ACTS OF ADORATION +

0 most adorable Jesus, dwelling in the tabernacle! prostrate before the throne of Thy veiled majesty, I, Thy unworthy servant, beseech Thee to receive my profound adoration. I firmly believe that Thou art really present in the Holy Eucharist, as powerful, as amiable, and as adorable as Thou art in heaven.

With the angels of heaven I adore Thee. Thou hast mercifully hidden the splendor of Thy majesty, lest it should deter us from approaching Thy sanctuary; I believe that Thou dwellest on our altars not only to receive our adoration, but to listen to our petitions, to remedy our evils, to be the strength and nourishment of our souls, our powerful Helper, our Refuge, and our Sacrifice.

I hope in that boundless mercy which detains Thee a Prisoner of love in the tabernacle. I love that infinite goodness which induced Thee to institute this Holy Sacrament of the Altar, in which Thou dost communicate Thyself so liberally and so wonderfully to Thy creatures.

I thank Thee for so convincing a proof of Thy love and ardently wish that I could worthily acknowledge all the blessings I have ever received from this fountain of grace and mercy.

I sincerely regret that this precious pledge of Thy love is received by many Christians with so much coldness and indifference. I wish to make amends for my own ingratitude and for all those sinful acts of my life, by which 1 have wounded Thy loving sacred heart.

I adore Thee, 0 my God, present in the Holy Eucharist, as my Creator, my Preserver, and my Redeemer. I recognize Thee as my only Master; I offer Thee all that I have, all that I am, all that depends on me; I offer Thee my mind to think of Thee, my will to serve Thee, my body to labor and to suffer for Thy love.

I am Thine; I give myself to Thee; I consecrate myself to Thee; I abandon myself to Thee; I wish to live and to die for love of Thee.

Amen

ACTS OF THANKSGIVING +

We adore Thee, Christ, and we bless Thee.
Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

I adore Thee, eternal Father, and I give Thee thanks for the infinite love with which Thou didst deign to send Thy only-begotten Son to redeem me. and to become the food of my soul.

I offer Thee all the acts of adoration and thanksgiving that are offered to Thee by the angels and saints in heaven, and by the just on earth.

I praise, love, and thank Thee with all the praise, love, and thanksgiving that are offered to Thee by Thine own Son in the Blessed Sacrament; and I beg Thee to grant that He may be known, loved, honored, praised, and worthily received by all, in this Most Divine Sacrament.

I adore Thee, eternal Son, and I thank Thee for the infinite love which caused Thee to become man for me, to be born in a stable, to live in poverty, to suffer hunger, thirst, heat, cold, fatigue, hardships, contempt, persecutions, the scourging, the crowing with thorns, and a cruel death upon the hard wood of the cross.

I thank Thee, with the Church militant and triumphant, for the infinite love with which Thou didst institute the Most Blessed Sacrament to be the food of my soul. I adore Thee in all the consecrated hosts throughout the whole world, and I return thanks for those who know Thee not, and who do not thank Thee.

Would that I were able to give my life to make Thee known, loved, and honored by all in this sacrament of love, and to prevent the irreverence and sacrileges that are committed against Thee!

I love Thee, divine Jesus and I desire to receive Thee with all the purity, love, and affection of Thy blessed Mother, and with the love and affection of Thy own most pure heart. Grant, 0 most amiable Spouse of my soul! in coming to me in this Most Holy Sacrament, that I may receive all the graces and blessings which Thou dost come to bestow on us, and let me rather die than receive Thee unworthily.

I adore Thee, eternal Holy Ghost, and I give Thee thanks for the infinite love with which Thou didst work the ineffable mystery of the Incarnation, and for the infinite love with which Thou didst form the sacred body of Our Lord Jesus Christ out of the most pure blood of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to become in this sacrament the food of my soul. I beg Thee to enlighten my mind, and to purify my heart and the hearts of all men, that all may know the benefit of Thy love, and receive worthily this Most Blessed Sacrament.
Amen

ACTS OF REPARATION +

Most adorable Saviour, by the most wonderful prodigy of Thy love for us, Thou dost shut Thyself up in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, in order to be the perpetual Sacrifice of the New Law, the innocent Victim of our sins, the celestial Food of our souls, our kind Physician, our good Master, our powerful Mediator, and our loving Father.

