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We err in calling the place where we now dwell our home. After a little while the grave will be the home of our body until the Day of Judgment, and the home of our soul will be the House of Eternity, in Heaven or Hell for ever!
I.
We err in calling the place where we now dwell our home. After a little while the grave will be the home of our body until the Day of Judgment, and the home of our soul will be the House of Eternity, in Heaven or Hell for ever, because man shall go into the house of his eternity (Eccles. xii. 5). At our burial our corpses do not go to the grave of themselves; they are carried there by others; but the soul goes to the place which awaits it, either of eternal joy or eternal woe. A man shall go to the house of his eternity. According as a man lives well or ill, so he goes to the home prepared, in Paradise or in Hell, which he shall never change.
Those who live on this earth often change their home, either to please themselves or because they are compelled. In eternity the habitation is never changed; where we enter the first time, there we abide forever. If the tree fall to the south or to the north, in whatever place it shall fall, there shall it be (Eccles. xi. 3). He that enters into the South, which is Heaven, will be ever happy; he that enters the North, which is Hell, will be ever miserable.
He, then, who enters Heaven, will be always united with God, always in company with the Saints, always in the profoundest peace, always abundantly contented; because every blessed soul is filled and satisfied with joy, nor will he ever know the fear of losing it. If fear of losing their happiness could enter among the Blessed, they would be no longer happy; for the mere thought of losing the joy they possess would disturb the peace they enjoy.
On the other hand, whoever enters into Hell will be forever far from God. He will ever suffer in the fire of the damned. Let us not think that the pains of Hell will be like those of earth, where, through the force of habit, a trouble continually grows less; for, as in Paradise, delights never cause weariness, but seem ever new, as though they were for the first time enjoyed, which is implied by the expression of "the new canticle" which the Blessed are ever singing; so, in Hell, the pains never grow less through all eternity. Long custom will never diminish their torment. The miserable beings who are damned will feel the same anguish through eternity that they feel the first moment they experience its pangs.
II.
St. Augustine says that he who believes in eternity and is not converted to God has either lost his senses or his Faith. Woe, cries St. Cesarius, woe to sinners who enter eternity without knowing it, through having neglected to think upon it! And then he adds: "But, oh, double woe! They enter it and they never come forth!" It is a double woe, the first will be to fall into that abyss of fire; the second, that he who falls into it will never come forth: the gates of hell open only to those who enter, not to those who would depart.
No; the Saints did not do too much when they went to hide themselves in caves and deserts, to eat herbs, and to sleep on the ground, in order to save their souls. "They did not do too much," says St. Bernard, "because, where eternity is in question, no security can be too great." When, then, God visits us with any cross of infirmity, poverty, or any evil, let us think of the hell we have deserved, and thus every sorrow will appear light. Let us say, with Job: I have sinned, and indeed I have offended, and I have not received what I have deserved (Job, xxxiii. 27). O Lord, I have offended Thee, and many times betrayed Thee, and I have not been punished as I deserved; how, then, can I lament if Thou sendest me tribulation -- I, who have so often deserved hell?
O my Jesus, send me not to Hell, to the Hell in which I could no longer love Thee, but should hate Thee forever. Deprive me of everything -- of property, health, life; but deprive me not of Thyself. Grant that I may love Thee and praise Thee forever; and then chastise me, and do with me what Thou wilt. O Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me.
Spiritual Reading
2. -- "WHEN I WAS A LITTLE ONE I PLEASED THE MOST HIGH."
St. Thomas says that Mary was called full of grace, not on the part of grace itself, for she had it not in the highest possible degree, since even the habitual grace of Jesus Christ (according to the same holy Doctor) was not such that the absolute power of God could not have made it greater, although it was a grace sufficient for the end for which His humanity was ordained by Divine Wisdom, that is, for its union with the Person of the Eternal Word. Although Divine power could make something greater and better than the habitual grace of Christ, it could not fit it for anything greater than the personal union with the only-begotten Son of the Father, and to which union that measure of grace sufficiently corresponds, according to the limit placed by Divine Wisdom. For the same angelic Doctor teaches that the Divine power is so great that, however much it gives, it can always give more; and although the natural capacity of creatures is in itself limited as to receiving, so that it can be entirely filled, nevertheless its power to obey the Divine will is unlimited, and God can always fill it more by increasing its capacity to receive. "As far as its natural capacity goes, it can be filled; but it cannot be filled as far as its power of obeying goes." But now to return to our proposition: St. Thomas says that the Blessed Virgin was not filled with grace, as to grace itself, nevertheless she is called full of grace as to herself, for she had an immense grace, one which was sufficient, and corresponded to her immense dignity, so much so that it fitted her to be the Mother of God: "The Blessed Virgin is full of grace, not with the fulness of grace itself, for she had not grace in the highest degree of excellence in which it can be had, nor had she it as to all its effects; but she was said to be full of grace as to herself, because she had sufficient grace for that state to which she was chosen by God, that is, to be the Mother of His only-begotten Son." Hence Benedict Fernandez says that "the measure whereby we may know the greatness of the grace communicated to Mary is her dignity of Mother of God."
Evening Meditation
CONSIDERATIONS ON THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST
"Behold thy Son! ... Behold thy Mother!"
I.
All antiquity asserts that St. John was ever a virgin, and especially on this account was he given as a son to Mary, and honoured in being made to occupy the place of Jesus Christ; on which account the holy Church sings: "To John, a virgin, He commended His Virgin Mother." And from the moment of the Lord's death, as it is written, St. John received Mary into his own house, and assisted and obeyed her throughout her life, as if she had been his own mother. Jesus Christ willed that this beloved disciple should be an eye-witness of His death, in order that he might more confidently bear witness to it in his Gospel, and might be able to say: He that saw it hath given testimony (Jo. xix. 35). And on this account the Lord, at the time when the other disciples abandoned Him, gave St. John strength to be present until His death in the midst of so many enemies.
But let us examine more deeply the reason why Jesus called Mary woman, and not mother. By this expression He desired to show that she was the woman foretold in the Book of Genesis, who would crush the serpent's head: I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel (Gen. iii. 15). It is doubted by none that this woman was the Blessed Virgin Mary, who, by means of her Son, would crush the head of Satan -- if it be not more correct to say that her Son, by means of her who would bear Him, would do this. Naturally Mary was the enemy of the serpent, because Lucifer was haughty, ungrateful, disobedient, while she was humble, grateful, and obedient. It is said, She shall crush thy head, because Mary, by means of her Son, beat down the pride of Lucifer, who lay in wait for the heel of Jesus Christ, which means His holy humanity, which was the part of Him which was nearest to the earth; while the Saviour by His death had the glory of conquering him, and of depriving him of that empire which, through sin, he had obtained over the human race.
O suffering Mother, thou knowest that I have deserved hell; I have no hope of being saved, except by the merits of the death of Jesus Christ. Thou must pray for me, that I may obtain this grace; and I pray thee to obtain it for me by the love of that Son Whom thou sawest bow His head and expire on Calvary before thine eyes. O Queen of Martyrs, O advocate of sinners, help me always, and especially in the hour of my death!
II.
God said to the serpent: I will put enmities ... . between thy seed and her seed. This shows that after the fall of man, through sin, notwithstanding all that would be done by the Redemption of Jesus Christ, there would be two families and two posterities in the world, the children of Satan signifying the family of sinners, his children corrupted by him; and the children of Mary, signifying the holy family, which includes all the just, with their Head Jesus Christ. Hence Mary was destined to be the Mother both of the Head and of the members, namely, the faithful. The Apostle writes: Ye are all one in Christ Jesus; and if ye are Christ's, then ye are the seed of Abraham (Gal. iii. 28, 29). Thus Jesus Christ and the faithful are one single body, because the Head cannot be divided from the members, and these members are all spiritual children of Mary, as they have the same spirit of her Son according to nature, who was Jesus Christ. Therefore, St. John was not called John but the disciple beloved by the Lord, that we might understand that Mary is the Mother of every good Christian who is beloved by Jesus Christ, and in whom Jesus Christ lives by His Spirit. This was expressed by Origen: "Jesus said to Mary: Behold thy son! as if He had said: This is Jesus, whom thou hast borne, for he who is perfect lives no more himself, but Christ lives in him."
Denis the Carthusian writes that in the Passion of Jesus Christ the breast of Mary was filled with the blood which flowed from His Wounds, in order that with it she might nourish her children. And he adds that this divine Mother by her prayers and merits, which she especially acquired by sharing in the death of Jesus Christ, obtained for us a participation in the merits of the Passion of the Redeemer.
O my advocate, Mary, even now I seem to see the devils, who, in my last agony, will strive to make me despair at the sight of my sins. Oh! abandon me not then, when thou seest me thus assaulted; help me with thy prayers, and obtain for me confidence and holy perseverance. And because then, when my speech will be gone, and perhaps my senses, I shall not be able to invoke thy name and that of thy Son, I now call upon thee -- Jesus and Mary, I recommend my soul unto you!
