Chapter 01. With how great reverence Christ must be received (Book 4. Exhortation to Holy Communion) (The Imitation of Christ) (a-Kempis, Thomas)

1. The Voice of the Disciple

These are Your words, O Christ, Eternal Truth; though not uttered at one time nor written together in one place of Scripture. Because therefore they are Your words and true, I must gratefully and faithfully receive them all. They are Yours. and You have uttered them; and they are mine also, because You did speak them for my salvation. Gladly I receive them from Your mouth, that they may be more deeply implanted in my heart. Words of such great grace arouse me, for they are full of sweetness and love; but my own sins terrify me, and my impure conscience drives me away from receiving so great mysteries. The sweetness of Your words encourages me, but the multitude of my faults presses me down.

2. You command that I draw near to You with firm confidence, if I would have part with You, and that I receive the food of immortality, if I desire to obtain eternal life and glory. Come to Me, say You, all that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. Oh, sweet and lovely word in the ear of the sinner, that You, O Lord my God, do invite the poor and needy to the Communion of Your most holy body and blood. But who am I, O Lord, that I should presume to approach to You? Behold the heaven of heavens cannot contain You, and yet You say, Come ye all to Me.

3. What means this most gracious condescension, this most lovely invitation? How shall I dare to come, who know no good thing of myself, whence I might be able to presume? How shall I bring You within my house, seeing that I so often have sinned in Your most loving sight? Angels and Archangels stand in awe of You, the Saints and just men fear You, and You say, Come to Me! Except You, Lord, had said it, who should believe it true? And except You had commanded, who should attempt to draw near?

4. Behold, Noah, that just man, laboured for a hundred years in building the ark, that he might be saved with the few; and I, how shall I be able in one hour to prepare myself to receive the Builder of the world with reverence? Moses, Your servant, Your great and especial friend, made an ark of incorruptible wood, which also he covered with purest gold, that he might lay up in it the tables of the law, and I, a corruptible creature, shall I dare so easily to receive You, the Maker of the Law and the Giver of life? Solomon, the wisest of the kings of Israel, was seven years building his magnificent temple to the praise of Your Name, and for eight days celebrated the feast of its dedication, offered a thousand peace offerings, and solemnly brought up the Ark of the Covenant to the place prepared for it, with the sound of trumpets and great joy, and I, unhappy and poorest of mankind, how shall I bring You into my house, who scarce know how to spend half an hour in devotion? And oh that it were even one half hou worthily spent!

5. O my God, how earnestly these holy men strove to please You! And alas! how little and trifling is that which I do! how short a time do I spend, when I am disposing myself to Communion. Rarely altogether collected, most rarely cleansed from all distraction. And surely in the saving presence of Your Godhead no unmeet thought ought to intrude, nor should any creature take possession of me, because it is not an Angel but the Lord of the Angels, that I am about to receive as my Guest.

6. Yet there is a vast difference between the Ark of the Covenant with its relics, and Your most pure Body with its ineffable virtues, between those sacrifices of the law, which were figures of things to come, and the true sacrifice of Your Body, the completion of all the ancient sacrifices.

7. Wherefore then do I not yearn more ardently after Your adorable presence? Why do I not prepare myself with greater solicitude to receive Your holy things, when those holy Patriarchs and Prophets of old, kings also and princes, with the whole people, manifested so great affection of devotion towards Your Divine Service?

8. The most devout king David danced with all his might before the Ark of God, calling to mind the benefits granted to his forefathers in days past; he fashioned musical instruments of various sorts, put forth Psalms, and appointed them to be sung with joy, played also himself often on the harp, being inspired with the grace of the Holy Ghost; he taught the people of Israel to praise God with the whole heart, and with unity of voice to bless and praise Him every day. If so great devotion was then exercised, and celebration of divine praise was carried on before the Ark of the Testimony, how great reverence and devotion ought now to be shown by me and all Christian people at the ministering of the Sacrament, at receiving the most precious Body and Blood of Christ.

9. Many run to diverse places to visit the memorials of departed Saints, and rejoice to hear of their deeds and to look upon the beautiful buildings of their shrines. And behold, You are present here with me, O my God, Saint of Saints, Creator of men and Lord of the Angels. Often in looking at those memorials men are moved by curiosity and novelty, and very little fruit of amendment is borne away, especially when there is so much careless trifling and so little true contrition. But here in the Sacrament of the Altar, You are present altogether, My God, the Man Christ Jesus; where also abundant fruit of eternal life is given to every one soever that receives You worthily and devoutly. But to this no levity draws, no curiosity, nor sensuality, only steadfast faith, devout hope, and sincere charity.

10. O God, invisible Creator of the world, how wondrously do You work with us, how sweetly and graciously You deal with Your elect, to whom You offerest Yourself to be received in this Sacrament! For this surpasses all understanding, this specially draws the hearts of the devout and enkindles their affections. For even your true faithful ones themselves, who order their whole life to amendment, oftentimes gain from this most excellent Sacrament great grace of devotion and love of virtue.

11. Oh admirable and hidden grace of the Sacrament, which only Christ's faithful ones know, but the faithless and those who serve sin cannot experience! In this Sacrament is conferred spiritual grace, and lost virtue is regained in the soul, and the beauty which was disfigured by sin returns again. So great sometimes is this grace that out of the fulness of devotion given, not only the mind but also the weak body feels that more strength is supplied to it.

12. But greatly must we mourn and lament over our lukewarmness and negligence, that we are not drawn by greater affection to become partakers of Christ, in whom all the hope and the merit of those that are to be saved consist. For He Himself is our sanctification and redemption. He is the consolation of pilgrims and the eternal fruition of the Saints. Therefore it is grievously to be lamented that many so little consider this health-giving mystery, which makes heaven glad and preserves the whole world. Alas for the blindness and hardness of man's heart, that he considers not more this unspeakable gift, and even slips down through the daily use, into carelessness.

13. For if this most holy Sacrament were celebrated in one place only, and were consecrated only by one priest in the whole world, with what great desire think you, would men be affected towards that place and towards such a priest of God, that they might behold the divine mysteries celebrated? But now are many men made priests and in many places the Sacrament is celebrated, that the grace and love of God towards men might the more appear, the more widely the Holy Communion is spread abroad over all the world. Thanks be to You, O good Jesus, Eternal Shepherd, who have condescended to refresh us, poor and exiled ones, with Your precious Body and Blood, and to invite us to partake these holy mysteries by the invitation from Your own mouth, saying, Come to Me, ye who labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.

1 Corinthians i. 30.