Greco-Christian stream·The Imitation of Christ·Book IV — Of the Sacrament of the Altar·Chapter XII. That He Who Is About To Communicate With Christ Ought To Prepare Himself With Great Diligence
XII. Great diligence in preparing for communion
On the diligence proper to the immediate preparation for communion. The discipline of recollection in the hour before the altar; the gathering-back of scattered thoughts; the kindling of desire for what is about to be received.
Source context
- Theme
- diligent interior preparation of the soul before receiving Christ in the Eucharist
- Soul-faculty
- Consciousness Soul
Steiner
not engaged in the GA corpus
Cross-tradition
- Jewish liturgical preparation (teshuvah / cheshbon ha-nefesh)Cross-tradition congruence: the rabbinic discipline of moral self-accounting before sacred encounter structurally parallels the chapter's insistence that unworthiness, if unexamined, renders the communicant spiritually closed to the divine presence.
- Sufi adab doctrineCross-tradition congruence: the Sufi requirement of adab — precise, reverential comportment of soul and body — before entering the presence of the shaykh or the divine mirrors the chapter's demand for interior cleansing and collected attention prior to communion.
- Neoplatonic catharsis (Plotinus, Enneads I.6)Cross-tradition congruence: Plotinus treats purification of the soul as the necessary precondition for union with the One, a structural parallel to the chapter's insistence that diligent self-preparation precedes and enables genuine sacramental encounter.
Chapter XII. That He Who Is About To Communicate With Christ Ought To Prepare Himself With Great Diligence
THAT HE WHO IS ABOUT TO COMMUNICATE WITH CHRIST OUGHT TO PREPARE HIMSELF WITH GREAT DILIGENCE
The Voice of the Beloved
I am the Lover of purity, and Giver of sanctity. I seek a pure heart, and there is the place of My rest. Prepare for Me the larger upper room furnished, and I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples.(1) If thou wilt that I come unto thee and abide with thee, purge out the old leaven,(2) and cleanse the habitation of thy heart. Shut out the whole world, and all the throng of sins; sit as a sparrow alone upon the house-top,(3) and think upon thy transgressions with bitterness of thy soul. For everyone that loveth prepareth the best and fairest place for his beloved, because hereby the affection of him that entertaineth his beloved is known.
2Yet know thou that thou canst not make sufficient preparation out of the merit of any action of thine, even though thou shouldest prepare thyself for a whole year, and hadst nothing else in thy mind. But out of My tenderness and grace alone art thou permitted to draw nigh unto My table; as though a beggar were called to a rich man's dinner, and had no other recompense to offer him for the benefits done unto him, but to humble himself and to give him thanks. Do therefore as much as lieth in thee, and do it diligently, not of custom, nor of necessity, but with fear, reverence, and affection, receive the Body of thy beloved Lord God, who vouchsafeth to come unto thee. I am He who hath called thee; I commanded it to be done; I will supply what is lacking to thee; come and receive Me.
3When I give the grace of devotion, give thanks unto thy God; it is not because thou art worthy, but because I had mercy on thee. If thou hast not devotion, but rather feelest thyself dry, be instant in prayer, cease not to groan and knock; cease not until thou prevail to obtain some crumb or drop of saving grace. Thou hast need of Me, I have no need of thee. Nor dost thou come to sanctify Me, but I come to sanctify thee and make thee better. Thou comest that thou mayest be sanctified by Me, and be united to Me; that thou mayest receive fresh grace, and be kindled anew to amendment of life. See that thou neglect not this grace, but prepare thy heart with all diligence, and receive thy Beloved unto thee.
4But thou oughtest not only to prepare thyself for devotion before Communion, thou must also keep thyself with all diligence therein after receiving the Sacrament; nor is less watchfulness needed afterwards, than devout preparation beforehand: for good watchfulness afterwards becometh in turn the best preparation for the gaining more grace. For hereby is a man made entirely indisposed to good, if he immediately return from Communion to give himself up to outward consolations. Beware of much speaking; remain in a secret place, and hold communion with thy God; for thou hast Him whom the whole world cannot take away from thee. I am He to whom thou oughtest wholly to give thyself; so that now thou mayest live not wholly in thyself, but in Me, free from all anxiety.
(1) Mark xiv. 14, 15. (2) 1 Corinthians v. 7. (3) Psalm cii. 7.