First Prelude: In spirit behold Jesus as He is carried in triumph on this day, imparting to all His blessing.
Second Prelude: O my Jesus, let me understand the greatness of the gift that Thou hast bestowed upon me in the Sacrament of Thy Love, that my heart may become more and more inflamed with a grateful return of love.
First Point
Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is Deserving of All Our Love
By the institution of the Sacrament of Love on Holy Thursday, Jesus has fulfilled His promise to remain with us to the end of time. Anticipating the painful sufferings of her adorable Bridegroom, Holy Church could not give full expression to her grateful exultation on the memorial day of this the most stupendous of all miracles. Therefore she instituted the feast we solemnize today, to glorify fittingly the highest gift of divine love. “Come,” she exclaims with the Psalmist, “let us praise the Lord with joy: let us joyfully sing to God our Saviour. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving” (Psalm 94, 1-2). Though addressed to all Christians, these words are particularly for religious to whom the immeasurable fruits of the Holy Sacrament are applied in profusion. The Lord does not merely pass them by, as today when borne by the hands of the priest, He passes by the dwellings of men—bestowing His benediction. No, He has taken up His abode permanently among them; He largely dwells under one roof with them, never forsakes them and shares with them joy and sorrow. Let us consider well the great happiness that the infinite love of God has prepared for us. Let us, also, consider the obligations this love imposes on us. Day and night angels hover around the altar in reverence, love and adoration before their Saviour and their God. The saints incessantly offer their King the homage of love and gratitude. Is it not to be expected that the Lord Who dwells in our midst, desires us as members of His household on earth, to strive to emulate the ardor of the saints, the love and purity of the angels?
Christ dwells among us; let us reverently abide in His holy presence. He is the center round which our lives must revolve.—From Him all our thoughts, words, and actions should proceed and again revert to Him. From Him we should derive fervor and love for the often so irksome labors of our vocation, patience and strength in trials and sufferings, contempt of the world and hatred of sin. The holy awe that comes over us as we approach the tabernacle, should accompany us through the day, and admonish us to avoid even the slightest faults, to commune with the object of our love even whilst our minds and hearts are bent upon our vocational duties. Penetrated with sentiments of tenderest love and gratitude, let us today, in particular, offer to our Divine Saviour, our homage of reverence, love and adoration, and say with Holy Church: “Praised and blessed be the most holy and divine Sacrament—Now and forevermore!”
Is it my delight to be with Jesus and to remain before anew to grow in love of God, in the spirit of prayer and sacrifice, in poverty, obedience and purity. Through the exercise of these virtues we shall rejoice the Heart of Jesus, as it were, with flowers as do the faithful who strew flowers on the streets through which He is carried in procession. These blossoms should not wither under the heat of the midday sun, nor be trampled upon by men, for whom they were not intended. With the grace of God, imparted to us so generously in the Sacrament of His Love, they should ripen into beautiful fruits. While we taste of the heavenly Banquet which the Lord has prepared and draw with joy from the Saviour’s fountains, let us not forget those who do not love Jesus because they know Him not, and who have no share in the joy of the Catholic Church today. May Jesus enlighten them that with us they may praise the mercies of the Lord, so generously manifested in this Mystery of Love. Let us strive to make ourselves ever more worthy of the immeasurable gifts of His grace that we may deserve to behold the God now hidden under the sacramental species, in all His splendor face to face in eternal glory.
Am I intent upon purifying and adorning my heart into which Jesus so often enters?
Affections: O my Divine Saviour, what a marvel of love dost Thou accomplish for Thy creatures! Thou, the mighty God, whose throne is heaven, whose footstool is earth, and whose servants are the angelic hosts, Thou offerest Thyself to be the food of men, their companion in exile, their friend and consoler, and to remain with them unto the end of time. How could we find words to thank Thee adequately for so incomprehensible a love! In union with all the faithful with holy joy and exultation we render homage to Thee, the King of Glory, adore Thy tabernacle? Do I avail myself of the happiness of dwelling under one roof with Him?
Second Point
With What Sentiments Should We Celebrate This Feast?
Holy Church desires to render public homage to our Divine Lord, hidden in the Blessed Sacrament, and to honor Him before the whole world as her King and Ruler, as her God and Saviour. He who was once ignored, blasphemed and loaded with contempt, dragged through the streets of Jerusalem, from one tribunal to another, is today carried in triumph amidst all manifestations of adoration and the most profound reverence; all creation bows to the dust of the earth, and all tongues magnify His holy Name. By means of this solemn homage, Holy Church wishes to atone for the countless acts of irreverence and desecration with which our Divine Saviour is insulted in the Sacrament of His love, even by such as exteriorly number among His own, but fail to recognize His hidden Divine Majesty, or through coldness and tepidity keep themselves aloof from Him.
If the faithful children of Holy Church vie with one another today, to adorn the temples of the Lord most gorgeously or the paths along which He passes, in order to prepare a triumphal feast for their King, should not we, spouses of Christ, strive with all our might to offer to our God the loving sentiments of our hearts the praises of our lips, the works of our hands as so many acts of the homage of our love and gratitude? Should we not endeavor thus to make some atonement for all the negligence and sloth of which we may have been guilty relative to this most adorable Sacrament? Let us promise Him anew to grow in love of God, in the spirit of prayer and sacrifice, in poverty, obedience and purity. Through the exercise of these virtues we shall rejoice the Heart of Jesus, as it were, with flowers as do the faithful who strew flowers on the streets through which He is carried in procession. These blossoms should not wither under the heat of the midday sun, nor be trampled upon by men, for whom they were not intended. With the grace of God, imparted to us so generously in the Sacrament of His Love, they should ripen into beautiful fruits. While we taste of the heavenly Banquet which the Lord has prepared and draw with joy from the Saviour’s fountains, let us not forget those who do not love Jesus because they know Him not, and who have no share in the joy of the Catholic Church today. May Jesus enlighten them that with us they may praise the mercies of the Lord, so generously manifested in this Mystery of Love. Let us strive to make ourselves ever more worthy of the immeasurable gifts of His grace that we may deserve to behold the God now hidden under the sacramental species, in all His splendor face to face in eternal glory.
Am I intent upon purifying and adorning my heart into which Jesus so often enters?
Affections: O my Divine Saviour, what a marvel of love dost Thou accomplish for Thy creatures! Thou, the mighty God, whose throne is heaven, whose footstool is earth, and whose servants are the angelic hosts, Thou offerest Thyself to be the food of men, their companion in exile, their friend and consoler, and to remain with them unto the end of time. How could we find words to thank Thee adequately for so incomprehensible a love! In union with all the faithful with holy joy and exultation we render homage to Thee, the King of Glory, adore Thee with profoundest reverence on the throne of Thy love, and humbly beg the blessing that Thou dost bestow so abundantly. Render Thy divine benediction fruitful in all hearts, that we may grow in grace and true sanctity.—Bless us, who enjoy the inexpressible happiness of dwelling in Thy house, as often as we appear before Thy tabernacle. Grant that this blessing come upon our labors, that all the souls whom Thou hast entrusted to us, may ever praise and bless, adore and glorify Thee, the love of our hearts, in the most holy and divine Sacrament. Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, pray for us, and obtain for us a great love of Jesus present in our tabernacles.
Resolution: I will today consecrate all my thoughts, words, and actions to the honor and glory of the most holy Sacrament of the Altar.Spiritual Bouquet: “Praised and blessed be the most adorable Sacrament of the Altar—Now and forevermore!”
Soul of Christ…
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