March 8 Saturday after Ash Wednesday Book of Isaiah 58:9b-14. Thus says the LORD: If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; If you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; Then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday; Then the LORD will guide you always and give you plenty even on the parched land. He will renew your strength, and you shall be like a watered garden, like spring whose water never fails. The ancient ruins shall be rebuilt for your sake, and the foundations from ages past you shall raise up; Repairer of the breach, they shall call you, Restorer of ruined homesteads. If you hold back your foot on the sabbath from following your own pursuits on my holy day; If you call the sabbath a delight, and the LORDS holy day honorable; If you honor it by not following your ways, seeking your own interests, or speaking with malice-- Then you shall delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. Psalms 86(85):1-2.3-4.5-6. Incline your ear, O LORD; answer me, for I am afflicted and poor. Keep my life, for I am devoted to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for to you I call all the day. Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in kindness to all who call upon you. Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer and attend to the sound of my pleading. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 5:27-32. Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, «Follow me.» And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were at table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? Jesus said to them in reply, Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners. Commentary of the day Julian of Norwich (1342-after 1416), recluse Revelations of divine love, ch. 51-52 (trans. copyright Classics of Westernspirituality) I have come to call [sinners] to repentance God showed me a lord sitting in state, in rest and peace. The lord sends his servant to a certain place to do his will. Not only does the servant go but he dashes off and runs at great speed, loving to do his lords will. And soon he falls into a dell and is greatly injured... And so in this servant God showed me the blindness and the hurt of Adams falling; and in the servant there was shown the wisdom and the goodness of Gods Son. And in the lord there was shown the compassion and the pity for Adams woe; and in the lord there was shown the great nobility and the endless honour that man has come to, by the power of the Passion and the death of Gods beloved Son. And therefore he greatly rejoices in his falling, for the raising on high and the fullness of bliss which man kind has come to, exceeding what we should have if he had not fallen... And so we have matter for mourning, because our sin is the cause of Christs pains, and we have constantly matter for joy, because endless love made him suffer... And if we through our blindness and our wretchedness at any time fall, then let us quickly rise, knowing the sweet touching of grace, and willingly amend ourselves according to the teaching of Holy Church, as may fitthe grievousness of the sin, and go on our way with God in love, and neither on the one side fall too low, inclining to despair, nor on the other side be too reckless, as though we did not care; but let us meekly recognize our weakness,knowing that we cannot stand for the twinkling of an eye except with the protection of grace... So does our good Lord want us willingly to accuse ourselves, and to see truly and know our falling, and all the harms which come from it, seeing and knowing that we can never repair it; and also we willingly and truly see and know the everlasting love which he has for us, and his plentiful mercy. And so by grace to see and know both together is the meek self-accusation which our good Lord asks from us and is his work in our soul. DEVOUT MEDITATIONS FOR LENT. MEDITATION FOR SATURDAY AFTER ASH-WEDNESDAY. ON THE OBLIGATIONS WE ARE UNDER TO MEDITATE ON THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST. 1st Point - The Son of God is well pleased when we reflect on the sorrows of his bitter passion ; and we owe him this consolation, since it was for us that he suffered and yielded himself a willing victim to the justice of God,bearing in himself the punishment due for our sins. It was for this that he descended from the throne of his splendor at the right hand of the Father, and passed his life on earth in poverty, humiliation, and misery, Blotting out, says St. Paul, the handwriting of the decree that was against us, fastening it to his cross, We should, then, suffer with patience and joy, for the love of him, all pain, all distress, all injuries, which may overtake us. But he only asks us to come hither, and, at the foot of the cross,think of the love we owe him, and the excessive griefs he has suffered for our salvation. Is there anything more just I Notwithstanding which, we occupy ourselves but little with such reflections. When they are presented to our minds, do we not think of them with lightness and frivolity, and without interest, attention, or grief ? The grandeurs, the vanities, and pleasures of the world, engross our thoughts, while the sorrows and pangs of Jesus are forgotten ! Can anything be more unjust. 2nd Point - There is nothing sweeter or more consoling, than to meditate on the passion of Jesus, because it reveals to us the excess of his tender and compassionate love, and inspires us with a lively and strong hope, that God will pardon our sins, and be merciful to our infirmities. For the Son of God has satisfied the justice of God the Father ; he has transferred to us the treasures of his merits ; and we should glory more in the price he has given for us, than in all the blessings, graces, and joys, which we hope to obtain from his infinite goodness. These are sweet reflections, and ought to ill our souls with consolation. What joy and pleasure ought we not to derive from the fountain of all grace, which is ever opened and free for the refreshment of souls ! I have committed many and grievous sins ; my conscience: is terrified ; but why should I be cast down or troubled, when I remember the wounds of my Saviour,and that it was for my sins that he received them ? There are no wounds,however mortal, says St. Bernard, which may not be healed by the death of Jesus. 