February 10

JESUS FORETELLS HIS PASSION TO HIS DISCIPLES

“And they were on the way going up to Jerusalem: and Jesus went before them, and they were astonished, and following they were afraid. And taking again the twelve He began to tell them the things that should befall Him saying: ‘Behold, we go up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man shall be betrayed to the chief priests, and to the Scribes and the ancients, and they shall condemn Him to death and shall deliver Him to the Gentiles’” (Mark 10, 32-33).

First Prelude: Behold Jesus in the company of His disciples going to Jerusalem.

Second Prelude: Let me ever better realize the infinite love with which Thou, O Jesus, didst enter upon Thy passion, that I may love Thee more ardently and follow Thee more closely.

FIRST POINT

JESUS CONFIDES THE MYSTERY OF HIS PASSION TO HIS DISCIPLES

Our Divine Saviour had twice foretold His passion to His disciples. Now he announced it once more, in the valley of the Jordan, where heaven had opened upon Him and the voice of the heavenly Father had proclaimed Him His well-beloved Son, and where He Himself had said: “It becometh us to fulfill all justice” (Matt. 3, 15). Here he addressed His Apostles whom He had called apart from the other disciples, and gathered about Himself, saying: “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem and all shall be fulfilled what the prophets foretold, concerning the Son of Man.”

To them, as His elect, He imparted the mystery of His passion and referred them to the prophets, whose words were soon to be verified. The Apostles, full of fear and apprehension for their Divine Master, were amazed at the rapidity with which He preceded them, facing danger so magnanimously. By the exact prediction of His suffering, even in the minutest details, Jesus willed to confirm their faith, so that they would not doubt in Him when they should see Him in His abasement. In the fulfillment of this prophecy He willed to give them a new proof of His Divinity. How admirably was this revelation calculated to encourage the Apostles and to reanimate faith and love in them!

O my soul, our Blessed Saviour has chosen thee, also, to share most intimately the mysteries of His love! He would often encourage thee, also, to walk “His ways” by reminding thee of His infinite love and sacred passion. So many, alas, do not understand the mystery of the cross! Distracted and lukewarm souls fail to comprehend it because they do not sufficiently ponder it. They see the image of the Crucified, they assist at the unbloody renewal of the Sacrifice of the Cross, which was consummated for them on Calvary, but their unbridled spirit fails to grasp the stupendous mystery. Likewise, effeminate souls, who are opposed to suffering and who lose patience in the least affliction, who anxiously keep aloof whatever might cause them pain, who fly from penance and mortification, and who seek in all things self-gratification, fail to comprehend it. The lesson of the cross is understood by those only who accept sufferings cheerfully at the hand of God, who crucify their flesh and gladly participate in the sufferings of Jesus. These are His most intimate friends, to whom He vouchsafes new consolation and strength in the contemplation of His passion and death.

To which class do I belong? Can it not be said of me that I have but little understanding of such things?

SECOND POINT

JESUS ASKS US TO SHARE HIS SUFFERINGS WITH HIM

“Behold, we go up to Jerusalem,” says Jesus, calling our attention to the fact that He does not will to walk the way alone, but that He desires us to accompany Him. He knows full well that there is no other way to true peace and happiness than the way of the cross. For this reason He constantly urges and presses His elect to make sacrifices, to mortify themselves and to do penance. Looking upon the Saviour, what could souls who truly love Him find difficult or irksome? They go “to Jerusalem” with Him, to embrace crosses, contempt and humiliations. Even if, like the Apostles, they recoil in consequence of weak nature, they take refuge with Jesus and seek new courage and strength in the contemplation of His sufferings and His infinite love.

Let us thank our beloved Saviour that He reveals to us more and more the mystery of the cross and permits us to share His sufferings. “Behold, we go to Jerusalem,” He seems to say to us when the injunctions of obedience are repugnant to nature. When we note the generosity with which Jesus fulfilled the Will of His heavenly Father, and the love that quickened His steps as He hurried on to Jerusalem, leading the way for His disciples, should we not be prepared for any trial? “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem” He exhorts us when we shrink from humiliations.

What a shame if the spouse refused to accompany her Bridegroom on the rough and thorny way which He walked so lovingly! In the face of such a truth, could we hesitate to walk the same way with our dear Lord? “Behold, we go to Jerusalem!” Oh, that we were mindful of these words of Jesus in every suffering and trial, in every reverse; that with sincere good will and determination we were ready to say with St. Thomas: “Let us also go that we may die with Him” (John 11, 15). What sacrifice will I make today to console my Jesus, when so many children of the world leave him to walk the ways of sin?

Affections: O my Jesus, for love of me Thou embracest sufferings and death, and I, Thy spouse, should flee from the least sacrifice, evade the slightest humiliation! No, that is not loving Thee truly! Oh, how am I filled with confusion when I consider how much Thou hast done for me and how slight is my return. Ah, destroy such abominable self-love in my heart, O my beloved Saviour. Grant that my love may be true, generous and constant, and that I may rejoice in being able to testify my love by sacrifices.

Resolution: I will be zealous in making sacrifices for Jesus today in order to atone for my own infidelity and for the sins of others.

Spiritual Bouquet: “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem.”

Prayer: Soul of Christ . . .

February 9

 

JESUS EXHORTS HIS APOSTLES TO HAVE CONFIDENCE

“Jesus said to them: ‘When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, did you want anything?’ But they said, ‘Nothing’ ” (Luke 22, 35).

First Prelude: Behold Jesus in the midst of His disciples lovingly reminding them of the proofs of Divine Providence received in the past.

