St. Alphonsus Liguori: Daily Meditations for Fifth Week after Easter

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Monday – Fifth Week After Easter

Morning Meditation

“THE WILL OF GOD, YOUR SANCTIFICATION.”

In seeking eternal salvation we must, as St. Paul tells us; never rest, but run continually in the way of perfection so that we may win the prize and secure an incorruptible crown. So run that you may obtain -(1 Cor. ix. 24). If we fail, the fault will be all our own, for God wills that all should be holy and perfect. This is the will of God-your sanctification-(l Thess. iv. 3).


I.

This is the will of God-your sanctification. As it is impossible to arrive at perfection in any art or science without ardent desires of its attainment, so no one has ever yet become a Saint but by strong and fervent aspirations after sanctity. “God,” observes St. Teresa, “ordinarily confers His special favours on those only who thirst after His love.” Blessed, says the royal Prophet, is the man whose help is from thee: in his heart he hath disposed to ascend by steps in the vale of tears, They shall go from virtue to virtue-(Ps. lxxxiii. 6, 7, 8). Happy the man who has resolved in his soul to mount the ladder of perfection: he shall receive abundant aid from God, and will ascend from virtue to virtue. Such has been the practice of the Saints, and especially of St. Andrew Avellino, who even bound himself by vow “to advance continually in the way of Christian perfection.” St. Teresa used to say that “God rewards, even in this life, every good desire.” It was by good desires that the Saints arrived in a short time at a sublime degree of sanctity. Being made perfect in a short space, he fulfilled a long time-(Wisd. iv. 13). It was thus that St. Aloysius, who lived but twenty-five years, acquired such perfection that St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi, who saw him in bliss, declared that his glory appeared equal to that of most of the Saints. In the vision he said to her: My eminent sanctity was the fruit of an ardent desire which I cherished during my life of loving God as much as He deserved to be loved: and, being unable to love Him with that infinite love which: He merits, I suffered on earth a continual martyrdom of love, for which I am now raised to that transcendent glory which I enjoy.

“Our thoughts,” says St. Teresa, “should be aspiring: from great desires all our good will come.” In another place she says: ” We must not lower our desires. but should trust in God that by continual exertion we shall, by His grace, arrive at the sanctity and felicity of the Saints.” Again she says: “The Divine Majesty takes complacency in generous souls who are diffident in themselves.” This great Saint asserted that in all her experience she never knew a timid Christian to attain as much virtue in many years as certain courageous souls acquired in a few days. The reading of the Lives of the Saints contributes greatly to infuse courage into the soul.

It will be particularly useful to read the Lives of those who, after being great sinners, became eminent Saints, such as St. Mary Magdalen, St. Augustine, St. Pelagia, St. Mary of Egypt, and especially St. Margaret of Cortona, who was for many years in a state of damnation, but even then cherished a desire of sanctity; and who, after her conversion, flew to perfection with such rapidity that she merited to learn by revelation, even in this life, not only that she was predestined to glory, but also that a place was reserved for her among the Seraphim.

O Divine Heart of my Jesus! Heart enamoured of men! Heart created to love them! How is it possible that Thou hast been so much dishonoured and despised by them? Unhappy me! I, too, have been one of those ungrateful souls; I, too, have lived so many years in the world and have not loved Thee. Pardon me, O my Jesus, the crime of not having loved Thee, Who art so amiable, and Who hast loved me so much that Thou couldst not have done more than Thou hast done to oblige me to love Thee. In punishment of having so long despised Thy love I would deserve to be condemned to that miserable state in which I could never love Thee. But no, my Jesus; I cheerfully accept every chastisement except the eternal privation of Thy love. Grant me the grace to love Thee, and then dispose of me as Thou pleasest.


II.

