Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

"To receive Communion fruitfully, that adorable Sacrament must produce its effects in you. In fact, I am anxious when I see someone receiving Communion frequently and she does not take on the mind of Jesus Christ and has no resemblance to Him. Photo by James Coleman on Unsplash I do not tell you not to receive Communion - understand my words properly - but I do say to you, in communicating often, to live according to the grace of the Communion, clothing yourself in Jesus Christ and asking for His spirit and living only for Him. And for this, it is necessary, I repeat to you, that you die to yourself."  (Mother Mectilde of the Blessed Sacrament from The Mystery of Incomprehensible Love )  

“In order to lead the soul to a high degree of virtue, God grants it the grace of deeper recollection. This incontestable truth is little known or appreciated even by persons of piety, who too often act on the belief that progress in holiness consists in external religious practices or in a greater enjoyment of God. (Image Source) Yet it is certain that the grace of recollection, by bringing us nearer to God, nearer to the divine fire of love, does increase our light and fervor. That is why we comprehend certain truths so clearly when we are in a more profound state of recollection. We discern them, in fact, by the very lights of God. Then it is that we have a peace we never knew before, a strength which astonishes us; we feel we are with God.” (St. Peter Julian Eymard from Holy Communion )

  "We must beware of discouragement, for the majority of souls fall into it saying: 'For such a long time I have attended Mass and offered my imperfections, and I still have them all and I am not dead to the least of them.' Others say: 'I have received Communion so many times and I am not at all transformed into Jesus Christ, which is the effect of Holy Communion; therefore, it is not necessary to receive Communion anymore.' (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) No, no, there is something you must note: it is in order to have us hear Mass  often and receive Communion many times that Jesus Christ does not effect this complete death or total transformation. Instead He leaves us our imperfections so that we may make a continual sacrifice of them in combating them constantly for Him. This is why Our Lord does not cause this [transformation] all at once; these matters for battle He leaves for the sake of our fidelity." (Mother Mectilde of the Blessed Sacrament from Th...

When the soul has given itself up to God, He makes it suffer, and will make it suffer constantly. This will be hard! In order to take complete possession of the soul, God annihilates it, as it were, and takes its place. And as it is continually assailed by the temptation to find itself again, God gives combat, makes it suffer; He effaces the spirit, stifles the heart. Photo by Joshua Eckstein on Unsplash When the spirit will not surrender unconditionally, God plunges it into darkness, into temptations against faith, and hope and confidence. All peace is lost until the mind surrenders and totally renounces its own lights. Against such a state, the director can do nothing. He reasons; he discourses on the goodness of God, which the soul alas, can no longer see. It is terrified by the past and trembles for the present. What is to be done? Accept everything. God wills this state for you and does not tell you why. He is waiting for you to say to Him: 'I am nothing but sin; I give myse...

"A great many people habitually make the mistake of talking too much in their thanksgiving, that highest of prayers; by over-much speaking they render their Communion ineffective - Do but listen to  our Lord a little after Communion. This is not the time to seek, but to enjoy. This is the time when God makes Himself known through Himself: Et erunt docibiles Dei -"And they shall all be taught of God." (Photo by Mateus Campos Felipe on Unsplash) "How does a mother teach her little child what endless love and tenderness she has for it? She is content to show by her devotion that she loves it. God does the same in Communion. Remember that one who does not receive Communion will never know the Heart of our Lord or the magnitude of His love. The heart makes itself known through itself alone; we must feel it beating." (St. Peter Julian Eymard from Holy Communion )

(Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash ) “My sisters, I regard the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as the most magnificent feast, for in it we eat the flesh of the Son of God and we drink His Blood, so that the guests’ souls are completely filled with Jesus Christ. Consider we are filled with His divinity and His humanity, with His holy soul and all His infinite perfections and by concomitance, with the Farther and the Holy Spirit. This is what is offered in this precious mystery, which being too common is neglected and being so excellent is still understood only by a few…”   (Venerable Catherine Mectilde de Bar from The Mystery of Incomprehensible Love )

                                                                                                (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) “After having received the Lord, since you have the Person Himself present, strive to close the eyes of the body and open those of the soul and look into your heart. For I tell you again, and would like to tell you many times, that you should acquire the habit of doing this every time you receive Communion and strive to have such a conscience that you will be allowed to enjoy this blessin...

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) Our Lord is in the Blessed Sacrament to receive from men the same homages He received from those who had the happiness of coming close to Him during His mortal life. He is there in order to give everybody the opportunity to render personal homage to His Sacred humanity; if that were the only end and justification of the Eucharist, we should still deem ourselves most fortunate to be enabled thereby to fulfill our Christian duties towards our Lord in person. If you take away the Real Presence, how will you render to His sacred humanity the respect and honor it is entitled to? Moreover, since our Lord as man is only in heaven and in the Most Blessed Sacrament, it is through the Eucharist that we can come close to our living Savior in person, see Him and converse with Him. Through this sacramental presence we go to our Lord directly and come to Him as during His mortal life. How unfortunate it would be if, in order to honor the humanity of...