Meditación matutina: NUESTRO VIAJE A LA ETERNIDAD - SÓLO SOMOS PEREGRINOS EN ESTA TIERRA
No tenemos aquí una ciudad duradera, pero buscamos una que ha de venir. En este mundo no somos ciudadanos, sino peregrinos, pues estamos en camino hacia la Eternidad. El hombre entrará en la casa de su eternidad.
Meditación I:
No tenemos aquí una ciudad duradera, pero buscamos una que ha de venir. — (Heb. xiii. 14). In this world we are not citizens, but pilgrims, for we are on our way to Eternity: El hombre entrará en la casa de su eternidad. — (Eccles. xii. 5).
Muy pronto, pues, tendremos que dejar este mundo. El cuerpo debe ir pronto a la tumba y el alma a la Eternidad.
¿No cometería una gran insensatez el viajero que malgastase su tiempo y sus riquezas en construirse una morada en un lugar que pronto ha de abandonar?
Oh Dios mío, mi alma es eterna; debo, pues, gozar de Ti o perderte para la Eternidad.
En la Eternidad hay dos lugares de morada - uno rebosante de todo deleite, el otro repleto de todo tormento. Y estas delicias y tormentos serán eternos. Si el árbol cae al sur, o al norte, en cualquier lugar que caiga allí será. — (Eccles. xi. 3). If the soul be saved, it will be happy forever; but if it fall into hell, it will remain there to weep and lament as long as God shall be God.
No hay un estado intermedio: o rey para siempre en el Cielo, o esclavo para siempre de Lucifer; o bien bendito para siempre en el Paraíso, o bien desesperado para siempre en el infierno.
¿Cuál de estas moradas le tocará en suerte a cada uno? La que cada uno elija voluntariamente. Man shall go - Ibit homo. El que va al infierno, va por su propia voluntad. Todo el que se condena, se condena porque quiere su propia condenación.
Oh Jesús mío, ¡ojalá te hubiera amado siempre! ¡Demasiado tarde Te he conocido! ¡Demasiado tarde te he amado! Oh Tú, ¡el Dios de mi corazón, y el Dios que es mi porción para siempre! — (Ps. lxxii. 26).
Meditación II:
Every Christian, in order to live well, should always keep Eternity before his eyes. Oh, how well regulated is the life of that man who lives and sees all things in the light of Eternity!
If Heaven, Hell, and Eternity were even only doubtful things, surely we ought to do all in our power not to run the risk of being lost forever. But no; they are hot doubtful things, but Articles of Faith.
To what will all the greatness of this world come? To a funeral; to a descent into the grave. Blessed in that hour is he who obtains eternal life!
O Jesus! Thou art my life, my riches, my love. Grant me a great desire to please Thee during the remainder of my life; and give me Thy assistance to fulfil it.
The thought of Eternity is sufficient to make a saint. St. Augustine called it the Great Thought. It is this thought that has sent so many young persons into cloisters, so many anchorites into deserts, and so many Martyrs to cruel deaths.
Father John of Avila converted a lady who was attached to the world, by only saying: “Consider: Always y Forever!”
Oh, how much depends on the last moment of our lives! On our last breath depends an Eternity, either of happiness or of misery; a life of eternal bliss, or of eternal woe. Jesus Christ died upon the Cross, in order to secure for us His grace at this last moment.
My dear Redeemer, if then Thou hadst not died for me, I should have been lost forever! I thank Thee, O my Love! I confide in Thee and I love Thee!
Lectura espiritual: LA ORACIÓN, EL GRAN MEDIO DE SALVACIÓN
I have published several spiritual works The Visits to the Blessed Sacrament, The Passion of Jesus Christ, The Glories of Mary, and, besides, a work against the Materialists and Deists, with other devout little treatises. I have recently brought out a work on the Infancy of our Saviour entitled Novena for Christmas; and another entitled Preparation for Death, besides the one on the Eternal Maxims, most useful for meditation and sermons . . . But I do not think that I have written a more useful work than the present, in which I speak of prayer as a necessary, and a certain means of obtaining salvation, and all the graces which we require for that object. If it were in my power, I would distribute a copy of it to every Catholic in the world, in order to show him the absolute necessity of prayer for salvation.
I say this, because on the one hand I see that the absolute necessity of prayer is taught throughout the Holy Scriptures, and by all the Holy Fathers of the Church, while, on the other hand, I see that Christians are very careless in their practice of this great means of salvation. And, sadder still, I see that preachers take very little care to speak of it to their flocks, or confessors to their penitents; I see, moreover, that even the spiritual books now popular do not speak sufficiently of it; yet there is nothing which preachers, and confessors, and spiritual books should insist upon with more warmth and energy than prayer; not but that they teach many excellent means of keeping ourselves in the grace of God, such as avoiding the occasions of sin, frequenting the Sacraments, resisting temptations, hearing the Word of God, meditation on the Eternal Truths, and other means – all of them, I admit, most useful; but, I say, what profit is there in sermons, meditations, and all the other means pointed out by masters of the spiritual life, if we forget to pray? Has not our Lord declared that He will grant His graces to no one who does not pray? Ask and ye shall receive. Without prayer, in the ordinary course of providence, all the meditations we make, all our resolutions, all our promises, will come to naught. If we do not pray, we shall be always unfaithful to the inspirations of God, and to the promises we make Him. Because, in order actually to do good, to conquer temptations, to practice virtues, and to observe God’s law, it is not enough to receive illumination from God, and to meditate and make resolutions, but we require, moreover, the actual assistance of God; and, as we shall see, He does not give this assistance except to those who pray, and pray with perseverance. The light we receive, and the considerations and good resolutions we make, are of use to incite us to the act of prayer when we are in danger and are tempted to transgress God’s law; for then prayer will obtain for us God’s help, and we shall be preserved from sin; but if in such moments we do not pray, we shall be lost.
My intention in thus prefacing my book is, that my readers may thank God for giving them an opportunity, by means of this little book, to receive the grace of reflecting more deeply on the importance of prayer; for all adults who are saved, are ordinarily saved by this single means of grace. And therefore I ask my readers to thank God; for surely it is a great mercy when He gives the light and the grace to pray. I hope, then, that you, my beloved brother, after reading this little work, will never from this day forward, neglect to have continual recourse to God in prayer, whenever you are tempted to offend Him. If ever in times past you have had your conscience burdened with many sins, know that the cause of this has been your neglect of prayer, your not asking God for help to resist the temptations which assailed you. I pray you, therefore, to read my words again and again with the greatest attention; not because I write them, but because this book is a means which God offers you for the good of your salvation, thereby giving you to understand that He wishes you to be saved. And after having read it yourself, induce as many of your friends and neighbours as you can to read it also. Now let us begin in the Name of the Lord.