Second Prelude: In the remembrance of Thy touching solicitude for me in the past, O Lord, let me cherish a tender, unbounded confidence in Thee for the future.

FIRST POINT

THE SOLICITUDE OF OUR DIVINE LORD FOR HIS DISCIPLES

Though Jesus foretold the infidelity of the disciples, He saw their sincere, earnest good will. To strengthen and console them in the coming heavy trials, Jesus reminded them of the past when He had so lovingly assisted them in all needs, had ever shown Himself their Redeemer, the only begotten Son of the heavenly Father. He, therefore, asked them gently: “When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, did you want anything?” They were constrained to answer that nothing had ever been wanting them.

Could Jesus not put the same question to us? If we cast a glance into our past life, must we not confess with the Apostles that the same Good Shepherd has never suffered us to want anything? When He sent us, that is, when we complied with holy obedience, we lacked nothing, neither temporal nor heavenly goods; Divine Providence supplied all our needs. How much should we, therefore, trust in the power and goodness of our God! How often has Jesus even miraculously aided souls, who, forgetful of all earthly things and relying solely on Him, sought first the kingdom of God and His Justice. We find most touching proofs of such implicit trust in the life of St. Charles Borromeo, of St. Vincent de Paul, of St. Teresa and many other saints, and read thereof in the chronicles of religious houses. Let us then, likewise, trust in the goodness of our so opulent and lovingly solicitous heavenly Father, especially when we seem to lack the gifts and talents necessary for the discharge of the duties of our vocation. Our Divine Saviour knows our needs. If He wants our labors to be effective, He will supply what we are lacking—if He wishes to try us by failure, He will direct the humiliation to His honor and our salvation, provided we have put forth our best efforts. But why is many a soul so discouraged and dejected, so dissatisfied with the dispensation of almighty God? Why are many duties fulfilled so reluctantly? Because these respective souls lack the spirit of confiding, trustful prayer.

May the remembrance of the prodigies of divine grace manifested in our past life, strengthen, comfort and encourage us in sufferings and tribulations. May we never relinquish our trust in the protection and assistance of God, but may our confidence and firm reliance on Him grow proportionately as our trials and sufferings are multiplied.

Have I not through lack of confidence placed obstacles to the grace of God? Do I avail myself of sufferings and difficulties to increase and strengthen my trust in Him?

SECOND POINT

OUR CONFIDENCE IN GOD SHOULD BE UNBOUNDED

If the Apostles had trustingly had recourse to Jesus in the hour of temptation and danger, they should not have fallen into despair, fear and faithlessness. For us, too—would we remain faithful to Jesus—it is essential to trust implicitly in Him, alone, and rely neither on ourselves nor on others. Jesus is infinitely good and loves us as His children. If we cast a hurried glance over our past life, we shall see that He has always dealt mercifully with us. He has often preserved us from sin, kept aloof many dangerous occasions of sin, and if we have, nevertheless, actually fallen, He mercifully pardoned us in the excess of His paternal love. The graces He has bestowed upon us are so numerous, that only in eternity shall we be able to recount them all.

Our confidence in God, therefore, should be boundless and commensurate with our weakness and misery. How difficult soever perfection may seem, with the grace of God it is possible for us to attain it. Looking upon ourselves, we must truly say: It is impossible; but looking up to God, we may add with St. Paul: “I can do all things in Him Who strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4, 13).

True, the violent and numerous attacks of the Evil One are directed primarily at religious to rob them of their trust in God, for he knows full well how such confidence honors God. Unrelenting in his efforts, especially in the case of religious, the favored disciples of Christ, the Evil One seeks to shatter their childlike trust in God, by tempting them to mistrust, to despondency and despair. He even knows as “father of lies,” how to deceive us to such an extent as to make us regard our lack of confidence as humility.

What can be said of my confidence? Am I convinced that God demands a greater degree of trust of religious, and that He imparts His graces according to the measure of their surrender?

Affections: “In Thee, O Lord, I place all my trust, my only hope, and I shall never be confounded.” What mercy and love hast Thou shown me, O Jesus! Why should I not hope all things from Thee for the future? Strengthen and confirm my confidence, which is in truth, a proof of Thy infinite love for me. In future, all sufferings and reverses shall serve to rivet me closer to Thee, that I may say with the love of a child, wholly devoted to Thee: “My Father, I place all my trust in Thee.”

Resolution: In every grief and suffering I will have recourse to my Saviour with childlike and humble confidence.

Spiritual Bouquet: “Lord, increase my hope!”

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

February 8

 

JESUS FOREWARNS HIS APOSTLES

“Jesus said to them: All you shall be scandalized in Me this night. For it is written! I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall be dispersed. Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and thou being once converted, confirm thy brethren” (Matt. 26, 31—Luke 22, 31-32).

First Prelude: In spirit join the disciples and listen with a wholesome fear to our dear Lord’s prophetic warnings.

Second Prelude: Grant me grace, O my Saviour, to accept Thy salutary counsels and admonitions gratefully that I may profit by them.

FIRST POINT

THE SAVIOUR FORETOLD THE APOSTLES THEIR INFIDELITY

After the parting words of our Divine Saviour and His sublime pontifical prayer, He directed the minds of His Apostles to His pending passion, and once more cautioned them of the dangers they were facing. “All you shall be scandalized in Me this night.” Jesus wished to say that they should be seized by fear and anxiety, by mistrust and cowardice. They should not know what to think of Him in such a pitiable condition. All that He had ever told them concerning His love, His power and glory, of His going to the Father, they should then have completely forgotten. He quoted the testimony of the prophet: “I will strike the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered” (Zach. 13, 7). The Apostles, Peter, most of all, certainly believed nothing short of the impossibility of such faithlessness, such weakness. Hence, the Master addressed him in particular saying: “Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.”

