The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-09-22
BEFORE THE ALTAR
BE THERE IN SPIRIT IF YOU CANNOT
BE THERE IN PERSON.

The Advantages That Are to Be ne
rived From Spiritual visits - -
Blessed saerament-How Tho ~
Be WOrthiIy Made.
By recent decree of Rome if uos
decided that members of the PaonIo,e
Eucharistic league may gain for 49,,
selves the indulgence accorded 70 +I,a1-
who visit the blessed sacrament IN 49,
church by making that visit in smile :,
their home or in any BECOMING H.
when they are prevented by q GOOD
reason from making the visit in +ba
church. Such a reason, we would sov
is when one lives at a considerable a.
lance from where the blessed Coz
menU is kept, when during the win+o.
the church is not heated or whom ono =,
Ill. OF course the best way to visit orr
Saviour in the sacrament of his love i
to be bodily present before the +ahor
nacle. where we can the moro roo5i1,-
speak TO him las a friend to a friend ;,
where our words reach his aars %
flesh, where he sees us with his b,n,or,
eyes But If we are unable to do this
the next best thing is to make what ie
called spiritual visits" to the hlassad
sacrament. This is how they are msda.
Some day Of the week and some hour
Of the day are chosen when we NAV
give ourselves up entirely to PRAYER ar
at least when our occupation is of such
q nature as to leave freedom of tbouqh+
that we may employ our mind with the
consideration Of God. When the ho11r
arrives, we make the sign of the cross
and say a little prayer, realizing as far
as we can that we are in the presence
Of God. In imagination we put our
selves before the tabernacle where
Jesus dwells under the appearance of
the consecrated bread and place our
heart and our soul in his keeping and
tell him that we wish to spend this
hour with him. Then we can take
some subject Of meditation which will
keep our thoughts from wandering.
Picture to yourself Jesus addressing
the multitude. saying. Come to me.
all you that labor and are heavy bur
dened, and l will refresh you" See
him again with his arms outstretched
upon the cross and his sacred heart
opened to receive US, while his precious !
blood falls drop by drop upon the earth |
TO wash our sins away. Surely the b
sight Of a God thus afflicted is suffi- /
Gent 10 move our heart to love and /
contrition. Then we realize that it is (
-bo co mo Toe,,s xr-I,o dv-o1Ic ,-;+1, -, -,
on our affairs and who day and night /
keeps his weary vigil for sinners. 1
while they, needless or Indifferent to /
the prisoner Of love, give him no
thought or concern, but go on and on
IN the path of destruction Coming
closer to ourselves we say: "Jesus is
watching there for me. He loves me
as much as ever" We sympathize
with him and console him in his aban-
and promise to love and serve
him in return.
Such considerations as these will
serve to enliven our faith and inaame
Dur charity. while they keep our
thoughts from straying. In addition
We can if at liberty say some vocal
prayers, as the beads, the litany, etc.
Another means to help us to pray with
more earnestness is to have particu-
ar intention and a special request for
ach visit to our blessed Lord. If we
ire thoroughly persuaded Of our needs,
ye viii ask with greater ferYor.
We should never bring our visit to
N end without making some practical
esoIutfon and then set about imme-
lately to accomplish it.
Drummond well remarks that there
re some men and some women in
hose company we are always at our
est. While with them we cannot
link mean thoughts or speak ungener-
US words. Their mere presence is ele-
alton, publication, sanctiication. All
be best stops in our nature are drawn
ut by their intercourse, and we find
.usic in our souls that was never there
efore. But what can be said Of the
)mpany Of. Jesus and the influence OF
lese visits on our daily lives? Surely
can only be 10 make us like to him.
hen the people saw the changed lives
the disciples Of the Lord, they drew
side and whispered, "They have been
18th Jesus" The change in our lives
lould be none the less real, though II
av be less apparent, for the same be-
On influence of Jesus is at work upon .
IT hearts in these visits to him in the :
essed sacrament of the altar.-Man-
N. h GUidon. =