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

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Tuesday – Third Week After Pentecost

Morning Meditation

I.-HOW TO CONVERSE CONTINUALLY AND FAMILIARLY WITH GOD

Holy Job was struck with wonder when he considered how our God was so devoted to benefiting man, and showing the chief concern of His Heart to be to love man and to make Himself beloved by man. What is man that thou shouldst magnify him? Or why dost thou set thy heart upon him?-(Job vii. 17). Surely, then, it would be a great mistake to think that great confidence and familiarity in treating with God is a want of reverence for His Infinite Majesty.

I.

Holy Job was struck with wonder when he considered our God so devoted to benefiting man, and showing the chief concern of His Heart to be to love man and to make Himself beloved by man. Speaking to the Lord, Job exclaims, What is man, that thou shouldst magnify him, or why dost thou set thy heart upon him?-(Job vii. 17). Surely, then, it would be a great mistake to think that great confidence and familiarity in treating with God is a want of reverence for His Infinite Majesty. You ought indeed, O devout soul, to revere Him in all humility, and abase yourself before Him; especially when you call to mind the unthankfulness and the outrages whereof, in past times, you have been guilty. Yet this should not hinder your treating with Him with the most tender love and all the confidence in your power. He is Infinite Majesty; but at the same time He is Infinite Goodness, Infinite Love. In God you possess the Lord most exalted and supreme; but you have also Him Who loves you with the greatest possible love. He disdains not, but delights that you should use towards Him that confidence, that freedom and tenderness, which children use towards their mothers. Hear how He invites us to come to His feet, and the caresses He promises to bestow on us: You shall be carried at the breasts, and upon the knees they shall caress you: as one whom the mother caresseth, so will I comfort you -(Is. lxvi. 12). As a mother delights to place her little child upon her knees, and so to feed or to caress him; with like tenderness does our gracious God delight to treat souls whom He loves, who have given themselves wholly to Him, and placed all their hopes in His goodness.


II.

Consider you have no friend or brother, or father or mother, or spouse or lover, who loves you more than your God. Divine grace is that great treasure whereby we vilest of creatures, we servants, become the dear friends of our Creator Himself: For she is an infinite treasure to men, which they that use become the friends of God-(Wis. vii. 14). For this purpose He increases our confidence; He emptied himself-(Phil. ii. 7), and brought Himself to nought, so to speak; abasing Himself even to becoming Man and conversing familiarly with us: He conversed with men-(Bar. iii. 38). He went so far as to become an Infant; to become poor; even so far as openly to die the death of a malefactor upon the Cross. He went yet farther, even to hide Himself under the appearance of bread, in order to become our constant Companion and unite Himself intimately to us: He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him-(Jo. vi. 57). In a word, He loves you as much as though He had no love but towards yourself alone . . For which reason you ought to have no love for any but God alone. Of Him, therefore, you may say, and you ought to say. My beloved to me, and I to him-(Cant. ii. 16). My God has given Himself all to me, and I give myself all to Him; He has chosen me for His beloved, and I choose Him, of all others, for my only Love: My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands-(Cant. v. 10).

Say, then, to Him often: “Oh, my Lord, wherefore dost Thou love me thus? What good thing dost Thou see in me? Hast Thou forgotten the injuries I have done Thee? But since Thou hast treated me so lovingly and, instead of casting me into hell, hast granted me so many favours, whom can I desire to love from this day forward but Thee, my God and my All? Ah, most gracious God, if in time past I have offended Thee, it is not so much the punishment I have deserved that now grieves me, as the displeasure I have given Thee, Who art worthy of infinite love. But Thou knowest not how to despise a heart that repents and humbles itself: A contrite and humble heart, O God, thou wilt not despise -(Ps. 1. 19). Ah, now, indeed, neither in this life nor in the other do I desire aught but Thee alone: What have I in heaven, and besides thee what do I desire upon earth? Thou art the God of my heart, and the God that is my portion forever-(Ps. lxxii. 25). Thou alone art and shalt be forever the only Lord of my heart, of my will. Thou art my only Good, my Heaven, my Hope, my Love, my All: The God of my heart, and the God that is my portion forever!

Spiritual Reading

CORAM SANCTISSIMO

TWENTIETH VISIT

The Prophet Zacharias says: In that day there shall be a fountain open to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for the washing of the sinner -(Zach. xiii. 1). Jesus in the Holy Sacrament is the Fountain foretold by the Prophet as open to all, and to which we can go whenever we please, to wash our souls from all the stains of sin which are daily contracted. When anyone falls into some fault, what more beautiful remedy than to have immediate recourse to the Most Blessed Sacrament!