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre
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Other children are born into this world, not only deprived of grace and reason, but infected with sin and children of wrath, condemned to misery and death; but holy Mary came into this world a babe, it is true, in age, but great in merit and virtue. She was sanctified in her Mother's womb above all Saints and Angels, and was born a Saint, and a great Saint.
I.
Men usually celebrate the birth-day of their children with great feastings and rejoicings; but, indeed, they should pity them rather and show signs of mourning and grief when they reflect that their children are born, not only deprived of grace and reason, but worse than this, -- they are infected with sin and are children of wrath condemned to misery and death. But it is right to celebrate with festivity and universal joy the birth of our holy infant Mary. She saw the light of this world, a babe it is true in age, but great in merit and virtue. She was born a Saint and a great Saint.
Speaking particularly of Mary's sanctity before her birth, St. Vincent Ferrar says that "the Blessed Virgin was sanctified in her mother's womb above all Saints and Angels." For as Mary was chosen to be the Mother of God, it was becoming that God should adorn her, in the very first moment of her existence, with an immense grace and one of a superior order to that of all men and Angels, since her grace had to correspond to the immense and most glorious dignity to which God exalted her. The measure whereby we may know the greatness of Mary's graces is her dignity of Mother of God.
And not only was Mary the predestined Mother of God, but she was destined to be the universal mediatress of the world's salvation, the mediatress of all the graces conferred on men and Angels. The holy Church wishes us to understand this when she honours the Divine Mother by applying to her the words of Ecclesiasticus: In me is all grace of the way and of the truth. In me is all hope of life and of virtue (Ecclus. xxiv. 25). "Magnify the finder of grace," says St. Bernard, "the mediatress of salvation, the restorer of worlds -- this am I taught by the Church proclaiming it; and thus also does she teach me to proclaim it to others." And Richard of St. Victor says: "By Mary every creature is repaired; by her the ruin of the Angels was remedied; and by her the human race was reconciled." "By this holy Virgin all creation has been restored and reinstated in its primitive condition," says St. Anselm.
O holy and heavenly infant, thou who art the destined Mother of my Redeemer, and the great mediatress of miserable sinners, have pity on me! Behold now at thy feet another ungrateful sinner who has recourse to thee seeking thy compassion. It is true that for my ingratitude to God and to thee I deserve that God and thou should abandon me, but thou dost not refuse to succour all who recommend themselves to thee with confidence. Receive then the supplication of a sinner who places in thee the whole hope of his salvation.
II.
Let us be convinced, then, that our heavenly child Mary, as the appointed mediatress of the world and the destined Mother of the Redeemer, received at the very beginning of her existence graces exceeding in greatness that of all the Saints together. How delightful a sight, therefore, must the beautiful soul of this happy child have been to Heaven and earth, even while yet in her mother's womb! She was the most amiable creature in the eyes of God, because already laden with grace and merit she could say: When I was a little one I pleased the Most High. And she was at the same time the creature who, above all others the world had ever known, loved God the most; so much so, indeed, that if she had been born after her most pure Conception, she would have come into the world richer in merits and more holy than all the Saints together. Oh, how much greater must her sanctity, then, have been at her Nativity, coming into the world, as she did, with all the merits she acquired during the whole of the nine months she remained in the womb of her mother.
Let us, then, rejoice with our beloved infant Mary, who was so holy, so dear to God, so full of grace! And let us rejoice not only on her account, but also on our own, for Mary was born full of grace for her own glory, but also for our good. For what St. John says of Jesus, And of his fulness we have all received, the Saints say of Mary "of whose plenitude we all receive."
O most exalted of all creatures in the world, O Saint of Saints, O holy Mary! O abyss of charity, full of grace, succour a miserable sinner who by his own fault has lost the Divine friendship! O Lady, do this for the love of God Who has made thee so great, so powerful, and so compassionate. This is my hope. Amen.
Spiritual Reading
3. -- "WHEN I WAS A LITTLE ONE I PLEASED THE MOST HIGH."
It was not without reason that David said that the foundations of this city of God, that is, Mary, are planted above the summits of the mountains: The foundations thereof are in the holy mountains (Ps. lxxxvi. 1). Whereby we are to understand that Mary, in the very beginning of her life, was to be more perfect than the united perfections of the entire lives of the Saints could have made her. And the Prophet continues: The Lord loveth the gates of Sion above all the tabernacles of Jacob (Ps. lxxxvi. 2). And the same king David tells us why God thus loved her; it was because He was to become man in her virginal womb: A man is born in her (Ps. lxxxvi. 5). Hence it was becoming that God should give this Blessed Virgin, in the very moment that He created her, a grace corresponding to the dignity of Mother of God.
Isaias signified the same thing when he said that, in a time to come, a mountain of the house of the Lord (which was the Blessed Virgin) was to be prepared on the top of all other mountains; and that, in consequence, all nations would run to this mountain to receive the Divine mercies. And in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared on the top of mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it (Is. ii. 2). St. Gregory, explaining this passage, says: "It is a mountain on the top of mountains; for the perfection of Mary is resplendent above that of all the Saints." And St. John Damascene, that it is a mountain in which God is well pleased to dwell (Ps. lxvii. 17). Therefore Mary was called a cypress, but a cypress of Mount Sion; she was called a cedar, but a cedar of Libanus; an olive-tree, but a fair olive-tree; beautiful, but beautiful as the sun; for as St. Peter Damian said: "As the light of the sun so greatly surpasses that of the stars, that in it they are no longer visible; it so overwhelms them that they are as if they were not; so does the great Virgin Mother surpass in sanctity the whole court of Heaven." So much so that St. Bernard beautifully remarks that the sanctity of Mary was so sublime that "no other Mother than Mary was becoming a God, and no other Son than God befitted Mary."
Evening Meditation
CONSIDERATIONS ON THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST
Eli! Eli! Lamma sabacthani? My God! My God! Why hast thou forsaken me?
I.
St. Matthew writes that Jesus uttered these words with a loud voice. "Why did He thus utter them? Euthymius says that He thus cried out in order to show us His Divine power, inasmuch as, though He was on the point of expiring, He was able thus to cry aloud, which would be impossible to dying men, through their extreme exhaustion. Also, Jesus thus cried out in order to show us the anguish in which He died. It might, perhaps, have been said that as Jesus was both God and man, He had by the power of His divinity, diminished the pains of His torments; and in order to prevent this idea, He thought fit in these words to declare that His death was more bitter than any man had ever endured, and that while the Martyrs in their torments were comforted with Divine sweetness, He, the King of Martyrs, chose to die deprived of every consolation, satisfying the utmost rigour of the Divine justice for all the sins of men. And therefore Silveira remarks that Jesus called His Father God, and not Father, because He was then regarding Him as a Judge, and not as a son regards his father.
St. Leo writes that this cry of the Lord was not a lamentation, but a doctrine, because He thus desired to teach us how great is the wickedness of sin, which, as it were, compelled God to abandon His beloved Son to die without comfort, because He had taken upon Himself to make satisfaction for our sins. At the same time, Jesus was not abandoned by the Divinity, nor deprived of the glory which had been communicated to His blessed soul from the first moment of its creation; but He was deprived of all that sensible relief by which God is wont to comfort His faithful servants in their sufferings; and He was left in darkness, fear, and bitterness, pangs which were deserved by us. This deprivation of the sensible consciousness of the Divine presence was also endured by Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemani; but that which He suffered on the Cross was greater and more bitter.
O Eternal Father, what offence had this Thy innocent and most obedient Son ever given Thee, that Thou shouldst punish Him with a death so bitter? Look at Him as He hangs upon this Cross, His head tortured with thorns, hanging upon the three iron nails, and supported by His own wounds! All have abandoned Him, even His own disciples; all deride Him upon the Cross and blaspheme Him; and why hast Thou abandoned Him, Who hast so greatly loved Him? We must understand that Jesus had taken upon Himself the sins of the whole world, although He was Himself the most holy of all men, and even Sanctity itself; since He had taken upon Himself to satisfy for all our sins, He seemed the greatest of all sinners; and having thus made Himself guilty for all, He offered Himself to pay the price for all. Because we had deserved to be abandoned forever in hell to eternal despair, therefore He chose to be given up to a death deprived of every relief, that thus He might deliver us from eternal death.
II.
