speeches and polite discourse ; people who make a show .of their knowledge, and try to make themselves great in the eyes of the world by their wisdom. There are, it is true, many who have detached themselves from all these things and yet are bound by ties more subtle, but which also will not fail to detain them captive, if they do not sever and destroy them. Such are those who think much of gratifying their taste in spiritual matters, who rest their affections on inspirations and a tender and sensible devotion ; who are much attached to particular exercises of piety and to certain means which, though very good and excellent, ought not to fetter the soul. In this class we may count inordinate regard for directors and spiritual friends, for certain books and a number of little objects of devotion ; it is to God alone, without reserve, that we should attach ourselves, and not to those things which are only means for leading us to Him.
Think you, who read these truths, what keeps you back, what hinders you; remember that love for you has made the God of Love leave all, therefore there is nothing which you ought not to give up for Him, whether it be a father or mother, child, friend, honour, friendship—I say more—even yourself. You can have no excuse for not leaving them
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and giving up your attachment to them, when you meditate on the Most Holy Sacrament See, therefore, what you will do. Look at what God has done for you; look at what you have done, and what you are going to do for Him ; think of what you are and what God is ; think of what, at the Day of Judgment, you would wish, for His sake, to have given up. That is what you must now forsake. Are you doing so, do you intend to do so ? Those creatures, those worldly goods, those honours, that self, which keep you so attached to them — what will become of all these at the hour of your death ? What will become of that world that you care so much about — those conversations in society, your beauty, your wit, the love of creatures ?
Alas, how odious all these vanities will then seem to you ! They will pass for ever with the world that you must leave for ever.
Ah, how much sweeter that Divine Love rather than the inevitable necessity of death should detach us from ourselves and the world ! I say to you once more—and I repeat it—think well of this, consider carefully all the hidden thoughts of your heart, and put from it all that is not good, all that does not tend to pure love, all that tends to the love of creatures. I know not what you will do, but I know well what you ought to do, and I know also that, if you do it not, all is lost for you, and you will lose yourself; therefore, with all the love of my heart, I cry out to you—Is it possible that
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my Beloved finds so little love in the hearts of you His creatures ?
Ah, my Sovereign Lord, it seems to me Thy love is so strong that I believe and cannot doubt that a soul who loves Thee, though it should possess all the goods, all the honours, and all the pleasures of the whole world —though it should possess the dominion of the Universe, would look upon them as nothing to have Thy love; would trample on crowns and sceptres; would burn a thousand worlds in sacrifice to the greatness of Thy love.
Such a soul has no attachment to bind her, no designs or wishes, holy though they may be, to occupy her heart ; her regret is, not at leaving self or creatures ; if she sighs, if she weeps, it is because she has nothing but herself to give as a sacrifice to love ; she would possess all to give all, and she is melted to tears because, though all created beings belonged to her, they would be nothing to offer to her Beloved. Compare yourself with those souls who love, and judge of your own state. Do you truly love God ?
ELEVENTH MOTIVE.
JESUS DOES ALL THINGS IN THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT.
Omnia operator. — All these things [one and the same spirit] worketh. — (1 Cor. xii. 11.)
St. Paul, that man who was instructed in Paradise itself, that great Apostle, says, in speaking of his
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dear Master, that it is He who works all good in us ; that it is through His mercy that we are what we are. For this reason He has established Sacraments in His Church as so many channels of grace. In the Sacrament of the Eucharist is found, not grace only, but the Author of all gifts who, through incomparable charity, wishing to assist us in all our wants, does in It all things for us.
He is our Divine and Mighty King, who defends us against those enemies who attack us incessantly with so much fury, so much strength and cunning, in the hope of causing our eternal ruin. Parasti in conspectu meo mensam adversus omnes qui tribulant me.
It is There that the soul must go for support in her weakness, and find strength to prevent her falling in her combats. If the Lord is with the soul, she has nothing to fear; though she should walk in the Shadow of Death she will be in a Happy Path, sustained by the Right Hand of her Master and God. Jesus in the Divine Eucharist fulfils the office of a kind Father, carefully watching over all our necessities in a way we may well adore, but cannot explain: — Dominus regit me, et nihil mihi deerit. Nothing can be wanting to the soul that has entirely given herself up to Divine Providence; if we do not feel sufficient help, it is because we lean too much on creatures.
Happy, a thousand times happy, is the soul that has put all her confidence in the Lord of all things; she will find in Him, not only the love of a kind
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Father, but all the tenderness of a Maternal heart. Yes, says our infinitely loving Lord, though a mother should be unnatural enough to forsake her child, I will never forget thee, O my people ! And He has indeed well proved it, in feeding us with His flesh and giving us His Blood to drink. After such love, what may we not well expect from so merciful a God? Why should we be anxious, or grieve ourselves about our salvation or temporal affairs ? If we will give ourselves up to Him and the attractions of His Love, Paradise is ours ; even in this life we shall succeed in everything, although we are often not aware of it, for we consider mental anxiety, poverty, contempt, and being forsaken by creatures, as misfortune and misery, whilst in reality they conduce to our eternal salvation.
Jesus, in the Divine Eucharist, fulfils the office of Judge, to hear our complaints ; but it ought to be the sweetest consolation to us that He is, at the same time, our Advocate. Therefore it is to His Sacred Feet that we should often go and expose the difficulties of the great affair that we have before us, which in reality is the only important affair, that of our salvation. Oh, the insensibility of human hearts ! There is nothing people will not do for a worldly, insignificant lawsuit ; they consult the most skilful lawyers, they boast of the favour of judges, they make use of the credit of their friends, but for the affair of Eternity, they will scarcely take one step. If they speak to the Adorable Jesus, it
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is in such a cold way, that it is very evident how little they are moved ; the reason is, that they do not believe ; how rare is it to meet with one who has faith !
Jesus, in the Divine Eucharist, fulfils the office of Physician; the Divine Nourishment that He gives in It, is a certain remedy for all our ills. It delivers us from all our languor, It cures all our diseases, It preserves us from all those infirmities into which we are liable to fall.
Finally, Jesus, in this Divine Sacrament, is like a Sacred Lover, to whom we can tell all our griefs, our affairs, and all our wants, whenever we like and as long as we like. How sweet it is, when we have some trouble on our mind, to do what the humble St. Francis of Assisi did ! He did not waste his time in speaking of it to creatures, but he used to go and throw
