January 31

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MEDITATION FOR JANUARY 31

CONTINUATION OF CHRIST’S DISCOURSE

“He that hath My commandments and keepeth them; he it is that loveth Me. And he that loveth Me, shall be loved of My Father; and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him” (John 14, 21).

First Prelude: In spirit kneel at the feet of Jesus to hear His loving promises.

Second Prelude: Give me the grace, O Jesus, to love Thee with a strong, generous love, that Thy glorious promises may be fulfilled in me.

FIRST POINT

THE OBSERVANCE OF THE COMMANDMENTS IS THE SUREST PROOF OF OUR LOVE OF GOD

Religious are often victims of a deplorable delusion with respect to divine love, when they believe sanctity to consist in lengthy vocal prayers, and in the performance of various exercises of devotion. Hence, some claim to be hindered by external occupations from loving God, and others neglect their most important duties to foster union with God in prayer. They are disconsolate when deprived of sensible devotion and consider all as lost. How little have they understood the words of Jesus: “Who keepeth My commandments he it is that loveth Me!” The more we love God the more perfectly we shall fulfill His holy Will, but our love shall be commensurate with our fidelity in observing His precepts and commandments conscientiously. If we faithfully fulfill the holy Will of God, manifested through the voice of our superiors, our Holy Rule and the inspirations of grace, we may rest assured that our love of God is genuine even though we experience no relish for prayer, and are absolutely devoid of consolation. Such aridity of soul is the touch-stone of true love,—a sure test to ascertain whether we seek God or self.

If God occasionally affords us consolations, He does so to draw us to Himself, to assist our weakness, to encourage, or, perhaps, to compensate, us for sacrifices made for Him. Jesus instructs us repeatedly on this point, especially when He says: “For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged; and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again” (Matt. 7, 2). Was not Christ’s absolute conformity to the Will of His heavenly Father from the first moment of His life to His last breath on the cross, the very essence of His love for His heavenly Father? In a similar manner the saints testified their love, and today many of my fellow-religious give proof of true love of God by their prompt compliance with their Holy Rule and the injunctions of obedience.

Should I not be able to serve God with equal fervor? How many occasions have I daily to prove my love for Jesus by the practice of obedience, poverty, and self-denial! If I utilize them to my advantage I may claim to love God. Do I shrink from any sacrifice demanded of me in my holy calling?

SECOND POINT

THE REWARD OF OUR LOVE

What glorious promises does Jesus make to those who truly love Him! What more could we desire than to be loved by God! At what expense is the love of creatures often purchased, what hardships and difficulties are shouldered and borne cheerfully! And yet how often are these endeavors futile, and requited only with ingratitude! And even if we should succeed in gaining the favor of a creature, or the love of all mankind, what should it profit us? Under the most favorable conditions, happiness is only short-lived and may result in a great loss for eternity.

God’s love is unchangeable, it lasts forever; it makes us happy in time and inexpressibly happy for eternity. And how easy it is to merit this love! “If I only will to be a friend of God,” says St. Augustine, “I am His friend.” True desire for His love constitutes love itself.

How could Jesus fail to still our desire when, according to His words, “He came to cast fire upon the earth, and wills naught but that it be kindled” (Luke 1, 49)? “I will love Him and will manifest Myself to him” (John 14, 21). What a glorious promise of our Divine Saviour and how has He fulfilled it! By becoming Man and giving Himself to us in the Sacrament of His Love, He has entered into most active intercourse with us. This is a mystery of faith, transpiring in the souls of the just, but hidden from the eyes of the world. One day, however, it shall be revealed to all, to the confusion of those who have preferred foolish love of creatures to communion with their hidden God; to the greatest joy of the elect, who will find perfect bliss in the manifestations of the love of God for them.

Could I ever believe to be doing too much; could I find His commandments and the obligations of my holy vocation irksome or too exacting when I ponder the love of God, and in particular the love of Jesus? Must I not rather fear to render myself undeserving of intimate communion with Him, by my lack of the spirit of immolation.

Affections: Couldst Thou, O Jesus, promise us anything more glorious than Thy love? How is it possible that hearts are so ungrateful, so cold and indifferent, as not to correspond to such love! Even I, Thy spouse, have so often rendered myself undeserving of it. Oh, permit me not to languish further in this coldness, to be so foolish as to prefer earthly affections to Thy divine love. Inflame my heart ever more with Thy holy love, that I may be faithful in observing Thy commandments. Come and take possession of my soul, dispose of it according to Thy pleasure, and effect that intimate union which embodies the plenitude of all heavenly goods.

Resolution: I will rejoice in being able frequently to testify my love of Jesus by a sacrifice.

Spiritual Bouquet: “He that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father; and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him.”

Prayer: O Jesus, living in Mary . . .

January 30

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MEDITATION FOR JANUARY 30

CONTINUATION OF CHRIST’S DISCOURSE

“And whither I go, you know, and the way you know.” Thomas said to Him: “Lord, we know not whither Thou goest and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man cometh to the Father, but by Me” (John 14, 4-6).

First Prelude: Remain in the Supper Room at the feet of Jesus, and listen with profoundest reverence, to His discourse.

Second Prelude: O my Divine Saviour, liberate me from dangerous self-deception with regard to my salvation and give me the grace to follow with fidelity on the way Thou hast walked before us.

FIRST POINT

THE DISCIPLES FAILED TO UNDERSTAND THEIR DIVINE MASTER

Jesus had often told His disciples that He should be delivered to the pagans and be crucified, and that He should rise again on the third day. Therefore, He could now say to them: “And the way, you know, and whither I go you know.” How clearly the disciples showed that it is difficult to comprehend the mystery of the cross! Thomas at once answered: “Lord, we know not whither Thou goest, and how can we know the way?” Like the Apostles we, too, are well instructed in our duties; we know the way to heaven but also the way to perdition. We are convinced that with the grace of God we can attain perfection and secure heaven, but that, on the contrary, if we neglect our duties and the subjugation of our passions we shall not work out our salvation. Nevertheless, we often forget these important truths and so easily neglect penance in days of health. When corporal sufferings fall to our lot, we lose sight of the merits concealed in the cross; when pride is wounded, we ignore the necessity of humility and, in our intercourse with others, utterly disregard the obligations imposed upon us by the command of love. We often suffer ourselves to be so completely engrossed in earthly concerns as to lose sight of heavenly things.

Have we not left the world and entered religion, that we might seek what is everlasting? Our Holy Rule clearly marks the way that we should walk, tells us what to do and what to omit under various circumstances, and so long as we are obedient, we are sure of never losing sight of our eternal destination. With more right than to His Apostles, Jesus could say to us: “You know the way.” Truly we can never allege ignorance as an excuse. Negligence in prayer and meditation, however, darkens the mind and envelops the understanding with a mist. We deceive ourselves with regard to our most serious duties and ignore the smaller ones altogether, thus deviating ever farther from the straight path. Oh, that such a calamity should never befall us! That we should rather cause the light of faith to shine more brilliantly in us, by persevering zeal in fervent prayer!

Do my actions not frequently prove that I do not ponder sufficiently the eternal truths relative to the necessity of humility, obedience, charity, patience, and silence?

SECOND POINT

JESUS INSTRUCTS HIS DISCIPLE THAT HE IS THE WAY TO THE FATHER

Our Saviour came from heaven upon earth to show mankind the way to heaven by His teachings and His example. “I am the Way.” This way is accessible to every one, but it is also the only way, outside of which there is naught but confusion and folly. It is, indeed, a narrow path, as Jesus Himself has said; it is fatiguing and steep, but His grace renders it sweet and agreeable. It is an honorable way—all who now triumph in heaven have walked it. The Queen of Angels and Saints walked it. The glorious hosts of Apostles, martyrs, confessors, and virgins, and millions of religious, all followed Jesus, their adorable Leader, and attained to the Father through Him. They all followed the eternal, undeceiving Truth, and enlightened by its brightness, they could not go astray. Strengthened and fortified by the Bread of Life, in the Sacrament of His Love, they cheerfully bore the hardships and privations of their thorny path, pushing ever onward to life eternal.