The Apostle writes to Timothy: I desire, therefore, first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made. — (1 Tim ii. 1). St. Thomas explains that prayer is properly the lifting up of the soul to God. Petition is that particular kind of prayer which begs for determinate objects, but when the thing sought is indeterminate (as when we say, “Incline unto my aid, O God!”), it is called supplication. Obsecration is a solemn adjuration or representation of the grounds on which we dare to ask a favour; as when we say,“By Thy Cross and Passion, O Lord, deliver us!” Finally, thanksgiving is the returning of thanks for benefits received, whereby, says St. Thomas, we merit to receive greater favours. Prayer, in a strict sense, says the holy Doctor, means recourse to God; but in its general signification it includes all the kinds just enumerated. It is in this latter sense that the word is used in this book.
We will here treat:
1.—Of the Necessity of Prayer; the Power of Prayer, and the Conditions of Prayer;
2.—We will show that God gives the grace of Prayer to all men.*
* Only a part, hut we think the most important part, of St. Alphonsus’ Treatise on Prayer will be given here. The entire Treatise is included in Vol. III. Centenary Edition of the Saint’s works, which may be obtained from Editor of present work.—ED.
Meditación vespertina: LA PRÁCTICA DEL AMOR DE JESUCRISTO
"La caridad lo soporta todo".
EL QUE AMA A JESUCRISTO TODO LO SOPORTA POR ÉL, Y ESPECIALMENTE LA ENFERMEDAD, LA POBREZA Y EL DESPRECIO
Meditación I:
Pero ¿por qué Dios Todopoderoso nos carga con tantas cruces, y se complace en vernos afligidos, injuriados, perseguidos y maltratados por el mundo? ¿Es acaso un tirano, cuya cruel disposición le hace regocijarse en nuestro sufrimiento? No; Dios no es en modo alguno tirano ni cruel; es todo compasión y amor para con nosotros; baste decir que ha muerto por nosotros. En efecto, se alegra de nuestros sufrimientos, porque el sufrimiento es para nuestro bien; porque sufriendo aquí, nos liberamos en el más allá de la deuda de castigo que justamente le debemos a su divina justicia; se alegra de nuestros sufrimientos porque nos apartan de los placeres sensuales de este mundo: cuando una madre quiere destetar a su hijo le pone hiel en el pecho para crearle aversión; se alegra de los sufrimientos porque le damos, con nuestra paciencia y resignación al soportarlos, una muestra de nuestro amor; en fin, se alegra de ellos, porque contribuyen a aumentar nuestra gloria en el Cielo. Tales son las razones por las que el Todopoderoso, en su compasión y amor hacia nosotros, se complace cuando sufrimos.
Te amo con todo mi corazón, oh Redentor mío. Te amo, mi soberano Bien. Te amo a Ti, mi propio Amor, digno de amor infinito. Estoy afligido por cualquier disgusto que Te haya causado, más que por cualquier mal. Te prometo recibir con paciencia todas las pruebas que me envíes; pero te pido ayuda para ser fiel a mi promesa, y especialmente para poder soportar en paz los dolores de mi última agonía y muerte.
Meditación II:
Let us conclude. That we may be able to practice patience to advantage in all our tribulations, we must be fully persuaded that every trial comes from the hands of God, either directly, or indirectly through men; we must therefore render God thanks whenever we are beset with sorrows, and accept, with gladness of heart, of every event, prosperous or adverse, that proceeds from Him, knowing that all happens by His disposition and for our welfare: To them that love God all things work together unto good. — (Rom. viii. 28). In addition to this, it is well in our tribulations to glance a moment at that hell we formerly deserved: for assuredly all the pains of this life are incomparably less than the awful pains of hell. But above all, prayer, by which we gain the Divine assistance, is the great means by which we may suffer patiently all affliction, scorn, and contradictions, and is that which will furnish us with the strength we have not of ourselves. The Saints were persuaded of this; they recommended themselves to God, and so overcame every kind of torments and persecutions.
O Lord, I am fully persuaded that without suffering, and suffering with patience, I cannot win the crown of Paradise. David said: From him is my patience. — (Ps. lxi. 6). And I say the same; my patience in suffering must come from Thee. I make many resolutions to accept all tribulations in peace; but no sooner are trials at hand than I grow sad and alarmed; and if I suffer, I suffer without merit and without love, because I know not how to suffer them so as to please Thee. O my Jesus, through the merits of Thy patience in bearing so many afflictions for love of me, grant me the grace to bear crosses for the love of Thee!
Oh María, Reina mía, vuélveme a obtener una verdadera resignación en todas las angustias y pruebas que me esperan en la vida y en la muerte.
Meditación matutina: NUESTRO VIAJE A LA ETERNIDAD - LA LOCURA DE LOS QUE NO LO CONSIDERAN
¡Oh Dios mío, los meses y los años pasan! ¡Nos apresuramos hacia la Eternidad y no nos preocupamos de pensar en ella! Y quién sabe si ésta sea la última advertencia que reciba de Dios.
Meditación I:
O creemos o no creemos. Si no creemos, estamos haciendo demasiado por cosas que consideramos fábulas. Pero si creemos, entonces hacemos demasiado poco para obtener una Eternidad feliz, y para evitar la miseria eterna.
El Padre Vicente Carafa decía que si los hombres conocieran a fondo las Verdades de la Eternidad, y compararan los bienes y males de esta vida con los de la otra, la tierra se convertiría en un desierto, porque no habría nadie que se ocupara de los asuntos de este mundo.
Cuando se acerque el último momento, ¡cómo temblaremos al pensar que de ese momento dependerá nuestra felicidad o nuestra miseria eternas!
¡Oh Dios mío, pasan los meses y los años! Nos apresuramos hacia la eternidad, ¡y no nos preocupamos de pensar en ella! ¿Y quién sabe si este año o este mes será el último? ¿Quién sabe que ésta puede ser la última advertencia que reciba de Dios?
¡Oh Dios mío, no abusaré más de Tus gracias! He aquí que estoy dispuesto. Hazme saber lo que quieres que haga, y en todo te obedeceré.
Y por qué habríamos de demorarnos después de tantas luces y llamadas de Dios, a menos que deseemos lamentarnos con los condenados, diciendo: El verano ha terminado, y no estamos salvados. — (Jer. viii. 20). Now is the time for reconciliation with God, for after death no remedy will be left.
