That the great goodness and love of God is exhibited to man in this sacrament.
The voice of the disciple.
*IN confidence of thy goodness and mercy, I come, O Lord, a sick man unto my Saviour, hungry and thirsty to the fountain of life, needy to the king of heaven, a servant unto my Lord, a creature to my Creator, disconsolate to thee my merciful comforter.
But whence is this to me, that thou vouchsafest to come unto me? Who am I, that thou shouldst give thyself unto me?
How dare a sinner appear before thee? And how is it that thou dost vouchsafe to come unto a sinner?
Thou knowest thy servant, and seest that he hath no good thing in him, for which thou shouldst bestow this favour upon him.
I confess my unworthiness; I acknowledge thy goodness; I praise thy mercy, and give thee thanks for thy transcendent love.
For thou dost this for thine own sake, not for any merits of mine: that thy goodness may be better known unto me, thy love more abundantly shewn, and thy gracious condescension the more eminently displayed.
Since therefore it is thy pleasure, and thou hast commanded that it should be so, this thy favour is also pleasing to me, and may my sins be no hindrance.
2. O most sweet and benign Jesu, how great reverence and thanks [♦]are due unto thee for the receiving of thy sacred body, whose preciousness no man is able to express!