An hour with Christ : holy hour booklet


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An Hour
with Christ
Holy Horn Booklet

• I BELIEVE



LimARIES

Yale University Archives





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Osaefdinec’



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DEDICATED TO

MY FATHER AND MOTHER

WHO

EXEMPLIFIED AND TAUGHT

THEIR CHILDREN

AN INTENSE LOVE FOR

OUR EUCHARISTIC KING

O

The Nativity of Our Blessed Mother, 1941



NIHIL OBSTAT:
Fr. M. Albericus Wulf. O.C.S.O.
Fr. M. Mauritius Malloy, O.C.S.O.

Censeres

IMPRIMI POTEST:
Fredericus M. Dunne, O.C.S.O.

Abbas Manasterii B, M. de Gethsemani
Festo Epiphaniae, 1H2

IMPRIMATUR:
^ Joannes A. Floersh, D.D.

Archiep. Ludovicopolita/nus

Die 22y JanuaHiy 1H2

1st printing, 10,000

2nd printing, 20,000

COPYRIGHT 1942
by the

ABBEY OF GETHSEMANI, INC.



An Hour with Christ
o

Just a word . .

.

My faith—^that golden key which un-
locks to me the immense wealth and
treasures of divine truth—teaches me
that God really and truly dwells in our
tabernacles

;
that the Body and Blood,

soul and divinity of Jesus is hidden

under the sacramental veils. And the
act of faith by which my intelligence
assents or adheres to this truth is the

highest possible act of adoration. Thus
with a lively faith let us enter into this

Holy Hour and adore our Eucharistic
King. God is really and actually present
on our altars! Let that thought, that

truth, penetrate your whole being. It

is the greatest reality of life. Approach
your God and offer Him that homage
which is His due and then open your
heart to Him. He is there for you and
me—He invites us to come: “Come to
Me, all you that labor and are burdened
and I will refresh you.” (Matt. 11 :28)
He is there as a Friend, a Confidant, a
Father. Treat with Him as such. Go
up close to Him and talk to Him. His is
a standing invitation. Drop in often to



4 An Hour with Christ

see Him, even if only for a moment. It
will refresh you, strengthen you and en-
courage you in life’s trials. And, too,
you will console the Heart that loves
man so much.

The devotion of the Holy Hour is in
answer to a request made by Our Lord
Himself to Saint Margaret Mary. This
was in 1673. He complained of the cold-
ness of men toward Him and requested
her to spend one hour each week during
the night between Thursday and Friday
in atonement for their base ingratitude.

The devotion spread rapidly and de-
veloped until it took the form we know
today. To console the Heart of our lov-
ing Savior, then, should be our first

motive in spending this Holy Hour. But
let us add to this the four ends of prayer

and thus we shall have a perfect hour of
prayer: Adoration, thanksgiving, repa-

ration and petition. I adore because I

am man and He is God. I must thank
Him because He is the Giver of all good
gifts. Because I am a sinner I must
beg mercy. And finally, in my great
needs, to whom can I go but to Him ?

Venite adoremus: come let as adore Him!



An Hour with Christ 5

EXPOSITION

O salutaris Hostia
Quae coeli pandis ostium:

Bella premunt hostilia,
Da robur, fer auxilium.

Uni trinoque Domino
Sit sempiterna gloria!

Qui vitam sine termino
Nobis donet in patria.

Amen.

O saving Victim, opening wide
The gate of Heaven to man below

!

Our foes press on from every side:
Thine aid supply, Thy strength bestow.

To Thy great name be endless praise.
Immortal Godhead, one in three.

O grant us endless length of days
In our true native land with Thee.

Amen.

Hi

Thank You, Blessed Savior, for the
privilege of being here. Please help me
to spend this hour thoughtfully and
worthily for Your greater honor and
glory and for the salvation of souls.

* *

In the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.



6 An Hour with Christ

Dear Lord, here I am. There are so
many things I want to say to You and
so many things I should say to You, but
my mind is a riot of thoughts—business,
politics, domestic and business affairs,
hobbies, and everyone and everything
but You. Please help me to think and
pray this Holy Hour. Coming into Your
presence as I do from a turbulent, un-
easy and restless world, I just don’t
seem to be able to concentrate on the
immense mysteries before me. My mind
wanders and my imagination is kalei-
doscopic. Any number of distractions
would take me away from You. Please
give me the proper dispositions and
quiet me. It is so calm, peaceful and

prayerful here and so refreshing in

contrast to the gloomy atmosphere of

sin, the stuffiness of materialism and

the passionate restlessness that per-

vades the world. How truly did Saint
Augustine say, “Thou hast made us for
Thyself, 0 Lord, and our hearts can
find no rest until they rest in Thee.”

And not only did You empty Your-
self by coming into our poor world as a

Man but You even hide that humanity
in this Most Blessed Sacrament of the



An Hour with Christ 7

altar in order “to encourage us to ap-

proach Your divine Heart with greater
confidence,” as says Saint Teresa of

Avila. I draw near to You, then Jesus,
with confidence and affection in order to

adore You as my God, to thank You for
everything, to tell You that I am sorry
for my sins and for all the sins com-
mitted against You, and to beg. Yes,
dear Lord, to beg. I need You so much
in the battles and trials of my daily
life, and the world needs You now as it
never needed You before. Oh, Jesus,
help us

!

