An Act of Charity.

How strong was the force of thy love, my dear Redeemer, when, being about to depart out of this world to thy eternal Father, thou providedst for us this divine banquet, enriched with all heavenly sweetness. Through thine infinite goodness thou didst humble thyself to such an excess for our redemption, as to take upon thee the infirmity of our nature. And through an infinite excess of thy love, thou hast left us thy body and blood for the food and nourishment of our souls; that, as thou didst unite thyself to our humanity, so we might here be made partakers of thy divinity. In return for this thy infinite love, I desire to love thee, O Lord Jesus, who art my only comfort in this place of banishment, the only hope of my infirm soul, and my happiness, above all else that I can enjoy. Make me to love thee, my God, with my whole heart, with my whole soul, with all my mind, and with all my strength; that as every moment is an increase of my life, so it may be also of my love towards thee.

An Act of Desire.

As the wearied hart thirsts after the fountains of water, so doth my soul pant after thee, my Saviour, and my God. It ardently longs to drink of those fountains which thy love hath opened for its comfort and relief. Tired with my own evil ways, I return hungry and thirsty, crying out aloud, Have mercy on me, O Son of God, and permit me to taste of thy banquet, that my soul may be refreshed. Oh, that my soul did truly hunger after thee, the bread of angels, the food of blessed souls; and that all that is within me might be delighted with the taste of thy sweetness! I here despise all human consolations, that I may be comforted by thee, my only good, my God and Saviour, whom I love above all things, and desire to entertain within my breast, with as much devotion and affection as is conceived by thy chosen ser

vants, who now sit at thy table of celestial bliss. And however I may have been hitherto wanting in my duty, or unjust to thee, in misplacing my affections, I now renounce for ever my folly and weakness, and from my heart desire that, for the future, my joy, my relief, my treasure, and rest, may be entirely centred in thee.

An Act of Thanksgiving.

Who am I, O God of infinite goodness, that thou shouldst permit me to partake of this bread of angels! How have found such favour in thy sight, as to be the object of so unspeakable a mercy! Come, all ye angels and saints of God, and I will recount to you what great things the Lord hath done for my soul. He hath raised me out of the dust, and delivered me from the bonds of sin; he hath told me not to be dejected, for that he himself will be my support and my strength; and though I have most unworthily forsaken him by my repeated follies, yet behold he calls me once more, and invites me to partake of the bread of life, that, as he made me, so I may ever live by him. What thanks can I give thee, O merciful Jesus, Saviour of the world? What return shall I make thee for all thou hast done for my soul? Were I to give all I have in acknowledgment of thy love, it would still be as nothing; for thou, Lord, hast plentifully poured forth thyself upon me, and given me even all that thou art; and if, in thanksgiving for thy mercies, I were to lay before thee my body and soul, my life, liberty, and all I possess, what would they be, when compared to the blessings thou hast here bestowed on me; what to the debt I owe, which is in some kind equal to what I receive, infinite as thyself? Thou hast mercifully given thyself to me, for the food of my soul; and now behold I offer thee all that I have, all that I am, all that I possess; to thee I make a full surrender of them all, that, being wholly thine, I may now no longer have any part in myself.

An Act of Humility.

In humility of heart I approach thy holy altar, O my God, to implore thy mercy and assistance. I adore thee, divine Jesus, really present in this sacred Host; I acknowledge my unworthiness to receive thee; yet, encouraged by thy goodness, I venture to follow the impulse of my heart, which powerfully attracts me to thee. "O Lord of Hosts, how lovely are thy tabernacles! my soul longeth and fainteth" for thy possession; for "blessed is the man that trusteth in thee."