How solicitous was Jesus for His Apostles whom He would so gladly have preserved from the fall! He manifests the same solicitude for us also. How often does He warn us of dangers threatening us—now through interior enlightenment, then again through the admonitions of His representatives, or the good example of our fellow religious. If we love God, the enemy of our soul will vouchsafe us no rest. He desires to sift us—that is to assail us with violent temptations. Jesus, to whom nothing is hidden, neither in heaven nor on earth, neither in the hearts of men nor with reference to the desires of the evil spirits, prayed for us, and though Satan is very powerful, he can do us no harm without the express permission of God. Let us always have recourse to God, and all the onslaughts of the Tempter shall have no other effect than to purify the wheat, namely, our virtues, of the chaff of earthly dross and imperfections.

SECOND POINT

WHY THE APOSTLES PROVED UNFAITHFUL

The Saviour had so frequently and forcibly prevailed upon His disciples to preserve faith, hope, and peace of soul. Again and again He had spoken to them of His passion, but they understood Him not, or would not understand Him, otherwise, they should certainly have asked Him how to conduct themselves in this trial. In foolish presumption, however, they assured Him of their loyalty; Peter even declared Himself ready to go into prison and death with Him, and assured the Saviour that though all should be scandalized in Him, he should not be. Peter deemed it impossible, in vain presumption, ever to grow weak, and because of this foolish self-esteem, he deserved to fall more deeply than all the rest. Peter and the other Apostles had volunteered to die with Jesus, though He did not ask it of them, but they utterly disregarded what had been so urgently enjoined upon them. Was it not their bounden duty to watch and pray with Him and to trust implicitly in His promises?

Do we not frequently act likewise? In foolish self-confidence, we are anxious to do extraordinary things for God, to bear a great cross with our Saviour, which flatters self-love, but we neglect our momentary simple duty, with the result that we accomplish neither the one nor the other, and fall deplorably. Have we not frequently after Holy Communion and during the time of meditation testified our love to Jesus, and offered ourselves for the greatest sacrifices, but afterwards, refused Him even the least He demanded of us through His inspirations or our Holy Rule?

What are my sentiments when my superiors caution me against a danger? How do I observe the circumspection recommended to me by my Holy Rule and the counsels of my superiors?

Affections: O my God, how often have I resembled the Apostles in their weakness and inconstancy! How seldom have I sought to profit by Thy counsels and admonitions! Forgetting to have recourse to Thee, I have, in presumptuous self-confidence, foolishly relied on my own strength. Pardon, O Lord, my weak faith, my infidelity! In future, I will seek strength and courage in time of danger and temptation through humble, confiding prayer. Like Mary, my holy mother and model, I will trust invincibly in Thy promises and thus preserve peace of soul and perfect abandonment to Thy all-governing, loving Providence.

Resolution: I will discharge all my duties conscientiously and in every difficulty have recourse to prayer.

Spiritual Bouquet: “Watch and pray, lest ye fall into temptation.”

Prayer: Soul of Christ . . .

February 7

CONTINUATION OF CHRIST’S PONTIFICAL PRAYER

“I pray not for the world, but for them whom Thou hast given Me; because they are Thine—They are not of the world as I also am not of the world. And not for them only do I pray but for them also who through their word shall believe in Me. That they all may be one as Thou, Father, in Me, and I in Thee; that they also may be one in us” (John 17, 9, 16, 20-21).

First Prelude: In spirit, enter the Supper Hall and with greatest reverence listen to our Divine Saviour’s prayer to His heavenly Father for His disciples and for all who should in future believe in Him.

Second Prelude: O my Divine Saviour, replenish us with Thy Holy Spirit that by charity and concord we may foster intimate union with Thee to the best of our ability.

First Point

JESUS DESIRES TO SAFEGUARD US AGAINST THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD

Our infinitely compassionate Saviour prayed “not for the world,” but for all men that they might cease to live according to its spirit. His words: “I pray not for the world,” corroborate the woe that He had pronounced upon it on a former occasion. Who loves the world is an enemy of God. He makes light of sin, which is always an infinite offense against the infinite love of God. The Apostle St. John accordingly admonishes us: “Love not the world, nor the things which are in this world. If any man love the world the charity of the Father is not in Him” (John 1, 15). The worldling incessantly strives for its transitory goods. He is a victim of pride, independence, and gratification of the sensual appetites, and is utterly unfit to receive the spirit of God. What an incentive for us to renounce the false maxims of the world as we once did in Baptism through our sponsor! We renewed these solemn promises on the day of our first Holy Communion and confirmed them on entering religion. It were dangerous self-deception, however, to consider ourselves secure in our present holy state, and to imagine that in the seclusion of the cloister we have nothing to fear.

Let us be on our guard—the prejudices of the world and its errors can gain access even to the cloister. Let us aspire to the virtues that are diametrically opposed to the worldly spirit, namely, religious modesty, simplicity, filial piety, lively faith, firm hope, and ever increasing love. Let us esteem holy poverty, religious obedience, and purity of heart which flees from the mere shadow of sin and shuns dangerous occasions. Even the smallest of these acts of virtue is of more value than a thousand worlds. We will, therefore, practice these virtues in union with our Divine Saviour and like Him we, too, shall glorify the Father. Thus, our dear Lord Himself shall be glorified through us, as He was glorified in His Apostles and all the saints.

