cross, and sacrament inflame it

with the desire to do great things for

Thee, 0 my Jesus, who hast indeed
done and suffered great things for

me! Ejac . Grant, my Lord, that be-
fore I die I may do something for

Thee!

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

As a fair olive-tree in the plain. I am,
says Mary, the beautiful olive-tree from

which the oil of mercy always flows. And
I stand in the plain that all may see me,
and that all may have recourse to me.
“Remember (let us say in the words of
the prayer of St. Bernard), O most com-
passionate Mary, that it has never been

heard of in any age, that any one having

recourse to thy protection was abandoned
by thee.” Most merciful Queen, such a
thing was never heard of, that any one
having recourse to thy aid was abandoned :
I will not be the first unfortunate creature

who, having recourse to thee, was aban-
doned. Ejac. O Mary, grant me the grace
always to have recourse to thee

!

SEVENTH VISIT.

Behold I am with you all days even
to the consummation of the world .

21



Thus our loving Shepherd, who has

given His life for us who are His

sheep, would not separate Himself

from us by death. Behold me, He

says, beloved sheep
;

I am always
with you; for you I have remained

on earth in this Sacrament; here you

find Me whenever you please, to help
and console you by my presence: I
will not leave you until the end of the

world, as long as you are on earth.

The Bridegroom, says St. Peter of

Alcantara, wished to leave his bride

company, that she might not remain

alone during so long an absence; and

therefore He left this Sacrament, in

which He Himself, the best com-

panion He could leave her, remains.

My sweetest Lord, my most amiable
Savior, I am now visiting Thee on
this altar; but Thou returnest me the

visit with far other love when Thou

enterest my soul in the Holy Com-
munion. Thou art then not only

present to me, but Thou becomest my
food

;
Thou unitest and givest Thy

whole self to me, so that I can then

say with truth, My Jesus, Thou art
now all mine. Since, then, Thou giv-

est Thy self all to me, it is reasonable

24



that I should give myself all to Thee.

I am a worm, and Thou art God. 0
God of love! 0 love of my soul! when
shall I find myself all Thine, in deeds,

and not only in words? Thou canst

do this; by the merits of Thy blood

increase my confidence, that I may
at once obtain this grace of Thee,

that I may find myself all Thine, and
in nothing mine own. Thou graci-

ously hearest, 0 Lord, the prayers of

all; hear now the prayers of a soul

that indeed desires really to love

Thee. I desire to love Thee with all

my strength, I desire to obey Thee in
all that Thou wiliest, without self-

interest, without consolations, with-

out reward. I wish to serve Thee

through love, only to please Thee, only

to content Thy heart, which is so

passionately enamoured of me. Take

possession of my liberty, of my will,
of all that I possess, and of my en-
tire self, and give me Thyself. I

love Thee, I seek after Thee, I sigh

after Thee
;

I desire Thee, I desire

Thee, I desire Thee! Ejac. My Jesus,
make me all Thine own!

25



Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

0 our own most amiable Lady, the whole
Church proclaims and salutes thee as “our
hope’’ ! Thou, then, who art the hope of
all, be also my hope. St. Bernard called
thee “the whole ground of his hope,” and

said : “Let him who despairs hope in thee.”
Thus also will I address thee : My own
Mary, thou savest even those who are in
despair

;
in thee I place all my hope.

Ejac. Mary, Mother of God, pray to
Jesus for me.

EIGHTH VISIT.

To every soul that visits Jesus in

the Most Holy Sacrament, He ad-

dresses the words which He said to

the Sacred Spouse : Arise
,
make haste

,

my love
,
my dove

,
my beautiful one

,

and come . Thou, O soul, that visitest
Me, “arise” from thy miseries; I am
here to enrich thee with graces.

“Make haste,” approach, come near

Me; fear not My majesty, which has
humbled itself in this Sacrament in

order to take away thy fear, and to

give thee confidence. “My beloved,”

thou art no longer My enemy, but My
friend

;
since thou lovest Me and I

love thee. “My beautiful one,” My

grace has made thee fair. “And

come,” draw nearer and cast thyself

into My arms, and ask me with the

26



greatest confidence for whatever thou

wiliest. St. Teresa says that this

great king of glory has disguised him-

self in the Sacrament under the

species of bread, and that He has

concealed His majesty to encourage

us to approach His divine heart with

greater confidence. Let us, then,

draw; near to Jesus with great con-

fidence and affection; let us unite

ourselves to Him, and let us ask Him

for graces.

0 Eternal Word made man, and

present for my sake in this Sacra-
ment, what joy should be mine now

that I stand in Thy presence, Who
art my God, Who art infinite majesty
and infinite goodness, and hast so ten-

der an affection for my soul! Ye
souls who love God, wherever you

may be, either in heaven or on earth,

love Him for me also. Mary, my
Mother, help me to love Him. And

Thou, most beloved Lord, make Thy-

self the object of all my love. Make
Thyself the Lord of my entire will;
possess my entire self. I consecrate
my whole mind to Thee, that it may
always be occupied with the thought

of Thy goodness; I also consecrate

27



my body to Thee, that it may help
me to please Thee; I consecrate my
whole soul to Thee, that it may be
all Thine. Would, 0 beloved of my
soul, that all men could know the
tenderness of the love which Thou

bearest them, that all might live

only to honor Thee and to please

Thee, as Thou desirest and deservest.

Grant that at least I may always
live enamoured of Thy infinite beauty.

From this day forward my desire is
to do all that I can to be pleasing to

Thee. I now resolve to abandon

everything, be it what it may, as soon

as I perceive that it displeases Thee,

however much it may cost me, even
should it be necessary for this pur-

pose to lose all, or even to lay down

my life. Fortunate indeed shall I
be, if I lose all to gain Thee, my God,
my treasure, my love, my all!

Ejac. Jesus, my love, take all that
I have; take full possession of me.

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Whoever is a little one let him come to
me. Mary invites all children who need a
mother to have recourse to her, as to the

most loving of all mothers. The devout
Nieremberg says that the love of all

28



mothers is a shadow in comparison with

the love which Mary bears to each one of
ns. My Mother, mother of my soul, thou
who lovest me, and desirest my salvation
more than any other after God, O Mother,
show thyself a Mother.” Ejac. My Mother,
grant that I may always remember thee !”

NINTH VISIT.

The Venerable Father Alvarez saw

Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament with

His hands filled with graces, and

seeking to whom He might dispense
them.

0 most beloved and only-begotten

Son of the Eternal Father, I know

that Thou art the object most worthy

of being loved. I desire to love Thee

as much as Thou deservest to be

loved, or at least as much as a soul

can ever desire to love Thee. I fully

understand that I, who am a traitor

and so great a rebel to Thy love, de-

serve not to love Thee, neither do I

deserve to approach so near to Thee

as I now am in this church. I hear

Thee say, My son, give my thy heart.
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God

with thy whole heart. I understand

that it is for this end that Thou hast

spared my life, and not sent me to

29



hell, that I might be converted and

turn all my affections to Thee. Since,
then, Thou art pleased that even I

should love Thee, oh, yes, my God, I
will do so. Behold me: to Thee I

yield myself up
;

I give myself to

Thee; I love Thee. 0 God! all good-
ness, all love. I choose Thee for the

only king and lord of my poor heart.
Thou desirest it, and my will is to
give it to Thee: it is cold, it is loath-

some; but if Thou acceptest it, Thou

wilt change it. Change me, my Lord,
change me; I no longer have courage

to live as I have hitherto done, un-

grateful, and with so little love to-

wards Thy infinite goodness, which

loves me so much, and deserves an in-

finite love. Enable me to supply from

this day forward for all the love

which I have hitherto failed to bear

Thee. Ejac. My God, my God, I will
love Thee, I will love Thee, I will

love Thee!

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In all things like to her Son in His

Mother Mary
;
and as she is the Mother of

mercy, she is thrice happy when she helps
and consoles the miserable. So great is
the desire of this Mother to bestow graces

30



on all, that Bernardino de Bustis says

“she desires more to do us good and to
impart to us graces than we can desire
to receive them.” Ejac . Hail, our hope !

TENTH VISIT.

0 foolish ones of the world, says
St. Augustine, miserable creatures,

where are you going to satisfy your

hearts? Come to Jesus; for by Him

alone can that pleasure which you

seek be bestowed. “Unhappy crea-

tures, whither are you going? The

good you seek for comes from Him.
,,

My soul, be not of the number of
these foolish ones

;
seek God alone

:

“seek for that one good in which are

all good things.” And if thou desir-

est soon to find Him, behold, He is

close to thee; tell Him what thou de-

sirest, since for this end it is that

He is in the ciborium, to console thee,

and to grant thy prayer. - St. Teresa

says that all are not allowed to speak

to their king; the most that can be

hoped for is to communicate with

him through a third person. To con-

verse with Thee, O King of glory, no

third person is needed; Thou art al-

ways ready in the Sacrament of the

Altar to give audience to all. Who-

31



ever desires Thee always finds Thee

there, and converses with Thee face

to face. And even if anyone at length
succeeds in speaking with a king, how

many difficulties has he had to over-
come before he can do so ! Kings

grant audiences only a few times in

the year; but Thou, in this Sacra-

ment, grantest audience to all night

and day, and whenever we please.

0 Sacrament of love, Thou who,

whether Thou givest Thyself in the

Communion, or dwellest on the altar,

knowest, by the tender attractions of

Thy love, how to draw so many

hearts to Thyself, who, enamoured of

Thee, and filled with amazement at

the sight of such love, burn with joy,

and think always of Thee, draw also

my miserable heart to Thyself; for it

desires to love Thee, and to live en-

slaved by Thy love. For my part, I

now and henceforward place all my

interests, all my hopes, and all my

affections, my soul, my body,—I place
all in the hands of Thy goodness.

