St. Anthony Mary Claret: The Golden Key to Heaven

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Meditation 8. The Parable of the Prodigal Son


Commentary — Before the final meditation of the first section, which is on the purgative way, we judged it fitting to present the meditation on the parable which Jesus told concerning the prodigal son. This parable offers the sinner a wonderful encouragement to avoid despairing of pardon, no matter how many and how great his sins are. It teaches him at the right time to go to a confessor — who stands in God's place — so that the confessor may hear his confession and absolve him, and thus clothe him in the sacred garment of grace.

The parable as St. Luke tells it in chapter 15 (vv. 11-24) — "A certain man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father: Father, give me the portion of substance that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his substance. And not many days after, the younger son, gathering all together, went abroad into a far country: and there wasted his substance, living riotously. And after he had spent all, there came a mighty famine in that country: and he began to be in want. And he went and cleaved to one of the citizens of that country. And he sent him into his farm to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

And returning to himself, he said: How many hired servants in my father's house abound with bread, and I here perish with hunger? I will arise and will go to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before thee. I am not worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And rising up, he came to his father. And when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion and running to him fell upon his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him: Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before thee. I am not worthy to be called thy son. And the father said to his servants: Bring forth quickly the finest robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat and make merry: Because this my son was dead and is come to life again, was lost and is found."

Preparatory Prayer as on page x

Composition of Place — Imagine you see a young man who is sad and worried, reddened by the sun, wearing tattered clothes, seated on a rock beneath a holm oak, surrounded by a herd of swine. Pressed by hunger, he takes from the ground some of the husks that these dirty animals have drivelled and tread upon, which he eats, as they grunt and stink all around him. He deplores his misfortune, saying: "Oh, what a miserable life this is, as I compare it with what I was!"

Prayer of Petition — My God and Lord, grant me light and grace to understand this parable well; and I beg Thee to grant that, as I imitated the prodigal son in separating myself from Thee, I may now imitate him in returning to ask Thy forgiveness.


**First Point**

In this parable the Father is a reminder of Our Lord. The elder son, so humble, obedient and good, represents a good Christian who keeps God's law always in every way; and the prodigal son is a very vivid reminder of the sinner.

Youth brings on its own calamities when a young man lets himself be carried away by delusions — by a love for pleasure, for gambling, for going places. He makes companions and friends of those who have his likes and dislikes. He is anxious to see and be seen and to always appear elegantly dressed.

As is the way with young men, he lets himself be drawn by his passions, in particular by impurity. Instead of resisting temptation, he stirs up these passions by the conversations he has with companions and friends. He is always looking for and remaining in occasions of impurity, so that if he did not fall into sin, it would be a greater miracle than that of the three young men who were cast into the fiery furnace in Babylon and walked about in the flames without being burned (Dan. 3:50). But there is a great difference between those three youths and that one. They did not thrust themselves into the furnace, but others cast them in, and because of that God preserved them with a miracle. But the prodigal son voluntarily entered into, and remained in the occasion of sin, and for this reason, he was lost so miserably.

According to the way of young men, he craved independence and wanted to be rid of parental authority, even though it was something suitable and profitable for him. He was even rash and bold enough to ask his father to give him the portion of the inheritance that fell to him. What ingratitude! What bad will!


Affective Acts

(1) Self-knowledge — My soul, you have here a picture of what you have done. You have surrendered to pleasure and fun. You have placed yourself into the midst of the fires of passion, and have let yourself become so inflamed that through all your faculties and senses you have spurted forth sparks of impurity so as to scandalize others and inflame them. Your very eyes have appeared full of adultery, as Saint Peter says of certain sinners. Your mouth has had the rottenness of an open sepulcher, from which evil words come forth and dirty stories, dirty jokes, evil songs, by which you blacken the pure silver of chastity in everyone who has the misfortune to listen to you. Your actions, your bodily movements, and your clothing and manners reveal what you are. Impurity leads you to desire and to gain an independence from God and from your parents and superiors, so that you become fully a person of loose morals. You have the boldness to ask God, your Father, for what you think is your due according to nature. No, you do not ask for it; you snatch it and abuse your whole patrimony. You abuse your faculties and your senses, all your natural graces, such as health, good looks, wealth, and all the rest — which belong not to you, but to God. For what do you have which you have not received?

(2) Repentance — Alas! What a terrible thing I have done! What ingratitude! What injustice!


**Second Point**

The prodigal son, with the patrimony that he received from his father, went away from his homeland and squandered all he had. A great famine came, and he hired himself out to an employer who made him take care of swine. Here in this parable, O Christian, you have a discourse by Christ Himself about what has happened to you. By sin you separated from God your Father. You wasted everything by a discarded life. You found yourself stripped of grace like another Adam and Eve. A great spiritual famine has stricken you. You lack the bread of God's grace, the Eucharistic Bread, for you do not receive Holy Communion. You lack the nourishment that comes from reading good books and the Word of God. Deprived of these holy foods by which the just man lives, from which you have voluntarily cut yourself off, you are afflicted and hungry. Just as the body cannot live without eating, and if it cannot eat one thing, it will eat something else, so likewise the soul will act. If it is not nourished with virtues, it will feed on vice.

The prodigal son hired himself out to an employer who had him keep swine. And you, O Christian, what have you been doing? Alas! You have hired yourself out — or we will do better to say that you have enslaved yourself — to satan, who makes you keep the unclean swine of vice and sin, such as pride, covetousness, anger, lust, gluttony, sloth, unbelief, indifference, irreligion, impiety.

All of these vices are keeping you company as the swine were company to the prodigal son. Just as he fed himself with the food of the swine he tended, so you feed on vice. You have an employer so tyrannical and cruel that he does not feed you with a satisfactory diet. He does not provide you with enough to meet your needs, nor does he even permit you to fill your stomach with unclean husks. How often you crave riches which you cannot obtain, or thirst for honors which you cannot acquire, or want to get revenge on someone when you cannot, or you want some delicious food and drink that you cannot get! Perhaps you struggle after some elegant clothes, some indecent fun and amusement, and even get it. But is it a diet that satisfies you? You are always left hungry. What a pitiful state!

With the prodigal son, it was his hunger that led him to comprehend the situation. He said, "I am perishing here with hunger. What, then, shall I do? Ah, I know what I will do. I will arise and go to my father and say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you. I am not worthy to be called your son. But at least admit me to be one of your least servants.'"

You see, Christian soul, the decision which the prodigal son soon made? You, too, should make such a decision. Do you not now perceive that vice is a diet insufficient for nourishing you? Vices can be engaging and fascinating, but they cannot meet your needs and satisfy you. Remember what you were before. Reflect on what you are, and how things go with those who are serving God faithfully. They go about clothed with the garment of grace, virtue, and merit. They feed on the bread of life and understanding, are sustained by a good conscience and by trust in God. They are content, joyful and satisfied. For once, then, decide to arise and go see your Father.


Affective Acts

(1) Determination — I do not want to tend the unclean animals of vice, guilt and sin. I do not want to give any further service to such a cruel tyrant as satan, who, after enslaving me and degrading me, and making me undergo so many miseries, would give me eternal damnation as my reward. I want to go back to my Father. Now I perceive what I have lost. — Alas! My Father! How evil I have been! How heedless! I have offended Thee. Oh, what a wretched thing to do! What an outrageous thing to do! I have done wrong to myself. I have made no progress. I have gained nothing but discredit, displeasure, hardship, and damnation.

(2) Resolution — My Lord and Father, I am resolved to return to Thee. I know well that I am unworthy to be accepted as Thy son. But at least receive me as the least of Thy servants. Though I have failed as Thy son because of my foolishness and malice, Thou hast not disowned me. Thou hast always been and are my good Father. Thou wilt forgive me. Yes, my Father, Thou wilt accept me. I know Thy generous, kind heart. Thou wilt pardon me.


**Third Point**

The prodigal son set about his undertaking. At once difficulties appeared. He would have to overcome certain human fears. He would have to overlook the things that might be said by people in his home, by his friends, relatives and neighbors. Doubtless he would say to himself: Alas! Everybody will look. Everybody will talk. Everyone will remember what you were before, what you said and did. And now, when they see you this way, what will they say?

But fearlessly he conquers and overcomes everything. He presents himself at his home. His father receives him with all tenderness, love and joy. As for all those obstacles and difficulties which before had appeared overwhelming, he saw them vanish like smoke.

Yes, Christian soul, make up your mind for once. Then carry out that mind. Go, hasten to your Father. Do not be afraid. Do not let satan deceive you. He will make obstacles appear unconquerable. He will make your conversion appear scarcely less than impossible. He will construct a great barrier by suggesting that God will not pardon such great and numerous sins, that your confessor, who holds God's place, will not welcome you, that he will gruffly send you away. Satan will tell you that there is no longer any remedy, that you cannot get rid of your evil ways, that it is impossible for you to always stay away from certain fun-seeking, from certain sinful pleasures. Also he will bring before you the things that worldly people say. Put no stock in satan. See to it that your change is a genuine one. Make a good confession of all your sins, and you will see that all these difficulties vanish like smoke.

The Father confessor will listen to you with all sweetness and charity. He does not show alarm at the numerous and great sins of a penitent. What gives him pain — and very much pain — is if he sees that the sinner comes without the disposition, without the willingness to correct himself. That is what grieves his zealous heart. But if he sees that a sinner comes with a converted and humble heart, then he is unable — nor would he know how — to have contempt for him. Just the opposite is true. He receives the soul with open arms, and from his heart welcomes him. A tenderness and affection rather incline him to tears. He thanks the Lord as he witnesses this great mercy which is showered on the sinner before him. With joy he admires the sinner's courage and determination in conquering himself and conquering satan and all human respect. Oh, what gladness he experiences! And what joy the sinner feels when the Father confessor, having heard the confession, gives absolution. In the midst of his sobs of emotion he says these words of Saint Augustine: "Those tears that I shed out of sorrow for sin are sweeter than all the delights and pleasures of the theater and worldly amusements." Oh, what gladness does his heart not experience when he finds himself clothed again in sanctifying grace by means of the sacrament of penance! The greatest joy comes when he sees himself admitted to Holy Communion. Oh, what gladness! It seems to him that the whole Heavenly court comes to make festival in his heart.


Affective Acts

(1) Resolution — I am now resolved. I will go to Confession today. I will not delay any longer. I will tell all my sins to the father confessor. I hope to receive pardon for them all. O my Heavenly Father, how sorry I am for my sins! I will always, always avoid sin, my Father, with the help of Thy Divine Grace.

(2) Prayer of Petition — O Mary, my most loving Mother, Advocate of poor sinners who want to amend. I truly wish to amend my ways. I want to make a good confession of all my sins. By Your holy sorrows obtain for me a great sorrow for my sins. Oh, how grieved I am, my Mother, for having sinned! for having offended my God and Thee! For having again crucified Thy Holy Son, Jesus, by my sins!

O my Jesus! I come to Thee full of sorrow for my sins. I am ashamed and distressed at seeing how I have put Thee on that Cross by my sins. But I am encouraged as I remember that Thou prayed from the Cross for the very ones who crucified Thee. Thy Most Precious Blood does not plead for vengeance like the blood of Abel, but It begs for pity, mercy, pardon. And so, filled with confidence, I pray:

Soul of Christ, sanctify me;
Body of Christ, save me;
Blood of Christ, inebriate me;
Water from the side of Christ, wash me;
Passion of Christ, strengthen me;
O Good Jesus, listen to me;
Within Thy wounds, hide me;
Never let me be parted from Thee;
From the malignant foe, guard me;
At the hour of my death, call me;
and bid me come to Thee
that with Thy saints I may praise Thee forever.
Amen.


Now pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary and the Concluding Prayers as on page xi.

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Section II

Meditation 9. Fruits One Should Gain from the Preceding Meditations


Preparatory Prayer as on page x

Composition of Place — Imagine you see Jesus nailed on the Cross and that He says to you: See how much I have done and have suffered, in order to deliver you from hell and save you. And you — will you not do what you should for yourself?

Prayer of Petition — O my Jesus! I do not want to be damned . . . I wish to be saved . . . no matter what it may cost . . . My Savior, grant me the help and grace I need in order to gain my eternal salvation. Amen.

We have now considered, my soul, the terrible calamities which a soul must suffer who loses its last End. But of what profit is this knowledge if souls do not set about their duty, using all means necessary to avoid falling into those calamities, and to make sure that they will gain their last End? I will explain to you here what one must do; and you, my soul, collect your thoughts and weigh my words with attention in the presence of Jesus Crucified.


**First Point**

The first fruit the soul should gain from all the preceding meditations is a sincere repentance and a perfect contrition of all the sins committed . . . Tell me, my soul, in what state is your conscience at present? If an angel came down from Heaven at this moment and told you, "Prepare yourself; for you will die within an hour." What would your heart tell you? Would you feel peaceful about dying in the state you are in at present? Have your confessions been such that you can have good grounds for relying on them and you can confidently trust that your sins will prove to have been pardoned? Would you be content to die at this hour and in the state you are now in? Make an answer, but let your answer be before Jesus Crucified Who knows your heart. Realize, my soul, that the first step in going to God, the first rung for mounting to holiness, the first means for gaining interior peace, is that one's heart, by means of sincere repentance, become in such condition that it is ready to die at any moment, even by sudden death, and appear before the Divine Judge. In order for the soul to enter into this very happy condition, the two following resolves are necessary:

(1) Resolution — During the time of the retreat make a general confession of your whole life, or for the period since the last general confession, with an exact examination, with such earnestness, such repeated acts of contrition, such sincerity in the admission of your sins, as to enable your conscience to always tell you: I have done as much as God requires in order for Him to pardon my sins; now I can appear before His tribunal without fear. O my soul, what sweet consolation, what well-founded interior peace, what sure hope of eternal life one gains by this kind of confession!

(2) Resolution — After you have reasonably satisfied yourself in this way (as far as possible in this life) of your present state of grace and future glory, make your confessions in the future with such a correct examination of conscience, with such deep contrition, with such sincerity, as you would if you knew with certainty that it was the last confession of your life.


**Second Point**

The second fruit the soul should gain from the preceding meditations, is to give God all the satisfaction possible for the sins you have committed . . .

