Readers of The King of the Golden City will appreciate the theme of preparing a fitting welcome for the King, and of making His visits as fruitful as possible. But sometimes our preparation and thanksgiving are more difficult than they should be; we are distracted by worldly cares, or experiencing spiritual dryness, or simply feeling that the preformulated prayers we are using do not express the sentiments we feel.
Mother Loyola meets us in these difficulties with Welcome!, a collection of meditations for before and after Holy Communion. Rather than supplying a fixed set of prayers, she approaches each Communion from a different point of view—a particular mood, need, or burden—giving the soul a thought upon which to dwell and helping it to find its own words for Our Lord. This is more than just a collection for occasional difficulty; there is a whole Eucharistic life contained within.
Whether we come to Him as a sinner, a friend, a patient, a toiler, a suppliant, a cross-bearer, or simply as one longing to love Him better, Mother Loyola teaches us how to receive our Divine Guest with the welcome that is ours to give.
4.37" x 7" paperback 360 pages
Q. How does this book differ from Mother Loyola's Confession and Communion?
A. Confession and Communion is a compact sacramental companion, particularly suited to frequent reception of both Sacraments, with its examination of conscience and help against routine and dryness.
Welcome! is much more completely an exploration of Holy Communion itself as an encounter between Christ and the individual soul. The question isn't merely, “What prayers should I say before and afterward?” It's: "How do I welcome Him today, as I actually am today?"
Q. How does this differ from the meditations in Coram Sanctissimo?
A. Coram Sanctissimo taught the soul how to speak personally with Christ in His Eucharistic Presence; Welcome! asks how that same soul will receive Him personally in Holy Communion, in whatever condition life has brought it to that day.
