St. Alphonsus Liguori: Daily Meditations for Second Week of Pentecost

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Monday – Second Week After Pentecost

Morning Meditation

THE SORROWFUL HEART OF JESUS

My soul is sorrowful even unto death. The principal sorrow which afflicted the Heart of Jesus so much was not the sight of the torments and infamy men were preparing for Him, but the sight of their ingratitude towards His immense love. And yet the sight of all these insults did not prevent Him from leaving us this pledge of love, Himself in the Blessed Sacrament.

I.

It is impossible to consider how afflicted the Heart of Jesus was for love of us and not pity Him. He Himself tells us that His Heart was overwhelmed with such sorrow that this alone would have sufficed to take His life away, and to make Him die of pure grief, if the virtue of His Divinity had not, by a miracle, prevented His death: My soul is sorrowful unto death-(Mark xiv. 34). The principal sorrow which afflicted the Heart of Jesus so much, was not the sight of the torments and infamy men were preparing for Him, but the sight of their ingratitude towards His immense love. He distinctly foresaw all the sins we should commit after all His sufferings and such a bitter and ignominious death. He foresaw, especially, the horrible insults men would offer to His adorable Heart, which He has left us in this most Holy Sacrament as a proof of His affection.

My adorable and dearest Jesus, behold at Thy feet one who has caused so much sorrow to Thy amiable Heart. O my God, how could I grieve this Heart, which has loved me so much, and has spared nothing to make itself loved by me? But console Thyself, I will say, O my Saviour, for my heart having been wounded, through Thy grace, with Thy most holy love, feels now so much regret for the offences I have committed against Thee, that it would fain die of sorrow. Oh, who will give me, my Jesus, that sorrow for my sins which Thou didst feel for them! Eternal Father, I offer Thee the sorrow and abhorrence Thy Son felt for my sins; and, for His sake, I beseech Thee to give me so great a sorrow for the offences I have committed against Thee, that I may lead an afflicted and sorrowful life at the thought of having once despised Thy friendship.


II.

O my God, what insults has not Jesus Christ received from men in this Sacrament of love! One has trampled Him under foot, another has thrown Him into the gutter, others have availed themselves of Him to pay homage to the devil! And yet the sight of all these insults did not prevent Him leaving us this great Pledge of His love. He has a sovereign hatred of sin; but still it seems as if His love towards us had overcome the hatred He bore to sin, in as much as He was content to permit these sacrileges, rather than to deprive souls that love Him of this Divine Food. Shall not all this suffice to make us love a Heart that has loved us so much? Has not Jesus Christ done enough to deserve our love? Ungrateful that we are, shall we still leave Jesus forsaken on the altar, as the majority of men do? And shall we not unite ourselves to those few souls who acknowledge Him, and melt with love even more than the torches melt away which burn round the tabernacle? The Heart of Jesus remains there, burning with love for us; and shall we not, in His Presence, burn with love for Jesus?

O my Jesus, do Thou give me from this day forth, such a horror of sin, that I may abhor even the lightest faults, considering that they displease Thee Who dost not deserve to be offended much or little, but dost deserve an infinite love. My beloved Lord, I now detest everything that displeases Thee, and in future I will love only Thee, and all that Thou lovest. Oh, help me, give me the strength, give me the grace to invoke Thee constantly, O my Jesus, and always to repeat to Thee this petition: My Jesus, give me Thy love! Give me Thy love! Give me Thy love! And thou, most holy Mary, obtain for me the grace to pray to thee continually, and to say to thee: O my Mother, make me love Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Reading

CORAM SANCTISSIMO

TWELFTH VISIT

God is charity; and he that abideth in charity abideth in God, and God in him-(l Jo. iv. 16). He who loves Jesus dwells with Jesus, and Jesus with him. If any one love me … my Father will love him; and we will come to him, and will make our abode with him-(Jo. xiv. 23). When St. Philip Neri received the Holy Communion as Viaticum, on seeing the Most Blessed Sacrament enter his room, he exclaimed: “Behold, my Love! Behold all my Good! Hasten and give me my Love!” Let each one of us, then, say here in the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament: Behold my Love! Behold the object of all my love for my whole life and for all eternity!