Yes, my Jesus, I resolve always to do this: for I know that the waters of this Fountain of Thine not only cleanse me, but also give me light, and strenghen me not to fall, and enable me cheerfully to bear contradictions, and also inflame me with Thy love. I know that for this end it is that Thou awaitest visits, and recompensest those of Thy lovers with so many graces. My Jesus, delay not, but wash me now from all the defects I have committed this day, and for which I am grieved because they have displeased Thee; strengthen me against relapse by giving me a great desire to love Thee much. Oh, could I but always dwell near Thee, as did Thy faithful servant Mary Diaz. She lived in the time of St. Teresa, and had permission from the Bishop of Avila to inhabit the tribune of a church, where she remained almost always in the presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament, which she called her Neighbour, and which she only left to go to Confession and Communion. When the Venerable Brother Francis of the Infant Jesus, of the Order of the Discalced Carmelites, passed before a church in which the Blessed Sacrament was kept, he could not refrain from entering to pay a visit to our Lord, saying that: “it was not becoming for a friend to pass before the door of a friend without entering at least to salute him and exchange a word.” But a word did not satisfy him; he always remained as long as obedience allowed him in the presence of his beloved Lord.

My only and infinite Good, I see that Thou hast instituted this Sacrament, and that Thou remainest on this altar to be loved by me; and that for this end Thou hast given me a heart capable of loving Thee much. Why is it, then, that I am so ungrateful as not to love Thee, or that I love Thee so little? Now it is not just that such goodness as Thou art should be so little loved. The love, at least, which Thou bearest me deserves other and greater love on my part. Thou art an infinite God and I am a miserable worm. It would be little did I die for Thee, or wear myself out for Thee, Who didst die for me, and dost still sacrifice Thyself for me every day on the altar. Thou deservest to be much loved; I will love Thee much; help me, my Jesus, help me to love Thee, help me to do that which pleases Thee so much, and which Thou so earnestly seekest of me.

Ejac. My Beloved to me, and I to my Beloved! -(Cant. ii. 16).


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

O my most sweet, most compassionate most amiable Queen, how great is the confidence with which St. Bernard inspires me when I have recourse to thee! He says that thou dost not examine the merits of those who have recourse to thy compassion, but that thou offerest thyself to help all who pray to thee: “Mary does not discuss merits, but shows herself ready to hear and welcome all.” Therefore I pray to thee thou dost graciously hear me. Well, then, listen to what I have to ask: I am a poor sinner, deserving of a thousand hells. I wish to change my life; I wish to love my God, Whom I have so greatly offended. I dedicate myself to thee as thy slave; to thee I give myself, miserable as I am; save, then, a poor creature who is no longer his own but thine. My Lady, dost thou understand me? Yes, I trust that thou hast understood me, and graciously heard my prayer.

Ejac. O Mary, I am thine, save me!


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 is not provoked to anger.”

XXXIII.-HE THAT LOVES JESUS CHRIST IS NEVER ANGRY WITH HIS NEIGHBOUR

I.

The virtue not to be angry at the contrarieties that happen to us is the daughter of meekness. We have already spoken at length on the acts that belong to meekness; but since this is a virtue that requires to be constantly practised by everyone living among his fellow men, we will here make some remarks on the same subject more in particular, and more adapted for practice.

Humility and meekness were the favourite virtues of Jesus Christ; so that He bade His disciples learn of Him to be meek and humble: Learn of me, for I am meek and humble of heart-(Matt. xi. 29}. Our Redeemer was called the Lamb-Behold the Lamb of God-as well in consideration of His having to be offered in sacrifice on the Cross for our sins, as in consideration of the meekness exhibited by Him during His entire life, but more especially at the time of His Passion. When in the house of Caiphas He received a blow from that servant, who at the same time upbraided Him with presumption in those words: Answerest thou the high-priest so? Jesus only answered: If I have spoken evil, give testimony of the evil; but if well, why strikest thou me?-(Jo. xviii. 23}. He observed the same invariable meekness of conduct till death. While on the Cross, and made the object of universal scorn and blasphemy, He only besought the Eternal Father to forgive His enemies: Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do-(Luke xxiii. 34}.


II.

Oh, how dear to Jesus Christ are those meek souls who, in suffering affronts, derision, calumnies, persecution, and even chastisement and blows, are not irritated against the person that thus injures or strikes them: The prayer of the meek hath always pleased thee (Judith ix. 16). God is always pleased with the prayers of the meek; that is to say, their prayers are always heard. Heaven is expressly promised to the meek: Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the land –(Matt. v. 4). Father Alvarez said that Paradise is the country of those who are despised and persecuted and trodden under foot here. Yes, for it is for them that the possession of the eternal Kingdom is reserved, and not for the haughty who are honoured and esteemed by the world. David declares that the meek shall not only inherit eternal happiness, but shall likewise enjoy great peace in the present life: The meek shall inherit the land, and shall delight in abundance of peace-(Ps. xxxvi. 11). It is so, because the Saints harbour no malice against those who ill-treat them, but rather love them the more; and the Lord, in reward for their patience, gives them an increase of interior peace. St. Teresa said: “I seem to experience a renewed love towards those persons who speak ill of me.” This gave occasion to the Sacred Congregation to say of the Saint, that “even affronts themselves supplied her with the food of charity.” Offences became a fresh reason for her to love the person who had offended her. No one can have such meekness as this, if he has not a great humility and a low opinion of himself, so as to consider himself worthy of every kind of contempt; and hence we see, on the contrary, that the proud are always irritable and vindictive, because they have a high conceit of themselves, and esteem themselves worthy of all honour.