(Stop for a moment, if you wish, and ex-
pose your needs—^have a little talk with your
best Friend.)

‘T believe in God the Father ...”

Upon entering the church and just
now before beginning this exercise I
made the sign of the cross and thus pro-
claimed myself a Christian. If I would
only stop to think about it, there is a

world of truth and reality contained in
that sign. It means that I believe in
Christ and in the Redemption, for the
cross is the banner of Christ and the in-
strument of our redemption ; it means



8 An Hour with Christ

that I believe in the Holy Trinity,
Father, Son and Holy Ghost; and it
means that I am a Christian, and to be
a Christian is to be another Christ, says

Tertullian. Teach me, Master, to know
these truths; teach me, for You have
the words of eternal life . .

.

When I was baptized I gave my as-
sent, either personally or through my
sponsors, to the Apostles Creed which
is really an epitome, a summary of
Your whole doctrine. I have recited it
many times since without really think-
ing of what I was saying. It begins
with my belief in God the Father. We
cannot and do not doubt the existence of
God—^the amazing truth is that the Al-
mighty God, the Creator of all things, is

not only Your Father but He is also my
Father. I—a son of God ! The thought
is bewildering. I, a poor sinner, can

claim God for my Father! Conscious
of my unworthiness and of my natural
limitations, how could I even dream of
or think of—^much less aspire to—such
an exalted dignity? Divine sonship!

and yet we have Your words for it and
the assurance of the inspired writers.

For on one occasion when the Apostles



An Hour vnth Christ 9

asked You to teach them to pray, You
began: “Our Father ...” I am to ad-
dress God as my Father! And Saint
John, whose immense privilege it was
to lay his head on Your bosom at the
Last Supper, exclaims: ‘Behold what
manner of Charity the Father hath be-
stowed upon us, that we should he
called and should he the sons of God.”
(I John 3:1) To this the Apostle of the
Gentiles, Saint Paul, adds his testimony.

He writes to the Romans : “For whoso-
ever are led by the Spirit of God, they
are the sons of God. For you have not
received the spirit of bondage again in

fear
; but you have received the spirit of

adoption of sons, whereby we cry : Abba
(Father) . For the Spirit himself giveth
testimony to our spirit that we are the
sons of God. And if sons, heirs also;
heirs indeed of God and joint heirs with
Christ: yet so, if we suffer with him,
that we may also be glorified with him.”
(Rom. 8:14-17).

And Jesus it is through Baptism that
we enter into this divine sonship, that
we are re-born and become Christians,
children of God and heirs of heaven. It
is in the sacrament of regeneration that



10 An Hour with Christ

we become of God’s race and co-heirs
with You, His only begotten Son. To be
adopted children of God is our glorious
privilege ! We were raised to the royal
rank by our adoption—we were trans-
formed, re-born, re-created. Saint Peter

does not hesitate to say that we become
sharers of the divine nature through

the infusion of sanctifsdng grace into

our souls. To use a metaphor, the blood
of God begins to flow in our veins when
we are regenerated in the waters of
Baptism and more perfectly when we
receive You in the Holy Eucharist. What
a stimulus there is here to the cultiva-
tion of lofty ideals and noble conduct
if we would only reflect on the glory and
greatness implied in the titles we right-
fully bear as Christians: children of

God, co-heirs with You! And how
empty and cheap are the honors, riches
and titles of the world in the light of the
incomparable dignity of adopted chil-

dren of the Most High with a right to

the divine inheritance! And when we
look around today and see the sad state

of the world, the crimes being com-

mitted, the godlessness of it all and our

own native frailty and miserableness, we



An Hour with Christ 11

are tempted to become discouraged; but

oh, let the thought of our divine adop-

tion serve as a stimulus, an inspiration,

to carry on and live our lives as true

and sincere Christians should. Can I
fail to have confidence in a Father who
clothes the lilies of the field with such

beauty, who cares for the sparrows and
who even knows when a hair falls from
my head? in a Father who loves me to
the extent of making me His own son?

To be a Christian, then, means not
only that I believe all that You have re-
vealed and taught but also that I am a
child of God, an heir of heaven. Your
little brother, and a member of Your
Mystical Body for, says Saint Paul,
“You are the body of Christ and sever-
ally His members.” (I Cor. 12 :27) And
when in Baptism I received the life of
grace, God took up His dwelling in my
soul—I became a ciborium, a taber-
nable, a temple, a little heaven where
God chooses to dwell. And He will con-
tinue to dwell there as long as I am in
the state of grace ! What a tremendous
truth! God dwells within me! He is
actually there, guiding, consoling, en-

lightening, strengthening and encourag-



12 An Hour with Christ

ing me in life’s battles. Again, dear
Lord, we have Your word to assure us,
for on one occasion You said : “If any
man love Me, my Father will love him
and we will come to him and take up our
abode with him.” 0 dear Lord, help me
to grasp these truths. They are real;
the only realities in life, and in my chase
after the phantoms of this world I pass
them by. And it is because I am a Chris-
tian that I enter into this immense cycle
of truths and realities.

