Opera Omnia

INSTRUCTION V
THE EUCHARISTIC VISIT
A note on the Master as educator

The group Master is to be among his own like Jesus among his disciples. He nurtures their mind, lives with them, listens to them, together and singly as the case may be. He prays with them, celebrates Mass for them, gives them communion, guides and corrects. If he can he starts off their games and fun. Let him keep an eye on everyone, chiefly at such times as after supper, going to bed, getting up, in the bathroom, holidays. He is their main aide, friend, father and mother.
He portrays the eye of God depicted in Psalm 139[138]: 1-12:
O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me!
Thou knowest when I sit down and when I rise up;
thou discernest my thoughts from afar.
Thou searchest out my path and my lying down,
and art acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
Thou dost beset me behind and before,
and layest thy hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

it is high, I cannot attain it.
Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?
Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend to heaven, thou art there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there!
If I take the wings of the morning and dwell
in the uppermost parts of the sea,
even there thy hand shall lead me,
and thy right hand shall hold me.
If I say, Let only darkness cover me,
and the light about me be night,
even the darkness is not dark to thee,
the night is bright as the day;
for darkness is as light with thee.

Art. 116. Except of necessity coupled with the approval of the Superior, members must shun entirely conversations and relations with persons of the opposite sex, whoever they may be. So as to remove every danger or suspicion of evil in this matter, the precautions recommended by the saints should be taken.
Art. 117. To please the Divine Master, all members shall strive to practise this angelic virtue in mind, heart and body. In order more effectively to follow this virtue, they should be constant in prayer and mortification, practise a special devotion to the Immaculate Virgin Mary, and approach the Sacraments with a humble and fervent spirit.

Everything from the Tabernacle

The most holy Eucharist is the principal sacrament. It not only symbolizes and communicates grace, as for example, the water in baptism, but it contains the Author of grace, Jesus Christ, in his Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.

In the Mass this sacrament renews the sacrifice of the cross, from which, as from a spring, grace flows.
It becomes the food, true nourishment, of the soul, the benefits of which are grace, joy, strength, and transformation of our life in Jesus Christ: vivit in me Christus.¹
Moreover, the Eucharist is not something transitory, as is absolution; rather, it has a permanence in the Tabernacle: vobiscum sum;² it dwells supreme in our cities, towns and villages.
We have to reciprocate this great love of Jesus by assisting at Mass, receiving Communion, and visiting the Lord in our churches.
Our Pauline life issued from the Tabernacle; that is the way it is to be lived; that is the way it will be consumed, by means of Viaticum.
Everything comes from the Tabernacle, without the Tabernacle there is nothing.

What the Visit is

In the Gospel of Saint John we read: John [the Baptist] was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God!' The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, 'What do you seek?' And they said to him, 'Rabbi (which means Teacher), where are you staying?' He said to them, 'Come and see.' They came and saw where he was staying; and they stayed with him that day (1:35-39). They became disciples and apostles of Jesus. One was John the evangelist; the other (Andrew) first went to look for his brother, Peter, and led him to Jesus.
This is the first visit to Jesus which marked his

public life: a one day visit. It changed them. It was the first model of the Visit. It highlights the precious benefits that the Visit to Jesus produces in a soul.
So it is for the Aspirant, for the Pauline apostle, the Brother, the Priest. With well-made Visits they will receive light, comfort, grace, joy, perseverance and holiness.

What the Visit is. It is a meeting of the soul and of our whole being with Jesus.
It is the creature who meets with the Creator.
It is the disciple with the Divine Teacher.
It is the infirm with the Physician of souls.
It is the destitute who has recourse to Wealth.
It is the parched who drinks at the Source.
It is the powerless in the presence of the All-Powerful.
It is the tempted who seeks secure Refuge.
It is the blind who seeks Light.
It is the friend who goes to the true Friend.
It is the lost sheep sought out by the Divine Shepherd.
It is the lost soul who finds the Way.
It is the fool who finds Wisdom.
It is the bride who finds the Spouse of her soul.
It is nothingness that finds Everything.
It is the afflicted who finds the Comforter.
It is the youth who finds guidance for life.
It is the shepherds at the crib, Mary Magdalene at Simon's house, Nicodemus who comes by night.
It is the holy discussions of the Samaritan woman, of Zacchaeus, of Philip and of the Apostles with Jesus; especially in the last week of his earthly life and after the resurrection.
We go to Jesus as our Mediator between God and humanity;