Jesus says also to us: “I am the Way. Follow Me.” Should we not remain in His presence through holy recollection, and seek to contemplate Him diligently during the hour of meditation, so as to become imbued with His holy example and make it our rule of life? Let us often ask ourselves: How should I labor, pray, bear my cross, practice dependence, humility and poverty that I may truly imitate my Saviour? How should I, like Him, bear with the faults of my neighbor, especially my fellow religious, and the often inconsiderate demands of the children entrusted to my care? What has Jesus not done for love of me, to set me an example for imitation? Should I hesitate to do as much for the sake of my own salvation? And if I feel that the spirit is willing, but the flesh weak, I must hasten to draw new life and energy from the Sacrament of Love. From His Eucharistic throne, Jesus overwhelms me with graces and gives me the strength and energy to pursue the way courageously, and finally to attain heaven.

Affections: O my Divine Saviour, Who hast said: “No one can come to the Father but by Me,” I thank Thee that Thou hast shown me, by word and example, the way that leads to life eternal. To my confusion, I must admit that though I have been so long in Thy school of perfection, I am still not penetrated with the great mysteries of Thy love as I ought to be. Enlighten me, O Divine Saviour, Who art Truth itself, that in future I may walk in Thy light. Sanctify me, Thou Source of Life, let me daily make new progress in the knowledge of Thy love and the imitation of Thy virtues on the way Thou hast marked out for me. Yes, O my Saviour, I realize my inability to come to the Father but by Thee. I seize the hand Thou so mercifully holdest out to me; I will hold it fast, that I may be Thine in life and in death.

Resolution: I will endeavor to follow Jesus on the way of humility and self denial.

Spiritual Bouquet: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”

Prayer: Soul of Christ . . .

January 29

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MEDITATION FOR JANUARY 29

CONTINUATION OF CHRIST’S DISCOURSE AT THE LAST SUPPER

“Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house there are many mansions. If not, I would have told you: because I go to prepare a place for you. And if I shall go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself; that where I am you also may be” (John 14, 1-3).

First Prelude: Enter the Supper Hall reverently, and listen to the words of consolation that Christ addresses to His disciples.

Second Prelude: O my Divine Saviour, let me recognize that true consolation and peace can be found only in the principles of a firm and living faith.

FIRST POINT

CHRIST BASES HIS CONSOLATION ON THE PRINCIPLES OF FAITH

Jesus had told His disciples that He would leave them, and they were sad. To re-animate their courage, and to banish all disquietude, Jesus bade them bear in mind the principles of faith, saying: “Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God; believe also, in Me.”

And, in truth, is not faith in God and in Jesus Christ, a firm support in all the vicissitudes of life, against the onslaughts of the Evil One, in trial and temptation? What consolation in the thought of Divine Providence guiding and ordering all things, never suffering us to be tempted beyond our strength! God’s paternal love will direct all things to a happy issue. We have a Redeemer Who Himself has tasted the bitterness of sufferings, Whose grace is our support in trials and sufferings, and Who incites us to neglect none of the opportunities for sanctification of self.

Nothing happens in the world without the Will, or at least the permission of God. Every moment is an ambassador, as it were, conveying to us God’s mandates. The hand of God is concealed under the veil of even the most ordinary incidents of life and the daily crosses that befall us. This loving hand bears us up and leads us safely on, provided we do not hinder the safe-guidance.

Should we not proceed courageously in all our needs, trials and even the most manifold reverses and disappointments? Should we not raise our eyes above the clouds to look unremittingly at the heavenly light of faith, which is able to illumine the darkest night? In this light all things will appear different from what is viewed with a merely natural eye. Faith is the key to the divine treasures. It directs us incessantly to God, the Fountain-head of graces, and teaches us to pray for grace. What a power faith wields over our hearts! In its light we behold the goodness of a loving Providence in everything. We look upon those who wrong us, as instruments in the hands of God to effect our sanctification. Far from being disheartened, let us say with St. Teresa: “Let nothing disturb thee—Nothing affright thee; Who God possesseth, in nothing is wanting.”

When a sacrifice is demanded of me, am I mindful that God asks it for my sanctification? In all reverses, do I say: “The most high, the most just, and the most amiable Will of God be done?”

SECOND POINT

JESUS PROMISES HIS APOSTLES TO PREPARE A DWELLING PLACE FOR THEM IN HIS FATHER’S HOUSE

Jesus directs the attention of His Apostles to the heavenly mansions, to the place of eternal joy, when He says: “I go to prepare a place for you.” He promises them a place in His own glory, in His Father’s house, in which need and persecution shall forever cease, and sorrow and misery shall be transformed into everlasting bliss. The consolation that Jesus here imparts to His disciples applies equally to us. He knew full well what misery and ills of all sorts weigh down the human heart, and how necessary it is for us to be buoyed up by the thought of heaven, our eternal home, the house of our Father. There is still room in the eternal mansions for millions of souls who have rendered themselves worthy of the fruits of the redemption. There are various dwellings in His Father’s house for every type of virtue, for every degree of merit. Every one can truly say: God in His infinite love has prepared a place for me from all eternity. He has given me countless graces and means of salvation to merit it. He has called me to the religious state to prepare for me this particular dwelling in the heavenly mansions, which surpasses countless others in glory.

Oh, what encouragement in this thought, in this hope! With St. Paul, I am constrained to cry out: “The sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, that shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8, 18). What an incentive to zeal! If my Saviour shed the last drop of His Precious Blood to secure this place for me, must I not exert all my strength to make myself worthy? The harder it is for me in this life, the greater will be my joy in heaven and the more signal the victories that with the grace of God I shall achieve.

Does the thought of heaven and the everlasting compensation afford me courage and consolation in the sufferings and trials of life? Do I occasionally yearn for my heavenly home? Do I excite and nourish this longing?

Affections: O magnanimous, benign and omnipotent Lord, what gratitude do I owe Thee! Thou hast atoned for my misdeeds, hast shed Thy Precious Blood to reopen heaven and merit for me a never-ending glory. Help me, O my Saviour, to gain heaven with Thy grace. O heavenly home, my heart yearns and languishes for thee and bewails the time of the earthly sojourn! O God, penetrate my heart profoundly with the truths of faith in Thy promises, that nothing shall be able to mar the peace of my soul.

Resolution: When a sacrifice is asked of me, I will seek encouragement in the thought of the glorious recompense our Divine Saviour holds out to me.

Spiritual Bouquet: “Let not your heart be troubled. I go to prepare a place for you.”

Prayer: O Jesus, living in Mary . . .

January 28

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MEDITATION FOR JANUARY 28

CHRIST'S DISCOURSE AT THE LAST SUPPER

“A new commandment I give unto you: that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 13, 34).

First Prelude: In spirit, enter the hall of the Last Supper, behold our Divine Saviour in the midst of His disciples, and, with profoundest reverence, hear His adorable words.

Second Prelude: O Divine Heart of Jesus, impart Thy loving sentiments to my heart, that I may perfectly fulfill Thy new commandment.

FIRST POINT

THE NEW COMMANDMENT

Though our Lord is the source of all the commandments of the New Law, He designates the command of love, especially as “His commandment,” to indicate His pleasure in its observance. He calls it a new commandment because love was unknown in the Old Testament. Men loved one another from natural motives—the Jews because they were children of a common father, Abraham, and disciples of Moses. Jesus desired to teach them another kind of love by setting Himself up as their model. “Love one another” He exhorts us, “as I have loved you.” And how has He loved us? He has loved us when we least deserved His love, yes, He has loved us when we offended Him, and were His enemies—when we fled from Him and remained at a distance. He manifested His love for us by the most tender words, calling us His brethren, His friends, His beloved.

Jesus loved us not alone in words, but a thousand times more in deed, by suffering and immolating Himself for us. “He hath purchased us with His Blood”—made us co-heirs of His kingdom. This should likewise be the extent of our love of our neighbor. We must make an effort, at least, to penetrate deeply into the loving design that prompted our Divine Saviour to issue this command.

He exhorts all to manifest love for one another as He has loved us, and from the same supernatural motives. Even when our neighbors seem not in the least deserving of our love, or requite it with ingratitude, we should love them sincerely to the extent of immolating our own lives, should love demand it. This is the new commandment, bequeathed by the parting Master to His beloved disciples. He gives it to them when in the act of achieving the greatest wonders of His love—the institution of the Blessed Eucharist and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

How happy should I be to find occasion in my holy calling for fulfilling this new commandment perfectly! Is it really my aim, after the example of Jesus, to be a victim of immolation for His suffering members, and do I cheerfully render them the lowliest services?