But—noblesse oblige—not only does
divine sonship imply dignities and privi-

leges—it also imposes the responsibility
of living up to my high calling. It im-
plies that I must be ever careful to walk
worthy of the vocation in which I am
called (Fphes. 4:1). Would I be per-

fect as my Heavenly Father is perfect,
I must take up my cross and follow You.
Yes, Lord, it is only when I follow You
and model my conduct on Yours that I
can hope to please our Father and reach

perfection. Would I please Him, I must

live and suffer like You for it is only
sufferings that will purify my mind and
detach me from myself and from the



An Hour with Christ 13

things of this world. Oh, if I could only

realize that I am a son of God, that this
world is a place of exile and that one

day I am destined to go to my Father’s
home! How differently I would act!
0 Jesus, give me some of Your love for
the Father, some of Your burning zeal
for His glory and Your spirit of perfect
filial love and obedience and submission
to his holy Will and to the dispositions
of His divine providence. Help me to
live what I believe I am : a son of God

!

0 Heavenly Father, I am deeply grate-
ful to You for having adopted me as
Your child. It is such an exalted dignity
that I can hardly believe it. I am Your
son ! and I am destined to be happy with
You forever in Your heavenly kingdom
where Jesus, Your Beloved Son, has
gone to prepare a place for us. Oh truly,
no one ever had a more loving or for-
giving Father. We fail You and offend
You so many times, and yet You are al-
ways ready and anxious to clothe us
in the best robe and lead us to the ban-
quet table. 0 my Father, help me to be
a worthy son. And, while adoring You
as my God, I approach You with child-



14 An Hour with Christ

like confidence, sure that You who out
of an act of love made me Your son will
continue to care for all my needs and
bring me home safely to You.

“ and in Jesus Christ, His only Son,
Our Lord ...”

And, Jesus, all these treasures reach

us, all these wonderful things happen to
us through You, for “when the fullness
of the time was come God sent His Son,
made of a woman, made under the law:
that he might redeem them who were
under the law : that we might receive
the adoption of sons.” (Gal. 4:4,5) 0
Jesus, how You must love man—love
me! Emptying Yourself of all Your
glory and becoming a servant. You
underwent untold sufferings and finally

died to save me ! to make me a son of
God ! 0 Jesus, “how can I love Thee as
I ought?”



An Hour with Christ 15

Hymn:

JESUS MY LORD MY GOD MY ALL

Jesus, my Lord, my God, my all!
How can I love Thee as I ought?

And how revere this wondrous gift.
So far surpassing hope or thought?

Chorus

:

Sweet Sacrament! we Thee adore,
0 make us love Thee more and more,
O make us love Thee more and more.

Had I but Mary’s sinless heart
To love Thee with, my dearest King,

O with what bursts of fervent praise
Thy goodness, Jesus would I sing!

Chorus

:

Sweet Sacrament! etc.

0 Sacred Heart, Your love knows no
bounds, and it seems that the more sin-
ful and miserable we are the more lavish
and prodigal You are with Your love.
Just glancing back over the history of

mankind I can see nothing but sin on
the part of man and only merciful for-
giveness on Your part. At the moment
of his creation. You endowed man with
every conceivable good and immunity
from evil and You destined him for an
eternity of happiness with You. And
how did man requite this love and good-
ness? The tragedy of Paradise was



16 An Hour with Christ

the answer to Your overflow of love.
Man proved recreant to his trust. Choos-
ing rather to listen to the evil one than

to You and pridefully desirous of be-
coming as gods, our first parents did
eat of the forbidden fruit . . . Every-

thing seemed to crash around them and
Adam and Eve found themselves
smothered under the wreckage their sin
had wrought. Gone was the freedom of
children of God—^they were now slaves
of the infernal tyrant. Gone was the
peace and tranquillity of innocence and
in their stead the rebellion of passions

and nature. Henceforth they are to suf-
fer and die, they are to earn their bread
in the sweat of their brow and in recom-
pense for their labors the earth will

bring forth thorns and thistles. And
instead of being givers of life to their

offspring as You had planned, they are
rather givers of death, for every child

born of Adam comes into the world a
child of death—^a servant of sin. The
outlook was dreary, despairing: slaves
of Satan, suffering, pain, death . . . The

wages of one sin. .

.