But, alas! with what ingratitude on our part Thine infinite kindness is repaid. Prostrate before Thine altar, where Thou art as really present as in the highest heavens, we come to make reparation for all the injuries and for all the ingratitude inflicted on Thy loving heart in this sacrament.

0 divine Jesus, grant us to make a fitting reparation for all blasphemies, for all profanations, and all sacrileges ever committed; for the want of devotion and neglect of preparation for holy communion, for the little fruit we have drawn from it.

Pardon, 0 Lord, pardon for so many Christians who know Thee not, and who offend. Thee; for so many heretics who insult Thee; for so many impious men and apostates who persecute Thee. By the fervor of our love, we would wish to make amends to Thee for all their contempt, and for all their sacrileges.

How happy should we be, 0 Jesus, could we but make reparation to Thy glory, by our respect, by our zeal, aye, even, by the shedding of our blood. At least, most adorable Saviour, grant us the grace to love Thee in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, with the most tender, the most generous, the most perfect, the most constant love.

Virgin most holy, by thy holy and immaculate heart, make, us enter into the adorable heart of thy divine Son, Jesus Christ.

0 sweet St. Joseph! obtain for me the gift of prayer and of perpetual union with Jesus and Mary.

Amen.

ACTS OF PETITION +

0 my God, how shall I contain my astonishment when I meditate on what Thou hast done for me in this sacrament. Thou, my Redeemer, Christ Jesus, art content to descend from heaven, to place Thyself within the consecrated Host, and to dwell within the tabernacle day and night, solely to exercise Thy love towards me, and to communicate to me the abundance of Thy graces.

Oh, what bounty, what mercy! There appears to me, that in the Divine Sacrament, wherein dwells the Author and Giver of all good, I behold the King of glory, Who, with gentle courtesy, calls me, and invites me, and expects me, that I may go to receive His graces, and be consoled.

Courage, then, my soul; come, let us beg for blessings, and not be weary, but be confident that we shall receive them. “Let us go, therefore, with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid” (Heb. ii. 10).

If I look into my own heart, to discover its needs, that they may be supplied, I find that I am in want of all; for all fails me, and I have no sound virtue, for vice alone predominates in me. My wants are without end, and Thou, my God, discerns them far more clearly than I can do.

I am blind, and without light, and this is the first grace I implore from Thee: “Lord, that I may see” (Luke xviii. 41). Illuminate me, 0 true Eternal Light, Who didst come into the world to enlighten every man; make me to see and to know my vileness, my poverty, my extreme misery, that knowing myself, I may learn humility. Want of humility is the great cause of my evil; I esteem myself too highly, and aspire to be highly esteemed by others; and hence I fall, and fall at every little occasion, without ever amending my faults. All my sins are the effects, the punishment of my pride.

Oh, if I were but humble of heart, as I am under obligation to be! 0 my Jesus, Thou Who hast so abased Thyself in the Blessed Sacrament, almost to nothing, and dwells there, hiding within the sacred Host all Thy glorious gifts, I ask of Thee a true and holy humility, for without this I have neither capacity nor disposition to receive any of Thy graces, and this alone can fit me for them. I know not even what humility is, but I well know that I greatly need it. I ask it of Thee by that stupendous humility which brings Thee to dwell within the Blessed Sacrament. 0 God of all greatness, and of all humility, humble my pride, and give me a humble and contrite heart.

With the grace of humility I also ask of Thee ever to increase in me the graces of faith, hope, and charity. These virtues are of necessity for my salvation, and yet how negligently does my heart make acts of them! How often do I allow a long time to pass without making so much as one act of faith, of hope, or of charity!

0 my Lord Jesus Christ! Who, in the Blessed Sacrament, hast deigned to leave us a mystery of faith, a pledge of hope, a bond of love, give me grace to acquire the good habit of frequently practicing these virtues during my life, that they may avail me in the hour of my death. Make me worthy to live and die in Thy faith, with the firm hope of living and dying in Thy love.

