SR
Chapter 24VisiteSS.1.24

Visita XXIV

The Hidden God of Love

The author reflects on the profound humility of Jesus in the Eucharist, where He hides both His divinity and humanity out of love for mankind.

You are truly a hidden God (Is. 45:15). In no other work of divine love do these words come true so fully as in this adorable mystery of the Most Holy Sacrament, where our God is completely hidden. When the Eternal Word took on flesh, he hid his divinity and appeared as a man on earth; but by remaining with us in this Sacrament, Jesus hides his humanity as well. As St. Bernard says, he appears only under the form of bread to demonstrate the tender love he has for us: the divinity is hidden, the humanity is hidden, and only the depths of charity stand open.1 At the sight of this excess—of such great affection for human beings, O my beloved Redeemer—I am beside myself, my Lord, and I don't know what to say. In this Sacrament, for the love of them, you go so far as to hide your majesty and abase your glories; you go so far as to consume and annihilate your divine life.2 And while you remain on the altars, it seems you fulfill no other office but that of loving human beings and making plain the love you bear them; and what gratitude do they return to you for it, O great Son of God!

Reparation for Sacrilege

The author laments the ingratitude and outrages committed against the Eucharist and resolves to offer frequent visits and acts of love in reparation.

O Jesus, O Lover—let me say it—too passionately devoted to men, while I see you put their good above even your own honor. And did you not know what contempt this loving design of yours would eventually expose you to? I see—and you saw it long before—that most people neither adore you nor want to know you for who you are in this Sacrament. I know that many times these same people have gone so far as to trample the consecrated Hosts and throw them on the ground, into water, and into fire.3 I also look at the majority of those who believe in you—O God—who, instead of making reparation for so many outrages with their homage, either come into the churches only to grieve you further with irreverence, or leave you abandoned on the altars, sometimes even without the lamps and ornaments that are needed. Oh, if only I could, my sweetest Savior, wash with my tears and even with my blood those unhappy places where your love and your loving Heart have been so outraged in this Sacrament! But if that isn't granted to me, I at least desire, my Lord, and resolve to visit you often to adore you, just as I adore you today, in response to the contempt you receive from people in this most divine mystery. Accept, O eternal Father, this poor honor which, in reparation for the injuries done to your Son in the Sacrament, the most wretched among people—which is what I am—offers you today; accept it in union with that infinite honor which Jesus Christ rendered you on the cross and which he renders you every day in the Most Holy4 Sacrament. Oh, if only I could bring it about, O my Jesus in the Sacrament, that all people were in love with the Most Holy5 Sacrament! — Jas.6 O lovable Jesus, make yourself known, and make yourself loved.

Spiritual Communion

A brief invitation to unite the soul with Christ through a prayer of spiritual desire.

Spiritual Communion.

The Sea of Graces

The author turns to the Blessed Virgin Mary, invoking her as the powerful intercessor and 'throne of grace' who obtains for the faithful the mercy they need.

To Mary. My most powerful Lady, amid my fears for my eternal salvation, how much confidence I feel when I turn to you, and when I think that you, my Mother, are on the one hand so rich in graces that St. John7 Damascene calls you Pelagus gratiarum, the sea of graces; St. Bonaventure, the fountain where all graces are gathered, Congregatio gratiarum; St. Ephrem, Fons gratiae et totius consolationis; and St. Bernard, the fullness of every good: Plenitudo omnis boni.8 And on the other hand, I think you are so ready to do good that you count yourself offended, as St. Bonaventure says, by anyone who does not seek graces from you: 'Those who do not ask you, Lady, sin against you.'9 O most rich, most wise, and most merciful Queen, I understand that you know the needs of my soul better than I do, and that you love me more than I can love myself; so do you know what grace I am asking of you today? Obtain for me the grace you know is most helpful for my soul; ask this of God for me, and I am content.10 Ejaculation.11 My God, grant me the graces that Mary seeks from you for me. Let's approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may find mercy at the right time. (Heb. 4:16). St. Antoninus says that this throne of grace is Mary, through whom God dispenses all the graces. O most lovable Queen, you desire to help sinners; here is a great sinner who turns to you. Help me greatly and help me quickly; let it be the glory of your mercy to save one who deserves a thousand hells. Your intercession is all-powerful with your Son. You can make me a saint; do it for the love you bear for Jesus Christ. O Mary, I will say to you with St. Bernard: You are my greatest confidence; you are the whole cause of my hope. Jas. O Mother, look upon me and have compassion on me.

Read the original Latin

Vere tu es Deus absconditus (Is. XLV, 15). In niun'altra opera di divino amore si avverano tanto queste parole quanto in questo mistero adorabile del SS. Sacramento, dove il nostro Dio sta in tutto nascosto. Nel prender carne l'Eterno Verbo nascose la sua divinità e comparve uomo sulla terra; ma nel restarsene con noi in questo Sacramento Gesù nasconde anche l'umanità, e solo, dice S. Bernardo, fa comparenza di pane, per dimostrare con essa la tenerezza d'amore che ha per noi: Latet divinitas, latet humanitas, sola patent viscera caritatis. Alla vista dell'eccesso, o mio amato Redentore, di tanto affetto che voi avete per gli uomini io resto, Signor mio, fuori di me né so che dirmi. Voi in questo Sacramento arrivate per loro amore sino a nascondere la vostra maestà ed avvilire le vostre glorie: arrivate sino a consumare ed annientare la vostra vita divina. E mentre state sugli altari altro officio par che non fate che d'amare gli uomini e far palese l'amore che loro portate; ed essi quale riconoscenza ve ne rendono, o gran Figlio di Dio!