In his commentary on St. John, Calvin blasphemously asserts that Jesus Christ, in order to appease His Father, experienced all the wrath which God feels towards sinners, and felt all the pains of the damned, and particularly that of despair. O blasphemy and shocking thought! How could He satisfy for our sins by committing a sin so great as that of despair? And how could this despair, which Calvin imagines, be reconciled with the other words which Jesus uttered, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit (Luke xxiii. 46). The truth is, as St. Jerome and others explain it, that our Saviour uttered this lamentation to show not despair, but the bitterness He endured in a death without consolation. And, further, despair could only have been produced in Jesus Christ by a knowledge that He was hated by God; but how could God hate that Son Who, to obey His will, had offered Himself to satisfy for the sins of men? It was this very obedience in return for which the Father looked upon Him, and granted Him the salvation of the human race, as the Apostle writes: Who in the days of his flesh, with a strong cry and tears, offering up prayers and supplications to him that was able to save him from death, was heard for his reverence (Heb. v. 7).
Further, this abandonment of Jesus Christ was the most dreadful suffering in all His Passion; for we know that after suffering so many bitter pangs without complaining, He lamented over this, and cried with a loud voice, and with many tears and prayers, as St. Paul tells us. Yet all these prayers and tears were poured forth in order to teach us how much He suffered to obtain the Divine mercy for us; and to enable us at the same time to comprehend how dreadful a punishment it would be for the guilty soul to be driven from God, and to be deprived forever of His love, according to the Divine threat, I will cast them forth out of my house, I will love them no more (Osee ix. 15).
St. Augustine also says that Jesus Christ was troubled at the sight of His death, but that it was so for the comfort of His servants, in order that if they should find themselves disturbed at the hour of their own death, they should not suppose themselves reprobates, or abandon themselves to despair, because even He was disturbed at the sight of death.
Therefore, let us give thanks to the goodness of our Saviour for having been willing to take upon Himself the pains which were due to us, and thus to deliver us from eternal death; and let us labour henceforth to be grateful to this our Deliverer, banishing from our hearts every affection which is not for Him. And when we find ourselves desolate in spirit, and deprived of the sense of the Divine presence, let us unite our desolation to that which Jesus Christ suffered in His death. Sometimes Jesus hides Himself from the souls He most loves, but He does not really leave their hearts; He aids them with His inward grace. He is not offended if, in such an abandonment, we say, as He Himself said in the Garden to His Divine Father: My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. But at the same time we must add: Yet, not as I will, but as thou wilt (Matt. xxvi. 39). And if the desolation continues we must continue the same acts of conformity to the Divine will, as He Himself repeated them for the three hours during which He prayed in the Garden. St. Francis de Sales says that Jesus is as worthy of love when He hides Himself as when He shows Himself. Further, he who has deserved hell, and finds himself out of it, should say only: I will bless the Lord at all times (Ps. xxxiii.!2). O Lord, I do not deserve consolations; grant that through Thy grace I may love Thee, and I am content to live in desolation as long as it pleases Thee! If the damned could thus in their pains unite themselves to the Divine will, hell would be no longer hell to them.
But thou, O Lord, remove not thy help to a distance from me; look towards my defence (Ps. xxi. 20). O my Jesus, through the merits of Thy desolate death, deprive me not of Thy help in that great battle which, in the hour of my death, I shall have to fight with hell. At that hour all things of earth will have deserted me and cannot help me; do not Thou abandon me, Who hast died for me, and canst alone help me in my extremity. Do this through the merits of those pains Thou didst suffer in Thy abandonment, by which Thou hast merited for us that we should not be abandoned by the Divine grace, as we have deserved through our sins.
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre
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What is your life? St. James answers: It is a vapour. After death the rich man is carried out of his palace to return no more! His servants accompany him to the grave, and leave him there to be devoured by worms! Why is earth and ashes proud?
I.
What is your life? St. James answers: It is only a vapour which appears for a little time and then is seen no more! For what is your life? It is a vapour which appeareth for a little while, and afterwards shall vanish away (James iv. 15). The vapours which arise from the earth and are raised into the air and surrounded by the rays of the sun appear brilliant and beautiful; but the least wind disperses them, and they are seen no more. Such is the grandeur of this world. Behold that prince; to-day he is feared, attended upon, and honoured by thousands; tomorrow he will be dead, despised and hated by all. In a word, honours, pleasures, and riches must all end in death.
O my God, make me sensible of the immensity of Thy goodness, that I may love nothing but Thee.
Death deprives man of whatever he may posses in this world. What a sad sight, to behold a rich man, after death, carried out of his palace, to return thither no more! How sad to behold others taking possession of the estates he has left, of his wealth, and of whatever else he so lately enjoyed! His servants, after having accompanied him to the grave, abandon him, and leave him there, to be devoured by worms; no one esteeming him, no one flattering him. Formerly everyone obeyed his nod, but now no one takes the least notice of his orders.
How wretched have I been, O Lord, in having, for so many years, gone after the vanities of the world, and left Thee, my sovereign Good! But from this day forward I desire to possess Thee as my only treasure, as the only love of my soul.
II.
Why is earth and ashes proud? (Ecclus. x. 9). O man, says the Almighty, seest thou not that in a short time thou wilt become dust and ashes? And on what dost thou fix thy thoughts and affections? Reflect that death will soon rob thee of everything, and separate thee from the whole world. And if, when thou givest in thy account, thou be found wanting, what will become of thee for eternity?
I give Thee thanks, my Lord and my God. Thou speakest thus to me, because thou desirest to save me. Let Thy mercies now prevail. Thou hast promised to pardon such as repent of their offences against Thee. From the bottom of my heart do I repent: grant me therefore pardon. Thou hast promised to love those who love Thee: and I now love Thee above all things. Wherefore do Thou love me also, and hate me not any more, as I have deserved. O Mary, my advocate, in thy protection is my hope.
Spiritual Reading
4. -- "WHEN I WAS A LITTLE ONE I PLEASED THE MOST HIGH."
The second argument by which it is proved that Mary was more holy in the first moment of her existence than all the Saints together, is founded on the great office of Mediatress of men, with which she was charged from the beginning; and which made it necessary that she should possess a greater treasure of grace from the beginning than all other men together. It is well known with what unanimity Theologians and holy Fathers give Mary this title of Mediatress, on account of her having obtained salvation for all, by her powerful intercession and her merit of "congruity," thereby procuring the great benefit of Redemption for the lost world. I say by her merit of congruity, for Jesus Christ alone is our Mediator by way of justice and by merit, "de condigno," as the Scholastics say, He having offered His merits to the Eternal Father, Who accepted them for our salvation. Mary, on the other hand, is a Mediatress of grace, by way of simple intercession and merit of congruity, she having offered to God, as Theologians say with St. Bonaventure, her merits, for the salvation of all men; and God, as a favour, accepted them with the merits of Jesus Christ. On this account Arnold of Chartres says that "she effected our salvation in common with Christ." And Richard of St. Victor says that "Mary desired, sought, and obtained the salvation of all; nay, even she effected the salvation of all." So that everything good, and every gift in the order of grace, which each of the Saints received from God, Mary obtained for them.
And the holy Church wishes us to understand this when she honours the Divine Mother by applying the the following verses of Ecclesiasticus to her: In me is all grace of the way and of the truth. Of the way, because by Mary all graces are dispensed to wayfarers. Of the truth, because the light of truth is imparted by her. In me is all hope of life and of virtue. Of life, for by Mary we hope to obtain the life of grace in this world, and that of glory in Heaven. And of virtue, for through her we acquire virtues, and especially the theological virtues which are the principal virtues of the Saints. I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope (Ecclus. xxiv. 24-25). Mary, by her intercession, obtains for her servants the gifts of Divine love, holy fear, heavenly light, and holy perseverance. From which St. Bernard concludes that it is a doctrine of the Church that Mary is the universal Mediatress of our salvation. He says: "Magnify the finder of grace, the mediatress of salvation, the restorer of ages. This I am taught by the Church proclaiming it; and thus also she teaches me to proclaim the same thing to others."
St. Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, asserts that the reason for which the Archangel Gabriel called her full of grace -- Hail, full of grace! -- was because only limited grace was given to others, but it was given to Mary in all its plenitude: "Truly was she full, for grace is given to other Saints partially, but the whole plenitude of grace poured itself into Mary." St. Basil of Seleucia declares that she received this plenitude that she might thus be a worthy Mediatress between men and God: "Hail, full of grace, Mediatress between God and men, and by whom Heaven and earth are brought together and united." "Otherwise," says St. Laurence Justinian, "had not the Blessed Virgin been full of Divine grace, how could she have become the ladder to Heaven, the advocate of the world, and the most true Mediatress between men and God?"
Evening Meditation
CONSIDERATIONS ON THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST
I thirst!
I.
St. John writes: Afterwards Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said: I thirst! (Jo. xix. 28). Scripture here refers to the words of David: They gave me gall for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink (Ps. lxviii. 22).
Most severe was this bodily thirst which Jesus Christ endured on the Cross through loss of Blood, first in the Garden, and afterwards in the Hall of Judgment, at His scourging and crowning with thorns; and lastly upon the Cross, where four streams of Blood gushed forth from the Wounds of His pierced hands and feet as from four fountains. But far more terrible was His spiritual thirst, that is, His ardent desire to save all mankind and to suffer still more for us, as Blosius says, in order to show us His love. On this St. Laurence Justinian writes: "This thirst came from the ardour of His charity."
