seeing He invites me; for upon this He says in the Apocalypse, " If any man shall hear my voice, and open to me the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with me [1] for the soul to whom our Lord enters sups of the celestial gifts that this our Lord communicates to her, and He sups of the "fervent affections and purposes that she offers to Him. And so in communicating I am to invite Christ our Lord, considering what is acceptable to Him, and offering to Him what is best to His liking.
i. And specially I will offer Him my heart, [2] for that is the principal thing He requires of me; and seeing He gives me Sis heart, what is it for me to give Him mine, with a determination to admit nothing that may be contrary to His love, nor any thought that may separate me from Him? [3]
ii. I will likewise exhibit to Him my body as a sacrifice, holy and pleasing to His eyes, with a desire to carry ever with me His " mortification," and the signs of His passion; resolving particularly to mortify and make a cruel war against that passion that most hinders me from serving Him as I ought. And besides this, it shall be well that day to invite Christ Jesus in the poor, bestowing on them some alms according to my ability.
iii. And if I be a religious man, I may anew offer to Him perpetual obedience to His most holy will, most pure chastity, and poverty of spirit, according to my estate. And I will always offer something that I may accomplish the same day, endeavouring to spend it all in these exercises of thanksgiving and imitation, saying as the spouse, " A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, he shall abide between my breasts; n [4] and as the apostle, "I live, now not I," for I have within me " Christ Himself, who liveth in me," [5]