SECOND POINT

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DISCIPLES OF OUR LORD

Jesus had indeed given His disciples a “new commandment”; for, when the first Christians began to practice it, the pagan world in astonishment cried out: “See how the Christians love one another!” According to the Acts of the Apostles, they were “one heart and one soul.” They not only had earthly goods in common, but were ready to sacrifice all, even life itself, to afford mutual consolation and encouragement and to confirm one another in the faith. Oh, how far have most people deviated from the sentiments of the early Christians! How rarely do we find genuine, unselfish, self-immolating, persevering love! Thanks to God, Holy Mother Church still numbers among her children many true disciples of Christ, who, like the first Christians, distinguish themselves by their magnanimous charity. Thousands devote themselves to the education of youth, to missionary labors, to the corporal and spiritual wants of the neighbor, renouncing all prospects of honor, wealth, and the pleasures of life to immolate themselves in the exercise of heroic charity.

In the Catholic Church, alone, is the spirit of the discipleship of Christ fostered and cherished, because she, alone, possesses the living source of love—the adorable Sacrament of the Altar, whence the souls draw new courage and strength for self-immolation. When ingratitude and faithlessness of creatures are their portion, they look upon their Divine Model, who instructs them in the Holy Eucharist that the disciple is not above the Master. Strengthened by His grace, they gladly forfeit claim to any acknowledgment from creatures, with a view to the reward that is theirs as a compensation for their love.

So must our love for God be the sole motive of our love for our neighbor. We shall never be able, however, to meet the requirements of the Holy Rule with regard to charity unless love of God is deeply rooted in our hearts. Am I, everywhere and always, a disciple of Christ and a true religious? Do I contribute to the best of my ability that of our congregation, it may be said: “See how the members love one another”?

Affections: O my Divine Saviour, how sublime is the commandment of charity which embodies Thy last Will! How happy am I to have occasion in my holy vocation to fulfill this sweet command at every moment! Oh, inflame my soul with ardent love, that I may prove myself Thy true disciple, by faithfully discharging my duties. O Jesus, replenish us all with a disinterested, universal and magnanimous love, that we may incessantly glorify Thee and promote the salvation of souls.

Resolution: To prove my love for Jesus, I will exercise charity and mildness toward all, especially my fellow-religious.

Spiritual Bouquet: “A new commandment I give unto you: that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 13, 34).

Prayer: O Jesus, living in Mary . . .

January 27

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MEDITATION FOR JANUARY 27

PARABLE OF THE LABORERS IN THE VINEYARD

“The kingdom of heaven is like unto a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard” (Matt. 20, 1).

First Prelude: Hear Jesus relating this parable to His disciples.

Second Prelude: Pray for the grace to be a true laborer in the Lord’s vineyard, that you may merit a great heavenly recompense.

FIRST POINT

NECESSITY OF SERVING GOD

God is our supreme, sole Master; we are His property. Therefore, we are obliged to think, to speak, and to live for Him alone. By fulfilling this sacred obligation, we pay homage to Him as our Lord and God. This service, however, redounds to our own advantage, since to glorify God and to work at our perfection are one and the same—the one is impossible without the other. In today’s gospel narrative our Saviour likens the service of God, the sanctification of self, to the strenuous labor in a vineyard. The stony soil of the vineyard must be tilled, the vines must be pruned and trimmed that they may bring forth fruit. We must accomplish this hard and laborious task in ourselves by mortification of our inclinations, by combat of our ill-regulated desires, by extirpation of our faults and by the implanting of virtues. No one is exempt from the duty of sanctifying self, no one may be idle, but every one must work according to his ability. Neither riches nor poverty, neither health nor infirmity, nor yet age, can exempt us from this duty. If God demands our service He, in turn, will serve us, since we can do nothing without the assistance of His grace. In His merciful love, He will support us in this long and tedious task. What does He not do for them that serve Him with constant fidelity? He abides in their hearts and imparts to them abundant graces and consolations. He grants them true peace and inexpressible happiness even here below.

How unhappy, on the contrary, are they who resist the impulse of grace, serve God with reserve, and spend hours and days in spiritual idleness, waiting in the world’s mart without thought of the honor of God and their own salvation. He who does not labor incessantly for God is a victim of a most baneful inactivity. Every moment which we do not employ for God is an infringement on His rights.

Shall I not one day be deserving of the reproach that I have idled away the greater portion of my life? Oh, how many would serve God with far greater fidelity than I, if they had the means of grace which the good God affords me! How often, even in religion, have I preferred self-will to the loving exhortations of the Lord! Can I still resist the grace of God, which urges me so powerfully to be solicitous in the all-important affair of my salvation.

SECOND POINT

THE RECOMPENSE OF THE LABOR

How welcome is evening to the patient toiler, who, in the sweat of his brow, has borne the burden and heat of the day! How joyously he awaits the well-earned recompense at the hands of his master! Will not the evening of life be infinitely rich in blessings for pious religious who have labored faithfully in the Master’s vineyard! This evening will afford abundant compensation for the many sacrifices they have made in the daily discharge of their duties. Oh, my soul, be mindful of this consoling truth when the sufferings of life weigh heavily upon, and well-nigh crush you. Likewise, bear in mind that in meting out the recompense, God shall consider neither age nor the number of days spent in His service, but rather the love and fervor with which you have served Him. It will avail us little to have spent many years in religion, if we have not acquired facility in the practice of mortification, of obedience, of humility, of pure intention.

Have you, perhaps, cause to blush for shame and to consider yourself the least among your companions? What a powerful incentive to virtue in the words of the Saviour: “The last shall be the first and the first, the last!” If the grace of God has called you to His vineyard in early youth, be on your guard lest you grow negligent and suffer those that entered “last” to outstrip you in zeal. However, even the “last” should not be disheartened, mindful that by redoubled effort they may still merit the compensation of the first.

Has my fervor always been commensurate with the graces imparted to me so generously? Would it not be presumption, were I to esteem myself superior to others, who may have had the misfortune to fall? By humility and zeal, they may easily surpass me, who am so negligent in the affair of my salvation. Should I not strive from this day forward to be more zealous in the service of God that I may not be among the last in heaven?

Affections: O my God, in Thy infinite goodness and mercy Thou hast called me to labor in Thy vineyard, to work out my salvation, to strive for perfection! How much of the precious time allotted to me have I squandered in idleness and neglect! Henceforward, I will labor faithfully and perseveringly, with Thy grace, to the evening of my life, in order to regain lost time. To incite my fervor, and to render myself deserving of a high degree of reward in heaven, I will, in all humility, consider myself as one of the last in Thy service. Grant me, O Jesus, the spirit of immolation characteristic of Thy true followers, that, performing all my actions in the spirit of love, I may attain the degree of perfection to which Thy infinite mercy has called me.

Resolution: I will be zealous in the practice of that virtue of which I am most in need.

Spiritual Bouquet: “Why stand ye here all day idle? Go ye also into my vineyard.”

Prayer: Take, O Lord . . .

January 26

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MEDITATION FOR JANUARY 26

THE DEPARTURE FROM NAZARETH

“And His mother kept all these words in her heart”

(Luke 2, 51).

First Prelude: Picture the little house in Nazareth and our Blessed Lord as He takes leave of His holy Mother.

Second Prelude: O sweetest Jesus, give me the grace, in imitation of Thee and Thy Blessed Mother, cheerfully to offer Thee any sacrifice which Thou mayest demand of me.

FIRST POINT

MARY ANTICIPATED THE SEPARATION FROM HER DIVINE SON AND PREPARED HERSELF FOR IT

At last the time for Jesus to leave His humble home in Nazareth was drawing near. Mary knew full well that this separation was to come. The thought of it had been like a shadow which from time to time darkened for her the joy of common life. Nevertheless, Mary did not permit herself to be depressed by this sorrow. She did not permit the sufferings of the future to affect her in the present. In like manner, ought we refrain from casting anxious and searching glances into the future and accept every day with its attendant labors and trials, its joys and sorrows from the hand of God, faithfully co-operating with the grace given us, remembering the words: “Be not therefore solicitous for tomorrow; sufficient for the day is the evil thereof” (Matt. 6, 34). Mary knew that the time of separation was not far distant. The words which Jesus had spoken when she found Him in the Temple, still echoed in her heart: “. . . Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2, 49). She had kept these words in her heart, and had understood that, at a time not too distant, Jesus would enter upon his mission, for the accomplishment of which He had come upon earth.