O my Jesus, Thou hast thus desired to suffer for me; and I, when my sufferings at all increase, become so impatient that I am insupportable both to others and to myself. O my Jesus, through the merits of Thy patience, make me patient and resigned in the sicknesses and crosses which befall me; make me like unto Thyself before I die.
II.
Jesus, drawing nigh unto death, said: Sitio -- I thirst! Tell me, Lord, says Leo of Ostia, for what dost Thou thirst? Thou makest no mention of those immense pains Thou dost suffer upon the Cross; but Thou complainest only of thirst: "Lord, what dost Thou thirst for? Thou art silent about the Cross, and criest out about the thirst." "My thirst is for your salvation," is the reply which St. Augustine makes for Jesus. O soul, says Jesus, this thirst of Mine is nothing but the desire I have for thy salvation. Yes, the loving Redeemer, with extremest ardour, desired our souls, and therefore He panted to give Himself wholly to us by His death. This was His thirst, wrote St. Laurence Justinian: "He thirsted for us, and desired to give Himself to us." St. Basil of Seleucia says, moreover, that Jesus Christ, in saying that He thirsted, would give us to understand that He, for the love which He bore us, was dying with the desire of suffering for us even more than what He had suffered: "O that desire of His, greater than the Passion!"
O most lovely God, because Thou lovest us, Thou dost desire that we should desire Thee! "God thirsts to be thirsted for," as St. Gregory says. Ah, my Lord, dost Thou thirst for me, most vile worm that I am? And shall I not thirst for Thee, my infinite God? Oh, by the merits of this thirst endured upon the Cross, give me a great thirst to love Thee, and to please Thee in all things. Thou hast promised to grant us whatever we seek from Thee: Ask, and ye shall receive (Jo. xvi. 24). I ask of Thee but this one gift -- the gift of loving Thee. I am, indeed, unworthy of it; but in this has to be the glory of Thy Blood, -- the turning of a heart into a great lover of Thee, a heart which at one time, so greatly despised Thee; to make a perfect flame of charity of a sinner who is altogether full of mire and of sins. Much more than this hast Thou done in dying for me. Would that I could love Thee, O Lord infinitely good, as much as Thou dost deserve! I delight in the love that is borne Thee by the souls that are enamoured of Thee, and still more in the love Thou bearest towards Thyself. With this I unite my own wretched love. I love Thee, O Eternal God; I love Thee O infinite Loveliness. Make me ever to increase in Thy love, repeating frequent acts of love of Thee, and striving to please Thee in everything, without intermission and without reserve. Make me, wretched and insignificant though I am, make me at least to be all Thine own.
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre
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You have not come into this world for the sake of enjoyment, to grow rich and powerful; to eat, to drink, to sleep like irrational animals, but solely to love your God and work out your eternal salvation. And is this the object I have had hitherto in view?
I.
Consider, O my soul, that the being you enjoy was given to you by God: He created you to His own Image, without any merit on your part; He adopted you for His child by Baptism; He loved you more than the most affectionate parent could have loved you; He has made you all you are, that you might know Him, love Him, and serve Him in this life, and thereby arrive at the eternal possession of Him in Heaven. Hence you did not come into this world for the sake of enjoyment to grow rich and powerful; to eat, drink, and sleep like irrational animals, but solely to love your God and to work out your eternal salvation. And is this the object I have hitherto had in view? Oh, how unfortunate have I been, in having thought of everything else rather than of my last end! O God, I beg of Thee, in the Name and for the love of Jesus, to grant that I may begin a new life of perfect holiness and conformity to Thy Divine will.
What deep remorse and bitter regret you will feel at the hour of death, if, during life, you have not devoted yourself to the service of God! How great will be your disappointment when, at the close of your days, you will perceive that nothing remains at that sorrowful moment, of all your goods, of all your pleasures, and of all your earthly glory, but a shadow that flies before you, and a bitter remembrance which pursues you! What will be your consternation when you discover that, for the sake of miserable vanities, you have lost your God, your soul, and your salvation, without the possibility of being able to repair your misfortune? O despair! O cruel torment! You will then see the value of the time you are now wasting; but it will be too late. Gladly would you then purchase time at the price of all you have; but you will not be able to do so. Oh I how full of bitterness and sorrow will that day be for every soul that has not loved and served the Lord!
II.
Consider the general disregard of men for their last end. Their ordinary thoughts are upon the accumulation of wealth, the gratification of their senses, parties of pleasure, amusement, and festivities. They think nothing of God or of His service; they do nothing for the salvation of their souls; they regard the affair of salvation as a trifle not worthy of notice. Thus, O deplorable misfortune! the greater part of Christians, by indulging in foolish pleasures and criminal gratifications, precipitate themselves into hell. O man, you go to great pains to damn yourself, and will you do nothing for your salvation? Listen to the dying sentiments of a Secretary of State of one of the kings of England: "How great," said he, "is my misfortune! I have used much paper in writing letters for my sovereign, and, alas! I have not used one sheet to help me in the recollection of my sins, that I might make a good Confession!" Listen to the death-bed sentiments of a king of Spain: "Oh that I had spent my life in a desert, occupied in serving God, and had never been a king!" But to what do these sighs and lamentations then serve, but only to augment the horrors of despair? Learn, then, this day, at the expense of others, to devote yourself to the salvation of your soul: remember well that all your actions, all your words, and all your thoughts that are not directed to God are entirely lost. Oh it is time then to amend your life. Do not wait, therefore, to be convinced of this till you arrive at the gates of eternity, and the jaws of hell: it will be then too late. O my God, pardon me all the sins of my life: I love Thee above all things. I am sorry, from the bottom of my heart, for all my sins. O Mary, my hope, intercede with Jesus in my behalf.
Spiritual Reading
5. -- "WHEN I WAS A LITTLE ONE I PLEASED THE MOST HIGH."
If Holy Mary, then, as the already destined Mother of our common Redeemer, received from the very beginning the office of Mediatress of all men, and consequently even of the Saints, it was also requisite from the very beginning she should have a grace exceeding that of all the Saints for whom she was to intercede. I will explain myself more clearly. If, by the means of Mary, all men were to render themselves dear to God, necessarily Mary was more holy and more dear to Him than all men together. Otherwise, how could she have interceded for all others? That an intercessor may obtain the favour of a prince for all his vassals it is absolutely necessary that he should be more dear to his prince than all the other vassals. And therefore St. Anselm concludes that Mary deserved to be made the worthy repairer of the lost world, because she was the most holy and the most pure of all creatures. "The pure sanctity of her heart, surpassing the purity and sanctity of all other creatures, merited for her that she should be made the repairer of the lost world."
Mary, then, was the Mediatress of men. It may be asked, but how can she be called also the Mediatress of the Angels? Many Theologians maintain that Jesus Christ merited the grace of perseverance for the Angels also; so that as Jesus was their Mediator de condigno, so also Mary may be said to be the Mediatress even of the Angels de congruo, she having hastened the coming of the Redeemer by her prayers. At least meriting de congruo to become the Mother of the Messias, she merited for the Angels that the thrones lost by the devils should be filled up. Thus she at least merited this accidental glory for them; and therefore Richard of St. Victor says: "By her every creature is repaired; by her the ruin of the Angels is remedied; and by her human nature is reconciled." And before him St. Anselm said: "All things are recalled and reinstated in their primitive state by this Blessed Virgin."
Let us conclude that our heavenly child, because she was appointed Mediatress of the world, as also because she was destined to be the Mother of the Redeemer, received at the very beginning of her existence, grace exceeding in greatness that of all the Saints together. Hence, how delightful a sight must the beautiful soul of this happy child have been to Heaven and earth, although still enclosed in her mother's womb! She was the most amiable creature in the eyes of God, because she was already laden with grace and merit, and could say: "When I was a little one I pleased the Most High." And she was at the same time the creature above all others that had ever appeared in the world up to that moment, who loved God the most; so much so, that had Mary been born immediately after her most pure Conception, she would have come into the world richer in merits and more holy than all the Saints united. Then let us only reflect how much greater her sanctity must have been at her nativity; coming into the world after acquiring all the merits that she did acquire during the whole of the nine months that she remained in the womb of her mother.
Evening Meditation
CONSIDERATIONS ON THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST
It is consummated!
I.
St. John writes: Jesus, therefore, when he had taken the vinegar, said, It is consummated (Jo. xix. 30). At this moment Jesus, before breathing out His soul, placed before His eyes all the sacrifices of the Old Law (which were all figures of the Sacrifice upon the Cross), all the prayers of the Patriarchs, and all the prophecies which had been uttered respecting His life and His death, all the injuries and insults which it was predicted He would suffer; and, seeing that all was now accomplished, He said: It is consummated.
