DEVOTIONS BEFORE COMMUNION. The following prayers are intended for your use at home before you come to Church to partake of the Holy Sacrament. Use them devoutly, and upon your bended knees. Each of these prayers is an address to GOD the SON, our Blessed Saviour JESUS CHRIST, Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and became Man, Who died for us upon the Cross, Who rose again from the dead, Who ascended into heaven, and Who will come again (we know not how soon) to be our Judge. It is to Him you are speaking in these prayers, so be very humble and very earnest :— I. APPROACH TO JESUS CHRIST. LORD JESUS CHRIST, King of Everlasting Glory, I desire to come to Thee, and to receive Thy Body and Blood in this Heavenly Sacrament, in remembrance of Thy Precious Death, and for the strengthening and refreshing of my soul. I desire to receive Thee because this is Thy gracious will; blessed be Thy Name for ever. I desire to come unto Thee like Magdalene, that I may be delivered from all evil, and that I may have Thee, O JESUS, Who art my only good. I desire to come unto Thee that I may be happily united to Thee, so that I may henceforth abide in Thee, and Thou in me; and so that nothing in life or death may ever separate me from Thee. Even so, Lord JESUS. Text.- "Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." I II. COMMEMORATE THE PASSION OF JESUS. DESIRE, O Lord JESUS, to eat Thy Blessed Body, and to drink Thy Precious Blood, in remembrance of Thy Sufferings and Death, whereby alone we obtain the forgiveness of our sins, and are made partakers of the king-. dom of heaven. I desire to remember Thine Agony and Bloody Sweat in the Garden of Gethsemane; Thy betrayal by the kiss of Judas; Thy condemnation; Thy scourging by the Roman soldiers; Thy coronation with thorns, when Thou wast also insulted with a hollow reed and clad in a purple robe of mockery. I desire to remember, moreover, how Thou didst bear Thy heavy Cross through the streets of Jerusalem; how Thou didst die upon it, and how Thou wast buried. I would also call to mind Thy Mighty Resurrection from the dead, and Thy Glorious Ascension into heaven; from whence, I believe, Thou shalt come again to be my Judge at the last day. I adore Thee, moreover, O JESUS, and give Thee thanks for all that Thou hast done and suffered for me, and I bless Thy Holy Name for now offering Thine own self to me to be my meat and my drink in this Holy Sacrament. Even so, Lord JESUS. By Thine Agony and Bloody Sweat; by Thy Cross and Passion; by Thy Precious Death and Burial; by Thy Glorious Resurrection and Ascension, good Lord JESUs, deliver me. Text." He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed." III. MAKE AN ACT OF FAITH. I BELIEVE, O Lord JESUS, with my whole heart, that Thou art truly present in Thy Holy Sacrament. For Thou, Who art the Truth, hast said with Thine own mouth, "This is My Body" and "This is My Blood. LORD, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief. Enable me to draw near unto Thee with faith. to adore Thee at Thy Holy Table with the utmost devotion; for Thou art both GOD and Man. Enable me to feed upon Thee in my heart by faith with thanksgiving. Amen. Even so, Lord JESUS. Enable me Texts." For with GOD nothing shall be impossible" (S. Luke i. 37). Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (S. John xx. 29). "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away" (S. Matt. xxiv. 35). IV. HUMBLE YOURSELF BEFORE YOUR SAVIOUR. JESUS, my GOD and SAVIOUR, how shall I dare to approach unto Thee? so great a sinner to so holy a LORD! My whole life has been full of sin; and it is only through Thy mercy that I am not now in that punishment which I have deserved again and again by my iniqui ties. How then shall I venture so much as to lift up mine eyes to Thee, most Holy JESUS ? How shall I dare to approach unto Thy Holy Table? How shall I venture to receive Thee within my breast? I tremble at the sentence of Thy Holy Apostle Paul, "He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself;" for I am bound to acknowledge myself to be most unworthy. I would not, therefore, dare to come to Thee, if it were not for Thy most loving invitations, and Thine abundant mercy, which Thou hast always bestowed on every sinner who has humbly approached unto Thee, O Thou Friend of sinners. In Thy mercy, then, O JESUS, I put my trust. Hoping in Thy undeserved lovingkindness, I will go forward to the Table of Thy most Holy Feast. Even so, Lord Jesus. V.-MAKE AN ACT OF CONTRITION. LORD JESUS, I desire to hate with my whole heart, those sins by which I have again and again offended Thy Divine Majesty. But I would now lay them all down at Thy feet, that they may be cancelled by Thy Precious Blood. What can I do now but humbly confess and lament them! This I desire to do, and from this moment I would continually cry to Thee, O JESUS, for mercy. Hear me, O LORD, I beseech Thee, by that infinite love of Thine which led Thee to shed Thy Blood for me. 0 let not that Blood be shed in vain! Yes, O Lord JESUS, I am sorry for my sins, and I desire to be sorry for them as long as I live. By Thy Grace I will strive against them in the time to come. Forgive me, Dear LORD, for Thy mercy's sake forgive me all that is past; and be Thou Thyself my Keeper in the time to come, so that I may never hereafter fall from Thy favour. Even so, Lord JESUS. Text." The Blood of JESUS CHRIST, HIS SON, cleanseth us from all sin" (1 S. John i. 7). THE SINNER'S PRAYER TO HIS SAVIOUR LORD, turn not Thy Face from me, Lamenting all my sinful life Before Thy mercy-gate; A gate that opens wide to those Shut not that gate against me, LORD, And call me not to strict account, Mercy, good LORD, mercy I ask, For mercy, LORD, is all my prayer, |