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BOOK
FOUR
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LIBER
QUARTUS |
Chapter
4
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Cap. 4. |
| THE
DISCIPLE - O LORD my God, favor Your servant with the blessings of
Your sweetness that I may merit to approach Your magnificent Sacrament
worthily and devoutly. Lift up my heart to You and take away from me this
heavy indolence. Visit me with Your saving grace that I may in spirit
taste Your sweetness which lies hidden in this Sacrament like water in the
depths of a spring. Enlighten my eyes to behold this great Mystery, and
give me strength to believe in it with firm faith. For it is Your work,
not the power of man, Your sacred institution, not his invention. No man
is able of himself to comprehend and understand these things which surpass
even the keen vision of angels. How, then, shall I, an unworthy sinner who
am but dust and ashes, be able to fathom and understand so great a
mystery? |
1.
Domine Deus meus, præveni servum tuum in benedictione dulcedinis tuæ, ut
ad tuum magnificum Sacramentum digne ac devote merear accedere. Excita cor
meum in te, et a gravi torpore exue me. Visita me in salutari tuo ad
gustandum in spiritu tuam sauvitatem, quæ in hoc Sacramento tanquam in
fonte plenaire latet. Illumina quoque oculos meos ad intuendum tantum
mysterium, et ad credendum illud indubitata fide me robora. Est enim
operatio tua, non humana potentia: tua sacra institutio, non hominis
adinventio. Non enim ad hæc capienda et intelligenda aliquis idoneus per
se reperitur, quæ Angelicam etiam subtilitatem transcendunt. Quid ergo
ego peccator indignus, terra et cinis, de tam alto secreto Sacramento
potero investigare et capere? |
| O
Lord, I come to You at Your command in simplicity of heart, in good, firm
faith, with hope and reverence, and I truly believe that You are present
here in this Sacrament, God and man. It is Your will that I receive You
and unite myself to You in love. Wherefore, I beg Your mercy and ask that
special grace be given me, that I may be wholly dissolved in You and
filled with Your love, no longer to concern myself with exterior
consolations. For this, the highest and most worthy Sacrament, is the
health of soul and body, the cure of every spiritual weakness. In it my
defects are remedied, my passions restrained, and temptations overcome or
allayed. In it greater grace is infused, growing virtue is nourished,
faith confirmed, hope strengthened, and charity fanned into flame. |
2.
Domine, in simplicitate cordis, in bona et firma fide et in tua visione ad
te cum firm spe et reverentia accedo, et vere credo, quia tu præsens es
hic in Sacramento Deus et homo. Vis
ergo ut te suscipiam et me ipsum tibi in charitate uniam. Unde tuam precor
clementiam, et specialem ad hoc imploro mihi donare gratiam, ut totus in
te liquefiam, et amore pereffluam, atque de nulla alia consolatione
amplius me intromittam. Est enim hoc altissimum et dignissimum Sacramentum,
salus animæ et corporis, medicina omnis spiritualis languoris, in quo
vitia mea curantur, passiones frænantur, tentationes vincuntur ac
minuuntur, gratia major infunditur, virtus accepta augetur, firmatur
fides, spes roboratur, et charitas ignescit ac dilatatur. |
| You,
my God, the protector of my soul, the strength of human weakness, and the
giver of every interior consolation, have given and still do often give in
this Sacrament great gifts to Your loved ones who communicate devoutly.
Moreover, You give them many consolations amid their numerous troubles and
lift them from the depths of dejection to the hope of Your protection.
With new graces You cheer and lighten them within, so that they who are
full of anxiety and without affection before Communion may find themselves
changed for the better after partaking of this heavenly food and drink.
Likewise, You so deal with Your elect that they may truly acknowledge and
plainly experience how weak they are in themselves and what goodness and
grace they obtain from You. For though in themselves they are cold,
obdurate, and wanting in devotion, through You they become fervent,
cheerful, and devout. Who, indeed, can humbly approach the fountain of
sweetness and not carry away a little of it? Or who, standing before a
blazing fire does not feel some of its heat? You are a fountain always
filled with superabundance! You are a fire, ever burning, that never
fails! |
3.