Since, then, my Lord and my God, Thou hast said in the Gospel that he who loves Thee will be beloved by Thee, and that Thou wilt come and dwell in him, and never more leave him, I love Thee above every other good. Do Thou then, also, love me: for I, indeed, esteem being loved by Thee above all the kingdoms of the world. Come and fix Thy dwelling in the poor house of my soul in such a way as Thou mayest no more depart from me. Thou dost not go, if Thou art not expelled; but as I have already done this, so I may do again. Ah, never allow such a fresh act of wickedness, such horrible ingratitude to be perpetrated in the world, as that I, who have been so specially favoured by Thee, and who have received so many graces, should again drive Thee from my soul! But this might happen. I, therefore, my Lord, desire death, if it so please Thee; that by dying united to Thee, I may live united to Thee for ever. Yes, my Jesus, for this I hope. I embrace Thee; I press Thee to my poor heart; grant that I may always love Thee, and always be beloved by Thee. Yes, my most amiable Redeemer, I will always love Thee; and Thou wilt always love me. I trust that our love will ever be mutual, O God of my soul, and this for all eternity. Amen.

Ejac. My Jesus, I desire always to love Thee, and always to be beloved by Thee.


AN ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

My Jesus, I believe that Thou art truly present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love Thee above all things, and I desire to possess Thee within my soul. Since I am unable now to receive Thee sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace Thee as already there, and unite myself wholly to Thee; never permit me to be separated from Thee.


VISIT TO MARY

They that work by me shall not sin-(Ecclus. xxiv. 30). He, says Mary, who endeavours to honour me shall persevere to the end. They that explain me shall have life everlasting-(Ecclus. xxiv. 31); and those who endeavour to make me known and loved by others, will be of the number of the Elect. Promise, then, that whenever you can, be it in public or in private, you will speak of the glories of Mary, and of devotion to her.

Ejac. Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, most sacred Virgin!


Concluding Prayer

Most holy Immaculate Virgin and my Mother Mary, to thee, who art the Mother of my Lord, and Queen of the world, the advocate, the hope, the refuge of sinners, I have recourse today I, who am the most miserable of all. I render thee my most humble homage, O great Queen, and I thank thee for all the graces thou hast conferred on me until now, particularly for having delivered me from hell, which I have so often deserved. I love thee, O most amiable Lady; and for the love which I bear thee, I promise to serve thee always, and to do all in my power to make others love thee also. I place in thee all my hopes; I confide my salvation to thy care. Accept me for thy servant, and receive me under thy mantle, O Mother of Mercy. And since thou art so powerful with God, deliver me from all temptations, or rather obtain for me the strength to triumph over them until death. Of thee I ask a perfect love of Jesus Christ. From thee I hope to die a good death.

O my Mother, for the love which thou bearest to God, I beseech thee to help me at all times, but especially at the last moment of my life. Leave me not, I beseech thee, until thou seest me safe in Heaven, blessing thee, and singing thy mercies for all eternity. Amen. So I hope. So may it be.

Evening Meditation

THE PRACTICE OF THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST

“Charity seeketh not her own.”

XXV.-HE THAT LOVETH JESUS CHRIST SEEKS TO DETACH HIMSELF FROM EVERY CREATURE

I.

Whoever desires to love Jesus Christ with his whole heart must banish from his heart all that is not God, but is merely self-love. This is the meaning of those words, seeketh not her own; not to seek ourselves, but only what pleaseth God. And this IS what God requires of us all when He says: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart-(Matt. xxii. 37). Two things are needful to love God with our whole heart: (1) To clear it of earth; (2) To fill it with holy love. It follows that a heart in which any earthly affections linger can never belong wholly to God. St. Philip Neri said, “that as much love as we bestow on the creature, is so much taken from the Creator.” In the next place, how must the earth be purged away from the heart? Truly by mortification and detachment from creatures. Some souls complain that they seek God and do not find Him; let them listen to what St. Teresa says: “Wean your heart from creatures, and then seek God, and you will find Him.”


II.

The mistake is, that some indeed wish to become Saints, but after their own fashion; they would love Jesus Christ, but in their own way, without forsaking those diversions, that vanity of dress, those delicacies in food: they love God, but if they do not succeed in obtaining such or such an office, they live discontented; if, too, they happen to be touched in point of esteem, they are all on fire; if they do not recover from an illness, they lose all patience. They love God; but they refuse to let go that attachment for the riches, the honours of the world, for the vainglory of being reckoned of good family, of great learning, and better than others. Such as these practise prayer and frequent Communion; but inasmuch as they take with them hearts full of earth, they derive little profit. Our Lord does not even speak to them, for He knows that it is but a waste of words. In fact, He said as much to St. Teresa on a certain occasion: “I would speak to many souls, but the world keeps up such a noise about their ears that My voice would never be heard by them. Oh, that they would retire a little from the world!” Whosoever, then, is full of earthly affections cannot even so much as hear the voice of God that speaks to him. But unhappy the man that continues attached to the sensible goods of this earth; he may easily become so blinded by them as one day to forsake the love of Jesus Christ; and because of his attachment to these transitory goods, he may lose God, the Infinite Good, for ever. St. Teresa said: “It is a reasonable consequence, that he who runs after perishable goods should himself perish.”