Con razón decía el padre Juan de Ávila que los cristianos que creen en la vida eterna, y viven alejados de Dios, deberían ser encerrados en un manicomio como dementes.
El asunto de la Eternidad es ciertamente importante. No se trata de si habitaremos en una casa más o menos cómoda o luminosa, sino de si moraremos en un palacio de todas las delicias o en un abismo de los más terribles tormentos. Es si seremos felices con los Santos y los Ángeles, o viviremos desesperados con la multitud de los enemigos de Dios. ¿Y por cuántos años? ¿Por mil? No; para siempre, para siempre, mientras Dios sea Dios.
Si, pues, oh Dios, hubiera muerto en mis pecados, ¿no te habría perdido para siempre? Si todavía, Señor, no me has perdonado, perdóname ahora, te lo suplico. Te amo con toda mi alma, y estoy arrepentido por encima de cualquier otro mal por haberte ofendido. Nunca más te perderé. Te amo con todo mi corazón y Te amaré por siempre. Ten piedad de mí.
Meditación II:
There are many upon whom, during life, it makes little impression to hear of Judgment, Hell, Eternity. But in death what dread and terror do these Truths excite! But, alas! with but little fruit; because then they serve only to increase their remorse and confusion.
St. Teresa used to say to her Religious: “Daughters, one soul, one Eternity!” By which she meant that if the soul is lost, all is lost, and that the soul once lost, is lost forever.
O Lord, wait yet awhile, that I may weep for my sins. Too many years have I spent in displeasing Thee! The time which yet remains to me shall be given all to Thee. Accept of me, that I may serve Thee, O my God, my God!
The Lord waits for us; let us highly prize the time which, in His mercy, He bestows upon us, that we may not have to lament when for us time shall be no more.
O God, what would not a dying man give for another day, or even another hour! Another day or hour in his sound senses! Alas, the time which remains to the dying man is but little adapted to the settling of the affairs of conscience. Giddiness of head, pains of body, oppressions at the chest, hinder the mind from doing anything in a proper manner. Then the soul, as it were, buried in obscurity, is alive to nothing but the distress which overpowers it, and which it cannot alleviate. It longs to have a little time, but sees that there is no more time for it.
At what hour you think not, the Son of Man will come — (Luke xii. 40). God conceals from us the time of death, that we may always be ready. The time of death is not the time to prepare ourselves to give an account of our souls, but the time when we should find ourselves prepared to do so. St. Bernard said: “In order to die well, we must be ever prepared to die.”
O Jesus, too long have I offended Thee! It is surely now time to resolve henceforth to prepare for death. I will no longer abuse Thy patience. I desire to love Thee with all my power. I have very much offended Thee; I desire now to love Thee very much.
Lectura espiritual: LA ORACIÓN, SU NECESIDAD
I. ES UN MEDIO NECESARIO PARA LA SALVACIÓN
One of the errors of Pelagianism was the assertion that Prayer is not necessary for salvation. Pelagius, the impious author of that heresy, said that man will only be damned for neglecting to know the truths necessary to be learned. How astonishing! St. Augustine said: “Pelagius discussed everything except how to pray,” though, as the Saint held and taught, – Prayer is the only means of acquiring the science of the Saints, according to the words of St. James: If any man want wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men abundantly, and upbraideth not. — (James i. 5).
The Scriptures are clear enough in pointing out how necessary it is to pray, if we would be saved. We ought always to pray, and not to faint. — (Luke xviii. 1). Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. — (Matt. xxvi. 41). Ask, and it shall be given you. — (Matt. vii. 7). The words we ought, pray, ask, according to the general consent of Theologians, impose the precept, and denote the Necessity of Prayer. Wickliffe said that these texts are to be understood, not of the necessity of Prayer, but of the necessity of good works, for in his system Prayer was only well-doing; but this was his error, and was expressly condemned by the Church. Hence Lessius wrote that it is heresy to deny that Prayer is necessary for salvation in adults, as it is evident from Scripture that Prayer is the means, without which we cannot obtain the help necessary for salvation.
The reason of this is clear. Without the assistance of God’s grace we can do no good work: Without me, ye can do nothing. — (John xv. 5). St, Augustine remarks on this passage that our Lord did not say: “Without Me, ye can complete nothing,” but, “Without Me, ye can do nothing”; giving us to understand, that without grace we cannot even begin to do a good work. Nay more, St. Paul writes, that of ourselves we cannot even have the wish to do good. Not that we are sufficient to think anything of ourselves . . . but our sufficiency is from God. — (2 Cor. iii. 5). If we cannot even think a good thought, much less can we wish to carry it out. The same thing is taught in many other passages of Scripture: God worketh all in all. — (1 Cor. xii. 6). I will cause you to walk in my commandments, and to keep my judgments, and do them. — (Ezech. xxxvi. 27). So that, as St. Leo I. says: “Man does no good thing, except that which God, by His grace, enables him to do”; and hence the Council of Trent says: “If any one shall assert that without the previous inspiration of the Holy Ghost, and His assistance, man can believe, hope, love, or repent, as he ought, in order to obtain the grace of justification, let him be anathema.”
The author of the Opus Imperfectum says that God has given to some animals swiftness, to others claws, to others wings, for the preservation of their life; but He has so formed man that God Himself is his only strength. So that man is absolutely unable to provide for his own safety, since God has willed that whatever he has, or can have, should come entirely from the assistance of His grace.
But this grace is not given in God’s ordinary Providence, except to those who pray for it; according to the celebrated saying of Gennadius, “We believe that no one comes to be saved, except at the invitation of God; that no one who is invited works out his salvation, except by the help of God; that no one merits this help, unless he prays.” From these two premises, first, that we can do nothing without the assistance of grace; and secondly, that this assistance is only given ordinarily by God to the man that prays – who does not see that the consequence follows, that prayer is absolutely necessary to us for salvation? And although the first graces that come to us without any co-operation on our part, such as the call to Faith or to penance, are, as St. Augustine says, granted by God even to those who do not pray; yet the Saint considers it certain that the other graces, and specially the grace of perseverance, are not granted except in answer to Prayer: “God gives us some things, as the beginning of Faith, even when we do not pray. Other things, such as perseverance, He has only provided for those who pray.”
