Meditação matinal: A SALVAÇÃO DO SENHOR
E toda carne verá a salvação de Deus. - (Evangelho de Domingo, Lucas. iii., 1-6).
O Salvador do mundo, a quem, de acordo com o profeta Isaías, os homens veriam um dia na Terra. e toda carne verá a salvação de Deus - veio. E Ele veio à Terra, diz Santo Agostinho, para que os homens pudessem saber o quanto Deus os ama. E como é, ó meu querido Jesus, que o Senhor se depara com tanta ingratidão por parte da maioria dos homens?
Meditação I:
Adão, nosso primeiro pai, peca e é condenado à morte eterna junto com toda a sua posteridade. Vendo que toda a raça humana estava condenada à perdição, Deus resolveu enviar um Redentor para salvar a humanidade. Quem virá para ser a salvação do homem? Talvez um anjo ou um serafim? Não, o Filho de Deus, o Deus supremo e verdadeiro, igual ao Pai, oferece-se para vir à Terra, assumir a carne humana e morrer para a salvação dos homens. Ó prodígio do amor divino! O homem, diz São Fulgêncio, despreza Deus e se separa de Deus, e por amor a ele Deus vem à Terra para buscar o homem rebelde. Como não quisemos ir ao nosso Médico, Ele se dignou a vir até nós, diz Santo Agostinho. E por que Jesus resolveu vir até nós? Cristo veio, diz o mesmo santo doutor, para que o homem pudesse saber o quanto Deus o ama.
Por isso, o apóstolo escreve: A bondade e a benevolência de Deus, nosso Salvador, apareceram. - (Tit. iii., 4). O singular amor de Deus para com os homens apareceu, como diz o texto grego. E que maior amor e bondade o Filho de Deus poderia nos mostrar do que se tornar homem e um verme como nós, a fim de nos salvar da perdição? Que espanto não sentiríamos se víssemos um príncipe se tornar um verme para salvar os vermes de seu reino! E o que diríamos ao ver um Deus feito Homem como nós para nos livrar da morte eterna? O Verbo se fez carne. - (Jo. i., 14). Um Deus feito carne! Se a fé não nos garantisse isso, quem poderia acreditar?
Ó meu doce, amável e santo Filho, Você não sabe o que mais fazer para ser amado pelos homens! É suficiente dizer que, de Filho de Deus, Tu foste feito Filho do homem e que escolheste nascer entre os homens como o resto das crianças, só que mais pobre e mais mal alojado do que os outros, escolhendo um estábulo para Tua morada, uma manjedoura para Teu berço, um pouco de palha para Tua cama. E, no entanto, poucos são os que Te conhecem! Poucos são os que Te amam!
Meditação II:
Tell me, O Christian, what more could Jesus Christ have done to win Thy love? If the Son of God had engaged to rescue from death His own Father, what lower humiliation could He have stooped to than to assume human flesh and to lay down His life in sacrifice for His salvation? Nay, I say more, had Jesus Christ been a mere man instead of One of the Divine Persons, and wished to gain by some token of affection the love of His God, what more could He have done than He has done for thee? If a servant of thine had given for thy love his very life-blood would he not have riveted thy heart to him, and obliged thee to love him out of mere gratitude? And how comes it that Jesus Christ, though He has laid down His very life for thee, has still failed to win thy love?
Men appreciate the good graces of a prince, of a prelate, a nobleman, of a man of letters, and even of a vile animal, and yet these same persons set no store by the grace of God – but renounce it for mere smoke, for a brutal gratification, for a handful of earth, for a whim, for a nothing! What sayest thou, my dear brother? Dost thou wish still to be ranked among the ungrateful ones? Go, seek for thyself one who is better able than God to make thee happy in the present life and in the life to come. Go, find thyself a prince more courteous, a master, a brother, a friend more amiable, and who has shown thee a deeper love. O Lord, who is like to thee? — (Ps. xxxiv., 10). O Lord, what greatness shall ever be found like to Thine?
Love, then, love, O souls, love this little Child, exclaims St. Bernard, for He is exceedingly to be loved. Great is the Lord, and exceedingly to be praised! The Lord is a little One and exceedingly to be loved!
O my dear Jesus, how is it that Thou dost encounter such ingratitude from the greater number of men? In the time past, I, too, have not known Thee; but heedless of Thy love, I have sought my own gratification, making no account whatever of Thee and of Thy friendship. But now I am sorry for it. I grieve over it with my whole heart. O my sweet Child, and my God, forgive me for the sake of Thy Infancy. Thou knowest my past treasons; for pity’s sake do not abandon me or I shall fall away even worse than before. O Mary, great Mother of the Incarnate Word, do not thou abandon me! Thou art the Mother of perseverance and the stewardess of divine grace. With thy help, O my hope, I trust to be faithful to my God till death.
Leitura espiritual: JOSÉ E MARIA EM BELÉM
Meditação noturna: A PALAVRA ETERNA SE TORNA PEQUENA
Meditação I:
He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant. — (Phil, ii., 7).
St. Paul says that Jesus Christ, coming on earth, emptied Himself. He annihilated Himself, so to say. And why? To save man and to be loved by man. “Where Thou didst empty Thyself,” says St. Bernard, “there did Mercy and Charity more brilliantly appear.” Yes, my dear Redeemer, in proportion as Thy abasement was great in becoming Man and in being born an Infant, so were Thy mercy and love shown to be greater towards us, and this with a view to win over our hearts to Thyself.
Although the Jews, by so many signs and wonders, had a certain knowledge of the true God, they were not, however, satisfied; they wished to behold Him face to face. God found means to comply even with this desire of men; He became Man, to make Himself visible to them. “Knowing,” says St. Peter Chrysologus, “that mortals felt an anguish of desire to see Him, God chose this method of making Himself visible to them.” And to render Himself still more attractive in our eyes, He would make His first appearance as a little Child, that thus He might be the more charming and irresistible; He showed Himself an Infant, that He might make Himself more acceptable in our eyes. “Yes,” adds St. Cyril of Alexandria, “He abased Himself to the humble condition of a little Child in order to make Himself more agreeable to our hearts.” “For our advantage was this emptying made.” For this, indeed, was the form most suitable to win our love.
