The Angels Instruct the Holy Women Concerning the Resurrection of the Lord

 

“Do not be afraid,” the angel said to the holy women. “I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here—He has risen, just as He promised. Come and see the place where the Lord was laid.”

How gentle and kind those words must have sounded to their trembling hearts. The women had come with love, even though they were afraid, and God rewarded them with light and comfort. The angel, bright and shining, sat upon the stone that had been rolled away, showing them that death had no power over Our Lord.

At first, they were filled with fear, for everything was so sudden and wonderful. But the angel quickly calmed them, reminding them that those who truly seek Jesus have nothing to fear. Not in this world, and not in the next. God watches over them with His holy angels, who guide, protect, and bring peace. And even the evil spirits can do nothing against a soul that clings to Jesus.

This is the reward for loving Him faithfully—with perseverance, with zeal, and with a true and steady heart. Such souls are given a quiet peace, a calm spirit, and a deep joy that comes only from God. But those who look for happiness in themselves or in the things of the world will not find rest. Their hearts will remain troubled.

So let us be like those holy women. Let us seek Jesus with all our hearts, even when we feel afraid or unsure. Let us stay close to Him, and trust His promises. And then, like them, we too shall hear those sweet and comforting words:
“Do not be afraid.”

 

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The Holy Women Go to the Sepulcher

 

Very early in the morning, before the sun was even fully up, the holy women set out to go to Jesus’ tomb. They loved Him so very much, and they wanted to take care of His Body with sweet spices and ointments.

They already knew that others had done this quickly before, because the Sabbath had come. But that was not enough for their loving hearts. They wanted to do more for Jesus—something tender and careful, because they loved Him so deeply.

They did not wait for comfort or safety. They went out while it was still dark, walking all the way to the sepulcher. They were brave and full of love, even though they must have felt afraid.

It makes me think how real love doesn’t stop when something is hard. Love keeps going. It doesn’t worry about danger or trouble—it just wants to be close to Jesus and do something for Him.

The holy women show us what true love looks like. It is eager, strong, and never thinks it has done enough.

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Jesus Appears to the Assembled Disciples

 

In the Gospel, we are told how Jesus came to His disciples on the evening of that first Easter day, when they were all gathered together with the doors shut, because they were afraid. Everything had happened so quickly, and their hearts were still troubled and unsure.

And then, all at once, Jesus stood in their midst. He did not come with noise or fright, but gently and quietly, just as He always does. He spoke to them in such kind and comforting words, saying, “Peace be to you.” And again He said, “It is I, fear not.”

How their hearts must have leapt at the sound of His voice! The same dear Master they had loved, now alive again, standing right there with them. He did not scold them for their fear or for running away before. Instead, He brought them peace.

Jesus showed them His hands and His side, so they would know it was truly Him. His wounds were still there, but now they were not sad—they were beautiful signs of His love and His victory.

The disciples began to understand that all their sorrow was changing into joy. The darkness they had felt was lifting, and in its place came a quiet, shining peace that only Jesus could give.

And then, in His great kindness, He greeted them not only with words, but with His loving presence, filling their hearts with comfort, and giving them, as it were, the gentle and divine kiss of peace.

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Jesus Appears to His Blessed Mother

 

Even though the Bible does not tell us directly, we feel sure that Jesus showed Himself first to His Blessed Mother after He rose. She had loved Him more than anyone and had suffered so much with Him, standing near Him even at the Cross. Because of this great love and sorrow, it seems right that she would be the first to share in His joy.

Mary had stayed faithful all through those sad days. After Jesus was laid in the tomb, she must have longed very much to see Him again. But she never lost her faith. She believed He would rise, even when everything seemed dark.

And then Jesus came to her, no longer suffering, but full of glory and life. His voice was no longer weak and sorrowful, but joyful and comforting. The same dear Son she had held before, now shone with heavenly beauty.

What joy must have filled her heart in that moment! All her sorrow was turned into happiness. All her tears were changed into gladness. She saw that everything He had suffered had brought about a great and beautiful victory.

How much she must have loved Him then, and how humbly she must have adored Him, knowing He is not only her Son, but also her God.

O dear Heavenly Mother, I rejoice in your happiness. Help me to love Jesus and to trust Him, both in times of joy and in times of sorrow. Teach me to stay close to Him, just as you always did. Amen.

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The Sacred Wounds of Jesus

 

Jesus once said, “See My hands and My feet—it is really Me.”

When I think about Jesus after He rose, I imagine His wounds shining like bright light. Even though He is full of glory, He still keeps His wounds. That makes me feel like they must be very important.

It seems like Jesus keeps His wounds as a kind of loving reminder. They show how much He loves us and what He went through for us. They are not sad anymore—they are like beautiful signs of His victory over sin and death.

The saints loved to think about His wounds too. They did not chase after riches or honors. Instead, they wanted to be close to Jesus, even if it meant suffering like He did. They wanted to remember Him in everything and stay faithful, no matter what was hard.

One day, all the suffering they went through for Jesus will turn into something beautiful and full of joy forever.

So I think we should ask Jesus to help us remember His love all the time and to love Him back, even in little hard things. Then, when the time comes at the end of our lives, we won’t be afraid. We will feel close to Him and trust Him.

Sometimes I wonder…

Do I try to be brave when things are hard?

And when I think about Jesus’ wounds, does it make me want to do something loving for Him?

 

Meditation for Thursday (04/09/26)

Prayer Before and Prayer After

 

Our Lord's Resurrection, an Incentive to Perseverance in the Service of God.

“Jesus said to her: ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in Me, although he be dead, shall live’” (John 11, 25).

First Prelude: Behold our risen Saviour, resplendent in heavenly glory.

Second Prelude: I pray Thee, O my Jesus, through the power of Thy glorious resurrection strengthen my faith, reanimate my hope and enkindle my heart with grateful affection.

First Point

THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST, A PLEDGE OF OUR FUTURE RESURRECTION

Our Lord’s wonderful victory over death in His resurrection is a sure pledge of our future resurrection, as the Apostle testifies with the words: “And if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you; He that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead, shall quicken also your mortal bodies, because of His Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Rom. 8, 11). Knowing from so reliable a source that after the short rest in the grave,—short in view of eternity,—we shall rise again to receive heavenly joys as recompense for a holy life, must we not feel impelled to sacrifice everything to attain such exquisite happiness? Will not this truth be for us a sure guide to heaven? If the short, delusive pleasures of earth suffice to stimulate to the most heroic deeds, should we not exert every fibre of our heart to merit the pure, sublime and imperishable joys awaiting us in a happy resurrection? “The hour cometh wherein all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God” (John 5, 28). “And the sea shall give up the dead that were in it and death and hell shall give up their dead” (Rev. 20, 13). Oh, truly blessed Easter! With what rapturous delight shall the just re-inhabit their body from which they have so long been separated! Here below it was the companion of their banishment, the frail dwelling place of their soul, the means to glorify God by mortification and suffering. How radiant are those members that have labored untiringly in the service of the Lord! What joy to have despised the world, trodden vain glory under foot, and sought the honor of God in all things, and now to receive from the Supreme Judge of life and death, the imperishable crown of everlasting glory! “They have sown amidst tears, but shall reap everlasting, all-surpassing joy and bliss.”

