Admonition 3: Approach Thy Divine Majesty with Reverence

O my soul, be ever mindful
how thou dost approach thy Divine Majesty.
Be not as those who attend
the Holy Sacrifice of the Savior
without inward longing
or watchful vigilance for His coming.

Yea, He cometh unto thee
in this Most Blessed Sacrament—
but wilt thou come unto Him?

Thy Creator humbleth Himself
to become food for His creature.
The Eternal King stoopeth low
that His subject might be lifted high.
Yet how seldom doth the creature consider
offering himself unto the One
who offereth Himself so wholly unto him.

Many draw near unto His Majesty
with indifference and negligence,
unaware that heaven descendeth unto earth,
that God entereth into man,
and that judgment or mercy
is dispensed according
to the disposition of the soul that receiveth Him.

Many receive Him, yea—
but commune not with Him.
They behold the Host,
yet through hardness of heart
perceive not the Savior.
They boast, saying,
“I am a man of the Church,”
“I receive daily.”

Know this well:
true union with the Savior
is not measured by the number of receptions,
but by the depth of devotion.

Yet after receiving His Most Holy Body,
they scarce can remain in their pew
nor still themselves
in holy recollection.
With haste they flee the church,
and with haste they forget
the One whom they have just received.

Having received Christ’s sacrifice of thanksgiving,
they fail to render
their own sacrifice of thanks.
Ungrateful souls—
they take, yet give not;
they receive, yet perceive not.

Be not as the negligent,
who examine not the state of their soul
before approaching Holy Communion.
They draw near, receive Him,
feed upon Him—
casually and without reverence.
They presume themselves righteous,
and so imagine they possess the right
to the sacred rail
while lacking a rightly ordered conscience.

O my soul,
if thou canst not know
thy Divine Lord
in the Blessed Sacrament now,
how shalt thou claim to know Him
on the day of thy judgment?

Many shall say unto Him,
“Lord, we ate and drank with Thee,
and Thou didst teach in our streets.”
And He shall answer them,
“Verily I say unto you,
I know you not.”

Yea, He taught thee
through His ordained minister,
and thou didst eat with Him
at the Supper of the Lamb,
receiving His Holy Body
from the hands of the priest.

Receive then the Divine Love
who offereth Himself unto thee,
that thou mightest offer thyself unto Him.
Strive not to deform the Sacrament—
which is His sacrifice—
into a sacrilege.

Know this well:
when thou approachest the God
who willeth to sacrifice Himself for thee,
thou art likewise offering thyself
in sacrifice unto Him.

Thou consumest Him—
but wilt thou permit Him
to consume thee?

Thou prayest,
“Thy will be done,”
but dost thou mean
what thou dost utter?

Be mindful that Our Lord
offereth His Spirit and His Body
in the Holy Host,
that thou mightest offer
thy spirit with thy body
unto this God of Hosts.
Did not the holy apostle command us, saying,
“Offer your bodies
as a living and holy sacrifice unto God—
this is your spiritual worship”?

Amen.
Our spiritual worship is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass,
wherein the Lamb of God
offereth His Body unto us,
that with Him dwelling within us
we may, through our bodies,
do what He Himself hath done.

Amen.
Glorify God in thy body.

If thou wouldst know thyself rightly,
examine thyself well
before receiving Holy Communion.
If thy soul be stained,
confess well—
that thou mayest receive well.

Be right with Him who is Righteous,
and thy righteousness shall abound.
Receive Him while clinging unto sin,
and unto death shalt thou remain bound.

By knowing thyself,
thou shalt better know Him;
and knowing Him,
thou shalt approach Him
with reverence and awe,
with charity and holy fear,
and with a fervent willingness
to give thyself wholly
unto the One
who giveth Himself wholly unto thee.