Morning Meditation: JESUS OUR SAVIOUR
Consider that the Infant Jesus, eight days after His Birth, showed Himself even then to be our Saviour, by shedding His divine Blood for us in the Circumcision, and taking the Name of Saviour. O most merciful Infant God, I give Thee thanks, and I beseech Thee by the pain which Thou didst feel, and by the Blood which Thou didst shed in Thy Circumcision, to grant me the grace and the power to tear out of my heart all earthly affections.
Meditation I:
Behold how the Eternal Father, having sent His Son to suffer and die for us, wills that on this day He should be circumcised, and should begin to shed His Divine Blood, which He has to shed for the last time on the day of His death upon the Cross in a sea of contumely and sorrow. And wherefore? In order that this innocent Son should thus pay the penalties which we have deserved. The Holy Church exclaims: “O admirable condescension of divine pity towards us! O inestimable love of charity! To redeem the slave Thou hast delivered Thy Son to death!”
O Eternal God, who could ever have bestowed upon us this infinite gift but Thou Who art infinite goodness and infinite love. O my God, if in giving me Thy Son, Thou hast given me the dearest treasure Thou hast, it is right that I should give myself entirely to Thee. Yes, my God, I give Thee my whole self; do Thou accept of me, and permit me not to leave Thee again.
Meditation II:
Behold, on the other hand, the Divine Son, Who, all humble, and full of love towards us, embraces the bitter death destined for Him in order to save us sinners from eternal death, and willingly begins on this day to make satisfaction for us to the divine justice with the price of His Blood. He humbled himself, says the Apostle, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross. — (Phil, ii., 8). Thou, therefore, O my Jesus, hast accepted death for my love; what, then, shall I do? Shall I continue to offend Thee by my sins? No, my Redeemer, I will no longer be ungrateful to Thee. I am sorry from my heart that I have caused Thee so much bitterness in times past. I love Thee, O infinite Goodness, and for the future I will never cease to love Thee.
Our Redeemer has said: Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends. — (John xv., 13). Thou, O my Jesus, as St. Paul tells us, hast shown greater love than this towards us, by giving Thy life for us who were Thy enemies. Behold one of them, O Lord, at Thy feet. How many times have I, a miserable sinner, renounced Thy friendship because I would not obey Thee! I now see the evil I have done; pardon me, my Jesus, for I could wish to die of sorrow. I now love Thee with my whole soul, and I desire nothing else but to love Thee and to please Thee. O Mary, Mother of God and my Mother, pray to Jesus for me.
Spiritual Reading: THE NAME OF JESUS CONSOLES
Evening Meditation: HIS NAME WAS CALLED JESUS – (Gospel, Luke ii., 21)
Meditation I:
The Name of Jesus is a divine Name, announced to Mary on the part of God by St. Gabriel: and thou shalt call his name Jesus. — (Luke, i., 31). For that reason it was called a name above all names. — (Phil, ii., 9). And it was also called a Name in which alone salvation is found: whereby we must be saved. — (Acts iv., 12).
This great Name is likened by the Holy Spirit unto oil: Thy name is as oil poured out. — (Cant., i., 2). For this reason, says St. Bernard, that as oil is light, food, and medicine, so the Name of Jesus is light to the mind, food to the heart, and medicine to the soul.
It is light to the mind. By this Name the world was converted from the darkness of idolatry to the light of Faith. We who have been born in these regions, where before the coming of Christ our ancestors were Gentiles, should all have been in the same condition had not the Messias come to enlighten us. How thankful ought we not, then, to be to Jesus Christ for the gift of Faith! And what would have become of us if we had been born in Asia, in Africa, in America, or in the midst of heretics and schismatics? He who believes not is lost: He that believeth not shall be condemned. — (Mark xvi., 16). And thus probably we also should have been lost.
O Jesus, Thou Who didst make the power of Thy Name to shine forth to deliver us from the servitude of sin, and the slavery of the devil, deign now and always to preserve our souls from all unworthy subjection. O Jesus all powerful, if the eyes of our souls had not been opened and enlightened by the light of Faith which Thou hast taught us by Thy own mouth, how should we ever have been able to know Thy divine mysteries! Without Thy aid we should always have been buried in the darkness of ignorance and the shadow of death. May thanks be ever given to our sweet Jesus Who has had compassion on us, and, in opening the gates of Heaven to us, has made us heirs of His Eternal Kingdom.
Meditation II:
The Name of Jesus is also food that nourishes our hearts; yes, because this Name reminds us of what Jesus has done to save us. Hence this Name consoles us in tribulation, gives us strength to walk along the way of salvation, supplies us with courage in difficulties, and inflames us with love for our Redeemer, when we remember what He has suffered for our salvation.