Could man hope for a better fate



An Hour with Christ 17

than that of the angels ? Could he hope

to escape the everlasting pit into which
You had plunged the angelic rebels for
a like sin of pride? With fear and
trembling man awaits his jud^ent
And turning to the serpent You cursed
him, and then : “I will put enmities be-

tween thee and the woman, and thy seed
and her seed : she shall crush thy head
and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.”
(Genes. 3:15) 0 Lord, is that the way
You punish our crimes? Is this the way
You repay our infidelity? Hardly have
we committed our sin when You offer
to redeem us. Oh, what boundless love

and mercy! 0 Jesus, why do we love
You so little? Is it because we do not
stop to think of the awfulness of sin and

the great price You paid to redeem
us? Is it maybe because we do not
think of You and Your infinite mercy at
all and commit sin without a thought

—

even indifferently? I have reviewed

Your Passion many times. Blessed Sav-
ior, and I have made the Stations of the
Cross often, but how little was I im-
pressed by all that You did and suffered.
I’m ashamed of myself. To think that



18 An Hour with Christ

it was all for me, and with what a mat-
ter-of-course attitude I take it all for

granted! As if You had to redeem me!
0 Sacred Heart, I am sorry for the in-

gratitude and coldness I have shown in
the past. Hear my cries, my pleadings,
and through that Sacred Heart which I

so often pierced with the lance of sin,

have mercy

!

LITANY OF THE SACKED HEART

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on"

us,

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God the Holy Ghost,
Holy Trinity, one God,
Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father,
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Ghost

in the Womb of the Virgin Mother,
Heart of Jesus, substantially united to

the Word of God,
Heart of Jesus, of infinite majesty.
Heart of Jesus, sacred temple of God,
Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the
Most High,

Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate
of heaven.

Heart of Jesus, burning furnace
of charity.

Have

mercy

on

us



An Hour with Christ 19

Heart of Jesus, abode of justice and love,''
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love.
Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues,
Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise.
Heart of Jesus, King and center

of all hearts.

Heart of Jesus, in which are all the
treasures of wisdom and knowledge,

Heart of Jesus in which the Father was
well pleased.

Heart of Jesus, of whose fullness we
have all received.

Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting
hills,

Heart of Jesus, patient and most
merciful.

Heart of Jesus, enriching all who invoke
Thee,

Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and r
holiness.

Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our sins.

Heart of Jesus, loaded down with
opprobrium.

Heart of Jesus, bruised for our offences,
Heart of Jesus, obedient unto death.
Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance.
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation.
Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection.
Heart of Jesus, our peace and

reconciliation.

Heart of Jesus, victim for sin.
Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who

trust in Thee,

Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die
in Thee,

Heart of Jesus, delight of all the saints,

Have

mercy

on

us



20 An Hour with Christ

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of
the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of
the world. Graciously hear us, 0 Lord,

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of
the world, Have mercy on us.
V. Jesus meek and humble of heart,
R. Make our hearts like unto Thine.

Let us pray. 0 Almighty and eternal God,
look upon the Heart of Thy dearly beloved
Son and upon the praise and satisfaction He
oifers in the name of sinners and for those
who seek Thy mercy. Be Thou appeased, and
grant us pardon in the name of the same Jesus
Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with
Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world
without end. Amen.

(300 days indulgence once a day)

Yes, Heavenly Father, look upon the
Heart of Thy Beloved Son and grant
us pardon in His name, for it is only

through Jesus that we can look for for-
giveness, for a return to Your friend-
ship. What would have happened to us.
Blessed Savior, if You had not elected
to suffer and die for us? What if the
Cross were not a Crucifix? 0 Jesus, we
owe everything to You—life, peace, hap-
piness. And in this Your Most Blessed
Sacrament You give us the Pledge of
eternal life itself. Just suppose You
had not come! The thought is breath-



An Hour with Christ 21

taking. And suppose we were born into
a Christ-less world ! Alas, it is true that

even in our own day many reject You
and Your teachings, but what would so-
ciety be like without even those marks,

those goods of Christianity it still re-

tains? without the influence of Your
Church, which is the only moral force
battling unconditionally the paganistic

trends of our civilization? Yes, Jesus,

what would our world be without You?
We need You, Jesus, I dare say even
more than the pagan world You found
upon Your entry into creation as a
Babe! Show forth, then, 0 Lord, Your
power by sparing and having mercy on
us, on our sinful world. Remove from us
this horrible scourge of wars and
“isms” which threaten to destroy society

and which are a punishment for our
past infidelities. Under the Old Law,
dear Lord, You forgave Your fickle
chosen people and removed the penal
scourges You had inflicted upon them at
the least sign of repentance. Grant,

then, to Your people in today’s world
the grace to turn towards You, to re-

pent. And, oh, how ready You are to
forgive and draw the prodigal world to



22 An Hour with Christ

Your bosom and lavish on it new and
even greater blessings

!

O Sacred Heart, if we only knew the
depths of Your love and mercy for us!
If we only realized that You desire not
the death of the sinner but that he re-

pent and be saved. Just an indication
of sorrow on his part and You are there
with untold blessings of peace and hap-
piness. “Thy sins are forgiven thee!”
0 Savior, how many times did these
words not fall from Your lips not only
restoring life to paralyzed limbs and
health to broken bodies but much more
—life to souls dead in sin. And Your
parables of the prodigal son and the
good shepherd—are they not sources of
consolation, comfort and confidence for

us poor sinners? And today, as in the
days of Your earthly existence, we can
present ourselves to You in the person
of Your priests and hear those divine
words: “Thy sins are forgiven thee.”
Sin forgiven ! It almost seems a contra-

diction, a paradox, and no matter how
many or how heinous they are. You are
ready to forgive. No matter that I
have trampled on Your Sacred Heart:
You are anxious, waiting, to forgive and



An Hour with Christ 23

take me into Your embrace if only I
turn to You and say that I am sorry.
Oh, how can I sin any more? How can
I continue to be cold and ungrateful to

a Heart that loves me so much ! Make
me love You, dear Lord, for it is only
in loving and serving You that I will
find happiness in this life and bliss in

the next.

