Visita XIX
The Sweet Company of Jesus
Jesus invites us to find consolation in his real presence within the Blessed Sacrament, treating him as our dearest friend.
It's a sweet thing for anyone to be in the company of a dear friend; and won't it be sweet for us, in this valley of tears, to stay in the company of the best friend we have—the one who can do us every good, who loves us passionately, and who therefore remains with us continually? See, in the Most Holy1 Sacrament we can speak with Jesus as we please, open our hearts to him, lay our needs before him, and ask him for his graces; in short, we can deal with the King of heaven in this Sacrament with complete confidence and without constraint.2 Joseph was most fortunate when God, with his grace, came down into his prison to console him, as Scripture attests: He went down with him into the pit, and in chains he did not abandon him (Wis.3 10).4 But we are far more fortunate still in always having with us, in this land of miseries, our God made man, who by his real presence helps us all the days of our life with such affection and compassion toward us. What a consolation it is for a poor prisoner to have a devoted friend who keeps him company, consoles him, gives him hope, comes to his aid, and looks to lift him out of his miseries! Here is our good friend Jesus Christ, who in this Sacrament encourages us by saying: Behold, I am with you all days. Here I am, he says—come entirely for you, purposely from heaven into this prison of yours to console you, to help you, to free you. Receive me, stay always with me, and cling to me; that way you won't feel your miseries, and you'll come with me to my kingdom, where I will make you fully blessed.5
A Resolution to Love
The author expresses a fervent desire to visit the Blessed Sacrament often and to grow in love for the Lord.
O God, O incomprehensible love, since you deign to be so gracious with us that you come down upon our altars just to stay near us, I resolve to visit you often; I want to enjoy as much as I can of your sweetest presence, which makes the saints blessed in paradise. Oh, if only I could always remain before you to adore you and make acts of love to you! Awaken my soul, I beg you, whenever it neglects to visit you because of lukewarmness or worldly affairs.6 Kindle in me a great desire to always stay near you in this Sacrament. Ah, my loving Jesus, if only I had always loved you! If only I had always pleased you!7 I take comfort in knowing I still have time to do it—not just in the next life, but here in this one. I want to do it; I want to love you truly—my highest good, my love, my treasure, my all. I want to love you with all my strength. Aspiration.8 My God, help me to love you. Spiritual Communion.
Confidence in Mary's Intercession
The chapter concludes with a reflection on Mary's role as the advocate and treasurer of graces who draws souls to her Son.
To Mary. The devout Bernardino da Busto says: O sinner, don't lose heart, but run with confidence to this Lady; you'll find her with hands full of mercy and generosity. Sinner, whoever you are, do not lose heart, but go to this Lady with confidence that you will be helped; you will find her with hands full of mercy and of graces. And know, he adds, that this most merciful queen longs more to do you good than you long to be helped by her: for she herself desires to do you good more than you could wish to receive it. I always thank God, my Lady, who has let me come to know you. Poor me if I did not know you, or if I forgot you! My salvation would be in jeopardy.9 But I, my mother, bless you, love you, and trust you so much that I place my whole soul in your hands. Aspiration.10 O Mary, blessed is the one who knows you and trusts in you! A prayer of Abbot Cellense. Draw me after you, O Virgin Mary, so that I may run to the scent of your perfumes.✦ Draw me, for I am held back by the weight of my sins and the malice of my enemies. Just as no one goes to your Son unless the divine Father draws him, so I dare to say, in some way, that no one goes to your Son unless You draw him with your holy prayers.✦ You are the one who teaches true wisdom. You are the one who obtains grace for sinners, because you are their advocate; you are the one who promises glory to those who honor you, because you are the treasure of God and the treasurer of graces. Giac.11 With St. Bonaventure: O salvation of those who call upon you, save me.
Read the original Latin
È cosa dolce ad ognuno di trovarsi in compagnia d'un suo caro amico; e non sarà dolce a noi in questa valle di lagrime star in compagnia del migliore amico che abbiamo, e che può farci ogni bene ed appassionatamente ci ama e perciò si trattiene con noi continuamente? Ecco nel SS. Sacramento possiamo parlare con Gesù a nostro piacere, aprirgli il nostro cuore, esporgli le nostre necessità, domandargli le sue grazie; noi possiamo in somma trattare col re del cielo in questo Sacramento con tutta la confidenza e senza soggezione. Fu troppo fortunato Giuseppe, quando discese Dio colla sua grazia, come attesta la Scrittura, nella sua carcere a consolarlo: Descendit cum illo in foveam, et in vinculis non dereliquit eum (Sap. X). Ma troppo siamo più fortunati noi in aver sempre con noi in questa terra di miserie il nostro Dio fatt'uomo, che colla sua presenza reale ci assiste in tutt'i giorni di nostra vita con tanto affetto e compassione verso di noi. Ad un povero carcerato qual consolazione è l'avere un amico affezionato che gli tenga conversazione, lo consoli, gli dia speranza, lo soccorra e pensi a sollevarlo dalle sue miserie! Ecco il nostro buon amico Gesù Cristo che in questo Sacramento ci fa animo con dirci: Ecce vobiscum sum omnibus diebus.