Accept me, 0 Lord, and dispose of me

as Thou pleasest, I will never again

complain, O my love, of thy Holy dis-

pensations; I know that, as all take

32



their source in Thy loving heart,

they will be full of love, and for my
good. It is enough for me to know
that Thou wiliest them also in time

and in eternity. Do all that Thou

wiliest in me and with me; I unite
my entire self to Thy will, which is
all holy, all good, all beautiful, all

perfect, all loving. 0 will of my God,
how dear art thou to me! My will is
ever to live and die united to and

bound up with Thee. Thy pleasure

is my pleasure. I will that Thy de-
sires shall also be my desires. My
God, my God, help me; make me
henceforward live for Thee alone

;

make me will only what thou wiliest,

and make me live only to love Thy

amiable will. Grant that I may die
for Thy love, since Thou hast died

and become food for me. I curse

those days in which I did my own
will, so much to Thy displeasure. I

love thee, 0 will of God, as much as I

love God, since thou art one with

Him. I love Thee, then, with my
whole heart, and give myself all to

Thee. Ejac. O will of God, thou art

my love.

33



Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The great Queen says, With me are
riches . . . that I may enrich them that
love me. Let us Love Mary, if we would
be rich in graces. The writer who calls
himself “the Idiot” styles her “the treasur-

er of graces.” Blessed is he who has re-
course to Mary with love and confidence.
My mother, my hope, thou canst make me
a saint

; from thee I hope for this favor.
Ejac. Mother most amiable, pray for me

!

ELEVENTH VISIT.

“Let us be careful,” says St. Teresa,

“never to be at a distance from Jesus

our beloved Shepherd, nor to lose

sight of Him; for the sheep which

are near their shepherd are always

more caressed and better fed, and al-

ways receive some choice morsels of

that which he Himself eats. If by

chance the shepherd sleeps, still the

lamb remains near him and either

waits until his slumber ends, or itself

awakens him; and it is then caressed

with new favors.”

My Redeemer, present in this Most
Holy Sacrament, behold me near

Thee: the only favor which I ask of

Thee is fervor and perseverance in

Thy love. I thank Thee, 0 holy faith

;

for thou teachest and assurest me

34



that in the divine Sacrament of the

Altar, in that heavenly bread, bread

does not exist; but that my Lord
Jesus Christ is all there, and that He

is there for love of me. My Lord and
my all, I believe that Thou art present
in the Most Holy Sacrament; and

though unknown to eyes of flesh, by

the light of holy faith I discern Thee

in the consecrated Host, as the mon-

arch of Heaven and earth, and as the

Savior of the world. Ah, my most
sweet Jesus! as Thou art my hope,
my salvation, my strength, my con-
solation, so also I will that Thou

shouldst be all my love, and the only
object of all my thoughts, of my de-

sires, and of my affections. I re-
joice more in the supreme happiness

which Thou enjoyest, and wilt enjoy

for ever, than in any good thing

which I could ever have in time or

in eternity. My supreme satisfaction
is, that Thou, my beloved Redeemer,
art supremely happy, and that Thy

happiness is infinite. Reign, reign,

my Lord, over my whole soul; I give
it all to Thee; do Thou ever possess

it. May my will, my senses, and my
faculties be all servants of Thy love,

35



and may they never in this world
serve for anything else than to give

Thee satisfaction and glory. Such

was thy life, O first lover and Mother

of my Jesus! Most Holy Mary, do
thou help me; do thou obtain for me
the grace to live henceforward, as

thou didst always live, in the happi-

ness of belonging to God alone. Ejac.

My Jesus, may I be all Thine, and
be Thou all mine!

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Blessed is the man . . . that watcheth
daily at my gates, and waiteth at the posts
of my doors. Blessed is tie who, like the
poor who stand before the gates of the
rich, is careful to seek for the alms of

graces before the doors of the mercy of
Mary ! And thrice blessed is he who more-
over seeks to imitate the virtues which he
remarks in Mary, and more especially her
purity and humility ! Ejac. My hope’ help
me

!

TWELFTH VISIT.

God is charity; and he that abideth

in charity abideth in God
,
and God

in him. He who loves Jesus dwells

with Jesus, and Jesus with him. If

any one love Me . . . My Father will
love Him; and We will come to him

,

and will make Our abode with him.

36



When St. Philip Neri received the
Holy Communion as Viaticum, on

seeing the Most Blessed Sacrament

enter his room, he exclaimed: “Be-

hold my love! behold my love!” Let
each one of us, then, say, here in the

presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sac-

rament: Behold my love! behold the
object of all my love for my whole
life and for all eternity!

Since, then, my Lord and my God,
Thou has said in the Gospel that he

who loves Thee will be beloved by

Thee, and that Thou wilt come and

dwell in him, and never more leave

him, I love Thee above every other

good: do Thou, then, also love me;

for I, indeed, esteem being loved by

Thee above all the kingdoms of the

world. Come and fix Thy dwelling

in the poor house of my soul in such
a way that Thou mayest no more de-

part from me; or rather, so that I

may never more drive Thee from me.

Thou dost not go, if Thou art not ex-

pelled; but as I have already done

this, so I might do again. Ah, never

allow such a fresh act of wickedness,

such horrible ingratitude, to be per-

petrated in the world, as that I, who

37



have been so especially favored by

Thee, and who have received so many
graces, should again drive Thee from

my soul! But this might happen.
I, therefore, my Lord, desire death, if
it so pleases Thee

;
that by dying

united to Thee, I may live united to
Thee forever. Yes, my Jesus; for
this I hope. I embrace Thee; I press

Thee to my poor heart; grant that
I may always love Thee, and always

be beloved by Thee. Yes, my most
amiable Redeemer, I will always love

thee; and thou wilt always love me.

I trust that our love will ever be

mutual, 0 God of my soul, and this
for all eternity. Amen. Ejac. My
Jesus, I desire always to love Thee,

and always to be beloved by Thee.

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

They that work hy me shall not sin.
He, says Mary, who endeavors to honor
me shall persevere to the end. They that
explain me shall have life everlasting

;

and those who endeavor to make me
known and loved by others will be of the
number of the elect. Promise, then, thar
whenever you can, be it in public or in

private, you will speak of the glories of
Mary, and of devotion to her. Ejac. Vouch-
safe that I may praise Thee, most sacred
Virgin !

38



THIRTEENTH VISIT.

My eyes and My heart shall be there
always . Behold, Jesus has verified

this beautiful promise in the Sacra-

ment of the Altar, wherein he dwells

with us night and day.

My Lord, would it not have been
enough hadst Thou remained in this

Sacrament only during the day, when

Thou couldst have had adorers of Thy

presence to keep Thee company; but

why remain also the whole night,

when the churches are all closed, and

when men retire to their homes, leav-

ing Thee quite alone? Ah, yes! I

already understand Thee : love has

made Thee our prisoner; the excessive

love which Thou bearest us has so

bound Thee down on earth, that

neither night nor day canst Thou

leave us. Ah, most amiable Savior,

this refinement of love alone should

oblige all men ever to stay near Thee

in the sacred ciboriums, and to re-

main with Thee until forcibly com-

pelled to leave Thee; and when they

do so, they should all leave at the

foot of the altar their hearts and af-

fections inflamed with love towards

39



an Incarnate God who remains alone

and enclosed in a tabernacle, all eyes

to see and provide for them in their

necessities, and all heart to love them,

and who waits the coming day to be

again visited by His beloved souls.

Yes, my Jesus, I will please Thee;
I consecrate my whole will and all my
affections to Thee. O infinite Majesty

of God, Thou hast left Thyself in this

divine Sacrament, not only that Thou

mightest be present with us and near

us, but principally to communicate

Thyself to Thy beloved souls. But,

Lord, who will presume to approach

Thee to feed upon Thy flesh? and who,

on the other hand, can keep at a dis-

tance from Thee? For this purpose

Thou concealest Thyself in the con-

secrated Host, that Thou mayest en-

ter into us and possess our hearts.

Thou burnest with the desire of be-

ing received by us, and Thou rejoicest

in being there united with us. Come,

then, my Jesus, come; I desire to re-
ceive Thee within myself, that Thou

mayest be the God of my heart and

of my will. All that is within me I

yield, my dear Redeemer, to Thy

love; satisfaction, pleasures, self-will,

40



all I give up to Thee. 0 Love, 0 God

of love, reign, triumph over my entire
self; destroy and sacrifice all in me
which is mine and not Thine. Per-

mit not, O my Love, that my soul,
which, having received Thee in the

Holy Communion, is filled with the

Majesty of God, should again attach

itself to creatures. I love Thee, my
God, I love Thee; and I will love Thee

alone and forever.

Ejac. Draw me by the chains of

thy Love.

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

St. Bernard exhorts us, saying : “Let us

seek for grace, and let us seek it by Mary.”

“She,” says St. Peter Damian, “is the

treasurer of divine graces.” She can en-

rich us, and she desires to do so. She

therefore invites and calls us, saying

:

Whosoever is a little one, let him come to
me. Most amiable Lady, most exalted
Lady, most gracious Lady, look on a poor

sinner who recommends himself to Thee,
and who places all his confidence in Thee.

Ejac. We fly to thy patronage, O holy
Mother of God !

FOURTEENTH VISIT.
Most amiable Jesus, I hear Thee

say from this tabernacle, in which

Thou art present, This is my rest for
ever and ever; here will I dwell for I

41



have chosen it. Since, then, Thou

hast chosen Thy dwelling on our al-

tars in the midst of us, remaining

there in the Most Holy Sacrament,

and since Thy love for us makes Thee

there find Thy repose, it is but just

that our hearts also should ever

dwell with Thee in affection, and

should find all pleasure and repose in

Thee. Blessed are you, 0 loving

souls, who can find no sweeter repose

in the world than in remaining near

to your Jesus in the Most Holy Sac-

rament ! And blessed should I be,

my Lord, did I from this time for-
ward find no greater delight than in

remaining always in Thy presence,

or in always thinking of Thee, who

in the Most Holy Sacrament art al-

ways thinking of me and of my wel-
fare.

