Thou oughtest often to have recourse to the Fountain of grace and of divine mercy; to the Fountain of all goodness and purity; that thou mayest be healed of thy passions and vices, and be made more strong and vigilant against all the temptations and deceits of the devil. The enemy, knowing the very great advantage and remedy which is in the Holy Communion, strives by all means and occasions, as much as he is able, to withdraw and hinder faithful and devout persons from it. For when some are preparing themselves for the sacred Communion, they suffer the greatest assaults of Satan. This wicked spirit, as it is written in Job, cometh amongst the sons of God, to trouble them with his accustomed malice, or to make them over-fearful and perplexed, so that he may diminish their devotion, or by his assaults, take away their faith, if, perchance, they may altogether forbear the Communion, or at least approach it with tepidity.
But there is no regard to be had to his wiles and suggestions, be they never so filthy and abominable; but all his attempts are to be turned back upon his own head. The wretch is to be condemned and scorned, nor is the Holy Communion to be omitted for his assaults and the commotions which he causeth.
-Bk. IV, ch. x.
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Remember that Our Lord is there in the tabernacle just for you, for you alone, and that He is consumed with a great longing to come into your heart. Pay no heed to the devil, despise him, and go without fear to receive Jesus, the God of peace and love. .
I can hear you saying: "Teresa does not know in what a miserable state I am, that is why she thinks as she does"...But she does know, she guesses all, and she repeats that you can go without fear to receive your only true Friend. She has also passed through the martyrdom of scruples, but was given the grace to continue going to Holy Communion even when she thought that she had sinned grievously...She saw that it was the only way to drive away the devil; if he sees that he is wasting his time, he leaves us alone.
If, as you tell me, you can only find rest kneeling fuefore the tabernacle, you could not possibly offend Our Lord so grievously as not to be able to receive Him. It is lack of confidence that wounds the Sacred Heart. Pray hard that your best years may not be frittered away in empty fears. We have only the brief moments of this life in which to work for the glory of God; the devil is aware of this, and so tries to make us waste them on useless work. If you want to be cured, the only remedy is frequest, very frequent Communion.
-Letters.
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For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
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