Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/184

 instituted at  his  last  Supper  the  adorable  Sacrament of his  Body  and  Blood,  he  commanded  his  Apostles, and in  their  persons  all  creatures,  to  call  to  mind  his Passion and  Death  as  often  as  they  communicated. Such a command  ought  not  to  have  been  necessary: — gratitude for  the  benefit  of  redemption — love  for  the God who  died  for  us — compassion  for  his  excessive sufferings — contrition for  the  share  we  had  in  occasioning them,  are  all  motives  which  should  make  the sufferings of  Christ  a subject  familiar  to  our  thoughts, and impress  on  the  mind  and  heart  of  every  Christian a lively image  of  Jesus  crucified. But our  divine Redeemer well  knew  the  frailty  and  ingratitude  of man; he  knew,  that  the  greater  number  would  seldom, if ever,  call  to  mind  his  sufferings,  and  therefore  he left  them  not  only  a precious  and  striking  memorial of his  Passion  in  the  Holy  Eucharist,  but  also  a command  to  think  on  him,  on  his  infinite  love  and  suffering, in  receiving  his  adorable  body. Do this  in  remembrance of  me. (Luke xxii.  19.)  Endeavour  now  to comply  most  fervently  with  this  command  of  your divine Redeemer. Place yourself  in  spirit  at  the  foot of the  cross,  and  consider  how  much  it  cost  your Redeemer to  purchase  for  you  the  happiness  of  communicating. Far from  being  admitted  to  the  honour and advantage  of  sacramental  union  with  God,  you would have  been  condemned  to  eternal  separation from him,  if  Jesus  had  not  died  to  save  you. Your approaching happiness  is  then  the  purchase  of  your Redeemer’s sufferings — the  adorable  body  you  are going to  receive  as  your  spiritual  food,  is  the  same which was  exposed  to  insult,  contempt,  and  misery, during three-and-thirty  years; scourged  at  a pillar, crowned with  thorns,  and  at  length  ignominiously nailed to  the  cross. Ah ! if those  excessive  torments