What [could be] more astonishing, O divine Saviour! what more advantageous for man and what more capable of engaging him to love Thee, Lord, and to acrifice to Thee without reserve all that he possesses?

VII.

The creature calls Thee, O my adorable Creator, and at that very instant Thou descendest from Thy heavenly Throne to come to place Thyself in his hands, as if that man, to whom Thou hast given a share in Thy priesthood, had become Thy master, Thy sovereign and Thy God.

This priest pronounces the words of consecration over the bread; he speaks in Thy Name, or rather Thou speakest in him, his mouth is Thy organ, and Thou art immediately present in the place of the bread. Ah! Lord, what obedience! and this obedience, which thou owest to none, because all the world owes it to Thee, would it be so prompt and so punctual, if it came not from Thy love?

This priest, who is Thy creature, touches Thee, he carries Thee, he places Thee as he wills, and Thou permittest it without resistance! and he carries Thee into his

mouth, into his stomach; he consumes the Species which sustain Thy sacramental Being, and Thou makest no resistance; I was there ever a victim more docile and more obedient?

He distributes Thee as Food to all the faithful Who present themselves at the holy Table, and Thou workest a new miracle, by multiplying Thy divine presence in order to be present all entire in each of Those to whom Thou art given; what goodness and what divine condescension!

Have I not reason to exclaim, with admiration accompanied by love and gratitude; What nation is there, however illustrious it may be, which can boast of having the gods so familiar, so easy of access, and who approach so near to men, as the God does Whom we adore; since He makes Himself Priest and Victim for love of us, since He invites us tenderly to His table, and has the goodness to establish His abode and to take His delight in us!

Yet I understand, Lord, that, however holy and however efficacious the sacrifice of Thy Body and Blood may be by Itself, it is also necessary that it should be accompanied by mine; I unite myself thereto

with all my heart, and I offer unto Thee all that I possess in a pure holocaust.

I will raise in the midst of my heart, O my Saviour and my sovereign Priest, an altar for Thee and for me; I shall there be host and victim with Thee, so as to make but one sacrifice, which may be worthy to draw down upon me Thy graces and Thy mercies in this mortal life, and the happiness of possessing Thee in the life everlasting.

FIRST SENTIMENT.

Come, see and taste how sweet the Lord is, said the Prophet (Ps. xxxiii); come with all the eagerness of which you are capable, since it is God Himself Who calls you; see, not by the eyes of the body, but by the eyes of the soul enlightened by faith, since the God Who calls you is a pure Spirit; taste with delight, since they are about to offer you the most pleasant and the most delicious of all [kinds of] food.

What hinders then, O my soul, that you should not contract this delicious union with the Spouse of virgins, Who is the centre of the most innocent pleasures? Ah! how blind we are and what enemies to ourselves, when we estrange ourselves therefrom through our own fault, and render ourselves unworthy, through our negligence, to taste this divine sweet.

II.

Yes, Lord, said the wisest of all kings, Thou hast given us in the divine Eucharist a Bread from heaven which contains within itself all imaginable sweets, a nutritious manna which causes the most exquisite taste to be felt by all those who receive it worthily.

It is I, Lord, who ought to seek both Thy taste, and Thy good pleasure, in order to conform myself thereto in all things, (Wisd. xvi.); and all God as Thou art, Thou humblest Thyself to seek after and to fulfil my desires, and Thou conformest Thyself to them, when they are not irregular; what excess of goodness! and what an inducement for me to sacrifice my will to Thine in all things, and always to seek to please Thee!