In the Apostles’ Creed, we daily say: “I believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.” What an incentive to patience in sufferings and reverses! Are my feeble efforts to acquire virtue supported by this great hope!

Second Point

THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD, AN EXHORTATION TO LOVE AND GRATITUDE

Hope in the future resurrection must expand our hearts and incite us to offer them anew to our loving Saviour as a weak tribute of thanksgiving and love. For love of us, He assumed the weakness of human kind, abased Himself by submitting to the shameful crucifixion; for love of us, He triumphed over death to restore to us our forfeited claim to immortality and, as St. Paul puts it, to make the body of our lowliness like to the body of His glory. Must not the thought of Christ’s boundless love imbue us with the desire to coöperate faithfully with the graces which unite us most intimately with Him here on earth, and secure for us a place in His Divine Heart in the life to come! How could we be so ungrateful as to place obstacles to such love? Should we not, as religious, employ every opportunity to give joy to the Heart of Jesus and to make our future resurrection a glorious one? It was with these sentiments that the martyrs went exultingly to the most painful death, longing for the moment when they should have the happiness to be with Jesus. The thought of their future glory buoyed them up with invincible bravery, and supported them in the bitter pangs of martyrdom. Let us, then, courageously cope with the lighter temptations wherewith God wills to test our fidelity! Let us persevere in patience, and accept the slight crosses that we meet, with cheerful resignation to the holy Will of God. We will say with St. Paul: “Neither death, nor life, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ, Jesus, our Lord!” (Rom. 8, 38-39). Have I not reasons for special gratitude towards my Saviour for giving me, in my holy vocation, such a particular claim to a future glorious resurrection? Which sacrifice of love and gratitude has He a right to expect of me today?

Affections: Honor and love to Thee, O Eternal Son of God, who didst deign not only to die for us, but also to rise gloriously from the tomb. Thy glorious resurrection is the pledge of ours. Thou wilt have us live with Thee for all eternity, that Thy victory may be ours. Give us grace so to live that our body, too, may rise resplendent from the grave to share Thy glory for all eternity.

Resolution: In grateful love, I will make every sacrifice that Jesus demands of me today.

Spiritual Bouquet: “I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that I shall see Him.”

Prayer: Take, O Lord . . .

 

Meditation for Wednesday (04/08/26)

Prayer Before and Prayer After

 

Meditation for Wednesday

The Resurrection of Our Lord, the Type of Our Spiritual Resurrection

“For we are buried together with Him by baptism into death; that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life” (Romans 6, 4).

First Prelude: Behold our Divine Lord issuing triumphantly from the sealed tomb.

Second Prelude: O mighty Conqueror of death and hell, give me courage and strength to overcome the obstacles to my spiritual resurrection.

First Point: Our Spiritual Resurrection

Our Divine Saviour rose from the tomb to a new and perfect life to teach us that we must rise from the grave of sin and tepidity, to a new and zealous life. The Apostle exhorts us thereto, with the words: “As Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father; so may we also walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6, 4). When Jesus rose from the dead, He loosened the linens that bound Him; we, too, must tear asunder the fetters that bind us to creatures, to the goods, honors, and pleasures of this world if we would lead a new life. It is true, we have chosen the solitude of the cloister and exteriorly renounced all things, but there remains still much to be done, before we shall have completely disengaged our heart from all earthly affections.

Our own corrupt nature, more than the world, is opposed to our spiritual resurrection; it is, in truth, a heavy stone, the crushing weight of which often bears us down. Daily, yes hourly, we feel this two-fold law within us, of which the Apostle says: “For I know there dwelleth not in me; that is to say, in my flesh, that which is good. For to will, is present with me; but to accomplish that which is good, I find not” (Rom. 7, 18). If we desire to pray, lift up our hearts to God, nature drags us down to earth. We should like to hold our tongue, but nature entices us to speak idle words; we are inclined humbly to submit, to obey, to be meek, amiable, patient, forbearing, but nature rebels. How often have we grown disheartened and discouraged at this ever-recurring task, forgetting that if there were no difficulty in the spiritual life, there should, likewise, be no real virtue. The Evil One, in league with perverse nature, seeks ever to hinder our spiritual resurrection. He guards the entrance to our heart to suppress our every virtuous effort in its incipiency. But let us not be disheartened,—Jesus, Who in His glorious resurrection vanquished death and hell, is with us, and “we can do all things, in Him Who strengtheneth us.” Do I recognize the chief obstacle to my spiritual resurrection? What stone weighs down my heart and bars the way to my progress in virtue?

Second Point: Our Spiritual Resurrection Must Be Generous and Permanent

During the forty days of Our Lord’s sojourn on earth after His resurrection, He repeatedly appeared to His Apostles and disciples, to convince them that He was truly risen, by allowing them to touch Him, and by eating with them. Our spiritual resurrection must, likewise, be real; we must in reality rise from an imperfect life to a life of fervor. But how can this be done? By exercising ourselves in all sincerity in the virtues opposed to our predominant fault,—by humbling ourselves on occasions that formerly indulged our pride, by punctuality in the daily regulation. Doing this, we will co-operate with the abundant graces Jesus imparts to us in this stupendous mystery. Oh! that we may not relapse into our former faults and sins and thus run the risk of missing the lofty aim, the object of our desires in religion. Let us beseech our Blessed Lord to imbue us with generosity and with fervor that will not relax but, rather, become intensified under trials and hardships. Prayer will secure for us His Divine assistance, which is indispensable for the accomplishment of the least good. He will not only send us an angel, but Himself, the gloriously risen Saviour, will aid us with His omnipotent hand, provided we are of good will.

Which are the marks of my spiritual resurrection from the grave of sin, negligence, and tepidity?

Affections: O my Jesus, Thou hast vanquished my enemies, conquer every obstacle that my perverted heart presents to the merciful operations of Thy grace, that I may rise with Thee to a new spiritual life, and henceforth walk in the path of holiness. Thou, my Divine Redeemer, knowest best what huge boulders bar the way to the complete, happy transformation of my heart. Thou knowest what imperfections hold my corrupt nature captive. Thy grace has frequently impelled me to amend my life, but owing to the weakness of my will, I have succumbed to the assaults of my enemies, and relapsed into the grave of tepidity and imperfections. O my Saviour, of myself I can do nothing, but do Thou confirm in me unbounded trust in Thy almighty grace, for with it I can do all things.

Resolution: I will combat that fault particularly which is most opposed to my spiritual resurrection.

