Sunday 1st August, 2010
The Ninth Sunday After Trinity
Catechism Prayers: Holy Communion
By Bishop Thomas Ken (1637-1711)
These Prayers are taken from "The Practice Of Divine Love" by Thomas Ken, Bishop of Bath And Wells under King Charles II. They are intended to help in the study of the Prayer Book Catechism.
Catechism Q & A
Q. Why was the sacrament of the Lord's supper ordained?
A. For the continual remembrance of the sacrifice of the death of Christ,
and of the benefits which we receive thereby.
Q. What is the outward part, or sign of the Lord's supper?
A. Bread and wine, which the Lord hath commanded to be received.
Q. What is the inward part, or thing signified?
A. The body and blood of Christ, which are verily and indeed taken and
received by the faithful in the Lord's supper.
Q. What are the benefits whereof we are partakers thereby?
A. The strengthening and refreshing of our souls by the body and blood
of Christ, as our bodies are by the bread and wine.
Q. What is required of them who come to the Lord's supper?
A. To examine themselves whether they repent them truly of their former
sins, stedfastly purposing to lead a new life; have a lively faith in Grod's mercy
through Christ, with a thankful remembrance of his death, and be in charity with
all men.
Institution
GLORY be to Thee, O crucified Love, who at thy last supper didst ordain the holy eucharist, the sacrament and feast of love.
It was "for the continual remembrance of the sacrifice of Thy death," O blessed Jesu, "and of the benefits we receive thereby," that Thou wast pleased to ordain this sacred and awful rite: all love, all glory, be to Thee.
Ah, dearest Lord, how little sensible is he of Thy love in dying for us, who can ever forgot Thee!
Ah, woe is me, that ever a sinner should forget his Saviour, and yet, alas, how prone are we to do it!
GLORY be to Thee, O gracious Jesu, who, to help our memories, and to impress Thy love deep on our souls, hast instituted the blessed sacrament, and commanded us, - "Do this in remembrance of Me."
O Jesu, let the propitiatory sacrifice of Thy death, which Thou didst offer upon the cross for the sins of the whole world, and particularly for my sins, be ever fresh in my remembrance.
O blessed Saviour, let that mighty salvation Thy love has wrought for us, never slip out of my mind; but especially, let my remembrance of Thee in the holy sacrament be always most lively and affecting.
O Jesu, if I love Thee truly, I shall be sure to frequent Thy altar, that I may often remember all the wonderful loves of my crucified Redeemer.
I know, O my Lord and my God, that a bare remembrance of Thee is not enough; O, do Thou therefore fix in me such a remembrance of Thee as is suitable to the infinite love I am to remember; work in me all those holy and heavenly affections which become the remembrance of a crucified Saviour.
Back to topThe Outward Part
GLORY be to Thee, O adorable Jesu, who, under the outward and visible part, the "bread and wine," things obviously and easily prepared, both which "Thou hast commanded to be" received, dost communicate to our souls the mystery of Divine love, the "inward and invisible grace," Thy own most blessed "body and blood, which are verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful in Thy supper;" for which all love, all glory, be to Thee.
Back to topThe Inward Part
O GOD incarnate, how the bread and the wine, unchanged in their substance, become Thy body, and Thy blood; after what extraordinary manner Thou, who art in heaven, art present throughout the whole sacramental action, to every devout receiver; "how Thou canst give us Thy flesh to eat, and Thy blood to drink; how Thy flesh is meat indeed, and Thy blood is drink indeed; how he that eateth Thy flesh, and drinketh Thy blood, dwelleth in Thee, and Thou in him; how he shall live by Thee, and be raised up by Thee to life eternal;" (John 6:54) I can by no means comprehend, but I firmly believe all Thou hast said, and I firmly rely on Thy omnipotent love, to make good Thy word; for which all love, all glory, be to Thee.
Back to topReal Presence
I BELIEVE, O crucified Lord, that "the bread which we break" in the celebration of the holy mysteries is the communication of Thy body (1 Cor 10:16), and the "cup of blessing which we bless" is the communication of Thy blood; and that Thou dost as effectually and really convey Thy body and blood to our souls by the bread and wine, as Thou didst Thy Holy Spirit by Thy breath to Thy disciples (John 20:22); for which all love, all glory, be to Thee.
Lord, what need I labour in vain to search out the manner of Thy mysterious presence in the sacrament, when my love assures me Thou art there? All the faithful who approach Thee with prepared hearts, they well know Thou art there; they feel the virtue of Divine love going out of Thee, to heal their infirmities, and to inflame their affections; for which all love, all glory, be to Thee.
O HOLY Jesu, when at Thy altar I see the bread broken, and the wine poured out, O, teach me to discern Thy body there (1 Cor 11:29): O, let those sacred and significant actions create in me a most lively remembrance of Thy sufferings, how Thy most blessed body was scourged, and wounded, and bruised, and tormented; how Thy most precious blood was shod for my sins; and set all my powers on work to love Thee, and to celebrate Thy love in thus dying for me.
Back to topIn Both Kinds
GLORY be to Thee, O Jesu, who didst institute the holy eucharist in both kinds, and hast "commanded" both "to be received," (Mt 26:26-27; John 6:53) both the bread and the wine, both Thy body broken, and Thy blood shed: Thy love, O Lord, has given me both, and both are equally significative and productive of Thy love: I do as much thirst after the one, as I hunger after the other; I equally want both; and it would be grievous to my love to be deprived of either.
