Meditación matutina: EL DÍA DEL JUICIO FINAL
Ese día es un día de ira . . . un día de calamidad y miseria. - (Sof. i., 15).
En el Último Día se verificará la predicción de San Juan: Y dicen a los montes y a las rocas: Caed sobre nosotros y escondednos de la faz del que está sentado en el trono y de la ira del Cordero. - (Apoc. vi., 16).
Envía, Señor, al Cordero, el Gobernante de la tierra, que sacrificándose satisfará Tu justicia por nosotros, y así reinará en los corazones de los hombres. Oh Cordero de Dios, perdóname antes de que llegue el día en que me juzgues.
Meditación I:
El Último Día se llama en las Escrituras un día de ira y miseriaY así será para todos aquellos infelices seres que hayan muerto en pecado mortal; porque en ese día sus crímenes más secretos serán manifestados al mundo entero, y ellos mismos separados de la compañía de los Santos, y condenados a la prisión eterna del infierno, donde sufrirán todas las agonías de estar siempre muriendo y sin embargo permanecer siempre vivos. San Jerónimo, en la Cueva de Belén, dedicado a la oración y a la penitencia continuas, temblaba ante la sola idea del Juicio General. El Venerable Padre Juvenal Ancina, al oír que Secuencia para los muertos cantado, Dies ire, dies illaLa anticipación del Juicio le impresionó tanto que abandonó el mundo y abrazó la vida religiosa.
Oh Jesús, ¿qué será de mí en aquel día? ¿Seré colocado a tu derecha con los elegidos, o a tu izquierda con los réprobos? Sé que he merecido ser colocado a tu izquierda, pero también sé que me perdonarás si me arrepiento de mis pecados; por eso me arrepiento de ellos de todo corazón, y estoy resuelto a morir antes que ofenderte más.
Meditación II:
Así como éste será un día de calamidad y terror para los réprobos, también será un día de alegría y triunfo para los Elegidos; porque entonces, a la vista de toda la humanidad, las benditas almas de los Elegidos serán proclamadas reinas del Paraíso y esposas del Cordero Inmaculado.
¡Oh Jesús! Tu preciosa Sangre es mi esperanza. No recuerdes las ofensas que he cometido contra Ti, e inflama toda mi alma con Tu amor. Te amo, mi soberano Bien, y confío que en aquel día estaré asociado con aquellas almas amorosas que Te alabarán y amarán por toda la eternidad.
Elige, alma mía; elige ahora o una corona eterna en ese reino bendito, donde Dios será visto y amado cara a cara en compañía de los Santos, de los Ángeles y de María, la Madre de Jesús; o la prisión del infierno, donde deberás llorar y lamentarte para siempre, abandonada por Dios y por todos.
"¡Oh Cordero de Dios que quitas los pecados del mundo, ten compasión de nosotros!" Oh Cordero divino, que, para librarnos de las penas del infierno, te complaciste en sacrificar tu vida divina con una muerte amarga en la Cruz, ten compasión de nosotros; pero más particularmente de mí, que te he ofendido más que los demás. Por encima de todo mal, siento haberte deshonrado con mis pecados, pero espero honrarte en aquel día ante los hombres y los ángeles, proclamando tus misericordias para conmigo. Oh Jesús, ayúdame a amarte, sólo a Ti te deseo. Oh María, santa Reina, protégeme en ese día.
Lectura espiritual: LAS NACIONES EN EL VALLE DE JOSAFAT
San Jerónimo pasaba sus días en la Cueva de Belén en oración y penitencia, y temblaba al pensar en la venida de Jesús en el Último Día para juzgar al mundo.
<to be continued>
Meditaciones vespertinas: LA BONDAD DE DIOS EN LA OBRA DE LA REDENCIÓN
Meditación I:
Y fue encarnado por el Espíritu Santo... y se hizo hombre. - Credo Niceno.
Consider that God, having created the first man to serve Him and love Him in this life, and to be afterwards taken by Him to reign eternally with Him in Paradise, enriched him for this end with many lights and graces. But ungrateful man rebelled against God, refusing Him the obedience which he owed Him both in justice and gratitude; and thus he unhappily remained as a rebel, deprived, with all his posterity, of Divine grace, and for ever excluded from Paradise. Behold then, in consequence of this ruin caused by sin, all mankind lost! All were spiritually blind, living in the midst of darkness and the shadow of death.
But God, seeing men reduced to this so miserable a condition, was moved to pity and resolved to save them. And how did He save them? He did not send an Angel, or a Seraph; but to show to the world the immense love that He bore to these ungrateful worms, He sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. — (Rom. viii., 3). Yes, He sent His own Son to become Man, and to clothe Himself with the same flesh as that of sinful men, in order that He, by His sufferings and death, might satisfy Divine justice for their crimes, and thus deliver them from eternal death, and reconciling them to His Divine Father, obtain for them Divine grace, and render them worthy to enter the eternal kingdom of Heaven.
But how is it, my Jesus, that after Thou hadst repaired this ruin of sin by Thy death, I have so often wilfully renewed it again by the many offences I have committed against Thee? Thou didst save me at so great a cost, and I have so often chosen to lose myself by losing Thee, O infinite Good! But Thy words give me confidence, for Thou hast said that when the sinner who has turned his back upon Thee is afterwards converted to Thee, Thou dost not refuse to embrace him: Turn ye to me and I will turn to you. — (Zach, i., 3). And Thou hast likewise said: If any man . . . open to me the door, I will come in to him. — (Apoc. iii., 20). Behold, O Lord, I am one of these rebels, an ungrateful traitor, who have often turned my back upon Thee, and driven Thee from my soul; but now I repent with all my heart for having thus ill-treated Thee and despised Thy grace; I repent of it, and I love Thee above every thing. Behold, the door of my heart is now open, enter Thou in, but enter never to leave it again. I well know that Thou wilt never leave me, if I do not again drive Thee away; but this is my fear, and this is the grace which I ask of Thee, and which I hope always to ask: let me die rather than be guilty of this fresh and greater ingratitude.
Meditación II:
Here pause to consider, on the one hand, the immense ruin that sin brings upon souls, since it deprives them of the friendship of God, and of Paradise, and condemns them to an eternity of torments. And consider, on the other hand, the infinite love which God showed in this great work of the Incarnation of the Word, causing this His only begotten Son to come and sacrifice His Divine life by the hands of executioners, in a sea of pain and infamy, to obtain for us pardon and eternal salvation. Oh, when we contemplate this great mystery and this excess of Divine love, each one of us should do nothing but exclaim: O infinite Goodness! O infinite Mercy! O infinite love! That a God should become Man and die for me!
My dearest Redeemer, I do not deserve to love Thee, after all the offences I have committed against Thee; but I ask of Thee through Thy merits, the gift of Thy holy love. Therefore, make me know the great good Thou art, the love Thou hast borne me, and how much Thou hast done to oblige me to love Thee. Ah, my God and my Saviour, let me no longer live ungrateful to Thy great goodness. My Jesus, I will never leave Thee again; I have offended Thee enough already. It is but right that I should spend the remaining years of my life in loving Thee and pleasing Thee. My Jesus, my Jesus, help me; help a sinner who desires to love Thee. O Mary my Mother, thou hast all power with Jesus, for thou art His Mother. Tell Him to pardon me; tell Him to enchain me with His holy love. Thou art my hope, in thee do I trust.
Meditación matutina: DIOS DESHONRADO POR EL PECADO
Antes de la venida de nuestro Redentor, toda la raza infeliz de la humanidad gemía en la miseria sobre esta tierra: todos eran hijos de la ira, ni había uno que pudiera apaciguar a Dios, justamente indignado por sus pecados. Oh Dios de Misericordia, para que Tu Divina Sabiduría no pudiera reprocharnos nuestras ofensas contra Ti, la has ocultado bajo la forma de un niño. Has ocultado Tu Justicia bajo el más profundo abajamiento para que no nos condene.
