examination of the heart 222 So today, quite a few people will surround Him, many will come to Him, some will consume Him under the species of bread, but perhaps all will lack the desire with which it is appropriate to consume such a great food. Therefore, lest this situation happen here, arouse in yourself a thousand times the desire to receive the Lord, so that at least one soul may be found who would show a true longing for Him, who would be recognized as having come to Him worthily and who would gain from Him the greatest benefit. After Holy Communion 1. “it is to your advantage that I go away” (Jn 16:7). Consider the Lord’s departure from your soul to be twofold: first because of you, and second because of His own will. First of all, God departs fromaman’s soul becauseHe cannot remain there due to the dense darkness of sin and the filth of evil deeds. David lamented this in the past and sighed, saying, “My heart throbs” in me. Why? Because, he said, “my strength fails me; [f.51v] and the light of my eyes — it also has gone from me” (Ps 38:11). In the second case God departs in order to probe the steadiness, faith, and fortitude of a soul dear to Him. He deprives it of His presence, consolations, and favors; and instead He lets it fall into innumerable anxieties, fears, and temptations. But this withdrawal is a strong indication of love: therefore, the soul should surrender itself into divine hands and let his Majesty do with it as pleases His will. If you did not expel Him, His absence will certainly be to your benefit, and it will be expedient to you that He goes away. But the other kind of departure is dangerous and dreadful, inasmuch as it is an indication that the infernal spirit is coming into the soul. The Book of Kings speaks about it: “Now the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him” (1 Sam 16:14). Therefore, be on your guard not to become the cause for this other kind of withdrawal. Instead,
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