Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/446

 divine Lord  has  carried  his  obedience  farther  still, for he  is  content  to  obey  not  only  his  Eternal  Father, but even  man  himself,  and  not  only  until  death,  but even unto  the  end  of  the  world. He has  made  himself obedient,  one  may  say,  until  the  consummation of ages. King of  heaven  as  he  is,  he  comes  down, nevertheless, out  of  obedience  to  man,  and  remains afterwards upon  the  altar,  only,  as  it  would  seem, out of  obedience  to  man. “ As for  me,”  he  says  by his  Prophet,  “ I make  no  resistance.”  (Isai.  1.  5.) There he  remains  without  any  movement  of  his  own; he allows  himself  to  be  placed  wherever  they  may choose to  place  him,  whether  exposed  to  view  in  the ostensorium, or  shut  up  in  the  ciborium; he  lets himself be  carried  where  they  please  to  carry  him, either through  the  street,  or  in  the  house; he  allows himself to  be  given  in  communion  to  every  one  as they  think  fit  to  give  him: to  the  just,  or  to  the sinner. When he  was  living  on  the  earth,  as  St.  Luke tells us,  he  was  obedient  to  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary and to  St.  Joseph,  but  in  this  Sacrament  he  obeys as many  creatures  as  there  are  Priests  on  the  earth. “ As for  me,  I make  no  resistance.”

LISTEN, while  I venture  to  address  thee,  most loving heart  of  my  Jesus! Heart from  which so many  sacraments  have  issued,  and  especially  this Sacrament of  Love! Would that  I could  procure as much  honour  and  glory  for  thee,  as  thou  dost promote the  honour  and  glory  of  thy  Eternal  Father by means  of  the  Holy  Sacrament  in  our  churches! I know that  on  this  altar  thou  dost  love  me  with  that same love  which  moved  thee  to  sacrifice  thy  divine life for  me in  a sea  of  sorrows  on  the  cross. Enlighten. O divine Heart! those who  do  not  know  thee,  in