Eucharistic Reflection - Now Hath My God Come To Visit Me!

"Behold, my longings are fulfilled! Behold, my desires are satisfied! Now hath my God come to visit me! Now Jesus dwelleth within me! Now I am no longer my own but Christ's: I no longer live in myself but in Jesus, and Jesus lives in me! I am altogether the possession of Jesus and Jesus is altogether mine. 

(Photo©Michael Seagriff)

 

O Infinite Goodness! A God - the God of Heaven - hath touched the tongue, and come within the breast, and sought the heart of a human creature, and one so vile, so unworthy as I am! My soul, of what are thou thinking? Behold thyself now in possession of that for which thou has been sighing; behold myself all hollowed by the presence of Jesus, transformed into Jesus. Thou and Jesus are one. O union true and wonderful! My soul, my soul art thou thus closely united to Jesus, and yet sayest nothing to Him, and speakest not with thy God Who is in thine arms, within thy breast, at thy heart? Up, up, arise, collect thyself, gather up all the affections of thy spirit; Adore Him and say to Him: 

O welcome, dearest Jesus, to the mansion of my soul. Oh, how long have I desired this hour! But, oh, how I pity Thee, now that I see Thee placed in this heart, more hard and cold than the stall where Thou was born; a heart more full of what is grief and anguish to Thee than Calvary was to Thy sacred flesh; for not once, but a hundred, and a thousand times, have I renewed Thy death and Passion by my sins! Lord what dost Thou find in me but hardness and obduracy against Thee, and affections all given to earthly things!

Ah, my God, how is it Thou has come to dwell in me? I must cry out with Saint Peter, Depart from me, depart from me, O Majesty of God; depart from this soul of sin, which is not worthy to harbor God…Go and rest within those pure and fervent souls who welcome Thee so tenderly. But, no, O my precious blessing; no, let it never be so; do not leave me, for if Thou are far from me, I am lost.  O God, my hope, I will not let Thee go! O blessing, for which I have sighed, I press Thee to my heart, and I wish to live and die thus embracing Thee. O most holy Mary, O Angels, Saints and Souls that love your God! lend me your affections, that I may fitly welcome and cherish this presence of my Jesus."

(From The Hidden Treasures by St. Leonard of Port Maurice)