Lastly, this Name is medicine to the soul, because it renders it strong against the temptations of our enemies. The devils tremble and fly at the invocations of this Holy Name, according to the words of the Apostle: That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. — (Phil, ii., 10). He who in temptation calls upon Jesus shall not fall, and shall be saved: Praising, I will call upon the Lord; and I will be saved from my enemies. — (Ps. xvii., 4). And who was even lost who when he was tempted invoked Jesus? He alone is lost who does not invoke His aid, or who, whilst the temptation continues, ceases to invoke Him. Oh, that I had always called upon Thee, my Jesus; for then I should never have been conquered by the devil! I have miserably lost Thy grace, because in temptation I have neglected to call Thee to my assistance. But now I hope for all things through Thy Holy Name. Write, therefore, O my Saviour, write upon my poor heart Thy most powerful Name of Jesus, so that, by having it always in my heart by loving Thee, I may have it always on my lips by invoking Thee, in all the temptations that hell prepares for me to induce me to again become its slave, and to separate myself from Thee. In Thy Name I shall find every good. If I am afflicted, it will console me when I think how much more afflicted Thou hast been than I am, and all for the love of me. If I am disheartened on account of my sins, it will give me courage when I remember that Thou camest into the world to save sinners. If I am tempted, Thy Holy Name will give me strength, when I consider that Thou canst help me more than hell can cast me down; finally, if I feel cold in Thy love, Thy Name will give me fervour, by reminding me of the love that Thou bearest me. I love Thee, my Jesus! To Thee do I give all my heart, O my Jesus! Thee alone will I love! Thee will I invoke as often as I possibly can. I will die with Thy Name upon my lips; a Name of hope, a Name of salvation, a Name of love. O Mary, if thou lovest me, this is the grace I beg of thee to obtain for me – the grace constantly to invoke thy name and that of thy Son; obtain for me that these most sweet Names may be the breath of my soul, and that I may repeat them constantly during life, in order to repeat them with my last breath. Jesus and Mary, help me; Jesus and Mary, I love You; Jesus and Mary, I recommend my soul to You.
Morning Meditation: THE NAME OF JESUS A NAME OF GLADNESS
The Name of Jesus was given to the Incarnate Word, not by men, but by God Himself. And thou shalt call his name Jesus. It is the Name of our Saviour, a Name of Gladness, a Name of Hope, a Name of Love. Thy Name, then, O Jesus, will always be my defence, my comfort, a fire to keep me always burning with Thy love.
Meditation I:
Consider that the Holy Name of Jesus is not a Name invented by man, but it comes from God, Who wished it to be made known by the Archangel Gabriel, as St. Luke testifies: His name was called Jesus . . . by the angel. — (Luke ii., 21). St. Bernard also says that this Name is not a simple figure of things, or a shadow without reality. Jesus is a Name that expresses perfectly the hypostatic union of the Divine nature and the human nature. The world could not have been saved by God, for God could not suffer, nor by a mere man, because man is limited and finite. This is the reason why the Holy Name Jesus, which signifies the same as Savior, as the Angel declares, has been given to the Son of God, made Man through Mary, to show that it was both as God and Man He accomplished the redemption of mankind by delivering men from the slavery of sin. In short, Jesus is a Name that comprises Infinity, Eternity, Immensity, Wisdom, Justice, Mercy, and all the adorable Perfections of God. What happiness for us to be reconciled with the Eternal Father through the merits of this divine Mediator Who of His infinite goodness paid our debt in His precious Blood! Adorable Jesus! if Thou hadst sacrificed Thyself to deliver Thy people from the hands of their enemies in order to acquire an eternal Name, it would be but fair that this Name should surpass and eclipse every other name, even that of the Seraphim, as St. Paul says: Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they. — (Heb. i., 4). And if the Eternal Father has wished that this Name should be that of His Son, mayest Thou grant that, having experienced on earth its happy effects, we may arrive at the complete happiness of Heaven to praise Thee and to bless Thee for all eternity.
Meditation II:
The Name of Jesus is a Name of Gladness, a Name of Hope, a Name of Love. It is a Name of Gladness, because if the remembrance of past transgressions afflicts us, this Name comforts us in the remembrance that the Son of God became Man for this purpose – to make Himself our Saviour. In fact, as soon as the Name of Jesus passes from the heart to the tongue, by the light of this divine Name darkness is dispersed, the mind is calmed, the heart is strengthened, the faculties brighten up, and everything returns to life. There is no name in the world equal to the Name of Jesus in sweetness. “Nothing is sweeter to chant,” says St. Bernard, nothing more agreeable to hear, nothing more charming to think of, than the Name of Jesus, the Son of God.”
Oh, how happy shall we be if in all our trials, in all occasions of sorrow, we take care to invoke the glorious Name of Jesus, and while invoking it with our lips to consecrate our hearts to Jesus!
It is a Name of Hope, because he that prays to the Eternal Father in the Name of Jesus may hope for every good he asks for. If you ask the Father anything in my name he will give it to you. — (John xvi., 23).
It is a Name of Love. It is a sign that represents to us how much God has done for the love of us. The Name of Jesus brings to our remembrance all the sufferings which Jesus endured for us in life and in death. Therefore a devout writer exclaims: “O Jesus, how much it cost Thee to be Jesus – that is, my Saviour!”
O sweet Jesus, our Love and our Hope! Do Thou write Thy Name on my poor heart and on my tongue, in order that when I am tempted to sin, I may resist by invoking Thee; so that if I am tempted to despair I may trust in Thy merits; and that if I feel myself tepid in loving Thee, Thy Name may inflame my heart at the recollection of how much Thou hast loved me. Thy Name, then, will always be my defence, my comfort, and the fire that shall always keep me inflamed with Thy love. Make me, therefore, always to call Thee my Jesus, and to live and die with Thy Holy Name on my lips, saying even with my last breath: I love Thee, my Jesus; my Jesus, I love Thee.” O Mary, my Queen, make me when I am dying invoke thee continually, together with thy Son Jesus.