The Prophet Ezechiel rightly exclaimed that the time of Thy coming on earth, O Incarnate Word, should be a time of love, the season of lovers: Behold, thy time was the time of lovers. — (Ezech. xvi., 8). And what object had God in loving us thus ardently, and of giving us such clear proofs of His love, other than that we might love Him? “God loves only in order to be loved,” says St. Bernard. God Himself had already said as much: And now, O Israel, what does the Lord, thy God require of thee, but that thou fear and love him. — (Deut. x., 12).
O my sweet, amiable, holy Child, Thy first appearance before us is as a poor Infant, that even from birth Thou mightest lose no time in attracting our hearts towards Thee. And so didst Thou go on through the remainder of Thy life ever showing us fresh and more striking tokens of Thy love, so that at length Thou didst shed the last drop of Thy Blood and die overwhelmed with shame upon the infamous tree of the Cross. And how is it, O Jesus, that Thou couldst have encountered such ingratitude from the majority of mankind? I see few, indeed, that knew Thee, and fewer still that love Thee. Ah, my dear Jesus, I, too, desire to be among this small number. O, my sweet Child and my God, forgive me. I love Thee! I love Thee!
Meditação II:
In order to force us to love Him God would not commission others, but chose to come Himself in person to be made Man and to redeem us. St. John Chrysostom makes a beautiful reflection on these words of the Apostle: For nowhere doth he take hold of the angels, but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold. — (Heb. ii., 16). Why, asks the Saint, did he not say received, but rather taketh hold? Why did not St. Paul simply say that God assumed human flesh? Why would he affirm with marked emphasis that He took it, as it were, by force, according to the strict meaning of the Latin apprehendit? He answers that he spoke thus, making use of the metaphor of those who give chase to those who are fleeing away. By this he would convey the idea that God always longed to be loved by man, but man turned his back upon Him, and cared not even to know of His love; therefore God came from Heaven, and took human flesh, to make Himself known in this way, and to make Himself loved, as it were, by force by ungrateful man who fled from Him.
For this, then, did the Eternal Word become Man; for this He, moreover, became an Infant. He could, indeed, have appeared upon this earth as a full-grown Man, as the first man, Adam, appeared. No, the Son of God wished to present Himself under the form of a sweet little Child, that thus He might the more readily and the more forcibly draw to Himself the love of man. Little children of themselves are loved at once; to see them and to love them is the same thing. Ah, my dear Jesus, it is true that in time past I did not know Thee. Heedless of Thy love I sought only my own gratification, making no account whatever of Thee or of Thy friendship. But now I am conscious of the evil I have done. I am sorry for it and I grieve over it with my whole heart. I love Thee, Jesus, and that so dearly that even if I knew that all mankind were about to rebel against Thee and forsake Thee, yet would I not leave Thee though it should cost me a thousand lives. Accept, O Jesus, of my poor heart to love Thee. There was a time when it cared not for Thee, but now it is enamoured of Thy goodness, O Divine Infant. O Mary, O great Mother of the Word Incarnate, neither do thou abandon me. Thot art the Mother of perseverance and the stewardess d divine grace. Help me, then, and help me always. With thy aid, O my hope, I trust to be faithful to my God for ever. Amen.
Meditação matinal: CONSIDERAÇÕES SOBRE O ESTADO RELIGIOSO -XII
Considere a grande felicidade que os religiosos desfrutam ao morar na mesma casa com Jesus no Santíssimo Sacramento.
Se os mundanos consideram um favor tão grande ser convidado por reis para morar em seus palácios, quanto mais favorecidos devemos nos considerar por sermos admitidos a morar continuamente com o Rei dos Céus em Sua própria casa? Ó Senhor, eu Te agradeço! Como mereci esse destino feliz?
Meditação I:
A Venerável Madre Maria de Jesus, fundadora de um convento em Toulouse, disse que estimava muito seu destino como religiosa, principalmente por dois motivos. A primeira, que as religiosas, por meio do voto de obediência, pertencem inteiramente a Deus; e a segunda, que elas têm o privilégio de estar sempre com Jesus Cristo no Santíssimo Sacramento.
Nas casas dos religiosos, Jesus Cristo habita na igreja por causa deles, de modo que eles podem encontrá-Lo a qualquer hora. As pessoas do mundo dificilmente podem visitá-Lo durante o dia e, em muitos lugares, somente pela manhã. Mas os religiosos O encontram no Tabernáculo sempre que desejam, de manhã, à tarde e à noite. Lá eles podem se entreter continuamente com Nosso Senhor, e lá Jesus Cristo se alegra em conversar familiarmente com Seus amados servos, a quem, para esse fim, Ele chamou do Egito, para que Ele possa ser seu Companheiro durante esta vida, escondido sob o véu do Santíssimo Sacramento, e na próxima, revelado no Paraíso. "Ó solidão", pode-se dizer de toda casa religiosa, "na qual Deus fala e conversa familiarmente com Seus amigos!"
Contempla-me em Tua Presença, ó meu Jesus! - Escondido no Sacramento, Tu és o mesmo Jesus que por mim Te sacrificou na Cruz. Tu és Aquele que tanto me ama e que, por isso, Te confinou nesta prisão de amor. Entre tantos que Te ofenderam menos do que eu, e que Te amaram mais do que eu, Tu me escolheste, em Tua bondade, para fazer-Te companhia nesta casa, onde, tendo-me tirado do meio do mundo, me destinaste a viver sempre unido a Ti e, depois, a ter-me perto de Ti para louvar-Te e amar-Te em Teu reino eterno. Ó Senhor, eu Te agradeço. Como mereci esse destino feliz? Escolhi ser um abjeto na casa do meu Deus, do que habitar nos tabernáculos dos pecadores. - (Sl. lxxxiii., 11). Feliz, de fato, sou eu, ó meu Jesus, por ter deixado o mundo; e é meu grande desejo desempenhar o mais vil ofício em Tua casa, em vez de morar nos mais orgulhosos palácios reais dos homens.
Meditação II:
Souls that love Jesus Christ much know not how to wish for any other paradise on this earth than to be in the presence of their Lord, Who dwells in this Sacrament for the love of those who seek and visit Him.