Return, my soul, to the reflection on the prison of hell and ponder the following thoughts: Suppose that at this moment a ray of Divine Mercy penetrated that dark dwelling and a Divine Voice echoed there, which said, "Cain, come forth! Thou hast been here now six thousand years burning in these flames. I choose to make use of My Mercy with thee, but on condition that you are to suffer in silence all pains, all ailments, all contempt, all insults, all crosses and reverses, for love of Me, and in this way I will pardon thee thy sins and will save thee."

Oh, what a joyful voice that would be for the heart of Cain!

"Oh, Immense Mercy! I am glad to suffer cheerfully for a thousand years as much as a man could ever suffer, if I can in this way finally gain mercy and escape the eternal pains of hell and can come to behold Thee in Thy glory . . ."

Ah! Tell me, my soul, have you not deserved to be cast into hell as much as Cain? Now this grace which God has given you, of granting you a period for repentance — is it not equal to what God would have given you if He had drawn you out of hell?

Then why do you not apply yourself to doing genuine penance and making up to God for the wrongs done Him through your sins? Why do you not practise forbearance in your troubles?

The two following rules are for achieving this purpose:

First rule — Practise with extraordinary care and earnestness the means which God has ordained to satisfy for sin. The principal ones are: 1) the holy Sacrament of Penance, 2) the holy Sacrifice of the Mass, 3) holy Indulgences, 4) frequent acts of true contrition, made as earnestly as one can, 5) works of penance and mortification.

Second rule — Bear in silence for love of God all the harassments which your state of life carries with it, and all the troubles coming to you from Divine Providence. In all the sufferings you meet, let this be the sigh of your heart: "O my good God, Who art so merciful, what I have deserved is the everlasting horrible pain of hell, and what I suffer here is a cross rather light and short-lived."


**Third Point**

The third fruit which the soul should adopt from these meditations is to avoid all venial sins, especially those which pave the way for grave sin. It is not enough, my soul, to have a firm resolve to suffer death rather than consent to any grave sin. It is necessary to have a like resolution to venial sin. He who does not find in himself this will, cannot have security. There is nothing which can give us such a certain security of eternal salvation as an uninterrupted cautiousness to avoid even the lightest venial sin, and a notable, all-extensive earnestness reaching to all practices of the spiritual life — earnestness in prayer, and in dealing with God; earnestness in mortification and self-denial; earnestness in being humble and in accepting contempt; earnestness in obeying and renouncing one's own self-will; earnest love of God and neighbor. He who wants to gain this earnestness and keep it, must necessarily have the resolve to always avoid especially the following venial sins:

(1) The sin of giving entrance into your heart to any unreasonable suspicion or unfair judgment against your neighbor.

(2) The sin of introducing talk about another's defects or offending charity in any other way, even lightly.

(3) The sin of omitting out of laziness our spiritual practices or of performing them with voluntary neglect.

(4) The sin of having a disordered affection for somebody.

(5) The sin of having a vain esteem for oneself, or of taking vain satisfaction in things pertaining to us.

(6) The sin of receiving the holy Sacraments in a careless way, with distractions and other irreverences, and without a serious preparation.

(7) Impatience, resentment, any failure to accept disappointments as coming from God's Hand; for this puts obstacles in the way of the decrees and dispositions of Divine Providence concerning us.

(8) The sin of giving ourselves an occasion that can even remotely blemish a spotless condition of holy purity.

(9) The fault of advertently hiding from those who ought to learn them, one's bad inclinations, weaknesses, and mortifications, seeking to pursue the road of virtue not under the direction of obedience, but under the guidance of one's own whims.¹

My soul, if you do not resolve to quit these venial sins, you will not draw the least fruit from these spiritual exercises, you will never set foot on even the lowest rung of perfection, you will never come to have any communing with God nor interior peace and quiet of heart, nor a condition wherein one can look forward to death without fear. But if you do resolve to avoid these sins, then present your resolves in the following form, while on your knees with crucifix in hand:

O my God, O my crucified Love, my Jesus! Thou hast enlightened me enough by Thy Infinite Mercy. Now I know what it is to possess Thee forever and what it means to lose Thee eternally . . . How blessed I am if I come to possess Thee! But woe to me if I come to lose Thee! I know quite well that I cannot expect to ever possess Thee and must always fear the prospect of losing Thee, as long as I do not entrust myself entirely into Thy Hands, avoiding all sins, even the smallest, and begin to serve Thee with care and earnestness . . .

Indeed I do resolve upon this, and with the deepest affection of my heart I love Thee and embrace Thee, O my Jesus! Thou art my Sovereign Good, worthy to be loved above all things, more than all angels and men, more than my soul and my life. Oh, blessed be Jesus Christ!


Now pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary and the Concluding Prayers as on page xi.


Footnote

¹ This speaks of times when we might have worthy direction if we seek it, but we prefer to follow our own dim lights.

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Meditation 10. Our Duty to Separate from Occasions and Dangers of Sinning


Commentary — Up to this point our meditations have been of the first section, the goal of which is genuine repentance of all sins committed and a good confession of them with the firm resolve not to commit them again. This resolve of not sinning again is precisely the goal of the meditations in the second section. The first of these meditations is about separating from the occasions and dangers of falling. These are the traps of which satan makes use to catch people who are not cautious. God tells us that he who separates from the snares will be secure.

Preparatory Prayer as on page x


First Prelude

Composition of Place — Imagine you see yourself in this world as in the midst of a great field with traps laid everywhere in it, like the vision seen by Saint Anthony; or, as Saint Bernard says, with robbers lying in ambush who wish to rob us of our rich treasures of grace and virtue.


Second Prelude

Prayer of Petition — My Lord Jesus Christ, give me the wings of a dove so that I may fly and quickly escape the dangers of sin and take refuge in Thy Most Holy Wounds.


First Point

My soul, you must consider how important it is to shun the occasions of sin and to know this for the following reasons: One maxim agreed among philosophers is this: Remove the cause and you remove its effect. Thus, with fire put out, the heat is gone. If the spring dries up, the stream stops flowing. If the cause is not removed, in vain are efforts to stop the effect. When a wise and experienced physician wants to cure a sickness, he endeavors to find the cause that produced it and remove the cause; otherwise he would be wasting his time. So too, a man who is trying to correct himself would spend his time in vain, if he does not remove the occasions and dangers of sin. Moreover, in the spiritual warfare against vice, and in particular against impurity, he who is the most careful to flee, conquers more gloriously. God Himself declares that ". . . He that loveth danger shall perish in it . . ." (Ecclus. 3:27); "He that toucheth pitch, shall be defiled with it." (Ecclus. 13:1); and he who touches fire will feel its burning. Thus one who voluntarily puts himself in a proximate occasion, sins already, and he remains defiled and stained; for he loves the danger, and by that fact perishes in it. The occasion makes the thief, according to the proverb, and it is so true, as experience has shown concerning many people who, not having any intention of sinning, the occasion in which they found themselves hurled them down, as they did not know how to flee, like chaste Joseph (Gen. 39:12), nor cry out, like chaste Susanna (Dan. 13:24).¹


Affective Acts

(1) Repentance — O my God, now I know that if I have sinned, it has been because I did not flee, as Joseph did, nor cry out, as did chaste Susanna. Alas! I have been not only neglectful, but I have been rash, like Sampson, David, and Solomon, who fell because they put themselves in the occasion of sin.

(2) Resolution — O Lord, I resolve to sin no more, and to achieve this I will separate myself from the dangers and occasions of falling into sin. I will be mindful of that maxim of Saint Philip Neri, which says, "In the warfare of sensuality, the cowards who flee are the winners."


Second Point

Consider, my soul, that our chief enemy, satan, never stops laying traps, as he seeks every chance that presents itself to carry out his aim. He makes people incautious when they frequently go about with persons of the other sex. At the outset he sees to it that their association is upright. Then he proceeds to mix in some silly behavior, then he keeps going further until finally they fall miserably into sin. The same happens to them as happens to the moth which hovers about the flame, singes its wings, and falls to its doom. Ah, how many souls were once chaste, but because they proceeded like the moth to the flame of that danger, the flame of that occasion, they were singed, were burned, and perished forever! Oh, how many of both sexes have miserably fallen because repeatedly they frequented dances, theaters, and engaged in love-affairs and the like! The same thing happens to many as happens to a pitcher of cold water which, when placed next to a fire, proceeds imperceptibly to receive heat until finally it comes to a boil and boils over. Many begin friendships and courtships, go out to certain entertainments without the least precaution, and little by little, almost without knowing how, they find themselves caught by passion, in which they simmer and boil over. Just as there is no more effective remedy for stopping the pitcher from overflowing and cooling it down, than to move it away from the fire, likewise the most effective remedy is keeping away from dangers and occasions of sin.


Affective Acts

(1) Fear — Alas! I am alarmed about myself. I am astonished that I have not sinned more, considering the danger in which I have been. I find myself like one who has been asleep, and upon awaking discovers he is on the edge of a cliff, or notices that he has at his side a poisonous snake. Oh, what fear seizes him! How promptly he moves away!

(2) Resolution — I will move away from sin and the occasions of sin as from the sight of a serpent. "Flee from sins as from the face of a serpent," says Ecclus. (21:2-4), "for if thou comest near them, they will take hold of thee. The teeth thereof are the teeth of a lion, killing the souls of men. All iniquity is like a two-edged sword . . ."

I do not wish to do as Eve did, who, being idle and engaging in conversation with the serpent, fell miserably into sin. I will strive to be always worthily occupied and stay away from all occasions of offending my Lord and God.


Third Point

Consider the means you must resort to in order to not put yourself in danger of sinning. The first will be to reflect that you have at your side your guardian angel who, like a protector and guide, counsels you with the words of the psalm: "Turn away from evil and do good: seek after peace and pursue it." (Psalm 33:15).

The second will be that if anything in the course of time becomes an occasion of sin, leave it, or uproot it and cast it far from you, as your Master and Redeemer teaches you and commands you. Even if it be something as necessary as the eyes of your face, uproot it; though it be a person as useful to you as your hands or feet, cut it away and put it far from you (cf. Mt. 5:29, 30).

The third means will be the holy fear of God. God truly sees you. God hears you. God perceives all your thoughts and inclinations. This God Who watches you, Who hears you and Who knows all things, has power not only to take the life from your body, but He also has power to cast body and soul into hell. Thus He is One you must fear, as He teaches you in the holy Gospel (Mt. 10:28).

Get away from dangers and occasions of sin not only because of the holy fear of God, but also understand that you are being wise; as the Holy Ghost declares that the fool is over-daring and over-confident and therefore falls; while the wise man walks with fear and thus escapes evil. ("A wise man feareth and declineth from evil: the fool leapeth over and is confident." Prov. 14:16). Indeed, one who puts himself in danger shows his foolishness. He lets you see that he does not even know himself; for if he knew himself and that he is so fragile, and more so than glassware, that he is more flammable than gunpowder, he would not proceed as he does to put himself in danger of offending God. Gunpowder is not ignited by itself. All the harm comes from without; so that if glass or gunpowder is well protected, even if quite fragile or flammable, it lasts for ages. But a man, in addition to facing external hazards, has internal ones which he cannot so easily avoid, but which makes him all the more obliged to avoid external danger. Ah, Christian soul! Is it true that you do not know that you live in a body which breeds a destructive element and that in that body is the root of your ruin! Oh, if you were wise, how surely you would save your soul! Oh, if you knew yourself, how surely you would move away from danger! Fear God, and you will be wise; fear God, and you will be saved.


Affective Acts

(1) Prayer of Petition — Lord, grant that I may know what I am and what Thou art . . . Ah, if I knew myself I surely would not be so overconfident in myself, nor would I put myself in occasions of sin. The soldier who knows that gunpowder easily ignites, does not proceed to turn over hot coals with a cartridge; for he knows and understands well that the powder would explode and injure him. If I knew well how easily I am excited with the fire of passion, I would not be so foolish or rash about putting myself in the occasion of sin. Oh, if I knew Thee better, my God, I would respect Thee, I would love Thee, and I would fear Thee with a filial fear, and thus I would never sin again.

(2) Resolution — I am resolved to separate always and promptly from the persons, places and things which I know can be an occasion of sin. If any occasions present themselves to me which would catch me by surprise and would make me fall, I will say to Thee, my God, the prayer of the Prophet, "O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me" (Ps. 69:2). And I will address Thee, my Jesus, as the Apostles did, ". . . Save us! We perish!" (Mt. 8:25). And Thee, O Most Holy Virgin, I beg and will beg, that You pray to God for me now and always and at the hour of my death. And you, O ye angels and saints, I remind you of the charges that you have from my Heavenly Father, to guard me in all my ways so that I may not fall into sin and may happily arrive at my fatherland in Heaven.


Now pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary and the Concluding Prayers as on page xi.


Footnote

¹ Joseph, "leaving the garment in her hand, fled" from his master's wife. Susanna, approached by the wicked elders, "cried out with a loud voice."

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Meditation 11. Venial Sin


Preparatory Prayer as on page x


First Prelude

Composition of Place — Imagine you see a soul living the life of grace, but because of venial sin it resembles Job on the dunghill amid crawling worms and filth, in a dying condition, now almost at the point of falling into mortal sin and undergoing a death of grave guilt. For God Himself says that one who makes light of small faults, little by little comes to fall into grave sins. ("... He that despises small things, shall fall by little and little." Ecclus. 19:1).


Second Prelude

Prayer of Petition — Grant me, my Lord, a horror for light faults so that I may never fall into them, and a great sorrow for those I have committed up to now, so that I will not have to pay for them in purgatory.



First Point

Consider, my soul, what venial sin is, and why it is called venial. It is an offense, though a light one, which a creature does to the Creator. It is called a light fault not in itself absolutely, but by reference to mortal sin, in comparison to which a venial sin, though enormous in its mischief, is called a small evil; just as the earth, vast in itself, is called small in comparison with the whole universe. Or it is like the Mediterranean Sea, which is itself immense, but compared to the ocean is small.