Spiritual Reading: THE NAME OF JESUS OUR DEFENCE
The Name of Jesus defends us. Yes, it defends us against all the deceits and assaults of our enemies. For this reason the Messias was called God the Mighty — (Is. ix., 6); and His Name was called by the Wise Man a strong tower: The name of the Lord is a strong tower — (Prov. xviii., 10); that we may know that he who avails himself of this powerful Name will not fear all the assaults of hell. St. Paul writes thus: Christ humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross. — (Phil, ii., 8). Jesus Christ during His life humbled Himself in obeying His Father, even to die on the Cross; which is as much as to say, as St. Anselm remarks, He humbled Himself so much that He could humble Himself no more; and therefore His divine Father, as a reward for the humility and obedience of His Son, raised Him to such a sublime dignity that there could be no higher: God hath given him a name which is above all names; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth and under the earth. — (Phil, ii., 9, 10). God gave Him a Name which is so great and powerful that it is venerated in Heaven, on earth, and in hell. A Name powerful in Heaven, because it can obtain all graces for us; powerful on earth, because it can save all who invoke it with devotion; powerful in hell, because this Name makes all the devils tremble. These rebel angels tremble at the sound of this most Sacred Name, because they remember that Jesus Christ was the Mighty One Who destroyed the dominion and power they formerly had over man. They tremble, says St. Peter Chrysologus, because at this Name they have to adore the whole majesty of God: “In this Name the whole majesty of God is adored.” Our Saviour Himself said that through this powerful Name His disciples should cast out devils. In my name they Shall cast out devils. — (Mark xvi., 17). And, in fact, the Church in her Exorcisms always makes use of this Name in driving out the infernal spirits from those who are possessed. And priests who are assisting persons dying call to their aid the Name of Jesus, to deliver them from the assaults of hell, which at that last moment are so terrible.
In the Life of St. Bernardine of Sienna, we see how many sinners the Saint converted, how many abuses he put an end to, and how many cities he sanctified, by trying, when he preached, to induce the people to invoke the Name of Jesus. St. Peter says that there is no other Name given to us by which we can find salvation but this ever-blessed Name of Jesus: For there is no other name under heaven given to men whereby we must be saved. – (Acts iv., 12). Jesus is He Who has not only saved us, but continually preserves us from the danger of sin by His merits, each time we invoke Him with confidence: Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, that will I do. — (John xiv., 13).
In temptations, then, I repeat with St. Laurence Justinian, “whether you are tempted by the devil, or are attacked by men, invoke the Name of Jesus.” If the devils and men torment you and urge you to sin, call on Jesus, and you will be delivered; and if temptations do not cease to persecute you, continue to invoke Jesus, and you will never fall. Those who practise this devotion have experienced that they keep themselves safe, and that they always come off victorious.
Let us always add the holy Name of Mary, which is likewise terrible to hell, and we shall always be secure. “This short prayer — Jesus and Mary — is easy to remember,” says Thomas a Kempis, “and powerful to protect; is strong enough to deliver us from all the assaults of our enemies.”
Evening Meditation: THE NAME OF OUR SAVIOUR A NAME OF GREAT POWER
Meditation I:
Consider that the Name Jesus signifies Saviour; and St. Peter – (Acts iv., 12) – assures us that the Eternal Father has not given to men any other Name by which they may be saved amidst the snares of this deceitful world, than the adorable Name of Jesus. It is this Name that makes the truth of Faith shine everywhere, and that calls all men from the abyss of darkness, to the adorable light of the Gospel. It is by virtue of this adorable Name that the Apostle gave light to the blind, made the lame walk, healed the sick, raised the dead to life, and filled the whole world with wonder. And if the Angel at first announced that Jesus would bring life into the world by delivering it from the cruel slavery into which Adam had plunged it, this good Saviour confirmed this promise Himself when He declared that He had come so that His sheep might have life, and might have it more abundantly. — (John x., 10). By virtue of His Name we see idolatry overthrown, to the great confusion of pagan princes and priests, who did all in their power to uphold it.
O amiable and Holy Name of Jesus, may the Seraphim of Heaven give Thee suitable thanks for me, and never cease to praise Thee by ever repeating that Thou dost merit all glory, all honour, and all power. My sweet Saviour, I hope to obtain, by virtue of Thy Name, the salvation of my body and soul; I hope that with this glorious Name in my heart and on my lips, victorious over the world and the flesh, I shall have the happiness to sing Thy praises and to bless the august Trinity for ever and ever.
Meditation II:
Consider also the efficacy of the adorable Name of Jesus in making our prayers pleasing to God, and in obtaining all that we ask of Him. This Name opens for us the way to arrive promptly at the feet of the Most High, and to have our prayers heard at once. The Gospel attests that the prayers of Jesus Himself have always been heard by virtue of His great Name, and that He authorizes us to say, when speaking to God: “Our Father, Who art in Heaven.” In consideration of the Name of Jesus, God looks with a favourable eye upon our petition. For this reason Jesus exhorted the Apostles, and exhorts us all, that we should ask of His Father in His Name, in order to be sure that we shall obtain what we seek: If you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it to you. — (John xvi., 23). It is enough for Him to hear the petition, and He will bestow upon us the favours that have been asked of Him in the Name of His Beloved Son, with Whom He is well pleased, and Who, in order to satisfy His offended justice, has shown Himself obedient even unto death. We should, then, know how to profit by the efficacious power of the Holy Name of Jesus; being sure that our prayers will be heard, we should often, every hour of the day, repeat our prayers to the Eternal Father, and we shall advance in perfection on the road of the divine precepts, until we attain the happiness of seeing and possessing Him for all eternity in Heaven.
O Sweet Jesus, our Love and our Hope, since Thou hast deigned to assume mortal flesh, in order to open to us the gate of mercy, and to render our prayers efficacious by virtue of Thy glorious Name, grant that our prayers for the grace of perseverance may be heard, so that, faithful to the Divine law to the end of our lives, we may, with Thy Holy Name on our lips, pass from this valley of tears to the glory of Paradise.
Morning Meditation: THE VALUE OF TIME
Son, observe the time. — (Ecclus. iv., 23).