Give me, 0 Lord Jesus! an increase of faith, hope, and charity. But, besides all this, 0 my God! I beseech Thee to give me grace to live in holy charity with all my neighbors. Thou hast commanded me to love them, but I am neglectful in observing this law; some among them I love from inclination, some from interest, and scarcely any purely for Thy love. I love him who treats me kindly, but I do not love him who offends me. Sometimes I intend to love all men, but I have too much reason to fear that in truth I do not love them with that Christian charity which is my duty.

But Thou, in the institution of the Blessed Sacrament, Thou hast left me a model, an example of charity; grant that by Thy grace I may holily imitate Thee. I resolve now to love all men sincerely and cordially for Thy sake, and particularly those who in any way have offended or injured me. All that I most desire for myself, I pray Thee to bestow on them, and to unite this my petition with Thine own prayer upon the cross, when Thou didst intercede for Thy enemies.

Grant, dear Lord, that I may ever live in charity with all, that I may so live as never by any act of mine to break the bond of charity; that I may ever love my neighbor as Thou dost love me. Above all, I humbly beg of Thee the grace to live, in all and through all, resigned to Thy all-holy will.

I accept whatever Thy divine providence shall appoint in my life and in my death; may Thy will in all things alone be done, not mine, 0 Lord! I desire all that Thou wills, and because Thou wills it; and in all circumstances I unite my will with Thine. Therefore, 0 my dear Redeemer, to Thine I now and forever unite my will to that adorable will which in the garden Thou didst, in perfect submission, offer to Thy eternal Father; and I beseech Thee ever so to retain my will in unison with Thine, that nothing shall again disjoin them.

Thou Thyself hast taught me to say, in the Pater Noster, "Thy will be done’ and daily I repeat it, but too often I say the words only with my lips; now at least my heart pronounces them for all time, and in all possible occurrences—“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Today, and in all the days of my life, may Thy most holy will be done in me, for me, by me. Teach me to know what pleases Thee, and give me grace to follow it. Grant me, 0 Lord, to discern, to will, to do, that which pleases Thee, as it pleases Thee, and because it pleases Thee.
Amen.

PRELUDE
I. The angels constantly surround the tabernacle and the altar when Jesus is present.

II. They praise and adore Him, as they did in the Holy Night on the plains of Bethlehem. Their life and their joy is the Holy Eucharist—that "Food of Angels" and "Bread from Heaven’ which contains in itself all sweetness.

III. Seek to rival in fervor and devotion the holy angels when you kneel in adoration before the altar or receive our blessed Lord in holy communion.

CONSIDERATIONS.
When the angels at midnight had sung so sweetly on the plains of Bethlehem, proclaiming: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will," the pious shepherds said one to another: "Let us go over to Bethlehem!" There was the humble abode of the incarnate Son of God, the Infant Savior of the world, over which the angels ascended and descended between heaven and earth. The blessed plain, the refreshing oasis in the desert of this life, over which the angels ascend and descend is now the tabernacle in every church, in which Jesus dwells in the Most Holy Sacrament.

In the Blessed Eucharist Our Lord is present for love of us and to bestow His graces and benefits upon us. From His sacred heart there flow uninterruptedly a stream of saving grace, and of tender mercy and compassion for the poor sinner. He is here present as He is in heaven and for our happiness. Oh, how great, how sublime and how sweet and consoling is this sacrament! How we should be drawn to the tabernacle, to adore the Eucharistic Babe, as the angels adore Him in deepest silence, in profound reverence, in rapturous joy!

Saints have beheld the angels, while the holy sacrifice of the Mass was offered, in glorious companies, mingling with the faithful at holy communion, prostrating themselves before the ciborium, in token of awe and veneration, and helping the celebrant to distribute the divine Food, at the same time praying that men may receive this gift of gifts worthily. "The angels," St. John Chrysostom tells us, tremble with amazement and fear when they approach the Majesty of Heaven, hidden under the appearance of bread."