Meditación I:
Considera cómo el pecado deshonra a Dios. Por la transgresión de la ley deshonras a Dios - (Rom. ii., 23), dice San Pablo. Cuando el pecador delibera sobre si debe dar o negar su consentimiento al pecado, toma la balanza en sus manos para decidir qué tiene más valor: el favor de Dios o alguna pasión, algún interés o placer mundano. Cuando cede a la tentación, ¿qué hace? Decide que alguna miserable gratificación es más deseable que el favor de Dios. Así es como deshonra a Dios, declarando, con su consentimiento, que un placer miserable es preferible a la amistad divina. Así, pues, oh Dios, te he deshonrado tantas veces, estimándote menos que mis miserables pasiones.
De esto se queja el Todopoderoso por el Profeta Ezequiel, cuando dice: Me violaron entre mi gente por un puñado de cebada y un trozo de pan. - (Ezech. xiii., 19). Si el pecador cambiase a Dios por un tesoro de joyas, o por un reino, haría ciertamente un gran mal, porque Dios es de infinito más valor que todos los tesoros y reinos de la tierra. Pero ¿por qué lo cambian tantos? Por un vapor, por un poco de suciedad, por un placer envenenado, que apenas se prueba se huye. Oh Dios, ¡cómo he podido tener el corazón, por cosas tan viles, para despreciarte tantas veces a Ti, que me has mostrado tanto amor! Pero he aquí, Redentor mío, cómo ahora Te amo sobre todas las cosas; y porque Te amo, siento más pesar por haberte perdido a Ti, mi Dios, que si hubiera perdido todos mis otros bienes, e incluso mi vida. Ten piedad de mí, y perdóname, nunca más incurriré en Tu desagrado. Haz que prefiera morir antes que ofenderte más.
Meditación II:
Lord, who is like to thee? — (Ps. xxxiv., 10).
And what good things, O God, can be comparable to Thee, O infinite Goodness? And how could I have turned my back upon Thee, to give myself to those vile things which sin held out to me? Thou hast forsaken me, saith the Lord, thou hast gone backward. — (Jer. xv., 6). God complains and says: Ungrateful soul, thou hast forsaken Me! I would never have forsaken thee hadst not thou first turned thy back upon Me! Thou hast gone backward. O God, with what consternation will these words fill the soul of the sinner when he shall stand to be judged before the divine tribunal! O Jesus, Thy precious Blood is my hope. Thou hast promised to hear him who prays to Thee. I ask Thee not for the goods of this world; I ask Thee for the pardon of the sins I have committed against Thee, and for which I am sorry above every other evil. I ask Thee for perseverance in Thy grace until the end of my life. I ask Thee for the gift of Thy holy love; my soul is enamoured of Thy goodness: hear me, O Lord. Only grant that I may love Thee both here and hereafter, and as to all things else, do with me as Thou pleasest. My Lord and my only Good, suffer me not to be any more separated from Thee! Mary, Mother of God, do thou also listen to me, and obtain for me that I may ever belong to God, and that God may be my inheritance for ever.
Lectura espiritual: EL JUICIO Y LA SENTENCIA
Meditación vespertina: JESÚS CARGADO CON LOS PECADOS DE TODO EL MUNDO
Meditación I:
He shall bear their iniquities. — (Is. liii., 11).
Consider that the Divine Word, in becoming Man, chose not only to take the form of a sinner, but also to bear all the sins of men, and to satisfy for them as if they were His own: Él cargará con sus iniquidades. Cornelius à Lapide adds: “as if He had committed them Himself.” Let us here reflect what an oppression and anguish the Heart of the Infant Jesus must have felt, Who had already charged Himself with the sins of the whole world, in finding that Divine Justice insisted on His making a full satisfaction for them.
Well did Our Lord know the malice of every sin, for, through the divine light which accompanied Him, He knew immeasurably more than all men and Angels the infinite goodness of His Father, and how infinitely deserving He is of being revered and loved. And then He saw drawn up in array before Him a countless number of transgressions which would be committed by men and for which He was to suffer and die.
My beloved Jesus, I, who have offended Thee, am not worthy of Thy favours, but through the merit of that pain which Thou didst suffer, and which Thou didst offer up to God at the sight of my sins, and to satisfy divine justice for them, give me a share in that light by which Thou didst see their malice, and in that hatred with which Thou didst then abominate them. O Lord! Thou hast indeed died to save me; but Thy death will not save me if I do not, on my part, detest every evil, and have true sorrow for the sins I have committed against Thee. But even this sorrow must be given me by Thee. Thou givest it to him that asks it of Thee. I ask it of Thee through the merits of all the sufferings Thou didst endure on this earth; give me sorrow for my sins, but a sorrow that will correspond to my transgressions.
Meditación II:
Our Lord once showed St. Catherine of Sienna the hideousness of one single venial sin; and such was the dread and sorrow of the Saint that she fell senseless to the ground. What, then, must have been the sufferings of the Infant Jesus when, on His entrance into the world, He saw before Him the immense array of all the crimes of men for which He was to make satisfaction!
And then He knew in particular every sin of each one of us: “He had regard to every particular sin,” says St. Bernardine of Sienna. And Cardinal Hugo says that the executioners “caused Him exterior pain by crucifying Him, but we interior pain by sinning against Him.” He means that each one of our sins afflicted the soul of Jesus Christ more than crucifixion and death afflicted His body. Such is the beautiful recompense which has been rendered to our Divine Saviour for His love by everyone who remembers to have offended Him by mortal sin!
O Eternal God, supreme and infinite Good! I, a miserable worm, have dared to lose respect for Thee, and to despise Thy grace; I detest above every evil and abhor the injustice I have committed against Thee; I repent of all with my whole heart, not so much on account of hell, which I have deserved, as because I have offended Thy infinite Goodness. I hope for pardon from Thee through the merits of Jesus Christ; and I hope also to obtain, together with Thy pardon, the grace of loving Thee. I love Thee, O God, Who art worthy of infinite love, and I will always repeat to Thee, I love Thee, I love Thee, I love Thee! And as Thy beloved St. Catherine of Genoa said to Thee, while she stood in spirit at the foot of Thy crucified Image, so will I also say to Thee now that I am standing at Thy feet: “My Lord, no more sins, no more sins!” No, for Thou indeed dost not deserve to be offended, O my Jesus, but Thou only deservest to be loved. My Blessed Redeemer, help me. My Mother Mary, assist me, I pray thee; I only ask of thee to obtain for me that I may love God during the time that is left me in this life.
Meditación matutina: EL GRAN ASUNTO DE LA SALVACIÓN
Considera que nuestro asunto más importante es el de nuestra salvación eterna. De nuestra eternidad depende nuestra felicidad o nuestra miseria para siempre. Si viviremos para siempre felices o para siempre miserables.
Ante el hombre está la vida y la muerte. . . lo que él elija se le dará. - (Ecclus. xv., 18).
Hagamos ahora una elección de la que no tengamos que arrepentirnos en la eternidad.
Meditación I:
El asunto de nuestra salvación eterna es el más importante de todos. Pero ¿cómo es que los hombres ponen toda su diligencia para tener éxito en los asuntos de este mundo, no dejan ningún medio sin intentar para obtener una situación deseable, para ganar un pleito, o para lograr un matrimonio; no rechazan ningún consejo; no descuidan ninguna medida para asegurar su objeto; ni comen ni duermen, y sin embargo no hacen nada para ganar la salvación eterna - nada para ganarla, sino todo para perderla, como si...? Infierno, Cieloy Eternidad no eran artículos de fe, sino sólo fábulas y mentiras?