Time is a treasure of inestimable value because in every moment of time we can gain an increase of grace and eternal glory. If the Blessed in Heaven could grieve they would do so for having lost so much time; and in hell the lost souls are tormented with the thought that there is now no more time for them. Son, observe the time.
Meditation I:
Son, says the Holy Ghost, be careful to observe the time, the greatest and most precious gift which God can bestow upon you in this life. The very Pagans knew the value of time. Seneca said that “no price is an equivalent for it.” But the Saints have understood its value still better.* According to St. Bernardine of Sienna, a moment of time is of as much value as God; because in each moment a man can, by acts of contrition or of love, acquire the grace of God and eternal glory.
Time is a treasure which can be found only in this life: it is not to be found in the next, in hell or in Heaven. In hell the damned exclaim with tears: O that an hour were given to us! They would pay any price for an hour of time in which they might repair their ruin, but this hour they will never have! In Heaven there is no weeping; but were the Saints capable of weeping, all their tears would arise from the thought of having lost the time in which they could have acquired greater glory, and from the conviction that this time will never again be given to them. A Benedictine nun appeared after death in glory to a certain person and said she was perfectly happy, but that if she could desire anything it would be to return to life and to suffer pains and privations in order to merit an increase of glory. She added that for the glory which corresponds to a single Ave Maria, she would be content to endure till the Day of Judgment the painful illness that caused her death.
O my God, I thank Thee for the time which Thou givest me to repair the disorders of my past life. Were I to die at this moment the remembrance of the time I have lost would be one of my greatest torments. Ah, my Lord, Thou hast given me time to love Thee and I have spent it in offending Thee! I deserved to be sent to hell from the first moment in which I turned my back upon Thee, but Thou hast called me to repentance and hast pardoned me. I promised to offend Thee no more and how often have I returned to sin! How often hast Thou pardoned me my ungrateful relapses! Blessed for ever be Thy Mercy! Ah, how sorry I feel for having offended so good a God!
* The holy writer himself, St. Alphonsus, made a vow, "never to lose a moment of time."
Meditation II:
Walk whilst you have the light. — (John xii., 35).
How are you spending your time? Why do you always defer till to-morrow what you can do to-day? Remember that the time past is no longer yours: the future is not under your control: you have only the present for the performance of good works. Why, O miserable man, says St. Bernard, do you presume on the future as if God had placed time in your power! How can you who are not sure of an hour, promise yourself to-morrow? asks St. Augustine. If, then, says St. Teresa, you are not prepared for death to-day, tremble lest you die an unhappy death. Walk whilst you have the light.
We must walk in the way of the Lord during life, now that we have the light; for at the hour of death His light is taken away. Death is not a time for preparing, but for finding ourselves prepared. Be ye ready — (Luke xii., 40). At the hour of death we can do nothing: what is then done is done. Behold now is the acceptable time. — (2 Cor. vi., 2). In the lives of the Saints there is no to-morrow. To-morrow is found in the lives of sinners who are ever saying: Hereafter! Hereafter! And in this state they continue till death.
My Saviour, the patience alone with which Thou hast waited for me ought to enamour me of Thee. Ah! do not suffer me to live any longer ungrateful for the love Thou hast shown me. Detach me from every creature and draw me entirely to Thyself. O my God, I will no longer waste the time Thou givest me to repair the evil which I have done. I will spend it all in serving and loving Thee. Give me holy perseverance. I love Thee, O infinite Goodness, and hope to love Thee for ever. I thank thee, O Mary. By thy advocacy thou hast obtained for me the time which is given me. Assist me now, and obtain for me the grace to spend it all in loving thy Son, my Redeemer, and in loving thee, my Queen and Mother.
Spiritual Reading: THE NAME OF JESUS INFLAMES WITH HOLY LOVE
Evening Meditation: THE OCCUPATIONS OF THE INFANT JESUS IN THE STABLE OF BETHLEHEM
Meditation I:
There are two principal occupations of a solitary – to pray, and to do penance. Behold the Infant Jesus in the little Grotto of Bethlehem giving us the example. He, in the Crib which He chose for His oratory upon earth, never ceases to pray, and to pray continually, to the Eternal Father. There He constantly makes acts of adoration, of love, and of prayer.
Before the coming of Jesus, the God made Man, the Divine Majesty had been, it is true, adored by men and by Angels; but God had not received from all these creatures that honour which the Infant Jesus gave Him by adoring Him in the stable where He was born. Let us, therefore, constantly unite our adoration to that of Jesus Christ, when He was upon this earth.
Oh, how beautiful and perfect were the acts of love which the Incarnate Word made to His Father in His prayer! God had given to man the commandment to love Him with all his heart and all his strength, but this precept had never been perfectly fulfilled by any man. The first to accomplish it amongst women was Mary, and amongst men the first was Jesus Christ, Who fulfilled it in a degree infinitely superior to Mary. The love of the Seraphim may be said to be cold in comparison with the love of this Holy Infant. Let us learn from Him to love the Lord our God as He ought to be loved; and let us beseech Him to communicate to us a spark of that pure love with which He loved the Divine Father in the stable of Bethlehem.
My dear Redeemer, how much do I owe Thee! If Thou hadst not prayed for me, in what state of ruin should I not find myself! I thank Thee, O my Jesus; Thy prayers have obtained for me the pardon of my sins, and I hope that they will also obtain for me perseverance unto death. Thou hast prayed for me, and I bless Thee with my whole heart for it; but I beseech Thee not to leave off praying for me. I know that Thou dost continue even in Heaven to be our advocate: We have an advocate, Jesus Christ; Who also maketh intercession for us. — (1 John ii., 1; Rom. viii., 34). Continue therefore to be my Advocate who am in so much need of Thy intercession. I hope God has already pardoned me through Thy merits; but as I have already so often fallen, I may therefore fall again. Hell does not cease, and will not cease, to tempt me, in order to make me again lose Thy friendship.
