Page:Sermons for all the Sundays in the year.djvu/246

 recommends to St. Gertrude. ” I ask nothing more of thee," said he to her, ” than that thou come to receive me with a heart divested of thyself." Let us, then, withdraw our affections from creatures, and our hearts shall belong entirely to the Creator. 9. The second disposition necessary to draw great fruit from communion, is a desire of receiving Jesus Christ in order to advance in his love. ” He," says St. Francis de Sales, ” who gives himself through pure love, ought to be received only through love." Thus, the principal end of our communions must be to advance in the love of Jesus Christ. He once said to St. Matilda: “When you communicate, desire all the love that any soul has ever had for me, and I will accept your love in proportion to the fervour with which you wished for it." 10. Thanksgiving after communion is also necessary. The prayer we make after communion is the most acceptable to God, and the most profitable to us. After communion the soul should be employed in affections and petitions. The affections ought to consist not only in acts of thanksgiving, but also in acts of humility, of love, and of oblation of ourselves to God. Let us then humble ourselves as much as possible at the sight of a God made our food after we had offended him. A learned author says that, for a soul after communion, the most appropriate sentiment is one of astonishment at the thought of receiving a God. She should exclaim: ” What! a God to me! a God to me!" Let us also make many acts of the love of Jesus Christ. He has come into our souls in order to be loved. Hence, he is greatly pleased with those who, after communion, say to him: "My Jesus, I love thee; I desire nothing but thee." Let us also offer ourselves and all that we have to Jesus Christ, that he may dispose of all as he pleases: and let us frequently say: ” My Jesus, thou art all mine; thou hast given thyself entirely to me; I give myself entirely to thee. 11. After communion; we should not only make these affections, but we ought also to present to God with great confidence many petitions for his graces. The time after communion is a time in which we can gain