¡Oh Dios! Ayúdame con tu luz divina; no permitas que me siga cegando como hasta ahora.
Si ocurre un accidente en una casa, ¿qué no se hace inmediatamente para repararla? Si se pierde una joya, ¿qué no se hace para recuperarla? Se pierde el alma, se pierde la gracia de Dios, ¡y los hombres duermen y ríen! Atendemos con sumo cuidado a nuestro bienestar temporal, y descuidamos casi por completo nuestra salvación eterna. Llamamos felices a los que han renunciado a todas las cosas por Dios; ¿por qué, pues, estamos tan apegados a las cosas terrenas?
¡Oh Jesús! Has deseado tanto mi salvación que derramaste tu sangre y diste tu vida para conseguirla, y yo he sido tan indiferente a la conservación de tu gracia que he renunciado a ella y la he perdido por nada. Lamento, Señor, haberte deshonrado así. Renunciaré a todas las cosas para atender sólo a Tu amor, Dios mío, que eres el más digno de todo amor...
Meditación II:
The Son of God gives His life to save our souls; the devil is most diligent in his endeavours to bring them to eternal ruin: and what care do we take of them? St. Philip Neri convicts that man of the height of folly who is inattentive to the salvation of his soul. Let us rouse our Faith: it is certain that, after this short life, another life awaits us, which will be either eternally happy or eternally miserable. God has given us to choose which we will. Before man is life and death . . . that which he shall choose shall be given him. Ah! let us make such a choice now as we shall not have to repent of for all eternity.
O God, make me sensible of the great wrong I have done Thee in offending Thee and renouncing Thee for the love of creatures. I am sorry with my whole heart for having despised Thee, my sovereign Good; do not reject me now that I return to Thee. I love Thee above all things, and for the future I will renounce all things rather than lose Thy grace. Through the love which Thou hast shown me in dying for me, succour me with Thy help, and do not abandon me. O Mary, Mother of God, be thou my advocate.
Lectura espiritual: ORACIÓN MENTAL: I. - Su importancia
Meditación vespertina: EL AMOR DE DIOS POR LOS HOMBRES
Meditación I:
God so loved the world as to give his only-begotten Son. — (John iii., 16).
Consider that the Eternal Father, in giving us His Son for a Redeemer, the victim and price of our ransom, could not give us stronger motives for hope and love, to inspire us with confidence, and to oblige us to love Him. “In giving us His Son,” says St. Augustine, “He could give us nothing more.” He desires that we should avail ourselves of this immense Gift in order to gain for ourselves eternal Salvation, and every grace that we want; for in Jesus we find all that we can desire; we find light, strength, peace, confidence, love, and eternal glory; for Jesus Christ is a Gift which contains all the gifts that we can seek for or desire. How hath he not also, with him, given us all things? — (Rom. vii., 32). God having given us His beloved only begotten Son, Who is the fountain and treasure of all good, who could fear that He would deny us any favour that we ask of Him?
O Eternal God! who could ever have given us this treasure of infinite value, but Thou, Who art a God of infinite love? O my Creator, what more couldst Thou have done to give us confidence in Thy mercy, and to put us under an obligation of loving Thee? O Lord, I have repaid Thee with ingratitude; but Thou hast said: To them that love God all things work together unto good. — (Rom. viii., 28). Therefore, notwithstanding the great number and the enormity of my sins, I will not despair of Thy bounty; rather let my transgressions serve to humble me the more whenever I meet with any insult; insults and humiliations does he indeed deserve who has had the temerity to offend Thy divine Majesty. I wish that my sins may serve to reconcile me more to the crosses which Thou shalt send me, that I may be more diligent in serving and honouring Thee in order to compensate for the injuries I have committed against Thee. O my God, I will always remember the displeasure I have caused Thee in order that I may the more exalt Thy mercy and be inflamed with love for Thee.
Meditación II:
Christ Jesus is of God made unto us wisdom, and justice, and sanctification, and redemption. — (1 Cor. i., 30). God hath given Jesus to us in order that He might be to us ignorant and blind creatures light and wisdom, wherewith to walk in the way of salvation; in order that to us who are deserving of hell He might be justice, enabling us to aspire to Paradise; that to us sinners He might be sanctification, to obtain for us holiness; that finally, to us slaves of the devil He might be a ransom to purchase for us the liberty of the sons of God. In short, the Apostle says that with Jesus Christ we have been enriched with every good gift and every grace, if we ask it through His merits: In all things you are made rich in him … so that nothing is wanting to you in any grace. — (1 Cor. i., 5).
And this gift which God has made us of His Son is a gift to each one of us; for He hath given Him entirely to each of us, as if He had given Him to each one alone, so that every one of us may say: Jesus is all mine; His body is mine; His blood is mine; His life is mine; His sorrows, His death, His merits, are all mine. Wherefore St. Paul said: He loved me and delivered himself for me. — (Gal. ii., 20). And every one may say the same thing: “My Redeemer has loved me; and for the love that He bore me He has given Himself entirely to me.”
My God, my God, how can I ever leave off loving Thee and separate myself again from Thy love! I repent, and will always repent of the outrages I have committed against Thee; but I depend upon Thee to help me. O my God, for Thy Glory’s sake, vouchsafe to grant that, as I have offended Thee much I may also love Thee much!
O Mary, my Queen, do thou assist me. Thou knowest my weakness. Grant that I may have recourse to thee whenever the devil tries to separate me from God. My Mother, my hope, do thou help me. Amen.
Meditación matutina: EL GRAN PENSAMIENTO DE LA ETERNIDAD
El hombre entrará en la casa de su eternidad. - (Ecles. xii., 5)
El que se construye una casa se esmera en hacerla cómoda, aireada y bonita, y dice: "Trabajo y me doy mucho trabajo en esta casa, porque tendré que vivir en ella toda mi vida". Y, sin embargo, qué poco Casa de la eternidad ¡pensado!
Meditación I:
Así designó San Agustín el pensamiento de la eternidad: "El Gran Pensamiento" - Magna Cogitatio. Fue este pensamiento el que indujo a tantos solitarios a retirarse a los desiertos; a tantos religiosos, incluso reyes y reinas, a encerrarse en claustros; y a tantos mártires a sacrificar sus vidas en medio de tormentos, para adquirir una eternidad feliz en el Cielo, y evitar una eternidad miserable en el infierno. El bienaventurado Juan de Ávila convirtió a cierta señora con estas dos palabras: "Reflexiona, le dijo, sobre estas dos palabras: Siempre y Nunca." Cierto monje bajó a una tumba para meditar continuamente en la Eternidad, y repetía constantemente: "¡Oh Eternidad! Eternidad!"
¡Cuántas veces, Dios mío, he merecido la eternidad del infierno! ¡Oh, que nunca te hubiera ofendido! Concédeme el dolor por mis pecados; ten compasión de mí.
El mismo Beato Juan de Ávila dice, que el que cree en la eternidad y no se hace santo, sea encerrado como trastornado. Cuando hayamos llegado a la eternidad no se tratará de que residamos en una casa más o menos cómoda, o más o menos ventilada: se tratará de que habitemos en un palacio rebosante de delicias, o en un abismo de tormentos sin fin. ¿Y por cuánto tiempo? No por cuarenta o cincuenta años, sino para siempre, mientras Dios sea Dios. A los santos, para obtener la salvación, les parecía poco entregar toda su vida a la oración, a la penitencia y a la práctica de las buenas obras. ¿Y qué hacemos nosotros con el mismo fin?
