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)

Eucharistic Reflection - Upon Receiving Our Lord In Holy Communion

The following excerpt is from an article entitled St. Thomas More on the Reception of Holy Communion, written by Father David Friel and which was published on February 18, 2018 on Corpus Christi Watershed. 

I thought More's reflection and exhortation were well worth sharing:

 

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

OW, WHEN WE HAVE RECEIVED our Lord and have Him inside our body, let us not then leave Him alone as we get involved in other things, forgetting to look to Him anymore. For anyone who would serve a guest in such a way would have little sense!

Instead, let all our concern be focused on Him. Let us by devout prayer talk to Him, by devout meditation talk with Him. Let us say with the prophet: “I will hear what our Lord will speak within me” (Ps 85:9). If we set aside all other things and attend to Him, He will not fail to inspire us, to speak to us such things within us that will lead to the great spiritual comfort and profit of our soul. Having received the Blessed Sacrament, we have a special time of prayer. For He who made us, who redeemed us, whom we have offended, who will judge us, who will either damn us or save us, has because of His great goodness become our guest. He is personally present within us—and He has done that for no other purpose but to be sought for pardon so that He can save us.

Let us not lose this time, therefore, nor allow this occasion to slip by. For we can hardly tell whether we will ever get in to church again or not.

(St. Thomas More, Treatise: To Receive the Blessed Body of Our Lord)

 

Eucharistic Reflection - Carry Our Lord Home

"Always prepare yourself well for this Sacred banquet. Have a very pure heart, and watch over your tongue, for it is on the tongue that the Sacred Host is laid.

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Carry Our Lord home with you after your thanksgiving, and let your heart be a living tabernacle for Jesus. Visit Him often in this interior tabernacle, offering Him your homage, and the sentiments of gratitude with which divine love will inspire you."

               (Saint Paul of the Cross from Flowers of the Passion: Thoughts of St. Paul of the Cross)

Eucharistic Reflection - The Reverence Our Lord Deserves

"After having received the Sacred Host, one should hold it for a moment in the mouth until it is sufficiently damp and can be swallowed more easily. If this is not done, the host may cling to the roof of the mouth and the person is so busy trying to get it loose and swallow it that he has no attention to give to prayer.

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

And one should remain for some time in church, giving thanks to God and speaking to Him who is present in one's breast. Under no circumstances should we, immediately after receiving Communion, congregate with others and spend the time laughing and conversing. This is reprehensible indeed. What bad manners it would be to receive a guest into one's house and then immediately turn your back on him to talk and laugh with others.

Cajetan says that this Sacrament communicates grace to the soul not only at the moment it is received, but as long as the sacred species remain in the body. All the more reason why a man should spend some time in prayer and recollection after Communion. And because the principal faculties by which the Holy Ghost enters us to influence us with His grace are the intellect and will, there is no reason why these two gates should closed at this time, which happens if the mind is diverted to other things. And since this is one of the best fruits of Communion, it is well that a man at this time should use the time to open his soul and receive the fruit of the Sacrament."

(Ven. Louis Granada, O.P. from Summa of the Christian Life)