O Gesù, o amatore, lasciatemi dire, troppo appassionato per gli uomini, mentre vi vedo anteporre i loro beni allo stesso vostro onore. E non sapevate voi a quali disprezzi doveva esponervi poi questo amoroso vostro disegno? Io vedo, e ben prima lo vedevate voi, che la maggior parte degli uomini non vi adora né vi vuole conoscere per quello che siete in questo Sacramento. So che tante volte questi uomini stessi sono giunti a calpestare l'ostie consecrate ed a buttarle sulla terra, nell'acque e nel fuoco. E miro anche la maggior parte, anche di coloro che vi credono, oh Dio, che invece di riparare a' tanti oltraggi con i loro ossequi, o vengono nelle chiese a più disgustarvi colle irriverenze, o vi lasciano abbandonato negli altari, sprovveduti alle volte anche di lampade e degli ornamenti necessari.

Oh potess'io, mio dolcissimo Salvatore, lavare colle lagrime mie ed anche col mio sangue quei luoghi infelici ne' quali fu in questo Sacramento tanto oltraggiato il vostro amore e 'l vostro Cuore innamorato! Ma se tanto non mi è concesso, io desidero almeno, Signor mio, e propongo di visitarvi spesso per adorarvi, come oggi vi adoro, in contraccambio de' disprezzi che ricevete dagli uomini in questo divinissimo mistero. Accettate, o Eterno Padre, questo misero onore che in riparo dell'ingiurie fatte al vostro Figlio sacramentato vi rende oggi il più misero fra gli uomini quale son'io; accettatelo in unione di quell'onore infinito che vi rendette Gesù Cristo sulla croce e che vi rende ogni giorno nel SS. Sacramento. Oh potessi far io, o mio Gesù sacramentato, che tutti gli uomini fossero innamorati del SS. Sacramento! - Giac. Oh amabile Gesù, fatevi conoscere, e fatevi amare.

La comunione spirituale.

A Maria. Signora mia potentissima, ne' timori dell'eterna mia salute quanto mi sento confidare quando ricorro a voi, e quando penso che voi, Madre mia, da una parte siete così ricca di grazie, che S. Gio. Damasceno vi chiama Pelagus gratiarum, il mare delle grazie; S. Bonaventura la fonte dove son congregate tutte le grazie, Congregatio gratiarum; S. Efrem Fons gratiae et totius consolationis; e S. Bernardo la pienezza d'ogni bene: Plenitudo omnis boni. E dall'altra parte penso che siete così inclinata a far bene, che vi stimate offesa, come dice S. Bonaventura, da chi non vi cerca grazie: In te, Domina, peccant, qui te non rogant. O ricchissima, o sapientissima, e clementissima regina, io intendo che voi meglio di me conoscete i bisogni dell'anima mia, e voi mi amate più di quello che posso amarmi io; sapete dunque quale grazia vi chieggo oggi? Ottenetemi quella grazia che conoscete più espediente per l'anima mia; questa cercate a Dio per me e son contento. Giac. Dio mio, fatemi quelle grazie che vi cerca Maria per me.

Adeamus cum fiducia ad thronum gratiae, ut misericordiam inveniamus in tempore opportuno. (Hebr. IV, 16). Dice S. Antonino, che questo trono di grazia è Maria, per mezzo di cui dispensa Iddio tutte le grazie. O Regina amabilissima, Voi desiderate di aiutare i peccatori, ecco un gran peccatore, che a Voi ricorre; aiutatemi assai, ed aiutatemi presto; sia gloria della vostra misericordia di salvare chi merita mille inferni. La vostra intercessione è onnipotente appresso il vostro Figlio. Voi mi potete far santo, fatelo per l'amore che portate a Gesù Cristo. O Maria, vi dirò con S. Bernardo: Voi siete la massima mia confidenza, Voi tutta la cagione della mia speranza.

Giac. O Madre guardatemi e abbiate compassione di me.

Scripture echoes

  1. Isa.45.15Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior.
  2. Isa.45.15Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior.
  3. Heb.4.16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Notes

  1. 1Italian fa comparenza di pane = appears / makes an appearance as bread (sacramental species). Latin viscera caritatis rendered as 'depths of charity' (Bernardine image of the inward heart of love).
  2. 2consumare ed annientare la vostra vita divina: Liguori's Eucharistic kenosis language—Christ spends himself under the species and seems to reduce his divine life to nothing. Kept as 'consume and annihilate' rather than softened paraphrase.
  3. 3Italian l'ostie is plural (le ostie): consecrated Hosts, not a single Host.
  4. 4Figlio sacramentato rendered as 'Son in the Sacrament' (Christ present under the sacramental species), not as a weaker generic phrase.
  5. 5Gesù sacramentato rendered as 'Jesus in the Sacrament' to keep Eucharistic specificity.
  6. 6Source text is only the truncated Italian biblical abbreviation 'Giac.' (Giacomo = James). Rendered as the English citation form 'Jas.'; full reference is missing in the supplied section.
  7. 7Sentence is cut mid-name at 'S. Gio.'; continues in the next sentence as Damascene (St. John Damascene).
  8. 8Latin Marian titles are retained as in the Italian source, with the source's own Italian glosses rendered into English beside them.
  9. 9Latin citation 'In te, Domina, peccant, qui te non rogant' rendered into English for modern readability; not a biblical lemma under Moses preservation policy.
  10. 10'più espediente' rendered as 'most helpful' (fitting/advantageous for the soul), not modern English 'expedient' with its colder pragmatic color.
  11. 11Standalone 'Giac.' is treated as the common Italian prayer-book abbreviation for 'Giaculatoria' (a short ejaculatory prayer), introducing the following petition. If the witness intended another expansion, revise.

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