St. Paul encourages us to run generously and face with patience the struggle which awaits us in this life with our enemies, in order to obtain salvation: Let us run by patience to the fight proposed to us: looking on Jesus, the author and finisher of Faith, who, having joy set before him, endured the Cross (Heb. xii. 1, 2). The Apostle thus exhorts us to resist temptations with patience unto the end, after the example of Jesus Christ, Who would not come down from the Cross while life remained. On this St. Augustine says: "What did He teach thee, Who, when He hung upon the Cross, would not come down, but that thou shouldst be strong in thy God?" Jesus thought fit to complete His sacrifice even to death, in order to convince us that the reward of glory is not given by God except to those who persevere to the end, as He teaches us in St. Matthew: He that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved (Matt. x. 22).
Therefore, when, through our own passions, or the temptations of the devil, or the persecutions of men, we feel ourselves disturbed and excited to lose our patience, and to abandon ourselves to displeasing God, let us cast our eyes on Jesus crucified, Who poured forth all His Blood for our salvation, and let us reflect that we have not yet poured forth one drop of blood for love of Him: Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin (Heb. xii. 4). When, therefore, we are called to yield up any point of honour, to abstain from any resentful feeling; to deprive ourselves of any satisfaction, or of anything we are curious to see, or to do anything which is not to our taste, let us be ashamed to deny this gift to Jesus Christ. He has treated us without holding anything back; He has given His own life and all His Blood; let us, then, be ashamed to treat Him with reserve.
II.
Let us oppose to our enemies all the resistance we are bound to make, and hope for victory from the merits of Jesus Christ alone, by means of which alone the Saints, and especially the holy Martyrs, have overcome torments and death: In all these things we overcome, because of him that hath loved us (Rom. viii. 37). Therefore, when the devil pictures to us obstacles which, through our weakness, seem extremely difficult to overcome, let us turn our eyes to Jesus crucified, and, wholly trusting in His help and merits, let us say, with the Apostle: I can do all things in him who strengthens me (Phil. iv. 13). By myself I can do nothing, but by the help of Jesus I can do everything.
Thus let us animate ourselves to endure the tribulations of the present life, by the sight of the pains of Jesus on the Cross. Behold, says the Lord from this Cross -- behold the great multitude of pains and of wrongs I suffer for thee upon this tree. My body hangs by three nails, and rests alone upon My very Wounds. The people who surround Me blaspheme Me and afflict Me, and My spirit within Me is more afflicted than My body. I suffer all for love of thee; behold the affection I bear thee, and love Me; and be not wearied at suffering anything for Me, Who, for thee, have lived a life so afflicted, and now am dying so bitter a death.
O my Jesus, Thou hast placed me in the world that I might serve Thee and love Thee; Thou hast given me so many lights and graces that I might be faithful to Thee; but, in my ingratitude, how often, in order that I might not deprive myself of my own satisfaction -- how often have I been willing to lose Thy grace and turn my back upon Thee! Oh, through Thy desolate death, which Thou didst accept for my sake, give me strength to be grateful to Thee during what remains to me of life, while from this day forth I intend to drive from my heart every affection which is not for Thee, my God, my Love, and my All.
Mary, my Mother, help me to be faithful to thy Son, Who has loved me so much.
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre
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Consider it well and say to thyself: I have a soul and if I lose it, all is lost! I have a soul, and if I were to gain the whole world and in the end lose that soul, what would the gaining of the world profit me then? For where are now the dignities, the pleasures, the luxuries of all those great ones of the world whose bodies are mouldering in the dust, and whose souls are a prey to the fires of hell? My salvation is, therefore, of the highest importance to me, for eternal happiness is at stake.
I.
Consider, O man, how important it is to you to save your soul. Your dearest interests are there concerned, because, if you attain salvation, you will be eternally happy in the enjoyment of every good both of soul and body; but, in losing your soul, you lose your soul and body; Heaven and God for ever. You will be eternally miserable, eternally damned. Your only important, your only necessary affair, therefore, is to serve your God and to save your soul. Do not, then, O Christian, think of serving your passions now, and of giving yourself to God hereafter. Oh, how many has this false and deceitful hope precipitated into hell! Thousands of sinners have flattered themselves with the hope of future repentance; but the day for which they hoped never arrived, and they are now suffering without remedy the torments of the damned. And who amongst them all ever thought of falling into that place of woe? Which of them had not the intention of saving his soul? But God curses him that sins in the hope of pardon. You say perhaps, within yourself, I will commit this sin and then repent: but are you sure that time will be allowed you for repentance? You may die the moment you have sinned. By sinning you lose the grace of God; and what if you never more recover it? God shows mercy to those who fear Him (Luke i. 50), but not to those who contemn and despise Him. Think not, therefore, that it will cost you no more to repent of and confess three sins than to repent of and confess one sin. No: in this thought you are deceived; God might pardon you a first or a second sin, but not a third. He has patience with the sinner for a time, but not forever when the time comes. When the measure of iniquity is filled up, His mercy ceases, and He punishes the impenitent sinner either by death, or by abandoning him to a reprobate sense, in which state he goes on from sin to sin without remorse, and at length is precipitated into hell. O Christian, attend seriously to this. It is time you should put an end to your disorders and return to God; you should fear lest this may be the last warning that He will ever send you. You have offended Him long enough, and He has borne with you long enough. Tremble, then, lest God should forsake you after the next mortal sin. Oh! how many souls has this striking thought of eternity caused to retire from the disorders and dangers of the world, to live in cloisters, solitudes, and deserts! Unfortunate sinner that I have been what is the fruit of all my crimes? -- a conscience gnawed with despair, a troubled heart, a soul overwhelmed with grief, hell deserved, and God lost! Ah! my God, my heavenly Father, bind me to Thy love!
II.
Consider, O man, that this affair of eternity is the most neglected of all affairs. Men have time to think of everything but God and salvation. If a man of the world is advised to frequent the Sacraments, or to spend a quarter of an hour daily in Meditation, he will immediately say: I have a family to provide for; I have my business to attend to; I have quite sufficient to keep me busy. Good God! and have you not a soul to save? Will your riches and your family be able to assist you at the hour of your death, or deliver you from hell if you are condemned? No, no; flatter yourself not that you are able to reconcile God and the world, Heaven and sin. Salvation is not to be attained by a life of indolence and ease. It is necessary to use violence and to make great efforts in order to obtain the crown of immortality. How many Christians have flattered themselves with the idea of serving God and saving their souls hereafter, and are at this moment, and will forever be, in the flames of hell! How great is the folly of men in attending to what will so shortly terminate, and thinking so little of that state which will never end! Ah, Christian, put your affairs in order. Reflect that your all is at stake: remember that, in a very short time, your body will be deposited in the earth, and your soul will go to dwell in the house of eternity. How dreadful, then, will be your misfortune if you are condemned to an eternity of woe! Reflect well on this now, for then you shall find no remedy.
O my God, I am forced to acknowledge with shame and confusion that I have hitherto blindly wandered astray from Thee! I have scarcely ever thought seriously of saving my soul. O God, my Father, save me, through Jesus Christ. I am willing to part with everything here, provided I do not lose Thee. O Mary, my surest hope, save me by thy powerful intercession.
Spiritual Reading
6. -- "WHEN I WAS A LITTLE ONE I PLEASED THE MOST HIGH."
Let us pass to consider the greatness of the fidelity with which Mary immediately corresponded to Divine grace.
It is not a private opinion only, says a learned author, Father La Colombiere, but it is the opinion of all, that the holy child, when she received sanctifying grace in the womb of St. Anne, received also the perfect use of her reason, and was also divinely enlightened, in a degree corresponding to the grace with which she was enriched. So that we may well believe that from the first moment that her beautiful soul was united to her most pure body, she, by the light she had received from the wisdom of God, knew well the eternal truths, the beauty of virtue, and, above all, the infinite goodness of God; and how much He deserved to be loved by all, and particularly by herself, on account of the singular gifts with which He had adorned and distinguished her above all creatures, by preserving her from the stain of original sin, by bestowing on her so immense graces and destining her to be the Mother of the Eternal Word, and Queen of the universe.
Hence from that first moment Mary, grateful to God, began to do all that she could do, by immediately and faithfully trafficking with that great capital of grace which had been bestowed upon her; and applying herself entirely to please and love the Divine goodness. She from that moment, loved God with all her strength, and continued thus to love Him always, during the whole of the nine months preceding her birth, during which she never ceased for a moment to unite herself more and more closely to God by fervent acts of love.
She was already free from original sin, and hence was exempt from every earthly affection, from every irregular movement, from every distraction from every opposition on the part of the senses, which could in any way have hindered her from always advancing more and more in Divine love: her senses also concurred with her blessed spirit in tending towards God. Hence her beautiful soul, free from every impediment, never lingered, but always flew towards God, always loved Him, and always increased in love towards Him.
