SR
Chapter 17VisiteSS.1.17

Visita XVII

The Joy of Eucharistic Presence

The author reflects on the intimacy of visiting Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, drawing inspiration from the example of Fr. Salesio.

Loving souls find no greater joy than being in the presence of those they love. So if we love Jesus Christ deeply, we are here in his presence. Jesus in the Sacrament sees and hears us—do we have nothing to say to him? Let us take comfort in his company: let us delight in his glory and in the love so many souls in love with him bear toward the Most Holy1 Sacrament.2 Let us long for everyone to love Jesus in the Sacrament and consecrate their hearts to him; at the very least, let us consecrate all our own affection to him. May he be all our love, all our desire. Fr.3 Salesio of the Society of Jesus found comfort simply in speaking of the Most Holy4 Sacrament; he never tired of visiting Him. Whether he was called to the door, returning to his room, or moving about the house, he always used these moments to repeat his visits to his beloved Lord—so it was noticed that scarcely an hour of the day passed without him visiting Him. In the end, he was found worthy to die at the hands of heretics while defending the truth of the Sacrament.5 Oh, if only I, too, had the fortune of dying for such a beautiful cause—of upholding the truth of this Sacrament, through which, O most lovable Jesus, You have made us understand the tenderness of the love You bear us. But You, my Lord, since You work so many miracles in this Sacrament, work this other miracle as well: draw me wholly to Yourself. You already desire me wholly for Yourself, and You more than deserve it. Give me the strength to love You with all my affection. Give the goods of this world to whom You please. I renounce them all to you. I sigh and want only your love. This is all I seek, and I will always seek you. I love you, my Jesus; make me always love you—and I ask nothing more of you. —Giac.6 My Jesus, when will I truly love you? Spiritual Communion.

The Lovable Mother

A meditation on the beauty and lovableness of Mary, expressing a desire to love her deeply as a path to God.

To Mary. My sweetest Queen, how I delight in that beautiful name by which your devotees call you: Mater amabilis.7 Yes, my Lady — you are too lovable.8 Your beauty has made even your own Lord fall in love with you: The King has desired your beauty. Saint Bonaventure says that your name alone is so lovable to those who love you that when they speak it or hear it, they feel their desire to love you kindled and increased: O sweet, O tender, O most lovable Mary.9 You cannot even be named without kindling love, nor enter the ear without refreshing the affections of those who love you. It's only right, then, my most lovable Mother, that I should love you; but I'm not content merely to love you; I want, first on earth and then in heaven, to be the first after God in loving you. If this desire is too bold, the reason is your lovableness and the special love you've shown me. If you were less lovable, I would less desire to love you. Accept, then, O Lady, this desire of mine; and as a sign that you've accepted it, obtain for me yourself from God this love that I ask of you, for the love offered to you is so pleasing to God.10 My most lovable Mother, I love you dearly.

A Prayer for Mercy and Protection

A prayer attributed to St. Peter Damian, invoking Mary's intercession and mercy for the salvation of souls.

A prayer by St. Peter Damian. O Mother of God, turn toward us out of love. I know, my Lady, that you are entirely kind and that you love us with a love that no other can surpass.11 How often you calm our Judge's anger when he is about to punish us! All the treasures of God's mercies are in your hands. Ah, may you never stop doing us good—you who look only for the chance to save every wretched soul and make them share in your pity; for your glory grows when, through you, penitents are forgiven, and those who are forgiven reach paradise.12 So turn toward us, that we may come to see you in heaven; for the greatest glory we can have is to see you after God, to love you, and to be under your protection. Please hear us, for your Son wants to honor you by denying you nothing that you ask of him.13 O most lovable Mary, I love you dearly, and I trust in you.

Read the original Latin

Le anime amanti non sanno trovar maggior godimento, che nel trovarsi alla presenza delle persone amate. Se amiamo dunque assai Gesù Cristo, ecco siamo alla sua presenza. Gesù nel Sacramento ci vede, ci sente, non gli diciamo niente? Consoliamoci colla sua compagnia: godiamo della sua gloria e dell'amore che portano tante anime innamorate al SS. Sacramento. Desideriamo che tutti amino Gesù sacramentato e gli consacrino i lor cuori: almeno consacriamogli noi tutto il nostro affetto. Egli sia tutto il nostro amore, tutto il nostro desiderio. Il P.

Salesio della Compagnia di Gesù si sentiva consolare in solo parlare del SS. Sacramento; non si saziava mai di visitarlo; se era chiamato alla porta, se tornava in camera, se andava per casa, procurava sempre con queste occasioni di replicare le visite al suo amato Signore; sicché fu notato che appena passava ora del giorno che non lo visitasse. E meritò alla fine di morire per mano degli eretici, mentr'egli difendeva la verità del Sacramento. Oh avessi anch'io la sorte di morire per sì bella cagione, di sostenere la verità di questo Sacramento, per cui, o amabilissimo Gesù, voi ci avete fatta intendere la tenerezza dell'amore che ci portate. Ma voi, Signor mio, giacché fate tanti miracoli in questo Sacramento, fate quest'altro miracolo ancora: tiratemi tutto a voi; voi già mi desiderate tutto per voi, voi troppo lo meritate. Datemi forza di amarvi con tutto l'affetto. I beni di questo mondo dateli a chi vi piace. Io ve li rinunzio tutti.