Meditation II:
Oh, how beautiful, perfect, and dear to God were the prayers of the Infant Jesus! At every moment He prayed to His Father, and His prayers were all for us and for each one of us in particular. All the graces that each of us has received from the Lord, our being called to the true Faith, our having had time given us for repentance, the lights, the sorrow for sins, the pardon of them, the holy desires, the victory over temptations, and all the other good acts that we have made, or shall make, of confidence, of humility, of love, of thanksgiving, of offering, of resignation – all these Jesus has obtained for us, and all have been the effect of the prayers of Jesus. Oh, how much do we owe Him! And how much ought we not to thank Him and to love Him!
Ah, my Jesus, Thou art my hope; it is Thou Who must give me fortitude to resist; from Thee I seek it, and of Thee I hope for it. But I will not content myself with the grace not to fall again; I desire also the grace to love Thee exceedingly. My death approaches. If I were to die now, I should indeed hope to be saved; but I should love Thee little in Paradise because I have loved Thee but little hitherto. I will love Thee much in the days that remain to me that I may love Thee still more in eternity. O Mary, my Mother, do thou also pray and beseech Jesus for me. Thy prayers are all-powerful with thy Son Who loves thee much. Beseech Jesus to give me a great love for Him, and let this be constant and for ever.
Morning Meditation: THE HEART OF JESUS FULL OF SUFFERINGS EVEN FROM HIS INFANCY
My sorrow is continually before me. — (Ps. xxvii., 18).
We have been accustomed to hear of the Creation, the Incarnation, the Redemption; of Jesus born in a stable, of Jesus dead upon the Cross. O my God, if we knew that another man had conferred on us any of these benefits we could not help loving him. O adorable Heart of my Jesus, Heart inflamed with the love of men, Heart created on purpose to love them, how is it possible that Thou canst be despised, and Thy love so ill corresponded with!
Meditation I:
Consider that in the moment that the soul of Jesus Christ was created and united to His little body in the womb of Mary, the Eternal Father intimated to His Son His will that He should die for the Redemption of the world; and in this same moment He presented to His view the entire dreadful scene of the sufferings He would have to endure, even unto death, in order to redeem mankind. Our Divine Redeemer saw in that moment all the labours, contempt, and poverty He would have to suffer during His whole life, in Bethlehem as in Egypt and in Nazareth; all the sufferings and ignominy of His Passion, the scourges, the thorns, the nails, and the Cross; all the weariness, the sadness, the agonies, and the abandonment in which He was to end His life upon Calvary.
When Abraham was leading his son to death, he would not inform him of it to his affliction beforehand, even during the short time that was necessary for them to arrive at the Mount. But the Eternal Father chose that His Incarnate Son, Whom He had destined to be the Victim of His justice in atonement for our sins, should from the beginning, suffer all the pains to which He was to be subject during His life and at His death.
O sweet, O amiable, O loving Heart of Jesus! even from Thy infancy Thou wert full of bitterness, and Thou didst suffer agonies in the womb of Mary without consolation, and without any one to look upon Thee and to console Thee. All this Thou didst suffer, O my Jesus, in order to satisfy for the eternal sorrow and agony which I deserved to endure in hell for my sins. Thou didst suffer deprived of all relief, to save me who have had the boldness to forsake God, and to turn my back upon Him, in order to satisfy my miserable inclinations. I thank Thee, O afflicted and loving Heart of my Lord! I thank Thee and I sympathise with Thee, especially when I see that whilst Thou dost suffer so much for men, these very men do not even pity Thee. O love of God, O ingratitude of man! O men, O men, behold this little innocent Lamb Who is in agony for you, to satisfy the divine justice for the injuries you have committed against Him. See how He prays and intercedes for you with His Eternal Father; behold Him and love Him.
Meditation II:
Wherefore, from the first moment that He was in His Mother’s womb, Jesus suffered continually that sorrow which He endured in the Garden, and which was sufficient to have taken away His life as He said: My soul is sorrowful even unto death. — (Matt, xxvi., 38). From that time forth He felt most vividly all the sorrows and contumely that awaited Him.
The whole life of our Blessed Redeemer was a life of pains and tears: My, life is wasted with grief, and my years in sighs. — (Ps. xxx., 11). His divine Heart was never for one moment free from suffering. Whether He watched or slept, whether He laboured or rested, whether He prayed or spoke, He had continually before His eyes that bitter representation which tormented His holy Soul more than their sufferings tormented the holy Martyrs. The Martyrs suffered, but, assisted by grace, they suffered with joy and fervour. Jesus Christ suffered, but He suffered with a Heart full of weariness and sorrow; and He accepted all for love of us.
O my Redeemer, how few there are who think of Thy sorrows and Thy love! O God, how few there are who love Thee! Unhappy me, I also have lived so many years forgetful of Thee! Thou hast suffered so much in order to be loved by me, and I have not loved Thee. Forgive me, my Jesus, forgive me, for I will amend my life and I will love Thee. Ah, wretched me if I still resist Thy grace, and in resisting damn myself! All the mercies Thou hast shown me, and above all, Thy sweet voice now calling me to love Thee – all these great graces will be, if I resist them, my greatest punishment in hell. O my beloved Jesus, have pity on me, and let me live no longer ungrateful to Thy love. Give me light; give me strength to conquer everything in order to accomplish Thy will. My dearest Mother Mary, help me. It is thou who hast obtained for me all the favours I have received from God.