Could it be possible that I, who am called to glorify the heavenly Father and His only begotten Son, should further be remiss and negligent in His service? Dare I presume to have fully conquered the spirit of the world and acquired the spirit of Christ? How deeply am I indebted to our Divine Saviour for having extricated me from the dangers of the world! What shall constitute my return for this inestimable grace?

Second Point

JESUS PRAYS THAT HIS DISCIPLES MAY BE ONE

“Holy Father, keep them in Thy name whom Thou hast given Me: that they may be one as we also are” (John 17, 11). Thus spoke Jesus, manifesting at once His burning desire to see love and concord reign among all who claim to belong to Him. He prays for His Apostles and all the faithful of His Church, that they may be one, also, in the externals of divine worship by observing the same liturgy and rites. We all should be of one heart, one soul and one body, whose head is Jesus. How great and sublime is our Holy Catholic Church for this reason, alone! In her is mirrored faithfully the unity of the Blessed Trinity.

Oh, how our heart expands when we think of the communion of the faithful on earth with all who have gone before us and are yet to come after us! Daily we commemorate this communion of saints, the fruit of Christ’s prayer to His heavenly Father. How great is our obligation as religious to sacrifice all, to preserve and foster perfect conformity of minds and hearts among us, which makes for true happiness in religious life! What a glorious spectacle for heaven and earth, what joy for the Saviour to realize His Heart’s desire so pre-eminently in the hearts of those whom He has overwhelmed with graces! In His infinite love He prays, also, for us that where He is, we may be; where the head is, there the members must be.

In this world, however, the Saviour can be found in renunciation, in humiliations, in sufferings and self-denial. Only thus could He enter into His glory. Would we share His glory with Him in the next world, then we must walk the paths that He once trod—the narrow and difficult paths of self-denial. Behold, my soul, the work you must accomplish, if the Saviour’s prayer is to be effectual in you.

Do I follow my Saviour in privations, in poverty, in the self-denial inseparable from obedience and renunciation? Am I not occasionally at fault when charity is disturbed in the community?

Affections: O my God, sever me ever more and more from this perverted world, inspire me with hatred of its errors and false maxims, that this aversion may preserve me from imbibing its spirit, and assist me in evading its snares. Thy Divine Heart, O Jesus, shall be my secure refuge. Let me become ever more closely riveted to Thee. Give this grace to all my fellow religious, that we may all be one among ourselves as Thou art one with the Father. O blessed union of all the faithful here below, of all the members with their head, be the pledge and the commencement of that eternal felicity, for which the Saviour besought His heavenly Father in His pontifical prayer!

Resolution: We will shun the spirit of the world and live in sincere love and harmony with our fellow religious.

Spiritual Bouquet: “Holy Father, keep them in Thy name whom Thou hast given Me; that they may be one as we also are.”

Prayer: Our Father . . .

February 6

CHRIST’S PONTIFICAL PRAYER

“These things Jesus spoke and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said: ‘Father, the hour is come, glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son may glorify Thee. As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He may give eternal life to all whom Thou hast given Him’ ” (John 17, 1-2).

First Prelude: Behold Jesus after the Last Supper, raising His eyes to heaven and addressing His sublime prayer to the heavenly Father.

Second Prelude: O Divine Saviour, let me share the sentiments of Thy love-inflamed Heart, revealed to us in Thy pontifical prayer.

First Point

“FATHER, THE HOUR IS COME”

Having once more lovingly instructed His disciples, consoled and addressed them most tenderly as “Little Children” (John 13, 33), “Friends” (John 15, 15), our Divine Saviour raised His eyes to heaven and said: “Father, the hour is come!” Oh, with what desire had Jesus during the time of His whole life desired this hour—the hour of His abasement and suffering, the hour of our redemption! “I have a baptism wherewith I am to be baptized, and how am I straitened until it be accomplished” (Luke 12, 50). It was to this hour that He referred when He bade His Apostles rejoice with Him: “If you loved Me, you would indeed, be glad because I go to the Father” (John 14, 28). Still He chose to go to the Father by a burdensome and exceedingly painful and bloody way. His bitter passion and cruel death, all the humiliations and contempt that He was to endure were ever present to His divine omniscience. What are our sentiments when sufferings confront us, when there is question of making a sacrifice for the honor of God, for our own and our neighbor’s salvation? How we dread this hour! We think only of our sufferings, not seldom magnified by our imagination to such proportions as to make us forgetful of all else. Does not the generosity of the Heart of Jesus put us to shame? How little we understand, and how slow we are to imitate it!

Jesus counts all His sufferings, all the contempt and disgrace heaped upon Him as naught, knowing that through them He can effect our ransom, inundate us with heavenly joy and finally crown us with never-ending honor and glory. Let us show ourselves true disciples of our Blessed Lord in hours of spiritual darkness, and not presume to enjoy the fruits of His dark hour, while seeking only our comfort.

Second Point

THE SAVIOUR PRAYS FOR THOSE WHOM THE FATHER HAS GIVEN HIM

What a consolation for us to know that in His dark hour of suffering the Saviour prayed for us. Even then He offered the price of His Precious Blood for us, at which dear rate the Father presented us to Him as His redeemed. Oh, that we would often consider at what price we have been purchased! Must not our hearts be filled with love and gratitude toward God, with fear and mistrust toward ourselves? Could we ever forget the love with which Christ has snatched us from the clutches of Satan? Could we ever desist from holding fast to Him in persevering, humble prayer?