Her conversation hath no bitterness, nor her company any tediousness. — (Wis. viii., 16). He who does not love Jesus Christ finds tediousness in His company. But those who on this earth have given all their love to Jesus Christ find in the Blessed Sacrament their treasure, their rest, their paradise, and therefore the great desire of their hearts is, as often as they can, to visit their God in this Sacrament, to pay their court to Him, offering Him their affections and laying at the foot of the altar their sorrows, their desire of loving Him, of seeing Him face to face, and, in the meantime, of pleasing Him in all things.
Receive me, then, O Lord, to stay with Thee all my life long; do not drive me away, as I deserve. Be pleased to allow that, among the many good Religious who serve Thee in this house, I, though a miserable sinner, may serve Thee also. Many years already have I lived far from Thee. But now that Thou hast enlightened me to know the vanity of the world, and my own foolishness, I will not depart any more from Thy feet, O my Jesus! Thy presence shall animate me to fight when I am tempted. The nearness of Thy abode shall remind me of the obligation I am under to love Thee, and always to have recourse to Thee in my combats against hell. I will always keep near to Thee, that I may unite myself to Thee, and attach myself closer to Thee. I love Thee, O my God, hidden in this Sacrament. Thou, for the love of me, remainest always on this altar. I, for the love of Thee, will remain in Thy presence as much as I shall be able. There enclosed Thou always lovest me, and here enclosed I will always love Thee. Always then, O my Jesus, my Love, my All, shall we remain together – in time in this House, and during eternity, in Paradise. This is my hope; so may it be. Most holy Mary, obtain for me a greater love for the Most Holy Sacrament.
Leitura espiritual: INCENTIVO AOS NOVIÇOS PARA QUE PERSEVEREM EM SUA VOCAÇÃO
Meditação noturna: O AMOR QUE DEUS NOS MOSTROU AO SE TORNAR HOMEM
Meditação I:
The Word was made flesh . . . and delivered himself for us. — (John i., 14; Eph. v., 2).
Let us consider the immense love which God shows us in becoming Man in order to procure us eternal life. Our first parent, Adam, having sinned and rebelled against God, was driven out of Paradise and condemned to everlasting death with all his descendants. But behold the Son of God, Who, seeing man thus lost, in order to deliver him from death offers to take upon Himself human flesh, and to die condemned as a malefactor upon the Cross. But, my Son, we may suppose the Father saying to Him, consider what a life of humiliation and suffering Thou wilt have to lead upon earth. Thou wilt have to be born in a cold cave, and to be laid in a manger for beasts. Thou wilt have to fly as an Infant into Egypt to escape from the hands of Herod. On Thy return from Egypt Thou wilt have to live in a shop as a humble servant, poor and despised. And, finally, worn out by sufferings, Thou wilt have to give up Thy life upon a Cross, insulted and forsaken by all. – Father, all this matters not, replies the Son; I am content with enduring all, provided man is saved.
O great Son of God, Thou hast become Man in order to make Thyself loved by men; but where is the love that men bear to Thee? Thou hast given Thy Blood and Thy life to save our souls; why, then, are we so unthankful towards Thee, that, instead of loving Thee, we treat Thee with so much ingratitude and contempt? And behold, O Lord, I myself have been one of those who more than others have thus ill-treated Thee. But Thy Passion is my hope. Oh, for the sake of that love which induced Thee to assume human flesh and die for me on the Cross, forgive me all the offences I have committed against Thee.
I love Thee, O Incarnate Word, I love Thee, O my God!
Meditação II:
What would be said if a prince were to take compassion upon a dead worm, and were to choose to become a worm himself, and to make, as it were, a bath of his own blood, to die in order to restore the worm to life? But the Eternal Word has done even more than this for us; for, being God, He has chosen to become a worm like us, and to die for us, in order to purchase for us the life of divine grace which we had lost. When He saw that all the gifts He had bestowed upon us could not secure to Him our love, what did He do? He became Man, and He gave Himself entirely to us: The Word was made flesh . . . and delivered himself for us. — (John i., 14; Eph. v., 2).
Man, by despising God, says St. Fulgentius, separated himself from God; but God, through His love for man, came from Heaven to seek him. And why did He come? He came in order that man might know how much God loved him, and that thus, out of gratitude at least, he might love Him in return. Even the beasts, when they show us affection, make us love them; and why, then, are we so ungrateful towards a God Who descends from Heaven to earth to make us love Him?
One day, when a priest was saying these words in Mass: Et verbum caro factum est – And the Word was made flesh – a man who was present neglected to make an act of reverence; upon which the devil gave him a blow, saying: “Ah, ungrateful man! if God had done as much for me as He has done for thee, I should remain continually prostrate with my face to the ground returning thanks to Him.”
O Infinite Goodness, I love Thee, and I repent of all the injuries I have done Thee. Would that I could die of sorrow for them. O my Jesus, give me love. Let me not live any longer ungrateful for the affection Thou hast borne me. I am determined to love Thee always. Give me holy perseverance!
O Mary, Mother of God and my Mother, do thou obtain for me from thy Son the grace to love Him always – even until death. Amen.
Meditação matinal: CONSIDERAÇÕES SOBRE O ESTADO RELIGIOSO -XIII
Considere que a vida de um religioso se assemelha principalmente à vida de Jesus Cristo.
Jesus desejou viver pobre nesta Terra como Filho e Companheiro de um mecânico, em uma moradia pobre, com roupas e alimentos pobres, para que assim pudesse dar a Seus servos a compreensão do que deve ser a vida daqueles que desejam ser Seus seguidores. Ó meu Senhor, deixarei tudo e Te seguirei.
Meditação I:
O apóstolo diz que o Pai Eterno predestina ao reino dos céus somente aqueles que vivem de acordo com a vida do Verbo Encarnado. E aos que dantes conheceu, também os predestinou para serem conformes à imagem de seu Filho. - (Rom. viii., 29). Quão felizes, então, e seguros do Paraíso não deveriam ser os religiosos, visto que Deus os chamou para um estado de vida que, de todos os outros estados, é o mais parecido com a vida de Jesus Cristo.
