Jesus and I : reflections and prayers to be used during youth holy hours and visits to Blessed Sacrament Jesius; Reflections and Prayers to be used during Youth Holy Hours & Visits to Blessed Sacrament (NOTE — These refleetions and prayers are meant to he read over sloivly and> meditated upon. It is planned that after you have read a sentenee or two of the refleetion that you set this leaflet aside and look up at Jesus and talk things over ivith Him. After that you re- turn to read another thought and again refleet. It is well for you to make up your own prayers and res^ olutions as you speak heart to heart with Jesus). Nihil Ohstat: REV. L. E. COTTER Censor Lihrorum Imprimal nr : MOST. REV. J. J. NAVAGII Bishop of Ogdenshurg Ogdenshurg, N. Y., Sept. 22, Idol) C—R. J. AlcCartliy, 1000 4̂̂ y* Ou4«ac£ OPENING PRAYER Jesus Christ—God—is before me in the Blessed Sracrament. Jesus Christ—the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity—Who gave sight to the blind, Who gave hearing to the deaf, Who forgave the sinful Magdalen and raised Lazurus from the dead—is truly before me in the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus Christ—the Saviour of the world—Who walked to Mount Cal- vary with a cross on His shoulders and a crown of thorns in His head —Who had nails driven into His sacred hands and feet—Who died for me on the cross—is truly before me in the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus Christ—the Judge —Who will judge me 'when I die Who will say to me: “Come ye blessed of My Father, possess the kingdom prepared for you from the founda- tion of the world” (Mt. 26:34) or “Depart from Me you cursed into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mt. 26:41)—is truly before me at this 1 moment in the Blessed Sacrament. PRAYER Lord, increase my faith! Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. My Lord and my God. 0 Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine All praise and all thanksgiving he every moment Thine 1 ado7'e Thee every moment, O living Bread from heaven. Great Sacrament! I come to You, Christ my Lord, as the men in Your times came to You, attracted by Your irresistible personality. I come seeking Your friendship. I seek you as a friend in Whom I can confide when I am discouraged, confused, in need of help. I seek You as a friend with Whom I can share my hopes, my joys, my ambitions, my ideals. I seek You as a friend whom I can love, for my heart was made to love and You are the finest, the worthiest Being I could love. I seek 2 You as a friend Who will love me in return, for I fear to be alone and I rely on Your love. O Jesus, draw me near Your Sacred Heart! Reveal to me the splendor of Your person- alitj^ the strength of Your love for me. Dissolve the hard shell of sel- fishness enclosing my heart, that it may expand with generosity toward You. Lord Jesus, make me Your friend. Amen. REFLECTION I am now alone with Jesus. There will come another day — sooner than I think—when I will again be alone with Jesus—the day when I shall leave home, family, friends, wealth, pleasures of the world—the day when I shall feel my strength weakening, my senses closing out the world about me — the day of my death. Then T will be alone with .Tesus—alone with my Saviour coming to reward me for my life of service — or alone with my Judge coming to condemn me to eternal torments for my life of sin. On that day of my death the great business of my soul’s eternal salvation will force itself upon me aud I will realize, then, if never be- fore, that it profits a man nothing to gain the whole world and lose his own soul. I will not wait, if I am wise, un- til that last visit of Jesus to be alone with Him—to speak heart to heart with Him. I am now alone with Jesus — I will speak to Him while I may — I will pray to Him while I may. I will beg pardon while I may—Later may be too late—He looks at me from the altar—I will speak in my own words to Him. PRAYER Fi'ojn a sudden and unprovided death, deliver us, 0 Lord, Into Thy hands, 0 Lord, 1 commend my spirit. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul. Jesus. Mary and Joseph, assist me in my last agony. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, let me breathe forth my soul in peace with you. 4 Prayer to Jesus Christ, King 0 Jesus Christ, I acknowledge you as Universal King. All that has been made was created for you. Exercise over me all the rights that You have. 1 renew my baptismal promises, renounce Satan, his pomps and his works, and I promise to live as a good Christian. Especially do I pledge myself by all the means in my power to bring about the tri- umph of the rights of God and of your Church. Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer you my poor actions to obtain that all hearts may recognize your conse- crated Kingship and that thus the Kingdom of Your peace may be es- tablished in the w’hole world. (Pie- nary indulgence) 4i * « « 5 A Prayer for My Parents O God, whom we obey in honor- ing our parents, look down merci- fully, I beseech You, on those of whom in Your providence, I owe my being. May they grow daily in faith, hope and charity. Implant deeply in their hearts the conviction that as You are the beginning of all things so to You must all return. Condone their frailities, pardon whatever excessive indulgence for me they have shown and impute not to them my waywardness, my sloth, my weakness of skill. Grant them while life lasts, health and prosper- ity, pour upon theim the abundance of Your grace. Defend and preserve them by Your all powerful hand. May my Christian life, in meeting their fondest expectations and ful- filling all their hopes, be the con- solation of their last years. May they die the death of the just. May they pass quickly to their heavenly home and may I join them there, their dutiful child, for all eternity. Amen. 0 Prayer for My Family May Your presence, most Sacred Heart of Jesus, ever bless our home and fill it with the virtues so per- fectlj^ practiced in Your own Holy Family at Nazareth. Protect us from all dangers, bless our endea- vors, and keep always in our fam- ily the spirit of love, peace and happiness. Amen. An Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be, for the youth of our parish, our diocese a7id the world. An Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be, for the return to the Saerame^its of lapsed Catholics. An Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be, for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. s I N Jesus: Victim of sin, teach me the rottenness of sin. Sin is a turning awmy from God. Sin is a surrender to the devil who hates me. The sinner says to God, “I will not serve.” Is it any wonder that when we sin that we experience dissatisfac- tion at knowing we betrayed Jesus? Because of sin our first parents were diiven from the garden of paradise. Because of sin, satan fell from heaven. Because of sin, hell was created. If I die in sin, I can suffer in hell forever. Grant me the grace, dear Lord, never to sin again. Death rather than deliberate sin. MERCY If I should ever have the misfor- tune of falling into sin, remind me, dear Jesus, of Your mercy to- ward sinners—remind me of Your words to Mary Magdalen: “Your sins are forgiven you.’’ Teach me, dear Lord, of Your mercy and love in confession where. 8 (V'beu I come to You, when I con* fess my sins and faults to Your priest You give me Your grace to imake me stronger in those very things in which I am weak. If I am frequently uncharitable You will help me to see You in my fellow men. If I am disrespectful to parents and teachers, You will help me to see Your authority in them. If I am troubled with impure thoughts, You will help me to turn my attention to something else. When I confess a sin or fault to You and Your priest it is as if we two had made a contract — I by mentioning the sin or fault receive Your pardon and Your promise of abundant grace to overcojme it next time. May I always love confession — the sacrament of pardon and peace. May I never fear confession—no matter how badly I have sinned. May I always remind myself of Your love and mercy towards sin- ners of whom You said: “There shall be more joy in heaven upon 9 one sinner who does penance than upon ninety-nine who have no need of penance” (Lk. 15). May I always hear from Your priest in the confessional those beautiful words: “Go in peace, thy sins are forgiven thee.” THE FUTURE I am now years old. What are niy plans for the future? Now is the perfect time to think over—to talk over with Jesus—my future. What do I want to do with my life? Where can I best serve God and insure the salvation of my soul? Lord, what do You want me to do? To know my vocation I must in- vestigate—I must consult—I must' pray. When you, Jesus, walked the earth You showed the divine appro- val of marriage. You went to the wedding of a couple in Cana. If Your command “increase and multiply” is to be carried out, there 10 must be men and women courageous enough to undertake the married life, to cooperate with You in Your work of the creation of souls. Will I marry? What should I ex- pect of my partner in marriage? What can the person I marry ex- pect of ime—my purity—my sobriety— my honesty —my faithfulness — my truthfulness—my goodness?. . . What principles should I have and follov/ previous to marriage? Dear Jesus, You are pleased when a person wants to serve You as a married man or woman—You are pleased when a person serves You in the single state—but the most exalted state is that wherein a per- son consecrates himself or herself wholly to You by priestly or relig- ious vows—by the priesthood, the sisterhood, the brotherhood. You invite Your friends to this life. We do not choose You. You choose us. You choose us because You love us. Blessed is the youth who hears Your call and answers it by becoming a priest, sister or brother. Have I ever considered serving 11 God? Have I ever thought of all the souls I might save in the service of God in the diocese—in the class- room—in the hospital—on the mis- sions—in the cloister? There is a great need today for priests, sisters and brothers. If I were on my deathbed at this .