Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/185

 had made  a deep  impression  on  our  hearts,  how  differently should  we  feel  disposed  in  approaching  that adorable sacrament,  wherein  the  memory  of  his  passion is  renewed! Beg of  Jesus  himself,  with  the greatest earnestness,  to  give  you  the  dispositions  he requires. O my crucified  Saviour! thou didst  suffer such torments  for  my  salvation,  as  would  separately have caused  thy  death,  if  a miracle  did  not  preserve thy life  to  endure  still  more. Why have  I been  so ungrateful  as  to  forget  all  thou  hast  done  for  my sinful  soul? Vouchsafe, O divine Jesus! to enter my heart,  notwithstanding  its  unworthiness; that  I may  not  only  learn  to  die  to  myself,  by  reflecting  on thy  sufferings,  but  also  live  to  thee,  by  the  efficacy  of thy  adorable  body.

Second point. — Consider the  divine  Saviour  prostrate on the  earth,  in  the  Garden  of  Gethsemani,  fainting with grief,  and  exhausted  with  a bloody  sweat,  occasioned by  excessive  interior  anguish,  at  the  view  of the  sins  of  all  mankind; particularly  the  ingratitude of those  who  are  loaded  with  his  mercies — the  pride and vanity  of  those  who  are  early  instructed  in  the divine truths  of  his  holy  gospel — the  tepidity,  sloth, and indifference  of  those  from  whom  he  has  a right to expect  the  most  ardent  love; — in  a word,  the foresight he  had  of  the  abuse  of  his  graces,  and  the little fruit  that  many,  even  among  his  most  favoured servants, would  draw  from  his  sacred  passion  and death. This was  truly  the  chalice  which  Jesus  dreaded to drink,  and  which  made  his  sacred  heart  sorrowful even unto  death,  as  we  may  easily  conceive  by  our own experience,  since  we  feel  that  an  unkind, ungrateful action  of  a friend,  would  grieve  us  more than many  injuries  heaped  on  us  by  an  enemy. Consider now* that  among  all  the  benefits  Jesus  Christ