3rd Point - The remembrance of the passion of our Lord, is very useful to us in our spiritual warfare ; for it renders us victorious over our enemies, who are the world, the flesh, and the devil. The devil tempts us by despair or presumption : despair arises from ignorance of the mercy of God, who delivered his only Son to death for the salvation of sinners, and accepted his sufferings in payment of their debt. He revealed his justice in the rigorous treatment which he inflicted on his only, his most holy and innocent Son, who, wearing only the likeness of a sinner, and being clothed in the shadow of our transgressions, was obliged to submit to the weight of his anger, and suffer the penalty of our guilt. The passion of Jesus enables us to obtain the victory over the world, which tempts us only by love and pleasure, fear and grief ; for who is there that can love pleasure, when they behold the Saviour of the world consumed by suffering I Who can fear grief and pain, when they reflect that Jesus preferred them to all the splendour and felicity of paradise? The flesh is our most dangerous enemy ; it is that which tempts us both by love and fear ; but the passion of Jesus inspires us with horror for all that it loves, and with love for all that it hates and fears. When I see the body of my Saviour covered with wounds, I am constrained to cry out, with one of the saints, in accents of tender compunction, Behold mine, without wounds! Oh, Saviour of my soul! is it surprising that I, who meditate so seldom on thy sacred passion, who shrink with horror from the contemplation of thy wondrous sufferings, who turn my eyes away from thy wounds, should yield to temptations when they assail me ? But, from henceforth, I will establish my habitation on Calvary. There do I wish to live—there do I wish to die. Not on Thabor will I begin my Lent, but on this hill of grief. Here I will say, It is good, 0 Lord, for me to be in this place. Oh, spectacle full of profit and consolation, to behold a God expiring on a cross for the love of sinners ! WORDS OF SCRIPTURE. Think diligently upon him that endureth such opposition from sinners against himself, that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds.—Hebrews, xii. 0 all ye that pass by the way, attend, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow.—Lamentations, i. For I judged not myself to know anything among you, but Jesus Christ and him crucified. —1 Corinthians, ii. Forget not the kindness of thy surety, for he hath given his life for thee.—Eccles. xxix. Christ, therefore, having suffered in the flesh, be you also armed with the same thought. —1 Peter, iv. Written by an Anonymous Jesuit Priest in England in the 19th century...Please share with friends. March 9 First Sunday of Lent -Year A Book of Genesis 2:7-9.3:1-7. The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being. Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and he placed there the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow that were delightful to look at and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and bad. Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the LORD God had made. The serpent asked the woman, Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden? The woman answered the serpent: We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die. But the serpent said to the woman: You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad. The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. Psalms 51(50):3-4.5-6ab.12-13.14.17. Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; In the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt And of my sin cleanse me. For I acknowledge my offense, And my sin is before me always: Against you only have I sinned, And done what is evil in your sight. A clean heart create for me, O God, And a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, And your Holy Spirit take not from me. Give me back the joy of your salvation, And a willing spirit sustain in me. O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall proclaim your praise. Letter to the Romans 5:12-19. Brothers and sisters: Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin,death, and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned— for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law. But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come. But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by that one persons transgression the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one person Jesus Christ overflow for the many. And the gift is not like the result of the one persons sinning. For after ones in there was the judgment that brought condemnation; but the gift, after many transgressions, brought acquittal. For if, by the transgression of one person, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one person Jesus Christ. In conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all. For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners,so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 4:1-11. At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, If you are the Son of God,command that these stones become loaves of bread. He said in reply, It is written: One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you and with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone. Jesus answered him, Again it is written, You shall not put the Lord,your God, to the test. Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me. At this, Jesus said to him, Get away, Satan! It is written: The Lord,your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve. Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him. Commentary of the day Saint Gregory the Great (c.540-604), Pope, Doctor of the Church Homilies on the Gospel, no. 14[16] (trans. ©Cistercian publications) « Just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous » (Rm 5,19) If we look at the progress of our Lords temptation, we see how great the struggle was that set us free. from temptation. Our ancient enemy rose up against the first human being, our ancestor, in three temptations. He tempted him by gluttony, by vain glory and by avarice... He tempted him by gluttony when he showed him the forbidden food of the tree, and told him: “Taste it.” He tempted him by vain glory when he said, “You will be like gods” (Gn 3,5). He tempted him by adding avarice when he said: “knowing good and evil.” Avarice is concerned not only with money but also with high position... But the means by which the devil overcame the first Adam (1Cor 15,47) were the same ones which caused him to yield when he tempted the second. He tempted him by gluttony when he said, “Tell these stones to become bread.” He tempted him by vain glory when he said, “If you are the son of God, cast yourself down.” He tempted him by an avaricious desire for high position when he showed him all the kingdoms of the world, saying: “I will give you all these if you will fall down and worship me”... As a captive the devil would depart from our hearts byt he same avenue which had given him entrance when he possessed us. But there is