Venial sin is an offense done to God, and this offense contains in itself so much malice that one should not commit it, not even if thereby he could save a man's life, not even if he could save all the inhabitants of the world. If, for example, by a small lie one could draw all the damned out of hell and convert them into saints and save everyone, one could not tell that lie, because it is an offense against God. Saint Camillus de Lellis used to say that he would let himself be cut into a thousand tiny pieces rather than commit a single venial sin advertently... Venial sin is more terrible than the pains of hell. Convinced of this truth, Saint Anselm said that if on one hand he saw hell opened up and he saw that on the other hand he would be obliged to commit a deliberate venial sin advertently, then rather than commit it, he would choose to fall into hell. I ought to do the same in such circumstances; for hell is an evil of suffering, and venial sin is an evil of guilt.¹

Suffering — as suffering, is not an offense against God; so no matter how horrible a suffering may be, it is a lesser evil than sin, even if it were the destruction of the whole world, the exile of all angels and saints from Heaven, and the condemnation of all souls to the fires of hell. The reason is that all these evils, great as they are, touch limited creatures, whereas sin, even light sin, touches and offends God, Who is Infinite and most deserving of all honor and glory, Who ought to be loved above all things and yet is disregarded for a trifle. God is a lovable God, a loving God. He has created us for Heaven. He preserves us. He gives us every kind of natural, supernatural, visible and invisible benefit. And we fail to love Him! We offend Him! Oh, what ingratitude!

If the malice of venial sin is frightening, its frequency is more horrifying. Alas! Scarcely a day passes that you do not commit many venial sins, either out of malice or from frailty, or by not paying due attention to what you do. These sins may be vain, useless thoughts, a dislike for neighbors, disordered affections, or words that are idle, proud, loose, sarcastic, untruthful, or actions or omissions. They may occur in our eating, our drinking, in our retiring or our rising, by acts of laziness. They may happen in public streets, at home, in church, in the way we walk or look about, or otherwise behave. And even in undertakings which are good, how many faults do you not commit, by being too hurried, or by carelessness or laziness, by voluntary distractions, by unfaithfulness to God's inspirations! So many are the faults you commit that one may say they outnumber the hairs of your head.

Affective Acts

(1) Admiration — O my God, I am full of wonder and alarm! Yes, my Jesus, I am frightened as I consider the malice of venial sin and the great number I have committed. I can say that from the soles of my feet to the crown of my head I have nothing but the bruises of sin. I am also alarmed, my Jesus, at Thy patience in bearing the many faults by which I have offended Thee. I cannot bear a fly that harasses me, but am quick to chase it away. I cannot endure it if a dog snaps at me, and for a long time Thou hast borne it when by my venial sins I have harassed Thee and snapped at Thee!

(2) Repentance — O my Jesus, pardon me. My will is to sin no more. I know now the malice and numerousness of the venial sins I have committed.² I repent, and I declare with the Prophet: "Cleanse me, Lord, of all my sins, grave and light, known and unknown, and I ask pardon for the sins that I did not commit myself, but caused others to commit." ("Who can understand sins? From my secret ones cleanse me... and from those of others spare Thy servant." Ps. 18:13-14.)



Second Point

Consider, my soul, the effects which a venial sin causes. It does in a soul what sickness does in a body. There are two ill effects which sickness causes in a body: a present one, which is weakness, fatigue, pallor, and the like; and as for the future, it hastens death. Likewise venial sin, which is a sickness of the soul, at the present time does not eliminate the life and beauty of grace, but does remove that special bright splendor which would be enough to move the Divine Eyes to tender, devoted satisfaction. It is true that it does not deprive the soul of God's friendship, but it does deprive us of many special favors. Alas! Venial sin makes a soul unworthy of God's generous gifts, it prevents many particular, extraordinary graces. It deprives it of a large part of the fruit of the holy Sacraments, especially Holy Communion, as it hinders that very intimate union which the Lord would want. As heavy fluids in the body hinder movement and perception, venial sins do the same thing and worse in the soul. They weaken the will; they make devout exercises distasteful and boring; they make a soul dislike to do works of charity; they cool down its fervor, and leave it miserable.

The soul in venial sin is like a sick person with a stomach obstruction, who eats without relish, sleeps without resting, laughs without joy, is so wearied in everything and so fully bored that he drags himself rather than walks. Such is the soul with venial sins. They make a soul captive of bad habits and inclinations, which leaves it with a kind of obstruction to all good works, so that many are omitted, and the few that are performed are done without devotion and with distaste and reluctance. Prayers and penances are omitted, or if they are done they are without fervor, few in number and small in merit.

Because of venial sins the soul proceeds to grow weaker, graces continue to withdraw, and finally it comes to the point where it falls into mortal sin. A seriously wicked act of grumbling into which one lapses, a secret hatred which rages in the heart, an impulse for revenge which is not yet put down, a depraved desire to which one consents — these succeed in extinguishing and putting out that dying flicker of God's grace. The Holy Scriptures are full of examples of this truth. There is the example of David: From a curious look came desire; from desire came acts of adultery and murder. With Judas it was from a disordered love of wealth. In the beginning this was a light fault; but in time it grew so much that he even sold Jesus Christ, his Divine Master. The Jews began with a light sin of jealousy and envy at the miracles and wonders which Jesus Christ performed. But on seeing everyone follow Him, the envy in their hearts grew to such size that they did not stop until they did away with Him by crucifixion. Who should not be horrified at the effects of venial sin!

Affective Acts

(1) Admiration — Ah, my God, how much the tubercular patient arouses our sympathies when he is too helpless to do anything! Now if one sickness puts a body in such bad condition, in what condition is my soul, with as many sicknesses as there are venial sins that I have committed? For every venial sin is a cancer which gnaws into the soul; it is a leprosy which loads it with filth; it is a palsy which weakens it from doing good; it is a dropsy which gives it a thirst for the goods of the world; it is a gout which will not let it march promptly ahead; it is an asthma which hinders it from sighing for Heaven; it is a deafness which will not let it hear God's voice; it is a blindness which will not let it see the way of perfection.

(2) Supplication — O my Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me as Thou pitied the blind man on the road to Jericho. Grant that I may see! Cleanse me, O Lord, as Thou cleansed the leper! O my Jesus and my Redeemer, O true Samaritan! Pour the oil of Thy Mercy and the wine of Divine Grace upon my wounds and bruises caused by the thieves which are venial sins, into whose hands I have fallen. See, Lord, how they have robbed me of virtues and merit and have left me half dead along the way.



Third Point

To perceive the malice of venial sin, a suitable way is to observe the sufferings with which God has punished it, taking into account that He Who punishes is a wise God, Who does nothing from ignorance; that He is a just God Who does not let Himself be carried away by passion; that He is a merciful God Who is on His part more inclined to forgive than to punish; that He is a kind God Who does not punish except when constrained to do so; and yet He punishes venial sin in a soul which is in grace, which is His friend and an heir to Heaven. Yes, He punishes it nevertheless.

Oh, how great must be the evil of venial sin!

Numberless examples are in the Holy Scriptures. Because Mary, sister of Moses, had murmured venially against her brother, the Lord suddenly punished her with the unclean disease of leprosy (Num. 12). God punished Lot's wife and turned her into a pillar of salt because she had venially sinned by turning her eyes out of curiosity toward the city, against the Lord's command (Gen. 19). For a small mistrustfulness into which Moses and Aaron lapsed, they did not enter the Promised Land (Num. 20). The deaths of Nadab and Abiu (Lev. 10:2), sons of Aaron, the deaths of Oza (2 Kings 6:7), of Ananias and Saphira (Acts 5:5), and of many others, resulted from venial sins. Who will not fear? Who will not walk with care to avoid such faults? Not only does God punish those faults with these penalties, but He also punishes them with other greater sufferings in purgatory. For a light lie, for an indecent smile, for an improper word, for grumbling, etc., etc., souls there suffer a pain of loss from being denied the sight of God, and a pain of sense in very dreadful fires for a longer time than people think, and their suffering is more than all the pains that can be witnessed or experienced in this world. What conception would you have, my soul, of those light sins which you easily commit, if you were now in Purgatory amid the sufferings you deserve for them? Would you call them slight faults which keep you from an Infinite Good, which is the sight of God and the possession of glory in Heaven? Would you count as trifles, and dismiss as scruples, the faults that earn a most dreadful confinement with the most painful afflictions? Suppose you saw some distinguished person dragged from his home or palace and carried off to prison, and that there, in the middle of the courtyard, they set a fire and thrust that person into its great blaze. Suppose then, when you asked what crime he had committed, the person in charge answers that he was punished this way for having told a lie, for a little grumbling, or another venial fault. Would you then say that a venial sin is nothing? Realize, then, my soul, that in Purgatory venial sins are punished by very painful confinement and torment.

Affective Acts

(1) Repentance — O my God, now I know something of how great is the evil of venial sin! Ah, if I had understood it before, I would not have sinned as I did! Up to now I have treated it as a joke. But I give Thee my word, my God, that from now on, with the help of Thy grace, I will avoid sinning again. Forgive me, my Father, because Thou art Who Thou art, Infinite Goodness, and I promise Thee I will yield worthy fruits of repentance.

(2) Resolution — My Father, I give Thee my word that from now on I will make use of the means I know to be best suited to keep me from ever falling again into venial sins. Therefore I promise, my God, that every morning I will make a firm resolve not to sin venially that day, and at night I will examine myself and make an act of repentance if at any time I have sinned. I will avoid the occasions of falling down; I will proceed with more caution in my conversations, and I will keep my passions and senses mortified. I will in particular keep my eyes modest and recollected, and will take greater care to guard my tongue. I will keep silent, and when I have to speak, I will proceed with great caution so that my words will not be lacking in the truth, in charity, in humility, or in chastity. I will reflect that I am in Thy Divine Presence, and that on Judgment Day Thou must pass judgment on everything, even an idle word (Matt. 12:36) and even things that are just ("... I will judge justices." [Ps. 74:3], says the Lord.)

Now pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary and the Concluding Prayers as on page xi.




Footnotes

¹Note — While this is true doctrine, it is not the wise approach for the priest while hearing confessions, according to Saint Alphonsus de Liguori, who teaches that to receive forgiveness, our sorrow indeed must be supreme — supreme in our rational appreciation of things (*summus appreciative*) — so that we detest nothing more than sin and would rather undergo all the evils of this world than mortally sin against God; yet there is no need, and in fact it is not expedient (for the confessor) to make particular comparisons — for example, 'I prefer to undergo this or that evil rather than sin mortally'; for this is dangerous... It is even less expedient to imagine our choice of hell. Since hell in God's present Providence is destined for those who have become fixed in sin (at death) with an eternal hatred for God, a man acts incongruously who, to avoid sin, would choose hell, in which he could not remain without sin. (*Theol. Mor.*, vi, 433).

The same saint says: "Something that often discourages many on their way to God, is worrying about the painfulness of having to proceed until death with much strictness, always resisting selfish impulses. The best means to conquer this temptation is to imagine that you only need live for that day. If one knew he had but one day to live, would he not take care to do everything well and perfectly?... But souls that are strong and fervent in Divine Love do not need to shun thoughts of the hardships ahead; for they are glad to and thirsty to suffer in order to please God." (*Vera Sposa*, vii, sec. 4, n. 16) And he adds: "Holy souls... live always with a firm resolve to suffer death rather than sin with eyes open, even venially." (Ibid., v, 3.)

²Note: Saint Alphonsus de Liguori writes: "Because our nature is infected by sin, we carry within us such an inclination to evil as to make it impossible, without a very special grace (such as was granted [for example] to the Mother of God), to avoid all venial faults throughout life, even those committed without full awareness... As for deliberate, fully voluntary venial sins, with Divine help these can all be avoided, just as holy souls indeed avoid them who always live with the firm resolution to rather suffer death than commit a venial sin with eyes opened." (*Vera Sposa*, V, nn. 1-3). And the saint adds: "in confession one's purpose of amendment must be universal... This is meant to refer to all thoughts, words, deeds that could take away God's friendship... More spiritual persons, furthermore, ought to be resolved to avoid all deliberate venial sins. As for unintentional ones, since it is impossible to avoid them all, it is enough to resolve to guard against them as much as one can." (Ibid., XVIII, sac. 1, n.7).

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Meditation 12. Death


Commentary — There is nothing that restrains man from sinning so much as the thought of death. It was the thought of death that God appealed to in order that our first parents, Adam and Eve, might observe the command that He had given them. In fact, they did not break the command, nor did they sin, until satan led them to make light of the thought of holy fear of death. "You will not die the death. Do not be foolish; do not be silly," he said to Eve; "you will not die."

Alas! When that restraint was removed, she fell miserably into sin. Let us then think continually on death; and thus we will never sin.


Preparatory Prayer as on page x


Composition of Place — Imagine that you see yourself sick in bed, and that you have been advised to confess your sins to the priest and receive Holy Viaticum and Extreme Unction. Then imagine that you are dying, that the prayers for the recommendation of your soul are being said, and that you are losing your senses, and finally die.

Prayer of Petition — O my Jesus! By Thy most holy death I beg Thee to grant me the grace never to lose sight of my death and that I may always be well prepared to die. May I firmly and constantly withdraw myself from evil and keep myself aloof from sin, and always practise virtue; for virtue will be the only thing that will render my death happy.


First Point

What is it to die? It is to suffer the separation of the soul from the body. Death is also an eternal separation from all the things of earth. It is a separation from your money, from all your worldly interests and all your possessions. It is a loss of all titles of nobility and of all earthly pleasures and diversions. To die is to take leave of one's father, mother, children, husband, wife, brothers, sisters, friends and acquaintances without the hope of ever seeing them again on earth until the day of the Last Judgment.

Death means taking out of your home that body of yours and taking it to the cemetery, where it will remain alone day and night, surrounded by skulls and bones of the other dead. To die is to leave your body alone, a lifeless corpse, to be eaten by worms. This is what cadaver means; namely, *caro data vermibus* — flesh given as food to the worms. Cadaver also refers to something as having fallen (Lat. *cadere* = to fall). Yes, that man, that woman, has fallen like a tree that fell and is abandoned so that it will serve as firewood for whoever wants it. Just look at what happens to that body, once so beautiful and so pampered, now dead. It is now buried; it has fallen. Presently insects will come. Toads, nasty bugs and vermin will taste it and take pleasure in the bad odor that it will yield and in the rottenness that develops. Rats also will come and perforate its clothes or shroud. They will entangle themselves in the hair, enter the mouth and begin to eat the tongue. Then they will come out and they will explore the whole body between the flesh and the clothes.

