Visita XXIX
The Shepherd at the Door
The soul reflects on Christ's humble presence in the Sacrament, longing to dwell in his shadow like the Bride of the Song of Songs.
I stand at the door and knock (Rev.✦ 3:20). O most loving Shepherd, who for love of your little sheep, not content to have died once, sacrificed on the altar of the cross, have further chosen to hide yourself in this divine Sacrament on the altars of our churches, so as to be nearer and always near, knocking at the doors of our hearts and so winning entrance for yourself; ah, if only I could enjoy your nearness as your sacred Bride of the Song of Songs enjoyed it, when she said: Under the shadow of him whom I had desired I sat (Song. 2:3). Ah, if I loved you—if I truly loved you, my most lovable Sacrament! Then I too would still long, night and day, never to leave the foot of a tabernacle; and remaining there near your majesty—veiled though under the outward shadow of the sacred species—I too would find in you those divine delights and that contentment that your souls in love find in you!1 Ah, draw me yourself by the fragrances of your beauties and of the immense love you show in this Sacrament: Draw me after you; we will run in the fragrance of your ointments (Song.✦ 1).
The Poor Guest at the Altar
Acknowledging its own poverty, the soul approaches the altar to receive the virtues it lacks directly from the Lord.
Yes, my Savior—for then I will leave creatures and all the pleasures of the earth to run to you in the Sacrament. Like young olive plants around your table (Ps. 127:3). Oh, how many fruits of holy virtues those happy souls yield to God, like young plants—souls who lovingly keep watch around the sacred ciboria! But I am ashamed to appear before you, O my Jesus, so bare and so empty of virtue. You have ordered that anyone who comes to the altar to honor you must not come without offering you a gift: "You shall not appear before me empty" (Ex. 23:15).2 So what am I to do? Not appear before you anymore to visit you? But no—that doesn't please you. I'll come poor as I am, and you provide me with those gifts you want from me. I see that for this very purpose you remain in this Sacrament—not only to reward those who love you, but also to provide the poor with your goods. Come—start today. I adore you, O King of my heart, O true lover of humanity, O shepherd so deeply in love with your little sheep; and today I draw near to this throne of your love. Having nothing else to offer, I present my wretched heart to you, so that it may be entirely consecrated to your love and to your good pleasure.3 With this heart I can love you; with this heart I want to love you as much as I can. Draw it to yourself, then, and bind it wholly to your will, so that from this day forward I too may gladly say, as your beloved Disciple said of himself—that he was the one bound by the chains of your love: Ego Paulus vinctus Christi (Eph.4 3:1). Unite me wholly to yourself, my Lord, and make me forget even myself, so that one day I may happily lose all things—and even myself—to find only you by loving you always. I love you, my Lord present in the Sacrament; I bind myself to you, I unite myself to you. Let yourself be found by me, let yourself be loved, and never leave me again.5 — Giac.6 My Jesus, you alone are enough for me. Spiritual Communion.
The Royal Way of Mary
The soul invokes Mary as the sure path to Christ, asking her to carry it in her arms toward God.
To Mary. St. Bernard calls Mary the Via regia Salvatoris: the sure way to find the Savior and salvation.7 If it's true, O Queen, that you are—as that same saint says—the Vehiculum ad Deum animarum nostrarum, the one who leads our souls to God, then please, Lady, don't expect me to walk to God if you don't carry me in your arms. Carry me, carry me; and if I resist, carry me by force. Compel my soul as strongly as you can with the sweet attractions of your charity—compel my will, which rebels against leaving creatures behind to seek only God and his divine will. Let heaven see how powerful you are. After so many wonders, make known this further wonder of your mercy: drawing someone who was entirely far from God, entirely to God. —Giac.8 O Mary, you can make me a saint; I hope for it from you.
The Advocate of Sinners
The soul entrusts its defense to Mary, the Advocate of sinners, asking her to secure forgiveness from her Son.
O my Queen, Dionysius the Carthusian calls you Advocata omnium iniquorum ad te confugientium: the Advocate of all sinners who take refuge in you. Since you have the office of defending all sinners who turn to you, look: today I turn to you, O great Mother of God, and I say to you with St. Thomas of Villanova: Eia ergo, advocata nostra, officium tuum imple—Come then, our advocate, fulfill your office. Come, fulfill your office: take up my defense. It's true that I've been far too guilty toward your Son, but the harm is already done; you can help me.9 You only need to tell Jesus that you are defending me, and he will forgive me and save me. Giac.10 My dear Mother, save me.
Read the original Latin
Sto ad ostium et pulso (Apoc. III, 20). O pastore amantissimo che per amore delle vostre pecorelle, non contento d'essere morto una volta sacrificato sopra l'altare della croce, avete voluto di più mettervi nascosto in questo divin Sacramento sugli altari delle nostre chiese, per essere più e sempre vicino a bussare le porte de' nostri cuori, e così procurarvi l'entrata; ah sapess'io godere della vostra vicinanza, come ne godeva la vostra sagra Sposa de' Cantici che diceva: Sub umbra illius quem desideraveram sedi (Cant. II, 3). Ah se io v'amassi, se v'amassi davvero, mio amabilissimo Sacramento! ben'io ancora desidererei notte e giorno non partirmi mai da' piedi di un ciborio; ed ivi fermandomi vicino alla vostra maestà, ma velata sotto l'ombra apparente delle specie sagre, io ancora vi troverei quelle delizie divine e quel contento che vi trovano l'anime vostre innamorate! Deh tiratemi voi cogli odori delle vostre bellezze e dell'amore immenso che manifestate in questo Sacramento: Trahe me post te in odorem unguentorum tuorum curremus (Cant. I).