Eccomi, egli dice, tutto per voi, venuto a posta dal cielo in questa vostra prigione a consolarvi, ad aiutarvi, a liberarvi. Accoglietemi, fatevela sempre con me, stringetevi a me, che così non sentirete le vostre miserie e poi verrete meco al mio regno dove vi farò appieno beati.
O Dio, o amore incomprensibile, giacché voi vi degnate d'essere così cortese con noi, che per istarvene a noi vicino vi degnate di scendere sui nostri altari, io propongo di visitarvi spesso; voglio godere quanto più posso della vostra dolcissima presenza che rende beati i santi in paradiso. Oh potessi starvi sempre innanzi per adorarvi e farvi atti d'amore! Svegliate, vi priego, l'anima mia, quando per tiepidezze o per affari di mondo trascura di visitarvi. Accendete in me un gran desiderio di starvi sempre vicino in questo Sacramento. Ah mio amoroso Gesù, vi avessi sempre amato! Vi avessi dato sempre gusto! Mi consolo che ancora mi resta tempo di farlo, non solo nell'altra vita, ma ancora in questa. Io lo voglio fare, vi voglio amare davvero, mio sommo bene, mio amore, mio tesoro, mio tutto.
Voglio amarvi con tutte le forze. - Giac. Dio mio, aiutatemi ad amarvi. La comunione spirituale.
A Maria. Dice il divoto Bernardino da Busto: O peccator, non diffidas, sed secure ad istam Dominam recurras: invenies eam in manibus plenam misericordia et largitate. Peccatore, chiunque sei, non sconfidare, ma ricorri a questa Signora con sicurezza d'essere soccorso; la troverai colle mani piene di misericordia e di grazie. E sappi, soggiunge, che più desidera ella la pietosissima regina di far bene a te, che tu desideri esser soccorso da lei: Plus enim ipsa desiderat facere tibi bonum, quam tu accipere concupiscas. Ringrazio sempre, o Signora mia, Dio che mi vi ha data a conoscere. Povero me se non vi conoscessi o se mi scordassi di voi! Male anderebbe la mia salute. Ma io, madre mia, vi benedico, v'amo e confido tanto in voi, che nelle vostre mani metto tutta l'anima mia.
Giac. O Maria, beato chi vi conosce e in voi confida!
Orazione dell'Abbate Cellense. Traetemi dietro a Voi, o Vergine Maria, affinché io corra all'odore de vostri profumi. Traetemi, perché io sono trattenuto dal peso de' miei peccati e dalla malizia de' miei nemici. Siccome non va alcuno al vostro Figlio, se non lo trae il divin Padre, così ardisco dire in qualche modo, che niuno va al vostro Figlio, se Voi non lo traete colle vostre sante preghiere. Voi siete quella che insegnate la vera sapienza. Voi quella che impetrate la grazia a' peccatori, perché siete la loro avvocata; Voi quella che promettete la gloria a chi v'onora, perché siete il tesoro di Dio e la tesoriera delle grazie. Giac. con S. Bonaventura: O salus te invocantium salva me.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Song.1.3-Song.1.4 — The fragrance of your oils is good; your name is poured oil; therefore young women love you. Song.1.4 — Draw me after you—let us run together! The king has brought me into his chambers. We will rejoice and be glad in you; we will remember your love more than wine. The upright love you.
- ↩John.6.44 — No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day.
Notes
- 1 ↩SS. is the abbreviation for Santissimo; this sentence is the head of the following clause that begins with 'Sacramento'.
- 2 ↩'soggezione' rendered as 'constraint' (also possible: reserve, being overawed, formality before a superior).
- 3 ↩Italian frames the descent as God's; the Latin Wisdom text traditionally speaks of Wisdom. Rendering follows the Italian theological framing while translating the quoted Latin.
- 4 ↩Roman numeral X is the Wisdom chapter number closing the parenthetical citation begun in s4.
- 5 ↩Italian 'fatevela sempre con me' is idiomatic (keep company / stick close); rendered as 'stay always with me' to keep the friendly, continuous presence without slang.
- 6 ↩priego is older Italian for prego ('I pray / I beg you'); rendered as 'I beg you' in address to God.
- 7 ↩dare gusto = to give pleasure / to please; rendered as 'pleased you' rather than literal 'given you taste/delight'.
- 8 ↩Source heading is the abbreviation "Giac." for Italian Giaculatoria (ejaculatory prayer / short aspiration). Rendered as the conventional English rubric "Aspiration."
- 9 ↩Italian salute here means spiritual salvation, not bodily health.
- 10 ↩Italian heading "Giac." abbreviates giaculatoria, a brief ejaculatory prayer or aspiration; rendered as "Aspiration." to match modern English devotional usage.
- 11 ↩Abbreviated source or author label left as in the Italian; expansion is uncertain (appears also in neighboring sections as a standalone attribution tag).
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