Hence it is that the generality of Theologians, following St. Basil, St. Chrysostom, Clement of Alexandria, St. Augustine, and other Fathers, teach that Prayer is necessary to adults, not only because of the obligation of the precept, as we have seen, but because Prayer is necessary as a means of salvation. That is to say, in the ordinary course of Providence, it is impossible that a Christian should be saved without recommending himself to God, and asking for the graces necessary for salvation. St. Thomas teaches the same: “After Baptism, continual Prayer is necessary for man, in order that he may enter Heaven; for though by Baptism our sins are remitted, there still remain concupiscence to assail us from within, and the world and the devil to assail us from without.” The reason, then, which makes us certain of the necessity of Prayer is briefly this: In order to be saved we must fight and conquer: He that striveth for the mastery is not crowned except he strive lawfully. — (2 Tim. ii. 5). But without the Divine assistance we cannot resist the might of so many and such powerful enemies; now this assistance is granted only to Prayer; therefore, without Prayer there is no salvation.
Moreover, that Prayer is the only ordinary means of receiving the Divine gift, is very distinctly proved by St. Thomas in another place, where he says that whatever graces God has from all eternity determined to give us, He will only give them if we pray for them. St. Gregory says the same thing: “Man by Prayer merits to receive that which God had from all eternity determined to give him.” Not, says St. Thomas, that Prayer is necessary in order that God may know our necessities, but in order that we may know the necessity of having recourse to God to obtain the help necessary for our salvation, and may thus acknowledge Him to be the Author of all our good. As, therefore, it is God’s law that we should provide ourselves with bread by sowing corn, and wine by planting vines, so has He ordained that we should receive the graces necessary to salvation by means of Prayer: Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find. — (Matt. vii. 7).
We, in a word, are merely beggars, who have nothing but what God bestows on us as alms: But I am a beggar and poor. — (Ps. xxxix. 18). The Lord, says St. Augustine, desires and wills to pour forth His graces upon us, but does not give them except to him who prays. “God wishes to give, but only to him who asks.” This is declared in the words, Ask, and it shall be given to you. Whence it follows, says St. Teresa, that he who seeks not, does not receive. As moisture is necessary for the life of plants, to prevent them from drying up, so, says St. Chrysostom, is Prayer necessary for our salvation. Or, as he says in another place, Prayer vivifies the soul as the soul vivifies the body: “As the body without the soul cannot live, so the soul without Prayer is dead and emits an offensive odour.” “Graviter olens.” He uses these words because the man who omits to recommend himself to God at once begins to be defiled with sins. Prayer is also called the food of the soul, because the body cannot be supported without food; nor can the soul, says St. Augustine, be kept alive without Prayer: “As the flesh is nourished by food, so is man supported by prayers.” All these comparisons used by the holy Fathers are intended by them to teach the absolute necessity of Prayer for the salvation of every one.
Meditación vespertina: LA PRÁCTICA DEL AMOR DE JESUCRISTO
"La caridad lo cree todo".
EL QUE AMA A JESUCRISTO CREE TODAS SUS PALABRAS
Meditación I:
Quien ama a una persona cree todo lo que sale de sus labios; por consiguiente, cuanto más ama un alma a Jesucristo, tanto más viva e inquebrantable es su fe. Cuando el Buen Ladrón contempló a nuestro Redentor, aunque no había hecho mal alguno, sufriendo la muerte en la Cruz con tanta paciencia, comenzó en seguida a amarle; bajo la influencia de este amor, y de la luz divina que entonces irrumpió en su alma, creyó que Jesús era verdaderamente el Hijo de Dios, y suplicó no ser olvidado por Él cuando hubiera pasado a su Reino.
La fe es el fundamento de la caridad; pero la fe recibe después su perfección de la caridad. Es más perfecta la Fe cuyo amor a Dios es más perfecto. La Caridad produce en el hombre no sólo la Fe del entendimiento, sino también la Fe de la voluntad; aquellos que creen sólo con el entendimiento, pero no con la voluntad, como es el caso de los pecadores que están perfectamente convencidos de las Verdades de la Fe, pero no eligen vivir de acuerdo con los Mandamientos Divinos - tales como éstos tienen una Fe muy débil; porque si tuvieran una creencia más viva de que la gracia de Dios es un tesoro inestimable, y que el pecado, porque nos roba esta gracia, es el peor de los males, seguramente cambiarían sus vidas. Si, pues, prefieren a las miserables criaturas de esta tierra antes que a Dios, es porque o no creen o porque su Fe es muy débil. Por el contrario, quien cree no sólo con el entendimiento, sino también con la voluntad, de modo que no sólo cree en Dios, sino que tiene la voluntad de creer en Él, el Revelador de la verdad, por el amor que le tiene, y se regocija en creer así, tal persona tiene una fe perfecta y, en consecuencia, procura que su vida sea conforme a las verdades que cree.
Meditación II:
Weakness of Faith, however, in those who live in sin, does not spring from the obscurity of Faith; for though God, in order to make our Faith more meritorious, has veiled the objects of Faith in darkness and secrecy, He has at the same time given us so clear and convincing evidence of their truth, that not to believe them would argue not merely a lack of sense, but sheer madness and impiety. The weakness of the Faith of many persons is to be traced to their wickedness of living. He who, rather than forego the enjoyment of forbidden pleasures, scorns the Divine friendship, would wish there was no law to forbid, and no chastisement to punish, his sin. On this account he strives to blind himself to the eternal truths of Death, Judgment, and Hell, and of Divine justice; and because such subjects strike too much terror into his heart, and are too apt to mix bitterness in his cup of pleasure, he sets his brain to work to discover proofs, which have at least the look of plausibility; and by which he allows himself to be flattered into the persuasion that there is no soul, no God, no hell, in order that he may live and die like the brute beast, without law and without reason.
Meditación matutina: NUESTRO VIAJE A LA ETERNIDAD - APROVECHEMOS EL TIEMPO QUE SE NOS CONCEDE
Caminardice nuestro Divino Señor, mientras tengas la luz, para, llega la noche en que nadie puede trabajar. ¡Oh, qué tormento para el pobre pecador arrepentido al final de una vida descuidada, cuando no le queda tiempo para hacer todo lo que ha dejado sin hacer!
Meditación I:
¡Oh, qué tormento para el pobre pecador arrepentido al final de una vida descuidada, cuando no le queda tiempo para hacer todo lo que dejó sin hacer! San Lorenzo Justiniano dice que los mundanos, en la muerte, darían de buena gana todas sus riquezas por obtener una sola hora más de vida. Pero se les dirá: El tiempo no será más. - (Apoc. x., 6). Se les insinuará que partan sin demora: ¡Sal de este mundo, alma cristiana!
San Gregorio cuenta que un tal Crisorio, estando a punto de morir, gritó a los demonios: "Dadme tiempo hasta mañana". Pero ellos le respondieron: "¡Tonto! has tenido tiempo, ¿y por qué lo has malgastado? Ahora ya no hay tiempo para ti".