¡Oh Dios mío! Ya han pasado muchos años de mi vida; ya se acerca la muerte, y ¿qué he hecho hasta ahora por Ti? Dame luz y fuerza para dedicar el resto de mis días a Tu servicio. Demasiado, ¡ay! te he ofendido; deseo amarte de ahora en adelante.
Meditación II:
With fear and trembling work out thy salvation. — (Phil, ii., 12).
To obtain salvation we must tremble at the thought of being lost, and tremble not so much at the thought of hell, as of sin, which alone can send us thither. He who dreads sin avoids dangerous occasions, frequently recommends himself to God, and has recourse to the means of keeping himself in the state of grace. He who acts thus will be saved; but for him who lives not in this manner it is morally impossible to be saved. Let us attend to that saying of St. Bernard: We cannot be too secure where Eternity is at stake.”
Thy Blood, O Jesus, my Redeemer, is my security. I should have been already lost on account of my sins, hadst Thou not offered me Thy pardon, on condition of my repentance for having offended Thee. I am sorry therefore, with my whole heart, for having offended Thee, Who art infinite Goodness. I love Thee, O sovereign Good, above every other good. I know that Thou willest my salvation and I will endeavour to secure it by loving Thee forever. O Mary, Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me.
Lectura espiritual: ORACIÓN MENTAL: II. - Su fin y objeto
Meditación vespertina: LA PALABRA SE HIZO HOMBRE EN LA PLENITUD DE LOS TIEMPOS
Meditación I:
When the fulness of time was come God sent his Son. — (Gal. iv., 4).
Consider that God allowed four thousand years to pass, after the transgression of Adam, before He sent His Son upon earth to redeem the world. And in the meantime, oh, what fatal darkness reigned upon the earth! The true God was not known or adored, except in one small corner of the world. Idolatry reigned everywhere; so that devils and stones and beasts were adored as gods.
But let us admire in this the Divine Wisdom: He deferred the coming of the Redeemer in order to render His advent more welcome to man, in order that the malice of sin might be better known, as well as the necessity of a remedy and the grace of the Saviour. If Jesus Christ had come into the world immediately after the fall of Adam, the greatness of this favour would have been but slightly appreciated. Let us therefore thank the goodness of God for having sent us into the world after the great work of Redemption had been accomplished. Behold, the happy time is come which was called the fulness of time: When the fulness of time was come, God sent his Son . . . that he might redeem them that were under the law. — (Gal. iv., 4).
O Divine Word, become Man for me, though I behold Thee thus humbled and become a little Infant in the womb of Mary, yet I confess and acknowledge Thee for my Lord and King, but a King of Love. My dearest Saviour, since Thou hast come down upon earth and clothed Thyself with our miserable flesh, in order to reign over our hearts, I beseech Thee come and establish Thy reign in my heart also, which was once, alas, ruled over by Thine enemies, but is how, I hope, Thine, as I desire that it may be always Thine, and that from this day forth Thou mayst be its only Lord: Rule thou in the midst of thy enemies. — (Ps. cix., 2). Other kings reign by the strength of arms, but Thou comest to reign by the power of Thy love; and therefore Thou dost not come with regal pomp, or clothed in purple and gold, or adorned with sceptre and crown, or surrounded by armies of soldiers. Thou comest into the world to be born in a stable – poor, forsaken, placed in a manger on a little straw, because thus Thou wouldst begin to reign in our hearts.
Meditación II:
It is called fulness, on account of the fulness of grace which the Son of God came to communicate to men by the Redemption of the world. Behold the Angel who is sent as ambassador into the town of Nazareth to announce to the Virgin Mary the coming of the Word, Who desires to become incarnate in her womb. The Angel salutes her, calls her lleno de gracia y blessed among women. — (Luke, i., 28). The humble Virgin, chosen to be the Mother of the Son of God, is troubled at these praises on account of her great humility: but the Angel encourages her, and tells her that she has found grace with God; that is to say, that grace which brought peace between God and man, and the reparation of the ruin caused by sin. He then tells her that she must give her Son the Name of Saviour: Thou shalt call his name Jesus — (Luke, i., 31), and that this her Son is the very Son of God, Who is to redeem the world, and thus to reign over the hearts of men. Behold, at last Mary consents to be the Mother of such a Son: Be it done unto me according to thy word. — (Luke, i., 38). And the Eternal Word takes flesh and becomes Man: And the Word was made flesh. — (John i., 14).
Let us thank this Son, and let us also thank His Mother, who, in consenting to be the Mother of such a Son, consented also to be the Mother of our salvation, and the Mother of sorrows, accepting at that time the martyrdom of sorrow that it would cost her to be the Mother of a Son Who was to come into the world to suffer and die for man.
Ah, my Infant King, how could I have so often rebelled against Thee, and lived so long Thy enemy, deprived of Thy grace, when, to oblige me to love Thee, Thou hast put off Thy divine majesty, and hast humbled Thyself even to appearing, first, as a Babe in a cave; then as a servant in a shop, and as a criminal on the Cross? Oh, happy me, if, now that I have been freed, as I hope, from the slavery of Satan, I allow myself forever to be governed by Thee and by Thy love! O Jesus, my King, Who art so amiable and so loving to our souls, take possession, I pray Thee, of mine; I give it entirely to Thee; accept it, that it may serve Thee forever, but serve Thee only for love. Thy majesty deserves to be feared, but Thy goodness still more deserves to be loved. Thou art my King, and shalt be always the only object of my love; and the only fear I have is the fear of displeasing Thee. That is what I hope. Do Thou help me with Thy grace. O Mary, my dear Lady! it is for thee to obtain for me that I may be faithful to this beloved King of my soul.
Meditación matutina: RETRATO DE UN HOMBRE QUE HA ENTRADO HACE POCO EN LA CASA DE SU ETERNIDAD
Debajo de ti se esparcirá la polilla y gusanos serán tu cubierta. - (Is. xiv., 11).
En el momento en que el alma abandone el cuerpo irá a la eternidad y el cuerpo volverá al polvo. La misma suerte aguarda a todos, nobles y campesinos, príncipes y vasallos. Les quitarás el aliento y volverán a su polvo.. - (Sal. ciii., 29).
Oh Dios mío, no resistiré más Tus llamadas.
Meditación I:
Considera que eres polvo y que al polvo volverás. Llegará un día en que morirás y te pudrirás en una tumba donde gusanos serán tu cubierta.
Imagina que contemplas a una persona que acaba de morir. Mira ese cuerpo tendido en el lecho, la cabeza caída sobre el pecho, los cabellos desordenados y todavía bañados en el sudor de la muerte, los ojos hundidos, las mejillas hundidas, el rostro del color de la ceniza, los labios y la lengua como el hierro, el cuerpo frío y pesado. Los espectadores palidecen y tiemblan. ¡Cuántos al ver a un pariente o amigo fallecido han cambiado de vida y se han retirado del mundo!
El horror será aún mayor cuando el cuerpo empiece a putrefaccionarse. No han transcurrido veinticuatro horas desde la muerte de ese joven, y su cuerpo ya despide un olor desagradable. Hay que abrir las ventanas y, para evitar la propagación de la enfermedad a toda la familia, pronto habrá que trasladarlo a la iglesia y enterrarlo en la tierra. "Si ha sido uno de los ricos y nobles del mundo, su cuerpo despedirá un hedor más intolerable", dice San Ambrosio.
He aquí el fin de ese hombre orgulloso, lascivo y voluptuoso. Antes de su muerte, deseado y buscado en las conversaciones, ¡y ahora convertido en objeto de horror y repugnancia para todos los que lo contemplan! Sus parientes se apresuran a sacarlo de la casa. Contratan hombres para que lo encierren en un ataúd, lo lleven al cementerio y lo arrojen a la tumba.
