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THE EUCHARISTIC MEDITATIONS OF THE CURÉ D'ARS - the Irish ...

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love Him. Happy those who can live in His presence. Happy are we — we, with whom God dwells;<br />

we who can visit Him as often as we wish.<br />

MEDITATION 22: VISIT TO <strong>THE</strong> BLESSED SACRAMENT - A METHOD <strong>OF</strong> MAKING IT<br />

Who can express, O Jesus, <strong>the</strong> power and depth of your regard!<br />

You looked on Simon, and You saw in him <strong>the</strong> eternal foundation of Your Church.<br />

You looked at Mat<strong>the</strong>w, and You drew him to You to make him an apostle.<br />

You looked at Zacheus, and You brought salvation to him, and to all his house.<br />

You looked at your unfaithful apostle, and opened in his heart an inexhaustible source of<br />

tears.<br />

The good thief looked at You, and Your charity and sweetness revealed to him <strong>the</strong> Son of<br />

God.<br />

You looked at <strong>the</strong> good thief, and You assured him of his pardon, and You opened to him <strong>the</strong><br />

gates of Your kingdom.<br />

O Jesus! deign to turn on me one of those mercyful looks, and grant that in contemplating<br />

You, I may be filled with your love.<br />

NO NEED <strong>OF</strong> MUCH SPEAKING.<br />

When we are before <strong>the</strong> Blessed Sacrament, instead of looking about us, let us close our eyes<br />

and open our hearts. The good God will open His. We will go to Him. He will come to us, <strong>the</strong> one<br />

to give, <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r to receive.<br />

It will be like a whisper from one to <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r. What happiness do we not find when we forget<br />

ourselves to seek God? The saints forsook <strong>the</strong>mselves in order to see God only, to work only for<br />

Him. They forgot all created objects to find Him alone. That is <strong>the</strong> way to heaven.<br />

There are some poor women who imagine that <strong>the</strong> more <strong>the</strong>y speak <strong>the</strong> better <strong>the</strong>y pray. They<br />

have scarcely begun <strong>the</strong>ir beads than <strong>the</strong>y look to see how soon <strong>the</strong>y will be finished. That is not as<br />

it should be, my children. One has no need of much speaking to pray well. One knows <strong>the</strong> good<br />

God is in <strong>the</strong> tabernacle. One opens to Him his heart and rejoices in His whole presence. That is<br />

<strong>the</strong> best prayer. Listen well to this, my children. When I first came to Ars, <strong>the</strong>re was a man who<br />

never passed <strong>the</strong> church without going in. In <strong>the</strong> morning on his way to work, and in <strong>the</strong> evening<br />

on his way home, he left his spade and pick-axe in <strong>the</strong> porch, and he spent a long time in adoration<br />

before <strong>the</strong> Blessed Sacrament. Oh! how I loved to see that! I asked him once what he said to Our<br />

Lord during <strong>the</strong> long visits he made Him. Do you know what he told me? “Eh,” Monsieur le Curé<br />

“I say nothing to Him, I look at Him and He looks at me!” How beautiful, my children, how<br />

beautiful!<br />

MEDITATION 23: <strong>THE</strong> SENTIMENTS WE OUGHT TO HAVE WHEN WE ASSIST AT <strong>THE</strong> PROCESSION <strong>OF</strong><br />

<strong>THE</strong> BLESSED SACRAMENT ON CORPUS CHRISTI<br />

O city of Sion, said <strong>the</strong> prophet, rejoice because your God dwells in <strong>the</strong> midst of you. Words<br />

more true for Christians than for <strong>the</strong> Jews. Yes, Christians, rejoice! Your God is going to appear in<br />

your midst. This loving Saviour is going to visit your squares, your roads and your houses.<br />

Everywhere he will shower <strong>the</strong> most abundant blessings. O fortunate houses before which He will<br />

pass! Happy <strong>the</strong> streets on which His sacred feet will tread.<br />

What does Jesus Christ do when we carry Him in procession? He is like a good king in <strong>the</strong><br />

midst of His subjects, or a good fa<strong>the</strong>r surrounded by his children, or a good shepherd who visits<br />

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