Vigils Reading

CHRIST SHOULD BE RECEIVED WITH GREAT REVERENCE

From “The Imitation of Christ” by Thomas à Kempis4 ◊◊◊

You command me to come to you with confidence if I want to be one with you, to receive the foodof immortality if I wish to obtain eternal life and happiness. “Come,” you say to me, “all who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest”. What a sweet and loving word for a sinner to hear, when you, Lord my God, invite the poor and needy to Communion, your most sacred Body!… What does this loving condescension and friendly invitation mean?… How can I invite you into my house after having so often offended you? The angels and archangels stand before you in reverential awe, while the saints and the just tremble. And you say, “Come all of you to me”. If this was not said by you, Lord, who could believe it is true? And unless you had commanded it, who would dare approach?…

Solomon, the wisest of the kings of Israel, devoted seven years to building a magnificent temple to praise your name. And for eight days he celebrated the feast of its dedication, offering a thousand victims as peace offerings. Then with great solemnity, he brought the Ark of the Covenant with the sound of trumpets and great rejoicing into the place prepared for it. And I, the most unhappy and least among men, how can I admit you into my house, I, who hardly know how to spend one half-hour in devout prayer?…

The devout King David danced with all his might before the Ark of God, as he remembered all the benefits given in times past to his fathers. He made musical instruments of various kinds, composed psalms and ordered that they be sung with happiness, and he himself, inspired by the grace of the Holy Spirit, often sang them upon his harp… But here, in the sacrament of the altar, you are entirely present, my God…Christ Jesus. Here we receive the fruit of salvation abundantly each time that we reverently and worthily receive you. We are not drawn to this sacrament lightly, out of curiosity, or a desire to gratify our senses, but by a constant faith, a devout hope, and a pure charity.

O invisible God, Creator of the universe, how wonderfully you deal with us! You act so sweetly and so kindly toward us, your chosen, offering yourself to be received in this sacrament! This defies all human understanding and attracts to itself especially the hearts of the devout, and inflames their affection. Those truly faithful to you, who spend their entire lives trying to better themselves, often receive from this holy sacrament the great benefit of fervor and love of virtue… In this sacrament, spiritual grace is received, lost virtue is restored in the soul, and beauty marred by sin comes back again. Sometimes the grace received from the fullness of devotion is so great that not only the mind, but also the fragile body experiences an increase of strength.

Despite this, we must feel sorry about, and greatly lament, our lukewarmness and negligence because we do not go with greater fervor to receive Jesus Christ, in whom rests all the hope and merit of those who wish to be saved… For if this most holy sacrament were celebrated only in one place in the whole world and consecrated by only one priest, with how great a desire, do you think, would people wish to go to that place and to that priest of God, in order to see the divine mysteries celebrated? Now, instead, there are many priests and Christ is offered up in many places, so that God’s grace and love for us may appear so much the greater because this Holy Communion is so widely distributed throughout the world. I thank you, good Jesus, eternal Shepherd, because you have willed to feed us poor exiles with your precious Body and Blood, and that you invite us to partake of these mysteries by words you yourself said, “Come to me, all who are weary and bear heavy burdens, and I will give you rest”