Ah, my Lord! and why have I lost
so many years, in which I have not

loved Thee? 0 miserable years I

curse you; and I bless Thee, 0 in-

finite patience of my God, for having
for so many years borne with me,

though so ungrateful to Thy love.

And still, notwithstanding this in-

gratitude, Thou waitest for me : and

42



why, my God, why? It is, that one
day, overcome by Thy mercies and by

Thy love, I may yield wholly to Thee.
Lord, I will no longer resist, I will

no longer be ungrateful. It is but

just that I should consecrate to Thee

the time, be it long or short, which I

have still to live. I hope for Thy

help, 0 my Jesus, to become entirely
Thine. Thou didst favor me so much
when I fled from Thee and despised

Thy love; how much more may I seek
and desire to love Thee? Give me,

then, the grace to love Thee, 0 God,

worthy of infinite love. I love Thee

with my whole heart
;

I love Thee

above all things: I love Thee more

than myself, more than my life. I
am sorry for having offended Thee,
O infinite goodness: pardon me; and

with Thy pardon grant me the grace

to love Thee much in this life until

death, and in the next life for all

eternity. 0 Almighty God, show the

world the greatness of Thy power, in

the prodigy of a soul ungrateful as

mine has been becoming one of Thy

greatest lovers. Do this by Thy

merits, my Jesus. It is my ardent

desire, and I resolve thus to love Thee

43



during my whole life; do Thou, who
inspirest me with this desire, give
me also the strength to accomplish it.
Ejtic . My Jesus, I thank thee for
having waited for me until now I

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

St. Germanus, addressing the Most
Blessed Virgin Mary, says : “No one is
saved but through thee

;
no one is delivered

from evils but through thee
;
there is no

one on whom any gift is bestowed but
through thee.” Therefore, my Lady and
my hope, if thou dost not help me I am
lost, and shall be unable to bless thee in

heaven. But, Lady, I hear all the saints

say that thou never abandonest those who
have recourse to thee. He only is lost
who has not recourse to thee. I, then,
miserable creature that I am, have recourse

to thee, and in thee place all my hopes.
Ejac. Mary is my whole confidence

;
she is

the whole ground of my hope !

FIFTEENTH VISIT.

1 am come to cast fire on the earth;
and what will I but that it be kindled?

Father Francis Olimpio, the Theatine,

used to say that there was nothing

on earth which enkindled such ardent

flames of divine love in the hearts of

men as the Most Holy Sacrament of

the Altar. Hence our Lord showed

Himself to St. Catherine of Sienna in

this Blessed Sacrament as a furnace

44



of love, from which issued forth tor-

rents of divine flames, spreading

themselves over the whole earth; so

much so, indeed, that the saint, in

perfect astonishment, wondered how

it was possible that men could live

without burning with love for such

love on the part of God towards them.

My Jesus, make me burn with the
desire of Thee

;
grant that all my

thoughts, and sighs, and desires, and

seekings, may be for Thee alone.
Oh, happy should I be did this Thy

heavenly fire fully possess me, and as

I advance in years, gradually con-

sume all earthly affections in me!

O divine Word! O my own Jesus!
I see Thee all sacrified, all annihilated,

and so to say destroyed on the altar,

for my love. It is then, but right
that, as Thou sacrificest Thyself as a

victim of love for me, I at least should

consecrate myself wholly to Thee.

Yes, my God and my sovereign Lord,
I now sacrifice to Thee my whole soul,
my entire self, my whole will and my
whole life. I unite this poor sacrifice

of mine, 0 Eternal Father, to the

infinite sacrifice of Himself which

Jesus, Thy Son and my Savior, once

45



offered to Thee on the cross, and

which He now offers to Thee so many
times every day on our altars. Ac-

cept it, then, through the merits of

Jesus; and grant me the grace to re-
new it every day of my life, and to
die sacrificing my whole self to Thy
honor. I desire the grace granted

to so many martyrs, to die for Thy

love. But if I am unworthy of so
great a grace, grant, at least, my
Lord, that I may sacrifice my life to
Thee, together with my entire will,
by accepting the death which Thou

sendest me. Lord, I desire this grace;

I desire to die with the intention of

honoring and pleasing Thee thereby;

and from this moment I sacrifice my
life to Thee; and I offer Thee my
death, when or wheresoever it may

take place. Ejac. My Jesus, I desire
to die in order to please Thee!

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Allow me also, my most sweet Queen, to
call thee, with thine own St. Bernard, “the
whole ground of my hope,” and to say with
St. John Damascene, “I have placed my
whole hope in thee.” Thou hast to obtain
for me the forgiveness of my sins ; thou,
perseverance until death

;
thou, deliverance

from purgatory. All who are saved obtain

46



salvation through thee : thou then, O Mary,
hast to save me : “He will be saved whom
thou wiliest.” Will, then, my salvation,
and I shall be saved. But thou savest all

who invoke thee
;

behold, then, I invoke

thee. Ejac. O salvation of those who in-
voke Thee, save me

!

SIXTEENTH VISIT.

Had men but always recourse to

the Most Blessed Sacrament to seek

from it the remedy for their ills, they

certainly would not be so miserable

as they are. The prophet Jeremias,

lamenting, exclaimed : Is there no

balm in Galaad? or is there no physi-

cian there? Galaad, a mountain of

Arabia, rich in aromatical spices, ac-

cording to venerable Bede, is a figure

of Jesus Christ, Who, in this Sacra-

ment, keeps in readiness all the

remedies for our woes. Why, then,

our Redeemer seems to ask, do you

complain of your misfortunes, O sons

of Adam, when you have the physi-

cian and the remedy for them all in

this Sacrament? Come to Me, and I

will refresh you. I will, then, ad-

dress Thee in the words of the sisters

of Lazarus: Behold, he whom Thou

lovest is sick . Lord, I am that miser-

able creature whom Thou lovest; my

47



soul is all wounded by the sins which

I have committed; my divine physi-
cian, I come to Thee, that Thou mayst

heal me; if Thou wilt, Thou canst

cure me: Heal my soul; for I have
sinned against Thee . Draw me wholly
to Thyself, my sweet Jesus, by the
all-winning attractions of Thy love.

Far rather would I be bound to Thee

than become the Lord of the whole

earth. I desire nothing else in the

world but to love Thee. I have but

little to give Thee; but could I gain

possession of all the kingdoms of the

world, I would do so, that I might

renounce what I can
;

I give up all

relatives, all comforts, all pleasures,

and even spiritual consolations : for

Thee I renounce my liberty and my
will. On Thee I desire to bestow all

my love. I love Thee, infinite good-
ness; I love Thee more than myself,

and I hope to love Thee for all etern-

ity. Ejac. My Jesus, I give myself
to Thee: do Thou accept me!

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

My Lady thou didst say to St. Bridget

:

“However much a man sins, if he returns
to me with a real purpose of amendment,
I am instantly ready to welcome him ;

48



neither do I pay attention to the greatness

of his sins, but to the intention alone with

which he comes. I do not disdain to

anoint and heal his wounds
;

for I am
called, and truly am, the Mother of Mercy.”

Since, then, thou hast both the power and

the will to heal me, behold, I have recourse

to thee, O heavenly physician
;

heal the

many wounds of my soul : with a single
word addressed by thee to thy Son I shall
be restored. Ejac. O Mary, Have pity on
me

!

SEVENTEENTH VISIT.

Loving souls can find no greater

delight than to be in the company of

those whom they love. If we, then,
love Jesus Christ much, behold we are

now in His presence. Jesus in the

Blessed Sacrament sees us and hears

us: shall we, then, say nothing to

Him? Let us console ourselves in His

company: let us rejoice in His glory,

and in the love which so many

enamoured souls bear Him in the

Most Holy Sacrament. Let us de-

sire that all should love Jesus in the

Holy Sacrament, and consecrate their

hearts to Him: at least let us con-

secrate all our affections to Him. He

should be all our love and our whole

desire. Father Salesius, of the So-

ciety of Jesus, felt consolation in only

49



speaking of the Most Blessed Sacra-

ment; he could never visit it enough.

When called to the parlor, on return-
ing to his room, when going about

the house, he always profited by these

occasions to repeat his visits to his

beloved Lord; so much so, that it was

remarked that scarcely an hour of

the day passed without his visiting

Him. At length he obtained the

favor to die by the hands of heretics

while defending the truth of the real

presence in the Blessed Sacrament.

Oh, had I but the happiness to die

for so noble a cause as the defence

of this Sacrament, in which, 0 most

amiable Jesus, Thou hast taught us

the tenderness of the love which Thou

bearest us ! But since, my Lord,
Thou workest so many miracles in

this Sacrament, work this one also:

draw my entire self to Thee. Thou
indeed desirest that I should be all

Thine, and Thou dost also indeed de-

serve that I should be so. Give me

the strength to love Thee with all the

affection of my soul. Give the goods
of this world to whomsoever Thou

wiliest. I renounce them all: I sigh

after and desire Thy love alone; this

50



alone do I now and will always seek.

I love Thee, my Jesus; grant me the
grace always to love Thee, and grant

me this alone. Ejac. My Jesus, when
shall I really love Thee?