I know. Lord, that it is easy to say

that I love You, but You have warned
me that “Not every one that saith to
Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the

kingdom of Heaven: but he that doth
the will of my Father who is in heaven,
he shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven.” My love, then, must be one of
the intellect and of the will

;
one that is

willing to sacrifice for You; one that is
willing to serve You at any cost—

a

love that forgets self in the interest of

the beloved. It must be an unselfish
love that means to be had and not to
have—a complete giving of myself to
You and Your service in the round of
my daily life. Everything I do then,
dear Lord, I will offer up to You as an
act of love and reparation. As the Apos-
tle says : “Therefore, whether you eat or



24 An Hour with Christ

drink, or whatsoever else you do, do all

to the glory of God.” (I Cor, 10:31)

In this way, by trying to fulfill perfectly

the duties of my state in life—whether
it be in factory or office, store or ware-

house—and by offering it all up to You,
I can offer You some return for Your
great love for me and make amends for
my sins and negligences of the past and
at the same time lay up for myself treas-
ures in heaven. Please help me, then, to

love and serve You as I ought. “Had I
but Mary’s sinless heart to love Thee

with, my dearest King! . . .”,

“
. .

.

conceived by the Holy Ghost, born
of the Virgin Mary ...”

And after long centuries of hope and
expectation You finally came to liberate
us from our bondage. Conceived by the
Holy Ghost, You were born of the most
pure and holy Virgin, the new Eve in
the economy of the Kedemption. Eve
had given us the poisoned fruit of

death; Mary now gives us the Fruit,
the Bread of life. At Bethlehem Mary
gave You to us and on Calvary You
gave her to us to be our real and true



An Hour with Christ 25

mother. Next to Yourself, could You
have given us a more precious Gift? a
greater testimony of Your immense love
and solicitude for poor sinners ? Thank
You, Jesus, for Your and my Mother!
and. Mother, please intercede for your

poor, needy children.

Hymn

:

MOTHER DEAR, 0 PRAY FOR ME
Mother dear, 0 pray for me!
Whilst far from Heaven and thee
I wander in a fragile bark
O’er life’s tempestuous sea,
0 Virgin Mother, from thy throne.
So bright in bliss above.
Protect thy child and cheer my path
With thy sweet smile of love.

Chorus

:

Mother dear, remember me,
And never cease thy care,
Till in heaven eternally.
Thy love and bliss I share.

Mother dear, O pray for me!
Should pleasure’s siren lay
E’er tempt thy child to wander far
From Virtue’s path away.
When thorns beset life’s devious way,
And darkling waters flow,
Then Mary aid thy weeping child.
Thyself a mother show.

Chorus:
Mother dear, etc. ..

.



26 An Hour with Christ

Dear Mother, when confronted with
your loveliness, your beauty and great-
ness I am at a loss for words. But then
I remember that you are my mother
and with child-like confidence I hasten
to you. Saint Bernard tells us that it
was never heard that anyone who fled
to you was left unaided . . . and I need
your help so very much. But before
begging from you let me tell you how
beautiful you are and how happy I am
to have you for a mother.

Mother of God—what an incompar-
able dignity ! and in keeping with God’s

ways. He endowed you with all the
beauties and graces necessary to fit you

for that sublime office. To what can
we compare you, dear Mother, for after
Jesus, there never was and never will
be a more lovely creature formed by
divine Wisdom. Saint John sees you as

a brilliant vision clothed with the sun

and having the moon at your feet and
a crown of twelve stars. But how pale
these must be when compared to you.
Mother, who are the brightest star in
God’s heavens. Poets and painters have

tried to capture your beauty and fix it



An Hour with Christ 2.1

in verse or on canvas ; while troubadors

in all ages have sung their lays to your

beauty. But all alike fail, for who can
describe your beauty, the fresh loveli-

ness of your virginity and your mother-

ly tenderness when you call forth from
God Himself the exclamation; “Behold
thou art fair, my love?”
But lest all this regal splendor and in-

comparable beauty keep me at a dis-
tance, I will hasten over to Nazareth and

call upon you in your modest little home.
What a thrill and happiness to knock
at the door and to be received by the
Mother of God herself ! Such humility

!

and it is this humility which at the
same time brings God down from His
heavens and clothes over your majestic
splendor. To the natives of the town
you are just another young mother go-
ing about the ordinary duties of caring

for your child and your modest house-
hold. But what a Mother! and what a
Child! and such humility! That little
Child who is running about and Who,
seeing you approach, runs eagerly and
climbs into your loving Motherly em-
brace is the very Son of God. And how
you mother Him ! How you clothe, feed



28 An Hour with Christ

and care for His little needs! Surely,
no child ever had a more tender, a
more loving mother.

