Volume II, Treatise VII, Chapter IX

In Which Is Confirmed by Examples, How Pleasing Tt Is to God, that We Meditate on the Sufferings of Jesus Christ

SiLvEster relates that St. Mary Magdalene, after the ascension of our Saviour, having retired into a desert, in which she lived for thirty-two years, God from the very beginning would teach her, in what she ought to employ herself, to become more pleasing in his sight. He therefore sent an angel to plant a cross at the entrance of the cave, into which she had retired, that the saint having this object before her eyes, might always have present in her mind the adorable mysteries which were wrought upon the cross. So that all the time she lived in this solitude, she continually employed herself in meditating on the death and passion of her Saviour and master. This is what she revealed one day to a great saint of God, of the order of St. Dominick, as we may see set down more at large i in the same author.

Ludolphus of Saxony relates of a holy man, who lived in solitude, and neither aspired after, nor applied himself to any thing, but what was most pleasing to God; that being one day in prayer, according to his ordinary custom, to beg of God to discover to him what was most pleasing in his sight, Jesus Christ appeared to him covered all over with wounds, and carrying a very heavy cross, and said; “one of the most pleasing services that my servants can render me, is to help me to carry this cross; and to do it, they need only accompany me in spirit, in all my sufferings, and have a lively feeling of them in their hearts.”

St. Vincent, St. Anthony, and Surius, relate of St. Edmond, archbishop of Canterbury, that at the time he studied his grammar in the university of Oxford, as he was one day walking in the fields, with his mind filled with pious thoughts, a young child appeared, who making himself known to be Jesus Christ himself, commanded him amongst other things, to meditate upon some mystery of his life and death; and assured him that this would be a great help to him to avoid the snares of the devil, to acquire all the virtues, and to die happy. The young Edmond, filled with consolation and fervour by this miraculous vision, from that time forward applied himself every evening to meditate upon one of the holy mysteries of the life and passion of the Son of God; and found in this meditation all those helps that had been promised him.

We read in the history of the order of St. Dominick, that a religious of the same order, having had from his youth a particular devotion to the passion of the Son of God, afterwards daily continued it in such manner, that there passed not a day, but he either meditated upon one of the mysteries, or adored his sacred wounds; pronouncing at each adoration these words of the church, “we adore thee, O Jesus Christ, and bless thee; because by thy holy cross, thou hast redeemed the world.” He fell five times down upon his knees in making these acts, and recited every time the Lord’s prayer; begging of God that he would vouchsafe to give him his fear and love; and God made it appear, by a very extraordinary favour, how pleasing this devotion was to him. For, one day whilst he was at prayer, Jesus Christ appeared to him, and invited him to taste and enjoy the sweetness of his sacred wounds; and this holy religious having with profound respect applied his mouth to one of them, his soul was presently filled with so great pleasure and satisfaction, that afterwards all that was not God, seemed to him bitter and insupportable.

Lippomanus and Surius relate of St. Palemo, that one day in Easter, St. Pacomius, his disciple, having dressed some herbs with oil, the holy old man, who was wont upon other days to eat them only with salt, shed tears when he saw them so dressed; representing to himself at the same time, the sufferings of Jesus Christ— alas! says he, my Master was crucified, and shall J treat myself delicately? So that his disciple in vain represented to him, the solemnity of the day; for notwithstanding all he could urge or say, he was never able to obtain of him so much as even to taste the herbs he had prepared for him.

We read also of a Christian slave, who had so particular a devotion to the passion of Jesus Christ, that his continual application to think on it, rendered him sad, and oftentimes drew tears from his eyes. ‘The tyrant whom he served, sometimes asked him the cause of this his sadness, and why he was not so cheerful as others were? He always answered, that he could not be otherwise, because he carried the passion of his Master engraven in his heart: so that the tyrant taking notice of this constant answer, wished to try if what he said were true; and thereupon putting him to death, took out, and opened his heart, wherein was found an image of a crucifix extremely well made, and this wonder touched him so forcibly, that immediately he was converted to the faith.

Something similar is related of St. Clare, who, during her whole life, had a singular devotion to the passion of the Son of God; and after her death, there was found upon one side of her heart, the image of a crucifix very finely wrought; with the nails, lance, sponge, and reed; and on the other, the rods, pillar, and crown of thorns; and all this is still to be seen at Montfalcon in Italy, where this extraordinary wonder is carefully preserved.

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