Oh Jesús, Redentor mío, Te doy gracias por no haberme sacado de la vida cuando era Tu enemigo. ¡Cuántos años he merecido estar en el infierno! Si hubiera muerto tal día o tal noche, ¿cuál sería mi suerte por toda la eternidad? Señor, te doy gracias. Acepto mi muerte en satisfacción por mis pecados y la acepto en la forma en que Tú quieras enviarla. Pero ya que me has soportado hasta ahora, espérame un poco más. Permíteme, pues, que lamente un poco mi pena. - (Job x., 20). Dame tiempo para lamentar mis ofensas antes de que me juzgues. No resistiré más a Tus llamadas. Quién sabe si las palabras que acabo de leer serán para mí la última llamada. Contempla al traidor arrepentido que recurre a Ti. Un corazón contrito y humillado, oh Dios, no despreciarás. - (Sal. 1., 19).
Meditación II:
Consider that as thou hast acted on the occasion of the death of friends and relatives so others will act on the occasion of thy death. During life, the fame of his wit, of his politeness, of the elegance of his manners and his facetiousness, was spread far and wide, but after death the dead man is soon forgotten. On hearing the news of his death some say: “He was an honour to his family;” “He has provided well for his children.” Some regret his death because he had done them some service during life; others rejoice at it because it is an advantage to them. But in a little time no one speaks of him. In the beginning the relatives are afflicted for a short time, but soon they feel unwilling to hear his name through fear of renewing their grief. In visits of condolence all are careful to make no mention of the deceased, and should any one happen to speak of him the relatives exclaim: “For God’s sake do not mention his name!”
They occupy the possessions and offices of the deceased, and they are consoled by the share of the property which falls to them. But the dead are no longer remembered. Their memory hath perished with a noise. — (Ps. ix., 7). Thus in a short time your death will be rather a source of joy; and in the very room in which you have breathed forth your soul, and in which you have been judged by Jesus Christ, others will dance and eat, and play and laugh as before! And where will your soul be then?
O God cast me not away from Thy face! For Thy mercy’s sake cast me not away! Thou hast said: Him that cometh to me I will not cast out. — (John vi., 37). It is true that I have outraged Thee more than others, because I have been more favoured with Thy lights and graces. But the Blood which Thou hast shed for me gives me courage and pardon if I repent. My Sovereign Good, I am sorry with my whole heart for having offended Thee. Pardon me and give me grace to love Thee for the future. I have offended Thee enough! The rest of my life I wish to spend in weeping unceasingly over the insults I have offered Thee and in loving with my whole heart a God worthy of infinite love. O Mary, my hope, pray to Jesus for me.
Lectura espiritual: ORACIÓN MENTAL: III. - Su lugar y su tiempo
Meditación vespertina: EL ABAJAMIENTO DE JESÚS
Meditación I:
Taking the form of a servant. — (Phil. ii., 7).
The Eternal Word descends on earth to save man; and whence does He descend? His going out is from the end of heaven. — (Ps. xviii., 7). He descends from the bosom of His Divine Father, where from eternity He was begotten in the brightness of the Saints. And whither does He descend? He descends into the womb of a Virgin, a child of Adam, which in comparison with the bosom of God is an object of horror; wherefore the Church sings: “Thou didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb.” Yes, because the Word in the bosom of the Father is God like the Father – is immense, omnipotent, most blessed and supreme Lord, and equal in everything to the Father. But in the womb of Mary He is a creature, small, weak, afflicted, a servant inferior to the Father, taking the form of a servant. — (Phil, ii., 7).
It is related as a great prodigy of humility in St. Alexis that, although he was the son of a Roman gentleman, he chose to live as a servant in his father’s house. But how is the humility of this Saint to be compared to the humility of Jesus Christ? Between the son and the servant of the father of St. Alexis there was, it is true, some difference; but between God and the servant of God there is an infinite difference.
My beloved Jesus, Thou art the Sovereign Lord of Heaven and earth; but for the love of me Thou hast made Thyself a servant even of the executioners who tore Thy flesh, pierced Thy head, and finally left Thee nailed on the Cross to die of sorrow. I adore Thee as my God and Lord, and I am ashamed to appear before Thee, when I remember how often for the sake of some miserable pleasure, I have broken Thy holy bonds, and have told Thee to Thy face that I would not serve Thee. Ah, Thou mayst justly reproach me: Thou hast burst my bands, and thou saidst: I will not serve. — (Jer. ii., 20). But still, O my Saviour, Thy merits, and Thy goodness which cannot despise a heart that repents and humbles itself, give me courage to hope for pardon: A contrite and humble heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. — (Is. l., 19).
Meditación II:
Besides, this Son of God having become the servant of His Father, in obedience to Him, made Himself also, the servant of His creatures, that is to say, of Mary and Joseph: And he was subject to them. — (Luke ii., 51). Moreover, He made Himself even a servant of Pilate, who condemned Him to death, and He was obedient to him and accepted it; He became a servant of the executioners, who scourged Him, crowned Him with thorns, and crucified Him; and He humbly obeyed them all, and yielded Himself into their hands.
O God! and shall we, after this, refuse to submit ourselves to the service of so loving a Saviour, Who, to save us, has subjected Himself to such painful and degrading slavery? And rather than be the servants of this great and so loving a Lord, shall we be content to remain the slaves of the devil, who does not love his servants, but hates them and treats them like a tyrant, making them miserable and wretched in this world and in the next? But if we have been guilty of this great folly, why do we not quickly give up this unhappy servitude? Courage, then, since we have been delivered by Jesus Christ from the slavery of hell; let us now embrace and bind around us with love those sweet chains, which will render us servants and lovers of Jesus Christ, and hereafter obtain for us the crown of the eternal kingdom amongst the Blessed in Paradise.
I confess, my Jesus, that I have offended Thee greatly; I confess that I deserve a thousand hells for the sins I have committed against Thee; chastise me as Thou seest fit, but do not deprive me of Thy grace and love. I repent above every other evil of having despised Thee. I love Thee with my whole heart. I propose from this day forth to desire to serve Thee and love Thee alone. I pray Thee bind me by Thy merits with chains of Thy holy love, and never suffer me to break those blessed chains again. I love Thee above everything, O my Deliverer; and I would prefer being Thy servant to being master of the whole world. And of what avail would all the world be to him who lives deprived of Thy grace? “My sweetest Jesus, permit me not to separate myself from Thee.” This grace I ask of Thee, and I intend always to ask it, and I beg of Thee to grant me this day the grace to repeat continually to the end of my life the prayer: My Jesus, grant that I may never again separate myself from Thy love. I ask this favour of thee also, O Mary, my Mother: Help me by thy intercession that I may never separate myself again from my God.
Meditación matutina: LA INFELIZ VIDA DEL PECADOR
No hay paz para los impíos, dice el Señor. - (Is. xlviii., 22).
No, el mundo con todos sus bienes no puede contentar el corazón del hombre. No fue creado para ellos, sino sólo para Dios. Por tanto, sólo Dios puede contentar y hacer feliz al hombre, y darle esa paz que el mundo no puede darle.
