The paradise of the Christian soul/Chap. I. Colloquy, or Meditation on the right and profitable practice of Holy Communion, proper for every state.
PART V.
HOW TO COMMUNICATE, AND TO CELEBRATE AND HEAR MASS WELL.
FOR THURSDAY.
CHAPTER I.
Colloquy or Meditation on the light and profitable practice of Holy Communion, proper for every state.
§ I. Encouragement, or invitation to Holy Communion.
Christ. Come to me, all you that labour and are burdened, and I will refresh you. I am the Good Shepherd, who have laid down my life for my sheep; and I feed them with that which is by far the sweetest food of life, my own very Body and Blood. For, to shew the wealth and power of my kingdom, I have made a great feast. Come, then, and eat of my bread, and drink of my wine, which I have mingled for you; for my delight is to be with the children of men. I desire to make you partakers of my grace and glory; that is, of all my goods, by every right and title of true and faithful friendship. And therefore have I come from heaven into this world, and become man, endured so many labours, tortures, and death itself, and with great desire desired to eat this pasch with my disciples. And that I might leave you a perpetual memorial of my great love, and pledge of future glory, I have given you myself. Behold, my whole self have I given you; at my birth to be your friend, at my table to be your food, at my death to be your redemption, and finally, in my kingdom, to be your reward. And what greater or more excellent gift could I bestow? Or what could I do more that I have not done?
Man. Thou, O Lord, art sweet and meek indeed, and very merciful. Oh, how admirable is thy name in the whole earth! But what is man that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man that thou visitest him, and makest him so great? Is not every man living dust and ashes, and vanity itself? And is it such an one that thou deignest to regard, to come to him, and make thy abode with him? What return shall I make to the Lord for all that he has given me? Thou art rich, O Lord, to all men, and art powerful over all things, and all things are thine; but I am poor and needy, and thou hast no need of my goods. And if I give thee my whole substance, nay, and my very self besides, what requital would it be for the greatness of thy blessings?
Christ. Offer to God the sacrifice of praise, and pay thy vows to the Most High. To offer or receive my Body and Blood is a sacrifice pleasing to the Father and to myself. This, do therefore, frequently, yet reverently, for the commemoration of me. For it was my will that these holy mysteries should be in my Church, that thou mightst celebrate with perpetual remembrance my love and the benefit of thy redemption. I know that thou canst make me no other return; but canst thou not give me the requital of a thankful heart, and the recollection of so great a favour? Certainly thou canst; and by nothing more suitably than by the holy and frequent use of this mystery, which, if thou neglect, see that thou too be not reckoned among the thankless and unworthy, and be shut out from my supper.
Man. How great is the multitude of thy sweetness, O Lord, which thou hast openly shewn to them that fear thee! To display thy sweetness to thy children, thou fillest the hungry with good things, with sweetest bread from heaven! How sweet to my mouth are thy words, by which thou so lovingly invitest me to thee! But alas! who am I, O great King above all kings, that I should eat bread from thy table all the days of my life?
§ 2. The dignity and excellence of this most august Sacrament.
Christ. This is what I would have thee very seriously consider, lest, if perhaps thou esteem too lightly the blessing I have conferred upon my faithful, thou become at length lukewarm, and thy soul begin to loathe this as though it were the poorest food; and so I too begin to vomit thee out of my mouth. Oh, how happy art thou, dear Christian, if thou wilt but know what thou possessest, placed as thou art in a place of so rich pasture, and permitted to enjoy the inestimable blessing of so noble a banquet! But the most happy art thou, O priest! since, by an especially honourable privilege, I have chosen thee to myself out of the people, to stand before me at my table as my intimate friend and counsellor; and thence not only to receive food thyself, but to dispense it to the rest of my faithful. To thee (by what merit of thine?) is given what is not given to the angels, by an office every way admirable, terrible, and truly divine, with sacred lips to make present the Lord of majesty, to call him down, as it were, from the throne of his glory, and, by the obedience of God to the voice of man, to place him there on the altar, to handle him, and dispense him to others. At this the heavens stand amazed, and the angels, astonished, venerate the mystery, when they see him below them, whom above them they ever adore. And can it be that a man, or a nest, presumes ever to celebrate a mystery like this with a cold, unclean, and distracted heart? And that one who is fed so often with angels’ bread still longs to eat husks with swine?