Jesus, nesta Terra, desejou viver pobre, como Filho e Companheiro de um mecânico, em uma moradia pobre, com roupas e alimentos pobres: Sendo rico, ele se tornou pobre por causa de vocês, para que, por meio da sua pobreza, vocês se tornassem ricos. - (2 Cor. viii., 9). Além disso, Ele escolheu uma vida muito mortificada, longe das delícias do mundo, e sempre cheia de dor e tristeza, começando com Seu nascimento e terminando com Sua morte; por isso, o Profeta O chamou: O homem das tristezas. - (Is. liii., 3). Com isso, Ele quis dar a Seus servos a compreensão do que deve ser a vida daqueles que desejam segui-Lo: Se alguém quiser vir após mim, negue-se a si mesmo, tome a sua cruz e siga-me. - (Mat., xvi., 24). Seguindo esse exemplo e aceitando esse convite de Jesus Cristo, os santos se esforçaram para despojar-se de todos os bens terrenos e tomar sobre si dores e cruzes, a fim de serem semelhantes a seu amado Senhor.
Assim, vemos que São Bento, filho do senhor de Nórcia, parente do imperador Justiniano, e nascido em meio às riquezas e prazeres do mundo, quando ainda era um jovem de apenas quatorze anos, foi morar em uma caverna em Subiaco, onde recebia apenas um pedaço de pão que o eremita Romanus lhe trazia todos os dias como esmola.
Ah, meu Mestre e meu Redentor, Jesus, sou, então, do número daqueles afortunados que Tu chamaste para Te seguir. Ó meu Senhor! Eu Te agradeço por isso. Deixo tudo; quem me dera ter mais para deixar, para que eu possa me aproximar de Ti, meu Rei e meu Deus, que, por amor a mim e para me dar coragem com Teu exemplo, escolheste para Ti uma vida tão pobre e tão dolorosa. Caminha, Senhor, eu Te seguirei. Escolha para mim a cruz que quiser e me ajude. Eu sempre a carregarei com constância e amor. Lamento que no passado eu tenha Te abandonado para seguir meus desejos e as vaidades do mundo; mas agora estou decidido a não Te deixar mais. Prenda-me à Tua cruz e, se por fraqueza eu às vezes resistir, atraia-me pelos doces laços de Teu amor. Não permita que eu volte a Te abandonar.
Meditação II:
St. Francis of Assisi renounced in favour of his father the whole of his inheritance, and even his garments, and, thus poor and mortified, consecrated himself to Jesus Christ. Nor was it different with St. Francis Borgia and St. Aloysius Gonzaga, one being Duke of Gandia, the other of Castiglione; Both left all their riches, their estates, their vassals, their country, their home, their parents, and went to live a poor life in Religion.
So have done many other noblemen and princes even of royal blood. Blessed Zedmerra, daughter of the King of Ethiopia, renounced the kingdom to become a Dominican nun. Blessed Johanna of Portugal renounced the kingdom of France and England to enter Religion. In the Benedictine Order alone there are found twenty-five emperors, and seventy-five kings and queens who left the world to live poor, mortified and forgotten by the world, in a poor cloister. Ah! indeed, these and not the grandees of the world are the truly fortunate ones.
At present worldlings think these to be fools, but in the Valley of Josaphat they shall know that they themselves have been the fools; and when they see the Saints on their thrones crowned by God they shall say, lamenting and in despair: These are they whom we had sometime in derision . . . we fools esteemed their life madness, and their end without honour. Behold, how they are numbered among the children of God, and their lot is among the saints! — (Wis. v., 3, 4, 5).
Yes, my Jesus, I renounce all the satisfactions of the world; the only satisfaction I seek is to love Thee, and to suffer as Thou pleasest. I hope thus to come one day to be united to Thee in Thy kingdom by the bond of eternal love, there to see Thee and to love Thee without fear of ever being separated from Thee. I love Thee, O my God, my All, and will always love Thee. Thou art my hope, O Most Holy Mary, thou, the most conformed to Jesus, art now the most powerful to obtain this grace. Be thou my protectress!
Leitura espiritual: INCENTIVO AOS NOVATOS (continuação)
Meditação noturna: JESUS FEZ E SOFREU TUDO PARA NOS SALVAR
Meditação I:
He hath loved me and delivered himself for me. — (Gal. ii., 20).
The Son of God being true God is infinitely happy; and yet, as St. Thomas says, He has done and suffered as much for man as if He could not be happy without him. If Jesus Christ had been obliged to earn for Himself upon this earth His Eternal Beatitude, what could He have done more than to burden Himself with all our weaknesses, and assume all our infirmities, and then end His life with a death so severe and ignominious? But no, He was innocent, He was holy, and was in Himself blessed; whatever He did and suffered was all to gain for us divine grace and Paradise, which we had lost.
Miserable is he who does not love Thee, my Jesus, and does not pass his life enamoured of so much goodness.
If, therefore, my Jesus, Thou hast for love of me embraced a laborious life and bitter death, I may, indeed say that Thy death is mine, Thy sufferings are mine, Thy merits are mine, Thou Thyself art mine; since for me Thou hast given Thyself up to so great sufferings. Ah, my Jesus, there is nothing that afflicts me more than the thought that once Thou wert mine, and that I have so often willingly lost Thee. Forgive me, and unite me to Thyself; suffer me not in future ever to offend Thee again. I love Thee with all my heart. Thou willest to be all mine; and I will be entirely Thine.
Meditação II:
If Jesus Christ had permitted us to ask Him for the greatest proof of His love, who would have dared to propose to Him to become a Child like one of us, to embrace all our miseries, to make Himself of all men the most poor, the most despised, the most ill-used, even to dying in torments the infamous death of the Cross, cursed and forsaken by all, even by His own Father? But that which we should not have dared even to think of, He has both thought of and done.
My beloved Redeemer, I beseech Thee to bestow upon me the graces which Thou hast merited for me by Thy death. I love Thee, and am sorry for having offended Thee. Oh, take my soul into Thy hands; I will not let the devil have dominion over it any more; I desire that it may be entirely Thine, since Thou hast bought it with Thy Blood. Thou alone lovest me, and Thee alone will I love. Deliver me from the misery of living without Thy love, and then chastise me as Thou willest. O Mary, my refuge, the death of Jesus and thy intercession are my hope.
Meditação matinal: CONSIDERAÇÕES SOBRE O ESTADO RELIGIOSO - XIV
Considere o zelo que os religiosos devem ter pela salvação das almas.