The Father has given us to Him, and His we will be with all that we are and have. Should this consciousness not reanimate our faith, strengthen our hope, and inflame our love anew? To whom do we belong? To the heavenly Father’s only begotten Son—“The powerful almighty God, who reigns for all eternity, and has power over death and hell.” He is our most amiable Lord, our most loyal Father, our most tender Bridegroom. We belong wholly to Jesus. How could we fear, even though we walk in the midst of the valley of the shadow of death! He will provide for us; He will protect and guide us, because we are His. He will never forsake us, unless we turn away from Him, not even if we betray Him through infidelity, and become entangled in the thorns of passion. He, the Good Shepherd, will pursue us and neither rest nor relent until He has reclaimed us. To whom else should we wish to belong than to our Saviour, Who alone can make us happy for time and for eternity?

Do I love my neighbor only in God and for God’s sake? Can I truly say that I belong wholly and unreservedly to Jesus? Which passion or evil inclination can dispute His right to my heart?

Affections: O my Saviour, how slow am I to follow Thee! When the hour has come for me to suffer for Thine and Thy Father’s honor and for my salvation, how weak and ineffectual does my love then appear! How easily do I complain of the least suffering, of the slightest humiliation! O my Divine Saviour, let the power of Thy prayer manifest itself in me! Behold, I am wholly and entirely Thine and wish to be Thine forever. I pray Thee, let the plenitude of Thy graces and the excess of Thy merit satisfy my defects and repair my infidelities, that I, too, may be able to say: “Lord, I have glorified Thee on earth, I have faithfully fulfilled Thy holy Will and accomplished the work Thou hast entrusted to me!”

Resolution: In the hour of prayer and sacrifice I will unite myself with my Saviour and beg Him to impart to me the sentiments of His Sacred Heart.

Spiritual Bouquet: “Father, glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son may glorify Thee.”

Prayer: Our Father . . .

February 5

CONTINUATION OF CHRIST'S DISCOURSES

“I will not call you servants, for the servant knoweth not what his lord doth. But I have called you friends; because all things whatsoever I have heard of My Father I have made known to you. You have not chosen Me but I have chosen you, and have appointed you that you should go, and should bring forth fruit, and your fruit should remain” (John 15, 15, 16).

First Prelude: Remain at the feet of Jesus, in union with the Apostles, and with profoundest reverence gather the proofs of love that He bestows upon His devoted ones.

Second Prelude: O my beloved Saviour, let me realize what I must do to enjoy the happiness of Thy special friendship.

First Point: Jesus calls us friends. What happiness to be called a friend of Jesus, and to be such in truth! This happiness is ours; Jesus wills to be our friend, to associate with us as a friend with his friend; He wills to communicate to us, confidentially, the mysteries that His Father commissioned Him to reveal. Would we share this privilege and secure it for ourselves we must contemplate the divine mysteries in their application to our lives. What then are the conditions of the special friendship of Jesus? He Himself tells us: “You are my friend if you do the things that I command you.” For us, who wish to be among His favored, most intimate and best friends, it will not suffice merely to observe the commandments, which are of obligation for salvation. He secretly reveals to us the special precepts of His love, and unfolds to us His heart’s desires, when He urges us to avoid the least infidelity, to correct our imperfections, to practice virtue, in short, to please Him in all things. Such is the burning, magnanimous love He expects of His true friends. Such is the love that manifests itself particularly when there is question of sharing the sufferings of the friend. If a friend desires only to rejoice with his friend, but refuses to suffer for him, his friendship is not sincere. How ungrateful were not one who should hesitate to requite, at least with little sacrifices, the greater and more painful ones made for him, even if his friend besought him! Would he further dare to presume upon the love of his friend? I do not lack opportunities to prove my love to Jesus daily, even hourly. Have I not frequently ignored them, perhaps, even resisted His pressing petitions for a proof of my friendship? Can He call me friend in the presence of His holy angels?

Second Point: God has called us to His service by a special grace. “Not you have chosen Me,” said our Lord to His disciples, “but I have chosen you.” Perhaps when we left the world to consecrate ourselves to God in the religious state, we foolishly imagined that we were rendering God a great service and doing much to promote His honor. But has not even a brief stay in the house of God made it clear to us that by entering religion we conferred the greatest benefit upon ourselves? Oh, happy realization that the call to religious life is an inestimable grace! “I have chosen you,” Jesus says to His Apostles and also to us. I have drawn you after Me, have given you the strength to overcome obstacles, to make every sacrifice; I have overwhelmed you with graces, that you may continue My work. I have chosen you for My special service. Now you, in turn, should testify to the world that the religion I have founded is a law of love, that My yoke is sweet and My burden light. Are we fully penetrated with the dignity of our vocation and do we strive to prove our gratitude by persevering fidelity? Daily new proofs of the love of God force themselves upon us in support of the greatness of our election! Could we still be so blind as to believe that we have given God anything of value when we exchanged the perishable goods of this world for the inexpressible happiness of being a Spouse of Christ? Oh, that daily, even hourly, our gratitude were commensurate with the incalculable benefit of our sublime vocation, a gift wholly undeserved! Let us strive diligently ever to strengthen and increase in us the graces, the enlightenments, the consolations and comforts that are ours through the goodness of God. Let us labor to achieve fruits of salvation and perfection that we may not prove unworthy of our election; for not the call to the religious state secures us life everlasting but our fidelity in co-operating with God’s grace. Let us beg the Apostles, who corresponded so faithfully to their sublime calling, to support us with their powerful intercession, that we, too, may walk worthy of our exalted vocation, for the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Has not my conduct frequently been unworthy of my holy state? Instead of bringing forth fruits of virtue, have I, perhaps, been guilty of bad example by my lack of charity and zeal?