Man. Great is the dignity of man; but the dignity of the priest is greater. Great, too, without doubt, is the duty of every one to live conformably to so great a dignity. But alas, O Lord, I behold the transgressors and pine away; and how I myself fail in many things! Thy eyes see my imperfection. I too see another law in my members fighting against the law of my mind, and captivating me in the law of sin; so that I do not the good which I will, but the evil which I will not.
§ 3. The profit and necessity of the most sweet Sacrament of the Eucharist.
Christ. To this end, behold, I offer thee my grace and assistance; nay, in this Sacrament I bestow on thee my very self, the fountain of grace and the author of all good. I know that without me thou canst do nothing; but behold, I am the living bread who came down from heaven; the bread, I say, that strengthens the heart of man, which, if thou wouldst often and reverently receive, thou wouldst quickly know the change of the right hand of the Most High; for then thy soul would be filled as with marrow and fatness; thou wouldst become strong and mighty to do works of virtue, and in the strength of this food thou wouldst walk through the desert of this world, even to the mount of God. But what enemy can he fear who has me, who am inwardly present with him, for his helper? He will say boldly with my apostle, If God is for us, who is against us?[1] And, I can do all things in him, who strengthens me.[2] Or, with the man according to my own heart, Though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for thou art with me.[3]
Man. Be praise and glory to thee, O Lord, for ever; for thou hast prepared before me a table against them that persecute me. And oh, that henceforth I may receive from it strength and fortitude to fight against my enemies! But why has this been hitherto too little done, and my strength been weakened through poverty?[4] Why have I so easily yielded to crosses and temptations? Is it because I am become weary of thy table, and forgotten to eat my bread, and that my strength has thus failed me through want? Is it because I have very often too irreverently and unworthily presumed to eat it?
Christ. My son, thou hast spoken but the truth. For as the life of the body must be sustained by the food which renovates continually what is wasted by the natural heat, so it is clear that the strength of the spirit must be restored frequently by food, that it may not be gradually worn down by the heat of concupiscence. Dost thou ask what that food is? Behold, my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. This is the daily bread, the bread which came down from heaven, with which, if the faithful, and especially my priests, would more frequently and more worthily refresh themselves, they would retire from this table like lions breathing fire, and terrible to the devil himself![5] There is indeed no remedy more effectual against the fiery darts of the most wicked one, and the temptations, principally of the flesh, with which you have also to combat daily, but are seldom victorious. For its desires will be easily restrained by the water that is drawn with joy out of the Saviour’s fountains[6] — mine, I mean, which in this Sacrament I have opened to all — and the wine springing forth virgins,[7] which is here given you to drink; for it is I alone who satisfy the empty and hungry soul with blessings and delights that are never to perish; it is I who give her the bread that has all delight in itself. And what good will not redound to him to whom I shall vouchsafe to come, who am the fountain and author of all good! Come, therefore, and eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled for you, and be inebriated, my beloved.
§ 4. The frequency with which we should approach the most holy mysteries.
Man. But I see, O Lord, that this saying is hard to many, and all do not take it. For, to say nothing of those who walk in darkness, and believe not the word of truth, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?[8] we everywhere see many others easily assenting to the arguments by which infrequent communion would seem to be recommended.
Christ. I know how prone to evil are the imaginations of men,[9] by what light and frivolous excuses they suffer themselves to be dragged back, and hindered from my worship and service, who in other things too eagerly catch at every opportunity of serving the world, the flesh, and their pleasures. Oh, how easily do they believe the devil when he persuades them to pleasure, invites them to eat the forbidden fruit, and lyingly promises them divinity! And me, who offer them my own flesh for food, and so lovingly invite and encourage them to eat, and promise too that by eating they shall be partakers of the divine nature, and immortal besides, they refuse to believe and obey! Me, who am the very way, the truth, and the life.
