Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/437

 love of  God,  desired  to  remain  in  the  presence  of  the most Holy  Sacrament. You will  find  that  all  the saints have  been  enamoured  of  this  sweet  devotion. On this  earth  we  cannot  find  a more  brilliant  jewel, or a more  lovely  treasure,  than  Jesus  in  the  Sacrament. O how delightful  it  is  to  remain  with  faith,  and  with a tender devotion,  at  the  foot  of  the  altar,  and  to converse  familiarly  with  Jesus  Christ,  who  dwells  in our  tabernacles  for  the  purpose  of  hearing  the prayers of  all  who  visit  him! How delightful  to implore  his  pardon  for  our  offences,  to  lay  before  him all our  wants,  as  one  friend  does  to  another  in  whom he places  all  his  confidence,  to  ask  his  grace,  his  love, and his  glory! But O,  what  a paradise  to  continue in acts  of  love  to  that  Lord,  who  remains  on  the  altar interceding before  his  Father  in  our  behalf,  and burning with  love  for  us! Blessed Henry  Suso  used to say,  that  Jesus  on  the  altar  hears  the  prayers  of the  faithful  more  readily  than  he  does  in  any  other place. Make a trial  of  this  devotion,  and  you  will see the  great  fruit  which  you  will  gather  from  it. Be sure that  of  all  the  moments  of  your  life,  the  time which you  spend  in  devotion  before  this  divine Sacrament will  be  that  which  shall  give  you  the greatest support  during  life,  and  the  greatest  consolation at  the  hour  of  death  and  for  all  eternity. And be persuaded  that  you  will  gain  more  in  a quarter  of an  hour  spent  in  prayer  before the  Holy  Eucharist, than in  all  the  other  spiritual  exercises  of  the  day.

Do not,  then,  O devout  soul,  refuse  to  begin  this devotion. From this  day  forward,  retire  each day from  the  conversation  of  men,  and  remain  for some time,  for  a half-hour,  or  at  least  a quarter, in some  church,  before  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Holy Sacrament.