Nosso Redentor não impôs a São Pedro penitência, orações ou outras coisas, mas apenas que ele se esforçasse para salvar Suas ovelhas. Simão, filho de João, você me ama? Apascenta minhas ovelhas. - (Jo. xxi., 17).
Sim, meu Senhor, eu Te servirei com todas as minhas forças nessa grande obra.
Meditação I:
Aquele que é chamado para a Congregação do Santíssimo Redentor nunca será um verdadeiro seguidor de Jesus Cristo, e nunca se tornará um santo, se não cumprir o objetivo de sua vocação e não tiver o espírito do Instituto, que é a salvação das almas, especialmente das almas mais necessitadas de socorro espiritual, como as pessoas pobres do país.*
Esse foi realmente o fim para o qual nosso Redentor desceu do céu: O espírito do SenhorNosso Divino Mestre diz, me ungiu para pregar o Evangelho aos pobres. - (Lucas iv., 18). Ele não buscou nenhuma outra prova do amor de Pedro por Ele, a não ser o fato de que ele deveria obter a salvação das almas: Simão, filho de João, você me ama? Apascenta minhas ovelhas. - (Jo., xxi., 17). Ele não lhe impôs, diz St. John Chrysostom, penitência, orações ou qualquer outra coisa. Ele apenas pediu que ele se esforçasse para salvar Suas ovelhas: "Cristo não lhe disse: doe seu dinheiro, jejue, enfraqueça seu corpo com trabalho duro, mas Ele disse: Apascentar Minhas ovelhas." E Ele declara que consideraria todo benefício conferido ao menor de nossos vizinhos como conferido a Ele mesmo. Em verdade vos digo que, todas as vezes que o fizestes a um destes meus pequeninos irmãos, a mim o fizestes. - (Mat. xxv., 40).
Todo religioso deve, portanto, com o máximo cuidado, nutrir esse zelo e esse espírito de ajudar as almas. Para esse fim, seus estudos devem ser dirigidos; e seu pensamento constante e toda a sua atenção devem ser dedicados ao trabalho pelas almas que lhe foi designado por seus superiores. Estaria faltando esse espírito aquele que, pelo desejo de cuidar apenas de si mesmo e de levar uma vida retirada e solitária, não aceitasse de todo o coração o trabalho que lhe é imposto pela obediência.
Ó meu Senhor Jesus Cristo, como posso agradecer-Te o suficiente por me teres chamado para o mesmo trabalho que Tu mesmo realizaste na terra, a saber, ajudar na salvação das almas com meus pobres trabalhos? Em que mereci essa honra e essa recompensa, depois de tê-Lo ofendido tão gravemente e de ter feito com que outros também O ofendessem? Sim, meu Senhor! O Senhor me chama para ajudá-Lo nesse grande empreendimento. Eu Te servirei com todas as minhas forças.
* [Embora Santo Afonso, nessa Consideração, tenha especialmente em vista a Congregação dos Missionários que ele fundou, o que ele diz aqui é para todos os religiosos de ambos os sexos e, de fato, para todos os que servem a Deus. - Editor].
Meditação II:
What greater glory can a man have than to be, as St. Paul says, a co-operator with God in this great work of the salvation of souls? He who loves the Lord ardently is not content to be alone in loving Him, he would draw all to His love, saying with David: O magnify the Lord with me, and let us extol his name together. — (Ps. xxxiii., 4). Hence St. Augustine exhorts all those who love God to “draw all men to His love.”
A good ground of hope for his own salvation has he who, with true zeal, labours for the salvation of souls. “Have you saved a soul?” says St. Augustine, “then you have predestinated your own.” The Holy Ghost promises: When thou shalt pour out thy soul to the hungry, and shalt satisfy the afflicted soul . . . the Lord will fill thy soul with brightness . . . and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a fountain of water whose waters shall not fail. — (Is. lviii., 10, 11). In this – namely, in procuring the salvation of others – St. Paul placed his hope of eternal salvation, when he said to his disciples of Thessalonica: For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of glory? Are not you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? — (1 Thess. ii., 19).
Behold, O Jesus, I offer Thee all my labours and my blood, and even my life in order to obey Thee. Nor do I in this seek to gratify my own inclination, or to gain the applause and esteem of men; I desire nothing but to see Thee loved by all as Thou deservest. I prize my happy lot, and call myself fortunate, that Thou hast chosen me for this great work, in which, I now protest that I renounce all the praise of men and all self-satisfaction, and seek only Thy glory. To Thee be all the honour and satisfaction, and to me only the discomfort, the blame, and the reproach. Accept, O Lord, this offering which I, a miserable sinner, who wish to love Thee and to see Thee loved by others, make of myself to Thee, and give me strength to do what I desire.
Most Holy Mary, my advocate who lovest souls so much, help me.
Leitura espiritual: INCENTIVO AOS NOVATOS (continuação)
Meditação noturna: JESUS VEIO PARA LEVAR UMA VIDA AFLITA
Meditação I:
Having joy set before him he endured the cross. — (Heb. xii., 2).
In creating man in the beginning, God did not place him on earth to suffer, but put him into the paradise of pleasure. — (Gen. ii., 15). He put man in a place of delight in order that he might pass thence to Heaven where he would enjoy for all eternity the glory of the blessed. But by sin man unhappily made himself unworthy of his earthly Paradise, and closed against himself the gates of the Heavenly Paradise, wilfully condemning himself to death and to everlasting misery. But what did the Son of God do to rescue man from such a state of misery? From being blessed and most happy as He was He chose to be afflicted and tormented. Our Redeemer could, indeed, have rescued us from the hands of our enemies without suffering. He could have come on earth and continued in His happiness, leading a life full of joys, and receiving the honour due to Him as King and Lord of all. One drop of His Blood, a single tear of His offered to God would have redeemed the world, and a countless number of worlds, on account of the Infinite dignity of His Person. But no! – having joy set before Him, He endured the Cross. He renounced all pleasures and honours and made choice on earth of a life full of toil and ignominy. “What was sufficient for Redemption,” says St. John Chrysostom, “was not sufficient for love.”