In the meantime the rotting process has built up. We can see a great number of worms multiplying to eat the flesh of the stomach, the face and the whole body. Then their feast is over. The worms die of hunger, leaving bones that are dark and bare, which in due time will calcinate and convert into dust. Remember, O man, that as far as your body is concerned, thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return; for you are a man of slime or earth.

Affective Acts

(1) Act of Candor — Are you not disillusioned, my soul, at the sight of a dead body? Its fate will come to your body, too, which you pamper and idolize so much. Yes, you will die, and experience what others have experienced.

(2) Resolution — In order to pamper the cravings of my body I have many times offended God. But from now on I will mortify my flesh and crucify it with all its vices and concupiscence, as the Apostle Saint Paul admonishes me: "They that are Christ's have crucified their flesh, with its vices and concupiscences." (Gal. 5:24).



Second Point

The death of the just: Death will reach everyone, the good and the bad; but the destiny of each one is quite different. The just man sees himself in this valley of tears as a prisoner, serving a very hard term. He considers himself a slave in this world, suffering an extremely distressing servitude. He regards himself a sailor caught in a horrible storm. And as death means an end of his confinement, an end of his slavery, and is the port of his salvation, he ceases not to cry with David, "Woe is me that my sojourning is prolonged!..." (Ps. 119:5). He ceases not to ask with the Apostle, "... Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Rom. 7:24)

Thus it is that a just man is not frightened by the sight of death. It is certain that he must leave the things of this world, the goods, the riches, the dignities. But what is all this in the estimate of one who knows his heart is perfectly right with God? A flower which appears fresh at dawn and at night fades; a vapor which vanishes in an instant; a shadow which flees with rapidity without leaving a trace of itself. And will the soul which has this appreciation of this world, feel very pained at leaving these counterfeit goods? The just man knows that he is not made for this world nor this world for him. He knows that its pleasures are misleading and deceitful. He knows that worldly rank and dignitaries are vanity and nothing more. With these lights, what value will he give to those things? And if he does not value them, how can their loss afflict him? If he abhors and detests them, how can it grieve him to have to separate himself from them? Is it not insanity to grieve over goods which must perish? Or for honors which must lose all value? Or for pleasures which carry such bitterness and disgust? No, the just man is not troubled like the wicked Baltasar (Dan. 5:6) on hearing the sentence of his death. Nor does he rave like the proud Nabuchodonosor (Dan. 4:27-30). Nor does he become spiteful like the impious Antiochus (2 Mach. 9:4). On the contrary, it is then that he says what the angelic Saint Aloysius Gonzaga said to a fellow religious, "Do you not know the good news that they have brought me, that I must die within eight days? Be so kind as to join me in saying the Te Deum in thanksgiving for this favor that God is granting me." It is then that the just man says with the psalmist, "As the heart panteth after the fountains of water, so my soul panteth after Thee, O God!" (Ps. 41:2). Then it is that the just man takes leave of his companions with joy — of his father and mother, like the little Marquis of Castellon: "O mother," he said, "do not cry for one who is to live with God, as if he were dead. This absence will not be long. We will see each other again and be happy without ever separating again."

Thus they take leave, thus they sigh — the Davids, the Pauls, the Aloysiuses, and all the just, at the moment of death. It is true that the just, also, at that hour feel the pains and afflictions of their illness; but in what sweet peace are their souls! God places them under His Sacred Mantle, and under His Shadow they remain calm and tranquil. How precious is the death of the just! And what renders it so precious? What, other than a holy life?

Yes, a holy life is what leads a man to a happy death. This is as natural as it is for a good tree to produce good fruit. Death is the echo of life. What exquisite pleasure, then, is caused by the memory of the virtues one has practised, of the Sacraments well received, and the works of mercy one has done! What great consolation there is for the soul that loved God with devotedness and served Him faithfully! What sweet joy for the just man at death to have withdrawn from dangers of sin, not to have taken part in sinful amusement, and of having deprived himself of unlawful pleasures! Can you compare this joy with anything else in this world? A man engaged in litigation rejoices at the news of having won a lawsuit of importance. One in exile is happy when his painful banishment ends. A prince is greatly cheered at a victory which assures him of the crown. But what is all this in comparison with the triumph which is declared in favor of a holy soul at the hour of death? He wins a victory of infinite importance over his enemy. An exile that is sad, painful and full of dangers ends for him. He obtains a victory which brings to him a pure, perfect and eternal blessedness, a victory which assures him of an unfading, incorruptible crown and of an immense reward. Oh, blessed mortifications! Oh, happy tears! Oh, happy fasting, that give so much joy to the upright soul at the moment of his death! Then he blesses his birth and his parents who gave him existence. Then he blesses the day he received the grace of Baptism and the ministers whom God used to bring all this about. He praises his days spent in the service of God and glorifies His mercies. The past consoles him beyond measure. The present gratifies him because he approaches the end of his labors. The future fills him with content because of his well-founded expectation of eternal happiness. Thus the death of the just is like a foretaste of final bliss.

Affective Acts

(1) Joy — Ah, Lord, "I rejoiced at the things that were said to me," that I would go to the holy house of Thy heavenly glory! (Ps. 121:1). O death, how sweet you are to the soul which desires to go with fervor to see Jesus!

(2) Resolution — I resolve to abstain from every fault, to practise virtue, particularly the love of God, and to awaken the desire to die like Holy Mary, Saint Paul, and the other saints.


Third Point


It is certain that the sight of his sins can cause the servant of God who had the misfortune of offending Him some fear. But the prayers of the Church encourage him, the protection of the angels and saints comforts him, the favor of the Blessed Virgin inspires him with great confidence, and the consideration that a God was crucified for him gives to a pure and penitent soul an unspeakable security which no temptation nor tribulation that he might experience can take away; no, not even the natural horror of death. It is also true that the devil attacks the dying with greater fury than ever. But he who has prepared himself for death, he who already has wept over his sins, can insult satan with the words of Saint Martin — "What are you doing here, you fiendish beast? I have already confessed all my sins. I have put my affairs in order. You will not find in me anything that you can accuse me of."

No doubt the thought of the judgment which follows upon death, will terrify the sinner; but the just man solves his fears by being ready for death. You will not find anyone who feared more the judgments of God than Saint Jerome. However, with what eagerness finally he desired death! With what fond expressions did he invoke her! "Come," he said; "come my friend, my sister, my spouse. Let me see the God that my soul loves! O death! You are wrapped in darkness, but that darkness unveils for me the inaccessible light in which my God is found. You terrify earthly kings because you take away their splendor and majesty. You are frightful to all who place their hopes in the goods of this world. But for me you are most agreeable, because you deprive me of what I abhor and you lead me to the possession of what I love."

What do you say, my soul, upon hearing this? "Friend, sister, spouse," Saint Jerome calls death. Why? Because it opens to him the door to infinite glory; because it is the end of all his labors and the beginning of his happiness; because it brings him to the eternal possession of the Heavenly Spouse of his soul. Yes, this happy hope consoles the man of upright will at the last moment. Angels and saints surround his bedside. The Gates of Heaven are open wide to him. The Blessed Virgin Mary invites him with mercy. Jesus Christ beckons him with open arms. The Blessed Trinity offers him the mansion of Its glory. Thus the upright person sweetly closes his eyes, surrendering his last breath with the greatest peace. The angels and saints receive his blessed soul. They, together with their loving Queen, present him to Jesus. Jesus gives him the kiss of peace, embraces him fondly, and in the midst of joyful hymns leads him into the region of the blessed. Indeed, the death of the just is precious in the eyes of the Lord.

O my soul, do you want to gain this happiness? You are not asked to fast all your life on bread and water, nor to take continuous bloody disciplines. You are not asked to lock yourself up in a cave forever. All that is asked of you is a fruitful confession and a reform of your life. All that is commanded is that you constantly observe God's sweet plan and law for you and the laws of the Church. With this alone you will die without anguish or distress. The privation of your goods, your relatives and friends, will not torment you. The fear of judgment and eternity will not distress you. Just the contrary. You will be greatly consoled at leaving behind a few worldly goods in exchange for other solid ones, a few earthly friends for Heavenly ones, a life full of labor and fatigue for one full of happiness. Courage, my soul! Take courage! A little labor and fatigue brings you a tranquil life, a happy death, and eternal glory.

Affective Acts

(1) Resolution — I am resolved to employ the necessary means to attain the death of the just. I will make a good general confession of all the sins I have committed until now, and I hope that God in His Goodness and Infinite Mercy will forgive them. Thus I will not need to fear about the past. For the future my will is to observe God's law and that of the Church and accomplish with exactness the obligations of my state, avoiding all sin, not only mortal, but also venial. I will receive frequently and fervently the holy Sacraments of Penance and Communion, and I will practise works of charity, and do all that I know is pleasing to God and for the good of my neighbor.

(2) Prayer of Petition — O Most Holy Virgin and Mother of God, pray for me now so that I may live uprightly and pray for me at the hour of my death. O glorious Saint Joseph, pray for me, assist me and defend me from satan at the hour of my death. Amen.

Now pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary and the Concluding Prayers as on page xi.

[Stone]

Meditation 13. The Death of the Sinner


Preparatory Prayer as on page x

Composition of Place — Imagine you see a man who is over-fond of this world, over-anxious for money, whose ambition is to receive high honors, a title before his name, and public distinctions, who gives himself over to gluttony and all kinds of amusement and pleasures of the flesh, who is unmindful of God and His law and of the holy Sacraments. At an hour least expected he is a victim of a mishap, and he hears a voice saying, "Prepare yourself, for tomorrow you will die."

Alas! What panic! He sees himself surrounded by devils. Some are showing him the money he must leave behind. Others show him a picture of the woman he loves, whom he must leave. Others are waiting for him to breathe his last so that they can see him off to his grave and to hell, like the glutton in the Gospel.

As soon as he breathes his last, Jesus appears before him to judge him according to his works. Finally Jesus issues the sentence of condemnation.

Prayer of Petition— O Immaculate Virgin Mary, Holy Mother of God, pray for me now and at the hour of my death. Obtain for me the grace to learn from the bad example of reprobates, so that I will not live like a sinner and so that my death will not be like theirs. Amen.


First Point

To die in sin — to die an enemy of God! What a dreadful disaster! What a terrible calamity! To be at the point of death with a conscience burdened with sin! What terror, O my soul! Oh, the unspeakable distress! The past, the present, and the future will torment the sinner in that moment which decides his eternal fate.

Before him is a very vivid display of all his evil ways in all their ugliness. What a horror to see oneself burdened down with bad habits! What a nightmare to perceive oneself plunged down in a fathomless water hole of sin! His past sacrileges distress him; the hatreds he has entertained now torment him; and the unclean pleasures of his life bring on great despondency as he sees that they have wrecked his soul. The anguish reaches even the marrow of his bones. Then the sinner remembers with unspeakable bitterness the times he has violated Holy Days, the bad confessions he has made, and his unworthy Communions. If he has cheated people by usury, theft, or robbery, these things he remembers. He recalls the times when his sins of grumbling, detraction, lying, have taken away the good reputation of his fellow man. He remembers his blasphemies, his acts of revenge, his impure talk, and all the evil and scandal with which he has ruined many souls. Before his mind is a woman whom he scandalized, the girl that was corrupted, the little boy whom he lured into sins he would not have committed had he not taught him. Before his eyes are the duties he should have fulfilled and did not, the donations he should have made to charitable causes but did not, and the other good works he ought to have done and did not. In a word, at the hour of his death the sinner very plainly sees all the good he should have done and did not do, and all the evil things he did which he was bound to avoid.

What grief! What distress he will experience! What a painful torment the recollection of his past will inflict! "O ye days I have wasted! Ye graces I have forfeited! And the calls, the lights and inspirations from God, which I have disregarded! What great distress you cause me! My life has ended. My fun is over. My pleasures are finished. Other people will enjoy my belongings. Others will live in my house. The grave alone remains for me. Of what use now are the lands I bought, the homes I built, the offices I held, if I am going to give them all up with one stroke as I surrender my life? Therefore I have lost everything — meaning everything on earth. It is cut off with a bitter death." This is the result that the sinner will achieve at the hour of death. In this way his past will torment him.

Affective Acts

(1) Act of Candor — What does it profit a man to possess everything in the world, to have every dignity and honor, and to give his body over to every pleasure, if in the end he loses his soul? (Mt. 16:26) Alas! For a passing delight one undergoes an eternal punishment! While such a person has life and health, he does not think of death nor does he want to think about it. But the door is not closed by this unmindfulness. That hour, when least expected, arrives. It puts an end to the days of the sinner and confronts him with an eternity of torments.

(2) Exhortation — In all your works be mindful of your death, of the judgment, of hell and of glory; and in this way you will never sin; ("In all thy works, remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin." Ecclus. 7:40) for then you will live an upright life and will be saved. Otherwise, your death will be an unhappy one; it will be disastrous; and you will be damned. Perhaps you will say that you do not believe these things. Well then, that admission is a telling argument for your eternal damnation; for Jesus Christ says that he who does not believe will be condemned. (Mk. 16:16).


Second Point

And now, alas! the pains are increasing. The dying man's energies are playing out; his afflictions are great and he is suffering a mortal anguish. His friends make their departure. The household servants withdraw. His relatives are taking their leave. His children are weeping and his wife breaks into tears. The physician can offer no remedy. Nor can all the dying man's influence in the world alleviate him; even less can his money help him. Death is at the threshold and cannot be turned back. He is horrified, terrified, that he must undergo it. What will the sinner do in this state? He will gaze over to one side, and the multitude of his sins appear, declaring: "You have made us; you have not wept over us. Therefore we must accompany you into eternity in order to provide your everlasting wages." He will turn his eyes to the other side, and his frantic gaze will find nothing but frightening specters and horrible demons ready to bury him in the depths of hell. He will raise his eyes above, and the wrath of the Supreme Judge will appear, Who will declare the terrible sentence of condemnation against him. He will look downward, and confront a dreadful grave full of filth, corruption and worms, in which he will remain until the end of the world. O my soul! What will the sinner do in a moment so critical? Can the rich man not escape by paying several thousand gold pieces? No. Can the powerful, influential man not escape by means of some of his resourceful schemes? Can the prince not summon all his army? The army will be of no use. Can the valiant man not engage his valor and outmatch the stroke of death? No, no, no.