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

My most sweet Queen, how pleasing to
me is that beautiful name by which thy de-
vout clients address thee : “Most Amiable

Mother !” Yes, my Lady, thou art truly
and indeed amiable. Thy beauty has cap-
tivated thy Lord himself : And the king
shall desire thy beauty. St. Bernard says

that thy very name is so amiable to thy
lovers that when they pronounce or hear it
they are inflamed with a fresh desire to

love thee : “O sweet, O pious, O exceed-
ingly amiable Mary ! Thou canst not be
named without inflaming, neither can thy
name be heard without enkindling the af-
fections of those who love thee. It is,
then, reasonable, my most amiable Mother,
that I should love thee. But I am not
satisfied with only loving thee

;
I desire

in the first place on earth, and then in
heaven, to be, after God, thy greatest lover.

If my desire is presumptuous, it is thou
thyself who art to blame, on account of
thy amiability and the special love which
thou hast shown me. If thou wert less
amiable my desire to love thee would be
less. Accept then, O Lady, this my de-
sire

;
and in token that thou hast accepted

it, do thou obtain me from God this love
for which I ask thee, since He is so well
pleased with the love which is borne thee.

Ejac. My most amiable Mother, I love
Thee much.

si



eighteenth visit.

One day Jesus will Tbe seated on a
throne of majesty in the valley of

Josaphat; but now, in the Most

Blessed Sacrament, He is seated on a
throne of love. Did a king, to show

his love for a poor shepherd, go and

live in his village, how great would

be the ingratitude of this peasant did

he not often go to visit him, knowing

the king's wish to see him, and that

for this purpose he had come to re-

side there

!

Ah, my Jesus, for love of me, Thou
dwellest in the Sacrament of the Al-

tar. Could I, then, do so, my desire
would be to remain night and day in

Thy presence. If the angels, 0 my
Lord, filled with astonishment at the

love which Thou bearest us, remain

always around Thee, it is but reason-

able that I, seeing Thee for my sake
on this altar, should endeavor to

please Thee, at least by remaining

in Thy presence, to praise the love

and goodness which Thou hast for me

;

1 will sing praise to Thee in the sight

of the angels; I will worship Thy holy

temple
,
and 1 will give glory to Thy

52



name; for Thy mercy and for Thy

truth .

0 God present in this Most Holy

Sacrament, 0 bread of angels, 0
heavenly food, I love Thee, but Thou

art not, neither am I, satisfied with
my love. I love thee: but I love Thee
too little. Do Thou, my Jesus, make
known to me the beauty, the immense

goodness which I love: make my
heart banish from itself all earthly

affections, and give place to Thy di-

vine love. To fill me with Thy love,

and to unite Thyself all to me, Thou

descendest every day from heaven on

our altars; it is, then, but just that

I should think of nothing else but of

loving, adoring, and pleasing Thee. I

love Thee with my whole soul, I love
Thee with all my affections. If Thou
art graciously pleased to make me a

return for this love, increase my love,
render its flames more ardent; that

thus I may always love Thee more,

and desire more and more to please

Thee. Ejac. Jesus, my love, give me

love!

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

As poor sick persons, who on account of
their miseries are abandoned by all, find

53



shelter in the public hospitals; so also the

most miserable sinners, although discarded

by all, find protection in the mercy of
Mary, by whom they are never rejected

;

for God has placed her in the world as a
receptacle and as a public hospital for
sinners, as St. Basil of Seleucia gives us

to understand. Hence St. Ephrem also
calls her “the asylum of sinners.” There-

fore, my Queen, if I have recourse to thee,
thou canst not reject me on account of my
sins nay, even the more wretched I am, the
greater is the claim which I have upon thy

protection, since God has created thee as
the refuge of the most miserable. There-

fore to thee I have recourse, O Mary
;

I

place myself under thy mantle. Thou art
the refuge of sinners

;
thou art, then, my

refuge, the hope of my salvation. If thou
reject me, to whom shall I have recourse?
Ejac. Mary, my refuge, save me

!

NINETEENTH VISIT.

It is sweet to every one to be in

the company of a dear friend; and

shall we not find it sweet, in this

valley of tears, to remain in the com-

pany of the best friend we have, and

who can do us every kind of good;

who loves us with the most tender

affection, and therefore dwells always

with us? Behold, in the Most Blessed

Sacrament we can converse at pleas-

ure with Jesus, we can open our

hearts to Him, we can lay our wants

before Him, and we can ask Him for

54



his graces; in a word, in this Sacra-

ment we can treat with the King of

Heaven, in all confidence and without

restraint. Joseph was only too happy

when, as the sacred Scripture tells

us, God descended by his grace into

his prison to comfort him: She went

doivn with him into the pit
,
and in

bands she left him not . But we are

yet more highly favored
;

for we

have always with us in this land of

miseries our God made Man, who by

His real presence, is with us all the

days of our life, and comforts and

helps us with the greatest affection

and compassion. What a consolation

it is to a poor prisoner to have an

affectionate friend, who keeps him

company, consoles him, gives him

hope, assists him, and thinks of re-

lieving him in his misery ! Behold

our good friend Jesus Christ, who in

this Sacrament encourages us, saying:

Behold
,
I am with you all days . Be-

hold me, He says, all thine : I am
come from heaven into thy prison

expressly to console thee, to help

thee, to deliver thee. Welcome Me,

and do so always; cling to Me and

thus thou wilt never feel thy miseries

;

55



and afterwards thou wilt come with

Me to My kingdom, where I shall
make thee perfectly happy.

0 God, 0 incomprehensible ocean
of love, since Thy condescension to-

wards us is so great, that in order to

dwell near us Thou descendest upon

our altars, I propose often to visit

Thee; I am determined, as often as I
possibly can, to enjoy Thy most sweet

presence, which is the beatitude of the

saints in heaven. Oh, could I but al-

ways remain in Thy presence, to

adore Thee and to make Thee acts of

love ! Arouse, I beseech Thee, my soul,
when through tepidity or worldly

affairs it neglects to visit Thee. En-

kindle in me a great desire always to

remain near Thee in this Sacrament.

Ah, my loving Jesus would that I had
always loved Thee! would that I had

always pleased Thee! I console my-

self that I still have time to do so,

not only in the next life, but also in

this. I am determined to do so; I am

determined to love Thee indeed, my

sovereign good, my love, my treasure,

my all. I will love Thee with all

my strength. Ejac. My God, help

me to love Thee!

56



Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The devout Bernardine de Bustis says

:

“O sinner, whoever you may be, despair
not

;
but with confidence have recourse to

this Lady
:
you will find her hands filled

with mercies and graces.” “And know
also,” “that this most compassionate Queen

has a greater desire to do you good than

you can have to be assisted by her.” I
will ever, O my Lady, thank God for having
taught me to know thee. Unfortunate in-
deed should I be did I not know thee, or
did I forget thee : ill would it fare with
my salvation. But my Mother, I bless thee,
I love thee

;
and so great is my confidence

in thee, that I place my whole soul in thy
hands.

Ejac . O Mary, blessed is he who knows
thee, and puts his trust in thee !

TWENTIETH VISIT.

The prophet Zacharias says : In

that day there shall be a fountain

open to the house of David , and to the

inhabitants of Jerusalem , for the

washing of the sinner . Jesus in the

Holy Sacrament is the fountain fore-

told by the prophet as open to all,

and to which we can go whenever we

please, to wash our souls from all the

stains of sin which are daily con-

tracted. When any one falls into

some fault, what more beautiful

remedy is there than to have imme-

57



diate recourse to the Most Blessed

Sacrament?

Yes, my Jesus, I resolve always to
do this; for I know that the waters
of this fountain of Thine not only

cleanse me, but also give me light,
and strengthen me not to fall, and
enable me cheerfully to bear contra-
dictions, and also inflame me with
Thy love. I know that for this end
it is that Thou awaitest my visits, and
recompensest those of Thy lovers with

so many graces. My Jesus, delay not;
but wash me now from all the defects
that I have committed this day, and

for which I am grieved because they
have displeased Thee; strengthen me
against relapse by giving me a great

desire to love Thee much. Oh, could

I but always dwell near Thee, as did

Thy faithful servant Mary Diaz, who

remained almost always in the pres-

ence of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

When the Venerable Brother Francis

of the Infant Jesus, of the Order of

the Discalced Carmelites, passed be-

fore a church in which the Blessed

Sacrament was kept, he could not re-

frain from entering to visit it, say-

ing: “That it was not becoming for

58



a friend to pass before the door of a

friend without entering, at least to

salute him and exchange a word,”

But a word did not satisfy him; he

always remained as long as obedience

allowed him in the presence of his

beloved Lord.

My only and infinite good, I see
that Thou hast instituted this Sacra-

ment, and that Thou remainest on

this altar, to be loved by me; and

that for this end Thou hast given me
a heart capable of loving Thee much.

Why is it, then, that I am so ungrate-
ful as not to love Thee, or that I love

Thee so little? Now it is not just
that such goodness as Thou art should

be so little loved. The love, at least,

which Thou bearest me, deserves

other and greater love on my part.
Thou art an infinite God, and I am a
miserable worm. It would be little,

did I die for Thee, or wear myself

out for Thee, Who didst die for me,
and dost sacrifice Thy entire self for

me every day on the altar. Thou

deservest to be much loved
;

I will

love Thee much; help me, my Jesus,
help me to love Thee, help me to do

that which pleases Thee so much, and

59



which Thou so earnestly seekest of

me. Ejac. My Beloved to me, and I
to my Beloved!

