Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/564

 into corruption. Such, my  brethren,  is  the  way  to  examine ourselves. The Lord  had  formerly  forbidden  the  Jews  to  offer  up honey  and  leaven  in  the  sacrifices:  see  if,  in  approaching  the  altar, you bring  not  with  you  the  leaven  of  your  crimes,  and  the  honey of voluptuousness:  that  is  to  say,  both  that  relish  for  the  world and for  pleasure,  and  that  effeminate  and  sensual  character,  enemy of the  cross,  and  incompatible  with  salvation. Approach not,  if you  do  not  feel  yourself  sufficiently  pure:  this  holy  body,  says  the prophet, would  not  purge  your  iniquity,  it  would  only  increase  it; your religion  would  be  vain,  your  heart  idolatrous,  your  sacrifice  a sacrilege.

Examine, therefore,  yourself,  and  afterward  eat  of  the  heavenly bread. But we  are  not  to  stop  at  the  simply  discerning  and  examining. Hitherto, you  have  only  removed  the  obstacles;  but  you have not  settled  the  last  preparations:  you  have  lopped  off  whatever might  repel  Jesus  Christ  from  your  soul;  but  you  have  not acquired what  might  attract  him  to  it:  you  have  arranged  so  as  not to receive  him  unworthily;  but  you  have  not  so  as  to  receive  him with fruit. It is  not  sufficient  to  be  free  from  guilt;  it  is  necessary to be  clothed  with  righteousness  and  sanctity:  it  is  little  not  to betray  him  like  Judas;  it  is  necessary  to  love  him  with  the  other disciples: it  is  little,  in  a  word,  to  be  no  longer  profane,  worldly, voluptuous, effeminate,  proud,  and  revengeful;  it  is  necessary  to  be sedate,  meek,  humble,  firm,  chaste,  believing,  Christian. " As  oft as  ye  do  this,  do  it  in  remembrance  of  me:"  this  is  the  third  disposition to  communicate  in  remembrance  of  Jesus  Christ.

Reflection III. — What is  it  to  communicate  in  remembrance of Jesus  Christ? It is,  in  the  first  place,  internally  to  describe  all that passed  in  the  heart  of  Jesus  Christ  in  instituting  this  adorable sacrament. " With  desire,"  said  he  to  his  disciples,  "  I  have  desired to  eat  this  passover  with  you  before  I  suffer,"  He  sighed for that  blessed  moment;  he  never  lost  sight  of  it;  in  the  remembrance of  it  he  was  comforted  for  all  the  bitterness  of  his  passion. What did  he  thereby  mean  to  teach  us? Ah! that we  ought  to bring  to  this  divine  table  a  heart  inflamed,  penetrated,  consumed; an eager,  earnest,  and  impatient  heart;  a  hunger  and  a  thirst  after Jesus Christ;  an  inclination  roused  by  love:  in  a  word,  what  I have  termed  a  burning  desire  which  impels  us  to  love. This bread, said  a  father,  requires  a  famished  heart. Ah! Lord, says then the  believing  soul,  with  St.  Augustine,  who  will  give  me  that thou mayest  enter  into  my  heart  to  take  possession  of  it;  wholly to fill  it;  to  reign  there  alone;  to  dwell  there  with  me  even  to  the consummation of  ages;  to  be  mine  all;  there  to  constitute  my purest  delights;  to  shed  through  it  a  thousand  inward  consolations;  to  satiate,  to  gladden  it,  to  make  me  forget  my  miseries, mine anxieties,  my  vain  pleasures,  all  mankind,  the  whole  universe, and to  leave  me  wholly  to  thee,  to  enjoy  thy  presence,  thy  conversation, and  all  the  delights  which  thou  preparest  for  those  who love thee? Perhaps, Lord  the  tenement  of  my  soul  is  not  yet