Book 4, Chapter 13: The Devout Soul Ought To Yearn for Union With Christ In The Sacrament With Their Whole Heart.
Chapter Focus: This prayerful Chapter captures the desire of Thomas’ heart – Union with Christ. He finds that unity via the Blessed Sacrament. In receiving Holy Communion, Thomas likens it to dinner conversation with an intimate friend. He prays for this continued intimacy. Thomas continues to bow down in worship before this God who doesn’t huddle up with the rich and powerful, but with the simple and humble and poor: God hides Himself from the worldly but readily reveals Himself to all seekers even as He seeks them out. Thomas concludes his prayer of praise and thanksgiving by telling God that the only gift we can bring to Him is our heart. This side of Heaven, we do this through approaching the altar to receive Him in Holy Communion; He does this by condescending to come to us in the form of Bread.
Chapter 13, In Short.
1. I pray for this: that I may be wholly united to You by means of Holy Communion.
2. You are truly my Beloved, in whom my soul delights to dwell upon all the days of her life.
3. What creature is so beloved under Heaven as the devout soul to which God enters, that He may feed it with His glorious flesh?
Question: Do we acknowledge Christ’s Presence in the Blessed Sacrament regularly and with prayerful humility?
The Text of Chapter 13: The Devout Soul Ought To Yearn for Union With Christ In The Sacrament With Their Whole Heart.
The Voice of the Disciple:
Christ at Emmaus by Caravaggio
Who will grant to me, O Lord, that I may find You alone and fully open my heart to You, and enjoy You as much as my soul desires? And from now on may people not look upon me, nor any creature influence me or even have regard for me, but that You alone speak to me and I to You, even as one’s beloved speaks to their beloved, and friend to a friend at dinner.
For this I pray, and this I long for: that I may be wholly united to You, and may withdraw my heart from all created things. By way of Holy Communion and frequent celebration may I learn more and more to relish heavenly and eternal things.
Ah, Lord God, when will I be entirely united and lost in You, and altogether forgetful of myself? You in me, and I in You (Jn 15:4). Even so grant us both in like manner to continue together in one.
2. You are truly my Beloved, the choicest among ten thousand (Songs 5:10), in Whom my soul delights to dwell upon all the days of her life.
You are truly my Peacemaker, in Whom is perfect peace and true rest, apart from Whom is labor and sorrow and infinite misery.
You are truly a God that hides Yourself, and Your counsel is not with the wicked, but Your Word is with the humble and the simple.
O how sweet Your Spirit is, O Lord! Who, to show Your sweetness towards Your children, promises to refresh them with the Bread which is full of sweetness, Bread which comes down from Heaven.
Truly, no other nation is so great, which has its gods drawing so near to them, as You, our God, are present to all Your faithful ones (Dt 4:7), to Whom for their daily comfort, and for lifting up their heart to Heaven: You give Yourself for their food and delight.
3. For what other nation is there so renowned as the Christian people? Or what creature is so beloved under Heaven as the devout soul to which God enters, that He may feed it with His glorious flesh?
O unspeakable grace! O wonderful condescension! O immeasurable love specially bestowed upon we, Your people! But what reward shall I give to
the Lord for this grace, for love so mighty? There is nothing which I am able to present more acceptable than to give my heart completely to God, and closely unite it to Him.
Then all that is within me will rejoice, and my soul shall be perfectly united to God. Then shall He say to me, “If You will be with Me, I will be with You.” And I will answer Him, “Promise, O Lord, to abide with me, I will gladly be with You; this is my whole desire, even that my heart be united unto You.”