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

My most sweet, most compassionate,
most amiable Queen, oh, how great is the
confidence with which St. Bernard inspires

me when I have recourse to thee ! He
says that thou dost not go examining the

merits of those who have recourse to thy
compassion, but that thou offerest thyself

to help all who pray to thee : “Mary does
not discuss merits, but shows herself ready

to hear and welcome all.” Therefore, if
I pray to thee, thou dost graciously hear

me. Well, then, listen to what I have to
ask thee : I am a poor sinner, deserving
of a thousand hells. I wish to change my
life

;
I wish to love my God, whom I have

so greatly offended. I dedicate myself to

thee as thy slave
;

to thee I give myself,

miserable as I am
;
save, then, a poor crea-

ture who is no longer his own but thine.
My Lady, dost thou understand me? Yes:
I trust that thou hast understood me, and
graciously heard my prayer. Ejac. O Mary,
I am thine

;
save me.

TWENTY-FIRST VISIT.

Wheresoever the body shall be,

thither will the eagles also be gath-

ered together. The saints generally

understand by this body that of Jesus

Christ; and by the eagles, souls who,

being detached from creatures, rise

above the things of the earth, and

60



Ay towards heaven, after which they

always sigh in thought and affection,

and where they constantly dwell.

These eagles also find their paradise

on earth wherever they find Jesus in

the Most Holy Sacrament; so much

so, indeed, that they seem never to

tire hovering around Him. Hence

the saints in this valley of tears have

always as parched harts run to this

fountain of paradise. Father Bal-

thasar Alvarez, of the Society of

Jesus, in whatever occupation he was

engaged, used often to cast his eyes

towards the place where he knew Our

Lord was present in the Blessed Sac-

rament; he often visited Him, and

even spent entire nights in His pres-

ence. He used to weep when he saw

the palaces of the great ones of this

world filled with people, who paid

court to a man from whom they hoped
for some miserable earthly good, and

the churches so abandoned, in which

the supreme sovereign of the world

dwells, and remains with us as on a

throne of love, rich in immense and

eternal treasures. He used also to

say, that religious persons were in-

deed fortunate, because in the very

61



houses in which they reside, they can,

whenever they please, either night or

day, visit this great Lord in the Most

Blessed Sacrament; and this lay

people cannot do.

Since, then, my most loving Lord,
notwithstanding that Thou seest me

as a leper, and so ungrateful to Thy

love, Thou invitest me to approach
Thee, I will not be discouraged at the

sight of my miseries: I come and ap-
proach Thee

;
but do Thou wholly

change me. Drive from me every

love which is not for Thee, every de-

sire which displeases Thee, every

thought which does not tend towards

Thee. My Jesus, my love, my trea-
sure, my all, I am determined to
please Thee alone. I will give pleas-

ure only to Thee. Thou alone de-

servest all my love; Thee only will I
love with my whole heart. Detach
me from everything, my Lord, and
bind me to Thyself alone; but bind

me so firmly that I may never more

be able to separate myself from Thee,

either in this life or in the next.

Ejac. My most sweet Jesus, never
allow me to be separated from Thee!

62



Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Denis, the Carthusian, calls the Most

Blessed Virgin “the advocate of all the

wicked who have recourse to her.” Since,
then, O great Mother of God, thy office
is to defend the causes of the most guilty

criminals who have recourse to thee, be-
hold me now at thy feet

;
to thee I have

recourse, and I address thee in the words

of St. Thomas of Villanova : “O gracious
advocate, fulfil thy charge.” Now quickly
enter upon thy office, undertake my cause :
it is true that I have indeed been guilty

before my Lord, having offended Him, after
the many benefits and graces He had con-
ferred upon me

;
but the evil is done

;
thou

canst save me. Thou hast only to tell thy
God that thou defendest me, and then I
shall be forgiven, and shall be saved. Ejac.
My dear Mother, thou hast to save me.

TWENTY-SECOND VISIT.

The Spouse in the sacred Canticles

went about seeking for her Beloved;

and, not finding Him, she asked all

whom she met: Have you seen Him
Whom my soul loveth? Jesus was not
then on earth; but now, if a soul that

loves Him seeks Him, she can always

find Him in the Most Blessed Sacra-

ment. The Venerable Father John

Avila used to say, that amongst all

sanctuaries he could neither find nor

desire a more delightful one than a



church in which the Most Blessed

Sacrament is reserved.

O infinite love of my God, worthy of
infinite love! And how couldst Thou,
my Jesus, in order to dwell amongst
men, and to unite Thyself to their

hearts, humble Thy self so as to con-

ceal Thyself under the species of

bread? 0 incarnate Word, Thou art

supreme in Thy humility, because

Thou art supreme in Thy love! How
can I do otherwise than love Thee

with my entire self, knowing as I do
how much Thou hast done to captivate

my love? I love Thee much; and
therefore I give Thy good pleasure

the preference above every interest

and every satisfaction of my own.
My God, my love, my all. Make me
hunger to be continually in Thy

presence in the Blessed Sacrament, to

receive Thee into my heart, and to
keep Thee company. I should be in-

deed ungrateful did I not accept so

sweet and gracious an invitation. Ah,

Lord, annihilate in me all affection

for created things ! Thou wiliest that

Thou alone, my Creator, shouldst be

the object of all my sighs, of all my

love. I love Thee, most amiable good-

64



ness of my God. I ask nothing of
Thee but Thyself. I desire not my
own pleasure; Thy pleasure is all my
desire, and sufficient for me. Accept,

my Jesus, this good desire of a sinner
who wishes to love Thee. Help me by
Thy grace. Grant that I, a miserable

slave of hell, may from this day for-
ward be the happy slave of Thy love.

Ejac. I love Thee, Jesus, my treasure,
above every other treasure!

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

My most sweet Lady and mother, I am a
vile rebel to thy great Son

;
but I come

repentant to thy mercy, that thou mayest

obtain me pardon. Say not that thou canst
not do so, for St. Bernard calls thee “the

minister of propitiation.’’ To thee also it
belongs to assist those who are in dangers,
St. Ephrem calling thee “the helper of those
in peril.” My Lady, who is in greater
danger than I am? I have lost God: it
is certain that I have been condemned to
hell. I know not whether God has yet
pardoned me. I may again lose Him. But
thou canst obtain me all

;
and from thee

I hope for every good, for forgiveness,

perseverance, and heaven. I hope to be
one of those who, in the kingdom of the
blessed, will most praise thy mercies, O
Mary, for having saved me by thy inter-
cession. Ejac. I will sing the mercies of

Mary for all eternity. I will sing them
forever and ever ! Amen, amen.

65



TWENTY-THIRD VISIT.

Many Christians submit to great
fatigue, and expose themselves to

many dangers, to visit the places in
the Holy Land where our most loving

Savior was born, suffered, and died.

We need not undertake so long a
journey, nor expose ourselves to so

many dangers; the same Lord is near

us, and dwells in the church, only a

few steps distant from our houses.

If pilgrims, says St. Paulinus, con-

sider it a great thing to bring back

a little dust from the crib, or from

the holy sepulchre in which Jesus was

buried, with what ardor should not

we visit the Most Blessed Sacrament,

where the same Jesus is in person,

and where we can go without en-

countering so much fatigue and so

many dangers! A religious person,
to whom God had given great love

for the Most Blessed Sacrament,

amongst other things wrote as follows

in a letter: “I see that every good

thing that I have comes to me from

the Most Blessed Sacrament. I see the

great desire that our Lord has to dis-

pense his graces in the Sacrament. O

66



holy mystery! 0 sacred Host! Where

is it that God manifests His power the

most, if it is not in this Host? Foi-

this Host contains all that God has

ever done for us. Let us not envy

the blessed who are in heaven, since

on earth we have the same Lord, but

with greater wonders of His love. In-

duce all with whom you speak to de-
vote themselves to the Most Blessed

Sacrament. I speak thus because this

Sacrament enraptures my soul. Nor
can I cease to speak of the Most

Blessed Sacrament, which deserves so

greatly to be loved. I know not what

to do for Jesus in this Sacrament.”

Thus the letter ends.

0 ye Seraphim, who remain sweetly

burning with love around your and

my Lord; though it is not indeed for
love of you but of me that this King

of Heaven is pleased to be present

in this Sacrament—0 loving Angels,
let me also burn with love; and do

you enkindle your love in me, that

with you I also may burn! 0 my

Jesus, teach me to know the greatness

of the love which Thou bearest to

men, that at the sight of so great love

my desire to love Thee and please

67



Thee may go on always increasing!
I love Thee, most amiable Lord, and

I will always love Thee; and this

alone to please Thee. Ejac . My Jesus,
I believe in Thee, I hope in Thee, I

love Thee, and I give myself to Thee!

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Most amiable Virgin, St. Bonaventure
calls thee, “the Mother of orphans and
St. Ephrem, moreover, calls thee “the
receiver of orphans.” Alas, these wretched

orphans are' no others than poor sinners

who have lost God ! Behold, then, I have
recourse to thee, Most Holy Mary. I have
lost my Father

;
but thou art my mother,

who must enable me to recover Him. In
this my so great misfortune I call thee to
my aid ; do thou assist me. Shall I re-
main disconsolate? No; for Innocent III.,
speaking of thee, asks, “Who ever called
upon her, and was not graciously heard by
her?” And who ever prayed to thee, and
was not heard and helped by thee? He
alone is lost who has not recourse to thee?
Then, my Queen, if thou desirest my sal-
vation, enable me always to invoke and
confide in thee.

Ejac. My own most holy Mary, give me
confidence in thee

!

TWENTY-FOURTH VISIT.