Spiritual Bouquet: “For if you are risen with Christ, seek the things that are in heaven and not those of earth.”

Prayer: Take, O Lord . . .

 

Meditation for Tuesday (o4/07/26)

Prayer Before and Prayer After

 

Meditation for Tuesday

Wonderful Qualities of the Body of the Risen Saviour

“Who will reform the body of our lowness, made like to the body of his glory according to the operation whereby also He is able to subdue all things unto Himself” (Phil. 3, 21).

First Prelude: Behold the risen Saviour, radiant in the splendor of His glory.

Second Prelude: O Jesus, give me grace to realize the wonderful prerogatives of Thy glorified Body, that despising earthly things with my whole heart I may love Thee alone.

First Point: The Beauty of the Body of the Risen Saviour

How glorious must have been the divine splendor of the sacred Body of Our Lord and Saviour! His divine countenance illumined with heavenly glory,—His sacred wounds radiant as so many suns! When St. Teresa had seen only a hand of the King of Glory, she was so enrapt that she was loath to love anything further on this earth. The exquisite beauty of the Body of Jesus will, for all eternity, be the source of the purest heavenly delight and bliss. It is the light that illumines the city of God, which according to St. John “hath no need of the sun, nor of the moon to shine in it” (Apoc. 21, 23). We will rejoice with our Saviour in His unsurpassed glory, which, though His due from the first moment of His life, He willed to merit by manifold sufferings, and to impart to us in the measure of our renunciation of sensible gratifications. Would we participate in the glorious fruits of Christ’s resurrection, we must lead a new life, by crucifying the old man, subduing the works of the flesh, and dying spiritually. It is our paramount duty ever to vanquish our evil inclinations, especially pride and self-love. Oh, that we would heed the exhortations of our risen Saviour, Who would lead us to glory through mortification and self-denial! That we would strive with all our energy to circumvent the snares of the Evil One, who, by enticing us to sensible gratifications and the false fleeting pleasures, seeks to hinder us from fixing our attention on the things of heaven. My body, too, shall one day shine in the splendor of the transfiguration, if I have fought a good fight. The more I shall have mortified it here, the more brilliant and radiant shall it be. What an incentive to virtue and what an inexhaustible source of consolation!

Second Point: The Impassibility of the Glorified Body of Christ

The entire life of Christ was an uninterrupted chain of sufferings. In infinite love, He subjected His Body to all human miseries,—cold, hunger and fatigue, sufferings, and lastly to a most painful death. Having reunited Itself with the Body after the resurrection, the Soul of Christ imparted to His Body the incapability to suffer, and from that moment the Body, too, enjoyed consummate bliss. Christ had merited this glorious prerogative as Man, by the sufferings which He endured in order to make reparation to the outraged honor of the heavenly Father, and to redeem the world. We, too, must suffer if we would enjoy a similar glory, such as we read of in the Apocalypse: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away” (Ap. 21, 4). Let us accept all the reverses of daily life, not with dislike and impatience, but willingly, and sanctify them by patience and perfect resignation to the loving dispensations of Divine Providence, for the more we suffer with Christ here on earth, the more shall we be glorified with Him in heaven. Should it not be our earnest endeavor ever more to inflame our love by accepting cheerfully the daily little trials and sufferings of our vocation? Oh, that our love may approach in intensity, the heroism of the saints, who deemed themselves fortunate to offer their blood, even life itself, for the Saviour. In consequence of their ardent love for the Saviour, they seemed insensible to even the greatest torments. Did not the Apostles glory when they were deemed worthy to suffer contempt for the name of Jesus? We admire such love in the martyrs, who, when stretched on the rack or the red-hot iron, besought their tormentors to inflict upon them still greater pain. They would cheerfully have sacrificed their lives, even a thousand times. What composure and peace would I manifest in sufferings if I loved Jesus more ardently! Do I bear in mind that I must grow strong in suffering the daily little reverses, if I would learn to bear greater trials?

Affections: O my risen Saviour, with holy reverence, and ardent love, I contemplate the marvelous beauty of Thy sacred Body and adore Thee, glorious Conqueror of death, with all the angels who behold Thy inexpressible glory and bliss. How could I ever find anything irksome or unbearable, after Thou hast shown me, by Thy victorious triumph, that the sufferings of this life are the seed of future glory? Should I not banish from my heart all earthly affections and fix my thoughts and desires on eternal, imperishable things, which alone are worthy of my desires? Do Thou, O glorious Victor, complete in me the work of Thy mercy and draw my heart and mind to Thee, that I may live in Thee, labor with Thee, and one day be glorified with Thee in heavenly bliss.

Resolution: If little sufferings weigh me down, I will, in all humility, confess that my love of the Saviour is still very slight and rouse myself to new fervor.

Spiritual Bouquet: “The sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, that shall be revealed in us.”

Prayer: Take, O Lord . . .

 

Meditation for Easter Monday (04/06/26)

Prayer Before and Prayer After

 

MEDITATION FOR EASTER MONDAY

JESUS APPEARS TO THE TWO DISCIPLES GOING TO EMMAUS

“And behold, two of them went the same day to a town which was sixty furlongs from Jerusalem, named Emmaus. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass that while they talked and reasoned with themselves, Jesus Himself also drawing near, went with them. But their eyes were held, that they should not know Him” (Luke 24, 13–16).

First Prelude: Picture the two disciples, troubled and sad, on their way to Emmaus. Behold, Jesus, the risen Saviour, Who joins them though they do not recognize Him.

Second Prelude: O my beloved Saviour, let me be ever mindful that Thou wilt be my companion on this earthly pilgrimage and that Thy merciful Heart is always open to humble confidence.

FIRST POINT

THE TWO DISCIPLES LEAVE JERUSALEM

According to the words of the gospel, the two disciples had been brought to waver in the faith by the terrible incidents of the preceding days. Their souls were flooded with grief. Then, too, they were troubled by doubt in the long desired redemption, because He Who should accomplish it had died the shameful death of the cross. In their grief, they even discredited the pious women and the Apostles, who testified to the resurrection of the Lord. In their estimation, Jesus was no longer the promised Messiah, but only a prophet. Their confidence, too, was shaken, as we infer from their words: “But we hoped that it was He that should redeem Israel; and now besides all this, today is the third day since these things were done” (Luke 24, 21). Oh, how weak and insufficient to resist temptation is virtue, if not firmly rooted, if not sought for in its proper source!

