Chapter 11. That the Body and Blood of Christ and the Holy Scriptures are?... (Book 4. Exhortation to Holy Communion) (The Imitation of Christ) (a-Kempis, Thomas)

1. The Voice of the Disciple

O most sweet Lord Jesus, how great is the blessedness of the devout soul that feeds with You in Your banquet, where there is set before it no other food than Yourself its only Beloved, more to be desired than all the desires of the heart? And to me it would truly be sweet to pour forth my tears in Your presence from the very bottom of my heart, and with the pious Magdalene to water Your feet with my tears. But where is this devotion? Where the abundant flowing of holy tears? Surely in Your presence and in the presence of the holy Angels my whole heart ought to burn and to weep for joy; for I have You in the Sacrament truly present, although hidden under other form.

2. For in Your own Divine brightness, mine eyes could not endure to behold You, neither could the whole world stand before the splendour of the glory of Your Majesty. In this therefore You have consideration to my weakness, that You hide Yourself under the Sacrament. I truly possess and adore Him whom the Angels adore in heaven; I yet for a while by faith, but they by sight and without a veil. It is good for me to be content with the light of true faith, and to walk therein until the day of eternal brightness dawn, and the shadows of figures flee away. But when that which is perfect is come, the using of Sacraments shall cease, because the Blessed in heavenly glory have no need of Sacramental remedy. For they rejoice unceasingly in the presence of God, beholding His glory face to face, and being changed from glory to glory of the infinite God, they taste the Word of God made flesh, as He was in the beginning and remains for everlasting.

3. When I think on these wondrous things, even spiritual comfort whatsoever it be becomes sore weariness to me; for so long as I see not openly my Lord in His own Glory, I count for nothing all which I behold and hear in the world. You, O God, are my witness that nothing is able to comfort me, no creature is able to give me rest, save You, O my God, whom I desire to contemplate everlastingly. But this is not possible, so long as I remain in this mortal state. Therefore ought I to set myself to great patience, and submit myself to You in every desire. For even Your Saints, O Lord, who now rejoice with You in the kingdom of heaven, waited for the coming of Your glory whilst they lived here, in faith and great glory. What they believed, that believe I; what they hoped, I hope; whither they have attained to, thither through Your grace hope I to come. I will walk meanwhile in faith, strengthened by the examples of the Saints. I will have also holy books for comfort and for a mirror of life, and above them al Your most holy Body and Blood shall be for me a special remedy and refuge.

4. For two things do I feel to be exceedingly necessary to me in this life, without which this miserable life would be intolerable to me; being detained in the prison of this body, I confess that I need two things, even food and light. You have therefore given to me who am so weak, Your sacred Body and Blood, for the refreshing of my soul and body, and have set Your Word for a lantern to my feet. Without these two I could not properly live; for the Word of God is the light of my soul, and Your Sacrament the bread of life. These may also be called the two tables, placed on this side and on that, in the treasury of Your holy Church. One table is that of the Sacred Altar, bearing the holy bread, that is the precious Body and Blood of Christ; the other is the table of the Divine Law, containing holy doctrine, teaching the true faith, and leading steadfastly onwards even to that which is within the veil, where the Holy of Holies is.

5. Thanks be to You, O Lord Jesus, Light of Light everlasting, for that table of holy doctrine which You has furnished to us by Your servants the Prophets and Apostles and other teachers. Thanks be to You, O Creator and Redeemer of men, who to make known Your love to the whole world has prepared a great supper, in which You have set forth for good not the typical lamb, but Your own most Holy Body and Blood; making all Your faithful ones joyful with this holy banquet and giving them to drink the cup of salvation, wherein are all the delights of Paradise, and the holy Angels do feed with us, and with yet happier sweetness.

6. Oh how great and honourable is the office of the priests, to whom it is given to consecrate the Sacrament of the Lord of majesty with holy words, to bless it with the lips, to hold it in their hands, to receive it with their own mouth, and to administer it to others! Oh how clean ought those hands to be, how pure the mouth, how holy the body, how unspotted the heart of the priest, to whom so often the Author of purity enters in! From the mouth of the priest ought naught to proceed but what is holy, what is honest and profitable, because he so often receives the Sacrament of Christ.

7. His eyes ought to be single and pure, seeing they are accustomed to look upon the Body of Christ; the hands should be pure and lifted towards heaven, which are accustomed to hold within them the Creator of heaven and earth. To priests is it specially said in the Law, Be ye holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

8. Assist us with Your grace, O Almighty God, that we who have taken upon us the priestly office, may be able to converse worthily and devoutly with You in all purity and good conscience. And if we are not able to have our conversation in such innocency of life as we ought, yet grant to us worthily to lament the sins which we have committed, and in the spirit of humility and full purpose of a good will, to serve You more earnestly for the future.

Cant. ii. 17. 2 Corinthians iii. 18. Psalm cxix. 105. Leviticus xix. 2.