something else we have to consider too in this temptation of the Lords...: he could have plunged his tempter into the depths. He did not reveal the power of his might, but he only brought forth the precepts of Scripture.This was to give us an example of his patience, so that as often as we suffer something from vicious persons we should be aroused to teach rather than to exact revenge. Consider how great Gods patience is, how great our impatience!If we are provoked by injuries, or by some attack, we are influenced by rage...; the Lord endured the devils opposition, and he answered him with nothing except words of meekness. Commentary II The temptations of Jesus in the desert recapitulate the temptation of Adam in Paradise and the temptations of Israel in the desert. Satan tempts Jesus in regard to his obedience to the mission given him by the Father. Christ, the new Adam, resists and his victory proclaims that of his passion which is the supreme obedience of his filial love. The Church unites herself to this mystery in a special way int he liturgical season of Lent. DEVOUT MEDITATIONS FOR LENT. FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT. THE GOSPEL. Matt. iv. 1-11. At that time, Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert, to be tempted by the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterwards hungry. And the tempter coming, said to him : If thou be the Sonof God, command that these stones be made bread. Who answered and said : It is written : Not in bread alone cloth man live, but in every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil took him into the holy city, and set him upon a pinnacle of the temple, and said to him : If thou be the Son of God,cast thyself down ; for it is written : He hath given his angels charge over thee ; and in their hands shall they bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said to him : It is written again : Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again the devil took him up into a very high mountain,and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, and said to him : All these will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and adore me. Then Jesus said to him : Begone, Satan ; for it is written : The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil left him ; and,behold, angels came and ministered to him. MEDITATION - ON THE CAUSES OF TEMPTATION. 1st Point - Why did our Lord suffer himself to be tempted ? It was in order to vanquish our enemy, to teach us how to combat, to inspire us with courage,to animate us by his example, to humiliate the devil, who triumphed over Adam,to repair the sin of our first parents, and to raise them from their fallen condition, by giving their children power to triumph over the devil. 2nd Point - Why am I tempted ? It is because you are proud, because you do not guard your senses, especially your eyes and ears, because you are under the dominion of bad habits, which hold correspondence with the devil; it is,perhaps, because you are not in the order, or state, in which God desires you to be, and have not followed your vocation ; it is that your heart is attached to creatures, or that you are not sufficiently occupied ; it is that you are a man, a sinful man and a Christian, and that you desire only happiness and consolation. For a man, being free, is not always determined to do good ; but the sinner, being a slave, is under the dominion of him who has conquered. The Christian, being a soldier, should never relax his warfare, or slumber at his post. If the righteous wish to be crowned, they must first be proved by temptation. 3rd Point - Why has the devil tempted me ? Because he hates the image of God,which you bear in you ; because he is envious of man, and wishes him to be in his own place ; because he seeks to make you his slave and the companion of his pains. It is for this end that he desires to enter into your heart, which is the throne of God, to be adored therein ; strives to profane his temple and sanctuary ; wishes to drive Jesus Christ from his kingdom, which is in you ;wishes to crucify him anew, in your soul, and renew the ignominies of his passion. Do you not assist him in his malicious designs ? Do you not satisfy his ambitious schemes ? You do this as often as you yield assent to his temptations. 4th Point - Why does God suffer me to be tempted ? For his glory and your good.He wishes to know if you truly love him ; he wishes you to know yourself, and to make you sensible of your infirmities, and constrain you to have recourse to him ; he wishes to prove your virtue, to hold you in dependence on him, to prepare you for combat, detach you from creatures, and render you worthy of eternal life. Oh, Jesus, Saviour of my soul ! since thou hast been tempted, I am no longer astonished that I also suffer temptations. It is good for me to know thee and know myself. Temptation is necessary and salutary for me, because it renders me humble, and prevents me from being presumptuous. Let me be tempted, then, my God, and prove me to see if there is any iniquity in me. Oh, no, my God, do not tempt me ; I know my miseries too well ! Deliver me speedily from temptation,at least strengthen me against its assaults, and give me courage to vanquish it. Satan aims at thee as well as at thy servant. Defend thyself and thy interests, therefore, in me, against thy enemy and mine. WORDS OF SCRIPTURE. God tempted Abraham.—Genesis, xxii. Fear not ; for God is come to prove you. —Exodus, xx. Ananias, why bath Satan tempted thy heart ?—Acts, v. God hath tried them, and found them worthy of himself.— Wisdom,iii. As gold in the furnace he bath proved them. - Ibid. Written by an Anonymous Jesuit Priest in England in the 19th century...Please share with friends. March 10 Book of Leviticus 19:1-2.11-18. The LORD said to Moses, Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy. You shall not steal. You shall not lie or speak falsely to one another. You shall not swear falsely by my name, thus profaning the name of your God. I am the LORD. You shall not defraud or rob your neighbor. You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your day laborer. You shall not curse the deaf, or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD. You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment. Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty, but judge your fellow men justly. You shall not go about spreading slander among your kinsmen; nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbors life is at stake. I am the LORD. You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. Though you may have to reprove your fellow man, do not incur sin because of him. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. Psalms 19(18):8.9.10.15. The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul; The decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; The ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just. Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart find favor before you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 25:31-46. Jesus said to his disciples: «When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me. Then the righteous will answer him and say, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you? And the king will say to them in reply, Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me. Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me. Then they will answer and say, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs? He will answer them, Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me. And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. Commentary of the day Saint Caesarius of Arles (470-543), monk and Bishop Sermons to the people, no.24 ; SC 243 You did it for me Reflect, my brethren, and regard the example of our Lord, who has made travelers of us and commanded us to come to the heavenly city by running along the road of charity... Though he is seated in heaven, out of compassion for its striving members (since he is the head of both members and body throughout the world (Col 2,19)), he has said: “What you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me”... When he transformed Paul the persecutor into Paul the preacher he said to him from heaven on high: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9,4)... Saul was persecuting christians: was he persecuting Christ who was seated in heaven? But Christ was himself within the christians, suffering with all his members, that in him this saying might be true: “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it” (1Cor 12,26)... Let us then bear each others burdens (Gal 6,2); where the head has gone before, the members are destined to follow... If our Lord and Savior, who is without sin, condescends to love us sinners with so great a love that he declares he is suffering what we are suffering, how is that we, who are not without sin and who can redeem our sins through charity, how is that we do not love each other with a love so perfect that we feel for all the evil endured by one amongst us with a feeling of charity?... A hand or other member cut off from the body no longer feels anything. Such is the christian who does not suffer from the misfortune, distress, or even the death of the other person. March 11 Tuesday of the First week of Lent Book of Isaiah 55:10-11. Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to mevoid, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it. Psalms 34(33):4-5.6-7.16-17.18-19. Glorify the LORD with me, Let us together extol his name. I sought the LORD, and he answered me And delivered me from all my fears. Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, And your faces may not blush with shame. When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, And from all his distress he saved him. The LORD has eyes for the just, And ears for their cry. The LORD confronts the evildoers, To destroy remembrance of them from the earth. When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, And from all their distress he rescues them. The is close to the brokenhearted; And those who are crushed in spirit he saves. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 6:7-15. Jesus said to his disciples: «In praying, do not babble like the pagans, whothink that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one. If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgiveyou. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive yourtransgressions. Commentary of the day Saint Cyprian (c.200-258), Bishop of Carthage and martyr The Lords Prayer, 11-12 (trans. ©The Fathers of the Church) Hallowed be your name Most beloved brethren, we ought to remember and to know that, when we speak ofGod, we ought to act as children of God... Let us live as if temples of God(1Cor 3,16), that it may be clear that the Lord dwells in us. Let not our actsdepart from the Spirit... The blessed Apostle Paul also, in his Epistle, haslaid down: “You are not your own, for you have been bought at a great price.Glorify God and bear him in your body” (1Cor 6,19). We say: “Hallowed be thy name” not because we wish for God to be hallowed byour prayers, but because we seek from the Lord that his name be hallowed in us.Moreover, by whom is God hallowed who himself hallows? He himself said: “Beholy, for I am holy,” (Lv 20,26) therefore we petition and ask for this, thatwe who have been sanctified in baptism may persevere in what we have begun. Andfor this we pray daily. DEVOUT MEDITATIONS FORLENT MEDITATION FOR FIRSTTUESDAY IN LENT. ON THE PASSION OF OUR LORD IN GENERAL. 1st Point - Jesus is the victim of all time and of all men ; the victim ofsinners and of the just. As he has loaded himself with allour crimes, he hascrowned himself with all our sufferings ! As there are none of his creatureswhom he has not loved, there are none for whom he has not suffered. But hesuffered principally for myself, as he bestows more graces on me than onothers, which are the fruits of his sufferings. He has ever held me inremembrance, and I never think of him 1 I do not love him, or desire to sufferfor his sake. 2nd Point - Why did Jesus die ? Why did he desire the unspeakable anguish andmisery that he endured ? Alas ! he died to return to me the life which I lostthrough sin ; he rendered himself miserable to secure for me an eternalfelicity ; he delivered himself to the power of his enemies to deliver me frommine ! He did not question the judgment of Pilate, he did not work miracles ashe might have done, to deliver himself from their hands. He was crucified throughouthis life. His heart was transfixed to the cross with his body. The greatest ofall his sufferings was in not suffering ; it was his chief desire to bebaptized in his own blood, to drain the chalice of his passion, and die. Oh, sweetest Jesus ! thou wert not displeased with thy enemies for doing thatwhich thou didst so much desire, and which enabled thee to suffer withoutmeasure. It was only their sins and malice which diminished thy satisfaction,and added to thy griefs. The torments which they inflicted on thee cannot besurpassed in cruelty, nor could they make thee suffer more. They loaded theewith opprobriums and ignominy, and treated thee as the most miserable of allslaves, and the most abandoned of all men. Couldst thou have suffered more thanthou didst suffer, or die in more cruel agonies than thou didst. 