Io sospiro e voglio solo il vostro amore. Questo solo ricerco e sempre vi cercherò. V'amo, Gesù mio; fate ch'io sempre v'ami, e niente più, vi domando. - Giac. Gesù mio, quando v'amerò da vero? La comunione spirituale.

A Maria. Regina mia dolcissima, quanto mi piace quel bel nome con cui vi chiamano i vostri divoti: Mater amabilis. Sì, che voi, Signora mia, siete troppo amabile. La vostra bellezza ha innamorato di voi lo stesso vostro Signore: Concupivit rex speciem tuam. Dice S. Bonaventura che il solo vostro nome è così amabile a' vostri amanti, che in nominarlo o sentirlo nominare si sentono accendere ed accrescer il desiderio d'amarvi: O dulcis, o pia, o multum amabilis Maria. Tu nec nominari potes, quin accendas, nec aurium aditus ingredi potes, quin recrees affectus diligentium te.

È ragione dunque, Madre mia amabilissima, ch'io v'ami; ma non mi contento solamente d'amarvi; io desidero prima in terra e poi in cielo d'essere il primo dopo Dio ad amarvi. Se il desiderio è troppo audace, n'è cagione la vostra amabilità e l'amore speciale che mi avete dimostrato. Se voi foste meno amabile, io meno desidererei d'amarvi. Accettate dunque, o Signora, questo mio desiderio; ed in segno che l'avete accettato, impetratemi voi da Dio quest'amore ch'io vi domando; giacché tanto gradisce a Dio l'amore che a voi si porta. Madre mia amabilissima, io v'amo assai.

Orazione dello stesso S. Pier Damiano. O Madre di Dio, rivolgetevi a noi per amore. Io so, mia Signora, che siete tutta benigna, e ci amate con un'amore che non può superarsi da altro amore. Quante volte Voi placate l'ira di nostro giudice, allorch'è in procinto di castigarci! Tutti i tesori delle misericordie di Dio son nelle vostre mani. Ah non sia mai, che cessiate dal beneficarci, Voi che non cercate se non l'occasione di salvare tutti i miserabili e di farli partecipi della vostra pietà; giacché si accresce la vostra gloria, quando per vostro mezzo i penitenti son perdonati, e i perdonati giungono al paradiso. Rivolgetevi dunque a noi, affinché possiamo venire a vedervi in cielo; poiché la maggior gloria che possiamo avere, è di vedervi dopo Dio, l'amarvi ed esser sotto la vostra protezione. Deh esauditeci, poiché il vostro Figliuolo vuole onorarvi col non negarvi niente di quanto Voi lo domandate.

O Maria amabilissima, io v'amo assai ed in Voi confido.

Notes

  1. 1Sentence continues into s5 (SS. Sacramento); 'SS.' expanded as 'Most Holy' to preserve sense across the split.
  2. 2Completes 'SS. Sacramento' begun in s4: Most Holy Sacrament.
  3. 3Italian abbreviation 'Il P.' almost certainly = 'Il Padre' (Father/Fr.), introducing the example continued in the next section (Salesio of the Society of Jesus).
  4. 4Continues the previous section's abbreviated 'Il P.' (Father): the subject is Father Salesio, S.J.
  5. 5'meritò' kept as 'was found worthy' (devotional privilege/merit), not bare 'deserved'.
  6. 6Source is only the abbreviated citation mark “- Giac.” (likely an author or source tag cut short). Left as a citation label rather than expanded.
  7. 7Mater amabilis is kept as the Litany of Loreto title (Mother most lovable / Mother most amiable); the Italian presents it as the proper name itself.
  8. 8Italian troppo amabile here is intensifying (exceedingly / all too lovable), not a moral reproach.
  9. 9O dulcis, o pia, o multum amabilis Maria echoes Marian litany/Salve Regina diction; pia rendered as tender rather than merely 'pious.'
  10. 10Italian impetratemi is intercessory: obtain by petition/prayer on my behalf, not merely 'get'.
  11. 11Source has un'amore (gender mismatch for amore); sense is clear as un amore. benigna rendered as kind/gracious rather than mere 'nice'.
  12. 12pietà rendered as pity (compassionate mercy), not as 'piety' in the modern moral sense.
  13. 13Deh is an archaic Italian plea-particle; rendered as Please to keep contemporary petition force without pseudo-KJV.

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