How is it, that we, who art sinful creatures, venture into the close proximity of Jesus Christ with so little reverence and recollection? The seraphim cover their faces before God with their wings, as we are told in Holy Writ; we alone are not afraid or inspired with respect and awe! We profess, to love Jesus Christ and we firmly believe that we are sincere in making this profession. But how do we prove the truth of our words?

If we really loved Jesus, if we really prized His divine friendship as we ought, we should study His wishes, learn His preferences, and strive to render ourselves pleasing to His sight; we should come to visit Him more frequently, we should come with purer hearts to the foot of the altar; we should be careful to see that the fair surface of our soul is not blurred and tarnished by the dust of that worldliness, which we ought to leave at the door, like a cloak which we slip from our shoulders, to take up and wear again on leaving the church.

A soul, which enters the church and allows itself to be troubled and disturbed by the images of events passing in the world is unfit for the service of an adorer, has no keen relish for heavenly converse, is out of tune with spiritual things, finds Jesus. with difficulty, and learns not the lessons of virtue inculcated by ,the eucharistic heart , of Our Savior. And when we approach the holy table to partake of the " Food of Angels," let us again think of the angels, who, in their freedom from all bodily encumbrances, are the types of perfect purity and cleanness, which are the chief dispositions of spirit, requisite for devoutly and fruitfully receiving the Most Holy Eucharist, that is Purity itself.

0 Lord Jesus! I will take to heart the lessons that I have learned at this visit. I will visit Thee more often; I will appear in Thy presence with reverential fear; I will banish from my mind all distracting thoughts of the world; I will take care to preserve my heart pure for Thy coming; I will strive to imitate the virtues of Thy sacred heart in my daily life; I will endeavor to please Thee in all things and to become more and more worthy of Thy love. I cannot love Thee with the pure, holy, and exalted love of the angels, but yet I give Thee all the affection of my heart, and I love Thee above all things. Give me, my Jesus, a deep faith in this great mystery; strengthen my hope, inflame my love, that I may be made worthy, after this life, to behold Thee face to face, and to contemplate Thee with the angels in Thy eternity of heavenly bliss.

Our Lady of the Most Holy Sacrament, Mother and model of adorers, pray for us, who have recourse to thee.

St. Joseph, pray for us, that like thee, we may die in the arms of Jesus and Mary.


PRAYER TO THE HOLY GHOST
0 Holy Ghost, Thou Teacher and Sanctifier, Who givest light and strength to my soul, bless me that I may be more faithful to Jesus, my Savior and my God, Who is hidden in the Blessed Sacrament, and that I may love Him more and more. In the light of the tabernacle I ask of Thee, 0 Holy Spirit, to fill my heart with pure desire for Jesus, the Living Bread. Give me grace to adore Him with the zeal and humble ven­eration of the holy angels; grant that His will may be done on earth as it is in heaven, and that His will be done in my soul. Help me to thank Him for all His gifts, and, most of all, for Himself. By this Holy Sacrament He strengthens souls on earth, gives rest to souls in purgatory, and gladdens souls in heaven. He is the hidden manna, promised by Himself to all who overcome them­selves and love Him. May I taste the sweetness of Jesus! Set up more and more Thy kingdom in my soul, that I may keep my body under and bring it to subjection, lest I should be a castaway from Jesus and from Thee.

SPIRTUAL COMMUNION
0 Jesus, my Savior, Who art truly present in the Blessed Sacrament for the nourishment of our souls! since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally, I humbly and earnestly beseech Thee to re­fresh me spiritually. I love Thee above all things and I desire to possess Thee within my soul. Come into my mind to illumine it with the light of heaven; come into my heart to enkindle therein the fire of Thy love. Unite me so intimately with Thee, that it may be no more I that live, but Thou that livest and reigneth in me forever.



FRUIT OF THE VISIT.
I. Behold Christ within thy heart as a Furnace of love, breathing forth flames on every side; regard thyself as a piece of worthless rusty iron, plunged in that immense fire.