Affective Acts

(1) Resolution — From now on I choose to put no stock in things that will be of no use at the hour of death, such as riches, honors, pleasures. I will only strive for things which, in that hour, will console me and offer me good company. And these will be good works, alms giving, mortification, partaking in the Sacraments, Mass, and devotions.

(2) Amendment — I know that it has been decreed that a man die only once. (Heb. 9:27). If one could die twice, in preparation for his second death he could amend what was wrong at his first death. But since we cannot do this, what, then, is the remedy? What indeed? It is to correct now what you wish you had corrected before, at the hour of your death, and do now what you would then wish you had done. Reflect well on this. Meditate seriously on it, and carry out the task, saying to yourself: I must die, and I must be judged then and there. Do I believe that this is so? I cannot doubt it. Faith declares it; reason confirms it; and experience makes it obvious. God has given me the being I have and the life which I live. God gives me time in this life minute by minute, in such wise that I cannot rely on having more than the present minute. Thus I no longer have the time that has passed, and the time that is to come I do not have either, nor do I know if the Lord will give it to me. And if He does not, no time will be left for me and I will die, just as all those who have died up to now. I am convinced that I am to die. This is quite certain — that I am to die and be judged.

But when will I die? I do not know. I do not know what year it will be, nor the month, nor day, nor hour. I only know that I am to die, and I have no idea at what hour. I know that in that hour the Lord will come to judge me, as He tells me in His holy Gospel.

Where will I die? I do not know that either. I know where I was born, but not where I will die. I do not know if it will be indoors or out of doors, nor do I know if it will be at sea or on land. I know nothing about this. I only know that God has jurisdiction and power everywhere and that the life which I enjoy is His property. I know that He can take it from me anywhere, and that He will ask of me a reckoning of how I have spent it.

How will I die? I am likewise ignorant of this. I do not know if it will be a sudden death or a foreseen, well-prepared ebbing away — a natural death, or a violent death. I do not know if I will die from a thunderbolt, or at the hands of a murderer; whether it will be from poison, from a fall, from apoplexy or from some lung disease. I just do not know. I only know with certainty that I am to die, that I am to be judged, that I will be either saved or damned for all eternity. Oh, what an alarming reality! How undeniable this truth is! How impossible for us to withstand it!


Third Point

What is the sinner to do? Suppose he seeks refuge in some thoughts of the future. The future indeed? He only approaches a future full of pains. Oh, the thought of eternity! It is a frightening thought for a dying sinner. To forsake property, office, amusements, is very painful to a sinner fond of these. To forsake friends, relatives and children is even more painful for one who put all his hope and reliance in flesh and blood. To give up extravagant clothes, a soft bed, pleasures and delights of the body, in order to surrender that body to a horrible burial, to become food for unclean animals, is a very painful thing for a man who had been treating his belly as his god and thought about nothing but pleasing himself. To enter eternity with a conscience burdened with sins is an affliction that has no equal. "Ah! I am dying, and I am dying without having done penance, without having made a good confession. My sins are countless. My conscience is greatly entangled in confusion and difficulties. I have wicked habits and my passions have chained me down to the service of the devil. This infernal dragon, who during my life assured me that salvation would be an easy matter by telling me that God is Infinite Mercy, now tells me that God is Infinitely Just and therefore can do nothing but pass the sentence of my damnation. I want to turn to the protection of the angels and saints, and the devil tells me that there are no angels or saints for one who has despised them, cursed them and blasphemed them by word and deed. I endeavor to turn to the protection of the Blessed Virgin, and the infernal spirit whispers into my ear that Mary is Mother of repentant sinners who turn to Her kindness at a suitable time, but that She is not a Mother to wicked persons like myself, who have wickedly put things off until there is no remedy. To bring some relief to my afflicted heart I want to find refuge in the Blood of Jesus. But Lucifer closes the door to me, persuading me that I will find no mercy from a Lord Whom I have so much offended and Whose Wounds I have renewed with great impiety. Alas for me!

"I believed the devil and not God's ministers, and now I am receiving my due. The priests used to tell me not to wait until death to reform my life, for I would put my salvation in obvious peril. The devil used to persuade me otherwise, saying that by an act of sorrow at the time of death, everything would be set right. I heeded the devil and not the priests. Now, as just punishment, I find myself in the hands of the wicked dragon, who crushes my spirit with sentiments of despair, anguish and remorse.

"Oh, cursed be the time that I lent my ear to my worst enemy! Oh, cursed be the hour I made light of the warnings from the pulpit! Oh, cursed be the day I rejected God's inspirations and calls! What a comfort it would be to me now if I had cooperated with the graces that were offered me for a genuine conversion! But I did not choose to do so. And now — for me there is no God, no Blessed Virgin, no angels, nor saints, but only room for devils, for panic and despair. Farewell children, property, homeland! Farewell to Heaven, to glory, to that blessed Mount Sion! I am damned and I am damned forever beyond all remedy. Come, O devils, and snatch me from this world. Come, Lucifer, and take possession of my wretched soul. Come, cruel dragon, take this obstinate sinner away as your captive. Quickly torment me, tear me asunder with your claws. Quickly break my bones and bury me in hell, to burn continuously forever!"

In this way, with anguish, agony and frenzy, the sinner ends his miserable days. As soon as his body has been taken to the grave, even his best friends soon forget him, while his heirs enjoy his property. In the meantime he has not a single drop of water with which to relieve his tongue in those burning flames. So ends all the glory of this world, O my soul. So perishes all its vanity and pride. So vanishes all its glitter. So it comes to pass that the sinner's end is a wretched one and his death in every way a disaster.

Affective Acts

(1) Repentance — I know, O Lord, that it is sin that makes one's death a bad one. I now hate my sins and I am sorry for having offended Thee. I appeal to Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, my Creator, Father and Redeemer. Because Thou art what Thou art, Infinite Goodness, I am sorry for having sinned and I resolve, with the help of Thy Divine Grace, to avoid sin in the future; and I promise to go to confession and fulfill the penance which is imposed upon me. I offer Thee my life, my toils and my hardships in satisfaction for all my sins. Even as I make this appeal to you, I trust that Thou will forgive me and grant me grace to amend my ways and to persevere in Thy Grace until the end of my life. Amen.

(2) Prayer of Petition — O Mary, Mother of sinners who choose to reform, pray for me that I will do penance and sin no more.

Now pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary and the Concluding Prayers as on page xi.

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Meditation 14. The Last Judgment

Preparatory Prayer as on page x

Composition of Place — Imagine you see Jesus seated on a magnificent throne in order to pass judgment on everyone, and you in particular; and that there, surrounded by the Apostles and saints, in the presence of all the peoples who have existed, now exist, and will exist, He asks you for an accounting of all the good and evil that you have done, all your deeds and omissions, even your idle words.

Prayer of Petition — Lord, I beg Thee to grant me the grace I need to live a good and holy life so that when Thou dost come to judge me Thou wilt not have to condemn me.


First Point

At the approach of Judgment Day everything will be in dreadful turmoil. The sun, the moon and the stars will not give light, and the world will be left in darkness; vegetation and flowers will wither and bear no fruit.¹

Sickness and contagion will multiply and become acute, and will leave parents bereaved of children, and children grieving at the loss of parents. Families will lose heirs and cities will be left without inhabitants.

Prolonged and cruel wars will bring desolation on the most flourishing kingdoms. Bloody strife among men will end in frightful public disorder. Famine will wipe out whole families and destitution will bring thousands of the survivors to the grave.

After this, the most cruel tyrant that has ever been seen in the world will come to power. He will be that bloodthirsty beast, the Antichrist, who will spread deceit and terror throughout the world. Oh, the distress! the calamities!

What great panic there will be! Who will want to live during those bitter days? Mortal men will weep, with no one to sympathize. They will be overwhelmed with pain with no one to bring relief. How even speak of relief? Suffering will grow every moment.

Yes, God's wrath, held back for so many centuries, will release the elements so that they will be stirred up to concerted action against the sinner. The air will yield lightning and radiation which will cast buildings to the ground. A terrible hail with rocks from the sky will lay waste the farmlands.

Dreadful crashes of thunder will be heard that will bring panic. The ground will quiver with frightful earthquakes. Great holes will appear which will swallow up entire cities. The richest palaces, the strongest forts, will shake and fall to ruin.

The sea will burst the dikes, and as its raging waters rise up to the clouds, its waters will dash over all the land, will terrify men with frightening roars, and under its waves it will bury great and little, and all who can escape the world-wide disaster, will rush for refuge in the caves of high mountains.

From there they will see a flood of fire come in order to reduce to ashes everyone who has escaped the fury of other elements. What panic there will be! What anguish! Oh, the wailing that will be heard everywhere! Who will escape those immense flames? No one, neither rich nor poor, nor prince nor vassal, nor young nor old.

Everything will burn — kings with their armies, cities with their fortifications, palaces with their tapestries — all will be fodder for those flaming volcanoes. A column of fire will run from east to west. It will mount to the highest and descend to the lowest places. It will track down everything and reduce it to ashes, even gold, silver, precious stones, rational creatures and brutes, fish, birds, the hills, the islands, and the mountains.

Thus the world will end with all its vanities. Is it possible, my soul, that this should be the end of everything created? Oh, what are we to say? Are there still men who thirst after rank and riches? Are there still fools who, unmindful of the last day of the world, surrender their lives to wicked desires?


Affective Acts

(1) Scorn — I do not want anything in this world. In this meditation God teaches me that I must regard all the things in this world as fleeting, as things that serve and belong to what is subject to decay and corruption. Therefore I do not care for them. In due time they will be delivered over to flames. I do not care for them, nor do I value those things that may cause me to burn in the fire of hell.

(2) Resolution — The goods that will not burn in this fire are virtues. Therefore I want to amass these and treasure them. I will cultivate them with every effort and care. Help me, Jesus and Mary.


Second Point

Oh, what weeping there will be when the angel calls all the dead to judgment! Yes, after all the goods of the world are reduced to ashes, the voice of the angel will peal forth and say, "Arise ye dead and come to judgment." This awesome utterance will be heard in all the four corners of the world. It will be heard in Heaven, in Purgatory, and in hell. No one will be able to resist God's summons transmitted by His angel. We will all arise in the same bodies that we had, but not all in the same way.

Holy souls will come down in glory from above and will give a very sweet embrace to their bodies, which will join them forever. The body, clothed again in the four qualities of glory — [The qualities of glory possessed by the bodies of the elect on Judgment Day are: 1. Impossibility, whereby they can no longer suffer; no sickness, no pain, nor any need of food, drink, rest, or anything else. 2. Clarity, whereby they will shine like the sun and other heavenly bodies. 3. Agility, whereby they will be able without effort to pass in a moment from one place to another and from earth to Heaven. 4. Stability, whereby they can pass through any body without hindrance, as Christ did after His Resurrection.] — and the happy and blissful souls will bless one another.

"O happy feet," the soul will say, "which walked along the path of virtue! O blessed hands, which labored well! O blessed tongue, which spoke the truth and sang Divine praises! O all ye senses, which shunned evil and embraced righteousness; now you will receive the reward of mortification and penance. Now you will enjoy all delights and consolations. Now, my body, enjoy an eternal glory which eye has not seen nor ear heard, nor has any mind been able to comprehend what God has prepared for His chosen ones."

"Bless you, O my soul!" the body will say, "May blessings be upon you, for you ruled and governed me; you taught me the way of holiness, you obliged me to keep the Commandments of God and the Church. Come, my faithful and happy companion! Come, let us together enjoy the reward of virtue. Let us unite to enjoy God forever!" In this way the just will speak.

But how different it will be with those who are condemned! What different greetings these doomed ones will exchange! Body and soul will gaze at one another, and seeing each other filthy, hideous, of frightening appearance, they will curse one another with rage and panic. "O hateful body!" the unhappy soul will say. "O bag of rottenness! Must I enter such a rotten prison? Must I be thrust into this slimy mass of filth? O cursed body! Because I gave you pleasure I see myself doomed! And you want me to keep you company? Go back to the grave, wretch, to be food for worms, and let me go alone to hell!"

"O treacherous soul!" the body will reply; "you are responsible for my ruin. Why did God make me except for you to rule over me? Should you not have mortified my animal appetites? Were you not bound to guide me along the way to Heaven? Then why did you let me run on the path of sin? O you cursed one, get out of my presence! I would rather see the devil than you!" In this way these former companions in sin will curse one another. They will hate to be joined who once loved each other in such a disorderly way. But they will have to unite, even though it grieves them.

This is the way the Resurrection of the Dead will take place. All the just, shining more brightly than the sun, and the condemned, more horrible than monsters, all will swiftly rise, with body and soul re-united, and then await the judgment of God.


Affective Acts

(1) Admiration — Yes, I am to rise again. And how will I rise? Will I be in the number of the just or will I be among those condemned? Look at your works and they will tell you.

(2) Resolution — My Lord and God, I detest and hate all my sins. I will strive from now on to do all the good works that I can; for they are what will help me on that fearful day. They are what will earn for me a victorious and glorious resurrection, in particular good Communions that are frequent and devout...


Third Point

Oh, what a dreadful judgment for some! What a consoling judgment for others! The Sovereign Judge will come down from on high with great splendor and majesty. The sight of Him will bring joy to the upright and terror to sinners.

Those who are saved will be placed at His right, and the others at His left. What distress, my soul, it will be for princes and lords of the world to see themselves put to shame and ranked with criminals and the lowest slaves!

What sweet consolation it will be for the poor little ones of the world to find themselves in the company of holy rulers of the earth and angels of Heaven!

How much do you think the wicked and proud Jezebel would give to see herself at the side of the humble, pious Esther? On that day how much do you think Julian the Apostate would give to be in the company of Ferdinand the Catholic? What would the treacherous Judas not do to be at the right of his Divine Master?

Oh, what panic there will be for the miserable ones who are doomed! What pitiful cries they will make! What will it be like when the consciences of each one are laid bare in the clearest way? What will it be like when the trickery, the cheating, the lies, the thefts, the vice, the murders, all the crimes of sinners are disclosed before all the world?