The disciples had forsaken the company of the Blessed Virgin and the Apostles, to seek comfort in a stroll to Emmaus. It was their fortune that in thought, at least, they were occupied with their Divine Master. In answer to the question: “What are these discourses that you hold one with another?” they could say that they were discoursing on His passion and death. Love, at least, had not wholly died out in their hearts, and could therefore more quickly rekindle in conversation with the Saviour. Are we not often guilty of similar faults? Do not we easily become discouraged and disheartened when God hesitates to grant our petitions, or to realize our hopes and expectations? It seems impossible for us to abide the Lord’s own good time. Forgetting that true consolation is to be found in God alone, and not in creatures, we become dismayed and drift away from God, the source of all graces, Who is ever ready to console, to protect, to encourage and strengthen us on our earthly pilgrimage. Let us, therefore, entrust ourselves to the Saviour gloriously risen, Who will replenish our hearts with peace and heavenly bliss.

SECOND POINT

THE LOVE OF JESUS FOR HIS DISCIPLES

How touching is the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus here manifested! While the two disciples, dejected and sad, were discussing intently the recent occurrences, they were suddenly joined by the Saviour, Who addressed them lovingly. He asked them the subject of their conversation, to afford them an opportunity of pouring out their hearts! Oh, that in all our cares and anxieties we would, with child-like simplicity, unburden our heart to our beloved Saviour! What peace should then be ours! Though He knows our wants and needs, and divines our most secret thoughts, Jesus takes pleasure in the humble avowal of our faults and weaknesses, seeing as He does in it a mark of our confidence and trust. Like a good father, who never tires of listening to His dear children, Jesus feels Himself constrained to help, to encourage, and constantly to bestow upon us new proofs of His affection. How loving and affable is not our Blessed Lord in imparting grace to the two disciples and revealing to them the goodness of His Heart! He joins them as a casual traveler, speaks with them as though one of their kind, and unmindful of their being only two, entertains Himself at length with them. Does not such love reveal His concern for the salvation of each individual soul?

Admire the goodness of our Divine Lord in utilizing every opportunity to render souls receptive for His grace. How often, alas, do we misconstrue the designs of Jesus! Wholly unmindful of the nearness of our amiable Consoler, Who withholds His marks of special favor to confirm our faith and our fidelity, we frequently yield to melancholy and despondency. Oh, let us surrender ourselves unreservedly to our Divine Saviour! Let us consider tribulations as welcome means to come closer to Him! What consolation, encouragement and fortitude should then be our support and stay on the pilgrimage of this mortal life! With what assurance should we then look forward to the reward of eternal glory, which Christ has merited for us by His bitter passion and death!

Affections: O my Saviour, how weak and inconstant is my heart! I am so easily discouraged at sight of difficulties I meet in the discharge of my duties. Is it not due to a lack of faith in Thy divine promises, a lack of confidence in Thy supreme power, Thy unbounded love and mercy? Strengthen me, O Jesus, I pray Thee by Thy glorious resurrection. Let me ever be mindful of Thy holy presence, that I may despise the vain consolation of creatures, and in all reverses have recourse to Thee, my Comforter, my most loving Father. Thus I may become worthy to find in Thee my salvation, my happiness, my peace on this pilgrimage through life, and be vouchsafed the happiness of possessing Thee in never-ending bliss.

Resolution: I will remain in the presence of my risen Saviour by silence and recollection, and in all difficulties have recourse to Him.

Spiritual Bouquet: “Jesus Himself also drawing near, went with them.”

Prayer: Soul of Christ . . .

 

Meditation for Easter Sunday (04/05/26)

Prayer Before and Prayer After

 

MEDITATION FOR EASTER SUNDAY

THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD

“And behold there was a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and coming, rolled back the stone and sat upon it. And his countenance was as lightning, and his raiment as snow. And for fear of him, the guards were struck with terror and became as dead men” (Matt. 28, 2-4).

First Prelude: Behold Jesus, rising gloriously from the tomb.

Second Prelude: Adorable Conqueror, I rejoice in Thy glorious resurrection. Replenish my heart with love and exultation and render me worthy to participate in the fruits of Thy glorious triumph.

First Point

THE GLORY OF THE RISEN SAVIOUR

“The Lord is risen! Alleluja!” This is the glad tidings announced by the angels on Easter morn. Jesus, our beloved Redeemer, Whose bitter passion filled us with grief and sorrow, has returned to life, to die no more. Having conquered death and all His enemies, He now enjoys inexpressible glory in His holy Humanity. A great mystery was enacted on that hallowed Easter morn. In the company of all the holy souls of the Old Testament, who were to witness His resurrection, the glorified soul of Jesus appeared and reunited Itself with His sacred Body, covered with blood and wounds, until then lying in the tomb. What a sudden transformation! With wondrous majesty, arrayed with all the magnificence of heavenly glory, the Lord of life raises Himself from the grave. His sacred wounds, but a moment ago eliciting sympathy and compassion, are now translucent and brilliant! In place of the crown of thorns, a diadem of immortal splendor rests upon His sacred head. How lovely is now the once so shamefully disfigured sacred countenance! His eyes are aglow with heavenly joy, His features radiate a holy peace and inexpressible delight. This transformation was but the work of one moment. Earth trembled as if to celebrate, with awe, the resurrection of her Creator. An angel descended from heaven, his countenance radiant with heavenly lustre, his garments white as snow. He rolled back the stone from the entrance to the grave and sat thereon. The guards, terrified and blinded by the splendor issuing from the opened cavern, fell senseless to the ground.

Rejoice, O my soul, in the glorious victory of your risen Saviour. If, as a true spouse of the Crucified, you have shared in His sufferings; if the ignominy and the contemptuous treatment accorded Him filled your heart with compassion and sorrow, then, now, participate in the joy of His glorious triumph. Behold, your truest Friend, your dearest Father, your King, your Lord and God, has risen again. He will live and reign for all eternity! Is my love the love of exquisite delight, peculiar to the true friends and faithful followers of Christ who rejoice in the marvelous glory of the risen Lord?

Second Point

THE JOY OF HOLY CHURCH ON THIS GLORIOUS FESTIVAL

“This is the day the Lord hath made! Let us rejoice and be glad! Alleluja!” With these words Holy Mother Church exhorts us to rejoice and exult in the resurrection of her Divine Bridegroom. He is risen, she tells us, in the Mass and in the divine office. Yes, He is risen! The Lion of the tribe of Juda has conquered, Alleluja! The heavenly Father has given Him all power in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. Let us rejoice and be glad! May the joy of this great festival expand our heart! Holy Church by her example, invites us to praise and exultation. She has put off her garment of mourning and donned her costliest festal attire,—her lamentations have ceased and ever and anon, she pours forth her joy in the canticle: “Alleluja! Christ is risen from the dead!”

