THE DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST OUR HOPE.
What art thou afraid of, O sinner? How shall He condemn thee penitent, Who dies that you may not be condemned? Behold, He says, I have graven thee upon my hands. I keep thee engraven upon My hands in these Wounds I have suffered for thee. Love me and have confidence.
I.
Oh, how great is the hope of salvation which the Death of Jesus Christ imparts to us: Who is he that shall condemn? Christ Jesus who died, who also maketh intercession for us (Romans 8:34). Who is it, asks the Apostle, that has to condemn us? Is it that same Redeemer Who, in order not to condemn us to eternal death, condemned Himself to a cruel death upon a Cross. From this St. Thomas of Villanova encourages us, saying: What does though fear, sinner, if thou are willing to leave off thy sin? How should that Lord condemn thee, Who died in order not to condemn thee? How should He drive thee away when thou returnest to His feet, He Who came from heaven to seek thee when thou wert fleeing from Him? "What are you afraid of, sinner? How shall He condemn thee penitent, Who dies that you may not be condemned? How shall He cast thee off returning, Who came from Heaven seeking thee?" But greater still is the encouragement given us by this same Savior of ours when, speaking by Isaias, He says: Behold, I have graven thee upon my hands; thy walls are always before my eyes (Isaias 49:16). Be not distrustful, My sheep; see how much thou didst cost Me. I keep thee engraven upon My hands in these Wounds which I have suffered for thee; these are ever reminding Me to help thee, and to defend thee from thine enemies: love Me, and have confidence.
Yes, my Jesus, I love Thee and feel confidence in Thee. To rescue me, yea, this has cost Thee dear; to save me will cost me nothing. It is Thy will that all should saved, and that none should perish. If my sins cause me to dread, Thy goodness reassures me, more desirous as Thou art to do me good than I am to receive it. Ah, my beloved Redeemer, I will say to Thee with Job: Even though Thou shouldst kill me, yet I will hope in Thee, and Thou wilt be my Savior (Job 13). Wert Thou even to drive me away from Thy Presence, O my Love, yet I would not leave off from hoping in Thee, Who art my Savior. Too much do these Wound of Thine and this Blood encourage me to hope for every good from Thy mercy. I love Thee, O dear Jesus; I love Thee, and I trust in Thee.
II.
The glorious St. Bernard one day in his sickness saw himself before the Judgment seat of God, where the devil was accusing him of his sins, and telling him that he did not deserve Paradise: "It is true that I deserve not paradise," the Saint replied, "but Jesus has a twofold title to this Kingdom -- in the first place, as being by nature Son of God; in the next place, as having purchased it by His Death. He contents Himself with the first of these, and the second He makes over to me; and, therefore, it is that I ask and hope for Paradise." We, too, can say the same; for St. Paul tells us that the will of Jesus Christ to die, consumed by sufferings, had for its end the obtaining of Paradise for all sinners that are penitent and resolved to amend. And hence the Apostle subjoins: Let us run. . . to the fight proposed unto us, looking on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of faith, who, having joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame (Hebrews 12:1, 2). Let us go forth with courage to fight against our enemies, fixing our eyes on Jesus Christ, Who, together with the merits of His Passion, offers us the victory and the crown.
He has told us that He has gone to Heaven to prepare a place for us: Let not your heart be troubled. . . I go to prepare a place for you (John 14:1, 2). He has told, and is continually telling His Father that since He has consigned us to Him, He wishes us to be with Him in Paradise: Father, those whom thou hast given me, I will that where I am they also may be with me (John 17:24). And what greater mercy could we have hoped for from the Lord, says St. Anselm, then for the Eternal Father to have said to a sinner, all ready for crimes condemned to hell, and with no means of delivering himself from its punishments: Take thou My Son, and offer him in Thy place? And for the same Son to have said: Take Me, and deliver thyself from hell? "What greater mercy can we imagine than that to one who, being a sinner, cannot redeem himself, God the Father should say: Accept of My only-begotten Son, and deliver Him over to be punished in thy stead; and that the Son should say: Take Me, and redeem thyself?"
Ah, my loving Father, I think thee for having given me this Thy Son for my Savior; I offer to Thee His death; and, for the sake of His merits, I pray Thee for mercy. And ever do I return thanks to Thee, my Redeemer, for having given Thy Blood and Thy Life to deliver me from eternal death. "We pray Thee, therefore, help Thy servants, whom Thou has redeemed with Thy precious Blood." Help, then, us, Thy rebellious servants, since Thou hast redeemed us at so great a cost. O Jesus, my one and only Hope, Thou dost love me. Thou hast the power to do all things; make me a Saint. If I am weak, do Thou give me strength; if I am sick, in consequence of the sins I have committed, do Thou apply to my soul one drop of Thy Blood and heal me. Give me love of Thee and final perseverance, making me die in Thy grace. Give me Paradise; through Thy merits do I ask it of Thee, and hope to obtain it. I love Thee, O my most lovely God, with all my soul; and I hope to love Thee always. Oh, help a miserable sinner who wishes to love Thee alone!
VITA, DULCEDO! HAIL, OUR LIFE, OUR SWEETNESS!
