Chap. XII That He Who Is to Communicate Ought to Prepare Himself for Christ With Great Diligence
The Voice of the Beloved.
1. I Am the lover of purity, and the giver of all holiness.
I seek a pure heart, and there is the place of my rest.
Make ready for me a large upper room furnished, and I will make the pasch with thee, together with my disciples. Mark xiv. Luke xxii.
If thou wilt have me come to thee, and remain with thee; purge out the old leaven, and make clean the habitation of thy heart;
Shut out the whole world, and all the tumult of vices; sit like a sparrow solitary on the house top, and think of thy excesses in the bitterness of thy soul.
For every lover prepareth the best and fairest room for his dearly beloved; and hereby is known the affection of him that entertaineth his beloved.
2. Know nevertheless, that thou canst not sufficiently prepare thyself by the merit of any action of thine, although thou shouldst prepare thyself a whole year together, and think of nothing else.
But it is of my mere goodness and grace that thou art suffered to come to my table; as if a beggar should be invited to dinner by a rich man, who hath nothing else to return him for his benefit, but to humble himself, and to give him thanks.
Do what lieth in thee, and do it diligently; not for custom, nor for necessity; but with fear, and reverence, and affection, receive the body of thy beloved Lord, thy God, who vouchsafeth to come to thee.
I am he that have invited thee, I have commanded it to be done, I will supply what is wanting in thee, come and receive me.
3. When I bestow the grace of devotion give thanks to thy God, not for that thou art worthy, but because I have had mercy on thee.
If thou hast it not, but rather findest thyself dry, continue in prayer, sigh and knock, and give not over, till thou receivest some crum or drop of saving grace.
Thou hast need of me, not I of thee.
Neither dost thou come to sanctify me, but I come to sanctify and make thee better;
Thou comest that thou mayest be sanctified by me, and united to me; that thou mayest receive new grace, and be inflamed anew to amendment.
Neglect not this grace, but prepare thy heart with all diligence, and bring thy beloved into thee.
4. But thou oughtest not only to prepare thyself to devotion before communion, but carefully also to keep thyself therein after receiving the sacrament; neither is the carefully guarding of thyself afterwards less required than the devoutly preparing thyself before: for a good guard afterwards is the best preparation again for the obtaining of greater grace.
For what renders a man very much indisposed is, if he presently pour himself out upon exterior comforts.
Beware of much talk, remain in secret, and enjoy thy God; for thou hast him whom all the world cannot take from thee.
I am he to whom thou oughtest to give thy whole self; so that thou mayest henceforward live, without all solicitude, not in thyself, but in me.