O Mystery of joy and consolation, foundation of our faith and our hope! Thou teachest us that victory and glory will be the end of all sufferings endured for love of Christ. We will, to-day, open our hearts to the great expectations embodied in the resurrection of our Divine Saviour, and seek to become wholly imbued with that true, spiritual joy, which tends to our growth in holiness. Replenished with this holy joy, we shall find all things easy. Irksome labor and heavy crosses shall then be our delight, while we shall run with alacrity on the way of perfection, forgetting with St. Paul, what we have already achieved and thinking only of that which is yet before us. When oppressed by the hardships of daily life, let us recall the words of St. Paul: “The sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, that shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8, 18). Have I not often experienced that fidelity in little things, perseverance in the combat of my passions and in the exercise of virtue, have elicited new energy and spiritual joy? Which sacrifice must I make today in order to render my heart receptive for the graces that the Saviour desires to bestow on me so abundantly on this glorious festival?

Affections: O holy, truly blessed day of my beloved Saviour’s glorious resurrection! What exquisite joy and delight are mine in Thy glorious triumph! It is my sweetest consolation to know that Thou, dear Lord, hast no more to suffer, and now rejoicest in Thy inexpressible glory and exultation. O almighty Conqueror of death and hell, complete the work of Thy grace in me, let me participate in the glorious life to which Thou invitest me in the mystery of this day. O Jesus, Who didst clothe in glory and splendor that Body which had been the victim of the cruelty of man, give me grace to die to myself that I may rise again with Thee, and after Thy likeness lead a new, divine, immortal life, worthy of an all-surpassing, everlasting glory! O holy Virgin, by thy glorified Son, obtain for us the grace to rise after our death to the eternal glory of paradise.

Resolution: Animated with holy joy, I will today contemplate the radiant beauty of my risen Saviour, and resolve anew to lead a life of fervor and love.

Spiritual Bouquet: “This is the day the Lord hath made! Let us rejoice and be glad! Alleluja!”

O Queen of Heaven, rejoice! 

V. Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
R. For He whom you did merit to bear, alleluia.
V. Has risen, as he said, alleluia.
R. Pray for us to God, alleluia.
V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
R. For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.

Let us pray. O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Meditation for Holy Saturday 04/04/26

Prayer Before and Prayer After

 

MEDITATION FOR HOLY SATURDAY

JESUS IS LAID IN THE SEPULCHRE

“And after these things, Joseph of Arimathea besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus. And Pilate gave leave. He came, therefore, and took away the body of Jesus. And Nicodemus also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pounds. They took, therefore, the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths, with the spices, as it is the custom with the Jews to bury. Now there was in the place where He was crucified, a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein no man yet had been laid. There, therefore, because of the parasceve of the Jews, they laid Jesus, because the sepulchre was nigh at hand” (John 19, 38–42).

First Prelude: Behold the Blessed Virgin and the disciples, reverently preparing the Body of Christ for the sepulchre.

Second Prelude: O my beloved Saviour, grant me grace to prepare for Thee an agreeable resting-place in my heart, and to love, esteem and practice the interior, hidden life.

FIRST POINT

THE SACRED BODY OF JESUS IS PREPARED FOR THE SEPULCHRE

At the death of Jesus, a great change was wrought. In life, He had not whereon to lay His head; in His passion, He was denied a drop of water to allay His thirst; but hardly had He expired, than He no longer lacked the love and sympathy of His own, neither the faithful service of His disciples, nor the honor of a respectable grave. Joseph and Nicodemus wrapped His sacred Body in costly linens; pious women brought aromatic balsam and precious ointments, and tired not in manifesting their love and veneration for the sacred Body. Well might we envy the holy women their happiness in being permitted to bestow their loving services on our Blessed Lord! But are we not more privileged than were these holy women? Does not the Body of our dear Lord repose in the Tabernacle as in a grave? Yes, here we have His sacred Body and His holy Soul in all the glory of His resurrection. Here, too, loving hearts render Him the tenderest service, frequently visit and console Him in His Eucharistic grave, and offer Him loving sympathy, as did the friends of our Lord of old. Holy Church procures the best, the costliest and most precious that earth can produce, gold and precious gems, for the adornment of His holy sepulchre, and incessantly pays homage to her glorified Saviour in hymns of praise, love, adoration and thanksgiving. Of the Tabernacle, also, the words of the prophet were spoken: “His sepulchre shall be glorious” (Is. 11, 10).

Let us bring the most precious ointments to the tomb of our dear Lord and rejoice in being able to testify our love by self-immolation and the practice of every virtue. Let us unite our poor prayers and canticles of praise with those of the angels, who form a continuous guard of honor before the holy sepulchre. As Mary, who, though compelled to retire from the grave, remained in spirit, so will we persevere in the company of our dear Lord with all the love of which our hearts are capable, while discharging external duties. Through such interior union with our Divine Saviour, our hearts will become worthy abodes, glorious sepulchres for our Divine Bridegroom, and we will be made worthy to participate in the special graces of His glorious resurrection. Let us beg the Sorrowful Mother to teach us how to show our love, our fidelity, our gratitude to Jesus and to surrender ourselves wholly to Him.

SECOND POINT

OUR LIFE SHOULD BE HIDDEN IN CHRIST

In imitation of our Blessed Mother of God, interior souls desire to follow Jesus on the Way of the Cross, and to die spiritually with Him. They either choose His adorable Heart for their grave, or they pray Jesus to take up His abode in their heart. This was the pious practice of St. Gertrude, whom Jesus assured that He would seal the doors of her senses and put on guard sentiments of a holy fear and love, to defend her against the attacks of all inordinate inclinations. Let us strive more and more to die to the world and to live solely for Jesus. We will endeavor to curb our evil tendencies, to lead a life opposed to nature, and thus tend to intimate union with Christ. What happiness and what peace will be the portion of souls who have conceived the value of such a union! They desire to be seen by God alone, known by Him alone, guided by Him alone, and rewarded solely by Him. Desirous of concealing their actions from the eyes of men, they communicate with the world only in so far as obedience and the honor of God demand it. Mindful of danger, they place a guard upon their eyes and restrain them even in lawful things. They desire no knowledge but to advance in perfection, and, far from all thoughtlessness, are saving of their words. They rejoice when lowly, apparently insignificant tasks are assigned them, which afford them opportunity, by the exercise of humility and self-denial, for closer union with God. Thus, as it were, their heart is a new grave in which no other love reigns than the love of Jesus.

O hidden life, how lavishly do you endow the soul with graces, and how preeminently are you a foretaste of the life of future glory! How powerfully do you put to naught the works of death, and remove our faults and imperfections! Do I tolerate in my heart any other inclination than the love of God? Am I solicitous to conceal my actions from the eyes of the world, that they may be the more pleasing to God?

Affections: O blessed sepulchre, worthy of all veneration and esteem, let me enter thee with pious reverence, devotion, and love. O my beloved Saviour, I pray Thee, transform my heart and make of it an agreeable and holy resting place for Thee. Teach me to die to self that I may rest with Thee in the grave of recollection, silence and seclusion. With all my heart, I will love the silence and repose of the Tabernacle, wherein Thou dwellest, as once in the sepulchre, hidden from the eyes of men. I will deposit at Thy feet every victory achieved over my evil tendencies and corrupt nature, and entreat Thee to renew and confirm more and more, through every Holy Communion, the new life of grace and love within my heart. My dear Mother of Dolors, let me share thy sorrow and thy love, that like thee, dead to all things, I may live solely in Jesus, with Jesus, and for Jesus.