Verily Thou art a hidden God . In

no other work of divine love are these

words so fully verified as in this

68



adorable mystery of the Most Holy

Sacrament, where our God is entirely

hidden. When the Eternal Word took

flesh, He hid His divinity, and ap-

peared as a man on earth; but re-

maining' with us in this Sacrament,

He hides even His humanity, and,
as remarks St. Bernard, appears
under the form of bread, to show

thereby the tenderness of the love

which He bears us: “The divinity is

hid, the humanity is hid: the bowels

of charity alone appear.” 0 my Be-
loved Redeemer, at the sight of the

excessive tenderness Thou hast for

men, I am beside myself, my Lord,
and know not what to say. In this

Sacrament Thou goest so far for

their love as to hide Thy piajesty

and lower Thy glory; Thou goest so

far as even to consume and annihilate

Thy divine life. And whilst Thou

art on the altar Thou seemest to have

nothing else to do than to love men,

and to show them the love which

Thou bearest them. And what grati-

tude do they show Thee in return, 0

great Son of God?

O Jesus, O too great lover of men,

allow me to say so, for I see that

69



Thou preferrest their advantage to

Thine own glory. And didst Thou

not know to how much contempt this

loving design of Thine would expose

Thee? I see, and before me Thou

didst see it full well Thyself, that

the greater part of men adore Thee

not, neither will they acknowledge

Thee for what Thou art in this Sac-

rament. I know that these very men

have gone so far as to trample on

consecrated Hosts, that they have

thrown them on the ground, into

water, and into fire. And I see the

greater part even of those who believe

in Thee, 0 God, who, so far from re-

pairing so many outrages by the

homage of their devotion, either come

to the, church to offend Thee still

more by their irreverences, or else

abandon Thee on Thy altar, and

sometimes even leave it unprovided

with a lamp or the necessary orna-

ments !

Oh, could I, my most sweet Savior,

but wash with my tears, or even with

my blood, those unhappy places in

which, in this Sacrament, Thy love

and Thy enamored, heart have been

so greatly outraged! But if so much

70



is not granted me, I desire at least,

my Lord, and determine, to visit Thee
often, in order to adore Thee as I

now adore Thee, and this in compen-

sation for the insults which Thou re-

ceivest in this most divine mystery.

Accept, 0 Eternal Father, this scanty

honor, which I, the most miserable

of men, now offer Thee in reparation

of the outrages offered to Thy Son

in the most Holy Sacrament; accept

it in union with that infinite honor

which Jesus Christ gave Thee on the

cross, and which he daily gives Thee

in the Most Blessed Sacrament. 0 my
Sacramental Jesus, would that I could

fill all men with love for the Most

Blessed Sacrament! Ejac . 0 amiable

Jesus, make Thyself known, make

Thyself loved!

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

My most powerful Lady, in the midst of
my misgivings as to my eternal salvation,
how great is the confidence which I feel
when I have' recourse to thee

;
and when

I think that thou, my Mother, art, on the
one hand, so rich in graces that St. John
Damascene calls thee “a sea of graces ;”

St. Bonaventure “the assemblage of graces,”
that is, the source in which all graces are
congregated

; St. Ephrem, “a fountain of
grace and of all consolation and St.

71



Bernard, “the fulness of every good”—and
when, on the other hand, I reflect that thy

desire to do us good is so great that thou

esteemest thyself offended, as St. Bonaven-

ture says, by him who does not ask thee
for graces : “They sin against thee, O
Lady,” he says, “who do not ask of thee”
—O most rich, O most wise, and most
merciful Queen, I see that thou knowest

far better than I do the wants of my soul
and that thou lovest me far more than I
can love thee ! Know, then, the grace for
which I now ask thee

;
obtain me the grace

which thou knowest to be the most ex-
pedient for my soul. Ask this favor from
God and I am satisfied. Ejac. My God,
grant me the graces which Mary asks Thee
for me.

TWENTY-FIFTH VISIT]'

St. Paul praises the obedience of

Jesus Christ, saying, that He obeyed

His Eternal Father even to death: be-

coming obedient even unto death. But

in this Sacrament He has gone still

farther; for here He has been pleased

to become obedient, not only to death,

but as long as the world shall last;

so that we can say: “He has become

obedient even unto the consummation

of the world.” He, the King of

Heaven, comes down from heaven in

obedience to man, and then as if to

dwell and converse there, in order to

obey men: And I do not resist . There

72



He remains without moving Himself;

He allows Himself to be placed where

men will, be it for exposition in the

monstrance, or to be enclosed in the

tabernacle. He allows Himself to be
carried whithersoever He is borne, be

it into houses or through the streets:

He allows Himself to be given in

Communion to whomsoever He is ad-

ministered, be they just or sinners.

St. Luke says that whilst He dwelt

on earth He obeyed the Most Blessed

Virgin Mary and St. Joseph; but in

this Sacrament He obeys as many

creatures as there are priests on

earth: and I do not resist .

Permit me now to address Thee, 0

most loving Heart of my Jesus, from
which indeed all the Sacraments

flowed forth, but principally this

Sacrament of love. I would gladly

give Thee as much glory and honor

as Thou givest in the Holy Sacra-

ment in our churches to the Eternal

Father. I know that on this altar

Thou still lovest me with that same

love with which Thou didst love me

when Thou didst close Thy divine life

in the midst of so much anguish on

the cross. 0 divine Heart, enlighten

73



all those who know Thee not with the

knowledge of Thyself! Through Thy

merits deliver from purgatory, or at

least relieve, the afflicted souls, who

are already Thy spouses for all etern-

ity. I adore Thee, I thank Thee, I

love Thee in union with all souls who

at this moment love Thee, be they on

earth or in heaven. 0 most pure

Heart, purify my heart from all at-
tachment to creatures, and fill it with

Thy holy love! 0 most sweet Heart,
possess my whole heart, so that hence
forward it may be all Thine, and al-
ways be enabled to say: “Who, then

,

shall separate us from the love of God,
which is in Jesus Christ our Lord?

Write, O most sacred Heart, upon my
heart all the bitter sorrows, which for

so many years Thou didst endure on

earth with so much love for me, that,

on seeing them, I may henceforward

desire, or at least endure with pa-

tience, all the sorrows of this life.

Most humble Heart of Jesus, give me

a share of Thy humility. Most meek

heart, impart Thy sweetness to me.

Take from my heart all that dis-
pleases Thee; convert it wholly to

Thee, so that I may no longer will or

74



desire other than what Thou wiliest.

In a word, grant that I may live only

to obey Thee, only to love Thee, only

to give Thee pleasure. I know that I,

indeed, owe Thee much
;

and that

Thou hast indeed placed me under

great obligations: it will be but little

if I consume and wear myself out

for Thee. Ejac. 0 Heart of Jesus,

Thou art the sole Lord of my heart!

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

St. Bernard says, that Mary is that
heavenly ark, in which, if we take timely
refuge, we shall certainly he1 delivered from
the shipwreck of eternal damnation : “She

is the ark in which we escape shipwreck.”
The ark in which Noe escaped from the
general wreck of the world was indeed a
type of Mary. But Hesychius says that
Mary is a more spacious, a stronger, and a
more compassionate ark. Only a few men
and a few beasts were received into and

saved by the ark of Noe
;
but Mary, our

ark, receives all who take refuge under
her mantle, arid with certainty saves them.

Unfortunate should we be had we not
Mary ! But still, my Queen, how many are
lost! and why? Because they have not
recourse to thee? Ejac. Grant, most holy
Mary, that . we may all and always have
recourse to thee

!

TWENTY-SIXTH VISIT.
Rejoice

,
and praise, O thou habita-

tion of Sion; for great is He that is

in the midst of thee, the Holy One of

75



Israel. 0 God, and what joy ought
not we men to conceive, what hopes
and what affections, in knowing that

in the midst of our land, in our

homes, the holy of holies, the true

God, dwells and lives in the Most Holy

Sacrament of the Altar! He who by
His presence alone renders the saints

in heaven blessed! He who is love it-
self. “It is not so much that He has
love, as that He is love itself,” says
St. Bernard. This Sacrament is not

only a sacrament of love, but is love

itself; it is God Himself, who, for the

.immense love which he bears his

creatures, calls Himself, and is, love

itself: God is Love .

But I hear Thee complain, O my
Sacramental Jesus: 7 was a stranger

,

and you took me not in; that Thou

earnest on earth to be our guest for

our good, and that we have not wel-

comed Thee. Thou art right, Lord,

Thou art right; and I am one of

these ungrateful creatures who have

left Thee alone, without even visiting

Thee. Chastise me as Thou pleasest;

but not by depriving me of Thy

presence, which is the chastisement

I deserve: no, I will repair my fault,

76



arid the indignities which I have

heaped upon Thee. From this day
forward I will not only visit Thee

often, but will remain with Thee for

as long a time as I can. 0 most com-
passionate Savior, be pleased to

make me" faithful to Thee; and grant

that I may also, by my example, ex-
cite others to keep Thee company in

the Most Blessed Sacrament. I hear

the Eternal Father, who says: This

is my beloved Son: in whom I am well
pleased. A God, then, finds all his
complacency in Thee; and shall not I,

a miserable worm, find mine in dwell-

ing with Thee in this valley of tears!

0 consuming fire, destroy in me all

affections for earthly things; for they

alone can render me unfaithful, and

take me away from Thee. Thou canst

do so if Thou wilt: Lord, if Thou wilt,
Thou canst make me clean

,
Thou hast

already done so much for me, do this

also: banish from my heart all love
which does not tend towards Thee.

Behold, I give myself all to Thee: I

now dedicate the whole remainder of

my life to the love of the Most Blessed

Sacrament. Thou, 0 Sacramental

Jesus, hast to be my comfort, my love

77



in life, and at the hour of my death,
when Thou wilt come to be my Viati-
cum and my Guide to Thy blessed
kingdom. Amen, amen. So do I hope;

so may it be! Ejac. When, 0 my
Jesus, shall I behold Thy beautiful

face

!

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In thee, our own most holy Mother, we
find the remedy for all our woes

;
in thee

we find strength in our weakness
;
for St.