as the Father's Priest; as the Victim of atonement; as the promised Messiah; as the Word of God; as the Good Shepherd; as Way and Truth and Life; as Saviour of the world.
In the tiny Tabernacle there is the Model of all perfection; in the small Host there is the One who made everything; He who is: the joy of the Blessed in heaven, the Religious of his heavenly Father; the Viaticum of life, the Friend, our greatest Good and eternal happiness.

Importance

It is prescribed by the Constitutions and by Canon Law.
It comprises three obligatory practices: spiritual reading, examination of conscience, and the holy Rosary.
It is to give in return what we owe to the One who is our Guest, Friend, Brother, Salvation.
He is the Teacher of faith, morals, and prayer. It is our duty to go to his school.
The Visit is the practice which guides and influences our whole life and apostolate the most.
It draws together the fruits of all our other practices and brings them to fruition.
It is the great means for living the whole Jesus Christ.
It is the great means for putting childhood aside and forming a personality in Christ.
It is the secret for our transformation in Christ: vivit vero in me Christus.³
It is experiencing the relationship of Jesus with his Father and with humanity.
It is the guarantee of perseverance.

It assures serenity in death: I went to visit Jesus every day; now that I am going to him I am sure that he will welcome me; he will make himself known, he will reveal himself, and I shall see him face to face; it is his face, his spirit, his love that I have always sought; he will not cast me away.

Method

There are many methods for making the Visit, ranging from the simple form of vocal prayer, to the prayer of simplicity, and on to transforming union.
But if you want order then follow the four aims: adoration, thanksgiving, reparation, and petition.
Reflect on and ask for the three theological virtues, or the four cardinal virtues.
Recollect yourself and speak to Jesus in a way which is comfortable for you. There is the Visit of the penitent, of the contemplative, of the teacher, of the priest, of the writer, of the confessor, and so on.
In the Pauline Family the general way of making the Visit is according to the devotion to Jesus our Teacher Way, Truth and Life. The Visit is made in three parts; the first two parts can be reversed.
Example:
a) You come to the school of Jesus Truth: Ego sum Veritas. You start with spiritual reading which is also prescribed by the Constitutions, in accordance with Canon Law. Or you can reflect on a truth in the supernatural

or the natural order, taken perhaps from theology; or you can read a passage from the Gospel, from the Letters of Saint Paul, or from a book on ascetical or mystical theology, and so on. Then you make your reflection, you ask for an increase of faith and light, you enter into sweet converse with Jesus. Act of faith, the Creed…

b) You make the examination of conscience. Contemplate the Divine Model: Ego sum Via; or you can reflect on a virtue, a moral principle, and so on.
Reflect on Jesus at some stage of his life: in the crib, at Nazareth, in the desert, his public life, times of suffering and glory, his eucharistic presence; listen to his words on perfection, the beatitudes, charity, mortification, the call, the evangelical counsels; contemplate such virtues of Jesus as meekness, humility, toil, obedience, patience and so on. We take him as a mirror image, we can compare ourselves to him, especially as regards the virtue we wish to acquire and the resolutions we make; let us get down to the nitty-gritty of the day.
Thanksgiving and sorrow follow; recite the act of contrition; express what flows from these reflections, and close with a lively desire for perfection and a practical resolution.

c) Time for prayer: Ego sum Vita. Pray for habitual grace and actual grace. Recite the Rosary; make a spiritual communion; renew your baptismal or religious vows. Pray with Jesus, with Mary and with Saint Paul.
Make use of the best prayers for us and for the world; make frequent use of the liturgical prayers.
At other times you can use personal prayers; many requests concern our particular needs and those of others.
If you want to mark off the three parts of the Visit, especially when it is made in common, it can be helpful at the conclusion

of the first part to recite or sing the beginning of the Gospel of Saint John: In principio erat Verbum…;⁴ at the conclusion of the second part to recite the Beatitudes: Beati pauperes…;⁵ at the conclusion of the third part to recite the priestly prayer of Jesus Pater, venit hora, clarifica…⁶
Or other preferred prayers and hymns. When the Visit is made in common make sure you choose prayers and hymns that everyone knows.