¡Ah, Dios mío, cuántos años no he malgastado! El resto de mi tiempo lo dedicaré enteramente a Ti. Haz que tu santo amor abunde en mí, en quien tanto ha abundado el pecado.
San Bernardino de Siena decía que cada instante de tiempo en esta vida es tan precioso como Dios; porque en cualquier momento, por un acto de amor o de contrición, podemos adquirir nuevos grados de gracia.
San Bernardo dice que el tiempo es un tesoro que sólo se encuentra en esta vida. En el infierno, el lamento de los condenados es: "¡Oh, si nos dieran una hora!". ¡Oh, si tuviéramos sólo una hora para escapar de la ruina eterna! En el Cielo no hay llanto; pero si los bienaventurados pudieran llorar, sería por la idea de haber perdido tanto tiempo en el que podrían haber adquirido grados más altos de gloria.
Mi amado Redentor, no merezco Tu piedad; pero Tu Pasión es mi esperanza. Ayúdame, pues, y tiende Tu mano a un miserable pecador, que ahora desea ser enteramente Tuyo.
¿Y quién sabe si una muerte repentina puede sorprendernos y privarnos del tiempo necesario para hacer nuestras cuentas? Los muchos que han muerto repentinamente no esperaban morir así; y si estaban en pecado, ¿qué ha sido de ellos para toda la eternidad?
Meditación II:
Lectura espiritual: LA ORACIÓN, SU NECESIDAD
II. SIN LA ORACIÓN ES IMPOSIBLE RESISTIR A LAS TENTACIONES Y GUARDAR LOS MANDAMIENTOS
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Meditación vespertina: LA PRÁCTICA DEL AMOR DE JESUCRISTO
"La caridad lo cree todo".
EL QUE AMA A JESUCRISTO CREE TODAS SUS PALABRAS
Meditación I:
Y esta laxitud de la moral es la fuente de donde han salido, y siguen saliendo diariamente, tantos libros y sistemas de materialistas, indiferentistas, políticos, deístas y naturalistas; algunos de ellos niegan la existencia de Dios y de la divina Providencia, diciendo que Dios, después de haber creado a los hombres, no se fija más en ellos, y no le importa si le aman o le odian, si se salvan o se pierden; Otros niegan la bondad de Dios y sostienen que ha creado innumerables almas para el infierno, convirtiéndose Él mismo en su tentador para pecar, a fin de que se condenen y vayan al fuego eterno, para maldecirlo allí para siempre.
¡Oh, ingratitud y maldad de los hombres! Dios los ha creado por su misericordia, para hacerlos eternamente felices en el Cielo; ha derramado sobre ellos tantas luces, beneficios y gracias, para llevarlos a la vida eterna; con el mismo fin los redimió al precio de tantas penas y sufrimientos; y, sin embargo, se empeñan en negarlo todo, para dar rienda suelta a sus viciosas inclinaciones.
Meditación II:
Meditación matutina: PECADO MORTAL - SU MALICIA
To understand how great is the malice of mortal sin we must first know who God is, and what a wretched being man is who dares to despise Him. Before God all the Saints and Angels are as nothing, and it is a worm of the earth who has the insolence to despise Him!
Meditación I:
What is mortal sin? According to St. Thomas and St. Augustine, it is a turning-away from God; an act of contempt for God’s grace and love, and a throwing-off of all respect for Him, by which the sinner declares to God’s very face: I will not serve Thee! I will act as I please, and, if by so doing, I displease Thee and forfeit Thy friendship, I care not!
To understand how great is the malice of mortal sin we must first know who God is, and what a wretched being man is who despises Him. Before God all the Saints and Angels are as nothing, and shall a worm of the earth have the insolence to despise Him?
But more than this. Man, by committing sin, not only despises a God of infinite majesty, but a God Who has so loved him as to die for the love of him. An eternity, therefore, would not be sufficient to bewail but one mortal sin.
He who commits mortal sin dishonours God by preferring before Him a whim, a fit of passion, a wretched gratification. A God so great and so good! And so dishonoured!
O Lord, if Thou hadst not sacrificed Thyself on the Cross for the love of me, I should lose all hope of pardon; but Thy death gives me confidence. Into thy hands I commend my spirit. — (Ps. xxx., 6). I commend to Thee my soul for which Thou hast been pleased to shed Thy Blood and sacrifice Thy life; grant that it may love Thee and never more lose Thee. I love Thee, my Jesus, my Love, and my Hope. And how shall I ever be able, after having learned how much Thou hast loved me, to separate myself from Thee, my only Good?
What an affliction it is to us to be injured by one for whom we have done much! God is not capable of grief; but could He grieve, He would die of grief and sorrow at being despised by a creature for whom He gave even His very life.
O my accursed sins, a thousand times do I detest and abhor you! You have caused me to offend my Redeemer, Who has loved me so much!
Unhappy souls, now confined in hell, you who, during life, said that sin was a slight evil, have you not to acknowledge now that all your torments are far less than what you deserved for your sins?
Meditación II:
Lectura espiritual: LA ORACIÓN, SU NECESIDAD
III. SOBRE LA INVOCACIÓN DE LOS SANTOS Y LA ORACIÓN A LAS ALMAS DEL PURGATORIO
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Meditación vespertina: LA PRÁCTICA DEL AMOR DE JESUCRISTO
"La caridad lo cree todo".
EL QUE AMA A JESUCRISTO CREE TODAS SUS PALABRAS
Meditación I:
The true lover of Jesus Christ keeps Eternal truths constantly in view, and orders all his actions according to them. Oh, how thoroughly does he who loves Jesus Christ understand the force of that saying of the Wise Man: Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity — (Eccles. i., 2) — that all earthly greatness is mere smoke, mire and delusion; that the soul’s only welfare and happiness consists in loving its Creator, and in doing His blessed will; that we are, in reality, no more than what we are before God; that it is of no advantage to gain the whole world, if the soul be lost; that all the goods of the world can never satisfy the human heart, that only God Himself can satisfy it; and in fine, that we must leave all in order to gain all.
My beloved Redeemer, O Life of my soul, I firmly believe that Thou art the only Good worthy of being loved! I believe that Thou art the greatest Lover of my soul, since through love alone Thou didst die, overwhelmed with sorrows, for love of me. I believe there is no greater blessing in this world, or in the next, than to love Thee, and to do Thy adorable will. All this I believe most firmly; so that I renounce all things that I may belong wholly to Thee, and that I may possess Thee alone.
Meditación II:
Meditación matutina: ABUSO DE LA MISERICORDIA DIVINA
God has pity on those who fear Him, but not on sinners who despise Him. To offend God because He shows us mercy, is to provoke Him in the highest degree to chastise us.