Ye holy Heavens, what a distressing humiliation it will be! What extreme anguish! Sinners will wail with frenzy; they will beg the mountains to fall upon them and bury them under the wreckage; but it will not help them at all. Much to their distress they will have to undergo the strict accounting God will demand of them.

"Listen, O men! Harken, ye tribes! Give ear, ye nations!" The Lord will say. "What should I have done for sinners that I did not do? I invited them peacefully. In My Mercy I called them. I delayed the rigors of My Justice; but the wretches remained ever obstinate in their sin.

"I spoke to them through preachers of My Gospel and admonished them through the ministers of penance. I threatened them with punishment. But these sinners disregarded both words of mercy as well as words about justice. I brought them forth from nothingness, preserved their life, redeemed them at the price of My Blood; but these ungrateful people abused these great benefits, outraged My Holy Name, and trampled on My Precious Blood. I held My peace at all this; I bore it all with much patience and for a long time awaited their conversion. But what has been the fruit of this long delay? It has been sin, injustice, vice, hatred, sacrilege, every kind of iniquity. Did you think I would be forever peacefully silent? Now, wielding My power, I will speak and I will make you burn in the deep pit. Go, ye accursed ones, into the eternal fire. Depart from Me forever."

Then, turning with a kind, peaceful look toward those who are saved, He will tell them: "You are My chosen portion, My glory and My crown. Though you were of the same flesh and blood as the doomed ones, you did not live as they did; for you ordered your lives according to My commandments and laws. You will enjoy My eternal reward. Come, ye blessed of My Father, to possess the kingdom which was prepared for you from the beginning of the world."

What different sentences, O my soul! Upon hearing the first sentence, those who are doomed will frantically wail. They will blaspheme against their parents and themselves; they will rave against everything; and while they are spitefully ranting, raving and despairing, they will fall like a thunderbolt into hell.

On hearing the second sentence, the just will pronounce a thousand blessings. They will bless their mortifications and toils; they will bless their faith, their hope, their charity and other virtues; and amid these blessings they will enter rejoicing into the possession of glory. Henceforth this group will be happy forever, whereas the other group will be unhappy forever. This group will enjoy immense favors, whereas the others will suffer infinite evils. This group, the elect, will ceaselessly enjoy all delights. Those who are doomed will experience all kinds of torment without relief.


Affective Acts

(1) Shame — Consider the shame which a person of rank suffers when his secret failings are made public before a great multitude. Now on Judgment Day the faults into which you have fallen in thought, word and deed will be made known to the whole world, unless you have made a good confession of them all; whereas if all your sins have been properly confessed, they remain forgiven, covered up, erased.

(2) Resolution — I resolve to make a good confession of all my sins, without hiding any on account of shame; for if I have this shame now and feel too ashamed to tell my sins to the Father confessor, what will be the shame on that day when the Lord will make public before all the world all my sins that have not been confessed or have been poorly confessed?

My desire, my will, is to sin no more, mortally or venially. I want to be upright and I will be, by the help of God. I will keep myself away from all sin; I will practise virtue; I will observe the holy law; I will follow the counsels of the Gospel; and I will frequently receive the holy Sacraments; I will be devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. I will practise the seven Corporal Works of Mercy, which are: To feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to harbor the harborless, to visit the sick, to visit the imprisoned, to bury the dead.

And I will practise the seven Spiritual Works of Mercy, which are: To convert the sinner, to instruct the ignorant, to counsel the doubtful, to comfort the afflicted, to bear wrongs patiently, to forgive injuries, and to pray for the living and the dead.

Now pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary and the Concluding Prayers as on page xi.


Footnote

¹Note — The 1859 Barcelona text, which appears to be the most authentic, gives this last sentence as follows: "The sun, the moon and the stars will not give light, and the world will be left in darkness; the stars will not have their enlivening influence on trees, vegetation and flowers, and hence they will wither and bear no fruit." The theory of the enlivening influence of stars on plants was fashionable in some learned circles in Saint Claret's day. It is not rejected today by all learned men.

[Stone]

Meditation 15. The Glory of Heaven


Preparatory Prayer as on page x

Composition of Place — With the gaze of my imagination I will picture a city of beauty, of joy, of brilliance — the capital of the supreme King, who is seated on a throne of unspeakable majesty, attended by angels and saints.

In spirit I see many of my patron saints who beckon me to become their fellow citizen and a member of God's household. How lovely and peaceful is this city! How lovable, how blessed are its inhabitants! How fortunate I will be if I finally arrive in their company!

Prayer of Petition — My Lord and God, grant me light to see and know the great value of heavenly glory, and give me grace to be one of the just on earth throughout my life, so that hereafter I may be one of the saints in Heaven.


First Point

If somewhere in the world there were a city where squares, streets and buildings were made of precious stone, of silver and of purest gold; if all its inhabitants were very rich and noble, very kind, agreeable and courteous; if, furthermore, this city were governed by a king who was a man of peace and of virtue, fond of doing good and who truly brought happiness to all who wanted to go live in his fellowship — how quick would men not be to journey to that blessed city?

Would they not be hastening from the farthest parts of the world to enroll under his banner? Knowing he would become rich, honored, and well-blessed, would anyone hold back so as not to suffer the little trouble of travel?

My soul, with a little trouble during this life, you can become a citizen of the city of God, the city of heavenly glory. You can dwell in endless peace amid all that is good. You can live with a King Who is infinitely kind, peace-loving, rich, and mighty, Who has the power, the will and the means to bring happiness to whoever chooses to live in His company.

Ah! What has God failed to provide in Heaven for those who dwell there? If on earth He has made such beautiful things, what would He not provide in the heavenly Jerusalem for His citizen-subjects?

If I were to say that this eternal city is paved with finest silver and purest gold, I would be saying nothing. If I said that this blessed Sion were constructed with diamonds, rubies and emeralds, I would say nothing. If I said that in that blessed country rivers flowed with milk and honey, that it has the most delightful flowers and gardens, that one finds tasty and rich fruits of every kind, I would say nothing.

Oh, paradise! You are the masterpiece of things produced by the magnificence of an all-powerful God. You are the price of the Blood of an infinitely kind and generous Savior. You have the best of all good things, to the exclusion of all that is bad. Oh paradise, in you is found a river of delights into which the person who has been saved is plunged.

In you is found light, glory, gleaming splendor that causes darkness to flee. Oh, my sweet homeland! My heart is wonderfully gladdened as I think of you. My soul feels inexpressible joy as I reflect on your sacred courts. O divine tabernacles! When will I come to possess you? O Heaven! When will I leave this valley of tears to enjoy your delights?

My ears, my eyes, all my senses and faculties direct themselves to thee, assured as I am that in possessing thee, I would find the fulfillment of all my desires. Might I be deceived? No. Faith and reason assure us that God made man to be perfectly happy. As he does not find this perfect happiness on earth, faith, and reason as well, teach me that Heaven is the place assigned by God to fill every void of the human heart.


Affective Acts

(1) Hope — O Heaven, my homeland! When will I possess you? There I have my Father, Who is God; my Mother, who is the Blessed Virgin Mary; my brethren, who are the saints. I hope to go there soon. Yes Lord, indeed snatch me soon from this world. Bring my exile to an end. Open the gates of Heaven to me.

(2) Prayer of Petition — O Mary, my Mother! Just as a little child always cries for his mother, I will always weep until I see You, until I see You in glory. Take me soon, O Mother. You well know that I cannot live without You and that "I pine away because I die not." I wish to die so that I can go to Heaven and be with You for all eternity.



Second Point

Yes, in heavenly bliss man finds the fulfillment of all his desires. Once his body is dressed anew with the four glorious properties which all who are saved will receive at the time of the General Judgment, he will have a brilliance greater than that of the sun and stars, he will enjoy an agility and power of penetration like that of an angel; he will be impassible, incorruptible, and eternally blessed.

His eyes will enjoy the sight of the beauties of paradise. His ears will be delighted at the melodious music of heavenly spirits, and he will perceive the exquisite fragrance of that blessed place. O home of infinite delights! Here, the blessed, the redeemed, will taste the sweetest savor and enjoy the happiest companionship.

Ah! If association on earth with a very prudent, wise, agreeable and affectionate person brings great consolation, what will it not be to associate in Heaven with angels and saints, all of whom have the highest degree of prudence, wisdom, virtue, lovableness and affection?

What sweetness will one not experience in talking to, in seeing, in hearing creatures that possess such great beauty, knowledge and virtue? What pleasure will there not be in hearing, speaking to, and seeing the choirs of the fairest virgins, of the charming confessors and martyrs, of gloriously brilliant apostles, prophets and patriarchs?

What will it not be like to behold, to hear, to talk with angels, Cherubim and Seraphim, who are afire with love for God? My soul pines away as it considers the delights of glory. My heart desires to depart from my breast in order to go forth to enjoy such great happiness.

There in paradise, all are immensely rich crowned princes. There all virtues reach a heroic degree, all holiness is genuine, all charity is overflowing, all love is sincere. There peace prevails as well as concord, and all awards are perfectly just. One finds abundance, magnificence and grandeur. Not a thing there is faulty or blemished. Sin gains no entry and death holds no sway.

But where will my talking this way lead to? Is there yet more one might say? How does one tell it?

Our Blessed Mother Mary is the charm of the saints. Jesus Christ is the joy of the elect, as likewise He is the immense and sovereign God wherein the angels and saints find their rest and satisfaction. But is Blessed Mary not a portion of the inheritance of the just? Yes. Indeed, what will the joy not be of seeing Her fair face, Her gracious eyes, Her lovely person? What a delight it will be to behold the Queen of Heaven and earth, endowed with every grace, adorned with every perfection?

What a joy the just man will experience from being in his Mother's company, in partaking of Her gifts, in witnessing Her devotedness. Even if there were nothing else among the created enjoyments and glories of Heaven besides enjoying seeing the sweet and Blessed Virgin Mary, the hermits would consider their penances well worth it; the martyrs, their torments; and the confessors and virgins would remain satisfied for all their privations and toils.

And what shall I say about the happiness which the saints will experience from seeing and possessing Jesus Christ? This sweetest Savior appears in Heaven with all the splendor of His glory. One is allowed to see His Holy Humanity in all the perfection that the Hand of the Almighty gave It. One sees His Sacred Head crowned with resplendent stars.

The locks of His golden hair well suit the purple of a great King. His eyes are brighter than a thousand suns. His face, more handsome than any other sons of men, will shine with the glory of God.

From His feet and hands rich rivers of grace gush forth. That loving breast is an immense sea of treasures and blessings. O most holy Humanity of Jesus! When will I see Thee at the right hand of the Father? O Infinite God! When shall I enjoy Thy presence? When will my eyes see Thee face to face? When will my soul, once it is free of the chains that shackle it on earth, become free and active in Heaven?


Affective Acts

(1) Resolution — I resolve to sin no more, not even venially; for I know that nothing defiled can enter Heaven. I will do penance for my sins, even those that have been pardoned in Confession, so that I will not be detained in Purgatory.

(2) Prayer of Petition — I will perform all my works in grace so that they will have merit for Heaven. Indeed, I will direct everything to God's greater glory. I will suffer with great patience every pain and ordeal that I must endure in this world, keeping mindful of the great glory that awaits me. I will remember that great rewards are not gained except with great labors.

I will continually do battle against the enemies of my soul — the world, the devil, and the flesh — and be ever mindful that one will not be crowned unless he has lawfully fought.



Third Point

The blessed see God with unblurred vision and love Him without any reserve or holding back. They see the Creator of the universe and cherish Him whole-heartedly. They behold His Infinite Being and are engulfed in His immense love. They have a clear knowledge of the mysteries of the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Eucharist, and the rest.

They comprehend the good use which the just have made of their graces and the little account which the reprobates have made of theirs. In the Divinity as in a clear mirror, the blessed soul sees whatever has happened in the world.

It knows the power of the elements, the course of the stars, and the influence of the planets. It understands all sciences and arts. In a word, the mind sees all things in a clear and simple vision and it does not want to know more.

And the will? The will, now enjoying an immense Good, does not and cannot crave anything else for all eternity. One loves as much as one is capable. One possesses as much as one can possess. One enjoys as much as one can enjoy, for what it enjoys is God Himself. One lives in the love of God and is plunged in God.

Indeed, in God the blessed soul finds everything. It finds immense treasures and riches. It finds inexpressible sweetness and delight. For this soul God is a lovable Father, a fond and sweet Spouse, a faithful Friend whom one can never lose. And what makes the blessedness of the just soul complete is this: They live in Heaven without fear of losing it for all eternity. O Heaven! Oh, Heavenly home! O mansion of the blessed!

How is it that I am not seeking thee in all earnestness? How is it that I do not run, panting for breath, in pursuit of you? The Queen of Sheba, on hearing many wonderful things related to her about Solomon, hastened to see for herself. When she saw his magnificent palaces, his exquisite gardens, his immense treasures, and perceived his great wisdom and the good order that prevailed in his service, while deeply moved and beside herself she exclaimed: "Blessed be the Lord thy God Whom thou hast pleased! Blessed are they who have the good fortune to hear thy words! And blessed are all who serve thee and stand in thy company!"

Ah, my soul! How much greater will be the good fortune of those who are in the company of the Creator, enjoying His immense delights, hearing His Infinite Wisdom, seeing His lovely palaces! What a tremendous good fortune to behold Him in the midst of pure virgins, glorious martyrs, resplendent patriarchs and crowned princes! What a glorious experience to see the Queen of them all leaning on Her beloved Son? Ah, I count the remaining days of exile and tears of my life on earth. After that, I have the hope of being joined forever with the Good that my heart adores. This hope eases all my pains, tempers all my afflictions, and sweetens all my labors.

The worldling has no further reward for his fatigue than a bit of the world. Heaven is forever, and is the reward for the upright Christian. He labors for things that are solid and everlasting; the worldling toils for things that are miserable and perishable, which of necessity he is going to lose. What a difference between the hope of one and the hope of the other — the reward of the one and the reward of the other! Ah, my soul! Let us run in pursuit of that great reward. The labor is short-lasting. The happy gain is everlasting. Have a bit of patience; for soon indeed the sinner's merriment will change into tears, and the just man's tears will change into merriment. A little patience, my soul; for presently an infinite and eternal glory will come which no one can take from you.