XVIII. - MARY IS OUR LIFE, BECAUSE SHE OBTAINS FOR US THE PARDON OF OUR SINS.
Mary sys, in the eighth chapter of the sacred Canticles, that God has placed her in the world to be our defense: I am a wall: and my breasts are as a tower Canticles 8:10). And she is truly made a mediatress of peace between sinner and God: Since I am become in his presence as one finding peace. On these words St. Bernard encourages sinners, saying: "Go to this Mother of Mercy and show her the wounds which thy sins have left on thy soul; then will she certainly entreat her Son, by the breasts that gave Him suck, to pardon thee all. And this Divine Son, who loves her so tenderly, will most certainly grant her petition." In this sense it is that the Holy Church, in her almost daily prayer, calls upon us to beg our Lord to grant us the powerful help of the intercession of Mary to rise from our sins: "Grant Thy help to our weakness, O most merciful God; and that we who are mindful of the holy Mother of God may, by the help of her intercession, rise from our iniquities."
With reason, then, does St. Laurence Justinian call her "the hope of malefactors," since she alone is the one who obtains them pardon from God. With reason does St. Bernard call her "the sinners ladder." since she, the most compassionate Queen, extending her hand to them, draws them from an abyss of sin, and enables them to ascend to God. With reason does an ancient writer call her "the only hope of sinners," for by her help alone can we hope for the remission of our sins.
St. John Chrysostom also says "that sinners receive pardon by the intercession of Mary alone." And, therefore, the Saint, in the name of all sinners, thus addresses her: "Hail, Mother of God and of us all; Heaven where God dwells; throne, from which our Lord dispenses all grace; glory of our Church, assiduously pray to Jesus that in the Day of Judgment we may find mercy through thee, and receive the reward prepared by God for those who love Him."
With reason, finally, is Mary called, in the words of the sacred Canticles, the dawn: Who is she that comes forth as the morning rising? (Canticles 6:9). Yes, says Pope Innocent III, "for as the dawn is the end of night and the beginning of day, well may the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was the end of vices, be called the dawn of the day." When devotion toward Mary begins in a soul it produces the same effect that the birth of this most Holy Virgin produced in the world. It puts to an end to the night of sin, and leads the soul into the path of virtue. Therefore, St. Germanus says: "O Mother of God, thy protection never ceases, thy intercession is life, and thy patronage never fails." An in a sermon the same Saint says that to pronounce the name of Mary with affection is a sign of life in the soul, or at least, that life will soon return there.
THE PRACTICE OF THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST.
XXIV. - "CHARITY IS PATIENT." -- THE SOUL THAT LOVES JESUS CHRIST LOVES TO SUFFER.
I.
St. Joseph Calasanctius used to say: "All suffering is slight to gain Heaven." And the Apostle had already said the same: The sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, that shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:18). it would be a great gain for us to endure all the torments of all the Martyrs during our whole lives in order to enjoy one single moment of the bliss of Paradise. With what readiness, then, should we embrace our crosses, when we know that the sufferings of this transitory life will gain for us an everlasting beatitude! That which is at present momentary and light of our tribulation, worketh for us above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17). St. Agapitus, while still a mere boy in years, was threatened by the tyrant to have his head covered with a red-hot helmet; on which he replied: "And what better fortune could possibly befall me than to lose my head here, to have it crowned hereafter in Heaven?" This thought made St. Francis exclaim:
I look for such a meed of bliss,
That all my pains seem happiness."
But whoever desires the crown of Paradise must needs combat and suffer: if we suffer, we shall also reign (2 Timothy 2:12). We cannot get a reward without merit; and no merit is to be had without patience: He is not crowned, except he strive lawfully (2 Timothy 2:5). And the person that strives with the greatest patience shall have the greatest reward.
What a strange thing it is! When the temporal goods of this world are in question, worldlings endeavor to procure as much as they can; but when it's a question of the goods of eternal life, they say: "it is enough if we get a little corner in Heaven." Such is not the language of the Saints; they are satisfied with anything whatever in life, nay more, they strip themselves of all earthly goods; but concerning eternal goods, they strive to obtain them in as large a measure as possible. I would ask which of the two act with more wisdom and prudence?
II.
But even with regard to the present life it is certain that he who suffers with the most patience enjoys the greatest peace. It was a saying of St. Phillip Neri that in this world there is Purgatory; it is either all Paradise or all hell: he that does not do suffers hell. Yes, for, as St. Teresa writes, he that embraces the crosses sent him by God feels them not. St. Francis de Sales, finding himself on one occasion beset on every side with tribulations, said: "For some time back the severe oppositions and secret contrarieties which have befallen me afford me so sweet a peace that nothing can equal it; and they give me such an assurance that my soul will before long be firmly united with God that I can say with all truth that they are the sole ambition, the sole desire of my heart." And, indeed, peace can never be found by one who leads an irregular life, but only by him who lives in union with God and with His blessed will. A certain missionary of a Religious Order, while in the Indies, was one day standing to witness the execution of a person under sentence of death, and already on the scaffold; the criminal called the missionary to him, and said: "You must know, Father, that I was once a member of your Order. Whilst I observed the rules I led a very happy life; but when, afterwards, I began to relax in the strict observance of them, I immediately experienced pain in everything; so much so that I abandoned the Religious life and gave myself up to vice, which has finally reduced me to the melancholy pass in which you at present behold me." And in the conclusion he said: "I tell you this that my example may be a warning to others." the venerable Father Lewis Ponte said: "Take the sweet things of this life for bitter, and the bitter for sweet; and so you will be in the constant enjoyment of peace. yes, for though the sweet and pleasant to sense they invariably leave behind them the bitterness of remorse of conscience, on account of the imperfect satisfaction which, for the most part, they afford; but the bitter when taken with patience from the hand of God, become sweet and dear to the souls who love Him."
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