Spiritual Reading: “THE GRACE OF GOD OUR SAVIOUR HATH APPEARED.”
Evening Meditation: THE KINDNESS OF JESUS OUR GOD
Meditation I:
Forget not the kindness of thy surety. — (Ecclus. xxix., 19).
St. Francis of Sales called Mount Calvary the mountain of lovers. It is impossible to remember that Mount and not love Jesus Christ, Who died there for love of us.
O God! how is it that men do not love this God Who has done so much to be loved by men! Before the Incarnation of the Word, man might have doubted whether God loved him with a true love; but after the coming of the Son of God, and after His dying for the love of men, how can we possibly doubt His love? “O man,” says St. Thomas of Villanova, “look on that Cross, on those torments, and that cruel death, which Jesus has suffered for thee: after so great and so many tokens of His love, thou canst no longer entertain a doubt that He loves thee, and loves thee exceedingly.” And St. Bernard says that “the Cross and every Wound of our Blessed Redeemer cry aloud to make us understand the love He bears us.”
In this grand Mystery of man’s Redemption, we must consider how Jesus employed all His thoughts and zeal to discover every means of making Himself loved by us. Had He merely wished to die for our salvation, it would have been sufficient had He been slain by Herod with the other children; but no, He chose before dying to lead for thirty-three years a life of hardship and suffering; and during that time, in order to win our love, He appeared in several different guises. First of all, as a poor child, born in a stable; then as a little boy helping in the workshop; and finally, as a criminal, executed on a Cross. But before dying on the Cross, we see Him in many different states, one and all calculated to excite our compassion, and to make Himself loved: in agony in the Garden, bathed from head to foot in a sweat of blood; afterwards, in the court of Pilate, torn with scourges; then treated as a mock king, with a reed in His hand, a ragged garment of purple on His shoulders, and a crown of thorns on His head; dragged publicly through the streets to death with the Cross upon His shoulders; and at length, on the hill of Calvary, suspended on the Cross by three iron nails. Tell me, does He merit our love or not, this God Who has vouchsafed to endure all these torments, and to use so many means in order to captivate our love? Father John Rigouleux used to say: “I would spend my life in weeping for the love of a God Whose love induced Him to die for the salvation of men.”
O most beautiful and most loving Heart of Jesus, miserable is the heart which does not love Thee! O God, for the love of men Thou didst die on the Cross, helpless and forsaken, and how then can men live so forgetful of Thee? O love of God! O ingratitude of man!
Meditation II:
Forget not the kindness of thy surety; for he hath given his life for thee. — (Ecclus. xxix., 19). Be not unmindful of Him Who has stood surety for thee; Who, to satisfy for thy sins, was willing to pay off, by His death, the debt of punishment due by thee. Oh, how desirous is Jesus Christ that we should continually remember His Passion! And how it saddens Him to see that we are so unmindful of it! Were a person to endure for one of his friends, affronts, blows, and imprisonment, how afflicting would it be for him to know that that friend afterwards never gave it a thought, and cared not even to hear it spoken of! On the contrary, how gratified would he be to know that his friend constantly spoke of it with the warmest gratitude, and often thanked him for it. So it is pleasing to Jesus Christ when we preserve in our minds a grateful and loving recollection of the sorrows and death which He suffered for us. Jesus Christ was the Desired of all the ancient Fathers; He was the Desired of all nations before He was yet come upon earth. Now, how much more ought He to be our only desire and our only Love, now that we know that He is really come, and are aware how much He has done and suffered for us – so that He even died upon the Cross for love of us!
O men, O men! do but cast one look on the innocent Son of God, agonising on the Cross and dying for you, in order to satisfy the divine justice for your sins, and by this means to allure you to love Him. Observe how, at the same time, He prays His Eternal Father to forgive you. Behold Him, and love Him. Ah, my Jesus, how small is the number of those who love Thee! Wretched, too, am I, for I also have lived so many years unmindful of Thee, and have grievously offended Thee, my beloved Redeemer! It is not so much the punishment I have deserved that makes me weep, as the love which Thou hast borne me. O sorrows of Jesus! O ignominies of Jesus! O wounds of Jesus! O death of Jesus! O love of Jesus! rest deeply engraved in my heart, and may your sweet recollection be forever fixed there, to wound me and inflame me continually with love. I love Thee, my Jesus; I love Thee, my Sovereign Good; I love Thee, my Love and my All; I love Thee and I will love Thee for ever. Oh, suffer me never more to forsake Thee, never more to lose Thee! By the merits of Thy death make me entirely Thine. In this I firmly trust. And I have great confidence in thy intercession, O Mary, my Queen; make me love Jesus Christ, and make me also love thee, my Mother and my hope!
Morning Meditation: MARY’S PRAYERS FOR US ARE ALWAYS HEARD
St. Bernard exhorts us to seek grace and to seek it through Mary, for, he says, she is a Mother to whom nothing can be denied. If, then, we wish to be saved, let us recommend ourselves to Mary for her prayers will always be heard.
Meditation I:
Jesus is the Mediator of Justice; Mary, the Mediatrix of Grace. For, as St. Bernard, St. Bonaventure, St. Bernardine of Sienna, St. Germanus, St. Antoninus and others say it is the will of God to dispense through the hands of Mary whatever graces He is pleased to bestow upon us. With God, the prayers of the Saints are the prayers of His friends, but the prayers of Mary are the prayers of His Mother! The most pleasing devotion to the Blessed Virgin is ever to have recourse to her and to say: O Mary, intercede for me with thy Son Jesus.