It was for this reason that she called herself a plane-tree, planted by flowing waters: As a plane-tree by the waters ... was I exalted (Ecclus. xxiv. 19). For she was that noble plant of God which always grew close by the streams of Divine grace. And therefore she also calls herself a vine: As a vine I have brought forth a pleasant odour (Ecclus. xxiv. 23). Not only because she was so humble in the eyes of the world, but because she was like the vine, which, according to the common proverb, "never ceases to grow." Other trees -- the orange-tree, the mulberry, the pear-tree -- have a determined height, which they attain; but the vine always grows, and grows to the height of the tree to which it is attached. And thus did the most Blessed Virgin always grow in perfection. "Hail, then, O vine, always growing!" says St. Gregory Thaumaturgus; for she was always united to God, on Whom alone she depended. Hence it was of her that the Holy Ghost spoke, saying, Who is this that cometh up from the desert, flowing with delights, leaning upon her beloved? (Cant. viii. 5), which St. Ambroses thus paraphrases: "She it is that cometh up, clinging to the Eternal Word, as a vine to a vine-stock." Who is this accompanied by the Divine Word, that grows as a vine planted against a great tree?
Evening Meditation
CONSIDERATIONS ON THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST
Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.
I.
And Jesus crying with a loud voice, said: Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit (Luke xxiii. 46).
Eutychius says that Jesus uttered these words with a loud voice that all hearing Him calling upon God His Father, all might understand He was the true Son of God. But St. John Chrysostom writes that Jesus cried with a loud voice to teach us that He did not die of necessity, but of His own free will, uttering so strong a voice at the very moment when He was so weak and about to end His life. This was in conformity with what Jesus had said during His life, that He voluntarily sacrificed His life for His sheep, and not through the will and malice of His enemies: I lay down my life for my sheep ... No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself (Jo. x. 15, 18).
St. Athanasius adds that Jesus Christ, in thus recommending Himself to the Father, recommended at the same time all the faithful, who through Him would obtain salvation, since the head with the members form one single body. On which the Saint remarks that Jesus then intended to repeat the prayer that He had before offered: Holy Father, keep them in thy name ... that they may be one, as we also are. And then He added: Father, I will that where I am they also whom thou hast given me, may be with me (Jo. xvii. 11, 24).
This made St. Paul say: I know whom I have believed, and I am certain that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day (2 Tim. 1. 12). Thus the Apostle wrote, while he was in prison, suffering for Jesus Christ, into whose hands he committed the deposit of his sufferings, and of all his hopes, knowing how grateful and faithful Jesus is to those who suffer for His love.
II.
David placed all his hopes in the future Redeemer when he said: Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit, for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth (Ps. xxx. 6). And how much more ought not we to trust in Jesus Christ, Who has now completed our Redemption? Let us pray with great confidence: Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord! Into thy hands I commend my spirit! Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit! Great comfort do these words bring to the dying at the moment of death, against the temptations of hell, and their fears on account of their sins.
But, O Jesus, my Redeemer! I will not wait for death to recommend my soul to Thee; I commend it to Thee now; suffer me not to turn my back upon Thee again. I see that my past life has served only to dishonour Thee. Suffer me not to continue to displease Thee for the days that yet remain. O Lamb of God, sacrificed upon the Cross, and dead for me as a Victim of love, and consumed by sorrows, grant by the merits of Thy death that I may love Thee with all my heart, and be wholly Thine whilst life remains. And when I shall reach the end of my days, grant me to die burning with love for Thee. Thou hast died through love of me: I would die for love of Thee. Thou hast given Thyself wholly to me; I give myself wholly to Thee: Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth! Thou hast poured forth all Thy Blood; Thou hast given Thy life to save me; suffer not that through my fault all this should be lost to me. O my Jesus, I love Thee, and I hope through Thy merits that I shall love Thee forever. In thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded (Ps. xxx. 2).
O Mary, Mother of God, I trust in thy prayers; pray that I may live and die faithful to thy Son. To thee I would say, with St. Bonaventure: "In thee, O Lady, have I hoped; I shall never be confounded."
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre
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The wicked have said to God: Depart from us! (Job xxi. 14). When a man consents to mortal sin he says to God: "Go out from my soul, O Lord, and make room for Satan!" Our Blessed Lord complained to St. Bridget, saying: "I am like a monarch banished from his dominions, and on my throne is placed the vilest of plunderers!"
I.
Consider, O my soul, that having been created to love God you rebelled against Him and thereby have been guilty of the basest ingratitude. You have treated Him as an enemy; you have despised His grace and friendship. You were aware how much sin offends Him, and still you committed it. Yes, you turned your back on God; you insulted Him; you have in a manner raised your hand to strike Him; you have grieved His Holy Spirit. The man who sins says to God, if not in words, at least in effect: Depart from me: I will not serve Thee, I will not acknowledge Thee for my God: the god whom I adore is this pleasure of mine, this interest, this revenge. Such has been the language of your heart every time that you preferred any creature to God.
St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi could not conceive how a Christian could knowingly commit a mortal sin. O you who are reading these lines, what are your sentiments? How many mortal sins have you committed? O my God, pardon me; have mercy on me. I detest all my sins; I love Thee, and grieve sincerely for the insults I have offered to Thee Who art deserving of infinite love.
God spoke to your heart at the moment you were offending Him: My Son, I am your God Who created you, and redeemed you with the price of My Blood. I command you, then, not to commit that sin under pain of incurring My eternal displeasure. But in yielding to the temptation you have replied: Lord, I will not obey Thee; I am resolved to gratify my passions; I value not Thy friendship. Thou saidst: I will not serve (Jer. ii. 20). Ah! my God, and this I have done many, perhaps a thousand times. How couldst Thou bear with my insults? Why did I not die rather than live to offend Thee? But, O infinite Goodness, I will do so no more; henceforth I will love Thee with all my heart. Give me perseverance; give me Thy holy love.
II.
Consider, O my soul, that, when sins reach a certain number, they cause God to abandon the sinner. The Lord patiently expecteth that when the day of judgment shall come, he may punish them in the fulness of sins (2 Mach. vi. 14). If, therefore, you are again tempted to return to your sins, say no more within yourself: I will commit this one, and will repent. For what if the Lord should instantly strike you dead? Or what if He should forsake you forever? What has been the fate of thousands who have thus lost the grace of God? They flattered themselves with the hope of pardon; but death surprised them, and hell enveloped them in its fires. Tremble, then, lest your fate be the same. Those who abuse the goodness of God in order to offend Him are not deserving of His Mercy. After the multitude of crimes that He has pardoned, you have too much reason to fear that, if you relapse into another mortal sin, He will pardon you no more. Thank Him, then, a thousand times for having borne patiently with you until now, and form the resolution rather to die than to offend Him any more. Say frequently to Him: My God, I have already offended Thee enough: the remainder of my life shall be spent in loving Thee and in bewailing my past ingratitude. O my Jesus, I wish to love Thee; grant me the grace to do so. O Blessed Virgin, my Mother, assist me by thy prayers. Amen.
Spiritual Reading
7. -- "WHEN I WAS A LITTLE ONE I PLEASED THE MOST HIGH."
Many learned Theologians say that a soul that possesses a habit of virtue, as long as it corresponds faithfully to the actual grace which it receives from God, always produces an act equal in intensity to the habit it possesses; so much so that it acquires each time a new and double merit, equal to the sum of all the merits previously acquired. This kind of augmentation was, it is said, granted to the Angels in the time of their probation; and if it was granted to the Angels, who can ever deny that it was granted to the Divine Mother when living in this world, and especially during the time of which I speak, that she was in the womb of her mother, in which she was certainly more faithful than the Angels in corresponding to Divine grace? Mary, then, during the whole of that time, in each moment, doubled that sublime grace which she possessed from the first instant; for, corresponding with her whole strength, and in the most perfect manner in her every act, she subsequently doubled her merits in every instance. So that, supposing she had a thousand degrees of grace in the first instant, in the second she had two thousand, in the third four thousand, in the fourth eight thousand, in the fifth sixteen thousand, in the sixth thirty-two thousand. And we are as yet only at the sixth instant; but multiplied thus for an entire day, multiplied for nine months, consider what treasures of grace, merit, and sanctity Mary had already acquired at the moment of her birth!