3rd Point - And I avoid all suffering and mortification, and would even escapedeath. I wish to live surrounded by delights and enjoyments, when, if justicewere awarded me, I should at this moment be suffering all the pains of hell.Where is it that I do not find examples of thy goodness ,and tender mercy ?Where is it that I do not discover my own malice and presumption ? Where is itthat my ingratitude is not apparent ? WORDS OF SCRIPTURE. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godheadcorporally.—Colossians, ii And Christ died for all.-2 Corinthians, v. Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us.-,Galatians, i. And I have a baptism, wherewith I am to be baptized : and how I amstraitened until it is accompished ?—St. Luke, xii. From the sole of his foot to the top of his head, there is no soundnesstherein : wounds and bruises and swelling sores : they are not bound up, nordressed, nor fomented with oil. —Isaias, i. Written by an Anonymous Jesuit Priest in England in the 19th century...Please share with friends.. March 12 Wednesday of the First week of Lent Book of Jonah 3:1-10. The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you. So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh, according to the LORDS bidding. Now Nineveh was an enormously large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single days walk announcing, Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed, when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes. Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his nobles: Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep, shall taste anything; they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water. Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God; every man shall turn from his evil way and from the violence he has in hand. Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath, so that we shall not perish. When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out. Psalms 51(50):3-4.12-13.18-19. Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; In the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt And of my sin cleanse me. A clean heart create for me, O God, And a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, And your Holy Spirit take not from me. For you are not pleased with sacrifices; Should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11:29-32. While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, «This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here. Commentary of the day Aphrahat (?-c.345), monk and Bishop near Mosul Expositions, no.3 « On Fasting » ; SC 349 «This is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly» (Is 58,6) The Ninevites fasted with a pure fast when Jonah preached repentance to them... This is what is written: “When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of his blazing wrath” (cf Jon 3,10). It is not said that: “He saw a fast of bread and water, with sackcloth and ashes” but that: “they turned away from their evil deeds and the wickedness of their works”. For the king of Nineveh had spoken and said: Every man shall turn from his evil way and from the violence he has in hand” (v.8). It was a pure fast and it was accepted... Because, my friend, when we fast it is always the abstaining from wickedness that is best. It is better than abstaining from bread and water, better than “afflicting oneself, bowing the head like a reed and lying in sackcloth and ashes” as Isaiah says (58,5). In fact, whenever people abstain from bread, water or whatever food it might be, when they cover themselves in sackcloth and ashes and afflicts themselves, then they are loved, beautiful in the eyes of God and accepted. However, what please God most of all is: “...to release those bound unjustly and break the bonds of deceit” (cf. v.6). Where these people are concerned: “their light shall break forth like the dawn and their vindication shall go before them. They will be like a watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail” (cf. v.8-11). They will not be like the hypocrites who “neglect their appearance and put on a gloomy look” so that their fasting may be known (Mt 6,16) DEVOUT MEDITATIONS FOR LENT MEDITATION FOR FIRST WEDNESDAY IN LENT. JESUS IN THE GARDEN OF OLIVES. 1st Point - Jesus is sorrowful even unto death. What is the cause of his sadness ? Is it the fore-knowledge of all that he is to suffer ? Alas, no ! it is the sight of my sins, my ingratitude, my misery ! I laugh at those things which should cause me to weep! I take pleasure in that which ought to render me miserable ! He has compassion on me, and I have none on him. 2nd Point - He is seized with fear to prove that he is man, that he is human and infirm like myself. He has divested himself of his strength, and clothed himself with my weakness ; he has given me his courage, and taken my timidity ; he trembles to assure me, fears to encourage me, falls to raise me ! Oh, what goodness! what charity! Where can we find a physician who is willing to give his health and strength to his patients in exchange for their maladies and feebleness ? Oh ! surely, he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows. 3rd Point - Pleasure and grief constitute the causes of the sins of men ; desire and fear their passions. Jesus has vanquished these two enemies, and imparted to us his strength, that we also may vanquish them. He has abstained from all pleasure, suffered all griefs, renounced all the desires of nature, triumphed over all fears ; sweat blood and water from all his veins, and contended even unto death. Written by an Anonymous Jesuit Priest in England in the 19th century... Please share with friends.. March 13 Thursday of the First week of Lent Book of Esther C:12.14-16.23-25. Queen Esther, seized with mortal anguish, had recourse to the LORD. She lay prostate upon the ground, together with her handmaids, from morning until evening, and said: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, blessed are you. Help me, who am alone and have no help but you, for I am taking my life in my hand. As a child I used to hear from the books of my forefathers that you, O LORD, always free those who are pleasing to you. Now help me, who am alone and have no one but you, O LORD, my God. “And now, come to help me, an orphan. Put in my mouth persuasive words in the presence of the lion, and turn his heart to hatred for our enemy, so that he and those who are in league with him may perish. Save us from the hand of our enemies; turn our mourning into gladness and our sorrows into wholeness.” Psalms 138(137):1-2ab.2cde-3.7c-8. I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart, for you have heard the words of my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; I will worship at your holy temple and give thanks to your name. Because of your kindness and your truth; for you have made great above all things your name and your promise. When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me. Your right hand saves me. The LORD will complete what he has done for me; your kindness, O LORD, endures forever; forsake not the work of your hands. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 7:7-12. Jesus said to his disciples: «Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets. Commentary of the day Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church Discourses on the Psalms, Ps 37[38] (trans. breviary 3rd Friday in Advent) Ask and it will be given to you The psalmist says: “And all my desire is before you” (Ps 37[38],10). Not indeed before men, who cannot see into the heart: but “before you is all my desire”. Set your desire on him, and “the Father who sees in secret will repay you” (Mt 6,4). This very desire of yours is your prayer. If your desire is continual, your prayer is continual too. It was not for nothing that the Apostle Paul said: “Pray without ceasing” (1Thes 5 17). Was it so that we should be continuously on our knees, or prostrating our bodies or raising our hands that he says: “Pray without ceasing” ? If that is how we say our prayers, then my opinion is that we cannot do that without ceasing. But there is another and interior way of praying without ceasing, and that is the way of desire. Whatever else you are doing, if you long for that Sabbath rest, you are not ceasing to pray. If you do not want to cease praying, do not cease longing... You will lapse into silence if you lose your longing. Who did lapse into silence? Those of whom it was said: “Because wickedness is multiplied, the charity of many will grow cold” (Mt 24,12). The coldness of charity is the hearts silence; its glowing ardour, the hearts outcry. If charity “endures for ever” (1Cor 13,8), you are ever crying out; if always crying out, you are ever longing; if longing, you have not forgotten repose. And all my desire is before you... And my groaning is not hidden from you”... If the desire is always within, so too is the groaning: it does not always come to the ears of men, but it is never absent from the ears of God. March 14 Second Thursday of Lent Thursday of the First week of Lent Book of Esther C:12.14-16.23-25. Queen Esther, seized with mortal anguish, had recourse to the LORD. She lay prostate upon the ground, together with her handmaids, from morning until evening, and said: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, blessed are you. Help me, who am alone and have no help but you, for I am taking my life in my hand. As a child I used to hear from the books of my forefathers that you, O LORD, always free those who are pleasing to you. Now help me, who am alone and have no one but you, O LORD, my God. “And now, come to help me, an orphan. Put in my mouth persuasive words in the presence of the lion, and turn his heart to hatred for our enemy, so that he and those who are in league with him may perish. Save us from the hand of our enemies; turn our mourning into gladness and our sorrows into wholeness.” Psalms 138(137):1-2ab.2cde-3.7c-8. I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart, for you have heard the words of my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; I will worship at your holy temple and give thanks to your name. Because of your kindness and your truth; for you have made great above all things your name and your promise. When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me. Your right hand saves me. The LORD will complete what he has done for me; your kindness, O LORD, endures forever; forsake not the work of your hands. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 7:7-12. Jesus said to his disciples: «Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets. Commentary of the day Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church Discourses on the Psalms, Ps 37[38] (trans. breviary 3rd Friday in Advent) Ask and it will be given to you The psalmist says: “And all my desire is before you” (Ps 37[38],10). Not indeed before men, who cannot see into the heart: but “before you is all my desire”. Set your desire on him, and “the Father who sees in secret will repay you” (Mt 6,4). This very desire of yours is your prayer. If your desire is continual, your prayer is continual too. It was not for nothing that the Apostle Paul said: “Pray without ceasing” (1Thes 5 17). Was it so that we should be continuously on our knees, or prostrating our bodies or raising our hands that he says: “Pray without ceasing” ? If that is how we say our prayers, then my opinion is that we cannot do that without ceasing. But there is another and interior way of praying without ceasing, and that is the way of desire. Whatever else you are doing, if you long for that Sabbath rest, you are not ceasing to pray. If you do not want to cease praying, do not cease longing... You will lapse into silence if you lose your longing. Who did lapse into silence? Those of whom it was said: “Because wickedness is multiplied, the charity of many will grow cold” (Mt 24,12). The coldness of charity is the hearts silence; its glowing ardour, the hearts outcry. If charity “endures for ever” (1Cor 13,8), you are ever crying out; if always crying out, you are ever longing; if longing, you have not forgotten repose. And all my desire is before you... And my groaning is not hidden from you”... If the desire is always within, so too is the groaning: it does not always come to the ears of men, but it is never absent from the ears of God. DEVOUT MEDITATIONS FOR LENT MEDITATION FOR FIRST THURSDAY IN LENT. ON THE BLOODY SWEAT. 1st Point - Consider, my soul, how rude was this first shock of his sacred passion to our divine Saviour ! Behold him kneeling, bathed in his own blood, which oozes from every pore. It is the fear of his approaching torments ; it is the horror inspired by your crimes, and the desire for your salvation, which excites this intolerable combat in his sacred heart. He has concentrated in himself all the iniquities of the human race, and conceived for them so great a sorrow, that he must have expired had not his life been preserved by a miracle. He wrought miracles that he might suffer, but none to exempt himself from suffering. And I am impatient, because God does not constantly interpose miracles to exempt me from suffering and dying. 2nd Point - Oh, Saviour of my soul ! This first combat of thine has been a bloody and fearful one ! What pains it cost thee to dissipate, by the violence of thy sorrow, the multitude of our crimes, which thou hadst before thine eyes ! I was with Judas in the Garden of Gethsemani to seize thee ! I was in thy sacred heart to afflict thee ! My sins were in the world before my birth ; they strengthened the arms of the Jews to strike and buffet thee; and delivered thee to thy enemies, who tormented thee with malicious ingenuity, and afterwards crucified thee ! 