Yes, because this Man was born on purpose to suffer, therefore He took to Himself a body particularly adapted for suffering. As the Apostle tells us, He said to His Eternal Father as He came into this world: Sacrifice and oblation Thou wouldst not, but a body thou hast fitted to me. — (Heb. x., 5). Thou hast given Me a body as I requested of Thee, delicate, sensitive, and made for suffering. I gladly accept this body and offer it to Thee; because by suffering in this body all the pains which will accompany Me through life and finally cause My death upon the Cross, I shall propitiate Thee on behalf of the human race, and gain for Myself the love of men.
Glory be to God in the highest. — (Luke ii., 14). I thank Thee, O Jesus, in the name of all mankind, but I thank Thee especially for myself, a miserable sinner. What would have become of me, what hope could I have had of pardon and salvation, if Thou, my Saviour, hadst not come down from Heaven to save me? Therefore do I praise Thee, and thank Thee, and love Thee.
Meditação II:
Behold, then, Jesus has scarcely entered into this world when He begins His sacrifice by beginning to suffer. While an Infant in His Mother’s womb, Jesus endures for nine months the darkness of that prison; He endures all the pain and is fully alive to all He endures. Jesus was in wisdom, not in age, a Man, while yet unborn, says St. Bernard. He comes forth from His Mother’s womb; but He comes forth to fresh suffering. He chooses to be born in the depth of the winter in a cavern, where beasts find stabling, and at the hour of midnight! He is born in such poverty that He has no fire to warm Him, or clothes to screen Him from the winter’s cold. “A noble pulpit is that manger!” says St. Thomas of Villanova. Oh, how well does Jesus teach us the love of suffering in the grotto of Bethlehem!
If thou wishest to love Jesus Christ, learn from Him how thou must love Him. “Learn from Christ how thou must love Christ,” says St. Bernard. Rejoice to suffer something for the God Who suffered so much for thee. The desire of pleasing Jesus Christ, and of showing Him the love they bore Him was what rendered the Saints hungry and thirsty, not for honours and pleasures, but for sufferings and contempt. This made the Apostle say: God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. — (Gal. vi., 14). And St. Teresa: “Either to suffer or to die!” And St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi: “To suffer and not to die!” And St. John of the Cross: “O Lord, that I may suffer and be despised for Thy sake!”
O my dear Redeemer, I praise Thine infinite Mercy! I praise Thine infinite Charity! I love Thee above all things, I love Thee more than myself. I love Thee with my whole soul and I give myself all to Thee. Receive, O Sacred Infant, these acts of love. If they are cold because they come from a frozen heart, do Thou inflame this poor heart of mine, a heart that has offended Thee, but is now penitent. O most holy Mary, obtain for me the grace to live always bound to thy Son by the blessed chains of love. Pray to Him for me. This is my hope.
Meditação matinal: CONSIDERAÇÕES SOBRE O ESTADO RELIGIOSO - XV
Considere o quanto as virtudes da mansidão e da humildade são necessárias para a vida religiosa..
Nosso Santíssimo Redentor quis ser chamado de Cordeiro para nos mostrar como Ele mesmo era manso e humilde e para que Seus discípulos aprendessem com Ele a ser da mesma forma manso e humilde de coração. - (Mt. xi., 29). O Espírito Santo diz: O que lhe é agradável é a fé e a mansidão. - (Ecclus. i., 34, 35).
Meditação I:
Aprendam de mim porque sou manso e humilde de coração. A mansidão e a humildade de coração são virtudes que Jesus, o Cordeiro de Deus, exige principalmente dos religiosos que professam imitar Sua vida santíssima. Aquele que vive como solitário em um deserto não tem tanta necessidade dessas virtudes; mas para aquele que vive em uma comunidade, é impossível não se deparar, de vez em quando, com uma repreensão de seus superiores ou algo desagradável de seus companheiros. Em tais casos, um religioso que não ama a mansidão cometerá mil faltas todos os dias e viverá uma vida inquieta. Ele deve ser todo doce com todos - com estranhos, com companheiros e também com inferiores, se algum dia se tornar Superior; e se for inferior, deve considerar que um ato de mansidão ao suportar o desprezo e a reprovação tem mais valor para ele do que mil jejuns e mil disciplinas.
São Francisco disse que muitos fazem sua perfeição consistir em mortificações exteriores e, no fim das contas, não são capazes de suportar uma palavra injuriosa. "Não entendendo", acrescentou, "quanto maior é o ganho obtido ao suportar pacientemente as injúrias". Quantas pessoas, como observa São Bernardo, são todas doces quando nada é dito ou feito contra sua inclinação, mas mostram sua falta de mansidão quando algo as contraria! E se alguém vier a ser um Superior, que acredite que uma única repreensão feita com mansidão beneficiará mais seus súditos do que mil feitas com severidade. "Os mansos são úteis para si mesmos e para os outros", como ensina São João Crisóstomo. Em suma, como disse o mesmo santo, o maior sinal de uma alma virtuosa é vê-la conservar-se em mansidão nas ocasiões de contradição. Um coração manso é o deleite do Coração de Deus. O que lhe é agradável é a fé e a mansidão.
O most humble Jesus, Who, for love of me didst humble Thyself, and become obedient unto the death of the Cross, how have I the courage to appear before Thee, and call myself Thy follower? I who see myself to be such a sinner and so proud that I cannot bear a single injury without resenting it. Whence comes such pride in me, who for my sins have so many times deserved to be cast forever into hell with the devils? Ah, my despised Jesus, help me and make me conformable to Thee. I will change my life.
Meditação II:
It would be well for a Religious to represent to himself in his meditations, all the contradictions that may happen to him, and arm himself against them; and then when the occasion presents itself, he ought to do violence to himself, that he may not be excited or break out in impatience. Therefore, he should refrain from speaking when his mind is disturbed, till he is certain that he has become calm again.
But to bear injuries quietly, it is above all necessary to have a great fund of humility. He who is truly humble is not only unmoved when he sees himself despised, but is even pleased, and rejoices at it in his spirit, however much the flesh may resent it; for he sees himself treated as he deserves, and made conformable to Jesus Christ, Who, worthy as He was of every honour, chose, for the love of us, to be satiated with contempt and injuries.