Let us, then, rejoice with our beloved infant Mary, who was born so holy, so dear to God, and so full of grace. And let us rejoice, not only on her account, but also on our own; for she came into the world full of grace, not only for her own glory, but also for our good. St. Thomas remarks that the most Blessed Virgin was full of grace in three ways: first, she was filled with grace as to her soul, so that from the beginning her beautiful soul belonged all to God. Secondly, she was filled with grace as to her body, so that she merited to clothe the Eternal Word with her most pure flesh. Thirdly, she was filled with grace for the benefit of all, so that all men might partake of it. The Angelical Doctor adds that some Saints have so much grace that it is not only sufficient for themselves, but also for the salvation of many, though not for all men; only to Jesus Christ and to Mary was such a grace given as sufficed to save all: "Should any one have as much as would suffice for the salvation of all, this would be the greatest: and this was in Christ and in the Blessed Virgin." So that what St. John (i. 16) says of Jesus: And of his fulness we all have received, the Saints say of Mary. St. Thomas of Villanova calls her "full of grace, of whose plenitude all receive"; so much so that St. Anselm says that "there is no one who does not partake of the grace of Mary." And who is there in the world to whom Mary is not benign, and does not dispense some mercy? Who was ever found to whom the Blessed Virgin was not propitious? Who is there whom her mercy does not reach?
From Jesus, however, it is that we receive grace as the Author of grace, from Mary as a Mediatress; from Jesus as a Saviour, from Mary as an Advocate; from Jesus as a Source, from Mary as a Channel. Hence St. Bernard says that God established Mary as the channel of the mercies that He wished to dispense to men; therefore He filled her with grace, that each one's part might be communicated to Him from her fulness: "A full aqueduct, that others may receive of her fulness, but not fulness itself." Therefore the Saint exhorts all to consider with how much love God wills that we should honour this great Virgin, since He has deposited the whole treasure of His graces in her; so that whatever we possess of hope, grace, and salvation, we may thank our most loving Queen for all, since all comes to us from her hands and by her powerful intercession. The Saint thus beautifully expresses himself: "Behold with what tender feelings of devotion God wills that we should honour her! He has placed the plenitude of all good in Mary, that thus, if we have any hope, or anything salutary in us, we may know that it was from her that it overflowed."
Miserable is that soul that closes this channel of grace against itself by neglecting to recommend itself to Mary! When Holofernes wished to gain possession of the city of Bethulia, he took care to destroy the aqueducts: He commanded their aqueduct to be cut off (Judith vii. 6). And this the devil does when he wishes to become master of a soul; he causes it to give up devotion to the most Blessed Virgin Mary; and when once this channel is closed, it easily loses supernatural light, the fear of God, and finally eternal salvation.
Evening Meditation
CONSIDERATIONS ON THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST
I.
St. John writes that our Redeemer, before He breathed His last, bowed His head. He bowed His head as a sign that He accepted death with full submission from the hands of His Father, and thus accomplished the most humble obedience: He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross (Phil. ii. 8).
Jesus upon the Cross, with His hands and feet nailed, could move no part of His body except His head. St. Athanasius says that death did not dare to approach to take away life from the Author of life; wherefore it was needed that He Himself, by bowing His head (which alone He then could move), should call death to approach and slay Him. On St. Matthew's words: Jesus again crying with a loud voice yielded up the ghost (Matt. xxvii. 50), St. Ambrose remarks that the Evangelist used the expression yielded up to show that Jesus did not die of necessity, or through the violence of the executioners, but because He voluntarily chose to die. He chose willingly to die, to save man from the eternal death to which he was condemned.
This was already foretold by the Prophet Osee in the words: I will deliver them out of the hand of death. I will redeem them from death. O death, I will be thy death; O hell, I will be thy bite (Osee xiii. 14). This is testified by the holy Fathers St. Jerome, St. Augustine, St. Gregory; and St. Paul, as we have seen, applies the Prophecy literally to Jesus Christ, Who, with His death delivered us from death, that is, from hell.
Draw near, O my soul, to the foot of the Altar of the Cross whereon the Lamb of God is now lying dead, sacrificed for thy salvation. He is dead for the love He bore thee! Speak to thy dead Lord. O Jesus, behold to what Thy love for man has at length reduced Thee! I thank Thee for all men, especially for myself. Into Thy wounded hands I commend my poor soul. May I die for the love of Thy love who didst vouchsafe to die for the love of my love!
II.
How, then, was Jesus Christ the death of death? O death, I will be thy death! Because by His death our Saviour conquered death, and destroyed the death which had resulted from sin. Therefore the Apostle writes, Death is swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? The sting of death is sin (1 Cor. xv. 54-56). Jesus, the Divine Lamb, by His death destroyed sin, which was the cause of our death; and this was the victory of Jesus, since by dying He banished sin from the world, and consequently delivered it from eternal death, to which the entire human race was subjected.
To this corresponds that other text of the Apostle: That through death he might destroy him who had the empire of death, that is, the devil (Heb. ii. 14). Jesus destroyed the devil, that is, the power of the devil, who, through sin, had the power of death; that is, who had power to inflict temporal and eternal death on all the sons of Adam who were corrupted with sin. This was the victory of the Cross, on which Jesus, the Author of life, acquired life for us by His very death. Whence the Church sings of the Cross that by it "Life endured death, and by death brought forth life."
And all this was the work of the Divine Love, which brought this Priest to sacrifice to the Eternal Father the life of His only-begotten Son for the salvation of men; for which reason the Church also sings, "The Priest, who is love, sacrifices the limbs of His tender body."
And therefore St. Francis of Sales cries out: "Let us look upon this Divine Saviour stretched upon the Cross, as upon the altar of His love, where He dies for love of us. Ah, why do we not cast ourselves in spirit upon the same, that we may die upon the Cross with Him Who has been willing to die for love of us?"
Yes, O my sweet Redeemer, I embrace Thy Cross; and holding it in my embrace, I would live and die ever lovingly kissing Thy feet, wounded and pierced for me.
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre
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The great name of Mary, which was given to the Divine Mother, did not come to her from her parents, nor was it given to her by the mind or will of man, as is the case with other names given to children, but it came from Heaven, as many of the Holy Fathers tell us, and was given by a Divine ordinance. "The name of Mary came from the treasury of the Divinity."
I.
The great name of Mary, which was given to the Divine Mother, did not come to her from her parents, nor was it given to her by the mind or will of man, as is the case with other names given to children, but it came from Heaven, as many of the Holy Fathers tell us, and was given by a Divine ordinance. "The name of Mary came from the treasury of the Divinity." This is attested by St. Jerome, St. Epiphanius, St. Antoninus, St. Peter Damian, and many others. Ah, yes, O Mary, it was from that treasury that thy high and admirable name came forth; for the most Blessed Trinity, says Richard of St. Laurence, bestowed on thee a name above every other name after that of thy Son, and ennobled it with such majesty and power that He willed that all Heaven, earth, and hell, on only hearing it, should fall down and venerate it; but I will give the author's own words: "The whole Trinity, O Mary, gave thee a name after that of thy Son above every other name, that in thy name every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, on earth, and under the earth." But among the many privileges of the name of Mary, and which were given to it by God, we will now examine that of the peculiar sweetness found in it by the servants of this most holy Lady during life and in death.
The holy anchorite Honorius used to say that "this name of Mary is filled with every sweetness and Divine savour"; so much so, that the glorious St. Anthony of Padua found the same sweetness in the name of Mary that St. Bernard found in that of Jesus. "Name of Jesus!" exclaimed the one. "O name of Mary!" replied the other; "joy in the heart, honey in the mouth, melody to the ear of her devout clients." It is narrated in the life of the Venerable Juvenal Ancina, Bishop of Saluzzo, that in pronouncing the name of Mary he tasted so great and sensible a sweetness, that, after doing so, he licked his lips. We read also that a lady at Cologne told the Bishop Massilius that as often as she pronounced the name of Mary she experienced a taste far sweeter than honey. The Bishop imitated her, and experienced the same thing.
O great Mother of God and my Mother Mary, it is true that I am unworthy to name thee; but thou, who lovest me and desirest my salvation, must, notwithstanding the unworthiness of my tongue, grant that I may always invoke thy most holy and powerful name in my necessities, for thy name is the succour of the living and the salvation of the dying. Ah, Mary most pure, Mary most sweet, grant that henceforth thy name may be the very breath of my life. O Lady, delay not to help me when I invoke thee, for in all the temptations which assail me, and in all my wants, I will never cease calling upon thee, and repeating again and again: Mary Mary! Thus I hope to act during my life, and particularly at my death, that after the last struggle I may eternally praise thy beloved name in Heaven, O clement, O pious, O sweet Virgin Mary.
II.
We gather from the Sacred Canticles, that on the Assumption of our Blessed Lady, the Angels asked her name three times. Who is she that goeth up by the desert as a pillar of smoke? (Cant. iii. 6). Again: Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising? (Cant. vi. 9). And again: Who is this that cometh up from the desert, flowing with delights? (Cant. viii. 5). "And why," asks Richard of St. Laurence, "do the Angels so often ask the name of their Queen?" He answers: "It was so sweet even to the Angels to hear it pronounced, that they desired to hear that sweet name in reply."
But here I do not intend to speak of that sensible sweetness, for it is not granted to all; I speak of that salutary sweetness of consolation, of love, of joy, of confidence, of strength, which the name of Mary ordinarily brings to those who pronounce it with devotion.