Life in the company of her Divine Son afforded Mary the delights of heaven, and still she longed with a holy desire for the greatly feared day; for in her disinterested love she wished for the coming of the hour in which her Divine Son would begin His public life, His labor of love and mercy among men. Mary knew that she had been chosen by God to share in the great work of redemption, and willingly she prepared herself for the consummation of the sacrifice, although the pain of separation was to wound her heart deeply. Let us learn from our Blessed Mother to practice disinterested love and self-sacrifice for the welfare of others. We religious are called to alleviate the sufferings of our fellowmen, and to offer ourselves for their temporal and eternal well-being. Let us, therefore, like Mary, not look upon ourselves but rivet our gaze upon Jesus, Who has gone before us on the way of complete self-surrender, and cheerfully and bravely unite our sacrifice with that of His Blessed Mother for the salvation of those entrusted to us.

SECOND POINT

JESUS LEAVES HIS BLESSED MOTHER

Finally, the day on which Jesus wished to depart from Nazareth arrived. It certainly was no small sacrifice for Him to leave this beloved little home, where He had spent so many a year with Mary and Joseph. With the remembrance of the past was coupled the thought of the bitter sorrow His separation would cause His Blessed Mother. Jesus loved His holy Mother more than ever son loved his mother, and He fully realized how painful His departure would be to her pure heart. It is always hard for a mother to part with her only son, even though bright prospects of wealth, honor, and fame loom quite high. How much greater, however, must not her anguish have been in the knowledge that sorrow and pain, persecution and ill-treatment of every kind, imprisonment, torture, and an ignominious death awaited him! All this, as Mary well knew, was in store for her well-beloved Son. How unspeakable, therefore, must have been her sorrow as she bade Him farewell!

O Mary, Mother of Sorrows, who hast so deeply felt what it means to have a heart rent with anguish, assist us when we are permitted to experience the pangs caused by the sacrifice of a separation which God demands of us. Yes, let us be mindful of Mary’s bitter separation when we must part with an office which is so congenial to us in every respect, from a house in whose affairs and interests we have become incorporated, as it were, from superiors and fellow-religious with whom we were one heart and one soul. Let us unite ourselves, then, with the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and joyfully and courageously go whither God calls us through the voice of our superiors.

Affections: O sweetest Jesus, Thou Who for our salvation didst so willingly take upon Thyself every sorrow, even that of separation from Thy Blessed Mother, look pitifully upon the weaknesses of our hearts, which, although they are entirely consecrated to Thee, still attach themselves so easily to what is earthly. Free our hearts with all their inclinations from everything which is not Thyself, and give us the grace, gladly and willingly to offer Thee any sacrifice which is conducive to Thy greater honor and glory and the salvation of our fellow-men. And Thou, O Mother of Sorrows, who for us poor children of men didst so willingly bear the pain of separation from thy beloved Son, implore for us the grace to suffer with love, and like thee to share in the sufferings of thy Divine Son.

Resolution: I will patiently bear all sufferings of this day in union with Jesus and Mary.

Spiritual Bouquet: “Great as the sea is her sorrow.”

Prayer: Take, O Lord . . .

January 25

 

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MEDITATION FOR JANUARY 25TH

FEAST OF THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL

“Lord, what wilt Thou have me do?” (Acts 9, 6).

First Prelude: Represent to yourself Saul on the way to Damascus, flooded with heavenly light, falling to the ground and exclaiming: “Lord, what wilt Thou have me do?”

Second Prelude: O Divine Saviour, impart to me the grace to accomplish Thy Will with the readiness of St. Paul and to follow Thee with fervor on the path of perfection.

FIRST POINT

THE READINESS WITH WHICH ST. PAUL FOLLOWED THE INSPIRATIONS OF GRACE

We read in the Acts of the Apostles how Saul, completely blinded by prejudices against the religion of Christ, and burning with a false zeal, not only persecuted the Christians in Jerusalem, but, commissioned by the high-priest and the sanhedrim, started out for Damascus there in like manner to drag the Christians out of their houses, and having loaded them with chains to bring them bound to Jerusalem, that they might serve as public examples to the terror of others. But Jesus, seeing his good though perverted will, awaited him on the road, to show him the right way, and in infinite patience and mercy, to change him in the very heat of his fury into a vessel of election, to carry His name to the Gentiles. With divine power Christ, therefore, cast Saul to the ground, but spoke to him with tenderest mercy and mildness. The exterior light that blinded him is only a figure of the light that enlightened him interiorly, and to which Saul at once willingly opened heart and mind and devoted himself wholly to God. He was conscious that a supernatural power had cast him to the ground, that the Lord was nigh, and, struck with amazement, he cried out: “Who art Thou, Lord?”

Hardly had he heard the words: “I am Jesus of Nazareth, Whom thou persecutest” (Acts 9, 6), when his resistance was broken, his heart was conquered and faith in the Divinity of Christ penetrated him with invincible conviction. His eyes were closed to the light of the sun that his spiritual eye might see the more clearly and receive more perfectly the rays of the divine Sun of grace, Christ, Jesus. In this light he recognized Jesus to be really the Messiah promised to the nations, in Whom all prophecies were fulfilled. In humble faith he now cried out: “Lord, what wilt Thou have me do?” “Lord,” he seemed to say, “Thou it is whom I have blasphemed and persecuted? And yet Thou wilt pardon me? This, therefore, is Thy revenge of Thy bloody persecutor? What wilt Thou have me do and suffer? Henceforth I will only what Thou wilt.” O brief, and yet significant, living and effective word! In a single moment it made out of a sinner a great saint, through absolute surrender to the Divine Will, which act constitutes the highest and greatest sacrifice man can offer to God. May this word ever be in our hearts and on our lips. In all our actions and omissions, in moments of doubt and combat, we will often say: “Lord, what wilt Thou have me do?” If the Will of God is the guiding star of our life, we shall not lose our way, but shall reach our eternal destination by the shortest and securest path.

SECOND POINT

ST. PAUL, IN HIS CONVERSION, OUR MODEL IN STRIVING AFTER PERFECTION

The Acts of the Apostles state, when at the command of the Lord Saul arose from the ground, he found that he was blind and was led by his companions into Damascus, to await the Lord’s bidding. In Damascus he prepared himself, however, by fasting and incessant prayer, to learn and execute the Will of God. If we wish to advance on the way of perfection, we, too, should be blind, as it were, for the things of this world, its honors, its pleasures, and employ them only inasmuch as is absolutely necessary for the faithful discharge of our duties. Furthermore, like Saul, we must submit to the guidance of our superiors, by rendering them perfect obedience, as well as to our spiritual director, whom we should obey with implicit trust in all that pertains to our salvation.

At Damascus, Saul awaited further manifestations of the Divine Will. We must, likewise, patiently bide the time of the Lord, even though He should delay in removing from us interior sufferings or trials, since we may be fully confident that in due time God will come to our aid. In particular, we must not neglect to restrain our inordinate inclinations, to curb our senses and by interior recollection to be constantly united with God. Then for us, too, the time shall come when, like St. Paul, we shall be found worthy to labor successfully for the salvation of souls. Hardly had the regenerating waters of baptism touched his head, when his heart was inflamed with that ardor and zeal for souls, which induced him to “Become all in all, to bring all to Christ” (Cor. 9, 22); when he was aglow with the love that urged him to labor with all his strength to the last moment of his life, to spread the knowledge and love of Jesus.

O great Apostle of the Gentiles, obtain for me grace to grow daily in the knowledge and love of Jesus, that my zeal for souls may increase and my labors may merit the divine blessing.

Affections: O Divine Heart of Jesus, Thou hast so magnanimously revealed Thy wonderful mildness and goodness in the conversion of Thy illustrious Apostle—I bless and praise Thee for it. With the whole Catholic Church I thank Thee today for having bestowed upon him, in such profusion, the rich treasures of Thy mercy, and having made of him an elect instrument of Thy grace. Oh, impart also to my heart a spark of the fire of love that consumed St. Paul, and constrained him to become all to all, to gain all to Thee. Let me esteem all sufferings and sacrifices, yea, even death itself, as naught, when there is question of saving souls and thus of glorifying Thee.

Resolution: We will follow every inspiration of grace with utmost fidelity and immolation of self.