Meditación I:
God has pity on those who fear Him, but not on sinners who despise Him. To offend God because He shows us mercy, is to provoke Him in the highest degree to chastise us.
Again, to offer an insult to God, because God is a forgiving God, is to deride Him; but Dios no se burla. — (Gal. vi., 7).
The devil will say to you: “But who knows? Even with this other sin it may be that you shall yet be saved.” But meanwhile, if you sin, you yourself may condemn your soul to hell. Who knows? It may be that as yet you shall be saved; but it may also happen, and more easily happen, that you may be lost. And is the affair of eternal Salvation to be risked on a who knows? If in the meantime death should come upon you! If God should abandon you after that other sin! What would then become of you?
No, my God, I will never more offend Thee. How many are now suffering in hell for fewer sins than mine? I will no longer be devoted to self, but will be Thine and entirely Thine. To Thee I consecrate my whole liberty and my will. I am thine; do thou save me. — (Ps. cxviii., 94). Save me from hell, but first save me from sin. I love Thee, my Jesus, I will never more forsake Thee.
The Fathers of the Church say that God has determined the number of sins He will forgive each one. Hence, as we know not this number, we ought to fear lest with every one more additional sin God should abandon us. This dreadful thought – Who knows whether God will any more pardon me? – ought to be a great restraint upon us and keep us from again offending God: with this fear we should be secure.
Meditación II:
Lectura espiritual: LA ORACIÓN, SU NECESIDAD
IV. SOBRE LA INVOCACIÓN DE LOS SANTOS Y SOBRE LA ORACIÓN A LAS ALMAS DEL PURGATORIO Y SU AYUDA CON NUESTRAS ORACIONES
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Meditación vespertina: LA PRÁCTICA DEL AMOR DE JESUCRISTO
"La caridad lo espera todo".
EL QUE AMA A JESUCRISTO ESPERA DE ÉL TODAS LAS COSAS
Meditación I:
Hope increases Charity, and Charity increases Hope. Hope in the Divine goodness undoubtedly gives an increase to our love of Jesus Christ. St. Thomas says that in the very moment when we hope to receive some benefit from a person, we begin also to love him. On this account, the Lord forbids us to put our trust in creatures: Put not your trust in princes. — (Ps. cxlv., 2). Further, He pronounces a curse on those who do so: Maldito sea el hombre que confía en el hombre. — (Jer. xvii., 5). God does not wish us to trust in creatures, because He does not wish us to fix our love upon them. Hence St. Vincent de Paul said: “Let us beware of reposing too much confidence in men; for when God beholds us thus leaning on them for support, He Himself withdraws from us. On the other hand, the more we trust in God, the more we shall advance in His holy love.” I have run the way of thy commandments, when thou didst enlarge my heart. — (Ps. cxviii. 32). Oh, how rapidly does that soul advance in perfection who has her heart dilated with confidence in God! She flies rather than runs; for by making God the foundation of all her Hope she flings aside her own weakness, and borrows the strength of God Himself, which is communicated to all who place confidence in Him: They that hope in the Lord shall renew their strength, and they shall take wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. — (Is. xl., 31). The eagle is the bird that soars nearest the sun; in like manner, the soul that has God for her trust becomes detached from the earth, and more and more united to God by love.
Meditación II:
Meditación matutina: PECADO VENIAL
Venial sin is, unfortunately regarded as a slight evil. Is that called a slight evil which is an offence against God!
A man will go on committing venial sins, and foolishly says: “It will be enough for me to be saved!” But I answer: By continuing that course you will not be saved! For, as St. Gregory says, the soul never remains where it falls, but descends much lower.
Meditación I:
Venial sin is, unfortunately regarded as a slight evil. Is that called a slight evil which is an offence against God!
A man will go on committing venial sins, and foolishly says: “It will be enough for me to be saved!” But I answer: By continuing that course you will not be saved! For, as St. Gregory says, the soul never remains where it falls, but descends much lower.
St. Isidore writes that he who makes no account of venial sins is permitted by the Almighty to fall into mortal sins, in punishment of his little love of God. And our Lord Himself said to the Blessed Henry Suso that those who have not a horror of venial sins expose themselves to much greater dangers than they are aware of; because it thus becomes much more difficult for them to persevere in grace.
The Council of Trent teaches that we cannot persevere in grace without the special assistance of God; but he is quite undeserving of such special assistance who offends God by voluntary venial sins, and without a thought of amendment.
Chastise me not, O Lord, as I have deserved! Remember not the many offences I have committed against Thee, and deprive me not of Thy light and assistance. I desire to amend; I desire to be Thine. O Omnipotent God, accept of me and change me! This is my hope.
Our Lord said to Blessed Angela de Foligno: “Those who have been enlightened by Me to aim at perfection, but who debase their souls and walk in the ordinary way, will be abandoned by me.”
He who serves God, but is not afraid of offending Him by venial gratifications, would seem to think that God deserves no better. He declares, in fact, that God is not deserving of so much love as to oblige us to prefer His pleasure to our own satisfaction.
Habitual defects, says St. Augustine, are a kind of leprosy, which renders the soul so disgusting that God deprives it of His loving embraces.
I see, O Lord, that Thou hast not yet abandoned me, as I have deserved; strengthen me, therefore, to shake off my tepidity. I desire never more deliberately to offend Thee. I desire to love Thee with my whole soul. O Jesus, help me! In Thee do I confide.
Meditación II:
Lectura espiritual: LA ORACIÓN, SU NECESIDAD
V. LA INTERCESIÓN DE LA SANTÍSIMA VIRGEN
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Meditación vespertina: LA PRÁCTICA DEL AMOR DE JESUCRISTO
"La caridad lo espera todo".
EL QUE AMA A JESUCRISTO ESPERA DE ÉL TODAS LAS COSAS
Meditación I:
The Lord God loves those who love Him: Amo a los que me aman. — (Prov. viii., 17). He showers down His graces on those that seek Him by love: The Lord is good . . . to the soul that seeketh him. — (Lament. iii., 25). Consequently, the soul that loves God most has the greatest hope in His goodness. This confidence produces that imperturbable tranquility in the Saints which makes them always joyful and full of peace, even amid the severest trials; for their love of Jesus Christ, and the conviction they have of His liberality towards those who love Him, leads them to trust solely in Him; and thus they find a lasting repose. The sacred spouse abounded with delights, because she loved none but her Spouse, and leaned entirely on Him for support; and she was full of contentment, since she well knew how generous her Beloved is towards all that love Him; so that of her it is written: Who is this that cometh up from the desert, flowing with delights, leaning upon her beloved? — (Cant. viii., 5). These words of the Wise Man are most true: All good things came to me together with her. — (Wis. vii., 11). With Charity all blessings are introduced into the soul.