Resolution: In close union with my holy Mother, I will prepare in silence and holy recollection for the glorious feast of the resurrection of our Blessed Lord.

Spiritual Bouquet: “You are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

Prayer: Soul of Christ. . .

 

Meditation for Good Friday 04/03/26

Prayer Before and Prayer After

Meditation for Good Friday – The Death of Jesus

“Jesus therefore, when He had taken the vinegar, said: ‘It is consummated’ and bowing His head, He gave up the Ghost” (John 19, 30).

First Prelude: In spirit ascend the heights of Calvary and reverently remain at the foot of the cross, whereon our Blessed Saviour, Jesus Christ, dies for love of us.

Second Prelude: O my crucified Saviour, Who didst die for love of me, grant that, through the merits of Thy precious death, I may die to self, and live henceforth only in Thee and for Thee.

In the gospel narrative we read: “Having tasted the vinegar, He said: ‘It is consummated’ and thereupon He bowed His head and gave up the Ghost” (John 19, 30). Oh, marvelous death of the God-Man! The Saviour died of His own free will for love of us! For, though the torments He suffered were more than sufficient to deprive Him of life, nevertheless, death should have been powerless over Him Who holds in His hands the keys of life and death, had not love deprived Him of life. The prophet had foretold of Him: “He was offered because it was His own will, and He opened not His mouth; He shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and shall be dumb as a lamb before His shearer, and He shall not open His mouth” (Is. 53, 7). His death was a holocaust of the purest love, which He offered to His heavenly Father for our redemption. Contemplating our Divine Saviour on the cross, let us seek to penetrate His forgiving and merciful Heart, and we shall find therein nothing but love. Love took His very life away; His passion breathes love, speaks the language of love. His holy lips are sealed, but His outstretched arms, His wounds, His lovingly-inclined head, speak louder than words: “I am the Good Shepherd; the Good Shepherd giveth His life for His sheep” (John 10, 11). In union with Mary, with the beloved disciple, and the pious women, let us embrace the foot of the cross, the tree of salvation, and adore the Eternal Son, Who immolated Himself to the Father for our redemption—the Innocent Lamb Who takes away the sins of the world. Let us beseech our Divine Saviour, bleeding for love of us, for the grace to die for love of Him; to die to our evil habits, to our sensual desires, to pride, to self-will, to levity and dissipation, and to all that opposes His love in our hearts. Let us humbly offer the passion and death of our Lord and God to the heavenly Father through the hands of the Mother of Dolors, for the conversion of sinners and for the salvation of the whole world. By the Precious Blood flowing copiously from the cross, let us beg for a love, strong as death, which recoils from no sacrifice, that thus strengthened we may persevere on the cross of our religious vows until death.

How do I account for my lack of love? Is it not due to my neglect to ponder sufficiently the love of the Crucified? Having considered His painful sufferings, His boundless love, can I ever again refuse my dear Lord a sacrifice?

Not satisfied with having suffered and died, Jesus, in His infinite love, desired to have His Sacred Heart opened, that in life and in death we might conceal ourselves therein as in a secure fortress. The fire of His love should melt our icy hearts. In His Sacred Heart, we should find not only sufficient grace, but an abundance of all the graces which we desire, protection in all temptations, consolation in distress, encouragement and strength in all our sufferings and afflictions. With what confidence should we then approach the throne of grace and heed the sweetly penetrating words of our dear Saviour: “Come to Me all ye that labor and are burdened and I will refresh you” (Matt. 11, 28). Our hearts have need to love and be loved; here we find a Heart that is ever good and true, Whose love is constant, shedding even the last drop of blood to draw our icy hearts close to His loving Heart. On this great day of love let us offer Him our heart in return. Many a time we have given it to Him, but how often have we not reclaimed it wholly or in part, and sullied it by our infidelity! Penetrated with the most profound sentiments of contrition and love, let us, at last, surrender it irrevocably to Him Who will not despise a humble and contrite heart.

By what sacrifice will I prove my gratitude to Jesus for having suffered His sacred side to be opened for me?

Affections: O my Divine Saviour, obedient unto death, even unto the death of the cross, Thou hast achieved on the sacrificial altar of Thy love the sacrifice whereby Thou didst merit eternal life for my soul. What couldst Thou have done more for me, to impress me with the terrible malice of sin, but also with the astounding greatness of Thy divine love and mercy? Embracing Thy holy cross, dear Lord, I detest and repent of all my sins. By the merits of Thy saving death, by every drop of Thy Precious Blood, give me the grace to die to myself and all my evil inclinations, and to live in future for Thee alone as a victim of immolation. Wound my heart with the love that opened Thine, O my beloved Saviour, and let the Blood and water from the sacred wound in Thy side flow upon my soul, and be my salvation and my consolation. O sacred Blood, that flowed so copiously on Calvary’s height, cleanse all sinners that they may love Thee.

Resolution: With tender love and gratitude, I will frequently contemplate my crucified Saviour and renew the sacrifice of the complete abandonment of my entire being.

Spiritual Bouquet: “He was obedient unto death, even unto the death of the cross.”

Prayer: Soul of Christ. . .

 

Meditation for Holy Thursday 04/02/26

Prayer Before and Prayer After

Meditation for Thursday

The Washing of the Feet and Institution of the Blessed Eucharist

“And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke and gave to His disciples, and said: ‘Take ye and eat. This is My Body.’ And taking the chalice, He gave thanks and gave to them, saying: ‘Drink ye all of this. For this is My Blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins. And I say to you, I will not drink from henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I shall drink it with you anew in the kingdom of My Father.’ And a hymn being said, they went out unto Mount Olivet” (Matt. 26, 26–30).

First Prelude: In spirit enter the Cenacle, contemplate Jesus humbly washing the feet of His disciples, and hear from His adorable lips the sacred words which constitute the most wonderful proof of His infinite love.

Second Prelude: Give me grace, O Jesus, to understand Thy inexpressible love, that I may love Thee in return from the depths of my heart, and show my love for Thee by profound humility.

First Point

Jesus Sets Us the Example of the Most Profound Humility

What a touching spectacle,—Jesus kneeling down before His Apostles,—even before Judas,—and washing their feet! Consider, my soul, Who performs such a lowly service, usually imposed upon the meanest slaves and servants. The Incarnate God, the well-beloved Son of the heavenly Father, of whom St. John speaks on this occasion: “Knowing that the Father hath given Him all things into His hands and that He came from God and goeth to God” (John 13, 3), arises to wash the feet of His Apostles. With what reverence and devotion, with what astonishment may the angels, who assisted invisibly, have contemplated this affecting scene! We, too, will admire the most profound abasement of our Divine Saviour; and in spirit kneel at His feet, humbly acknowledging our unworthiness even to kiss those blessed hands, with which He washed the feet of His disciples. Like Mary Magdalene, let us offer Him our desire to lave His sacred feet with tears of compunction and love. Let us declare our readiness cheerfully to comply with His loving admonition to the disciples on this occasion: “If then I, being your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so you do also” (John 13, 14–15).