But behold, and recognise even here the craft of Pharao, who, through envy of my honour, will not let my people go, that they may sacrifice to me in the desert, but employs them in the midst of Egypt with works of clay, bricks, and straw (for what else are those things of earth, the silver and gold, the riches, honours, and cares of this world?) so that they want leisure to serve me; and yet how eager and unwearied men are in the toils by which they only eat the bread of sorrow, when, with much less toil, they could have eaten the bread that has in itself all delight and all sweetness of taste!
Not so my faithful ones of old, not so, but they walked in the simplicity of their heart; full of love and zeal, they were persevering in the communication of the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Thus it was that, by the daily use of this Sacrament, my primitive Church grew and increased; so that, for desire of it, they readily despised all things, and would suffer no threats, torments, or allurements to draw them away.
Call to mind, O Christian! but thou especially, O cleric! that beginning of the new-born Church, when believers had but one heart and one soul:[10] admire their zeal and love. Behold, the greater their contempt for earthly things, the greater was their regard for my worship and honour. But where is that zeal now? that inebriation of the spirit, that peace and joy in the Holy Ghost? Alas, how has the gold become dim, the finest colour changed![11]
O ye sons of men, how long will you he dull of heart? Why do you love vanity and seek after lying? Why do you quit the tree of life? Why forsake the fountain of living water, and seek for yourselves broken cisterns that can hold no water? Truly, if you knew the gift of God, and who he is that invites you, and who offers himself to you for food, with great haste you would run to him: and there would be no need to force you to come to this great supper, this marriage-feast. But now are these things hid from the wise and prudent of this world, who relish not the things that are of God. Yet are they known by the few poor in spirit, who in this one heavenly morsel find greater delights than in all the joys of the world.
Man. I blush, O Lord, and am ashamed within myself, whenever I hear and think upon this; when I look upon the ways of the first faithful and our own, alas, how great is the difference! But do not thou despise us, O God our Saviour; make us such as thou wouldst have us to be; quicken the slothful, enlighten the blind, raise up the lame, compel the slow to come in, that thy table may he filled. Teach me to do thy will, for I am thy servant, that I may freely sacrifice to thee, and give praise to thy name, O Lord, that my soul may pant after thee, as the hart after the fountains of water; that my soul may long and faint for thy courts, O Lord. For why should not I come of my own accord, and run to draw water out of the Saviour’s fountains? Why shall I not gladly go in to the altar of God, to God who gives joy to my youth?
§ 5. The obstacles to frequent Communion.
Christ. Be resolute, therefore, in breaking through with the sword of zeal and of love all obstacles by which thou seest that others are every where held back. But first set bounds to this world’s business and cares, with which, as with thorns, the mind of man is torn, and avoid meddling in many matters![12] For to what purpose wouldst thou so miserably and manifoldly distract thy heart, when life is made far happier by its devotion to one object? Why art thou troubled about many things,[13] and neglectest the one thing that is necessary to thee above all, and that too the most acceptable to me, the care of thy soul? Is not the soul more than the body? And what will it profit thee to gain all things, and lose thy soul? Nothing is more displeasing or offensive to me than to hear these words: I have bought a farm and yokes of oxen; I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. Is it not these and the like acts that I once so severely and plainly condemned?[14] See thyself if it be right to prefer such vanities to me.
Man. I confess, O Lord, that it is too unworthy for such perishable trifles to forsake thee and thy table, which thou hast so lovingly, so delightfully, and so abundantly provided, not for thyself, not for the angels, but for us men. But thou knowest thyself how hard it is for a man amid so much business, both public and private, — amid so many cares and necessities of this life, to keep his mind collected and sufficiently disposed duly to partake of such great mysteries.