Sì, mio Salvatore, che allora lascerò le creature e tutt'i piaceri della terra per correre a voi sacramentato. Sicut novellae olivarum in circuitu mensae tuae (Ps. CXXVII, 3). Oh quanti frutti di sante virtù rendono a Dio come piante novelle quell'anime felici che assistono con amore d'intorno a' sagri cibori! Ma io mi vergogno di comparirvi avanti, o Gesù mio, così nudo e così vacuo di virtù. Voi avete ordinato che chi viene all'altare ad onorarvi, non venga senza offerirvi donativo: Non apparebis in conspectu meo vacuus (Ex. XXIII). Dunque che ho da fare?
non comparirvi più davanti a visitarvi? Ma no che questo a voi non piace. Verrò povero quale sono, e voi provvedetemi di que' doni che da me volete. Io vedo che voi a tal fine vi trattenete in questo Sacramento, non solo per premiare i vostri amanti, ma per provvedere anche i poveri de' vostri beni.
Via, cominciate da oggi. Io v'adoro, o re del mio cuore, o vero amatore degli uomini, o pastore troppo innamorato delle vostre pecorelle, ed a questo soglio del vostro amore io oggi mi accosto; e non avendo altro che offerirvi, vi presento il mio miserabile cuore, acciocché sia tutto consacrato all'amore ed al beneplacito vostro. Con questo cuore io posso amarvi, con questo io voglio amarvi quanto posso. Tiratevelo dunque e ligatelo tutto alla vostra volontà, sicché io ancora da oggi innanzi possa dire contento, come diceva il vostro diletto Discepolo, ch'egli era il ligato dalle catene del vostro amore: Ego Paulus vinctus Christi (Eph. III, 1). Unitemi, Signor mio, tutto con voi, e fatemi scordare anche di me stesso, acciocché io arrivi un giorno a perdere felicemente tutte le cose ed anche me stesso per trovare solamente voi coll'amarvi sempre. V'amo, Signor mio sacramentato, a voi mi ligo, a voi mi unisco; fatevi da me trovare, fatevi amare, e non vi partite mai più da me. - Giac.
Gesù mio, tu solo mi basti. La comunione spirituale.
A Maria. S. Bernardo chiama Maria: Via regia Salvatoris: la via sicura per trovare il Salvatore e la salute. Se dunque è vero, o Regina, che voi siete come dice lo stesso santo: Vehiculum ad Deum animarum nostrarum: quella che conducete le nostre anime a Dio; ah Signora, non aspettate ch'io cammini a Dio, se voi non mi portate sulle vostre braccia. Portatemi, portatemi; e se io resisto, portatemi per forza: costringete quanto mai più potete colle dolci attrattive della vostra carità l'anima mia, la mia volontà ribelle a lasciare le creature, ed a cercare solo Dio e la sua volontà divina. Fate vedere al paradiso quanto siete potente. Fate conoscere, dopo tanti prodigi, quest'altro prodigio della vostra misericordia, con tirare tutto a Dio chi era tutto lontano da Dio. - Giac. O Maria, voi mi potete far santo, da voi lo spero.
O Regina mia, Voi siete chiamata da Dionisio Cartusiano Advocata omnium iniquorum ad te confugientium. Giacché Voi avete l'officio di difendere tutti i peccatori, che a Voi ricorrono, ecco oggi a Voi ricorro, o gran Madre di Dio, e vi dico con S. Tommaso da Villanova: Eia ergo, advocata nostra, officium tuum imple. Su, fate il vostro officio, imprendete a difendermi. È vero, ch'io sono stato troppo reo col vostro Figlio, ma il malo è già fatto; Voi mi potete aiutare. Basta, che dite a Gesù, che Voi mi difendete, ed egli mi perdonerà e mi salverà. Giac. Madre mia cara, salvatemi.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Rev.3.20 — Look, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to them and eat with them, and they with me.
- ↩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.
Notes
- 1 ↩"specie sagre" rendered as "sacred species," the traditional term for the outward appearances of the Eucharist under which Christ's majesty is veiled.
- 2 ↩Source cites only Ex. XXIII without verse; the Latin wording matches Ex 23:15 (and the related Ex 34:20).
- 3 ↩soglio can mean throne or threshold; rendered as 'throne' for the Eucharistic seat of Christ's love.
- 4 ↩Latin citation of Ephesians is split across s4–s5; Latin wording preserved as in the source. 'diletto Discepolo' is Paul (not John), identified by the quote.
- 5 ↩sacramentato rendered as 'present in the Sacrament' to keep Eucharistic specificity without archaic 'sacramented.'
- 6 ↩Source is only the truncated label '- Giac.' (likely Italian abbr. for Giacomo/James or an author/source tag). Left unexpanded.
- 7 ↩Italian salute here means salvation (spiritual health), paired with Salvatore; not ordinary physical health.
- 8 ↩Abbreviated source citation in the Italian text (Giac.); expansion uncertain without the edition's apparatus.
- 9 ↩Italian malo is an older form of male (the evil/harm already done); rendered as harm.
- 10 ↩Abbreviated source attribution in the Italian print tradition (parallel to - Giac. in the previous section); left unresolved.
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