Meditación I:
En esta vida todos los hombres buscan la paz. El comerciante, el soldado, el hombre que se dedica a la abogacía, todos trabajan con la esperanza de hacer fortuna y de encontrar así la paz mediante el lucro mundano, mediante un puesto más elevado, mediante la conquista de un pleito. Pero los pobres mundanos buscan en el mundo la paz que el mundo no puede dar. Sólo Dios puede dar la paz, como proclama la Santa Iglesia con las siguientes palabras: "Da a tus siervos la paz que el mundo no puede dar". No; el mundo, con todos sus bienes, no puede contentar el corazón del hombre; pues no fue creado para ellos, sino sólo para Dios: por eso sólo Dios puede hacerlo feliz y contento. Los animales brutos, que han sido creados para los deleites sensuales, encuentran la paz en los bienes terrenales: dale a un buey un haz de heno, y a un perro un trozo de carne, y estarán contentos, no desearán nada más. Pero el alma, que no ha sido creada para otro fin que amar a Dios y vivir en unión con El, nunca podrá encontrar paz ni felicidad en los goces sensuales; sólo Dios puede hacerla perfectamente feliz.
El Hijo de Dios dio el apelativo de necio al rico que, después de haber recogido una rica cosecha de sus campos, se dijo a sí mismo: Alma, tienes muchos bienes acumulados para muchos años; descansa, come, bebe y alégrate. - (Lucas xii., 19). "¡Miserable insensato!", dice San Basilio, "¿tienes alma de cerdo, de bruto, que esperas hacerla feliz comiendo, bebiendo o con deleites sensuales?". Un hombre puede hincharse, pero no satisfacerse con los bienes de este mundo. Sobre las palabras del Evangelio, he aquí que hemos dejado todas las cosas - (Mt. xix., 27), San Bernardo escribe, que vio diferentes clases de necios trabajando bajo diferentes especies de locura. Todos tenían una gran sed de felicidad: unos se saciaban con los bienes de la tierra, figura de los avaros; otros, con el viento, figura de los ambiciosos, que buscan honores vacíos; otros, sentados alrededor de un horno, tragaban las chispas que de él salían; éstos eran los apasionados y vengativos; otros, en fin, bebían aguas pútridas de un lago fétido: y éstos eran los voluptuosos y los incultos. Por eso, dirigiéndose a ellos, el Santo exclama: "¡Oh necios! No veis que estas cosas aumentan, en vez de disminuir, vuestra sed!".
Ah, Dios mío, ¿qué queda ahora de todas las ofensas que te he ofrecido, sino penas, amarguras y méritos para el infierno? No me apenan el dolor y el remordimiento que ahora siento; al contrario, me consuelan, porque son don de Tu gracia, y me hacen esperar que, puesto que Tú inspiras estos sentimientos, deseas perdonarme. Lo que me desagrada es el dolor que te he causado a Ti, Redentor mío, que tan tiernamente me has amado. Yo merecía, Señor mío, ser abandonado por Ti, pero en vez de abandonarme, veo que Tú me ofreces el perdón y que eres el primero en pedir la reconciliación. Oh Jesús mío, deseo hacer las paces contigo y deseo tu gracia más que cualquier bien terrenal.
Meditación II:
The goods of the world are but goods in appearance, and therefore they cannot satisfy the heart of man. You have eaten, says the Prophet Aggeus, but have not been filled. — (Agg. i., 6). Hence, the more the avaricious man possesses, the more he seeks to acquire. “The possession of great wealth,” says St. Augustine, “does not close, but rather extends, the jaws of avarice.” The more the unchaste man wallows in the mire of impurity, the greater is his disgust, and, at the same time, his desire for such beastly pleasures; and how can dung and carnal filthiness content the heart? The same happens to the ambitious man, who wishes to satisfy his desires by smoke; for he always attends more to what he wants than to what he possesses. After having acquired many kingdoms, Alexander the Great wept, because he had no more kingdoms to conquer. If worldly goods could content the human heart, the rich and the monarchs of the earth would enjoy complete happiness; but experience shows the contrary. Solomon tells us that he refused no indulgence to his senses. Whatsoever my eyes desired, I refused them not. — (Eccles, ii., 10). But after all his sensual enjoyments what did he say? Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity. — (Eccles, i., 2). That is, everything in this world is mere vanity, a pure lie, pure folly.
I am sorry, O infinite Goodness I for having offended Thee; I would wish to die of sorrow for my offences. Ah I through the love which Thou didst entertain for me when Thou didst expire on the Cross, pardon me, receive me into Thy Heart, and change my heart, so that henceforth I may please Thee as much as I have hitherto offended Thee. I now renounce, for Thy sake, all the pleasures that the world can give me, and I resolve to forfeit my life rather than lose Thy grace. Tell me what I must do in order to please Thee; I wish to do it. What pleasures, what honours, what riches, can I seek? I wish only for Thee, my God, my joy, my glory, my treasure, my life, my love, my All! Give me the grace to love Thee, and then do with me what Thou pleasest. Mary, my Mother and my hope, take me under thy protection and obtain for me the grace to belong entirely to God. Amen.
Lectura espiritual: ORACIÓN MENTAL: IV. - Método de fabricación
Meditación vespertina: JESÚS ILUMINA EL MUNDO Y GLORIFICA A DIOS
Meditación I:
The Lord hath created a new thing upon the earth. — (Jer. xxxi. 22).
Before the coming of the Messias the world was buried in a dark night of ignorance and sin. The true God was hardly known, save in one single corner of the earth, that is to say, in Judea alone: In Judea God is known. — (Ps. lxxv., 2). But everywhere else men adored as gods devils, beasts, and stones. Everywhere there reigned the night of sin, which blinds souls, and fills them with vices, and hides from them the sight of the miserable state in which they are living, as enemies of God, and worthy only of hell: Thou hast appointed darkness and it is night; in it shall all the beasts of the wood go about. — (Ps. ciii., 20).
From this darkness Jesus came to deliver the world: To them that dwelt in the region of the shadow of death, light is risen. — (Is. ix., 2). He delivered it from idolatry by making known the light of the true God; and He delivered the world from sin by the light of His doctrine and of His divine example: For this purpose the Son of God appeared that he might destroy the work of the devil. — (I John iii., 8).
My eternal God, I have dishonoured Thee by so often preferring my will to Thine, and my vile and miserable pleasures to Thy holy grace. What hope of pardon would there be for me, if Thou hadst not given me Jesus Christ, our Saviour, that He might be the Hope of us miserable sinners? He is a propitiation for our sins. — (I Jo. ii., 2). Yes; for Jesus Christ, in sacrificing His life in satisfaction for the injuries we have done Thee, has given more honour to Thee than we have dishonour by our sins. Receive me, therefore, O my Father, for the love of Jesus Christ. I repent, O infinite Goodness, of having outraged Thee: Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, I am not now worthy to be called thy son. — (Luke xv., 21). I am not worthy of forgiveness; but Jesus Christ is worthy to be heard favourably by Thee. He prayed once for me on the Cross: Father, forgive; and even now in Heaven He is constantly begging Thee to receive me as a son: We have an advocate, Jesus Christ, who ever intercedes for us. — (Rom. vii., 34). Receive an ungrateful son, who once forsook Thee, but now returns resolved to desire to love Thee.
Meditación II:
The Prophet Jeremias foretold that God would create a new Child to be the Redeemer of men: The Lord hath created a new thing upon the earth. — (Jer. xxxi., 22). This new Child is Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God, Who is the object of the love of all the Saints in Paradise, and is the Love of the Father Himself, Who thus speaks of Him: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. — (Matt, xvii., 5). And this Son is He Who made Himself man. A new Child, because He gave more glory and honour to God in the first moment of His creation than all the Angels and Saints together have given Him, or shall give Him for all eternity. And therefore did the Angels at the birth of Jesus sing: Glory to God in the highest. — (Luke ii., 14). The Child Jesus has rendered more glory to God than men have deprived Him of by all their sins.