Christ. Then make all the more haste to come to me, for all things are carried on through my wisdom and providence. The more difficult are thy affairs, and the greater the wisdom they require, so much the more have recourse to the Tabernacle, and consult the Lord: there thou hast the fountain of wisdom, the Angel of great counsel. If, therefore, thou needest wisdom, ask of me, and it shall be given thee. Oh, if thou didst but know how many weave spiders’ webs and toil in vain! In how many things many have ill success, because they consult not the mouth of the Lord![15] It is vain for you to rise before light, to go to your labours and business, unless I, the Sun of justice, shed light upon your efforts.
Man. Truly, O Lord, the thoughts of mortal men are full of fear, and our counsels uncertain.[16] Henceforth, therefore, thou shalt be my light and my guide, and thy justifications shall be my counsel; and therefore will I the oftener resort with Moses to thy tabernacle, to consult the Lord.
§ 6. Whether we should abstain from Holy Communion because of what men think and say.
Christ. But there are very many also who for fear of men’s judgments come but seldom to my table. But thou, who knowest that the supreme Judge alone is to be feared, as one who has power to cast into hell, why dost thou, who wouldst please me, place more dependence on men’s words than upon mine? Is not every man a liar? and am not I the truth itself? Endeavour, therefore, to please and obey me before all things, and be not conformed to this wicked world. But if thou desire to please men, thou canst not be my servant.
Besides, if for living well and serving me thou suffer calumny and persecution, thou shouldst rather rejoice than be sorry that thou art accounted worthy to suffer reproach for my name; for that is the true calling of a Christian. But comfort thyself mean time with the consciousness of thy good will: the day will come when I, the supreme Judge, will make manifest the counsels of all hearts, and will convict thy judges of unjust thoughts. Then shall they be troubled themselves with terrible fear; but thou shalt stand with great constancy, if thou but stand with patience now. To him that overcomes will I give the hidden manna and a new name.[17]
Man. Lord, let it be with me a very small thing to be judged by man, or by man’s day.[18] For that great day will bring all things to light. I will desire to please, and fear to displease thee alone.
But yet will it please thee, if, though conscious of my own unworthiness, and of thy majesty, as well as of the reverence due to so great mysteries, I nevertheless presume to come to thee so often? Ought I not to dread that familiarity would produce contempt? For such is the opinion of many, and perhaps I should myself do this more holily and reverently if I were to do it more seldom.
§ 7. Whether we should abstain from frequent Communion, on the plea of humility and reverence.
Christ. I beseech you, my faithful, but in this not faithful enough, no longer to call evil good, and put on sloth and lukewarmness, under the guise of virtue, deceiving your own selves, for it will be hard to deceive my eyes, that are brighter than the sun. Does infrequency, delay, or postponement dispose you to become more worthy of my table? Behold I, who know all the secrets of the heart, know what is in man. But to me your conscience, which I see through and through, is witness how well prepared you come to me after a prolonged delay. I will reprove thee, and set before thy face that this is an impious piety, and an irreligious reverence, which cloaks sluggishness with the assumption of piety, and, under the mask of reverence, knows how to pretend a zeal for religion. But iniquity has lied to itself.[19] Does a patient become the healthier the longer he avoids the physician? Does any one get the warmer the farther he removes from the fire? But the physician who has borne your infirmities is myself; it is I who came to cast fire upon the earth, and what will I but that it burn and inflame your hearts?
But I will speak with thee more plainly, my son, that in this thou mayest know how seriously thou errest in common with others. The Sacrament of my Body and Blood confers grace: this doubtless thou wilt admit, if no obstacle be interposed by the receiver. Is it not the fact, that the oftener thou receivest, the greater the grace thou obtainest? But with increase of grace there is increase of faith, hope, charity, devotion, reverence, purity, and the other virtues, which enlighten the understanding, awaken the affection, purify the heart, &c. And is not this the apparel, this the wedding garment, which I chiefly require of thee, in order to come worthily to my table?
