Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/437

 munion, at  least,  to  "send  thee  help  from  the  sanctuary and  defend  thee  out  of  Sion." (Ps. xix.  3.)

III. "The man  believed  the  word,  which  Jesus  said  to him,  and  himself  believed  and  his  whole  house." Thus, his son  received  corporal  health,  and  he,  and  the  whole family spiritual  life. Observe how  Christ  adds  favors to favors. Remarking the  efficacy  of  prayer,  do  not  fail to perform  that  duty  in  the  best  manner  that  you  can. St. Chrysostom  says  it  is  never  an  unseasonable  time  to pray.

I. We  read  in  the  gospel  of  the  present  Sunday,  that Christ entered  into  the  house  of  a  certain  Pharisee  on the  Sabbath,  to  eat  bread. (Luke 14.)  He  is  also  the Guest of  your  soul,  and  He  will  enter  it  to-day,  in  order to be  entertained  by  you. " If  any  man  shall  hear  My voice  and  open  to  Me  the  gate,  I  will  come  in  to  him,  and will  sup  with  him,  and  he  with  Me." (Apoc. iii.  20.) Consider, therefore,  attentively  the  greatness  and  dignity of  your  Guest,  and  conceive  those  words  of  the Evangelist addressed  to  you,  "  Make  ready  My  supper, and  gird  thyself." (Luke xvii.  1.)

II. This Divine  Guest,  in  the  language  of  St.  Ambrose, "feeds upon  our  virtues." He is  particularly  pleased with the  virtue  of  humility,  and  therefore,  while  He  was at table  to-day  with  the  Pharisee,  He  taught  us  always to choose  the  lowest  places. " While  the  king  was  at