3rd Point - Oh, divine Master ! thou hast given to the world most noble and beautiful examples, but no one desires to imitate them ; thou hast taught us the most perfect lessons, but no one desires to learn them ; thou goest first to the conflict, but none follow thee. Thy disciples have basely abandoned thee ; they sleep while thou dost watch ; they enjoy repose while thou art engaged in a bitter warfare ; they afflict instead of consoling thee ; they betray instead of delivering thee ! Oh, what confusion overwhelms me I Jesus overcomes all the alarms and infirmities of nature, clothed as he was with the weakness of man, and I yield to them, although I am sustained by the strength of God ; he goes generously to the conflict with my timidity, and I, who am endowed with his courage, fly ! Oh, precious blood, which watered and bathed this ungrateful earth, warm my cold heart, water my arid soul, strengthen my spirit, and raise up my fallen courage ! I wish to enter the combat with a firm resolution to overcome and resist the rebellious movements of nature, even unto the shedding of blood. I will, by the grace and in the strength of God, triumph over my flesh, and subject my spirit to divine charity. I will maintain the warfare, until, like thee, I sweat blood and water. Like thee will I suffer, and drink the chalice of thy bitterness unto death. WORDS OF SCRIPTURE. The chalice which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it ? —St. John, xviii. He began to grow sorrowful and to be sad. Then he saith to them : My soul is sorrowful even unto death : stay you here, and watch with me.—St. Matt. xxvi. And his sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground.—St. Luke, xxii Surely he hath borne our infirmities, and carried our sorrows.—Isaias, liii Written by an Anonymous Jesuit Priest in England in the 19th century... Please share with friends.. March 14 Second Friday of Lent Friday of the First week of Lent Book of Ezekiel 18:21-28. Thus says the Lord GOD: If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just, he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him; he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced. Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? says the Lord GOD. Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live? And if the virtuous man turns from the path of virtue to do evil, the same kind of abominable things that the wicked man does, can he do this and still live? None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered, because he has broken faith and committed sin; because of this, he shall die. You say, The LORDS way is not fair! Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair? When a virtuous man turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. But if a wicked man, turning from the wickedness he has committed, does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins which he committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Psalms 130(129):1-2.3-4.5-7a.7bc-8. Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD LORD, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication. If you, O LORD, mark iniquities, LORD, who can stand? But with you is forgiveness, that you may be revered. I trust in the LORD; my soul trusts in his word. My soul looks for the Lord more than sentinels for daybreak. Let Israel wait for the LORD. For with the LORD is kindness and with him is plenteous redemption; And he will redeem Israel from all their iniquities. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5:20-26. Jesus said to his disciples: «I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, You fool, will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny. Commentary of the day Saint Caesarius of Arles (470-543), monk and Bishop Sermons to the people, no.25 ; SC 243 Go first and be reconciled with your brother In heaven there is a mercy that we attain by mercy here on earth... And there are two kinds of almsgiving: one good, the other better. The first consists in offering a morsel of bread to the poor; the other in at once forgiving the brother who has sinned against you. With our Lords help let us hasten to put into practice these two kinds of almsgiving that we may be fit to receive eternal pardon and the true mercy that is Christs. For he himself has said: “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you will not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions” (Mt 6,14-15). And elsewhere the Holy Spirit cries aloud: “Should a man nourish anger against his fellows and expect healing from the Lord? Should a man refuse mercy to his fellows yet seek Gods pardon for his own sins?” (Sir 28,3-4)... Let us make haste as much as we can and for as long as we live to acquire these two kinds of alms and distribute them to others. Then, on the day of judgment, we shall be able to say with full assurance: “Give, Lord, because we have given.” DEVOUT MEDITATIONS FOR LENT. MEDITATION FOR FIRST FRIDAY IN LENT. THE PRAYER OF JESUS IN THE GARDEN. 1st Point - Jesus, in his sadness, withdraws himself from his disciples, for the purpose of praying to God his Father to remove from his lips the bitter cup of his passion. He prays with reverence, prostrating himself before him. He prays with perseverance for several hours. He prays with resignation to the divine will of God his Father. He prays, and is not favourably heard, that we may learn to pray and be resigned. 2nd Point - Oh, sweet and tender Jesus ! thou didst not desire to receive a consoling answer to thy prayers, that we might prevail in ours. Thou didst not obtain favour for thyself, but secured it for me. I am heard favourably when I pray, but he was not. He could have commanded legions of angels to come to his assistance, but he did not invoke their presence, because he wished to die and shed his blood for our salvation. What charity what compassion ! what mercy ! 3rd Point - Pray in your afflictions. Pray that God may remove them from you; pray with humility ; pray with constancy and perseverance ; pray with resignation ; pray with conformity to the will of God. Weary not in prayer, and murmur not if you are not heard. Propose to yourself all those subjects of fear and sadness which distress you, and present them to Jesus, saying : My Lord and my Saviour, behold this chalice of confusion which thou halt presented to me to drink; remove it far from my lips, for it is extremely bitter ; nevertheless, not my will but thine be done. Father of mercies behold a chalice of grief prepared for me Father of the poor ! behold a chalice of poverty, presented to me by thy divine providence ! Must I drain it Wilt thou not in pity remove it ? I pray thee, 0 my God, to dispense me from this bitter drought ; yet not my will but thine be done. WORDS OF SCRIPTURE. And going a little further, he fell on his face, praying, and saying : My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me ; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.