You will then bless your toils and tears and be forever glad of your good fortune. You will then bless the Lord and all who stand in His presence, and with more reason than the Queen of Sheba had for blessing Solomon and his attendants. Have courage, my soul, for soon you will rest in the possession of the Good which you desire and sigh for.


Affective Acts

(1) Prayer of Petition — O Jesus my Savior, save me! O Divine Jesus, lead me into the Land of Heavenly Promise. Deliver me soon from this exile on earth.

O Heavenly Father, by the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and my Brother, grant me the glory of Heaven.

O Holy Spirit, sanctify me and take me soon into glory!

O holy Virgin, pray to God for me, now and at the hour of my death. And hasten, so that I may soon go to Heaven.

O ye angels and saints, pray to God for me, that I may soon go to Heaven and sing with you the Lord's eternal mercies.

(2) Resolution — When things are distasteful and difficult, I will say: Oh, how little for something so great! Oh, what a little bit you have to do and suffer! Oh, how great is the repayment that awaits you!¹

I will hear the voice of Blessed Mary, who keeps speaking to me the very words which that mother of the Machabees spoke to her son: "I beseech thee, my son, look upon Heaven..." (2 Mach. 7:28).

I will say the words of Saint Ignatius: "Ah! How distasteful the world is when I look at Heaven!"

Now pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary and the Concluding Prayers as on page xi.


Footnote

¹Note — "...The sufferings of this time," says Saint Paul, "are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come that shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18)

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Section III

Meditation 16. The Reign of Jesus Christ


Commentary — In the First Section we have meditated on the things that separate us from our End, and they are sins. Thus we (presumably) have repented of them and have confessed them.

In the Second Section we had more deeply renewed and confirmed our repentance and our firm purpose of not sinning again.

In the Third Section, which is the present one, the retreatant is taken as cleansed of all sin and as having a firm purpose of sinning no more, and we are to see how to advance on the road of virtue and perfection and how to love God with all our heart and with all our strength in order to gain thereby our Last End.

We have become almost blind precisely because of the sin of our first parents and our own sins; and thus we are to turn to Jesus Christ that He may enable us to see, as He enabled the blind man on the way to Jericho to see. We are to beg Him to enlighten us with His Divine Grace — He Who is the true Light that enlighteneth every man who cometh into this world (John 1:9). Lastly, we are to follow Him and imitate Him; indeed, for this reason the Eternal Father gave Him to us, and Jesus Christ Himself tells us, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh to the Father but by Me." (John 14:6). The meditations, then, of this Third Section will be on the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, on the imitation of His example and the practice of His virtues. In order that these meditations may produce happier results, one will keep a rigorous silence. He will speak only with Jesus, about steps he considers taking, or with Mary most Holy, or other persons connected with the mystery.

During the meditations of the Third Section, in free time one will read the holy Gospel or Thomas a Kempis, or the lives of the saints that relate to one's state in life, or Granada, or whatever the director will propose.

Preparatory Prayer as on page x

Composition of Place — Place before your mind the synagogues, villages and towns where Christ Our Lord preached.

Prayer of Petition — I beg Thee, my Lord, for the grace I need to not be deaf to Thy sacred calls and to promptly perform and carefully follow Thy most Holy Will.

Words of Saint Ignatius — "The first point is to put before my mind a human king, chosen by God Our Lord Himself, to Whom all princes and all Christians pay reverence and obedience.

"Secondly, I will consider how this king speaks to all his subjects, saying, 'It is my will to conquer all infidel lands. Therefore, whoever wishes to come with me must be content to eat as I eat, drink as I drink, dress as I dress, etc. He must also be willing to work with me by day and watch with me by night. Thus he will share my victory as he has shared my toils.'

"Thirdly, I will consider what the reply of worthy subjects should be to this generous and noble king, and will reflect how anyone, if he would refuse the request of this king, would deserve to be despised by all and considered an unworthy knight."

The second part of this exercise is the application of the example of this earthly king to Christ the Lord, and conforms to the three previously mentioned points.

Regarding the first point, if we respond to such a call of an earthly king to his subjects, how much more worthy of consideration is a call from Christ Our Lord, Whom we see as the Eternal King, when we see before Him all mankind, to whom, and to each man in particular, Christ calls and says, 'My Will is to conquer the whole world and all My enemies and thus enter into My Father's glory. Whoever wishes to come with Me must labor with Me, so that by following Me in suffering, he may follow Me also in glory.'

In reference to the second point, I will consider that everyone who has judgment and reason will offer themselves completely for this work.

Concerning the third point, persons wanting to show the greatest affection and distinguish themselves in every service rendered their Eternal King and Universal Lord, will not only offer themselves completely for the work, but by laboring against their own sensuality and carnal and worldly affection, will make offerings of greater value and importance, saying:

"O Eternal Lord of all, I make this offering with Thy Grace and aid in the presence of Thy Infinite Goodness, and in the presence of Thy glorious Mother and all the saints of Thy Heavenly court: namely, it is my will and desire and my deliberate choice — provided only that it be for Thy greater service and praise — to imitate Thee in bearing all injuries, all evils, and all poverty, both physical and spiritual, if Thy Sacred Majesty should will to choose me for such a life and state."



First Point

Explanation — The following of Jesus Christ is something very just and it is something we owe Him. There are two reasons that show clearly how the following of Christ is called for from us. Apply yourself, O my soul, to consider them well.

The first reason is the end for which Jesus Christ came into the world. Ah! What a misfortune it would have been if Jesus had not come! Our first parents had fallen and had been deprived not only for themselves, but for us, of the right to glory. Of the thousands of millions of men who have been born from the beginning of the world and who will be born until the end of the world, none would have been able to enter Heaven nor enjoy God for all eternity. Can you imagine a state of affairs more deplorable for the human race? Likewise, just as none of these thousands of millions of men would ever have been able to enter Heaven nor enjoy God, none of them would be able to forever praise Him. Oh! How much less would be the honor paid to God!

But now that Christ has come into the world, we can all enter paradise. Its gates are not shut to us, provided we are willing to follow Christ. In Heaven there are whole choirs of saints who praise and bless the Holy name of God for all eternity. Tell me, what more noble, what more sublime end, could there ever be than the eternal glory of God and the eternal blessedness of man?

The second reason is the conditions with which Christ invites us to follow Him. Kings of the earth, when they are to start some undertaking of great toil or some hazardous venture, do not generally go in person, but send lowly servants in their place. Jesus Christ does the opposite. "I do not ask," He says, "that they who follow Me, clothe or feed themselves more poorly than I, nor in their eating and drinking do they have to observe greater poverty than My poverty. Nor do I want them to weary themselves more, nor be the first to set about the task; because I will go before them. Truly, the only thing I want from them is that they follow Me."

This is something very noteworthy. Jesus is innocent; I am loaded with sin. Jesus is Supreme Lord; I am a heap of dirt. Heaven belongs to Jesus; whereas hell is the more suitable place for me. Yet He does not ask of me that I weary myself nor labor more than He, but simply that I follow Him.


Affective Acts

(1) Thanksgiving — O my Jesus, if Thou had no other end in inviting me to follow Thee except the glory of Thy Heavenly Father, I would be obliged to obey Thee. He is the Supreme Good and my Supreme Master and Lord; on Whom I totally depend. For this reason I have always been bound to even shed my blood for His Glory. But Thou hast not considered only the honor and glory of Thy Eternal Father, but have considered also my salvation and the eternal happiness of my soul. Thou hast invited me to follow Thee in order to make me share together with Thee, the same joys and delights, the same blessedness, that belongs to Thee. Ah! What praise, blessing and thanksgiving do I not owe Thee!

(2) Resolution — Because, O my Jesus, on this following of Thee depends the glory of Thy Most Holy Name and the salvation of my soul, I resolve to follow Thee unreservedly and with as much perfection as possible — let nature resist as much as it will, cost what it may to conquer myself; I am a creature loaded with sins, a creature whom you drew out of nothing, a creature who has deserved hell. How will I be able to be excused from doing and suffering what Thou hast done and suffered, Who are by nature innocence and holiness, Supreme Lord of Heaven and earth, my God, my Creator, my Redeemer? No, my Jesus, I will never do this: Thy life henceforth is to be the rule for mine, observing Thy footsteps, I will follow Thee; the way that Thou didst walk, I will walk, with Thy help.



Second Point

The following of Jesus Christ is something easy and light — Two facts make it easy to follow Jesus Christ. Let us consider them with attention. The first is the interior peace, joy and satisfaction with which Jesus, even in this world, rewards those who follow Him. The life of Christ in this world indeed had its delights. At His birth men obliged Him to occupy a stable, but angels came down from Heaven to announce His Glory to the world. In the desert He was tried by the demon; but angels refreshed Him. At the time of His preaching He was blasphemed and outraged; but He was transfigured on Mount Tabor.

If Christ's life had its delights, yours will too; for He places this express condition: "I am not willing that they suffer more than I." Yes, indeed, my soul, the greater the perfection with which you follow Jesus Christ, the greater will be the consolations which the Heavenly Father will heap upon you.

Listen to His own words, which cannot fail: "My yoke is sweet and My burden light." To be near Jesus brings sweetness even in the midst of troubles. To be far from Jesus always is something bitter, even in the midst of pleasure. Be certain that if no more than one drop of the consolations of Heaven were to fall to earth, it would fall on the heart that faithfully follows Jesus Christ.

The second fact that makes it easy to follow Jesus is the infinite glory and blessedness with which Jesus Christ rewards in the next world those who have followed Him. Ah! A few years from now and I will be in paradise! What a consoling thought! Oh how this joyful thought lightens our troubles!

O my soul, imagine that the Divine Redeemer appears to you with a heavy cross on His shoulders and that He attentively gazes at you with kind and fond eyes, and that at the same time Heaven opens and you are allowed to see a high throne, placed above many millions of souls in Heaven — a throne of such extraordinary beauty that its like has never been seen. Suppose that then, turning to you, Jesus Christ says: "Do you see? This throne is yours and you will possess it forever, if you follow Me for a few years."

Ah! My soul, would you not resolve to follow Jesus Christ joyfully? And would not this promise of Jesus Christ provide a special tonic in all your fatigues and troubles? Now why can faith not do for you what this vision would do? Faith teaches that if you follow Jesus Christ, a heavenly kingdom awaits you, an eternal kingdom, a kingdom of infinite joy.


Affective Acts

(1) Hope — My Jesus, I believe this, and I see that one must admit that Thy yoke is sweet and Thy burden light. Thy lips have pronounced these words, Thy lips which cannot deceive. All it can cost me to follow Thee, is to give up my self-love and my cowardice. If in a short time I would learn to conquer myself and follow Thy footsteps, I would quickly understand well by experience how true are Thy words.

Oh, how miserable have the lives not seemed of those people of both sexes of all states and conditions, who in times past lived buried in deserts or in dark caves in the mountains! Yet it was these persons into whose hearts Heaven shed streams of delight.

How depressing in appearance has been the lives of those persons who ended their days undergoing persecution and oppression amid insults and disgrace, with crosses and trials. Yet they have been the ones with whom the Divine Redeemer has shared the closest familiarity and whom He has enriched with the best graces!

Will I be the only one whom Jesus will abandon in the midst of pain if I follow Him? The only one whom He will not let share any consolation? Will I be the only one to whom He will never give any relief? Will He fail to let me, alone, experience His sweetness? Ah, no! Thou will not act thus, my Jesus. I await this blessing and I promise it to myself on Thy Mercy.

This is something that will make it sweet to follow Thee. With this confidence I earnestly turn to Thee and promise to follow Thee in everything and through everything that may come.



Third Point

To follow Jesus Christ is something necessary — I am persuaded, my soul, that you have a firm resolve to be perfect. If we assume this, it is absolutely necessary that you follow Jesus Christ in everything as much as you can. "If thou wilt be perfect," said the Divine Redeemer to the young man, "come and follow Me." Do you realize that all this is true? Ah! It is not that there is lack of knowledge. But what frightens me is that I see Jesus trodding such a rough road.

But this is the way it must be; because, first, Jesus Christ is Infinite Wisdom and Goodness. He came down from Heaven to earth in order to show you, my soul, the way that leads to Holiness. Is this not so? Then if there were another smoother, surer way than the one He showed us, we would have to say either that He is not Infinite Wisdom on account of His ignorance of that way, or that He is not Infinite Truth, since He has not taught it to us. But who could think such a thing without blasphemy?

Second, Jesus Christ is Infinite Love and Kindness. He is not fond of making us suffer without a reason, and He takes no pleasure in such things. What follows from this? It follows that if He had known that a smooth, pleasant way were available to lead us to Holiness and to our last End just the same as a rough, painful way, then the love that He bears us would not permit Him to lay it upon us to take the rough way. Ah, how well this God saw that by taking the smooth way of pleasure, we could not expect anything but eternal damnation. Therefore He set before us the bitter way in preference to the pleasant way, and He Himself chose to walk that way. And now He invites us to follow Him on it.

Pause here a moment, my soul, and ponder within yourself. In this world there are two ends that we can reach. One is infinite unhappiness, which is hell. The other is infinitely happy, which is Heaven. Two roads, no more, lead to these ends. The broad, pleasant way along which such a great number of men go, leads to hell. The narrow, rough way which Jesus Christ takes with His small following of worthy souls, leads to Heaven.

Oh, what a supremely important truth! Only the road along which Jesus Christ walks, leads to Heaven! This is a truth pronounced by Jesus Christ Himself: "No one comes to the Father but by Me." It is as though He said: No one reaches the Father, no one arrives at Heaven, unless he walks the way that I have walked. What, then, am I to do? Which of the two roads will I choose?


Affective Acts

(1) Repentance — O my Jesus! I do not find anything that can truly console me if I reflect on my past life. I have adored Thee until now as my God and Redeemer, but I have not followed Thee as my Captain and Guide. The virtues that Thou callest a yoke that is sweet and a burden that is light — these are some things I have always regarded as a very heavy load, one not suited to my powers.

I have not considered that this somehow was a blasphemy against Thy Wisdom, as though that Wisdom knew not how to measure my powers; or a blasphemy against Thy Goodness, as though Thou wanted to overburden me. O my God and Redeemer, my Master and Guide! I confess my error, my blameworthiness, and I regret it with all my heart. Oh, how fortunate I would be now if I had always lived according to Thy spirit and had always walked along the way Thou didst walk!