Meditación II:
Meditación matutina: LA MISERICORDIA DE LA SANTÍSIMA VIRGEN HACIA LOS PECADORES QUE LA INVOCAN
Mary is called the Mother of Mercy, because, like a mother, she cannot see her children in danger of being lost without giving them her assistance. She is so solicitous about the relief of the miserable that she appears to desire nothing with greater ardour than to comfort them.
Meditación I:
Consider that Mary is so merciful an advocate she not only assists all who have recourse to her, but also goes in search of the miserable in order to defend and save them. Behold how she invites us all, and encourages us to hope for every good, if we have recourse to her. In me is all hope of life and virtue. Come over to me, all ye who desire me. — (Ecclus. xxiv. 25-26). In explaining this passage, the devout Pelbart says: “She invites all, the just and sinners.” The devil, according to St. Peter, goes about continually seeking whom he may devour. — (1 Peter v. 8). But this Divine Mother, says Bernard de Bustis, goes about seeking whom she may save. Mary is called the Mother of Mercy; because, like a mother, she cannot see her children in danger of being lost without giving them her assistance. Mary pities all our miseries, and constantly seeks our salvation. And, asks St. Germanus, who, after Jesus, has greater care of our salvation, than thou, O Mother of Mercy? St. Bonaventure says that Mary is so solicitous about the relief of the miserable that she appears to desire nothing with greater ardour than to comfort them.
She certainly assists us as often as we have recourse to her, but this, adds Richard of St. Victor, is not enough for her; she anticipates our supplications, and obtains aid for us before we ask her prayers. Moreover, the same author says that Mary is so full of mercy that, as soon as she sees misery, she instantly obtains relief, and cannot behold any one in distress without coming to his assistance. It was thus she acted when she lived on this earth, as we learn from what happened at the marriage of Cana in Galilee; where, when the wine failed, she did not wait to be asked, but taking pity on the affliction and shame of the spouses, asked her Son to console them, saying: No tienen vino. — (John ii. 3). Thus she induced Him to change, by miracle, water into wine. But, says St. Bonaventure, if Mary’s compassion for the afflicted was so great while she was in this world, her pity for us is certainly much greater now that she is in Heaven, where she has a better knowledge of our miseries, and greater compassion for us. Novarino adds: If Mary, unasked, shows such readiness to afford relief, how much more careful will she be to console those who ask her prayers!
Meditación II:
Ah! let us never cease to have recourse in all our necessities to the Divine Mother, who is always ready to obtain relief for all who pray to her. “You will find her ever ready to assist,” says Richard of St. Laurence. And Bernardine de Bustis adds that she desires more ardently to obtain graces for us than we do to receive them. Hence he says that, whenever we have recourse to her, we shall always find her hands full of graces and mercies. According to St. Bonaventure, Mary’s desire for our welfare and salvation is so great that she feels offended not only with those who do her a positive injury but also with those who neglect to ask favours from her. And, on the other hand, the Saint affirms that they who invoke Mary’s intercession (that is, with a determination to amend their lives) are saved. Hence he calls her the salvation of those who invoke her. Let us, then, always have recourse to the Divine Mother, and always say to her with the holy Doctor: “In thee, O Lady, have I hoped; may I not be confounded forever.” No, O Lady, O Mother of God, O Mary, I shall not be lost after having placed my hopes in thee after Jesus.
Lectura espiritual: LA ORACIÓN, SU PODER
I. SU PODER Y EXCELENCIA CON DIOS
Our prayers are so dear to God that He has appointed the Angels to present them to Him as soon as they come forth from our mouths.” The angels,” says St. Hilary, “preside over the prayers of the faithful, and offer them daily to God.” This is that smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints — (Apoc. viii. 3), which St. John saw ascending to God from the hands of Angels. This he saw in another place represented by golden phials full of sweet odours, very acceptable to God. But in order to understand better the value of prayers in God’s sight it is sufficient to read both in the Old and New Testaments the innumerable promises which God makes to the man that prays. Cry to me, and I will hear thee. — (Jer. xxxiii. 3). Call upon me, and I will deliver thee. — (Ps. xlix. 15). Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. He shall give good things to them that ask him. — (Matt. vii. 7, 11). Every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth. — (Luke xi. 10). Whatsoever they shall ask, it shall be done to them by my father. — (Matt. xviii. 19). All things whatsoever you ask when you pray, believe that you shall receive, and they shall come unto you. — (Mark xi. 24). If you shall ask me anything in my name, that will I do. — (John xiv. 14). You shall ask whatever you will, and it shall be done unto you. — (John xv. 7). Amen, amen, I say unto you, if you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it you. — (John xvi. 23). There are many similar texts, but it would take too long to quote them.
God wills us to be saved; but for our greater good He wills us to be saved as conquerors. While, therefore, we remain here, we have to live in a continual warfare; and if we would be saved, we have to fight and conquer. “No one can be crowned without victory,” says St. Chrysostom. We are very feeble, and our enemies are many and mighty; how shall we be able to stand against them, or to defeat them? Let us take courage, and say with the Apostle, I can do all things in him who strengtheneth me. — (Philip, iv. 13). By Prayer we can do all things; for by this means God will give us that strength which we want. Theodoret says that Prayer is omnipotent; it is but one, yet it can do all things: “Prayer, though one, can do all things.” And St. Bonaventure asserts that by Prayer we may obtain every good and escape every evil: “By Prayer, the possession of every good, the liberation from every evil.” St. Laurence Justinian says that by means of Prayer we build for ourselves a strong tower, where we shall be secure from all the snares and assaults of our enemies: “By the exercise of Prayer man is able to erect a citadel for himself.” The powers of hell are mighty,” says St. Bernard, “but Prayer is stronger than all the devils.” Yes; for by Prayer the soul obtains God’s help, which is stronger than any created power. Thus David encouraged himself in his fears: Praising I will call upon the Lord, and I shall be saved from my enemies. — (Ps. xvii. 4). For, as St. Chrysostom says, “Prayer is a strong weapon, a defence, a port, and a treasure.” It is a weapon sufficient to overcome every assault of the devil; it is a defence to preserve us in every danger; it is a port where we may be safe in every tempest; and it is at the same time a treasure which provides us with every good.
II.—POWER OF PRAYER AGAINST TEMPTATION.