Brother Juniper, a disciple of St. Francis, when an injury was done to him, held up his cowl, as if expecting to receive pearls from Heaven. The Saints have ever been more desirous of injuries than worldlings are covetous of applause and honours. And of what use is a Religious who does not know how to bear contempt for God’s sake? He is always proud; humble only in name, and a hypocrite whom divine grace will repulse, as the Holy Ghost says: God resisteth the proud, but to the humble he giveth grace. — (1 Peter v., 5).
O Jesus, for love of me Thou hast borne so much contempt; I, for love of Thee, will bear every injury. Thou, O my Redeemer, hast made contempt honourable, indeed, and desirable, since Thou hast embraced it with so much love during Thy own life. God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. — (Gal. vi., 14). O my most humble Mistress, Mary, Mother of God, thou who wast in all, and especially in suffering, the most conformed to thy Son, obtain for me the grace to bear in peace all the injuries which henceforward may be offered to me. Amen.
Leitura espiritual: INCENTIVO AOS NOVATOS (continuação)
Meditação noturna: A TRISTEZA QUE A INGRATIDÃO DOS HOMENS CAUSOU A JESUS
Meditação I:
He came unto his own, and his own received him not. — (John i., 11).
During the holy time of Christmas St. Francis of Assisi went about the highways and woods, weeping and sighing with inconsolable lamentations. When asked the reason he answered: “How can I help weeping when I see that Love is not loved? I see a God become as it were foolish for the love of man, and man so ungrateful to this God!” Now, if this ingratitude of men so afflicted the heart of St. Francis, let us consider how much more it must have afflicted the Heart of Jesus Christ Himself. Scarcely was He conceived in the womb of Mary than He saw the cruel ingratitude He was to receive from men. He had descended from Heaven to enkindle the fire of Divine love, and this desire alone had brought Him down to this earth, to suffer here the greatest sorrows and ignominies: I am come to cast fire on the earth; and what will I, but that it be kindled? — (Luke xii., 49). And then He beheld the awful sins which men would commit after having seen so many proofs of His love. It was this, says St. Bernardine of Sienna, which made Him feel an infinite grief.
It is true, then, O my Jesus, that Thou didst descend from Heaven to make me love Thee; didst come down to embrace a life of suffering and the death of the Cross for my sake, in order that I might welcome Thee into my heart; and yet I have so often driven Thee from me and said: “Depart from me, Lord; go away from me, Lord; for I do not want Thee.” O God, if Thou wert not infinite Goodness, and hadst not given Thy life to obtain my pardon, I should not have the courage to ask it of Thee. But I feel that Thou Thyself dost offer me peace: Turn ye to me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn to you. — (Zach, i., 3). Thou, Thyself, Whom I have offended, O my Jesus, makest Thyself my Intercessor: He is the propitiation for our sins. — (1 John ii., 2). I will therefore not do Thee this fresh injury of distrusting Thy mercy. I repent with all my soul of having despised Thee, O sovereign Good; receive me into Thy favour, for the sake of the Blood which Thou hast shed for me: Father, I am not worthy to be called Thy son. — (Luke xv., 21).
Meditação II:
Even amongst us it is an insufferable sorrow for one man to see himself treated with ingratitude by another; for, as the Blessed Simon of Cassia observes, ingratitude often afflicts the soul more than any pain afflicts the body: “Ingratitude often causes more bitter sorrow in the soul than pain causes in the body.” What sorrow, then, must our ingratitude have caused Jesus, Who was our God, when He saw that His benefits and His love would be repaid by offences and injuries? And they repaid me evil for good, and hatred for my love. — (Ps. cviii., 5). But even at the present day it seems as if Jesus Christ is going about complaining: I am become a stranger to my brethren. — (Ps. lxviii. 9). For He sees that many neither love nor know Him, as if He had not done them any good, nor had suffered anything for love of them. O God, what value do so many Christians even now set upon the love of Jesus Christ? Our Blessed Redeemer once appeared to Blessed Henry Suso in the form of a pilgrim who went begging from door to door for a lodging, but every one drove Him away with insults and injuries. How many, alas! are like those of whom Job speaks: Who said to God: Depart from us . . . whereas he had filled their houses with good things. — (Job xxii., 17). We have hitherto joined these ungrateful wretches; but shall we continue always like them? No; for that amiable Infant does not deserve it, Who came from Heaven to suffer and die for us in order that we might love Him.
No, my Redeemer and my Father, I am no longer worthy to be Thy son, having so often renounced Thy love; but Thou, by Thy merits, dost make me worthy. I thank Thee, O my Father. I thank Thee, and I love Thee. Ah, the thought alone of the patience with which Thou hast borne with me for so many years, and of the favours Thou hast conferred upon me after the many injuries that I have done Thee, ought to make me live constantly on fire with Thy love. Come, then, my Jesus, for I will not drive Thee away any more, come and dwell in my poor heart. I love Thee and will always love Thee; but do Thou inflame my heart more and more by the remembrance of the love Thou hast borne me. O Mary, my Queen and my Mother, help me, pray to Jesus for me; make me live during the remainder of my life, grateful to that God Who has loved me so much, even though I have so greatly offended Him.
Meditação matinal: JESUS DESEJA SER AMADO
Uma criança nasceu para nós e um filho nos foi dado. - (Is. ix., 6).
Contemplem o fim para o qual o Filho de Deus desejou nascer como criança - dar-Se a nós desde Sua infância e, assim, atrair para Si o nosso amor. Assim, Ele desejou nascer porque desejava ser amado.
Meditação I:
Deus concedeu tantas bênçãos aos homens a fim de levá-los a amá-Lo, mas esses homens ingratos não apenas não O amaram, como nem mesmo O reconheceram como Senhor. Somente em um canto da Terra, na Judeia, Ele foi reconhecido como Deus por Seu povo escolhido; e por eles Ele era mais temido do que amado. Ele, porém, que desejava ser mais amado do que temido por nós, tornou-se homem como nós, escolheu uma vida pobre, sofrida e obscura, e uma morte dolorosa e ignominiosa. E por quê? Para atrair nosso coração para Si. Se Jesus Cristo não tivesse nos redimido, Ele não teria sido menos grandioso ou menos feliz; mas Ele decidiu obter nossa salvação à custa de tantos trabalhos e sofrimentos, como se Sua felicidade dependesse da nossa. Ele poderia ter nos redimido sem sofrimento; mas não - Ele quis nos livrar da morte eterna por meio de Sua própria morte; e embora pudesse nos salvar de mil maneiras, Ele escolheu a maneira mais humilhante e dolorosa de morrer por puro sofrimento na cruz, para comprar o amor de nós, vermes ingratos da terra. E o que, de fato, foi a causa de Seu nascimento miserável e de Sua morte mais dolorosa, senão o amor que Ele tinha por nós?