Spiritual Bouquet: “Lord, what wilt Thou have me do?”

Prayer: Take, O Lord . . .

January 24

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MEDITATION FOR JANUARY 24

THE LABOR OF JESUS IN HIS HIDDEN LIFE

“He was subject to them” (Luke 2, 51).

First Prelude: Picture the little house of Nazareth, and ponder upon the manner in which our Divine Saviour labored.

Second Prelude: O Lord, let me realize from Thy example, with what zeal I shall perform my work and the sentiments whereby I may sanctify it.

FIRST POINT

JESUS LOVES AND PERFORMS LABOR

Since our Divine Saviour chose abject poverty as His earthly portion, He selected for Himself common and toilsome manual labor, befitting the poor. His divine hands, which hold heaven and earth, were employed in the hard work of a very ordinary occupation. His dwelling was small, inconvenient and void of many necessaries of life. In this indigent condition and extreme deprivation, “The child grew and waxed strong” (Luke 2, 40). For what mission was He growing up, and for what work did He wax strong? Primarily, for the hard work of a carpenter, to which, according to the Will of His heavenly Father, He was to subject Himself to His thirtieth year, to sanctify and ennoble labor, which is the groundwork of human existence.

What fruitful source of encouragement and consolation this truth constitutes for us, who were born to labor and, according to divine ordinance, “in the sweat of our face, to earn our bread”! Our Saviour worked to exhaustion, in order to earn a livelihood by a simple trade. In all truth, He could exclaim with the psalmist: “I am poor, and in labors from my youth” (Ps. 87, 16). Who can reasonably be ashamed of labor, or complain of its necessity? There are, accordingly, as we see from the example of Jesus, no menial occupations! To a soul loving God truly, every work is welcome, if she but knows that it conforms to His Will. Only the spirit of the world, which seeks honor and esteem, discriminates between honorable and dishonorable work. How foolish would religious be, if, infected by this spirit, they sought offices of preferment! Could they still lay claim to the title, spouse of the poor carpenter’s Son of Nazareth, Who was engaged in the commonest and most inconspicuous work? Divine Saviour, who can gauge the love and condescension which impelled Thee to instill into our hearts, by the force of Thy adorable example, love for this penance which God has imposed upon us! I will perform all my works, however strenuous, in the spirit of expiation, and in intimate union with Thy sentiments.

Do I endeavor to utilize every moment of my time according to the prescription of the Holy Rule, and during work, often direct my thoughts to the example which my Divine Saviour gave me in Nazareth?

SECOND POINT

HOW WE MUST SANCTIFY OUR WORK, ACCORDING TO THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS

The mode of life of the generality of men, especially religious, closely resembles the life of our Divine Saviour in the house of Nazareth. They devote the greater part of the day to household duties, to earning a livelihood in various avocations, and lead a life hidden from the world. Let us learn from our Divine Model, how to sanctify this life, to render it of surpassing value and merit in the sight of God.

Although Jesus was employed in exterior duties, He maintained constant union in prayer with His heavenly Father; His mind’s eye was always focused on His Father’s pleasure. All hardships of labor and changing conditions attendant upon it, were incitements to praise and glorify His Father in heaven. He offered Himself incessantly in sacrifice; He prayed unremittingly for us poor sinners: His whole longing was directed to the glorification of the name of Him Who sent Him. From His sublime sentiments flowed the priceless value and infinite merits of His deeds. Not a single action of the Son of God was without merit, as is the case so often with men.

O my Saviour, in earthly work, Thou didst descend to the level of men, but in the manner of performing it, Thou didst immeasurably surpass them. All Thy works, even the most insignificant were holy, admirable and of priceless worth. What defects do I discover in my works, O my Saviour, when I compare them with Thine! If I subtract from my supposedly good works, purely natural motives, all that is done through routine or inclination, all that has an ignoble alloy, what will remain? Alas, how much merit have I lost, since I made so slight endeavor to purify my intentions, and to enter into Thy motives?

Affections: How trifling, O Jesus, according to worldly standards, was the labor of Thy youth in the little workshop at Nazareth! How great was it, however, in the sight of the heavenly Father, and to the eyes of faith of all who ponder upon Thy unobtrusive activity! Deeply touched by contemplation of the hard labor which Thou, O Jesus, as a carpenter didst perform in the sweat of Thy face, my will, urged by Thy example, must make the resolution to imitate Thee, and joyfully to bear the burden and heat of the day. Teach me, O Lord, to be great in the eyes of Thy heavenly Father by the purity and sublimity of my intentions; that I may achieve the aim towards which my works should tend.

Resolution: In all my actions, I will unite myself with my Divine Model.

Spiritual Bouquet: “He did all things well.”

Prayer: “O Jesus, living in Mary,”

January 23

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MEDITATION FOR JANUARY 23

THE OBEDIENCE OF JESUS IN HIS HIDDEN LIFE

“He was subject to them” (Luke 2, 51).

First Prelude: Represent to yourselves our Blessed Saviour at Nazareth, rendering the most perfect obedience to His parents.

Second Prelude: My Jesus, teach me by Thy example to esteem and love obedience, so that by the practice of the same I may safely attain to the perfection of my holy calling.

First Point

HOW JESUS LOVES AND PRACTICES OBEDIENCE

In the few words: “He was subject to them,” the Holy Ghost wished to sum up the whole life of the Saviour until His thirtieth year in order to instill into us a high esteem for the virtue of obedience. This virtue includes, in a certain sense, every other virtue, the consummate sanctity of the God-Man, Whom we are to imitate. Let us, therefore, contemplate how the Divine Saviour, our sublime model, makes the practice of obedience His chief employment. The Eternal Word of God, the Supreme Wisdom, the Creator and Lord of all things, to Whom everything owes submission, renders obedience to His creatures, allows Himself to be guided and led like a child which is not yet capable of guiding itself. With loving cheerfulness He hastens to carry out what Mary and Joseph commission; He even forestalls their wishes and this not only as long as He is a child, but even, still, when He has reached manhood. One easily perceives that it is His Heart which obeys and that, in whatever He does, He is motivated by love.

What was it that impelled our Divine Saviour to obey so perfectly? It was the desire to acknowledge the divine supremacy, to tender the Divine Majesty the tribute of homage, and to glorify the same by the most perfect execution of the Father’s Will. Jesus obeyed His heavenly Father in the person of His parents and that, too, with the purest and most ardent love, so that all His acts of obedience were the expression of the most perfect love. This is, then, the true, supernatural obedience, the obedience of faith, which is deduced from the principle that the invisible God wills to guide men through other men, as His visible representatives. For this reason He invested them with His authority, so that it is said of them: “He that heareth you, heareth Me, and he that despiseth you, despiseth Me” (Luke 10, 16). To obey from this motive is great, honorable, and meritorious, for it implies absolute dependence on God in the person of our superiors.

O my Jesus, I thank Thee for the sublime example Thou hast given me by Thy humble obedience. Grant me the grace, in the practice of the holy obedience I have vowed, to be imbued with Thy sentiments.

Second Point

FRUITS OF RELIGIOUS OBEDIENCE

We have seen in our Divine Model that through the perfect obedience which Jesus practiced, His heavenly Father was most highly honored and glorified. In like manner, religious can not honor God more worthily than by uniting their dependence on their superiors with the submission of the Divine Saviour. To glorify God means to acknowledge His unlimited authority. How could we better evidence this than by offering to Him what is dearest and most valuable to us, namely, our free will? This generous abandonment of truly obedient religious procures for them the generosity of God and disposes Him favorably to grant all their petitions. If we give to the Lord all that we have how could He refuse us anything? St. Augustine notes: “A single petition made by a submissive soul is more readily granted than ten thousand petitions made by a recalcitrant one.” What progress in perfection does an obedient religious make within a short time! Self-will retreats entirely to give place to the Will of God, Who governs and directs his entire course of action, regulates his words and deeds, and thus in a certain sense divinizes his whole life.

In obedience one finds peace of soul, which is by far the most precious treasure one can possess here on earth. How delightfully consoling is the thought: I am where God wills me to be; I do what He wills I should do. He Himself has selected for me the place at which I now find myself as well as the work which has been assigned to me; and this choice He has made in consideration of His greater honor and my salvation. Provided I obey He assumes complete charge of everything and I am relieved of all responsibilities. O my God, how great is Thy goodness, which makes the path of holiness so easy for us! Truly, they who faithfully persevere in the practice of obedience, exercise constantly the purest love of God; the treasure of their merits increases uninterruptedly. Through the continued exercise of good works their predestination is made more secure hour by hour, their crown becomes more brilliant, their eternity more blissful. Can one conceive a more encouraging thought?

