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

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Tuesday – Second Week After Easter

Morning Meditation

CHARITY TO BE PRACTISED IN WORDS

The sowers of discord are objects of abomination in God’s sight: Six things there are which the Lord hateth and the seventh his soul detesteth him that soweth discord among brethren-(Prov. vi. 16, 19}. An uncharitable word that proceeds from passion may be excusable, but how can the Almighty bear with him who sows discord and disturbs the peace of a community?

Hast thou heard a word against thy neighbor? Let it die within thee-(Ecclus xix. 10).

I.

Be careful never to mention to anyone that another has spoken ill of him: for tale-bearing of this kind sometimes occasions disputes and aversions which last for a long time. Oh! how frightful the account which tale-bearers must render to God! The sowers of discord are objects of abomination in His sight.

Six things there are which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth . . . him that soweth discord among brethren-(Prov. vi. 16, 19). An uncharitable word that proceeds from passion may be excusable. But how can the Almighty bear with him who sows discord and disturbs the peace of a community? Listen to the advice of the Holy Ghost: Hast thou heard a word against thy neighbor? Let it die within thee (Ecclus. xix. 10). The words that you hear against another must not only be kept to yourself, but must even die and be buried within you. You must be careful, then, never to give the slightest intimation of what you have heard. For a single word, a nod, a simple hint, may lead others to a knowledge, or at least to a suspicion, of the faults that were mentioned to you.

Some appear to suffer the pangs of death until they have disclosed the secrets communicated to them; as if these secrets were so many thorns that wound their very heart until they are drawn out. You should never mention the hidden defects of others to anyone except to Superiors, and not even to them unless the reparation of the injury done to the community, or the good of the one who has committed the fault, require that it should be made known to the Superior.

Moreover, in your conversation you must be careful never to wound, even by jests, the feelings of another. Jests that offend a neighbour are opposed to charity, and to the words of Jesus Christ: All things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you also to them-(Matt. vii. 12). You certainly would not like to be made an object of derision and of mockery before your companions. Abstain then from casting ridicule on others.

Endeavour also to avoid as much as possible all disputes. Sometimes trifles give occasion to arguments that end in disputes and injurious language. There are some who violate charity by proposing, through the spirit of contradiction, certain topics of debate which give rise to useless disputation. Strive not, says the Wise Man, in a matter which doth not concern thee-(Ecclus. xi. 9).


II.

But some will say that in every debate they defend the right side of the question, and that they cannot listen in silence to assertions utterly destitute of foundation. I answer in the words of Blessed Cardinal Bellarmine: “An ounce of charity is of more value than a hundred cartloads of reason.” Blessed Egidius used to say that in such controversies to submit is to conquer; because submission evinces a superiority in virtue and preserves peace. Surely the preservation of peace is of far greater importance than the empty honour of a wordy victory. Hence St. Ephrem used to say that to maintain peace he always yielded to his adversary in disputation. St. Joseph Calasanctius, therefore, advises “all who desire peace never to contradict anyone.”

But, if you love charity, endeavour to be affable and meek to all. Meekness is the characteristic virtue of the lamb; it is the beloved virtue of Jesus Christ, Who, through a love of meekness, took the appellation of Lamb. In your conversation and intercourse with others be agreeable not only to those over you, but to all, and particularly to those who have offended you, who oppose your wishes, or displease you by their roughness of manner, or by their forgetfulness of past favours. Charity is patient: beareth all things-(l Cor. xiii. 4, 7). Whoever, then, bears not with the defects of his neighbour cannot have true charity. The most perfect souls are not free from all defects. You yourself are subject to faults; and notwithstanding your manifold imperfections you expect to be treated with charity and compassion You therefore should, according to the advice of the Apostle, compassionate the defects of others. Bear ye one another’s burdens-(Gal. vi. 2). A mother, because she loves them, submits in patience to the insolence of her children. It is by the manner in which you bear the burdens others impose on you that you are to judge whether you love your neighbour with true charity.

Oh! with what charity did the Redeemer bear with the rudeness and imperfections of His disciples during the whole time He lived with them! With what charity did He wash the feet of the traitor Judas! With what patience has He borne even to the present moment with your sinfulness and ingratitude! And will you refuse to bear with the defects of your neighbours? The physician while he loves a patient loathes his disease; and if you have charity you must love your neighbours and at the same time hate their faults. But you will say: What am I to do? I have a natural repugnance to the society of such a person, and feel it painful to hold intercourse with him. My answer is: Have more fervour and more charity, and all such antipathies will vanish.

Spiritual Reading

SALVE, REGINA, MATER MISERICORDlAE! HAIL, HOLY QUEEN, MOTHER OF MERCY!