Jesus is omnipotent by nature; Mary is omnipotent by grace; she obtains whatever she asks. It is impossible, says St. Antoninus, that this Mother should ask any favour of her Son for those who are devout to her and the Son not grant her request. Jesus delights to honour His Mother by granting whatever she asks of Him. Hence St. Bernard exhorts us to seek for grace and to seek it through Mary; because she is a Mother to whom nothing can be denied. If, then, we would be saved, let us recommend ourselves to Mary, that she may intercede for us, because her prayers are always heard. O Mother of Mercy, have pity on me. Thou art styled the advocate of sinners; assist me, therefore, a sinner who places his confidence in thee.
Meditation II:
Let us not doubt that Mary will hear us when we address our prayers to her. It is her delight to exercise her powerful influence with God in obtaining for us whatever graces we stand in need of. It is sufficient to ask favours of Mary to obtain them. If we are unworthy of them, she renders us worthy by her powerful intercession; and she is very desirous that we should have recourse to her, that she may save us. What sinner ever perished, who, with confidence and perseverance, had recourse to Mary, the refuge of sinners? He is lost who has not recourse to Mary.
O Mary, my Mother and my hope! I take refuge under thy protection; reject me not, as I have deserved. Protect me and have pity on me, a miserable sinner. Obtain for me the forgiveness of my sins; obtain for me holy perseverance, the love of God, a good death, and a happy eternity. I hope all things of thee, because thou art most powerful with God. Make me holy, since, by thy holy intercession, thou hast it in thy power to do so. O Mary, in thee, next to thy divine Son Jesus, do I confide; in thee do I place all my hope.
Spiritual Reading: OUR ETERNAL SALVATION IS IN PRAYER
Evening Meditation: THE SOLITUDE OF JESUS IN THE STABLE
Meditation I:
Jesus chose at His birth the stable of Bethlehem for His hermitage and oratory; and for this purpose He so disposed events as to be born outside the city in a solitary cave, in order to commend to us the love of solitude and silence. Jesus remains in silence in the manger; Mary and Joseph adore and contemplate Him in silence. It was revealed to Sister Margaret of the Blessed Sacrament, a Discalced Carmelite, who was called the “Spouse of the Infant Jesus,” that all that passed in the Cave of Bethlehem, even the visit of the shepherds and the adoration of the holy Magi, took place in silence, and without a word.
Silence in other infants is due to helplessness; but in Jesus Christ it was virtue. The Infant Jesus does not speak, but oh! how eloquent is His silence! Oh, blessed is he that converses with Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in this holy solitude of the manger! The shepherds, though admitted there but for a very short time, came out from the stable all inflamed with the love of God; for they did nothing but praise and bless Him: They returned glorifying and praising God. — (Luke ii., 20). Oh, happy is the soul that shuts itself up in the solitude of Bethlehem to contemplate the divine mercy, and the love that God has borne, and still bears, to men! I will lead her into the wilderness, and I will speak to her heart. — (Os. ii., 14). There the divine Infant will speak, not to the ear, but to the heart, inviting the soul to love a God Who has loved her so much. When we see there the poverty of this wandering little Hermit, Who remains in that cold cave, without fire, with a manger for a cradle, and a little straw for a bed; when we hear the cries, and behold the tears of this innocent Child, and consider that He is our God – how is it possible to think of anything but of loving Him! Oh, what a sweet hermitage for a soul that has Faith is the stable of Bethlehem!
My dearest Saviour, Thou art the King of Heaven, the King of kings, the Son of God; and how is it that I see Thee in this cave, forsaken by all? I see no one assisting Thee but Joseph and Thy holy Mother. I desire to unite myself to them in keeping Thee company. Do not reject me. I do not deserve it, but I feel that Thou dost invite me, by Thy sweet voice speaking to my heart. Yes, I come, O my beloved Infant! I will leave all things to pass my whole life alone with Thee, my dear little Hermit, the only Love of my soul. Fool that I was, to have hitherto forsaken Thee and left Thee alone, O my Jesus, whilst I was seeking miserable and empoisoned pleasures from creatures; but now, enlightened by Thy grace, I desire nothing but to live in solitude with Thee, Who didst Thyself will to live in solitude on this earth: Who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly and be at rest? — (Ps. liv., 7).
Meditation II:
Let us also imitate Mary and Joseph, who, burning with love, remain contemplating the great Son of God clothed in flesh, and made subject to earthly miseries – Wisdom become an Infant that cannot speak – the Great One become little – the Supreme One become so abased – the rich One become so poor – the Omnipotent so weak. In short, let us meditate on the Divine Majesty shrouded beneath the form of a little Infant, despised and forsaken by the world, Who does and suffers everything in order to make Himself loved by men; and let us beseech Him to admit us into this sacred retreat – there to stop, there to remain, and never to leave it again. “O solitude,” says St. Jerome, “in which God speaks and converses familiarly with His servants.” O beautiful solitude, in which God speaks and converses with His chosen souls, not as a sovereign, but as a friend, as a brother, as a spouse! Oh, what a paradise it is to converse alone with the Infant Jesus in the little grotto of Bethlehem!
Ah, who will enable me to fly from this world, where I have so often found my ruin – to fly, and to come and remain always with Thee, Who art the joy of Paradise and the true Lover of my soul? Oh, bind me, I pray Thee, to Thy feet, so that I may no longer be separated from Thee, but may find my happiness in continually remaining in Thy company! Ah, by the merits of Thy solitude in the Cave of Bethlehem, give me a constant interior recollection, so that my soul may become a solitary little cell, where I may attend to nothing but to conversing with Thee; where I may take counsel with Thee in all my thoughts and actions; where I may dedicate to Thee all my affections; where I may always love Thee, and sigh to leave the prison of this body to come and love Thee face to face in Heaven. I love Thee, O infinite Goodness, and I hope always to love Thee, in time and in eternity. O Mary, thou who canst do all things, pray to Jesus to enchain me with His love, and not to permit me ever again to lose His grace.