Germanus calls thee the “strength itself of
our weakness,” in thee we find a door by*
which to make our exit from the slavery of
sin; for St. Bonaventure calls thee “the

gate of liberty.” In thee we find our
certain peace for the same Saint calls
thee “the safe repose of men.” In thee we
find relief in our miserable life. Thou
art “the solace of our pilgrimage,” as St.

Laurence Justinian calls thee. In thee, in

a word, we find divine grace and God Him-
self, for St. Bonaventure calls thee “the
throne of God’s grace ;” and St. Proclus,
“the bridge by which God descends to
men ;” that happy bridge by which God,
who had been driven to a distance by our
sins, returns to dwell by His grace in our

souls. Ejac. O Mary, thou art my strength,
my deliverance, my peace, and salvation !

TWENTY-SEVENTH VISIT.

The holy Church sings in the Office

of the Most Blessed Sacrament:

“There is no other country, however

78



great, whose gods are nigh as our

God is nigh to us.” When the Gen-
tiles heard how far our God carried
His works of love, they exclaimed:

Oh, how good a God is this God of the
Christians! And, indeed, although the

Gentiles imagined their gods -accord-

ing to their own caprices,—yet, if you
read history, you will never find in all

,their fables, and among the many

gods they invented, that they went so

far as even to imagine a god so

enamoured of men as is our true God,

Who, to show His love for His

adorers, and to enrich them with

graces, has worked such a prodigy

of love as to become their constant

companion, and to remain night and

day concealed on their altars, seeming

as if He knew not how to separate

Himself from them, even for a mo-

ment: He hath made a remembrance

of His wonderful works.

Thou, then, my most sweet Jesus,
hast been pleased to work the greatest

of Thy miracles in order to satisfy

the excessive desire which Thou hast

to remain always near and present

to us. Why, then, do men fly from

Thy presence? And how can they

79



live for so long a time at a distance

from Thee, or visit Thee so seldom?

How is it that when in Thy presence
they get so weary that a quarter of

an hour appears an age? Oh, patience

of my Jesus, how great art Thou!
Yes, my Lord, I understand Thee;
Thy patience is great, because the

love Thou bearest to men is great:

and this it is which, so to say, forces

Thee to dwell always in the midst of

creatures so ungrateful.

Ah, my God, Who, because Thou
are infinite in perfections art also

infinite in love, permit not that I

should for the future be, as I have

hitherto been, of the number of these

ungrateful ones. Grant me a love

equal to Thy merits and to my own
obligations. At one time I also was

weary in Thy presence, either be-

cause I loved Thee not, or because

I loved Thee too little; but if by Thy

grace I am enabled to love Thee much,

I shall no longer find it tedious to

remain even for whole days and

nights at Thy feet in the Most Holy

Sacrament. 0 Eternal Father, I

offer Thee Thine own Son Himself:

accept Him for me, and through His

' 80



merits give me so ardent and tender

a love towards the Most Blessed Sac-

rament that, constantly turning to-

wards some church in which Jesus

dwells, I may think of, and desire

with longing anxiety, the time when

I may be able to go and enjoy myself

in His presence. Ejac, My God, for
the love of Jesus, give me a great love

for the Most Blessed Sacrament!

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Mary is that tower of David, of which
the Holy Ghost says in the sacred Can-

ticles : It is built with bulwarks ; a thou-

sand bucklers hang upon its all the armor
of valiant men. A tower built with a
thousand fortresses, and containing a thou-
sand shields and weapons, for the benefit of

those who have recourse to it. Thou art,
then, according to an expression of St.

Ignatius the martyr, O most holy Mary,
a most powerful defence for all those who
are engaged in battle. Oh, how constantly
are my enemies attacking me in order to
deprive me of the grace of God and of thy
protection, my most dear Lady ! But thou
art my strength. Thou, indeed, dost not
disdain to battle for those who trust in
thee

;
for St. Ephrem calls thee “the bul-

wark of all who confide in thee.” Do thou,
then, defend me and fight for me, who
have such great hope and confidence in
thee. Ejac . Mary, Mary, thy name is my
defence !

81



TWENTY-EIGHTH VISIT.

God, having given us His own Son,
says St. Paul, what good thing is

there that we can fear He might
deny us! How hath He not also with
Him given us all things

?

We know,
indeed, that all the Eternal Father

has He has given to Jesus Christ:
The Father has given Him all things
into His hands . Let us, then, ever

thank the goodness, the mercy, the

liberality of our most loving God,

Who has been pleased to make us
rich in all good things, and in every

grace, by giving us Jesus in the Sac-

rament of the Altar : In all things

you are made rich in Him, ... so

that nothing is wanting to you in any

grace .

Therefore, 0 Savior of the world,

0 Incarnate Word, if I desire to

possess Thee, I can consider Thee as

mine, and all mine. But can I at the

same time say that I am all Thine,

as Thou desirest? Ah, my Lord, pre-
vent it; and never let the world wit-

ness such disorder and such ingrati-

tude as that I should not be Thine

when Thou desirest me! Ah, no; let

82



it never be ! If it has been so hitherto,

let it never be so again. I now, with

the utmost determination, consecrate

myself entirely to Thee
;

for time

and eternity I consecrate to Thee my
life, my will, my thoughts, my actions,
my sufferings. Behold me all Thine,
as a victim consecrated to Thee, I bid

farewell to all creatures, and offer my
whole self to Thee. Consume me with
the flames of Thy divine love. No,

I am determined that creatures shall
no longer share my heart. The proofs
which Thou hast given me of the
love which Thou bearest me, even at

a time when I did not love Thee,

make me hope that Thou certainly
acceptest me, now that I love Thee,

and out of love give myself to Thee.

Eternal Father, I now offer Thee

all the virtues, the actions, the af-

fections of the Heart of Thy dear

Jesus. Accept them, and by His

merits, which are all mine— for He
has given them to me—grant me the
graces which Jesus asks Thee for me.

With these merits I thank Thee for

the many mercies which Thou hast

shown me; with these I satisfy for

what I owe Thee for my sins

;

83



through these I hope for every grace

from Thee—pardon, perseverance,
paradise, and, above all, the crown-

ing gift of Thy pure love. I well see

that to all these gifts I myself place

impediments; but do Thou also reme-

dy this. I ask it of Thee in the name

of Jesus Christ, Who has promised:
Whatsoever you shall ask the Father

in My name
,
that will I do. Then

Thou canst not refuse me. Lord, my
only desire is to love Thee, to give

myself to Thee without reserve, and

no longer to be ungrateful to Thee,

as I have hitherto been. Behold me,

and graciously hear me; grant that

this may be the day of my entire

conversion to Thee, so that I may

never more cease to love Thee. I

love Thee, my God! I love Thee, In-

finite Goodness ! I love Thee, my

love, my paradise, my good, my life,

my all! Ejac. My Jesus, Who art

all mine. Thou desirest me, and I

desire Thee.

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

What relief do I feel in my miseries, and
what consolation in my tribulations, what
strength do I not find in the midst of

temptations, when I remember and call thee

to my aid, O my most sweet and most holy
Mother Mary ! Yes, indeed, you were

84



right, 0 ye saints, in calling my Lady “the
haven of those who are in tribulation,”
with St. Ephrem

;
“the repairer of our

calamities,” and “the solace of the miser-

able,” with St. Bonaventure
;
and “the rest

from our mournings,” with St. Germanus.

My own Mary, do thou console me. I see
myself loaded with sins, and surrounded

by enemies, without virtue, and cold in my
love towards God. Comfort me, comfort

me, and let my consolation be to begin a
new life—a life which will be really pleas-
ing to thy Son and to thee.

Ejac. Change me, O Mary my Mother

:

change me
;
thou canst do it.

TWENTY-NINTH VISIT.

Behold I stand at the gate and

knock. 0 most loving shepherd, who,

not satisfied with sacrificing Thyself

once to death on the altar of the

cross for the love of Thy flock, hast

moreover been pleased to hide Thy-

self in this divine Sacrament on the

altars of our churches, to be always

near, and to knock at the doors of our

hearts, and thus obtain admission.

Ah, did I but know how to enjoy Thy

nearness to me as did the sacred

Spouse in the Canticles, who says: I

sat down under His shadow
,
Whom

I desired. Ah, did I but love Thee,

did 1 but really love Thee, my most
amiable Jesus, I also should wish

85



never to leave the foot of a tabernacle

either night or day; and fixing my-

self near Thy Majesty, concealed un-

der the apparent shadow of the sacred

species, I also should find that divine

sweetness and that happiness which

souls enamoured of Thee there find.

Ah, do Thou be graciously pleased to

draw me by the odor of Thy beau-
ties, and of the immense love which

Thou dost manifest in this Sacra-

ment: Draw me, we will run after
Thee to the odor of Thy ointments.

Yes, my Saviour, I will leave crea-
tures and all earthly pleasures, to run

after Thee in this Sacrament: As

olive-plants round about Thy table.

Oh, what abundant fruits of virtues

do those happy souls, like olive-

plants, bring forth to God, who assist

with love before the sacred taber-

nacle! But I am ashamed to appear

before Thee, 0 my Jesus, so naked and

so devoid of all virtues. Thou has

commanded that all who approach the

altar to honor Thee should present

a gift: Thou shalt not appear empty

before Me. What, then, am I to do?

Am I no more to appear before Thee?
Ah, no; this would not please Thee.

86



Poor as I am, I will approach Thee;

and do Thou provide me with the gifts
which Thou desirest. I see that Thou

dwellest in this Sacrament, not only

to reward Thy lovers, but also to

provide for the poor out of Thy

riches.