Ah, meu Jesus, que o Teu amor por mim destrua em mim todas as afeições terrenas e me consuma no fogo que vieste acender na terra. Eu amaldiçoo mil vezes essas paixões vergonhosas que Lhe custam tanta dor. Arrependo-me, meu querido Redentor, de todo o meu coração, de todas as ofensas que cometi contra Ti. No futuro, preferirei morrer a ofendê-Lo; e desejo fazer tudo o que puder para agradá-Lo. Eu Te amo, meu único Bem, meu Amor, meu Tudo.
Meditação II:
Drop down dew, O ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just. — (Is. xlv., 8). Send forth the Lamb, the Ruler of the earth. — (Is. xvi., 1).
Thus did the holy Prophets desire for so many years the coming of the Saviour. The same Prophet Isaias said: Oh, that thou wouldst rend the heavens, and wouldst come down: the mountains would melt away at thy presence . . . the waters would burn with fire. — (Is. lxiv., 1, 2). Lord, he said, when men shall see that Thou didst come on earth out of love for them, the mountains shall be made smooth, that is, men in serving Thee will conquer all the difficulties that at first appeared to them insuperable obstacles. The waters shall burn with fire, and the coldest hearts will feel themselves burning with Thy love, at the sight of Thee made Man; and how well has this been verified in many happy souls! – in St. Teresa, in St. Philip Neri, St. Francis Xavier, who even in this life were consumed by this holy fire. But how many such are there? Alas! but too few.
Ah, my Jesus, amongst these few I wish also to be. How many years ought I not already to be burning in hell, separated from Thee, hating and cursing Thee forever! But no, Thou hast borne with me with so much patience, that Thou mightest see me burn, not with that unhappy flame, but with the blessed fire of Thy love; for this end Thou hast given me so many illuminations, and hast so often wounded my heart while I was far from Thee; finally, Thou hast done so much that Thou hast forced me to love Thee by Thy sweet attractions. Behold, I am now Thine. I will be Thine always and altogether. It remains for Thee to make me faithful, and this I confidently hope from Thy goodness. O my God! who could ever have the heart to leave Thee again and to live even a moment without Thy love? I love Thee with all my heart, but this is too little. My Jesus, hear me, give me more love, more love, more love. O Mary, pray to God for me.
Leitura espiritual: INCENTIVO AOS NOVATOS (continuação)
Meditação noturna: O AMOR DE DEUS MANIFESTADO AOS HOMENS PELO NASCIMENTO DE JESUS
Meditação I:
The grace of God our Saviour hath appeared to all men instructing us that . . . we should live . . . godly in this world, looking at the blessed hope and coming of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. — (Titus ii., 11).
Consider that by the grace that is said to have appeared is meant the tender love of Jesus Christ towards men – a love we have not merited, and which, therefore, is called a “grace.” This love was, however, always the same in God, but did not always appear. It was at first promised in many prophecies and foreshadowed by many figures; but at the Birth of the Redeemer this Divine love appeared and manifested itself by the Eternal Word showing Himself to man as an Infant, lying on straw, crying and shivering with cold; beginning thus to make satisfaction for us for the penalties we have deserved, and so making known to us the affection which He bore us, by giving up His life for us: In this we have known the charity of God, because he hath laid down his life for us. — (1 John iii., 16). Therefore the love of our God appeared to all men.
But why is it, then, that all men have not known it, and that even to this day so many are ignorant of it? This is the reason: The light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light. — (John iii., 19). They have not known Him, and they do not know Him, because they do not wish to know Him, loving the darkness of sin rather than the light of grace.
O my holy Infant! now I see Thee, poor, afflicted and forsaken; but I know that one day Thou wilt come to judge me, seated on a throne of splendour, and attended by the angels. Forgive me, I implore Thee, before Thou hast to judge me. Then Thou wilt have to act as a just Judge; but now Thou art my Redeemer, and the Father of mercy. I have been of those ungrateful ones who have not known Thee, because I did not choose to know Thee, and therefore, instead of being inclined to love Thee by the consideration of the love Thou hast borne me, I only thought of satisfying my own desires, despising Thy grace and Thy love. But into Thy sacred hands I commend my soul, which I have so long neglected; do Thou save it: Into thy hands I commend my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth. — (Ps. xxx. 6).
Meditação II:
But let us endeavour not to be of the number of those unhappy souls who are ignorant and ungrateful. If in times past we have shut our eyes to the light, thinking little of the love of Jesus Christ, let us try, during the days that remain to us in this life, to have ever before our eyes the sufferings and death of our Redeemer, in order to love Him Who has loved us so much: Looking for the blessed hope and the coming of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Thus may we justly expect, according to the divine promises, that Paradise which Jesus Christ has acquired for us by His Blood. At His first coming Jesus appeared as an Infant, poor and humble, and showed Himself on earth born in a stable, covered with miserable rags, and lying on straw; but at His second coming He will appear as Judge on a throne of majesty: We shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and majesty. — (Matt. xxiv., 30). Blessed then will he be who shall have loved Him, and miserable those who shall not have loved Him.
In Thee do I place all my hopes, knowing that, to ransom me from hell, Thou hast given Thy Blood and Thy life: Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth. Thou didst not condemn me to death when I was living in sin, but hast waited for me with infinite patience, in order that, coming to myself, I might repent of having offended Thee, and might begin to love Thee, and that thus Thou mightest be able to forgive and save me. Yes, my Jesus, I will please Thee. I repent, above every other evil, of all the offences I have committed against Thee; I repent, and love Thee above all things. Do Thou save me in Thy mercy, and let it be my salvation to love Thee always in this life and in eternity. My dearest Mother Mary, recommend me to thy Son. Do thou represent to Him that I am thy servant, and that I have placed all my hope in thee. He hears thee, and refuses thee nothing.