Practical points

Make the Visit, preach on the Visit, launch the Visit.
a) Fidelity to the Visit has immense personal and social advantages.
Choose the most peaceful time.
If you get bored, lengthen the Visit by five minutes.
Since our Pauline life is more exposed to dangers it would not resist without the Visit. If this had not been laid down in the Constitutions they would not have sufficiently provided for our perfection and for our apostolate.
It is in Christ that our union of spirit, faith, charity, purpose and activity finds its roots.

b) Pep-talks can be a help for the community when making the Visit. In general there should be three points but a single object. Take faith, for example. The three points are to understand it, to live it and to ask it of the Lord.
Preach often on the Visit because people find so many difficulties and specious reasons for getting out of it.

c) Launching the Visit. Start off with vocal prayer and then move on to mental prayer.
Set out a fact such as the multiplication of the loaves, the Last Supper; explain prayers and then recite them; highlight a mystery of the Rosary, explain it and recite it. Use the same method but vary the application; never get tired of it.
To start people off on the Visit and to attain a higher degree of prayer, proceed according to their frame of mind and God's gifts:
1. Vocal prayer,
2. Mental prayer,
3. Affective prayer,
4. Prayer of simplicity,
5. Infused contemplation,
6. Prayer of quiet,
7. Prayer of simple or full union,
8. Ecstatic union (spiritual espousals),
9. Transforming union (spiritual marriage).
Every person consecrated to God has the vocation and the grace to achieve this highest degree. It is to fulfil Saint Paul's words, Vivo ego, iam non ego; vivit vero in me Christus [Gal 2:20].
Although these loftier degrees of prayer go beyond the ascetical way and belong to the mystical way they are not extraordinary phenomena as are visions, apparitions, levitation or revelations; they are ordinary prayer.
For a further explanation of these forms of prayer refer to a good book of Ascetical and Mystical Theology.

Warning: avoid formalism

Avoid all formalism. This holds good for all prayer but especially for the eucharistic Visit. To make the Visit simply to observe a custom,⁷ to satisfy the rule, is a materialistic misuse of the timetable, a reflex action which is an end in itself. It is to make of life a compartmentalized piece of furniture. The real Visit is a spirit which pervades the whole of our time, thoughts, relationships and the like. It is a sap or life-giving current which influences everything and communicates its spirit to the most ordinary things. It shapes a spirituality that is lived out and passed on. It shapes the spirit of prayer which, once cultivated, changes all kind of work into prayer.
To achieve this unity there has to be a circulation of life's various parts. The Benedictines' life is liturgy, fully meditated on, experienced and practised. It constitutes their spiritual, active and ministerial life.
Likewise is the eucharistic Visit for the Pauline.

- If the Visit made by all those who are seeking progress were less in danger of becoming something conventional;
- if the aim were to make it the heart of the day, instead of a door to go in and out of;
- if the Visit were the life-blood that sustains all the other acts of piety;
- if it were to gush from the depths of our soul, and our everyday life, and less from conventional methods, or books, or superficial prayer formulae;
- if the Visit were to lead us to cultivate a supernatural basis illuminating everything, a spiritual generosity in our self-giving

and our actions, a deep sense of God's presence in us;
- if, after being with Jesus Christ, we were to experience his living and active presence in our being and, little by little, feel the growing need to plunge into the supernatural, to refresh ourselves;
then we would soon achieve the ninth degree of prayer, transformation into Christ; in other words, vivit vero in me Christus.
Life is transformed into prayer, prayer bestows life.