Be it so, then; let us now begin. I

adore Thee, O King of my heart, and
true Lover of men. 0 Shepherd, lov-
ing Thy sheep beyond all bounds, to

this throne of Thy love I now ap-

proach; and having nothing else to

present to Thee, I offer Thee my
miserable heart, that it may be en-
tirely consecrated to Thy love and to

Thy good pleasure. With this heart

I can love Thee, and I will love Thee

as much as I can. Draw it, then, to
Thyself, and bind it wholly to Thy

will, so that, filled with consolation,

I may be able from henceforth to
say, as Thy dear disciple said, that I

am bound by the chains of Thy love:
/, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ .

Unite me, my Lord, entirely to Thy-
self, and make me forget myself, that
I may have the happiness one day to
lose all things, and even myself, to

find Thee alone, and to love Thee for-

07



ever. I love Thee, my Sacramental
Lord; to Thee do I bind myself, to

Thee do I unite myself; make me find

Thee, make me love Thee
;
and do

Thou never more separate Thyself

from me. E-jac. My Jesus, Thou
alone art sufficient for me

!

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

St. Bernard calls Mary “the royal road
of the Savior the safe road by which to

find the Savior and salvation. Since,
then, it is true, O Queen, that thou art,
as the same saint says, “the chariot in
which our souls go to God,”—the one who
guides us to Him—ah, Lady, thou must not
suppose that I shall advance towards God,

if thou dost not carry me in thine arms !
Carry me, carry me

;
and if I resist, carry

me by main force
;
do all the violence that

thou canst by the sweet attractions of thy

charity to my soul and! to my rebellious
will, that they may leave creatures, to seek
God alone and His divine will. Show the
court of heaven the greatness of thy

power. After so many wonders of thy
mercy, show one more

;
make a poor crea-

ture who is far from God wholly His.
Ejac. O Mary, thou canst make me a
saint; I hope for this grace from thee!

THIRTIETH VISIT.

Why hidest Thou Thy face? Job
feared when he saw that God hid His

face: but to know that Jesus Christ

88



veils His majesty in the Most Blessed

Sacrament should not inspire us with

fear, but rather with greater love

and confidence; since it is precisely

to increase our confidence, and with

greater evidence to manifest His love,

that He remains on our altars con-

cealed under the appearance of bread.

Novarinus says: “God in hiding His

face in this Sacrament, discloses His

love.” And who would ever dare ap-
proach Him with confidence, and lay
bare before Him his affections and
desires, did this King of heaven ap-

pear on our altars in the splendor

of His glory?

Ah, my Jesus! what loving inven-
tion was this of the Most Blessed

Sacrament, to hide Thyself under the

appearance of bread, in order to make

Thyself loved and that Thou mightest

be found on earth by all who desire

Thee! The Prophet was right in say-

ing that men should speak and raise

their voices throughout the world, in

order to make known to all men to

what an excess the inventions of the

love of our good God for for us

:

Make His works known among the

people, 0 most loving Heart of my

89



Jesus, worthy to possess the hearts

of all creatures,—Heart all and ever
full of flames of most pure love! O
consuming fire, consume my whole be-
ing, and give me a new life of love
and grace! Unite me to Thyself in
such a way that I may never more be
separated from Thee. 0 Heart open
to be the refuge of souls, receive me

!

O Heart, which on the cross was so

agonized for the sins of the world,

give me true sorrow for my sins! I
know that in this Sacrament Thou

preservest the same sentiments of

love for me which Thou hadst when

dying on Calvary
;
and therefore Thou

hast an ardent desire to unite me

wholly to Thy self. And is it possible

that I should any longer resist yield-

ing up my entire self to Thy love
and to Thy desire? Ah, by Thy

merits, my beloved Jesus, be pleased
Thyself to wound me, to bind me, to

force me, to unite me in all things

to Thy Heart. I am now determined

by Thy grace to give Thee all the

pleasure that I possibly can, by

trampling under, foot all human re-

spects, inclinations, repugnances, all

my tastes and conveniences, which

90



may prevent me from entirely pleas-
ing Thee. Do Thou, my Lord, so
help me, that I may execute this de-
termination in such a way, that hence-

forward all my works, opinions, and
affections, may be in conformity with
Thy good pleasure. 0 love of God,

do Thou drive all other loves from

my heart! 0 Mary, my hope, thou
art all-powerful with God, obtain me
the grace to be a faithful servant of

the pure love of Jesus until death.

Amen, amen. So I hope: so mv.y it

be in time and eternity! Ejac. Who
shall separate me from the love of

Christ!

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

St. Bernard affirms, that the love of
Mary towards us cannot be greater or more
powerful than it is

;
hence by her affection

she is always abundant in her compassion

for us, and by her power she is plentiful

in the relief she affords us : “The most

powerful and compassionate charity of the

Mother of God abounds in tender com-
passion, and in kind relief : she is equally

rich in both.”

So that, my most pure Queen, thou art
rich in power, and rich in compassion

;

thou art able and desirest to save all. I

therefore beseech thee now, and I will do

so always, in the words of the devout

Blosius : “O Lady ! protect me in my com-
bats, and confirm me when I am wavering.”

91



O most h'oly Mary, in this great battle in
which I am engaged with hell, do thou al-
ways help me

;
but when thou seest me

wavering and likely to fall, O my Lady ! do
thou then extend thy hand with greater

promptitude, and sustain me with greater
vigor. O God ! how many temptations
have I still to overcome before my death !
Mary, my hope, my refuge, my strength,
do thou protect me, and never allow me to
lose the grace of God. And on my part I
resolve always and instantly to "have re-
course to thee in all temptations, saying

:

Ejac. Help me, Mary ! Mary, help me !

THIRTY-FIRST VISIT.

Oh, how beautiful a sight was it

to behold our sweet Redeemer on that

day when, fatigued by his journey, he

sat down, all engaging and loving, be-

side the well to await the Samaritan

woman, that he might convert and

save her! “Jesus, therefore, sat thus

on the well. It is precisely thus that

this same Lord seems sweetly to

dwell with us all the day long, having

come down from Heaven upon our

altars, which are as so many foun-

tains of graces, whereat He waits and

invites souls to keep Him company,

at least for awhile, that He may thus

draw them to His perfect love. From

every altar on which Jesus remains

in the Most Holy Sacrament He seems

92



to address all, saying: 0 men! why do

you not draw near to Me, Who love
you so much, and who remain thus

annihilated for your sake? Why do
you fear? I am not now come on
earth to sit in judgment, but I have

hid Myself in this Sacrament of love

only to do good, and to save all who

have recourse to Me: I came not to

judge the worlds, but to save the

world.

Let us, then, understand, that as

Jesus Christ, in heaven is always liv-

ing to make intercession for us, so

in the Sacrament of the Altar He is

continually, night and day, exercis-

ing the compassionate office of ad-

vocate; offering Himself as a victim

for us to the Eternal Father, thus

to obtain for us His mercy and in-

numerable graces. Therefore the de-

vout Thomas a Kempis says that we

ought to approach Jesus to converse

with Him in the Blessed Sacrament

without fear of chastisement, and un-

restrained, as to a beloved friend,

“as one who loves speaks to his be-

loved, as a friend to a friend.”

Since, then, Thou thus givest me

permission, let me, 0 my hidden King

93



and Lord, now open my heart to
Thee with confidence, and say: 0 my
Jesus! 0 enamored of souls, I well
know the injustice that men do
Thee. Thou lovest them, and art not

beloved by them
;
Thou doest good,

and receivest contempt; Thou desir-

est to make them hear thy voice, and

they give Thee no ear; Thou offerest

them Thy graces, and they refuse

them. Ah, my Jesus! and is it true
that I also at one time joined these

ungrateful creatures in thus displeas-

ing Thee? O God, it is but too true?

But I am determined to amend, and
to endeavor during the time that I

still have to live, to make up for the

displeasure which I have caused Thee,

by doing all that I possibly can to

please Thee and to give Thee con-

solation. Tell me, Lord, what Thou

askest of me, I will execute all with-

out any reserve : make known Thy

will to me by the means of holy

obedience, and I hope to accomplish

it. My God, I now resolutely promise

Thee that I will never, from this day

forward, omit what I know to be the

more pleasing to Thee, even were it

to cost me the loss of all—parents,
94



friends, esteem, health, yea life itself.

Let all perish, provided Thou art

pleased. Happy loss, indeed, when

all is lost and sacrificed to satisfy

Thy heart, O God of my soul! I love
Thee, 0 sovereign good, worthy of

love above every other good; and in

loving Thee I unite my poor heart to
all the hearts with which the sera-

phim love Thee
;

I unite it to the

heart of Mary, to the Heart of Jesus.

I love Thee, and Thee alone will I

always love. Ejac. My God, my
God ! I am Thine, and Thou art

mine

!

Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Blessed Amadeus says that our most
blessed Queen Mary is always in the divine
presence, acting as our advocate’, and in-

terposing with God by her prayers, which
are most powerful : “The most blessed Vir-

gin stands before the face of her Creator,

interceding with her most powerful prayers

for us. For,” he adds, “she well sees our

miseries and our dangers, and as our most
clement and sweet Lady compassionates

and helps us with a mother’s love.”

Thou, my advocate and my most loving
Mother, thou even now seest the miseries
of my soul

;
thou seest my dangers and

prayest for me. Pray, pray, and cease not

to pray, until thou seest me saved an4
thanking thee in heaven. The devout
Blosius tells me that thou, O most sweet

95



Mary, art, after Jesus, the certain salva-

tion of those who are thy faithful servants.
Ah ! this grace I now ask fhee : grant me
the happy lot of being thy faithful servant

until death ; that after death I may go to
bless thee in heaven, where I shall be

certain never more, as long as God is God,
to leave thy sacred feet. Ejac. O Mary,
my Mother, grant that I may be ever thine.



iKefomptortst iFatljrrs

1545 ari’uuntt Street

HtfHtmt, Mass.



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