Ah, Lord, who is there that truly loves Thee, when Thou givest him two distinct pledges of Thy love, can be content with one only? What lover can endure to have one half of Thy love withheld from him 1 and therefore all love, all glory, be to Thee, for giving both.
Back to topBenefits
O MY Lord and my God, do Thou so dispose my heart to be Thy guest at Thy holy table, that I may feel all the sweet influences of love crucified, "the strengthening and refreshing of my soul, as our bodies are by the bread and wine;" for which I will ever adore and love Thee.
O merciful Jesu, let that immortal food, which in the holy eucharist Thou vouchsafest me, instil into my weak and languishing soul new supplies of grace, new life, new love, vigour, and new resolution, that I may never more faint, or droop, or tire in my duty.
O crucified Love, raise in me fresh ardours of love and consolation, that it may be henceforth the greatest torment I can endure ever to offend Thee, that it may be my greatest delight to please Thee.
O amiable Jesu, when I devoutly receive the outward elements, as sure as I receive them, I receive Thee, I receive the pledges of Thy love, to quicken mine: O, indulge me, though but for a moment, one beatific foretaste of the dehciousness of Thy love, that in fhe strength of that dehciousness I may perseveringly love Thee.
Back to topPreparation
GLORY be to Thee, my Lord and my God, who hast now given me an invitation to Thy heavenly feast: (Mt 11:28; Lk 14:17) all love, all glory, be to Thee.
Lord, give me grace, that I may approach Thy awful mystery with penitential preparation, and with a heart fully disposed to love Thee.
Back to topExamination
O MY God, my Judge, give me grace, I most humbly beseech Thee, to examine (1 Cor 11:28) my whole life past, by the rule of Thy commandments, before I presume to eat of that bread, and drink of that cup: give me grace sadly to reflect on and deplore all my provocations, lest, coming to the holy eucharist impenitent and unprepared, I receive "unworthily, and eat and drink my own damnation."
O Thou great Searcher of hearts, Thou knowest all that load of impiety and guilt under which I lie: O, help me so impartially to judge and condemn myself, so humbly to repent and beg pardon, that I may not be condemned at Thy tribunal, when I shall appear there at the last day, that I may be set at Thy right hand amongst Thy lovers.
Lord, give me grace to search every secret of my heart, to leave no sin, if possible, unrepented of; fill my eyes full of tears of love, that with those tears I may lament all the indignities I have offered Thy love.
But alas, alas, after the most strict examination we can make, who can number his impieties, "who can tell how oft he offendeth" Lord (Ps 19:12), therefore cleanse me from my secret faults, which in general I renounce and bewail.
Back to topRepentance
O MY God, Thou who alone changest the heart, O, be Thou pleased to change mine; change my aversion to Thee into an entire love of Thee. O, give me a filial repentance, that with a broken and contrite heart I may grieve, and mourn, and repent, for all my former sins, and may forever forsake them, and return to my obedience.
Back to topAmendment
LET Thy love, O my God, so perfectly exhaust my soul, that I may for the future "steadfastly purpose to lead a new life," that I may renew my baptismal vow, that I may hereafter live as a sworn votary to Thy love.
Back to topFaith
O HEAVENLY Father, settle in my soul a lively faith in Thy mercy through Christ, a steady belief of all Thy love to sinners, and an affectionate reliance on the merits and mediation of Thy crucified Son, of my being "accepted in the Beloved," (Eph 1:6) for whom I will ever adore and love Thee.
Back to topThanksgiving
O MY crucified God, Thou sovereign inflammative of love, let the "remembrance of Thy death" set all the powers of my soul on work, that I may desire and pant after Thee (Ps 43:1-2; Ps 63:1); that I may admire and adore Thee; that I may take heavenly delight in Thy gracious presence; that with praise and thanksgiving, with jubilation and triumph, I may receive Thee into my heart; there I will have love, only love, always love to entertain Thee.
Back to topCharity
LORD, when I present myself, and my love, as all the gift I have to offer at Thy altar, next to my love to Thee, and for the sake of Thy infinite love to me, which I there remember, give me grace to love my neighbor, "and to be in charity with all men, and to walk in love (Eph 5:2), as Thou hast loved us, and hast given Thyself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet smelling savour;" for which all love, all glory, be to Thee.
Back to topIn Forgiving
O MOST reconcilable Jesu, in this memorial of Thy sufferings, I see how Thou didst forgive me, and didst love me when I was Thy enemy: O, for Thy dearest love to me, give me love to forgive all my enemies, (Mt 6:14-15) and to be at peace with the world, as I desire to be loved and forgiven, and to be at peace with Thee.
All that have any way injured me, O my God, I freely forgive, for Thy sake; O, do Thou also forgive them: incline them to brotherly charity, and let them at last feel the comfort of that reconciliation Thou didst make upon the cross; for which I will ever adore and love Thee.
Back to topRestoring
O MY God, if I have wronged or injured my neighbour, O, give me grace to beg his pardon, and, as I have opportunity, to make him satisfaction and restitution, according to my power.
Back to topGiving
O CRUCIFIED Love, whenever I see Thee, in any of Thy poor members, hungry or naked, or in distress (Mt 25:35), O, let the remembrance of Thy love, in dying for me, engage me to contribute all I can to Thy relief; O, may I ever be liberal in my alms to Thee, who wert so liberal of Thy inestimable blood for me!