But Nazareth and its mixed joys and
sorrows are gone. We are now standing
on Calvary. The Sacrifice is almost
complete—the divine Victim, your Son,
Mary, hangs upon the Cross. But be-
fore giving up His soul into the hands of
His Heavenly Father, He has a final be-
quest to make . . . And then, Jesus, see-
ing Your mother standing there with
John, Your beloved disciple. You said:
“Woman, behold thy son.” And after
that to the disciple : “Behold thy Mother
. .

.” and from that hour John took her
to his own.

Your Mother, Jesus, is mine! That
most lovely of all creatures, I can call
mother! Yes, just as God is my Father,
so too, is Mary my mother. We have
Your word for it, Jesus, and You are
Truth itself. Why do we always doubt
Your word? Is it because these truths
are so stupendous, these Gifts so royal,

that I can’t believe my own ears? I am
a son of God and a son of Mary in the
strictest sense of the term because You
tell me so. Please help my unbelief.



An Hour with Christ 29

O Mother, Saint John took you to his
own, for he took Jesus at His word. I

resolve henceforth to do likewise, to

take you into my heart, to treat you as
my own dear mother, to confide in you
and like Jesus, to fly to you in all my
joys and sorrows. I’m so happy dear
Mother, to think that you—even though
reigning gloriously in heaven—are so
close to me, that your mantle of love en-

folds and protects me and that I am the
object of your maternal solicitude just

as Jesus was in the little home in Naza-
reth. Yes, mother, I promise to be a

real son to you from now on. I promise
to love you by serving you and never
displease you by offending your divine
Son.

LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have
mercy on us.

God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.



30 An Hour with Christ

Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins,
Mother of Christ,
Mother of divine grace.
Mother most pure.
Mother most chaste.
Mother inviolate.
Mother undefiled.
Mother most amiable,
Mother most admirable.
Mother of Good Counsel,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Savior,
Virgin most prudent.

Virgin most venerable.

Virgin most renowned.
Virgin most powerful.
Virgin most merciful, r
Virgin most faithful.

Mirror of justice.

Seat of wisdom.

Cause of our joy,

Spiritual vessel.

Vessel of honor,

Singualr vessel of devotion,

Mystical rose.

Tower of David,
Tower of ivory.

House of gold.

Ark of the covenant.
Gate of heaven.

Morning star.

Health of the sick,

Eefuge of sinners.

Pray

for

us



An Hour with Christ 31

Comforter of the afflicted,

Help of Christians,

Queen of Angels,

Queen of Patriarchs,

Queen of Prophets,
Queen of Apostles,
Queen of Martyrs,

Queen of Confessors,
Queen of Virgins,

Queen of all Saints,

Queen conceived without original

Queen of the most holy Rosary,

Queen of Peace,

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of
the world, Spare us, O Lord,

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of
the world, Graciously hear us, 0 Lord,

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of
the world, Have mercy on us,

V. Pray for us, 0 holy Mother of God.

R. That we may be made worthy of the
promises of Christ.

Let us pray. Grant, O Lord God, we beseech
Thee, that we Thy servants may rejoice in
continual health of mind and body, and
through the glorious intercession of Blessed
Mary ever Virgin, be freed from present sor-
row and enjoy eternal gladness. Through
Christ Our Lord. Amen.

sin.

o

d
m



32 An Hour with Christ

Title upon title has ben added to the
list but, dear Mother, we cannot ex-
haust your beauties, your wonders, your

graces. Each day you manifest some
new beauty to the eyes of your children.
Just as our earthly mothers increase in

beauty each day to the eyes of their lov-
ing and devoted sons, so do you too.
Mother Mary. But there is one title
that is dearer to me than all of them
and that is—^mother. You are my
mother! No one was dearer to Jesus
than you, dear Mary. He loved you
with all the tenderness of His great

Sacred Heart, and in this—as in all else
—He is the Model for us. As a child.
He, the Amighty God, obeyed your
wishes and requests and as He grew up
He was always on the alert to please and
to serve His lovely Mother. And after
Saint Joseph died. He worked hard to
support you—always being solicitous
for your needs and comfort. Yes, Jesus,
You were the Model for us in filial devo-
tion to our Mother. Give us the grace,

please, to love and treat her as she de-

serves—^to be loving sons to her. The
Cure d’Ars was ravished, dear Mother,
by your solicitude for your children left



An Hour with Christ 33

behind on earth. He goes on to say that
you never rest and never will rest until

the end of time when you see all your
children safely in heaven. What a lovely
picture—to see you busily going about
from one child to another, caring for
the needs of each and obtaining for each

the much-needed graces from the
Father. And what have we, Mother,
that we have not received through your
hands? for in the present economy, in
the order established by God, all graces
come to us through you. You are the
dispensatrix of the riches of the Holy
Trinity. I come, then, with confidence

to you, dearest Mother and munificent
queen. Please do not turn away the
poor beggar standing at your gate, for

he is your own poor child.

(Why not pause here and have a talk with
your mother?—a real filial talk and ask her
confidentially for the things you need.)

“
. .

.