Affections: On the day of my profession I surrendered myself to Thee, O my Jesus, and vowed solemnly to obey Thee constantly in the person of my religious superiors. Oh, how often have I failed to remember that Thou dost abhor rapine in the holocaust; how often have I taken back my own will and disposed of myself as though I still belonged to myself! How frequently have I by resistance, by vacillation, by human considerations, considerably diminished the merits of my obedience in Thine eyes. Pardon, O my Jesus, the unfaithfulness of Thy spouse. I renew gladly the sacrifice of my will and all my inclinations. I wish to model my obedience after Thine and to repeat to Thee the words of complete surrender: “Do with me what Thou willest and as Thou willest for I know that Thou lovest me.”

Resolution: In all my actions I will unite myself with the obedience of Jesus.

Spiritual Bouquet: “He was subject to them.”

Prayer: Take, O Lord . . .

January 22

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MEDITATION FOR JANUARY 22ND

THE HIDDEN LIFE OF JESUS AT NAZARETH

“And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them. And His mother kept all these words in her heart” (Luke 2, 51).

First Prelude: Picture the little house at Nazareth in which the Holy Family dwells.

Second Prelude: Teach me, O my Divine Saviour, by Thy example, the excellence of an interior and hidden life, that I may seek and find my happiness in the practice of it.

First Point

JESUS TEACHES US IMPORTANT LESSONS IN HIS HIDDEN LIFE

The God-Man, the Incarnate Wisdom, the Fountain-head of knowledge, Who discourses with a heavenly eloquence, Whose charming suavity captivates mind and heart—Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, Who unites in Himself all goods of nature and of grace; Who came into this world to redeem and sanctify the entire human race; the Messiah, the Desired of all Nations—is now among men and they know it not. How easy would it be for Him to attract all, by intimating His divine dignity. But instead of this, He seems to be anxious to withdraw from public notice, by leading in their midst a life which, judged by appearances, is without worth or significance, a life which seems to be wholly unworthy of Him and His sublime mission. He lives in an insignificant town, in a workshop; earns His bread in the sweat of His brow, like the least day-laborer. Is it possible that a life fraught with such great expectations should be spent in so unassuming a manner?

Oh, the depths of the mysteries of the wisdom and the love of God! That Thou wert understood by all whom Jesus calls to imitate His hidden life! Yet, how difficult is it for this sublime doctrine of total renunciation of self, and esteem for a hidden, unknown and secluded life, to gain entrance into the hearts of men, even of those consecrated to God! Are we not tempted, when contemplating the secluded life of our Divine Saviour, to say with His relatives: “Manifest Thyself to the world” (John 7, 4), it is going to ruin, while Thou art doing nothing for its redemption! But Jesus answers us as once He answered His Apostles: “Are you also yet without understanding” (Matt. 15, 16)? You accuse Me of idleness and yet I am fulfilling the Will of my Father. Is not this alone great and laudable? You allege that I squander time, and yet I am instructing men, especially those aspiring to perfection, in the sublime science of the saints. I teach them to love seclusion, to be unknown and despised by the world, should Divine Providence suffer such trials to come upon them.

O my Jesus, Infinite Wisdom, I thank Thee for the lesson Thou teachest me! The obscurity with which Thou dost veil Thyself is a bright light illumining my pathway. In the light of Thy holy example, I see clearly the nothingness of all earthly goods. From it, I learn to seek God alone and to desire naught save His love and esteem.

Second Point

JESUS, IN HIS HIDDEN LIFE, IS A SOURCE OF CONSOLATION FOR US

How many years did Mary and Joseph spend in deep seclusion with our Divine Saviour! Surely, He must have been their joy and consolation, continually bestowing upon them marks of His especial love. With what joy may their eyes have rested on their beloved Son! How were their hearts inflamed in conversation with Him! How instructive and edifying was His example! O blessed dwelling of Nazareth! O miniature heaven on earth! What shall I say of Thy glory? When and where has ever dwelling harbored so much earthly poverty, and such divine wealth! Should we not learn to seek our happiness, our consolation and joy in a hidden life, in retirement from worldly distractions and intimate intercourse with Jesus? Let us esteem ourselves happy to be called to a state in which, as the Apostle says, we are dead to the world and hidden with Christ in God. Oh, the peace, the glorious liberty of a soul that realizes the advantages of such a hidden life! What wealth she can accumulate!

Mary and Joseph learned from the teachings and the example of the Divine Child, how to please God by the commonplace daily duties, more than by the most conspicuous works, which, though they excite the admiration of the world, are worthless in the sight of God. What happiness in loving God and meriting His love by conformity to His holy Will! Must not this conviction fill us with great joy? Why should we grieve over delicate health, mediocre talents, or an apparently insignificant field of labor? Everything in the life of our Blessed Saviour was ordered and regulated by the Divine Will, which circumstance constituted the superabundant merit, the intrinsic worth of His whole life. Consequently, the Will of God should ever be the sole motive of all my actions. O Mary, O Joseph, teach me the holy art of putting this truth into practice.

Affections: O Jesus, Thy hidden life teaches me what constitutes the essence of perfection. Give me grace to love such a holy life, that I may find happiness in communing with Thee. Renew in me the fervor that should accompany all my actions, even the smallest, prescribed by the Holy Rule. O Mary, O Joseph, ye fortunate witnesses of the hidden life of Christ, obtain for me the grace to imitate Him. Let me share the peace and happiness that reigned in your humble home at Nazareth.

Resolution: I will endeavour to perform my ordinary actions perfectly.

Spiritual Bouquet: “Love to be unknown and esteemed as naught, that you may have knowledge.”

Prayer: O Jesus, living in Mary . . .

January 21

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“Meditation for January 21st”

Mary’s Question and the Answer of Jesus

“And His mother said to Him: Son, why hast Thou done so to us? behold Thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And He said to them: How is it that you sought Me? Did you not know, that I must be about my father’s business?” (Luke 2, 48-49).

First Prelude: Picture Mary and Joseph in the act of finding Jesus in the Temple.

Second Prelude: Teach me, O Jesus, how to detach my heart from all earthly things, in order to fulfill the duties of my holy calling more perfectly.

First Point

Mary’s Question

Mary said to Jesus: “Son, why hast Thou done so to us?” These words were no reproof on the part of Mary, much less a reproach for His actions. They were but a respectful complaint, coming from the loving heart of a Mother—a complaint voicing in trustful, loving simplicity Mary’s pain at the loss of such a Son. Mary felt herself constrained to reveal to her Son the magnitude of her grief that He might know how she loved Him. She then modestly seeks to fathom the reason why Jesus withdrew from them, that she might the better know the Will of God, and be in a position to fulfill it. If God visits us with sufferings, we are permitted to manifest our grief and voice our complaints to the Lord, but let us do it confidently and humbly, not yielding to impatience, diffidence and despondence. If in all our trials we were content to pour out our grief solely at the feet of Jesus, we should find with Him that consolation which the world cannot give.

Mary, further, observes: “Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing.” She could well speak thus for her loving heart was, indeed, saturated with the bitterest pain, and even now it was being pierced by the sword of sorrow, as Simeon had prophesied. Mary knows from experience what it means to be deprived of the presence of Jesus. She is, therefore, filled with the tenderest compassion with souls who are immersed, as it were, in an ocean of interior sufferings, by which the Lord would cleanse them from the rust of sin or prepare them for the reception of new and greater graces.

Let us, therefore, not grow disheartened if God seems to try us, even when we have deserved sufferings in punishment for our sins. Let us turn to Mary, our powerful and benign Mother and intercessor, begging her to make known to us the reasons why the Lord deprived us of His grace and to teach us how to regain lost fervor.

Second Point

The Answer of Jesus

Having heard the loving complaint of His holy Mother, Jesus replied: “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know, that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2, 49). This is the first word we find in the gospel concerning Jesus, and it was a mysterious word, which His holy Mother and foster-father could not understand, as we expressly read in Scripture. Inexpressibly happy in the possession of their treasure, they do not seek to fathom the secret designs of Divine Wisdom, but adore them in all humility and reverence. But Mary kept all these words in her heart, and made them the object of her devout contemplation. The Holy Ghost did not reveal to her suddenly, but only gradually, the manner of Christ’s redemption of human kind.