Thou seest, therefore, how one communion disposes to another, so that he comes best disposed for to-morrow’s, who brings with him the effects or the fruit of to-day’s. Nor hast thou reason hence to fear contempt. True, among men, contempt easily springs from familiar conversation, because by frequent intercourse the faults, failings, and imperfections of every one become better known. But the more frequently and closely thou art united to me, the greater and more numerous are the perfections thou wilt find in me, and hence the greater the honour and reverence which thou wilt render me.
But this is too plain to need proof, although the father of lies would persuade you otherwise, as he does persuade many, who, caring little for my glory, and less for their own salvation, walk in the desires of their own heart. Hence, because they know that closer self-watchfulness and continual fear should accompany frequent communion, they, who hate discipline, choose rather themselves to abandon frequent communion than a bad habit, that thus, unchecked as it were, they may be the more free to go after their own evil desires. For they reckon it a sort of freedom to be without communion and sacrifice, although to serve me is, in fact, to reign. But if, perchance, on some solemn festival, or when requisite for the fulfilment of a duty, they communicate or sacrifice, they practise devotion for a little while, until they have discharged their duty, soon again to return, like the dog to his vomit and the sow to her wallowing, to their first disposition and habits. Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, for I call yon to witness my complaint, since men, to whom I have given understanding, hear me not.
I have brought up children, and exalted them; but they have despised me. The ox knows his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel has not known me, and my people has not understood.[20] How badly, I say, do men requite me, whom I have created and redeemed, that they might serve me; to whom I have given so many earthly blessings for the support of the body, but my Body and Blood for that of their soul! Surely they are become like to senseless beasts, or more dull rather than they, for they do not know their benefactor. Ignorant as they are, the brutes still know their masters; they obey and serve at their bidding those at whose stalls they are fed with only a little hay; but these ungrateful ones, to whom it has been given daily to enjoy my table and my heavenly feast, alas! have no regard for their benefactor.
§ 8. Christ's complaint against lukewarm and negligent priests.
But first my complaint is directed to you, O priests, who despise my name! Have I not chosen you to be my ministers and dispensers of the mysteries of God,[21] giving you such a power as I have given neither to the kings and princes of the earth, nor yet to the angels themselves? But how rarely is there one among you who seriously considers this in his heart! Who lights up my altar for nought? Who sacrifices to me of his own will? Is it not like people, like priest; all seek the things that are their own? Each one hastens to his own house, but my house is desolate.[22]
Often to perform the priest’s office, daily to stand at the holy altars and offer sacrifice to God, is held in low esteem, as the duty of common priests, who must live by the altar. But they whom I have exalted, and brought up very delicately, even they have despised me. For they are grown fat, and thick, and gross, and forsake God their Creator: and they who eat of my bread, and live in splendour on my patrimony, even they are greatly supplanting me. Would the nobles of a royal court thus deem themselves honoured, if the country people were daily to sit at the king’s table, and themselves to be busied with farming and cattle, and other meaner occupations?
Will not more be required of those to whom more is given? For the laity will be more easily excused by the Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/356 Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/357 Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/358 Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/359 Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/360 Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/361 Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/362 Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/363 Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/364 Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/365
- ↑ Rom. viii. 31.
- ↑ Phil. iv. 13.
- ↑ Ps. xxii. 4
- ↑ Ps. xxx. 11.
- ↑ St. Chrysost. Hom. 61, to the people of Antioch.
- ↑ Isai. xii. 4
- ↑ Zach. ix. 17.
- ↑ John vi. 53.
- ↑ Gen. viii. 21.
- ↑ Acts iv. 32.
- ↑ Lam. iv. 1.
- ↑ Ecclus. xi. 10.
- ↑ Luke x. 41.
- ↑ Luke xiv. 24.
- ↑ Jos. ix. 14.
- ↑ Wisd. ix. 14.
- ↑ Apoc. ii. 17.
- ↑ 1 Cor. iv. 3.
- ↑ Ps. xxvi. 12.
- ↑ Isai. i. 3, 4. 2
- ↑ 1 Cor. iv. i.
- ↑ Agg. i. 9.