St. Teresa says that the devil seeks to persuade us that it would be pride in us to desire a high degree of perfection, or to wish to imitate the Saints. She adds that it is a great delusion to regard strong desires of sanctity as the offspring of pride; for it is not pride in a soul diffident of herself and trusting only in the power of God to resolve to walk courageously in the way of perfection, saying with the Apostle: I can do all things in him who strengtheneth me-(PhiI. iv. 13). Of myself I can do nothing; but by God’s aid I shall be able to do all things; and therefore I resolve, with His grace, to desire to love Him as the Saints have loved Him.

It is very profitable frequently to aspire after the most exalted virtue, and to desire it–such as to love God more than all the Saints, to suffer for the love of God more than all the Martyrs, to bear and to pardon all injuries, to embrace every sort of fatigue and suffering for the sake of saving a single soul, and to perform similar acts of perfect charity. Because these holy aspirations and desires, though their object will never be attained, are, in the first place, very meritorious in the sight of God, Who glories in men of good will as He abominates a perverse heart and evil inclinations. Secondly, because the habit of aspiring to heroic sanctity animates and encourages the soul to perform acts of ordinary and easy virtue. Hence it is of great importance to propose· in the morning to labour as much as possible for God during the day; to resolve to bear patiently all crosses and contradictions; to observe constant recollection; and to make continual acts of the love of God. Such was the practice of the seraphic St. Francis. “He proposed,” says St. Bonaventure, “with the grace or Jesus Christ to do great things.” St. Teresa asserts that “the Lord is as well pleased with good desires as with their fulfilment.” Oh, how much better is it to serve God than to serve the world! To acquire goods of the earth, to procure wealth, honours, and applause of men, it is not enough to pant after them with ardour; no, to desire and not to obtain them only renders their absence more painful. But to merit the riches and the favour of God, it is sufficient to desire His grace and love.

O my Jesus, Thou sayest: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart-(Matt. xxii. 37). It is Thy will, then, that I love Thee with my whole soul, and I desire nothing but to love Thee with all my strength. O loving Heart of my Jesus, light up in my soul that blessed fire which Thou camest on earth to enkindle. Destroy all the earthly attachments that still live in my heart, and prevent me from belonging entirely to Thee. O my beloved Saviour, do not reject the love of a heart which has hitherto so much afflicted Thee. Ah, since Thou hast loved me so much, do not permit me to live for a single moment without Thy love! O love of my Jesus, Thou art my love! I hope that I shall always love Thee, and that Thou wilt always love me; and that this mutual love shall never be dissolved.

O Mary, Mother of fair love, O thou who dost desire to see thy Son loved, bind and unite me to Jesus, so that I may become entirely His, as He desires me to be.

Spiritual Reading

VITA, DULCEDO! HAIL, OUR LIFE, OUR SWEETNESS!

XXI.-MARY IS OUR LIFE, BECAUSE SHE OBTAINS FOR US PERSEVERANCE.

The most Blessed Virgin is called a plane-tree in the words of Ecclesiasticus: As a plane-tree by the water in the streets was I exalted-(Ecclus. xxiv. 19). Cardinal Hugo explains them, and says that the “plane-tree has leaves like shields,” to show how Mary defends all who take refuge with her. Blessed Amedeus gives another explanation, and says that this holy Virgin is called a plane-tree because, as the plane-tree shelters travellers under its branches from the heat of the sun and from the rain, so do men find refuge under the mantle of Mary from the ardour of their passions and from the fury of temptations. Truly are those souls to be pitied who abandon this defence in ceasing their devotion to Mary, and no longer recommending themselves to her in time of danger. If the sun ceased to rise, says St. Bernard, how could the world become other than a chaos of darkness and horror? And applying his question to Mary he repeats it: “Take away the sun and where will be the day? Take away Mary, and what will be left but the darkest night?” When a soul loses devotion to Mary, it is immediately enveloped in darkness, and in that darkness of which the Holy Ghost speaks in the Psalms: Thou has appointed darkness, and it is night; in it shall all the beasts of the woods go about-(Ps. ciii. 20). When the light of Heaven ceases to shine in a soul, all is darkness, and it becomes the haunt of devils and of every sin. St. Anselm says that “if any one is disregarded and condemned by Mary, he is necessarily lost,” and therefore we may with reason exclaim, “Woe to those who are in opposition to this sun!” Woe to those who despise its light! That is to say, all who despise devotion to Mary.