I believe in the Holy Ghost ...”

Dearest Jesus, how solicitous you al-
ways were and are for our welfare!
You gave us Your own dear Mother on
Calvary’s hill but Your concern did not



34 An Hour with Christ

rest there. Determined that we should
not be left orphans till the end of time,
You promised to ask the Father to send
the Holy Ghost : “I will ask the Father
and he shall give you another Paraclete,
that he may abide with you for ever.
The spirit of truth, whom the world
cannot receive because it seeth him not,
nor knoweth him : but you shall know
him; because he shall abide with you

and shall be in you.” (John 14:16,17)
We hasten, then, over to the Cenacle and
there in company with Mary and the
Apostles and the other disciples, we
await the coming of the Holy Spirit,
the Gift of God Most High.

Hymn

:

COME, HOLY GHOST, CEEATOR BLEST

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest.

And in our hearts take up Thy rest

;

Come with Thy grace and heav’nly aid.
To fill the hearts which Thou hast made.
To fill the hearts which Thou hast made.

O Comforter, to Thee we cry.
Thou heav’nly Gift of God Most High;
Thou fount of life and fire of love.
And sweet anointing from above.
And sweet anointing from above.



An Hour with Christ 3S

0 Holy Ghost through Thee alone,
Know we the Father and the Son,
Be this our never changing creed,
That Thou dost from them both proceed.
That Thou dost from them both proceed.

Praise we tl e Father and the Son,
And Holy Spirit with them One;
And may the Son on us bestow
The gifts that from the Spirit flow.
The gifts that from the Spirit flow.

During the ceremony of our Bap-

tism, the priest, exercising his powers

of exorcist, commanded the evil spirit
in whose bondage we were born, to de-
part and to give place to the Holy Spirit.

And at the actual moment of Baptism,
our souls, which were dead in sin, re-

ceived life and we became temples of the
Holy Ghost. Until then we were dead
as far as heaven and the supernatural
life was concerned. Like the stillborn
babe physically perfect at birth, our

souls were equipped with all the facul-
ties needed to lead our rational life but
they were dead. It is thanks to this in-
fusion of the Holy Ghost at Baptism
that we receive life. Our souls are, as it
were, given a soul—given a principle of
life which will enable them to live and



36 An Hour with Christ

act supernaturally. It is this re-birth

of which Christ spoke when He said that
we must be reborn of water and the
Holy Ghost. Our natural birth made us
members of the human race and mem-
bers of our particular families. The
supernatural birth effected by Baptism
and the infusion of the Holy Ghost
makes us members of a divine race and
sons of God, brothers of Jesus. And just
as the Holy Spirit formed our divine
Model, Jesus, so too will He form us
into worthy sons of God—if we let
Him work!

0 Jesus, send forth Thy spirit abun-
dantly into our souls that we may be-
come genuine Christians, real sons of
God and other Christs.

This presence of the Holy Spirit in

our souls which accompanies and is the

effect of Grace is generally known as the
state of grace. It is a condition of soul

wherein we are not only free from mor-
tal sin but we are actually in possession
of God, sharers of divine life, as says

Saint Peter, and children of God. Please,

Lord, help me to grasp these truths and
to realize what a treasure I carry in my



An Hour with Christ 37

soul. Help me to guard carefully this
treasure which I carry around in such

a fragile vessel. Give me such an appre-
ciation of Grace and the state of Grace

that I would rather die than lose it ; for

to lose Grace means that You leave my
soul ; and living without You here means
that I will have to live without You in
the next life! Help me to realize that
when I sin mortally I reverse the words
of the priest at Baptism. Although not

actually, I say practically : depart from
me, God, and give place to the evil
spirit ! What an exchange ! to barter the
priceless treasure of Your grace for the
toy of some passing pleasure, to trade
eternity for time, peace for remorse, and
the freedom of a child of God for the
terrible slavery of sin!

And not only does the Holy Spirit
give life to the soul but He also perfects,
develops and sanctifies it—if we let
Him ! Most of us are disappointments
to God. With all the potentialities in
our souls for greatness we end up very
mediocre. What is wrong, Jesus? Is it
perversity of will that obstructs the di-

vine action in us? Is it our own self-
seeking that shrinks up our souls with



38 An Hour with Christ

selfishness? Or is it because we fail to
grasp the purpose of life? We have
Your Holy Mass, we have the Sacra-
ments channelling to us the merits of
Your life and death, we have all the
means at our disposal to make us spir-
itual giants—and we fail. The Spirit of
God, the Finger of God, who formed
You, Jesus, into the GREAT ONE, is at
work in our souls to form us after You

;

and what are we ? Is it that our hearts,
our minds, our feet, are stuck so fast

in the mucky clay of this world that they
cannot be lifted to You? Is it that we
allow our minds to become so filled with
creatures that there is very little or no

space left for the Creator?