—St. Matt. xxvi. My Father, if this chalice may not pass away, but I must drink it, thy will be done. —Ibid. Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee : take away this chalice from me : but not what I will, but what thou wilt.—St. Mark, iv. 0 my God, I shall cry by day, and thou wilt not hear ; and by night, and it shall not be reputed as folly in me.—Psalm xxi. Written by an Anonymous Jesuit Priest in England in the 19th century... Please share with friends.. March 15 Second Saturday of Lent Saturday of the First week of Lent Book of Deuteronomy 26:16-19. Moses spoke to the people, saying: This day the LORD, your God, commands you to observe these statutes and decrees. Be careful, then, to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. Today you are making this agreement with the LORD: he is to be your God and you are to walk in his ways and observe his statutes, commandments and decrees, and to hearken to his voice. And today the LORD is making this agreement with you: you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he promised you; and provided you keep all his commandments, he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory above all other nations he has made, and you will be a people sacred to the LORD, your God, as he promised. Psalms 119(118):1-2.4-5.7-8. Blessed are they whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they who observe his decrees, Who seek him with all their heart. You have commanded that your precepts be diligently kept. Oh, that I might be firm in the ways of keeping your statutes! I will give you thanks with an upright heart, when I have learned your just ordinances. I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5:43-48. Jesus said to his disciples: You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect. Commentary of the day Saint Caesarius of Arles (470-543), monk and Bishop Sermons to the people, no. 37 ; SC 243 But I say to you, love your enemies One of you will say: “Im not able to love my enemies at all.” All through Holy Scripture God has said to you that you can, and do you answer him that, to the contrary, you cant? Now think about it: who are we to believe? God or you? Since he who is Truth itself cannot lie let human weakness leave off its futile excuses forthwith. He who is just cannot demand something impossible and he who is merciful will not condemn someone for something that person could not avoid. So why these evasions then? There is no one who knows better what we are capable of than he who has given us the ability. Such numbers of men, women, children, tender young girls, have borne flames, fire, sword and the wild beasts for Christs sake without flinching, and we, do we say that we cannot bear the insults of unintelligent persons?... Indeed, if only the good are to be loved, what are we to say of the action of our God, of whom it is written: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son”? (Jn 3,16). For what good deeds are they that the world had done for God to love it so? Christ our Lord found us all to be not only evil but even dead on account of original sin; and yet... “he loved us and handed himself over for us” (Eph 5,2). In so acting he loved even those who did not love him, as the apostle Paul also says: “Christ died for the guilty” (Rm 5,6). And in his inexpressible mercy he gave this example to all humankind, saying: “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart” (Mt 11,29) DEVOUT MEDITATIONS FOR LENT. MEDITATION FOR FIRST SATURDAY IN LENT. THE DOLOURS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN. 1st Point - 0 all ye that pass by the way, attend, and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow. Marys sorrows are measured by her love. Those who love much, suffer in proportion to their love. They who have but little love, know but little suffering. The holy Virgin loved her divine Son with a tender affection, which surpassed that of all other mothers for theirs, because he was the most amiable of the children of men ; and she loved him by nature, knowledge, and grace. He was her only Son, whom she shared with no father. She had conceived him by the operation of the Holy Ghost, who is the spirit of divine love, and who united them together by an indissoluble chain of love and sympathy. This Son resembled her in holiness, purity, and perfection. She had received infinite graces from him, and thus with her natural love was united a love of gratitude, a love of sympathy, and a love of charity. She loved him as God and as man ; as her Father and her Son ; as her Creator and Redeemer. There never existed any creature so amiable as Jesus ; there never has been known love comparable to Marys, which was better, more tender and perfect, than the love of all mothers who have ever lived. 2nd point - Her grief was measured and augmented by the prophetic knowledge she had of all that he was to suffer. Not only had the Prophets foretold his passion and death, but he, also, had discoursed with her, and instructed her concerning them. It was all—the ignominy, the buffeting, the scourging, the bloody sweat, the spitting, the cross, the spear—apparent to her from the hour of his birth. She meditated on the griefs which awaited her divine Son, and examined in her thoughts all the circumstances attendant thereon. Consider the anguish of this most afflicted and tender mother, when her Son separated himself from her, and bade her a last adieu ! As the Son and the mother had but one and the same heart, she felt all that he endured. The wounds which were inflicted on his body, were imprinted on her sacred heart. What a spectacle ! A Son expiring on a cross, and a mother standing by, the mute and agonized witness of his sufferings ! 0 all ye that pass by the way, attend, and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow. 3rd Point - Admire the virtues of the most holy Virgin. What resignation to the will of God does she not exhibit amidst so many afflictions and sorrows ! What humility, to follow her Son to the place of suffering and ignominy, and wish to be recognized by all the world as his mother ! What courage, to behold him expiring, without evincing
Posted on: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 15:18:24 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015