Multa namque bona largitus es, et adhuc sæpius largiris in Sacramento
dilectis tuis devote communicantibus, Deus meus susceptor animæ meæ,
reparator infirmitatis meæ, et totius dator consolationis internæ. Nam
multam ipsis consolationem adversus varias tribulatones infundis, et de
imo dejectionis propriæ ad spem tuæ protectionis erigis atque nova
quadam gratia eos intus recreas et illustra, ut qui anxii primo, et sine
affectione se ante Communionem senserant, postea refecti cibo potuque cælesti,
in melius se mutatos inveniant. Quod idcirco cum electis tuis ita
dispensanter agis, ut veraciter agnoscant, et patenter experiantur, quam
nihil ex semetipsis habeant, et quid bonitatis ac gratiæ ex te
consequantur. Quia ex semetipsis frigidi duri ac indevoti, ex te autem
serventes ac devoti et alacres esse merentur. Quis enim ad fontem
suavitatis humiliter accedens, non modicum suavitatis inde reportat? Aut
quis juxta ignem copiosum stans, non parum caloris inde percipit? Et tu
fons es semper plenus et super abundans, ignis semper ardens et nunquam
deficiens. |
| Therefore,
while I may not exhaust the fullness of the fountain or drink to satiety,
yet will I put my lips to the mouth of this heavenly stream that from it I
may receive at least some small drop to refresh my thirst and not wither
away. And if I cannot as yet be all heavenly or as full of fire as the
cherubim and seraphim, yet I will try to become more devout and prepare my
heart so that I may gather some small spark of divine fire from the humble
reception of this life-giving Sacrament. Whatever is wanting in me, good
Jesus, Savior most holy, do You in Your kindness and grace supply for me,
You Who have been pleased to call all unto You, saying: "Come to Me
all you that labor and are burdened and I will refresh you." |
4.
Unde si mihi non licet haurire de plenitudine fontis, nec usque ad
satietatem potare, apponam tamen os meum ad foramen cælestis fistulæ, ut
saltem inde guttulam modicam capiam, ad refocillandam sitim meam, ut non
penitus exarescam. Et si necdum totus cælesti, et tam ignitus, ut
Seraphim et Cherubim esse possum, conabor tamen devotioni insistere et cor
meum præparae, ut vel modicam divini incendii flammam ex humili sumtione
vivifici Sacramenti conquiram. Quidquid autem mihi deest, bone Jesu,
Salvator sanctissime, tu pro me supple benigne ac gratiose, qui omnes ad
te gratiose vocare dignatus es, dicens: Venite ad me omnes qui
laboratis et onerati esti, et ego reficiam vos. |
| I,
indeed, labor in the sweat of my brow. I am torn with sorrow of heart. I
am laden with sin, troubled with temptations, enmeshed and oppressed by
many evil passions, and there is none to help me, none to deliver and save
me but You, my Lord God and Savior, to Whom I entrust myself and all I
have, that You may protect me and lead me to eternal life. For the honor
and glory of Your name receive me, You Who have prepared Your Body and
Blood as food and drink for me. Grant, O Lord, my God and Savior, that by
approaching Your Mysteries frequently, the zeal of my devotion may
increase. |
5.
Ego quidem laboro in sudore vultus, mei, dolore cordis torqueor, peccatis
oneror, tentationibus inquietor, multis malis passionibus implicor et
premor, et non est qui adjuvet, non est qui liberet et salvum faciat, nisi
tu, Domine Deus, Salvator meus, cui committo me et omnia mea, ut me
custodias et perducas in vitam æternam. Suscipe me in laudem et gloriam
nominis tui, qui Corpus tuum et Sanguinem in cibum et potum mihi parasti;
præsta, Domine Deus Salutaris meus, ut cum frequentatione mysterii tui
crescat meæ devotinis affectus. |
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