St. Francis Borgia always doubted the perseverance of those in whom he did not find particular devotion to the Blessed Virgin. On one occasion he questioned some novices as to the Saints towards whom they had special devotion, and perceiving some who had it not towards Mary, he instantly warned the Master of novices and desired him to keep a more attentive watch over these unfortunate young men, who all, as he had feared, lost their vocation and renounced the Religious state.

It was, then, not without reason that St. Germanus called the most Blessed Virgin the “breath of Christians”; for as the body cannot live without breathing, so the soul cannot live without having recourse to and recommending itself to Mary, by whose means we certainly acquire and preserve the life of divine grace within our souls. But I will quote the Saint’s own words: “As breathing is not only a sign but even a cause of life, so the name of Mary, which is constantly found on the lips of God’s servants, both proves that they are truly alive, and at the same time causes and preserves their life, and gives them every succour.”

Blessed Allan was one day assaulted by a violent temptation and was on the point of yielding, for he had not recommended himself to Mary, when the most Blessed Virgin appeared to him and, in order that another time he might remember to invoke her aid, she gave him a blow, saying: “If thou hadst recommended thyself to me thou wouldst not have run into such danger.”

Evening Medition

THE PRACTICE OF THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST

XXVII.-“CHARITY IS KIND”-HE THAT LOVES JESUS CHRIST LOVES MEEKNESS

I.

St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi made the generous declaration that there could not be found in the whole world an affliction so severe that she would not gladly bear when the thought that it came from God; and, in fact, during the five years of severe trial which the Saint underwent, was enough to restore peace to her soul to remember that is was by the will of God that she so suffered. Ah, God, that infinite treasure is cheaply purchased at any cost! Father Hippolytus Durazzo used to say: “Purchase God at what cost you will; He can never be dear.”

O my most loving Redeemer, enable me to know how great a Good Thou art, and how great is the love Thou hast borne me in order to oblige me to love Thee! Ah, my God, suffer me not to live any longer unmindful of so much goodness! Enough have I offended Thee, I will never leave Thee again; I wish to employ all the remainder of my days in loving Thee, and in pleasing thee. My Jesus, my Love, lend me Thine aid; help a sinner who wishes to love Thee and to be wholly Thine. O Mary, my hope, thy Son hears thee; pray to Him in my behalf, and obtain for me grace of loving Him perfectly!


II.

Let us then beseech God to make us worthy of His love; for if we did but once perfectly love Him, all the goods of this earth would seem to us but as smoke and dirt, and we should relish ignominies and afflictions as delights. Let us hear what St. John Chrysostom says of a soul wholly given up to Almighty God: “He who has attained the perfect love of God seems to be alone on the earth-he no longer cares for either glory or ignominy- he scorns temptations and afflictions-he loses all relish and appetite for created things. And as nothing in this world brings him any support or repose, he goes incessantly in search of his Beloved without ever feeling wearied; so that when he toils, when he eats, when he is watching, or sleeping, in every action and every word all his thoughts and desires are fixed upon finding his beloved, because his heart is where his treasure is.”

My dear and beloved Jesus, my Treasure, I have deserved by my offences never more to be allowed to love Thee; but by Thy merits, I entreat Thee, make me worthy of Thy pure love. I love Thee above all things; and I repent with my whole heart of having ever despised Thee, and driven Thee from my soul; but now I love Thee more than myself; I love Thee with all my heart.

O Infinite Good! I love Thee, I love Thee, I love Thee, and I have not a wish besides that of loving Thee perfectly; nor have I a fear besides that of ever seeing myself deprived of Thy love.