Let us therefore, poor sinners, take courage; let us offer to the eternal Father this Infant; let us present to Him the tears, the obedience, the humility, the death, and the merits of Jesus Christ, and we shall make reparation to God for all the dishonour we have caused Him by our offences.
Yes, my Father, I love Thee and I will always love Thee. O my Father, now that I know well the love Thou hast borne me, and the patience which Thou hast shown me for so many years, I resolve no longer to live without loving Thee. Give me a great love so that I may constantly lament the displeasure I have given Thee, Who art so good a Father; cause me ever to burn with love towards Thee, Who art so loving a Father towards me. My Father, I love Thee, I love Thee, I love Thee! O Mary! God is my Father, and thou art my Mother. Thou canst do all things with God; help me; obtain for me holy perseverance and His holy love.
Meditación de la mañana: EL PODER DE LA INTERCESIÓN DE MARÍA
Conmigo están las riquezas. . . para enriquecer a los que me aman. - (Prov. viii., 18).
Si las oraciones de los santos son muy poderosas ante Dios, ¡cuán grande debe ser el poder de las oraciones de María! Las primeras son oraciones de siervos; las segundas, oraciones de Madre. Bienaventurada, pues, la persona por la que María reza. Santa Madre de Dios, ruega por nosotros.
Meditación I:
San Bernardo nos dice que María ha recibido una doble plenitud de gracia. La primera, en la Encarnación del Verbo que se hizo Hombre en su santísimo seno; la segunda, en esa plenitud de gracia que recibimos de Dios por medio de sus oraciones. De modo que cualquier bien que recibimos de Dios, lo recibimos por intercesión de María. Si las oraciones de los santos son tan poderosas para Dios, cuán grande debe ser el poder de las de su Madre. Las primeras son las oraciones de sirvienteslas oraciones de un Madre¡! Las oraciones de María tienen la fuerza de un mandato ante Jesucristo. Por eso es imposible que el Hijo no conceda una gracia que la Madre pide. "Alégrate, alégrate, oh María", dice San Metodio, "tienes a tu Hijo como deudor. Todos somos deudores de Él, pero Él es deudor sólo de ti". Bienaventurada, pues, la persona por la que María reza.
O great Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me! Behold the miseries of my soul and pity me. Pray and never cease to pray until thou seest me safe in Paradise. O Mary, thou art my hope; abandon me not. Holy Mother of God, pray for me.
Meditación II:
Jesus rejoices when His most beloved Mother prays to Him, that He may have the pleasure of granting her all she asks. One day St. Bridget heard Jesus speak to Mary and say: “O Mother, thou well knowest that I cannot do otherwise than grant thy prayers; therefore, ask of Me what thou wilt. Since thou, when on earth, didst deny me nothing, it is becoming, now that I am in Heaven, that I should deny thee nothing that thou asketh of Me.” Mary has only to speak and her Divine Son grants her all she asks. Let us, therefore, pray to His Divine Mother without ceasing, if we wish to secure our eternal salvation, and let us address her in the words of St. Andrew of Crete: “We beseech thee, therefore, O holy Virgin, to grant us the help of thy prayers with God; prayers that are more precious than all the treasures of the world; prayers that obtain for us a very great abundance of graces; prayers that confound all enemies, and triumph over their strength.”
Ah, my Lady, had I always invoked thee in temptation I should never have fallen. In the future I will never cease to invoke thee, saying: Mary, help me! Mary, succour me! Amen.
Lectura espiritual: EL VALOR DE LA LECTURA ESPIRITUAL
Meditación vespertina: EL HIJO DE DIOS FUE CARGADO CON TODAS NUESTRAS INIQUIDADES
Meditación I:
God, sending his own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh and of sin, hath condemned sin in the flesh. — (Rom. viii., 3).
Consider the humble state to which the Son of God chose to abase Himself. He vouchsafed to take upon Himself the form, not only of a servant, but of a sinful servant, appearing in the likeness of sinful flesh. Therefore, St. Bernard writes: “He assumed not merely the form of a servant, that He might be under subjection, but even that of a wicked servant, that He might be beaten.” He would assume not only the condition of a servant — He Who was Lord of all; but even the appearance of a guilty servant — He who was the Saint of Saints. For this end He clothed Himself with that same flesh of Adam which had been infected with sin. Our Redeemer, in order to obtain salvation for us, offered Himself voluntarily to His Father to make satisfaction for all our sins: He was offered because it was his own will. — (Is. liii., 7). And His Father loaded Him with all our crimes: He hath laid on him the iniquities of us all. — (lb. 6). And thus, behold the Divine Word, innocent, most pure and holy — behold Him, even, as an Infant, charged with all the blasphemies, with all the impurities, with all the sacrileges, and all the other crimes of men; and in this way become, for the love of us, the object of Divine malediction, on account of the sins for which He had bound Himself to satisfy the Divine Justice.
O my innocent Lord, Mirror without spot, Love of the Eternal Father! Ah, no, chastisements and maledictions were not due to Thee; but they were due to me, a miserable sinner. Nevertheless, Thou wouldst show to the world this excess of love, by sacrificing Thy life to obtain pardon and salvation for us, paying by Thy sufferings the penalties which we had deserved. May all creatures praise and bless Thy infinite mercy and goodness! I thank Thee on behalf of all men, but especially for myself; because as I have offended Thee more than others, so Thou hast suffered the pains which Thou didst endure, more for me than for others. I curse a thousand times those sinful pleasures of mine, which have cost Thee so much suffering. But since Thou hast paid the price of my ransom, oh, let not the Blood which Thou hast shed for me be lost to me. I am sorry that I have despised Thee, O my Love; but, oh, give me more sorrow.
Meditación II:
Jesus loaded Himself with as many maledictions as there ever have been, or ever will be mortal sins committed by all mankind. And in this state He presented Himself to His Father when He came into the world. Yes, even from the commencement of His life, he presented Himself as a criminal and a debtor for all our misdeeds, and as such was condemned by His Father to die upon a Cross as a malefactor, and accursed. God hath condemned sin in the flesh. — (Rom. viii., 3). Oh, if the Eternal Father had been capable of feeling grief, what anguish would He not have endured, at seeing Himself obliged to treat as a criminal, and the most monstrous criminal in the world, this innocent Son, His beloved One, Who was so worthy of all His love! Behold the Man! said Pilate, when he showed. Jesus to the Jews, in order to move them to pity for this innocent One so cruelly treated. Behold the Man! the Eternal Father seems to say to us all, showing Him to us in the stable of Bethlehem: “This poor Infant, Whom you behold, O men, laid in a manger for beasts, and lying upon straw, is My beloved Son, Who has come to take upon Himself your sins and your sorrows! Love Him, then, because He is most worthy of your love, and you are under the greatest obligations to love Him.”
Make me know the evil I have committed in offending Thee, my Redeemer and my God, Who hast suffered so much to oblige me to love Thee! I love Thee, O infinite Goodness, but I desire to love Thee more; I desire to love Thee as much as Thou deservest to be loved. Make Thyself loved, O my Jesus, make Thyself loved by me and by all men; for well dost Thou deserve to be loved. Enlighten, I pray Thee, the minds of those sinners who will not know Thee, or will not love Thee; make them comprehend how much Thou hast done for love of them, and the desire Thou hast for their salvation. Most holy Mary, pray for me and for all sinners; obtain for us light and grace to love thy Son, Who has loved us so much.
Meditación matutina: LA AMARGURA DEL CORAZÓN DE JESÚS EN EL SENO DE SU MADRE
La Devoción de todas las devociones es el amor a Jesucristo, y la meditación frecuente del amor que este amable Redentor ha soportado y aún nos soporta. Consideremos los sufrimientos que el Corazón de Jesús soportó por nosotros ya desde su Infancia, pues entonces no podremos amar otra cosa que el Corazón que tanto nos ha amado.
