Monday, April 18, 2016

Month of the Blessed Sacrament - If she be a wall, let us build upon it bulwarks of silver...


MONTH OF THE MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT
    Meditations by St. Alphonsus Liguori

If she be a wall, let us build upon it bulwarks of silver; if she be a door, let us join it together with boards of cedar. — Cant. viii. 9

This is what Jesus does when He comes to a soul in the holy Communion: He sees that she is a wall too weak to resist the attacks of Hell, therefore by the strength of this great Sacrament, He fortifies her with bulwarks of silver, that is, of His own Divine light. He sees that she is a door which easily decays, and He renews her with planks of strength and perseverance, signified by cedar, which is a strong and incorruptible wood; that is, He strengthens her with the gifts of holy fear, of detachment from creatures, of prayer, and affection for prayer, of holy desires, and above all by the gift of Divine love, which are the support of holy perseverance.
     Bread may strengthen man's heart: Jesus teaches us that as earthly bread preserves the life of the body, so the heavenly Bread of the holy Communion preserves the life of the soul: he that eateth Me, the same also shall live by Me. He that eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, abideth in Me, and I in him, Such are the delightful assurances which Jesus makes to those who receive Him in the blessed Sacrament.
     My Jesus, who is more weak and faithless than I am? Thou already knowest how many times I have yielded to my enemies, and how often they have won the gate, that is my will, by which they have come in to ruin me, by making me lose Thy friendship. Fortify me, I beseech Thee, with Thy light and strength, that I may never again lose Thee, and drive Thee from me. My dear Redeemer and Lord, if Thou seest that I shall offend Thee again, I implore Thee to let me die now, when, as I hope, I am in Thy grace, and united to Thee. My beloved Jesus, I do not wish to exist any longer without Thee: while I live I am liable to change, and I may again displease Thee, as I have formerly done; do Thou therefore help me. And thou also, most holy Mary, help me, and pity me; thou, who art the Mother of perseverance, obtain from thy Jesus, this gift for me: from thee I seek it, through thee I wish and hope for it.


PRAYERS TO THE EVER-BLESSED MOTHER OF GOD
                 For every Day of the Week
                                 Monday
Prayer to the ever-blessed Mary to obtain holy perseverance

O Queen of Heaven, I, who was once a wretched slave of Satan, now devote myself to thee, as thy servant for ever, offering myself to honour and serve thee all my life; do not reject me as I deserve thou shouldst. Mother, in thee I have placed all my hopes; from thee I expect all blessings: I bless and thank God, Whose mercy has given me this confidence in thee, which I regard as a great pledge of my salvation. Hitherto I have fallen miserably, because I have not had recourse to thee; I hope I am now forgiven, through the Merits of Jesus, and through thy prayers; but I may again lose God's grace, the danger is not at an end, for my enemies never sleep, and many temptations I may yet have to conquer: most beloved Lady, protect me, and let me never again become their slave. Help me always, I know that thou wilt, and in thy help I shall conquer, if I recommend myself to thee; but my fear is that, when I am in danger of falling, I shall omit to call on thee, and shall thus be lost; therefore I beseech thee to obtain for me that, in all the attacks of Hell, I may always have recourse to thee, saying, Mary, help me: my beloved Mother, let me not lose God. Amen.



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