VIII.-THE GREATNESS OF THE LOVE THIS MOTHER BEARS US

Our Mother Mary loves us much, because we were recommended to her by her beloved Jesus when He, before expiring, said to her: Woman, behold thy son! for we were all represented in the person of St. John, as we have already observed: these were His last words; and the last recommendations left before death by persons we love are always treasured and never forgotten. But again, we are exceedingly dear to Mary on account of the sufferings we cost her. Mothers generally love those children most the preservation of whose lives has cost them the most suffering and anxiety; we are those children for whom Mary, in order to obtain for us the life of grace, was obliged to endure the bitter agony of herself offering her beloved Jesus to die an ignominious death, and had also to see Him expire before her own eyes in the midst of the most cruel and unheard-of torments. It was, then, by this great offering of Mary that we were born to the life of grace; we are therefore her very dear children, since we cost her so great suffering. And thus, as it is written of the love of the Eternal Father towards men, in giving His own Son to death for us, that God so loved the world as to give his only-begotten Son-(John iii. 16). “So also,” says St. Bonaventure, “we can say of Mary that she has so loved us as to give her only-begotten Son for us.” And when did she give Him? She gave Him, says Father Nieremberg, when she granted Him permission to deliver Himself up to death; she gave Him to us when, others neglecting to do so, either out of hatred or from fear, she might herself have pleaded for the life of her Son before the judges. Well may it be supposed that the words of so wise and loving a Mother would have had great weight, at least with Pilate, and might have prevented him from sentencing a man to death whom he knew and had declared to be innocent. But no, Mary would not say a word in favour of her Son, lest she might prevent that death on which our salvation depended. Finally, she gave Him to us a thousand and a thousand times during the three hours preceding His Death and which she spent at the foot of the Cross; for during the whole of that time she unceasingly offered. With the extreme of sorrow and the extreme of love, the life of her Son on our behalf, and this with such constancy that St. Anselm and St. Antoninus say that if executioners had been wanting she herself would have crucified Him in order to obey the Eternal Father Who willed His Death for our salvation. If Abraham had such fortitude as to be ready to sacrifice with his own hands the life of his son, with far greater fortitude would Mary, far more holy and obedient than Abraham, have sacrificed the life of hers. But let us return to the consideration of the gratitude we owe to Mary for so great an act of love as was the painful sacrifice of the life of her Son, which she made to obtain eternal salvation for us all. God abundantly rewarded Abraham for the sacrifice he was prepared to make of his son Isaac; but we, what return can we make to Mary for the life of her Jesus, a Son far more noble and beloved than the son of Abraham? “This love of Mary,” says St. Bonaventure, “has indeed obliged us to love her; for we see that she has surpassed all others in love towards us, since, she has given to us her only Son, Whom she loved more than herself.”

Evening Meditation

THE PRACTICE OF THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST

XIV.-ON THE GREAT CONFIDENCE WE OUGHT TO HAVE IN THE LOVE JESUS CHRIST HAS SHOWN US AND IN ALL HE HAS DONE FOR US

I.

Now, if we fear, on account of our frailty to fall under the assaults of our enemies, against whom we must continually wage war, behold what we have to do, as the Apostle admonishes us : Let us run to the fight proposed unto us: looking on Jesus the author and finisher of faith, who having joy proposed unto him, underwent the cross, despising the shame-(Heb. xii. 1, 2). Let us go out to the battle with great courage, looking at Jesus crucified, Who from His Cross offers us His assistance, the victory, and crown. In past times we fell into sin because we did not consider the wounds and the pains endured by our Redeemer, and so we did not have recourse to Him for help. But if for the future we set before our eyes all He has suffered for love of us, and how He ever stands ready to assist us when we have recourse to Him, it is certain that we shall not be conquered by our enemies. St. Teresa said, with her wonted generosity: “I do not understand the fears of certain persons who say: The devil, the devil! so long as we can say: God, God! and make Satan tremble.” On the other hand, the Saint assures us that if we do not place all our confidence in God, all our own exertions will be of little or no avail. “All our exertions “-these are her own words-“are of little use if we do not give up entirely all trust in ourselves, and place it altogether in God.”

Oh, what two great Mysteries of hope and love for us are the Passion of Jesus Christ and the Sacrament of the Altar!-Mysteries which we could have never believed, had not Faith assured us of them. That God Almighty should deign to become Man, shed all His Blood, and die of sorrow upon a Cross and why? To pay for our sins and gain salvation for us rebellious worms! And then His own very Body, once sacrificed upon the Cross for us, this He vouchsafes to give us for our Food, in order to become wholly united with us! O God, how should not these two Mysteries consume with love the hearts of all men! And what sinner is there, be he ever so abandoned, who can despair of pardon, if he repent of the evil he has done, when he sees a God so full of love for men and so inclined to do them good? Hence St. Bonaventure, full of confidence, said: ” I will have great confidence, firmly hoping that He Who has done and suffered so much for my salvation will deny me nothing that I have need of.” How can He refuse to give me the graces necessary for my salvation, Who has done and suffered so much to save me?


II.

Let us go therefore, the Apostle exhorts us, with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid-(Heb. iv. 16). The Cross is the throne of grace on which Jesus sits to dispense graces and mercy to all who come to Him. But we must have recourse to Him at once if we would find seasonable aid for our salvation: for there will come a time, perhaps; when we shall no longer be able to find it. Let us go quickly, then, and embrace the Cross of Jesus Christ, and let us go with great confidence. Let us not be frightened by the sight of our miseries; in Jesus crucified we shall find all riches, all grace: In all things you are made rich in him . . . so that nothing is wanting to you in any grace-(l Cor. i. 5, 7). The merits of Jesus Christ have enriched us with all the Divine treasures, and have made us capable of every grace we can desire.

St. Leo says that “Jesus has brought us by His death more good than the devil has done us harm by sin.” And by these words he explains what St. Paul said before him, that the gift of Redemption is greater than sin, and that grace has overcome the offence. Not as the offence, so also is the gift: where sin abounded, grace hath abounded more-(Rom. v. 15, 20). From this the Saviour encourages us to hope for every favour and every grace through His merits. And see how He teaches us the way to obtain all we want from His Eternal Father: Amen, amen, I say to you, if you ask the Father any thing in my name, he will give it you -(John xvi. 23). Whatever you desire, He says, ask for it of the Father in My Name, and I promise that you shall be heard. And, indeed, what shall the Father be able to deny us when He has given us His only-begotten Son, whom He loves as Himself? He that spared not even his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how hath he not also, with him, given us all things?-(Rom. viii. 32). The Apostle says, all things; so that no grace is excepted, neither pardon, nor perseverance, nor holy love, nor perfection, nor Paradise-” all, all, He has given us.” But we must pray to Him. God is all liberality to those who call upon Him: Rich unto all that call upon him-(Rom. x. 12).