Let us ponder, for a moment, such unspeakable condescension and love! Popes, kings and princes deem it an honor, by washing the feet of the poor, to enter into the footprints of their Lord and Saviour. What humiliation should ever find me wanting, when I see the thrice holy God abasing Himself so profoundly in self-forgetting love? Holy Mother Church is glorified by countless religious orders, who make it their life-task to render the meanest services to the poor and the forsaken. In the humble offices of our holy vocation, let us ever again fix our eyes upon our Blessed Saviour and His lowly example, and seek to penetrate His loving sentiments. Humility and love render our heart acceptable to our Blessed Lord in Holy Communion. When Jesus washed the feet of His disciples before the institution of the Blessed Eucharist, did He not will to impress upon us that true humility and ardent love constitute the most fitting preparation for the heavenly Banquet? Dare I ever regard anything in the service of the Lord as lowly, when I behold my God and Saviour washing the feet of His disciples?

Second Point

Jesus Gives Us Proofs of the Greatest Love

Our Divine Saviour had said to His disciples: “Greater love than this hath no man than that he lay down His life for His friends” (John 15, 13). Such is the love Jesus bestowed upon us, yet that did not suffice for His infinitely loving heart! In His infinite wisdom, He found another, quite astonishing proof of His inexpressible love. He offered His life, to restore to us the life of grace. He gave us Himself in the Sacrament of His Love, to preserve and increase our supernatural life. In this sacred mystery He gave us all that He would give, wherefore St. John very aptly said: “Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them unto the end” (John 13, 1). Finally, the great moment had come for which He had so long prepared His disciples, of which He had so often spoken, and which He now announced with the love-inflamed words: “With desire I have desired to eat this Pasch with you, before I suffer” (Luke 22, 15). Truly, the Eucharistic Banquet was worthy of the most ardent desire of the God-Man. Christ desired to eat It with His Apostles before His passion, that by union with Him they might be strengthened and prepared for sufferings. Hear His words: “This is My Body which is given for you” (Luke 22, 19). “This is My Blood which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins” (Matt. 26, 28).

Jesus thus offers Himself for the first time in an unbloody manner to the heavenly Father, and gives His sacred Body and priceless Blood to His disciples as nourishment. O love of my Jesus, O powerful, tender, generous, infinite love of my Saviour, nothing remains to Thee; Thou, O Jesus, hast loved us to the end. Thou hast instituted this adorable Sacrament to refresh our souls and to implant into our hearts the germ of immortality, which on the Day of Judgment shall unfold to the most glorious transfiguration of the body. How could it be possible for us not to desire Jesus, not to long for perfect union with Him in the Sacrament of His Love? Let us beseech Him to inflame our hearts with a grateful return of love, and to impress deeply therein the memory of His sacred passion, that we, too, will love to sacrifice ourselves in His service. Do I burn with a fiery ardor to be united with Jesus in Holy Communion? Am I animated with sentiments of humility and self-sacrificing charity, thus, in some measure, to requite His unbounded love?

Affections: O Divine Saviour, Who didst set me so wonderful an example in the washing of the feet of Thy disciples,—by Thy infinite merits, by Thy Precious Blood, I pray Thee for the grace to be inflamed with Thy holy love and saturated with Thy saving Blood. By sincere humility, let me share in the infinite treasures which Thou hast reserved for the truly humble, in the Sacrament of Thy Love. Oh, that we could worthily thank Thee, O Jesus, for the infinitely precious treasure of the Blessed Eucharist! Couldst Thou give us anything more precious than Thyself? Who can fathom the depths of Thy love! I, too, my Saviour, will give Thee all that I am and have. Let my oblation be pleasing to Thee by intimate union with Thy sublime sacrifice in the adorable Sacrament of the Altar. “O loving Pelican! O Jesus Lord! Unclean I am, but cleanse me in Thy Blood.”

Resolution: I will prepare my heart for Holy Communion by fervent acts of profound humility and ardent love.

Spiritual Bouquet: “With desire I have desired to eat this Pasch with you before I suffer.”

Prayer: Soul of Christ. . .

 

Meditation for Wednesday ()4/01/26)

Prayer Before and Prayer After

Meditation for Wednesday

The Last Words of Jesus on the Cross

“And afterwards, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said: ‘I thirst.’ Now there was a vessel set there full of vinegar. And they, putting a sponge full of vinegar about hyssop, put it to His mouth. Jesus, therefore, when He had taken the vinegar, said: ‘It is consummated’ and bowing His head, He gave up the Ghost” (John 19, 28-30).

First Prelude: In spirit take your stand beneath the cross of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and with profound respect and love hear His sacred words.

Second Prelude: O my beloved Saviour, I pray Thee, implant deeply in my heart the sacred lessons that Thou wouldst teach me from the cross.

First Point

“My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”

Suffering intense agony, Christ hangs upon the cross. Nowhere does He find refreshment or relief and, yet, in such exceeding agony He is mindful, in His infinite love, of the salvation of others. He prays for His executioners, promises paradise to the penitent thief, gives us His holy Mother, and consoles His beloved friends. Still, no one seems to think of Him. No one offers Him even a slight alleviation. He looks down to earth and finds Himself forsaken; He raises His eyes to heaven and thence, even, no aid is nigh. In His extreme death-struggle, Jesus cries with a loud voice: “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”

Oh, what must Mary’s heart have suffered when she heard this cry of anguish from the lips of her dying Son! She comprehended better than anyone else the immensity and bitterness of the grief that Jesus would reveal to the whole world in that awful cry. He would make known the full measure of His inward and invisible pain and with it, the greatness of His love for us, together with His ardent desire to be loved by us in return. If we would, in some measure, realize the inexpressible benefit that Christ conferred upon us in this mystery of mercy, let us consider what it means to be forsaken by God. By our sins we have deserved to be rejected by Him for all eternity but by His extreme abandonment on the cross, Christ willed to preserve us from being totally abandoned by God forever. He merited, for sinners, the grace never to be wholly deserted by God during life. He, likewise, merited for us grace to bear trials and reverses, abandonment by creatures and apparent dereliction. Oh, what thanks do we owe Jesus for such love! With what fidelity must we serve Him in life, that we may not be forsaken by Him in the all-important and decisive hour of death! What is my conduct when I am forgotten by creatures, and when God also withdraws His sensible consolation?