Affections: Divine Saviour, how can I thank Thee adequately for having deigned to call me to Thy divine friendship! How often have I rendered myself wholly unworthy of such an inestimable grace by lack of charity and fidelity, by negligence and tepidity! Pardon, O my beloved Saviour, for this ingratitude! Henceforth, I will prefer Thy friendship to all else, and seek my rest, my consolation and all my happiness for time and for eternity, in Thee, alone.

Resolution: To render myself more worthy of the grace of my election I will perform my daily duties with renewed fervor.

Spiritual Bouquet: “Not you have chosen Me, but I have chosen you.”

Prayer: Take, O Lord . . .

February 4

CONTINUATION OF CHRIST'S DISCOURSE AT THE LAST SUPPER.

“Abide in My love. If you keep My commandments you shall abide in My love; as I, also, have kept My Father’s commandments and do abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be filled” (John 15, 9–11).

First Prelude: Kneel at the feet of Jesus and reverently hear Him admonishing the disciples before leaving them.

Second Prelude: Divine Saviour, give me a firm and enduring love for Thee; grant me grace to find in it my joy and happiness.

First Point.

“Abide in My love.”

Knowing our extraordinary weakness and inconstancy, as well as the many sufferings of this mortal life, our Divine Saviour lovingly willed to arm us against the dangers and afford us help and consolation. “As the Father hath loved Me, so do I love you.” What a source of consolation! What happiness for us poor mortals to be the objects of the love of God—the eternal, unchangeable, all-good, and all-powerful One! In the possession of His love we need fear no evil, but without it, our heart, not finding rest, will easily fall a prey to its enemies! Therefore our Saviour adds: “Abide in My love,” and tells us explicitly how to do this, how to preserve the precious treasure of His love. “If you keep My commandments you shall abide in My love, as I, also, have kept My Father’s commandments and do abide in His love.”

During His whole life, our Divine Saviour gave us the example of obedience to the Law of God, to the Will of His heavenly Father, and herein we must imitate Him. This imitation, however, exacts our whole attention and all our solicitude, because the enemies of Jesus, namely, the world, Satan, and our own corrupt nature, constantly urge us to break away from His love. Let us resist their attacks at the outset, and by fidelity in little things merit the grace to be faithful in greater ones. Let us, above all, in every danger and assault, at once take refuge to Jesus that He may Himself ever keep us in His love.

Second Point.

The Effects of His Love.

“These things I have spoken to you that My joy may be in you and your joy may be filled,” said our Blessed Lord to His disciples and through them to us. Sin has converted this earth into a vale of tears, where sufferings and misery abound. Our Divine Saviour came to redeem mankind and to secure for His true disciples holy joy, as fruit of the reconciliation and the love of God. The false, fleeting earthly pleasures are accompanied by unrest, fear, and pangs of conscience, and lead to eternal perdition, but the joy of the Holy Spirit fills the soul with peace and tranquillity, giving it a foretaste of heavenly bliss. This joy buoyed up the saints in the midst of suffering and martyrdom.

We, too, should find joy in the thought of the infinite love of God for us, in implicit trust in His Divine Providence, and in the hope of His promises. Above all, there is joy in the assurance that we please Him by our fidelity. In truth, how pleasing to our Divine Bridegroom is our inviolable love in which no creature is suffered to have part,—how pleasing to Him, our faithful service and our intimate converse with Him! He enlightens and purifies us ever more, and incessantly stimulates us to perfection. Oh, that we should be found worthy of such happiness! What genuine interior joy should we then taste in God, our Saviour, the sole object of our love! We should then find delight in those things, only, that promote His honor, rejoice in His power, His greatness, His bliss, in all His mysteries, in all that tends to the salvation of souls and the exaltation of Holy Mother Church. We should rejoice in our trials and difficulties, because through them we participate in the sufferings of Jesus, and with Him glorify the heavenly Father. Our joy, too, being grounded in God and the accomplishment of His holy Will should then be perfect.

Let us strive to become deeply penetrated with the conviction that a spirit of sacrifice and undivided surrender of our hearts to God are the essence of true joy, and that the most self-sacrificing religious are always the happiest. O my soul, that thou wouldst seek no other happiness in this life than to taste and enjoy the love of thy God!

Affections: O Jesus, enrich me with the precious treasure of Thy love and permit not that it ever be lessened or entirely extinguished in my heart. Grant that Thy love may abide in me and I, in Thy love. Give me a strong, generous, and energetic love, that I may strive earnestly to secure my election, render it firm and irrevocable by good works. Let me share in the happiness and perfect joy of a truly faithful soul, devoted wholly to Thee. Confirm me in Thy love, till I shall be inseparably united with Thee for all eternity.

Resolution: I will endeavor to perform all my actions in union with my dear Saviour and in the manner most pleasing to Him.

Spiritual Bouquet: “If you keep My commandments you shall abide in My love.”

Prayer: Soul of Christ. . .

February 3

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MEDITATION FOR FEBRUARY 3

PARABLE OF THE SOWER

“A sower went out to sow seed; and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And other some fell upon a rock and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away because it had no moisture. And other some fell upon thorns, and the thorns growing up, with it, choked it. And other some fell upon good ground, and being sprung up yielded fruit a hundred-fold” (Luke 8, 5-8).

First Prelude: In spirit join the multitudes listening to Jesus as He relates this parable.

Second Prelude: O my Jesus, give me grace to be of the number of those who not only hear Thy divine word but also comprehend it, preserve it in their heart, and yield fruit a hundredfold.