Meditación I:
Considera la gran amargura con que debió sentirse afligido y oprimido el Corazón del Niño Jesús, en el seno de María, en el primer momento en que su Padre propuso a su consideración toda la serie de desprecios, dolores y agonías que había de sufrir durante su vida, para librar a los hombres de sus miserias: Por la mañana despierta mi oído. . . Y no me resisto . . . He entregado mi cuerpo a los huelguistas. - (Is. l., 4, 6). Así habló Jesús por boca del Profeta. Por la mañana despierta mi oído. Es decir: Desde el primer momento de Mi concepción Mi Padre Me hizo sentir que era Su voluntad que Yo llevara una vida de dolor y que al final fuera sacrificado en una Cruz. Y no me resisto. . . He entregado mi cuerpo a los huelguistas. Todo esto lo he aceptado para vuestra salvación, ¡oh almas de los hombres! Desde entonces entregué Mi Cuerpo a los azotes, a los clavos y a la muerte de Cruz.
Mi amado Redentor, ¡cuánto no Te costó, incluso desde Tu primera entrada en el mundo, levantarme del fango en el que había caído por mis pecados! Consentiste en ser tratado como el más bajo de los esclavos para librarme de la esclavitud del demonio, a quien me había vendido voluntariamente por el pecado. Sin embargo, sabiendo todo esto, he tenido la osadía de afligir continuamente a Tu amabilísimo Corazón, que tanto me ha amado. Pero ya que Tú, que eres inocente y eres mi Dios, has aceptado una vida y una muerte tan dolorosas, aceptaré por Tu amor, oh Jesús mío, toda aflicción que venga de Tus manos. La acepto y la abrazo porque viene de estas manos una vez traspasadas para librarme del infierno que tantas veces he merecido. Oh Señor mío, dame tu santo amor para que todos los sufrimientos e ignominias me sean dulces y agradables.
Santísima María, encomiéndame a tu Hijo por el amor que le tienes. He aquí que soy una de esas ovejas por las que murió tu Hijo.
Meditación II:
Reflect that whatever Jesus Christ suffered in His life and in His Passion, was all placed before Him while He was yet in the womb of His Mother, and He accepted all with love. But in accepting all this, and in overcoming the natural repugnance of the senses, O God, what anguish and oppression did not the innocent Heart of Jesus suffer! Well did He understand what He was to endure; first of all shut up for nine months in the dark prison of the womb of Mary; then in enduring the shame and the sufferings of His birth; being born in a cold grotto that was a stable for beasts; in having afterwards to lead for thirty years a despised life in the shop of an artizan; and in seeing that He was to be treated by men as ignorant, a slave, a seducer, and one guilty of death, and that the most infamous and painful death allotted to criminals.
All this did our loving Redeemer accept every moment, but at each moment that He accepted it, He suffered at once all the pains and humiliations that He was afterwards to endure even until His death. The very knowledge of His divine dignity made Him feel, still more, the insults that He was to receive from men: All the day long my shame is before me. — (Ps. xliii., 16). He had continually before His eyes His shame, especially that confusion He should one day feel at seeing Himself stripped naked, scourged, and suspended by three nails, and so end His life in the midst of the insults and curses of those very men for whom He was dying: Becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross. — (Phil, ii., 8). And why? To save us miserable and ungrateful sinners.
O loving Heart of Jesus, that loves men with so much tenderness and is so little loved by men — do Thou apply a remedy to such great ingratitude! Inflame our hearts with a true love for Thee. Ah, why can I not go through the whole world to make known the graces, the sweetness, the treasures that Thou dispensest to those who truly love Thee! Accept the desire I have of seeing all hearts burning with love for Thee. O divine Heart, be Thou my consolation in trials, my repose in labour, my solace in anxieties, my haven in tempests. I consecrate to Thee my body and my soul, my heart and my life, all that I am. To Thee I offer all my thoughts, all my affections, all my desires. O Eternal Father, I offer to Thee the pure affections of the Heart of Jesus. If Thou dost reject mine, Thou canst not reject Thy Son’s. Blessed art thou O immaculate Mary, who hadst thy heart always and entirely united to the Heart of Jesus, obtain for me that in future I may wish and desire only what Jesus wills and what thou wiliest. Amen.
Lectura espiritual: HE AQUÍ EL CORAZÓN QUE TANTO HA AMADO A LOS HOMBRES
Meditación vespertina: Y LA PALABRA SE HIZO CARNE. - (Juan i., 14).
Meditación I:
God sent the Archangel Gabriel to ask Mary’s consent that He should become her Son; Mary gives her consent, and behold the Word is made Man. O wonderful prodigy at which the heavens and all nature stand in astonishment! The Word made flesh! A God made Man! What if we were to see a king become a worm, to save the life of a little worm of earth by his death?
Behold the only-begotten Son of God, omnipotent and true God, equal to the Father, born a little Infant in a stable. He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. — (Phil, ii., 7). If any one would see a God annihilated, let him enter into the Cave of Bethlehem, and he will find Him as a little Infant, bound in swaddling-clothes, so that He cannot move, and weeping and trembling with cold. Ah, holy Faith, tell me whose Son is this poor Child? Faith answers: He is the Son of God, and He is true God. And what has brought Him to so miserable a condition? It is the love He had for men. And yet there are men to be found who do not love this God!
O amiable Infant, though I see Thee in this cavern lying on straw poor and despised, yet Faith teaches me that Thou art my God, Who camest down from Heaven for my salvation. I acknowledge Thee, then, for my sovereign Lord and Saviour; but I have nothing alas to offer Thee. I have no gold of love, because I have loved creatures; I have loved my own caprices, and I have not loved Thee, O amiable Infinite One! I have not the incense of prayer, because I have lived in a miserable state of forgetfulness of Thee. I have no myrrh of mortification, for I have often displeased Thy infinite goodness in order not to be deprived of my miserable pleasures. What then shall I offer Thee? I offer Thee my heart, soiled and poor as it is; do Thou accept it and change it.
Meditación II:
Behold the end for which the Son of God willed to be born an Infant, to give Himself to us from His Childhood, and thus to draw to Himself our love. Why, asks St. Francis de Sales, does Jesus take the sweet and tender form of an Infant, if it be not to stimulate us to love Him and to confide in Him? St. Peter Chrysologus had said before: “Thus He willed to be born, because He wished to be loved.”
Oh, dear Child Jesus, my Saviour, I love Thee, in Thee do I trust. Thou art all my hope and all my love. What would have become of me if Thou hadst not come down from Heaven to save me? I know the hell which would have awaited me for the offences I have offered Thee. Blessed be Thy mercy, because Thou art ever ready to pardon me if I repent of my sins. Yes, I repent with all my heart, my Jesus, of having despised Thee. Receive me into Thy favour, and make me die to myself to live only to Thee, my only Good. Thou camest into the world for this purpose, to wash the hearts of men from their sins by Thy Blood and thus change them from sinners into saints. Give me the gold of Thy holy love; give me the spirit of holy prayer, give me the desire and strength to mortify myself in everything that displeases Thee. I am resolved to obey Thee and to love Thee; but Thou knowest my weakness, oh, give me the grace to be faithful to Thee! Most holy Virgin, thou who didst welcome with such affection and didst console the holy Magi, do thou welcome and console me also, who come to visit thy Son and to offer myself to Him. O my Mother, I have great confidence in thy intercession! Do thou recommend me to Jesus. To thee do I entrust my soul and my will; bind them forever to the love of Jesus!