God knows the great good which it does us to be obliged to pray, and therefore permits us, as we have already shown — (The Necessity of Prayer, p. 66) to be assaulted by our enemies, in order that we may ask Him for the help which He offers and promises us. But as He is pleased when we run to Him in our dangers, so is He displeased when He sees us neglectful of Prayer. As the king, says St. Bonaventure, would think it faithlessness if an officer, when attacked, did not ask him for reinforcements, so God thinks Himself betrayed by the man who, when he finds himself surrounded by temptations, does not run to Him for assistance. For He desires to help us; and only waits to be asked, and then gives abundant succour. This is strikingly shown by Isaias, when, on God’s part, he told King Achaz to ask some sign to assure himself of God’s readiness to help him: Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God — (Is. vii. 11) the impious king answered: I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord. — (Is. vii. 12). He trusted in his own power to overcome his enemies without God’s aid. And for this the Prophet reproved him: Hear ye, therefore, O house of David; is it a small thing for you to be grievous to men, that you are grievous to my God also? — (Is. vii. 13), which means that that man is grievous and offensive to God who will not ask Him for the graces which He offers.
Come to me, all you that labour and are burdened, and I will refresh you. — (Matt. xi. 28). “My poor children,” says our Saviour, “though you find yourselves assailed by enemies, and oppressed with the weight of your sins, do not lose heart, but have recourse to Me in Prayer, and I will give you strength to resist; and I will give you a remedy for all your misfortunes.” In another place He says, by the mouth of Isaias: Come and accuse me, saith the Lord; if your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made white as snow. — (Is. i. 18). O men, come to me; though your consciences are horribly defiled, yet come; I even give you leave to reproach Me (so to speak), if, after you have recourse to Me, I do not give you grace to become white as snow.
What is Prayer? It is, as St. Chrysostom says, “the anchor of those tossed on the sea, the treasure of the poor, the cure of diseases, the safeguard of health.” It is a secure anchor for him who is in peril of shipwreck; it is a treasury of immense wealth for him who is poor; it is a most efficacious medicine for him who is sick; and it is a certain preservative for him who would keep himself in health. What does Prayer effect? Let us hear St. Laurence Justinian: “It pleases God, it gets what it asks, it overcomes enemies, it changes men.” It appeases the wrath of God Who pardons all who pray with humility. It obtains every grace that is asked for; it vanquishes all the strength of the tempter; it gives sight to the blind; it changes the weak into strong, and sinners into Saints. Let him who wants light ask it of God, and it shall be given. As soon as I had recourse to God, says Solomon, He granted me wisdom: I called upon God, and the spirit of wisdom came upon me. — (Wis. vii. 7). Let him who wants fortitude ask it of God and it shall be given. For how, in fact, did the Martyrs obtain strength to resist tyrants, except by Prayer, which gave them force to overcome dangers and death? “He who uses this great weapon,” says St. Chrysostom, “knows not death, leaves the earth, enters Heaven, lives with God.” He falls not into sin; he loses affection for the earth; he makes his abode in Heaven; and begins even in this life to enjoy the conversation of God. Why then should you disquiet such a man by saying: How do you know that you are written in the Book of Life? How do you know whether God will give you efficacious grace and the gift of perseverance? Be nothing solicitous, says St. Paul, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known unto God. — (Philip, iv. 6). Drive from you all those cares which only lessen your confidence, and make you more tepid and slothful in walking in the Way of Salvation. Pray and seek always, make your prayers known to God, and thank Him for having promised to give you the gifts you desire whenever you ask for them, namely, efficacious grace, perseverance, salvation, and everything you may desire. The Lord has given us our post in the battle against powerful foes; but He is faithful in His promises, and will never allow us to be assaulted more violently than we can resist: God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able. — (1 Cor. x. 13). He is faithful, since He instantly succours the man who invokes Him. The learned Cardinal Gotti writes that God is bound, when we are tempted and fly to His protection, to give us, by the grace prepared and offered to all, the strength by which we not only can, but will actually resist: for we can do all things in Him who strengthens us by His grace if we humbly ask for it. We can do all things with God’s help, which is granted to every one who humbly seeks it; so that we have no excuse when we allow ourselves to be overcome by a temptation. We are conquered solely by our own fault, because we do not pray. By Prayer all the snares and power of the devil are easily overcome. “By prayer all hurtful things are put to flight,” says St. Augustine.
Meditación vespertina: LA PRÁCTICA DEL AMOR DE JESUCRISTO
"La caridad lo espera todo".
EL QUE AMA A JESUCRISTO ESPERA DE ÉL TODAS LAS COSAS
Meditación I:
St. Francis de Sales says: “If by a supposition of what is impossible, there could be an infinite Good (that is a God) to whom we belonged in no way whatever, and with Whom we could have no union or communication, we should certainly esteem Him more than ourselves; so that we might feel a great desire of being able to love Him; but we should not actually love Him, because love is built upon union; for love is a friendship, and the foundation of friendship is to have things in common; and its end is union.” Thus St. Thomas teaches us that Charity does not exclude the desire of the reward prepared for us in Heaven by Almighty God; on the contrary, it makes us look to it as the chief object of our love, for such is God, Who constitutes the bliss of Paradise; for friendship implies that friends mutually rejoice in one another.
The Spouse in the Canticles refers to this reciprocal interchange of goods, when she says: My beloved to me and I to him. — (Cant. ii., 16). In Heaven the soul belongs wholly to God and God belongs wholly to the soul, according to the measure of her capacity and of her merits.
Meditación II:
From the persuasion the soul has of her own nothingness in comparison with the infinite attractions of Almighty God, and aware consequently that the claims of God on her love are beyond measure greater than her own can be on the love of God, she is far more anxious to procure the Divine pleasure than her own enjoyment; so that she is more gratified by the pleasure she affords Almighty God by giving herself entirely to Him, than by God’s giving Himself entirely to her; but at the same time she is delighted when God thus gives Himself to her, inasmuch as she is thereby animated to give herself up to God with a greater intensity of love. She indeed rejoices at the glory which God imparts to her, but for the sole purpose of referring it back to God Himself, and of thus doing her utmost to increase the Divine glory. At the sight of God in Heaven the soul cannot help loving Him with all her strength; on the other hand, God cannot hate anyone that loves Him: but if (supposing what is impossible) God could hate a soul that loves Him, and if a beatified soul could exist without loving God, she would much rather endure all the pains of hell on condition of being allowed to love God as much as He should hate her, than to live without loving God, even though she could enjoy all the delights of Paradise. So it is; for that conviction which the soul has of God’s boundless claims upon her love gives her a greater desire to love God than to be loved by Him.