Humbled, O Lord, at the view of my many miseries, and convinced of my weakness,-yet animated with a sincere desire to employ the remainder of my years in repairing my past ingratitude,-I fervently implore thy powerful assistance, for, "strengthened by thee, I can do all things;" with humble confidence I approach thy altar, "for with thee is the fountain of life, and in thy light I shall see light." Come, then, O blessed Jesus, take possession of my heart, in this adorable sacrament. Come, and give efficacy to my resolution, of living henceforth but for thee, and of devoting all my faculties to the promotion of thy glory. May thy love be the end of my existence, and the only motive of all my actions; may it be my guide amidst all the dangers of the world; may it be my light in perplexities, and my counsel in doubts; may it forcibly detach my affections from earthly things. O adorable Jesus, can there be any real comfort but in thy service, any unalloyed happiness but in the possession of thee? May I henceforth prove my conviction of this truth by constant fervour and undeviating fidelity! Amen.

A Prayer before Receiving.

I approach thy banquet, O Jesus, having nothing to confide in but thy goodness and mercy, being of myself a sinner, destitute of all virtue. I hasten to thee, most compassionate Physician, the fountain of all goodness,

that I may be healed. My sins are so many and great as to make me despair, if thou didst not encourage me to hope in thy mercies, which are infinite. Look, therefore, on me with the eyes of compassion, O Lord Jesus Christ, eternal King, God and Man, who wast crucified for the sins of men. Have mercy on me, thou inexhaustible fountain of goodness. Hail, saving Victim, offered on the cross for me and all mankind! Hail, generous and precious blood, flowing from thy wounds, O Jesus, and washing away the sins of the world! Remember thy creature, O Lord, whom thou hast redeemed by thy death; and grant that thy precious body and blood, which I am now about to receive, may avail to a full discharge from all my guilt, a victory over my evil thoughts, the beginning of a new life, the seed of good works, and a sure protection of soul and body against all the snares of my enemies.

PRAYERS AFTER COMMUNION.

I.

I return thee thanks, O eternal Father, for having, out of thy pure mercy, without any desert of mine, been pleased to feed my soul with the body and blood of thine only Son; and beseech thee, that this holy communion may not be to my condemnation, but available to the effectual remission of all my sins. May it strengthen my faith; encourage me in the practice of good works; deliver me from all evil habits and sinful desires; perfect me in charity, patience, humility, obedience, and all other virtues. May it secure me against all the snares of my enemies, visible and invisible; closely unite me to thee, the only true God, and finally settle me in unchangeable bliss, by admitting me, though an unworthy sinner, to be a guest at that divine banquet, where thou, with the Son and the Holy Ghost, art the true light, eternal fulness, everlasting joy, and perfect

happiness of all the saints; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

II.

I adore thy infinite greatness, O divine Majesty, who fillest both heaven and earth, and art adored by all the blessed spirits, who, without ceasing, praise and cry out before thee," Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth." Is it possible thou shouldst condescend to visit the most unworthy of thy servants, and desire to dwell within him? If the heavens, nay, the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee, how much less this habitation! Thou knowest, O blessed Jesus, how to conceal the splendour of thy glory, and condescend to our weakness, that so thou mayest communicate thyself to us the more freely. This thou didst not only at the time of thy adorable incarnation, when thou madest thyself like to us, the more forcibly to attract our love to thee; but also when thou didst institute this mystery, wherein thou givest thyself to us for the food and nourishment of our souls, the more closely to unite us to thyself, and make us aspire to that celestial banquet thou hast prepared for the blessed in heaven. O my God, I now desire to wean my heart entirely from all irregular and corrupt affections, that I may place my whole love and confidence in thee. For this end, I am firmly resolved to watch over all my actions, to flee from sin, and avoid whatever may be displeasing to thee. I will labour to work out my salvation by observing thy precepts, and as I have resolved, so I hope to be faithful to thee; but this resolution I am unable to perform without the help of thy grace, which I most humbly implore. O Jesus, save me; help me to walk in the ways of thy commandments with courage and perseverance. Incline my heart to love thy divine truths; divert my eyes from beholding vanity; strengthen me in the paths of holiness; and attract me so power. fully to thyself, that I may at last follow thee to heaven, where thou livest and reignest for all eternity.