Second Point

The Last Words of Jesus

Having taken vinegar and gall, offered to Him in answer to His cry: “I thirst,” Jesus said: “It is consummated.” Oh, sublime word of my Saviour, glorious message of victory, that fills heaven with joy, earth with peace, and hell with fear and trembling! How happy are we that Jesus has consummated our redemption! Now does the Blood of Jesus powerfully cry to heaven entreating pardon for us; the anger of the Eternal Father is appeased; justice has been transformed into mercy.

May we be able to say in our last hour: I have accomplished the Divine Will in my regard? With confiding trust we shall then be able to repeat that other word of Jesus, “Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.” Let us for a moment ponder the weight of the word, “It is consummated.” Must we not tremble at the thought of our weakness, since we are so blind to understand and so slow to accomplish the Divine Will? Let us even now commend to the heavenly Father our utter blindness that He may enlighten us; our misery that He may relieve it. Let us implore Him to direct all things to His honor, that, according to the example of His divine Son, we may accomplish His Will in all things. May I be able to say with assurance at the close of each day: I have accomplished everything enjoined upon me by obedience.

Affections: O my beloved Saviour, Thou wilt empty to the very dregs the chalice of abasement and suffering offered Thee by Thy Father. To rescue me from hell, and to make me share in Thy heavenly bliss, Thou dost strip Thyself of all divine consolations, and plungest Thy soul into the abyss of the bitterest desolation. O sweetest Jesus, what sacrifices shall I, poor sinner, make in thanksgiving for such an incalculable benefit, such boundless love? Thou, O my Saviour, hast accomplished everything that could redound to the honor of Thy heavenly Father, and my sanctification. Permit me not to die without having achieved Thy merciful designs. Grant me a true hunger and thirst for Thy love and my perfection, that when departing this life I can say with assurance: “Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.”

Resolution: I will perform all my actions in a spirit of love and obedience.

Spiritual Bouquet: “Father, into Thy hands, I commend my spirit.”

Prayer: Our Father. . .

 

Meditation fort Tuesday 03/31/26

Prayer Before and Prayer After

MEDITATION FOR TUESDAY

JESUS ON THE CROSS IS MOCKED AND PRAYS FOR HIS ENEMIES

“And they passed by, blaspheming Him, wagging their heads and saying: ‘Vah, thou that destroyest the temple of God and in three days dost rebuild it: save thy own self; if thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.’ In like manner also the chief priests, with the scribes and ancients, mocking said: ‘He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross and we will believe in Him’” (Matt. 27, 39-42).

First Prelude: Behold our Blessed Saviour on the cross, suffering the most excruciating torments, mocked and blasphemed by the passers-by.

Second Prelude: O Jesus, grant me grace to realize the baseness of human pride, to expiate which Thou didst will to suffer so much.

FIRST POINT

OUR BLESSED LORD ON THE CROSS, MOCKED AND BLASPHEMED

The more our Lord manifested the excess of His love, the more were His enemies urged to vent the excess of their malice and hatred upon Him. Enduring the most violent torments, He was reviled and mocked not only by the executioners, but also by the high priests and scribes, the populace and the soldiers. His sacred words were misinterpreted; He was reviled as having helped others, but being unable to help Himself. They promised to believe in Him if He would come down from the cross. Oh, how painful to His Sacred Heart must have been such blasphemous, impious language! Jesus hung on the wood, tortured by inexpressible pain, at the point of the most excruciating death. While His Blood streamed from countless wounds, those malicious tongues pierced, as with poisoned arrows, His loving Heart. How painful, too, that the very words He had so often spoken for the benefit and consolation of human kind were now made the object of contempt and ridicule—that these souls, for whom He had shed His Blood, rejected the bountiful redemption!

For some time the reviling and blaspheming had continued, mockery had been added to mockery, and still the Lamb of God opened not His mouth, but observed a profound silence. Jesus consummated the work of the redemption. He drank the chalice of suffering to the very dregs; He descended not from the cross, but suffered as universal Victim for all, prayed as a sacrificial Priest for all. Oh, that we would realize the culpability of our pride, since to atone for it, Jesus had to endure ignominy, ridicule and contempt! Let us consider that, suffering on the cross, Jesus merited for us the grace to subjugate pride, and to resemble Him, our Lord and Master, in humility.

Do I perceive in my heart at least the desire to conform to the meek and loving Heart of Jesus satiated with opprobrium?

SECOND POINT

JESUS PRAYS FOR HIS ENEMIES

After a long silence, Jesus opened His blessed lips and spoke the ever memorable and tender words: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23, 34). He prayed for those that persecuted and reviled Him. Our Blessed Lord thus teaches us, not only by His words but more particularly by His example, that we should: “Do good to them that hate you and pray for them that calumniate and revile you” (Matt. 5, 44). His Precious Blood cries to heaven for vengeance, but His loving Heart cries out for pardon. Does not such generous love condemn the least bitterness that we might harbor against our neighbor! What are the offences that might be committed against us, when compared with the atrocities, the injustice heaped upon the Son of God, which Jesus, nevertheless, excused in His enemies when He said: “They know not what they do!” We, too, were the object of Christ’s prayer, because every sinner is guilty of His death. Must not such a petition on the lips of the dying Saviour incite us to true compunction and inflame us with ardent love! Moreover, to what extent must not our confidence increase in a Saviour Who lovingly defends and justifies us when He might justly accuse and chastise? He remembers not our iniquities, not the gravity of our sins, but draws the attention of the heavenly Father to our weakness, to our thoughtlessness, to our ignorance. Let us thank Him from the bottom of our heart for such love, and, contritely and in all humility, acknowledge our guilt, that on the Day of Judgment Jesus may Himself be our vindication. When an opportunity presents itself, we, too, will lovingly excuse others, and thus merit the special favor of God, and garner a rich harvest of heavenly gifts.

Am I of the number of those who seek to magnify the faults of others, or do I, according to the example of Jesus, try to find a reason for excusing at least the intention of the erring one?

Affections: O Blessed Saviour, what lessons Thou impartest to me from the height of the cross! Thou endurest the most excruciating pain in Thy whole Body, and at the same time Thy Sacred Heart is satiated with opprobrium. Oh, that I would never forget that it was my sins of pride, of vain-glory and ambition that imposed upon Thee, my beloved Saviour, such a heavy sacrifice of atonement. I behold Thee, O Jesus, accepting all the bitterness of the contempt, the reviling and the pains, in order to present to me the sweetness of Thy mercy and love. I pray Thee, let the sentiments of Thy Heart pass over into mine,—give me a truly humble and contrite heart, that I may be made worthy to participate in the blessed fruits of Thy prayer and learn of Thee to be patient and forbearing with others.

Resolution: To honor Jesus, mocked on the Cross, I will be humbly silent under reprimands, and according to His example, lovingly excuse the faults of others.

Spiritual Bouquet: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Prayer: Our Father . . .