and continual sacrifice, and in union with that bloody holocaust thou didst present to thy eternal Father on Mount Calvary. Divine Jesus, give thy blessing to the ardent desire we now entertain, and the holy resolution we have taken, of ever loving and adoring thee in thy sacrament of love, the Eucharist, thus to repair, by a true conversion of heart, and zeal for thy glory, our past negligences and infidelity. Be thou, O adorable Heart! who knowest the clay of which we are formed, be thou our Mediator with thy heavenly Father, whom we have so grievously offended; strengthen our weakness, confirm our resolution, and with thy charity, humility, meekness, and patience, cover the multitude of our iniquities; be thou our support, our refuge, and our strength, that nothing henceforward, in life or in death, may separate us from thee. Amen.
SPIRITUAL COMMUNION.
[in order to receive the Holy Communion spiritually, nothing more is required than to excite in the heart a fervent and earnest desire to receive it in reality if it were possible. St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that Spiritual Communion consists in an ardent desire to receive Jesus Christ in the most Holy Sacrament, and in an intimate union of affection with him, as if we had actually received him. The holy Council of Trent bestows especial praises Upon this kind of Communion, and encourages all the faithful to make it, particularly during holy Mass, when they have not the privilege of receiving the Blessed Sacrament. This Spiritual Communion may be made frequently during the day, even when we are occupied amid the daily distractions of life. We should not omit it when we make a visit in the church to the most Holy Sacrament.]
