Discourse on Divine Communion

Contents Reasoning about Divine Communion Second reasoning against despair Discourse on Divine Communion My Lord and my God in the most pure Mysteries is my healing, but I am sick. The Lord is my health, but I am broken, weakened and barely alive. The Lord is my cleansing, but I am a leper. The Lord is my life, but I am dead. The Lord is my Shepherd, and I am His lost sheep. The Lord is my rise, but I am fallen. The Lord is my justification, but I am condemned. The Lord is looking for me, but I am lost. So, I come as a sick person to the Healer in order to be healed, as a broken and paralyzed person to the Doctor, in order to be cured, as a dead person to my Life, in order to be resurrected and come to life from sinful death for virtue. I come like a sheep to my Shepherd, so that I may be whole from the wolf, like one who has fallen to Him who raises me up, so that I will no longer fall like one condemned to my Judge, so that He, with His compassion, will make me righteous from the unrighteous. I approach, as if lost, to the Lover of Mankind who seeks me, so that I may always remain with Him and in Him, He is with me and in me, and even though I no longer live for myself, but for Him, my Lord and Benefactor, from now on “it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). I accept the most pure Mysteries, so that through their Communion I would gain help, from now on I would lay the foundation for my salvation and would no longer work for sin, but according to my strength I would work for my God, through Your assistance and strengthening I believe, O Lord and God, in Your all-powerful help and goodness: “I believe, Lord, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). Reasoning two against despair What are my sins against Your mercy, Lord? This is a web against the great wind, this is a small swamp against a great river, this is darkness against the all-bright sun! A strong wind will blow and break through the web. The river will flow and wash away the swamp. The sun will shine and drive away the darkness. Likewise, Your great mercy, O God, tears apart my sins like the wind a cobweb, washes away my iniquities like a river swamp, enlightens me like the sun does the darkness, and drives away all my evil deeds, words and thoughts. Your right hand receives me returning with a fatherly embrace, like a prodigal son. So why do I doubt? I will not doubt Your goodness, I will not despair, my Lord, I will never despair of Your mercy! From this I know You, the Almighty and Mighty God, that the sins of mine and the whole world will not overcome Your mercy. If they had overcome, then You would not be a mighty and mighty God.