First Point

CONTEMPLATE THE SOWER AND THE SEED

Who does not recognize in the Sower our Divine Saviour, Who in infinite love descended to earth to drop into the hearts of men the inestimable seed of His heavenly doctrine, that they may yield fruit for everlasting life? Our Divine Saviour Himself designates the seed as the word of God, or the word of the kingdom of God, which is grounded in sanctifying grace, in faith, and in the practice of all virtues, and which should be developed and fructified in us through this word. What precious and rare seed is not the word of God! How ardently should we desire, and how eagerly strive, to make our hearts receptive for it!

God is always ready to aid us and offers us His graces in generous measure. He desires nothing more ardently than our salvation and perfection, and exhorts us incessantly by special divine inspirations. What gratitude do we owe Jesus for our holy vocation in which he ceases not to implant His seed into our hearts, by interior enlightenments and salutary inspirations, as well as by penetrating admonitions and good example, calculated to incline the will towards the practice of virtue. The more faithful we are, the more generously will God sow His seed into our hearts; if, however, we resist His grace and the special marks of His divine love, or manifest ingratitude toward the Divine Sower, we force Him to withdraw from us entirely.

Let us, therefore, hear the word of God in whatever form it comes to us, with reverence, faith and submission, and let us pray the Lord to help us that we may regulate our whole conduct accordingly, “That not,” as we read in the Imitation, “the word be unto judgment, if we only hear it, but fail to accomplish it, recognize but fail to love it, believe it but fail to regulate our conduct accordingly.”

Second Point

HINDRANCE TO THE OPERATIONS OF DIVINE GRACE

If the seed of the divine word yields little or no fruit in us, though imparted to us so generously, the fault can lie only in the poorly-prepared soil of our heart. Our Divine Saviour points out the three main hindrances that blight its fertility. As first cause of sterility He designates the seed that fell by the wayside, namely, into a heart that, like a public thoroughfare, is open to traffic, to all manner of distractions and affections for creatures. Unobserved and with little effort the Evil Spirit will succeed in taking out of such a heart the good seed, the wholesome lessons, good inspirations, and holy resolves. How important, therefore, is it for us to foster recollection and to guard our heart diligently!

Again, some hearts are superficial. They resemble stony ground, covered with a thin layer of earth in which the seed, indeed, sprouts quickly, but withers very soon. Superficial souls manifest great zeal at the outset on hearing the word of God, but they lack perseverance. Failing to ground their virtue deeply in humility, they yield to presumption, vanity, and affection for their private judgment. They overestimate their own strength and, not reckoning sufficiently with their inherent weakness, nor relying on the grace of God, they are brought to waver by the slightest temptation or a mere word of reproach. They are vacillating and inconstant, hence their zeal is short-lived. The thorns which choked the seed are the excessive care for temporalities, natural affections, vain desires and apprehensions. If these vitiate the soil of our heart, the good seed cannot thrive. They will smother our good resolves and acts of virtue, and will finally weaken and completely paralyze our desire to advance in perfection.

Oh, that my heart were good ground, teeming with an upright good will, that in all humility, recollection and detachment, I would yield fruits of virtue, zeal and edification, in patience, even a hundredfold. Is not my heart preoccupied with excessive cares concerning my office, my health, the future? Do I not frequently choke the good seed in my heart by idle thoughts, conversations, and worldly ambitions?

Affections: O my God, how great is Thy goodness, to condescend to speak to us poor mortals, and to scatter the exceedingly precious seed of Thy divine word into our hearts. Can I ever sufficiently appreciate this great boon, and adequately venerate Thy sacred Word? I will hear it attentively and with absolute submission of my will, and like Mary, my mother and model, preserve it solicitously in my heart. Help me, Blessed Mother of the Eternal Word, to prepare the soil of my heart for this divine seed, to banish distractions, self-love and excessive solicitude, that in patience and humility, in silence and holy recollection I may yield fruits of salvation and perfection, yes, according to the promises of Christ, even a hundredfold.

Resolution: I will carefully watch over my heart, and banish from it all obstacles to divine grace.

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

Prayer: Take, O Lord . . .

February 2

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MEDITATION FOR FEBRUARY 2

CONTINUATION OF CHRIST’S DISCOURSE AT THE LAST SUPPER

“I am the true vine and My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit, He will take away; and every one that beareth fruit, He will purge it, that it may bring forth more fruit” (John 15, 1-2).

First Prelude: Again enter the Cenacle, and listen attentively to Christ’s touching words.

Second Prelude: O my God, cleanse my soul more and more of its imperfections, that it may be worthy of intimate union with Thee, which Thou desirest so ardently.

FIRST POINT

JESUS THE TRUE VINE

Jesus calls Himself the Vine and us the branches. As the sap is transmitted from the trunk to the branches, and nourishes and fructifies them, so we, through the grace of our Blessed Saviour and intimate union with Him, receive the strength to produce fruits of salvation. Oh, glorious union of all the faithful with Christ! What superabundance of fruits of eternal life have been brought forth by the Apostles, the martyrs, all the saints and all fervent souls who fostered union with Him! All their thoughts, words, and actions, all their sufferings, were exceedingly precious in the sight of God and were treasured up for an eternal reward. Without this union we cannot bring forth fruit, can do nothing good, nothing meritorious of heaven.