Let us learn from Mary to accept the word of God with sentiments of self-abasement, even though we fail to comprehend some of the mysteries involved. We should rest content with the light God vouchsafes us, without seeking more, perhaps, to our spiritual detriment. We should be faithful in the discharge of the duties God asks of us, humbly adoring the designs of Providence without prying into the future, which veils them.

The answer of Jesus further comprises a great lesson, particularly for religious. “Did you not know, that I must be about My father’s business?” Jesus wills to say: I must employ myself exclusively with that which concerns the honor of My Father. I am come into the world to do, not my Will, but the Will of Him, Who sent Me. Souls, likewise, who have consecrated themselves to God as religious, must say: I must be about my Father’s business. If they are asked about their thoughts, they must be able to answer that their thoughts are with God, for where else could they presumably be? To think of God must be my greatest delight, to love Him, my greatest happiness. I can say with the Psalmist: “My eyes are ever towards the Lord” (Ps. 24, 15). If a soul consecrated to God is asked what she is doing she must be able to say: I am fulfilling the Will of Him Who has created me, redeemed me with His Precious Blood and in infinite mercy called me to His special service. I try to keep from all that is incompatible with the duties of my holy state, and confess with the royal prophet: “All my ways are in thy sight” (Ps. 118, 168). Yes, I must and I will be wholly and entirely about my Father’s business. Can I speak thus at all times? Do I close my heart to all idle and distracting things?

Affections: How great is Thy zeal, my Jesus, in the service of the heavenly Father! When there is question of accomplishing His holy Will, Thou knowest no earthly consideration. Thou didst suffer Mary and Joseph whom Thou didst love so tenderly to be plunged into the profoundest grief. Give me a clear knowledge of the purpose for which Thou didst create me and call me to the religious state. Grant me grace to direct my mind, my heart, my strength and all my faculties to the service and the honor of my heavenly Father. Everything shall be consecrated to Him, in time and in eternity—I will belong to Him alone.

Resolution: Before each action, particularly before practices of devotion, I will renew the good intention.

Spiritual Bouquet: “I must be about my Father’s business.”

Prayer: Take, O Lord . . .

January 20

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MEDITATION FOR JANUARY 20TH

THE FINDING OF THE CHILD JESUS IN THE TEMPLE

“And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his wisdom and his answers” (Luke 2, 46-47).

First Prelude: Imagine yourself in the porch of the Temple, where Jesus sits in the midst of the doctors.

Second Prelude: Teach me, O Jesus, to taste Thy Divine presence in my inmost soul, and make me submissive to all whom Thou hast commanded me to hear.

FIRST POINT

MARY AND JOSEPH FIND JESUS IN THE TEMPLE

Having sought their beloved Child in vain among relatives and acquaintances, Mary and Joseph returned to Jerusalem where they found Him in the Temple. Would we find Jesus, let us seek Him not in the tumult and turmoil of the world, not in idle conversations and distractions, not in the company of the worldly minded, or among lukewarm religious, but rather in the house of God, in prayer, in the place of devotion where holy obedience and duty calls us. Let us seek Him in the Sacrament of His Love, where He constantly dwells with us, and invites us lovingly, saying: “Come to me, all you that labor, and are burdened, and I will refresh you” (Matt. II, 28). How happy are religious who dwell under one roof with Jesus, but a few steps from the Beloved of their soul, and find consolation, light, peace, strength and courage with Him.

The saints sought and found Jesus in another temple, where they were always most intimately united with Him. This is the temple of the heart, of which St. Paul says: “Know you not, that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you” (I Cor. 3, 16). Here in the secret sanctuary of our heart, He wills to dwell, to be loved and adored. He Himself tells us: “I will dwell in them, and walk among them; and I will be their God” (II Cor. 6, 16). This was the quiet cell which St. Catherine of Siena made in her heart. There she enjoyed uninterrupted union with God, conversing with Him lovingly. St. Teresa, likewise, sought and found the Lord in the temple of her heart, and she encourages us to follow her example, when she says: “I believe that all who have in such manner concealed themselves in the miniature heaven of their souls, where their Creator dwells, have chosen an excellent way and will find themselves in a very short time far advanced in perfection.”

How deplorable is it not, to find even among religious so many who ignore this wholesome practice! They neglect to curb their senses and inclinations, and then complain of dryness in prayer, and of the increasing number of their faults.

SECOND POINT

JESUS AMONG THE DOCTORS OF THE LAW

It was customary in Jerusalem for the doctors of the law to assemble in the portico of the Temple on certain days, and from elevated seats to address the assembled populace. Jesus was among the crowds. What joy for Mary and Joseph to see their beloved Son, Whose loss had grieved them most keenly! How they marveled to hear Him put questions to the doctors, and answer those asked of Him, expound the Scriptures, and advance His arguments so modestly and, withal, so concisely that the whole assembly was enrapt! What wonderful example our Divine Saviour sets us here! He who possesses the plenitude of heavenly Wisdom, plays the rôle of pupil. He addresses the scribes with that deference and respect due them by virtue of their rank and age, and if He is asked a question, He answers with great deliberation and humility.

Let us learn from our Divine Lord in this instance, how to act toward our God-given teachers. Do we listen to the word of God in sermons and instructions, always with a docile, eager, heart? Is our attitude toward those who teach us, one of reverence and respect? In our intercourse with others do we try to act humbly, patiently, and with moderation, and thus guard against indiscreet zeal, and forwardness? We read in the gospel that all who heard the Divine Child marveled at His Wisdom, and His replies—still we read nothing as to the effects of this appearance of Jesus on the scribes. It was surely in the designs of Jesus to provoke reflection in the doctors, and to urge them on to further investigations in the Sacred Scriptures, and thus to convince them that the Messiah had appeared. How often, alas, are even the holiest impressions soon effaced in the turmoil of daily life! We remain inactive and simply marvel at opportunities without utilizing them to our spiritual advantage. Virtue has a certain fascination for us, but we lack the necessary courage and determination to practice it.

Affections: Thou dost merit, my beloved Jesus, that I seek Thee with all my heart, and with the most ardent desire. I will seek Thee in the sanctuary of the Temple, in the Sacrament of Love, where Thou awaitest me to pour out upon me the plenitude of blessing and grace. I will seek Thee incessantly in the depths of my soul, sanctified by grace, which Thou hast chosen for Thy dwelling. Let me commune with Thee, my Jesus, in holy recollection, submit to Thy inspirations, co-operate with Thy grace, and not marvel fruitlessly at Thy Wisdom. Give me the simplicity and the docility of a humble disciple toward those whom Thou hast charged with the direction of my soul. I will accept their teachings with reverence and submission, and thereby advance in the virtues of my state of life.

Resolution: I will frequently adore my Jesus in the innermost recesses of my soul.

Spiritual Bouquet: “Speak Lord, Thy servant heareth.”

Prayer: Jesus, my Lord, my King . . .

January 19

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MEDITATION FOR JANUARY 19TH

THE CHILD JESUS REMAINS IN THE TEMPLE

“And having fulfilled the days, when they returned, the Child Jesus remained in Jerusalem; and His parents knew it not, and thinking that He was in the company, they came a day’s journey and sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance” (Luke 2, 43-44).

First Prelude: Behold Mary and Joseph, seeking the Divine Child amid great sorrow.

Second Prelude: Grant me, O Jesus, a right understanding of this mystery, that I may derive great benefit from its contemplation.

FIRST POINT

JESUS REMAINS IN JERUSALEM WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS PARENTS

Jesus foresaw that His remaining in Jerusalem without the knowledge of His holy Mother and holy fosterfather should plunge them into the greatest anxiety and sorrow. The parents from whom Jesus severed Himself could not have been more worthy of His love than they were; nor could they have been more tenderly loved by Him. Without intimating His intention, without telling them how long they should be deprived of His presence, He separated Himself from His beloved parents. It was a source of unspeakable pain to His Sacred Heart, thus to grieve them, but He heeded not the pain to teach those called to follow Him in the religious state, a lesson of detachment from even the most legitimate natural affections, when the Will and the honor of God so demand it. He would teach His disciples to die wholly to tendencies grounded in flesh and blood, to transform the natural affection for parents, relatives and friends into a supernatural love, such as we bestow upon God, a love that springs from grace and is actuated by faith. Thus, natural affection is not destroyed, but merely perfected, and, as it were, divinized and rendered meritorious of an everlasting reward.