Morning Meditation: THEY FOUND THE CHILD WITH MARY, HIS MOTHER
They found the child with Mary, his mother. — (Matt. ii., 11). The kings find a poor Maiden, and her poor Infant wrapped in poor swaddling-clothes, and not one to attend on Him or assist Him. They adore, they acknowledge Him for their God, and, kissing His feet, they offer Him their gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Let us adore our little King, and offer Him all our hearts.
Meditation I:
The Son of God is born humble and poor in a stable. There indeed the Angels of Heaven acknowledge Him, singing: Glory to God in the highest — (Luke ii., 14); but men on earth, for whose salvation Jesus is born, leave Him neglected: only a few shepherds come and acknowledge Him, and confess Him to be their Saviour. But our loving Redeemer desires from the very beginning to communicate to us the grace of Redemption, and therefore He begins to make Himself known even to the Gentiles, who neither knew Him nor looked for His coming. For this purpose He sends the star to give notice to the holy Magi, enlightening them at the same time with interior light, in order that they may come to acknowledge and adore their Redeemer. This was the first and sovereign grace bestowed upon us; our call to the true Faith.
O Savior of the world, what would have happened [to] us if Thou hadst not come to enlighten us? We should be like our forefathers, who worshipped as gods, animals, stones, and wood, and consequently we should have all been damned. I give Thee thanks today on behalf of all men.
Meditation II:
Behold, the Magi without delay set out on their journey; and led by the star they arrive at the place where the Holy Infant is lying: They found the child with Mary his mother. — (Matt., ii., 11). They find there only a poor Maiden, and a poor Infant wrapped in poor swaddling-clothes. But on entering into that abode, a stable for beasts, they feel an interior joy, and their hearts are drawn towards this sweet Infant. The straw, the poverty, those cries of the Infant Saviour, are all darts of love and fire to their enlightened hearts.
The Infant looks upon these holy pilgrims with a joyful countenance, and thus shows that He accepts these first-fruits of His Redemption. The divine Mother is also silent, but welcomes them with her smiling looks, and thanks them for the homage done to her Son. They adore Him also in silence, and acknowledge Him for their Saviour and their God, offering Him gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.
Yes, my Infant Jesus, the more humbled and poor I behold Thee, the more dost Thou inflame me with Thy love.
O Jesus, my Infant King! I also adore Thee, and offer Thee my miserable heart. Accept it and change it. Make it wholly Thine own, so that it may love nothing but Thee. My sweet Saviour, save me, and let my eternal happiness be to love Thee always and without reserve; O Mary, most holy Virgin, I hope for this grace from thee.
Spiritual Reading: “LO, HERE AM I, SEND ME!”
Evening Meditation: HAPPINESS OF HAVING BEEN BORN AFTER THE REDEMPTION AND IN THE TRUE CHURCH
Meditation I:
When the fulness of time had come, God sent his son . . . that he might redeem them who were under the law. — (Gal. iv., 4).
How thankful should we not be to Almighty, God for having caused us to be born after the great work of man’s redemption was accomplished! This is what is meant by the fulness of time, a time blessed by the fulness of grace, which Jesus Christ obtained for us by coming into the world. Miserable should we have been if, guilty as we are of manifold sins, we had lived on this earth before the coming of Jesus Christ.
Oh, in what a miserable state were all men before the coming of the Messias; the true God was hardly known even in Judea, and in every other part of the world idolatry reigned, so that our forefathers worshipped stones, and wood, and devils; they worshipped innumerable false gods, but the true God was neither loved nor known by them. Even now, how many countries are there in which there are scarcely any Catholics, and all the rest of the inhabitants are either infidels or heretics, and all these are certainly in the way to be lost! What obligation do we not owe God for causing us to be born, not only after the coming of Jesus Christ, but also in countries where the true Faith reigns!
I thank Thee, O Lord, for this. Woe to me if, after so many transgressions, it had been my lot to live in the midst of infidels and heretics! I know, O my God, that Thou wiliest that I should be saved; and I, miserable wretch, have willed so many times to damn myself by losing Thy favour. Have pity, my Blessed Redeemer, on my soul, which has cost Thee so much.
Meditation II:
God sent his son that he might redeem them that were under the law. — (Gal. iv., 4). The slave therefore sins, and by sinning gives himself over to the power of the devil, and his own Lord comes and ransoms him by His death.
O immense love, O infinite love of God towards man! O my Saviour, if Thou hadst not redeemed me by Thy death, what would have become of me? Of me, who so many times have deserved hell by my sins. Oh, if Thou, my Jesus, hadst not died for me, I should have lost Thee forever, and there would have been no hope for me of recovering Thy grace, or of seeing Thy beautiful face in Paradise. My dearest Saviour, I thank Thee; and I hope to come to Heaven, there to thank Thee for all eternity. I regret above every evil that of having despised Thee in times past. In future, I purpose to choose every suffering, every kind of death, rather than offend Thee. I beseech Thee, my Jesus, let me never do so again. Never let me be separated from Thee, never let me be separated from Thee. I love Thee, O infinite Goodness, and I will always love Thee in this life, and for all eternity. O my Queen and advocate Mary, keep me always under thy protection, and deliver me from sin.