(2) Consecration — How long will I remain in this error? Thou art the Way, the Truth and the Life, O my Jesus! I dedicate myself to Thee at this moment with all my heart and without reserve. I choose to follow Thy footsteps and take the same way that Thou took.

Go before me, my Jesus, and be my Captain. Let me suffer humiliation or insult, expose me to persecution and slander; I will follow Thee. Afflict me with pain and misfortune; I will yet walk after Thee. Place me in humble subjection to others where I must completely give up my own wishes; and I will continue to follow Thee. Where Thou art, O Jesus, my life, I wish to be also. What Thou sufferest, I want to suffer. One thing only I beg, and I know Thou will not refuse it. It is Thy help, Thy assistance, Thy powerful Grace, O my Jesus.

Now pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary and the Concluding Prayers as on page xi.

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Meditation 17. The Incarnation and Birth of Jesus Christ: His Wonderful Humility


Preparatory Prayer as on page x

Composition of Place — Picture the house at Nazareth and all it contained. Then consider the road going from Nazareth to Bethlehem, at times broad, at times narrow, sloping now upward, now downward, and all the other circumstances. Finally, entering into the cave of Bethlehem, consider what sort of place it is — what persons and things you see.

Petition — Grant me the grace, my Jesus, to know the deep humility Thou art teaching me and the great love Thou art showing me. I wish to be humble and fervent in Thy holy service.

Text of the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke¹ — "God sent the angel Gabriel to a city of Galilee called Nazareth, where a Virgin dwelt... The angel said, Hail, Full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee; Blessed art Thou among women... And Mary said, Behold the Handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to Me according to thy word...

"Joseph, being of David's clan and family, came up from the town of Nazareth, in Galilee, to David's city in Judea, the city called Bethlehem, to register his name there. With him was his espoused wife Mary, Who was with Child; and it was while they were still there that the time came for Her delivery. She brought forth a Son, Her First-Born, Whom She wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger, because there was no room for Them in the inn."



First Point

Explanation — In His Incarnation and Birth, Jesus Christ has humbled Himself to a point beyond measure. Oh, in how many instances and in what wonderful instances, we may consider this mystery of His humiliation! Let us now consider just a few of them.

The first way He humbled Himself was in taking on human nature. Even if you had an enlightened vision of the facts, you could never sufficiently appreciate this Mystery. Let us express it with a simile. Picture, O my soul, a king of a vast empire, of great power and riches, endowed with wisdom and all those talents and gifts that are suitable for a ruler. The nobility, the army, and the people love him as a father. Nothing that can be imagined is lacking to make him happy.

This great monarch secretly lays aside his purple, abandons his dominions, dresses himself in poor, tattered garments, and wandering away to a strange country, engages himself as a farm hand. He continues to live in this way, unknown and engaged in this lowly occupation until death.

What man could sufficiently appreciate this example of humbling oneself? O my soul, awaken your Faith and tell me: Who is that lovable Infant Whom you see in the stable at Bethlehem? It is the only begotten Son of the Eternal Father, the Lord of hosts, the Most High God. This Lord, disregarding His greatness and His exalted standing, came down from Heaven where He was adored and praised by all the choirs of angels, and chose to dwell on the earth.

He became a poor man, and in a lowly human form He remained here unknown until His death. Can a greater self-effacement ever be conceived by the human mind?

The second way Christ humbled Himself was in taking on human nature in the condition of an infant. Does anything arouse compassion more than that condition does? An infant cannot stand on its feet, much less walk. It always has to be carried. It cannot feed itself nor provide for any of its needs. It requires the hands of others. It cannot speak, and if anything troubles it, it cannot show it except by crying.

We pass over in silence many other handicaps to which they are subject, which are known to all. You and I were able to bear these hardships easily, since we were deprived of the use of reason at that time. But Jesus Christ, endowed with the fullness of wisdom, experienced the full weight of this humiliation. He could have come into the world as a fully developed man; but to humble Himself more perfectly, He did not choose that, but chose the condition of an infant.

The third way Christ humbled Himself was His taking on human nature in such wise as to hide all the divine and human perfection with which He was endowed. I ask no more, my soul, but that you glance at that little Babe in the manger. Behold, here lies that Almighty God Who created Heaven and earth out of nothing; and yet He cannot take a step nor stand on His feet.

Here lies that God of Infinite Power Who, though He could move all the immense machinery of the world by a mere nod, has reduced Himself to a condition of such helplessness that He needs to be carried in the arms of His Mother. Here lies the Wisdom of the Father, rendered incapable of uttering a word. Here lies that God of Infinite Riches Whom the most respected, the most fearful rulers, must turn to for aid. Yet He has nowhere to rest except in an unclean stable. Oh, what self-effacement! Oh, what an example of humility is my Redeemer!


Affective Acts

(1) Shame — O Jesus, most humble Jesus! How different are the desires of my heart from those of Thy Heart! Thou, from Thy love for humility, humbled Thyself by coming down from Heaven to earth; whereas I venture to praise myself, to extol myself to the skies. Thou didst lower Thyself to the condition of a little child; I puff up with continual ambition for higher rank and honor in the eyes of men.

Thou hidest all Thy Infinite Perfection to escape praise and honor; I put in the sight of all whatever good I seem to have, in order to gain esteem and praise. Thus all Thy thoughts are directed to humbling and lowering Thyself and all my thoughts strive toward my exaltation. Alas! I see that I must confess, O my Jesus, that I do not yet have any of Thy Spirit and that my thoughts are as far from Thine as Heaven is from earth!

(2) Repentance — I know well, O my Jesus, how much I have deceived myself! This is not the road that Thou hast walked. But from this moment I repent of all the desires and vain satisfactions to which I have consented, of all the words of vainglory I have uttered, of all the works I have performed for vanity's sake. It is right for Thee alone to have honor and glory, and to Thee alone will I pay it; for Thou art Source and Fount of everything good. Henceforth I will not look at anything else but Thy self-effacement and humility, to love it and embrace it with all my heart according to the rule of Thy doctrine and Thy example.



Second Point

In His Incarnation, in His Birth, and all His life, Jesus of His own choice consented to self-effacement and to being despised by others. Thus consider first how Jesus Christ was received into the world at His Birth. Can there ever be a greater affront done a man than to be cast out by his fellow citizens so that he does not find anyone in his own country who grants him lodging, even for a night?

Now this is just what happened to Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. There were lodgings for everyone else, old and young, men and women, nobles and peasants. Only Jesus, with His Mother, seem to have been cast off by everyone; and it was necessary for Him to be born in a stable.

Now how did Jesus Christ bear this strange treatment? He bore it with such cheerfulness that He even made it possible for it to happen. For otherwise, if He had not been willing, He could have sent ahead armies of angels to announce His coming. In this way He would have been able at His coming to move His fellow citizens to venerate and respectfully adore His Majesty. He did none of this, and this was simply in order to have an occasion for suffering insults.

How was Jesus treated by the world after His Birth? Even far worse than at His Birth. A new star appeared in the sky. Kings from the East went to Judea and told of the Birth of the Savior of the world. Now surely all Jerusalem would come to adore the Child Jesus. Oh, the ingratitude of these people!

Of so many thousands of men there was not even one who took a step to go see and adore Jesus. Rather, they reasoned among themselves to find a way to do away with Him promptly. His death was decreed and the day was appointed for His impious execution. In order to escape it, Jesus Christ found Himself obliged to flee from His homeland.

What idea did the world have of Jesus Christ when He was grown up? No more favorable than what they formed of Him at His Birth. Jesus lived in Nazareth with His good Mother. His occupation at home and away from it was hard work and fatigue to earn a living by the sweat of His brow.

Who would have ever thought that under the appearance of a humble laborer, a God was hiding Who had become man? His Eternal Father wanted to keep this mystery hidden and would not let it become apparent that this was His Beloved Son. Mary and Joseph also kept it secret, and Jesus always hid the treasures of His Divinity and humanity from the view of men.

So it happened that everyone believed He was a young son of a carpenter Who was called Jesus, that He submitted faithfully to His Mother and to the one who took the part of father, and that His employment was that of an artisan. This, my soul, is all the praise that this God Who had become Man obtained from the world during the space of thirty full years. That is to say, the Lord Who made Heaven and earth was a hard-working carpenter.


Affective Acts

(1) Contempt of self — Ah, what a loathsome thing in Thy sight, O my God, is the honor and esteem of men! And how greatly contempt is valued in Thy sight! By any chance did Thou lack means to obtain honor, if Thou hadst wanted it? In just a single hour Thou couldst have filled the world with miracles and thus drawn all the admiring gazes of men. But Thou didst not want to do this. Thou wanted to hide all the treasures of Thy Perfection under Thy humble condition as a workman so that in this way Thou might escape esteem and honor.

Oh, how bitter this truth is for me! Thou dost flee honor, and I flee contempt! Thou dost love to live unknown, and I strive to make myself known. Thou dost rejoice in receiving affronts and I rejoice in receiving honors. O my Jesus! Alas for me! What a wretched state I am in! If Thy Spirit is the way of holiness, my spirit is that of damnation. If Thy humility is the key to Heaven, my pride is the key to hell.

(2) Desire for humility — What shows me my pride most clearly is that I see myself honored much more than Thou were, and even so I am not satisfied. My status is respected, and because of it I am treated with respect. But who treated Thee with respect when Thou didst present only the status of a poor artisan? Alas for me! I want to be esteemed more than my Redeemer was.

I know this well, O my Jesus! And I do not know what to do. Deeply rooted in me is this desire, so loathsome to Thee, for honor, and this horror that I have for contempt, a horror which is abominable to Thee. Everything must yield to my wayward self — even Thy honor, the good pleasure of Thy Eternal Father. Yes, true progress in virtue must yield; the sanctity of my soul must yield. This is a wound that Thou alone can cure, O my Jesus!



Third Point
Reflections on the Humility of Jesus Christ

Here you have, my soul, one of the most important points of the spiritual life. Ask God for light and reflect on it well.

First reflection — Nothing can be found in a soul so beneficial for it before God as the experience of contempt and humiliation. Let us suppose that we were here in the world before the Birth of Jesus Christ, and that the Eternal Father, to let us know our pride, asks us what way He should send His Son into the world. What answer would we have given?

Doubtless we would have said: The suitable thing is that His foster father should be a great monarch, His Mother a great queen, His dwelling a magnificent palace; that He send squadrons of angels to announce His coming; and that they instruct people to go promptly to pay profound adoration to the New-Born God. The suitable thing, too, would be for Him to sit upon a lofty throne and display His Majesty and Wisdom and rule the world with supreme authority.

That is what you would have thought. But what does the Eternal Father do? The Mother of My Beloved and Only-Begotten Son — He says — is to be a poor maiden. His lodging is to be a stable. His bed, a little straw. He is not to rule, but to obey. He is to be hidden from view and to engage in a humble occupation. He is to live and die as a victim of discredit and contempt.

Alas, my soul! We are so blind! The thing we cherish most among ourselves is honor and worldly praise and glory, and the Heavenly Father cherishes only those who despise and humble themselves before men. Turn your eyes to Jesus. What do you see in Him except a victim of humiliation, discredit, and ill treatment?

It was just that sacrifice — such an exalted one! — in which the Eternal Father took so much satisfaction and for the sake of which He worked out the salvation of the world.

Second reflection — There is nothing more loathsome to God than fondness for worldly glory. The less a soul resembles Jesus Christ, the more loathsome it is to His Heavenly Father. Now what resemblance can a soul ever have to Jesus Christ if it is fond of praise, honor, and worldly glory?

Jesus' thoughts were all of humiliation and self-effacement. Jesus' desires were directed to nothing but to be a victim of contempt. Jesus' joy and satisfaction were all founded on much suffering for His Father's glory. Jesus' life began and ended amid insults. In their midst He was silent. Now you, O my soul, place yourself alongside Jesus and see if you resemble Him.


Affective Acts

(1) Self-accusation and repentance — It were better that I weep than utter a word, O my Jesus. I would almost say that my heart has as much resemblance to Thine as a fallen angel has to one of the holy ones. Thy Heart fosters a supreme loathing for all praise, honor, and human glory, and has a burning desire for contempt and affronts in order to give glory to Thy Father; whereas my heart feels a loathing for these things and has a fondness for all that is the opposite. But what increases my bad condition is that I convert medicine into poison.

The most effective means to uproot my pride would be to undergo insult, belittlement, and mockery. But, alas! I love my sickness and hate the remedy for it. I defend my pride and cast humility far from me. Will there be any other remedy for me, O most humble Jesus? Ah! Thanks to Thy Mercy, I should know, at least now, my deplorable condition and hate it.

Indeed, O my Jesus, I do hate and curse all vain thoughts, vain feelings, and vain desires, all the vain satisfactions I have taken in receiving praise and honor, and everything I have done for the sake of vainglory. Yes, all this I hate and curse and I desire that it be forever cursed. Thou art the font and source of everything good. To Thee alone is praise, honor and blessing rightly due. I, who am a sinner, deserve only to blush in confusion and to be despised by all.

(2) Resolution and Prayer of Petition — O my Jesus, if in times past I have fervently begged Thee to grant me a grace, I now in a particular way beg Thee for a sincere and deep humility. I am asking for a great favor; because humility is the special quality that belongs to Thy Spirit and to Thy true followers. It is the key for entering into familiarity with Thee and the gate to paradise. A proud soul can never have close friendship with Thee, for it is an object of horror in Thy eyes. To obtain this virtue, any price, no matter how great, should seem little to me.

Two things I resolve upon, my Jesus: First, to never deliberately admit any vain satisfaction or vain thought, nor to ever say a word of self-praise, nor to do anything for vainglory. Second, to gladly accept and bear in silence the contempt that befalls me from any quarter. But, O my Jesus, how easy it is to make a promise, and how hard it is to constantly keep these resolves. Thou alone, O my Jesus, can help me. Thou alone are my hope, my helper, my strength. To Thee I cling, O my beloved One, so humble, so despised, so down-trodden!

Now pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary and the Concluding Prayers as on page xi.


Footnote

¹Luke (1:26-2:7)