Alas, how many who have begun to walk the path of perfection, have become victims of a most deplorable delusion by refusing to accept, or rather, to practice this doctrine. Should we not be willing to sacrifice not only inordinate love for relatives and friends, but also all other natural affections which would captivate our heart and blight the love of God? The Lord requests of His spouses an undivided heart! He urges us to detach our hearts from any too natural affections, wholly unworthy of a soul called to greater things, to perfection. Divine graces and blessings will flow to us abundantly if we are generous in making the sacrifices God requires of us. On the contrary, our reserve and opposition to His counsels may frustrate God’s merciful designs in our regard, and draw down upon ourselves the divine vengeance.

SECOND POINT

MARY AND JOSEPH SEEK JESUS

In the throng of returning pilgrims, Mary and Joseph lost sight of the Divine Child. They believed, however, that the Child was in the company of friends and expected to meet Him in the evening at the first halting place. Not finding Him, and unable to gain information concerning His whereabouts, their anxiety and sorrow baffled description. What forebodings may have arisen in their hearts! Early at daybreak, they hurried back to Jerusalem, to seek the beloved Child, but for three days they had to suffer the pangs of bitter separation. What a bitter suspense for Mary and Joseph, who loved Jesus with all the ardor of their souls, yea, loved Him a thousand times more than their own life! O wonderful guidance of divine wisdom and love! Through this three days’ bitter trial, Mary and Joseph were perfected in love of God and prepared for newer and greater gifts of divine grace.

God deals likewise with souls whom He has called to perfection. He conceals Himself, as it were, to teach them that His presence and sensible delights in prayer are gifts to which they have no claim. He would teach them, further, to test their love and devotion in the fires of desolation and to serve God for Himself, alone, and not for the sake of His gifts. Often, however, we forfeit the sweetness of the divine presence through our fault. We are often deprived of the sensible effects of divine grace by our own neglect, by sloth and tepidity in prayer, by lack of good intention, sluggishness in the combat of temptations till we finally relapse into utter dryness and spiritual aridity. If in this self-imposed state of aridity and disconsolation we fail to seek Jesus with a humble and contrite heart, fervently and perseveringly, then our love is but slight, and we need not wonder to feel His chastening hand heavy upon us for our tepidity and infidelity. O Mary, O Joseph, teach me to seek Jesus as ye sought Him, that should I ever be so unhappy as to lose Him, I may deserve the happiness of finding Him again in a more intimate union.

Which faults most frequently deprive me of interior enlightenment and hinder the effects of divine grace in prayer?

Affections: Mary and Joseph lost Thee, O my Jesus, without any fault of theirs. Dare I wonder if, occasionally, Thou withdrawest Thy palpable presence and the genial light of Thy grace from me, a poor sinner? Though I have not anew offended Thee grievously, nevertheless, I displease Thee frequently through my utter neglect in Thy service. I repent of this fault with all my heart, and resolve to fulfill my duties with greater humility, solicitude, and love. Let me find Thee, dear Lord, when I seek Thee sorrowing, and grant me the grace to derive growth in virtue and an increase of fervor and love from the trials that Thou sendest for my sanctification.

Resolution: I will conquer that fault, especially, which is most opposed to my spiritual progress.

Spiritual Bouquet: “You shall find Me, if you seek Me with all your heart.”

Prayer: Soul of Christ . . .

January 18

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MEDITATION FOR JANUARY 18TH

THE HOLY FAMILY GOES TO JERUSALEM TO CELEBRATE THE PASCH

“And His parents went every year to Jerusalem at the solemn day of the Pasch” (Luke 2, 41).

First Prelude: Behold the Holy Family at prayer in the Temple.

Second Prelude: Give me grace, O my God, rightly to comprehend and to imbibe the spirit of true piety.

FIRST POINT

THE HOLY FAMILY FULFILL THE LAW

On his return from Egypt, St. Joseph had feared to go to Jerusalem because Archelaus reigned there. Now, when there is question of fulfilling a duty prescribed by the law, he no longer fears, but thinks only of complying with the obligation. We should, likewise, never suffer human respect to hinder us in the discharge of our duties. We, too, may trust in God’s protection and assistance, for He lovingly aids His creatures when they expose themselves to danger in the execution of His command. The evangelist observes that the Blessed Virgin, also, made the journey, though women were not bound by the law. Mary’s zeal was not satisfied with doing merely what was obligatory. It was her constant endeavor to promote the honor of God and her growth in sanctity, to edify her neighbor and incite him to good.

What a model for all who aim at perfection! It should not suffice for them to have given God what He requires by law, but they should add voluntary acts of a pure, generous love and liberality. Since God in pure, disinterested love confers so much good upon me, shall I fear to be doing too much by my constant endeavor to please Him by voluntary acts of virtue? But, alas, how seldom have I acted thus! How often have I done merely what was obligatory, thus exposing myself to the danger of losing many graces and stemming the flow of God’s gifts by my lack of generosity!

At the age of twelve, as the gospel narrates, Jesus accompanied His parents on their pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This journey was certainly not binding on the Son of God, nor did the honor of His heavenly Father require it. Jesus, however, willed to impress upon us, by His holy example, the importance of the exact observance of the exterior practices of religion. To teach us that we, likewise, must be ready for any sacrifice when the honor of God or participation in divine worship is concerned, Jesus undertakes a fatiguing journey and willingly endures many privations during his stay in Jerusalem. What a shame for souls consecrated to God, if on similar occasions they should refuse to bear the least discomfiture or suffer the slightest inconvenience!

Do I give proofs of a magnanimous love, or do I shirk the sacrifices connected with the zealous practice of virtue?

SECOND POINT

THE HOLY FAMILY IN THE TEMPLE

In spirit, let us accompany Jesus, Mary and Joseph into the Temple. With what humility, devotion and reverence do they ascend the steps of the Temple! Now kneeling, now standing, with eyes raised to heaven, they perform their sacred duty. Let us, however, study their interior dispositions and seek to realize the ardent devotion with which they praise God, thank Him for His benefits and entreat for the people of Israel and all mankind, the plenitude of divine blessings while the many sacrifices of propitiation and expiation are being offered to God. Like the fragrance of incense, their prayers and the oblation of their pure hearts, infinitely more precious than all the other sacrifices offered in the Temple, ascended to the throne of the Most High! What a glorious Exemplar have we in this mystery, teaching us at once the outward demeanor that we should observe in the house of God, and the sentiments that should animate our hearts, especially during the holy Sacrifice of the Mass! Of what negligence have I, perhaps, been guilty? In the religious state God invites me so frequently to visit Him in His holy Temple. Often I dwell under one roof with my Sacramental God. How grateful ought I to be for such an extraordinary grace, how highly esteem and faithfully utilize it! But is it not as though the ease with which I can acquire these heavenly treasures increases my neglect?

The Holy Family would not return to Nazareth before the seven days of the Pasch had expired. They could have departed earlier without violating their duty, but it was their aim to fulfill the law in the minutest detail. Do we manifest a similar zeal for all that appertains to divine worship? Do we not offer God a mutilated oblation, by depriving Him of a portion of the time to which He has a just claim? How culpable would religious be were they to curtail their devotional exercises or discharge the duties of their vocation superficially so as to gain time for idle conversation or other non-essentials.

Affections: O Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, glorious models of devotion and fervor in the service of God! In imitation of your example we will endeavor to appear in the house of God imbued with the sentiments of a lively faith, profound reverence and tender devotion. Let us share your fiery ardor, that we may immolate all our inclinations, all earthly affections to the service and the honor of God, and thus adore our heavenly Father in spirit and in truth. O ye holy angels, wrapt in ecstasy when contemplating the Holy Family in prayer, call to our minds this sublime example when in your holy company we are privileged to appear in the presence of our God in His holy Temple.

Resolution: We will endeavor to perform our devotional exercises with greater fervor in the future.

Spiritual Bouquet: “And his parents went every year to Jerusalem at the solemn day of the Pasch.”

Prayer: O Jesus, living in Mary . . .