0 Holy Ghost, we are sorry that we
have grieved You till now. Make us
more amenable, more responsive to
Your grace, more submissive to Your
divine action, so that Christ may be
formed in us. Teach us that the things

of this world are only to be used as

means to bring us to You and not as
ends in themselves. Teach us that we
are pilgrims here and that the earth is

not our home. Teach us that unless we



An Hour with Christ 39

accept and use the grace You are pleased
to send us, we shall stumble and fall on
the way—and suppose we do not rise
again ! Please give us the strength, the

courage, to live our faith in the face of

and in spite of every obstacle, so that

persevering we may be saved. Give us
an abundance of Your Gifts which
make us apt and capable of living and
acting supernaturally. Infuse into our

souls a lively faith, that we may not
only believe, but live what we believe;
a firm hope and confidence in Your
goodness and promises; and an ardent
love and burning charity for God and
the things of God, and for our neigh-
bors. In a word, 0 Holy Spirit, make
us like unto Jesus.

And so, dear Lord, we approach the
end of our visit. It has passed by so
quickly, peacefully and pleasantly. You
have brought home to me so many
truths which I have always believed,
but the import of which I never realized
because I never stopped to think about
them—^truths which, if realized and
lived, would make my life fuller, richer



40 An Hour with Christ

and happier. I promise to take the
time to think and read, and even, if
necessary, to consult the pastor You
have placed over us about the richness

of our Faith. Surely, if I fully realized

what it means to be a son of God, a
brother of You, Jesus, a temple of the

Holy Ghost and a child of Mary, I would
lead a genuinely Christian life and
would not allow myself to become taint-
ed with the materialism, modernism and

hundred other “isms” of our twentieth

century world. And did I but often call
to mind the promises I made at Baptism
to renounce Satan and all his works

—

promises too little valued and too easily

broken—I would not be so likely to be-
tray my God and expel Him from my
life. And finally, did I but realize the
priceless pearl that is mine in the gift

of Faith! It opens up to me the vast
realms of the Father’s kingdom and en-

ables me to say the “I believe” which is
the password to eternal life.

Thank you, dear Lord, for every-

thing. I am going back into the busy,
care-filled world, but I do not go alone

—

I am taking You with me as the treas-



An Hour with Christ 41

ured Guest of my soul. I need You at
every turn of the road. May You always
be to me “the way, the truth and the
life.”

I promise to call again very soon.

*

Venite adoremus: come let us adore Himt

BENEDICTION

Tantum ergo Sacramentum
Veneremur cernui:

Et antiquum documentum
Novo cedat ritui:

Praestet fides supplementum
Sensuum defectui.

Genitori, Genitoque

Laus et jubilatio:
Salus, honor, virtus quoque

Sit et benedictio:

Procedenti ab utroque

Compar sit laudatio. Amen.

Down in adoration falling,
Lo ! the sacred Host we hail

!

Lo ! o’er ancient forms departing.
Newer rites of grace prevail;

Faith for all defects supplying

Where the feeble senses fail.



42 An Hour with Christ

To the Everlasting Father,

And the Son who reigns on high,
With the Holy Ghost proceeding

Forth from each eternally.

Be salvation, honor, blessing.

Might and endless majesty. Amen.

y. Panem de coelo praestitisti eis.

B. Omne delectamentum in se habentem.

V. Thou gavest them bread from heaven.

R. Having in it the sweetness of every taste.

OREMUS

Deus, qui nobis sub Sacramento mirabili pas-
sionis tuae memoriam reliquisti; tribue, quae-
sumus, ita nos corporis et sanguinis tui sacra

mysteria venerari; ut redemptionis tuae fruc-

tum in nobis jugiter sentiamus. Qui vivis et
regnas in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

LET US PRAY

O God, who, under a wonderful Sacrament
hast left us a memorial of Thy passion

:
grant

us, we beseech Thee, so to venerate the sacred
mysteries of Thy Body and Blood that we may
ever feel within ourselves the fruit of Thy Re-
demption. Who livest and reignest, world with-
^out end. Amen.



An Hour with Christ 43

THE DIVINE PRAISES

Blessed be God.

Blessed be His Holy name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true

man.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Blessed be His most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament

of the Altar.

Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary
most holy.

Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Concep-
tion.

Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and
Mother.

Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste
Spouse.

Blessed be God in His Angels and and in
His Saints.

(Indulgence of two years—Leo XIII, Feb 2,
1897.)

Psalm 116

Laudate Dominum omnes Gentes: * laudate
eum, omnes populi.

Quoniam confirmata est super nos misericor-
dia ejus: * et veritas Domini manet in aeter-
num.

Gloria Patri, etc.

0 praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise
Him, all ye people.

For His mercy is confirmed upon us: and
the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.

Glory be to the Father, etc.



44 An Hour with Christ

HOLY GOD WE PRAISE THY NAME

Holy God, we praise Thy name;
Lord of all, we bow before Thee;
All on earth Thy septre claim,
All in heaven above adore Thee.

Infinite Thy vast domain,
Everlasting is Thy reign.
Infinite Thy vast domain,
Everlasting is Thy reign.

Hark the loud celestial hymn,

Angel Choirs above are raising;

Cherubim and Seraphim,

In unceasing chorus praising.

Fill the heavens with sweet accord,

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord.

Fill the heavens with sweet accord.

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord.

O



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