Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/78

 the Eucharist,  to  make  you  partaker  of  His  sweet  ointments. "Myrrh, and  stacte,  and  cassia  perfume  thy  garments" (Ps.  xliv.  9),  that  is  the  sacramental  forms  under which Christ  is  clothed  in  the  Eucharist. At His  visit He will  anoint  you  with  His  three-fold  unction:  1. With the unction  of  mercy  He  will  efface  all  your  sins. 2. With the  unction  of  fortitude  He  will  strengthen  you against your  spiritual  enemies. 3. With  the  unction  of wisdom  He  will  instruct  and  enlighten  your  understanding. "For His  unction  teacheth  you  concerning  all things." (1 John  ii.  27.)

III. You ought  to  prepare  yourself  against  His  coming. "I have  prepared  a  lamp  for  my  anointed." (Ps. cxxxi. 27.)  This  expression  the  holy  Fathers  interpret  of  John the Baptist;  for  "he  was  a  burning  and  a  shining  light." (John v.  35.)  Prepare,  also,  in  the  same  manner,  the lamp of  your  soul;  purify  it  from  sin,  and  give  it  the lustre of  good  works. Let the  flame  of  divine  love  burn interiorly in  your  soul;  and  prove  its  existence  there  by external  virtuous  actions  and  good  example.

I. As  soon  as  the  Word  incarnate  was  conceived  in  the womb of  the  Virgin,  He  hastened  to  sanctify  His  precursor and  commence  His  office  as  Saviour. He inspired His mother  to  visit  her  cousin  Elizabeth,  in  order  that she, who  was  to  be  the  mediatrix  between  us  and  her son, might  in  some  manner  concur  to  the  first  sanctification  which  He  wrought. She readily  obeyed  the  divine impulse, and  willingly  embraced  the  occasion  of  doing  a good  office. Learn of  her  to  be  zealous  in  assisting others and  to  lose  no  occasion  of  exercising  charity.