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who alone can give you happiness ? Behold the King of Kings, before whom a thousand worlds are but a speck; in whose presence the pomp of earthly kings vanishes like a shadow, and is simply nothing ; behold Him before whom the foundations of heaven tremble, and He left alone in our Churches!

      The Book of Perpetual Adoration.

       Alas! hardly a single person is to be seen in His Sanctuary ! If it be splendour that attracts you, know that the Sacred Body of my adorable Master present in the Most Holy Sacrament, has in itself more light than all the bodies of the Blessed Saints together will ever have in the realms of glory, where they all will shine like suns; the brightness of His Divine Body, brighter than all these, reflects upon them immense greatness, and unutterable excellence.

       Know also, that the Holy Soul of this Precious Body unites in Itself the wonder of Paradise, the love, the joy, and consolation of all the blessed inhabitants of heaven ; know, that the Word, the Living Image of the Father of Light, is there, the God of all Greatness before whom all other greatness is nothingness. Venite adoremus ; Come, then, and adore the infinite majesty of the Lord of all things, and remember these words that He addresses to us by the mouth of His servant Moses, Sanctuariutn nteum metuite. Let men tremble with holy fear when they enter the place where He is in all His greatness.

      THIRD MOTIVE.

      JESUS IS IN THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT FOR EVER.

      Ecce ego vobiscum sum omnibus diebus, usque ad consummationem sceculi. — Behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world. — (Matt, xxviii. 20.)

      "Behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world," are the words of our

       The Book of Perpetual Adoration.

      Divine Saviour. Inestimable favour, incomparable happiness, excessive goodness, unheard-of mercy ! It has been the astonishment of the Saints, that God, in His goodness, remembers man. Domine, quid est homo quod memor es ejus ?

       But what will man say when he knows that not only the God of all greatness will remember him in the multitude of His mercies, but that He has even determined to dwell with His creatures until the consummation of the world ?

       How is it that we are not lost in an abyss of admiration, when we consider that the Creator of the world, having appeared on our earth, the world has not known Him ? Who is able to conceive that the creature would not receive his Creator, who came down from heaven to visit him according to His great mercy ? But that is not all. The creature crucified Him, caused Him to die an igno- minious death, after making Him suffer all possible torments, by cruelly tearing His Virginal Flesh and bruising It with deep wounds. And after all this shameful treatment, He not only comes to visit us again, but He takes the means of dwelling with us until the end of time.

      If the Seraphim are not enraptured at such a sight, I know not what can enrapture them. But what will men say ? What will they do after such an excess of love ? Alas ! the greater part of them will think but little about it, and be but little moved by it. Surely, our hearts are harder than rock and more

      The Book of Perpetual Adoration.

      insensible than stone. Hear what that great lover of the Son of God, the holy Saint Theresa, said, — her heart touched at His miraculous goodness. All transported at such ravishing love, she spoke of it to heaven, she spoke of it to the earth, she spoke of it to men and to the angels, she spoke of it to God, sending forth her sighs to Him, that He, the God of love, was so little loved. In the midst of these heavenly transports, she prayed to the Eternal Father to have pity on His well-beloved Son. "O Sovereign Greatness, this Divine Saviour is so consumed with love for men, by whom He has been so cruelly treated, that unless Thou dost prevent it, He will subject Himself to fresh sufferings and further humiliations." She called her sisters to help her, to unite with her in prayer, that the loving Jesus might be no more treated so shamefully and with so much harshness by men.

       I address myself to you who read these pages : I ask you what your heart says, and what you think on such excessive love of God ? What are your resolutions, or, rather, what resolutions will you make ? I know well what you ought to do ; but I ask your heart what it will do ?

       The God of Love has remained on our Altars many ages for love of you, how much time have you passed in His Divine Presence for love of Him ? Alas ! sigh deeply when you think of this ; be heart-broken with sorrow, and with loving contrition.

       The Book of Perpetual Adoration.

      Reflect also that this same God, with infinite love, will be with men until the consummation of the world; try your heart as to the inclination it has to keep Him company: how many hours will you devote to Him to prove your love, and to offer your adoration to Him ?

      FOURTH MOTIVE.

      JESUS IS UNCEASINGLY IN THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT.

      Ecce tabernacuium Dei cum hominibus. — Behold the

      Tabernacle of God with men. — (Apoc. xxi. 3.)

      Oh! the immense love of God whom we adore ! It is not sufficient for Him to have visited men during the days of His visible converse with them, or to appear only occasionally on our Altars, in the midst of the most august of our mysteries ! That would suffice for the accomplishment of the promise He has made, to be with us to the end of time ; but His love will not allow Him to separate Him- self from us for a moment He is in our churches all the day long ; He is there all the night, at every hour and every moment Praise the Lord, for He is good ; for his mercy endureth for ever.

      O Christian souls, acknowledge that the mercies of the God of our hearts are admirable; sing eternal hymns to Him for such unspeakable goodness. Let all who fear the Lord approach Him and say: Quant bonus Israel Deus! How good is God to Israel, how tender are His mercies! Behold, the

      The Book of Perpetual Adoration.

      Eternal Father has sanctified His House. Et erunt oculi met et cor meum ibi cunctis diebus. (iii Reg. ix.) He has placed there both His Eyes, and His Heart, not in a passing manner, but for ever, without any exception of time.

      O my God, permit my frail soul to ask Thee how it is that Thou remainest in our Tabernacles not only during the day, but also all the night long? I see that Thou wilt find a few adorers in the day, a few persons who will keep Thee company: but when I think that Thou art all alone in Thy Churches every night, I am overwhelmed, I know not what to do. When I reflect that our Churches are closed in the evening because men leave them, and that Thy love makes Thee remain there, O my Lord, I ask Thee, why dost not Thou then, at least, leave these dwellings that Thou hast so divinely established with men, since there are none with whom Thou canst dwell ? But love has made Thee our prisoner. O children of men ! the excessive love that the .Great and Eternal God has for you, has made Him a captive, has made Him a slave. O heavens! your Sovereign is detained, locked up in a little Tabernacle ; His love holds Him chained beneath the fragile species. Truly, the sight of so astonishing and excessive a love, is a most urgent motive, obliging us to visit the Church frequently, to remain there as long as we can, never to leave it without regret, and to leave our hearts at the foot of the Ciborium, when we

      The Book of Perpetual Adoration.

      are obliged to quit Him who should be our only joy ; and during our occupations, and conversation with creatures, even during the night, when we are wakeful, we should think of our loving Jesus, who dwells constantly in the Divine Eucharist, in order to attract our thoughts, so that we may lovingly regret our inability to be, both in body and mind, in that place where He dwells in Body, Soul and Divinity. Oh ! how ought we to exclaim with the Psalmist: Here is my rest for ever and ever: this is the place I have chosen, because my Saviour has chosen it. O my soul, let others do as they will, but I feel that this place must be our sweetest and constant retreat.

      FIFTH MOTIVE.

      JESUS IS IN THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT IN ALL

      COUNTRIES.

      Nec est alia natio tarn grandis, auce habeat deos appro- pinquantes sibi, sicut

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