‘moment and were going to face God what would I like to have done during my life? Jesus, what do You want me to do? PRAYER FOR CHOOSING A STATE OF LIFE 0 God, Who are the God of wis~ dom and of counsel, Who reads in my heart the sincere will to please You alone and to govern myself with regard my choice of a state of life entirely in conformity with Your most holy desires; grant me, l)y the intercession of the most Bles- sed Virgin, my mother, and of my patrons, the grace to know what state I ought to choose and when known, to embrace it, so that in it I may be able to pursue and in" crease Your glory, work out my sal- vation and merit that heavenly re- 12 ivard ivhich You have promised to those who do Your holy will. Amen. MY LIFE, MY APOSTOLATE God not only made me. He chose me to be a Christian, a Catholic. My life includes a mission—a mission to bring others to Christ. I must be an apostle just as I am. I need not be a Xavier bringing Christ to distant lands—but I must bring Him daily to my family and friends. 1 need not die for Jesus as the Catholics in China and Russia died for Him—but I must live for Him — live a GOOD CATHOLIC LIFE FOR HIM! I can be an apostle to others by my Catholic example—by my atti- tude towards sin—by my clean con- versation—by my self control—by my leadership in school—in work — in sports—in Catholic action. Like You, dear Jesus, I must be i\n apostle wherever I find myself — 13 ill my home, in school, in my social life, in recreation, in my parish, among non-believers, among the fallen avmys, among everyone that 1 meet. The true life of a Christian is a life of knowing Jesus, His Creator and Redeemer ; of loving Jesus, His Leader and Friend ; of serving Jesus His Master and His God. I best serve You, dear Jesus, by bringing others to this knowledge of You, to this Love for You, to this desire for You. Jesus, You did not wait for men to eo|me to You. You traveled the roads of Judea calling men to re- pent for their sins, calling them to a knowdedge of God, to a life of per- fection. Now this mission is my mission. I, Your apostle, must go to others. I must not wait for them to come to me. You have given me everything You have. Now You ask me to give it to others—my love for You and my desire to do everything for You. 14 PRAYER Dear Jesus, give me the spirit of an apostle. Let me he filled with a desire to influence others for Your sake. May my goal in life he not just to keep the treasure of the faith, hut to bring it to others. Help me to rememher that no one lives his life alone, hut always helps others either to heaven or hell. Let me so live, Ijord, that the world may he a better place for my having lived in it. Dear Lord, give me a world view of things. Keep me from getting confined to myself and my own lit- tle problems. Enlarge my horizon tvith Your greatness and Your vis- ion. Let me see it as You saw it, as You died, hanging on the cross for all men. Amen. AND NOW DEAR JESUS, T come to the end of this happy and holy hour with You. This has been one of the greatest hours of my life be- cause I have talked heart to heart with You, my God, my Saviour, my Master, my All. I hope that I may 15 return often to visit You in the Blessed Sacrament and to spend many happy and holy moments with You in Your churches throughout the world. In every need let me come to You with humble trust say- ing, Jesus help me!'' In all of my doubts, perplexities and temptations ''Jesus help me " In hours of lone- liness, weariness and trials, "Jesus help me!" In the failure of my plans and hopes ; in disappoint- ments, troubles and sorrows, "Jesus help me!’' When others fail me and Your grace alone can assist me, "Jesus help me!" When I kneel at Your feet before the Blessed Sacra- ment, "Jesus help me!" When my heart is cast down by failure at see- ing no good come from my efforts, "Jesus help me!" When I feel im- patient and my cross irritates me, "Jesus help me!'’ When I am, ill and my head and hands cannot work and I am lonely, "Jesus help me!" Always, always, in spite of weakness, falls and shortcomings of every kind, "Jesus help me and never forsake me." 16 NO ONE NEEDS THEE MORE THAN I Dear Jesus, every erect ture is more ivort/iij of your yniee Them the weak and saddened sinner ivlio now kneels before Your faee; Yet one elaini I have upon You which You never ivill deny ; In the hounds of Your ereation, no one needs You mo^re than I. Other men have been more faithful and have served you better far, Many spotless hearts more fitting for Your graeious presence are, Many Ups devout a greeting far more fervent eati supply. Blit, dear Master, ivell you know no one needs you more than I. Many loving hands have carried richer offerings to Your shrine. Many generous hearts have loved You with a purer love than mine: These Your chosen ones approach You, as the doves to shelter fly, I am utterly unworthy, but no one needs You more than I. 17 Sins unnumbered, unatoned for, have played havoe icith my soul. And against me stands as witness the recording aiigels roll; All untiUed has been my vineyard and its soil is hard and dry. 0 my God, my only refuge, no one needs You more than I. For without You I am helpless, fast in iron fetters caught. Blinded by my evil passions, swayed by impulses untaught 1 can do 'no good unaided; worse than vain it is to try. Come Yourself to me, sweet Jesus, no one needs You more than I. You left the Father's bosom to reclaim and save the lost. Gladly did You take upon You our redemption s awful cost; You have called all sinners to You: hearken to a sinner's cry. In the bounds of all creation, no one needs You more than I.