II. Love Him with a burning love, as the cherubim and seraphim love Him; that so, through His love, thou mayest be altogether softened, altogether on fire and may kindle and inflame all others.

III. Ask Him for perfect peace; that thou may rest in Him, as thy world, and may be reckoned among those true peacemakers who shall be called the sons of God (Matt. v. 9).

EUCHARISTIC GEMS.
"Although the Blessed Sacrament is the properly of the souls or men, and belongs to them in a way and with an intimacy which the spirits of the angels cannot share, there is nevertheless a great connection between the angels and the Blessed Sacrament. It is the especial mystery of that human nature in which Jesus is Head of the angels. It is one of the mysteries they adore and humbly desire to look into. They admire it with a special admiration, and follow it all over the world—in the priests’ hands, on the throne, in the tabernacle, round the church, on its obscure visits to the sick—as if they were attracted by it, which they are.

"It is called angels’ food and the bread of angels; and although they cannot enjoy the proper sacramental union with the flesh of our dearest Lord, they doubtless feed on it in their intelligences by a kind of spiritual communion.

"It is said that St. Michael revealed to St. Eutropius the hermit, that he had been chosen to be the guardian angel of the Blessed Sacrament . . . and there are also on record several revelations of his to various saints concerning the worship of the Blessed Sacrament. Some have supposed him to be the angel of the Mass referred to in the Canon; he is spoken of at the beginning of the Mass in the  Confiteor,’ and again in the second incensing at the High Mass; and also in the Offertory of Masses of Requiem."
         —F. W. Faber, D.D.

St. Dominic assisted by the Angels.
St. Dominic was one of the most fervent lovers of Jesus and Mary who ever lived, and he was also the well-beloved of the angels. He received at their hands all kinds of help during those long watches of the night, which he spent prostrate at the foot of the holy altar, pouring forth the affections and longings of his heart without restraint in presence of his good Master in the Most Holy Sacrament, and invoking with tears the protection of the Blessed Virgin. However wearied he might be while he was journeying on the road, he was never tired of watching whole nights in prayer, and used his utmost endeavors that it should be before the Adorable Eucharist.

The angels, enraptured with this indefatigable love, associated themselves with him. These spirits of heaven took pleasure in accompanying this heavenly man. They were seen to bring lights, and take them to the room into which He had retired; open first the doors of the house and then of the church, whither they conducted him; and afterwards, when the time was come, they escorted him back in the same manner. The servants of a bishop with whom he lodged, having observed this marvel, mentioned it to the prelate, who watched the holy man about the time when the prodigy used to occur, and had the consolation of witnessing it, beholding with admiration the goodness of the heavenlv spirits to men.

From the Lauda Sion.
Whoso of this Food partaketh,
Rendeth not the Lord nor breaketh 
Christ is whole to all that taste;
Thousands are, as one, receivers;
One, as thousands of believers,
Eats of Him Who cannot waste.

Bad and good the Feast are sharing;
But what different dooms preparing
Endless death or endless life.
Life to these, to those damnation;
See how like participation
Is with unlike issues rife.

When the Sacrament is broken
Doubt not, but believe is spoken
That each severed outward token
Doth the very whole contain.
Naught the precious Gift divideth
Breaking but the Sign betideth,
Jesus still the same abideth,
Still unbroken doth remain.

Lo, the "Angels’ Food" descending,
Given to pilgrims homeward wending,
Bread the children’s steps attending,
Which on dogs may not be spent.
See the Truth its types fulfilling—
Isaac bound, a victim willing;
Paschal Lamb, its Life-Blood spilling,
Manna to the fathers sent.

Very Bread1 Good Shepherd tend us,
Jesus, of Thy love befriend ns;
Thou refresh us, Thou defend us,
Thine eternal goodness send us
In the Land of Life to see.

Thou Who all things canst and knowest,
Who on earth such Food bestowest,
Grant us with Thy saints, though lowest,
Where the heavenly feast Thou showest,
Fellow-heirs and guests to be.
                        —St. Thomas Aquinas