The Abbot Francone, speaking on this subject, says, "there is no other name after that of the Son, in Heaven or on earth, whence pious minds derive so much grace, hope and sweetness." After the most sacred Name of Jesus, the name of Mary is so rich in every good thing that on earth and in heaven there is no other from which devout souls receive so much grace, hope, and sweetness. "For," he continues, "there is something so admirable, sweet, and Divine in this name of Mary that when it meets with friendly hearts it breathes into them an odour of delightful sweetness." And he adds, in conclusion, "that the wonder of this great name is that if heard pronounced by the lovers of Mary a thousand times, it is always heard again with renewed pleasure, for they always experience the same sweetness each time they hear it."
Ah, Mary, most amiable Mary, what consolation, what sweetness, what confidence, what tenderness does my soul feel in the mere mention of thy name, in the very thought of thee! I thank my Lord and God Who for my good has given thee a name so sweet, so deserving of love, and at the same time so powerful. But, my sovereign Lady, I am not satisfied with only naming thee, I wish to do so out of love: I desire that my love may every hour remind me to call on thee, so that I may be able to exclaim with St. Bonaventure: "O name of the Mother of God, thou art my love! My own dear Mary, O my beloved Jesus, may your most sweet Names reign in my heart, and in all hearts! Grant that I may forget all others to remember, and always invoke, your adorable Names alone. Ah! Jesus, my Redeemer, and Mary my Mother, when the moment of death comes and I must breathe forth my soul and leave this world, deign to grant that my last words may be: I love Thee, O Jesus! I love thee, O Mary! To you do I give my heart and my soul!"
Spiritual Reading
"FOR A MAN IS KNOWN BY HIS CHILDREN."
It is certain that a child's good or evil conduct in life depends on his being brought up well or ill. Nature itself teaches every parent to attend to the education of his offspring. He who has given them being ought to endeavour to make life useful to them. God gives children to parents, not that they may assist the family, but that they may be brought up in the fear and love of God, and be directed in the way of eternal salvation. "We have," says St. John Chrysostom, "a great deposit in children; let us attend to them with great care." Children have not been given to parents as a gift which they may dispose of as they please, but as a trust, for which, if lost through their negligence, they must render an account to God. The Scripture tells us that when a father observes the Divine law, both he and his children shall prosper. That it may be well with thee and thy children after thee, when thou shalt do that which is pleasing in the sight of God (Deut. xii. 25). The good or bad conduct of a parent may be known from the kind of life his children lead. For by the fruit the tree is known (Matt. xii. 33). A father who leaves a family, when he departs this life, is as if he had not died; because his children remain, and exhibit his habits and character. His father is dead, and he is as if he were not dead; for he hath left one behind him that is like himself (Ecclus. xxx. 4). When we find a son addicted to blasphemies, to obscenities, and to theft, we have reason to suspect that such, too, was the character of the father. For a man is known by his children (Ecclus. xi. 30).
Hence Origen says that on the Day of Judgment parents shall have to render an account for all the sins of their children. Hence, he who teaches his son to live well, shall die a happy and tranquil death. He that teacheth his son ... when he died he was not sorrowful, neither was he confounded before his enemies (Ecclus. xxx. 3-5). And he shall save his soul by means of his children; that is, by the virtuous education he has given them. She shall be saved through child-bearing (1 Tim. ii. 15). But, on the other hand, a very uneasy and unhappy death shall be the lot of those who have laboured only to increase the possessions, or to multiply the honours of their family; or who have sought only to lead a life of ease and pleasure, but have not watched over the morals of their children. St. Paul says that such parents are worse than infidels. But if any man have not care of his own, and especially of those of his house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel (1 Tim. v. 8). Were fathers or mothers to lead a life of piety and continual prayer, and to communicate every day, they would be damned if they neglected the care of their children. Would to God that certain parents paid as much attention to their children as they do to their horses! How careful are they to see that their horses are fed and well trained! And they take no pains to make their children attend to Catechism, hear Mass, or go to Confession. "We take more care," says St. John Chrysostom, "of mules and horses than of the children."
If all fathers fulfilled their duty of watching after the education of their children, we should have but few crimes and few death penalties. By the bad education parents give to their offspring, they cause their children, says St. John Chrysostom, to rush into many grievous vices; and thus they deliver them up to the hands of the executioner. Hence, in Lacedemon, a parent, as being the cause of all the irregularities of his children, was justly punished for their crimes with greater severity than the children themselves. Great, indeed, is the misfortune of the child whose parents are vicious and incapable of bringing up their children in the fear of God, and who, when they see their children engaged in dangerous friendships and in quarrels, instead of correcting and chastising them, rather take compassion on them and say: "What can be done? They are young and must take their course." Oh what wicked maxims! What a cruel education! Do you hope that when your children grow up they will become holy? Listen to what Solomon says: A young man, according to his way. Even when he is old, he will not depart from it (Prov. xxii. 6). A young man who has contracted a habit of sin will not abandon it even in his old age. His bones, says Job, shall be filled with the vices of his youth, and they shall sleep with him in the dust (Job xx. 11). When a young person has lived in evil habits, his bones shall be filled with the vices of his youth, so that he will carry them with him to death; and the impurities, blasphemies and hatred to which he was accustomed in his youth will accompany him to the grave, and sleep with him after his bones shall be reduced to dust and ashes. It is very easy, when they are young, to train up children to habits of virtue; but, when they have come to manhood, it is just as difficult to correct them, if they have learned habits of vice.
Evening Meditation
CONSIDERATIONS ON THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST
I.
Let us pause awhile to contemplate our Redeemer dead upon the Cross. Let us pray to His Divine Father-O Eternal Father, look on the face of thy Christ! (Ps. lxxxiii. 10). Look upon this Thy only-begotten Son, Who, in order to satisfy Thy will that lost man should be saved, came down upon earth, took human nature, and with that flesh took upon Himself all our miseries, save sin. In a word, He made Himself man, and lived all His life among men as the poorest, the most despised, the most suffering of all; in the end He was condemned to death, as Thou seest Him, after these very men had torn His flesh with scourgings, wounded His head with thorns, and pierced His hands and feet with nails upon the Cross. Thus He died on this tree of unmixed anguish, despised as the vilest of men, derided as a false prophet, blasphemed as a sacrilegious impostor for having said that He was Thy Son, and condemned to die as one of the most guilty of malefactors. Thou Thyself didst give Him up to endure this terrible and desolate death, depriving Him of all relief. Tell us, what fault did Thy beloved Son commit that He should deserve so horrible a punishment? Thou knowest His innocence and His sanctity; why hast Thou thus treated Him? O my God, I hear Thee reply: For the wickedness of my people have I struck him (Is. liii. 8). My Son did not deserve, He could not deserve any punishment, being innocence and holiness itself. The punishment was due to you for your sins by which you deserved eternal death; and that I might not see you, the beloved creatures of My hand, lost eternally, to deliver you from so dreadful a destruction, I gave up this My Son to so mournful a life and to so bitter a death. Think, O men, to what an excess I have loved you. God so loved the world as to give his only-begotten Son (Jo. iii. 16).
II.
My soul, turn to Jesus dead upon the Cross. O Jesus, my Redeemer, I behold Thee upon this Cross, pale and desolate; Thou speakest no more, nor breathest, for Thou no longer livest: Thou hast no more Blood, for Thou hast poured forth it all, as Thou didst Thyself foretell: This is my blood of the new testament which shall be shed for many (Mark xiv. 24). Thou hast no longer life, for Thou didst sacrifice it in order to give life to my soul, which was dead through its sins. But why didst Thou give up Thy life and pour forth Thy Blood for us miserable sinners? Behold, St. Paul tells us: He loved us and delivered himself for us (Eph. v. 2).
And there at the foot of the Cross stands Mary the Mother of Jesus, watching her Son! Her Son! But, O God, what a Son! A Son Who was, at one and the same time, her Son and her God! A Son Who had from all eternity chosen her to be His Mother, and had given her a preference in His love before all mankind and all the Angels! A Son so beautiful, so holy, and so lovely; a Son Who had been ever obedient unto her; a Son Who was her one and only Love, and she had to see such a Son die of pain before her very eyes! O Mary, O Mother, most afflicted of all mothers, I compassionate thy heart more especially when thou didst behold thy Jesus surrender Himself to death on the Cross, open His mouth, and expire; and, for love of this thy Son, now dead for my salvation, do thou recommend unto Him my soul. And do Thou, my Jesus, for the sake of the merits of Mary's sorrows, have mercy upon me, and grant me the grace of dying for Thee, as Thou hast died for me: 'May I die, O my Lord,' will I say unto Thee with St. Francis of Assisi, 'for love of the love of Thee, Who has vouchsafed to die for love of the love of me.'
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre
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