Though united with Jesus through faith and sanctifying grace, we must, nevertheless, make an effort, through recollection and frequent remembrance of the presence of God, to draw these bonds more closely. Because of lack of zeal, of defective intention and all manner of imperfections, which so easily vitiate our otherwise good actions, distracted souls bear little fruit. Recollected souls, on the contrary, are the constant recipients of new grace, because they present no obstacles to the Divine Giver. Jesus continually pours forth in their souls His enlivening, strengthening, and consoling stream of graces, thus qualifying them for the greatest sacrifices and insuring the most glorious fruits. He does this particularly in Holy Communion.

Oh, how should we strive to foster this holy union, this interior spirit, in an exalted degree, in virtue of which all our actions, even the smallest and most indifferent, acquire great worth in the sight of God. Why have we so little comprehended the value of holy recollection, practiced it so negligently and consequently, yielded so little fruit? Shall not the heavenly Vintner when He will seek fruit, find only wild grapes in our vineyard?

SECOND POINT

THE VINES MUST BE PRUNED THAT THEY MAY YIELD ABUNDANT FRUIT

Contemplate the loving activity of the heavenly Father in souls who live in intimate union with His Son. Even in the most perfect, He finds many defects, which He would have them correct. Consequently He seeks to purify them by the chastisements of a severe but beneficent Providence,—by crosses and sufferings, persecutions, manifold reverses, even the sacrifice of one’s honor and good name. Then, again, He frustrates their plans, deprives them of divine consolation, of loved ones, who apparently are indispensable. All these means have been wisely chosen; and are calculated to detach our hearts from creatures, and to afford us ample opportunity to bring forth purer and more precious fruits of virtue. Oh, that we would contemplate the various incidents of life, the daily little crosses from this view-point! How often do we experience even in this life that love prompts God to deal thus with us?

We must be grateful to Him for everything and surrender ourselves wholly to His divine and paternal Providence, and often say with St. Augustine; “Lord, here cut, here burn, but have mercy on me in eternity.” We must deem ourselves happy to be purified in this life and thus, as far as possible, to escape the purging flames of purgatory. At the same time, we must fear, by lack of devotion, by continual distraction, and insensibility to the inspirations of grace, to sever ourselves wholly from the Vine and consequently to wither away in tepidity. Let us, rather, remain closely united with Jesus through a lively faith and self-immolating love that we may yield rich fruits and thus give glory to the heavenly Father.

Do I recognize the loving hand of our heavenly Father in the painful incisions made by crosses and reverses? Do I bear them in the spirit of faith, and do I seek to further my purification and sanctification by voluntary acts of oblation and self-denial?

Affections: O my God, I offer Thee my heart that Thou mayest cut away what is unworthy of Thee and opposed to my perfection. I will endeavor to accept, in a spirit of faith, all the trials that Thy love will send me, and to surrender myself to the loving guidance of Divine Providence. Thou, O my Saviour, art the Fountainhead of the supernatural life of Thy elect; only in union with Thee, can I bring forth fruits of virtue and sanctification. Oh, impart to me generously of the divine, life-giving sap of Thy grace. Let me remain in Thee, and effect Thou in my soul that I may give joy to Thee by my good works, and promote the honor and glory of the heavenly Father.

Resolution: I will strive to remain intimately united with Jesus by interior recollection, and will accept gratefully the sufferings He imposes upon me for my sanctification.

Spiritual Bouquet: “He that abideth in Me and I in him, the same beareth much fruit.”

Prayer: O Jesus, living in Mary. . .

February 1

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MEDITATION FOR FEBRUARY 1

CONTINUATION OF CHRIST'S DISCOURSE AT THE LAST SUPPER.

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid” (John 14, 27).

First Prelude: In spirit enter the Cenacle and hear Jesus promising peace to His disciples.

Second Prelude: O Divine Saviour, give me great esteem of Thy peace, that I may strive to acquire it, or to preserve and increase it.

First Point

THE PEACE OF THE SAVIOUR

The peace which Christ promised the disciples and through them all the faithful is a triple peace: with God, with our neighbor, and with ourselves. Peace with God consists in the complete and all-around conformity with, and abandonment to, the holy Will of God. God has manifested His Will through the commandments, the regulations and teachings of His Holy Church, and to religious in a particular manner through the direction of their superiors. Who desires to taste of this peace must strive under all circumstances, be they agreeable or not, to conform his will to the Will of God. Nothing happens without divine dispensations; even the trivial, insignificant incidents of daily life are a part of the loving economy of God, leading us on to our destination, eternal happiness. In virtue of this resignation, we repose in the arms of Divine Providence, like a child in the arms of its mother, in deep, secure peace.

What efforts have I made to acquire peace with God? In other words, how have I conformed to the Will of God, in whatever form it accosted me? Do I see the loving hand of God’s paternal Providence in the daily little happenings? Have I not frequently been dissatisfied when God’s Will was manifested to me in the wishes and injunctions of my superiors?

Genuine peace with God is always accompanied by peace with one’s neighbor. His peace is firmly rooted in the love and unity of hearts. Who wishes to possess it, as St. Paul tells us, must live in peace and harmony with all men as much as lies in his power. Such a one must comply faithfully with the fundamental precepts of love and peace: Give your neighbor nothing to bear; bear patiently with his faults. Never inflict a wrong on your neighbor; grant him all that is commensurate with the duty of charity. As a religious, bound to strive for perfection, I may not rest satisfied with having thus complied, but I must be prepared even to forego a privilege cheerfully, or to relinquish a right, in order to preserve peace.

With what solicitude do I observe these regulations? Have I never disturbed peace by excessive sensitiveness, ill-humor, or by stubborn, rigid adherence to my preconceived views?

Peace with oneself consists in the testimony of a good conscience, in the subjection of the senses and the passions to reason, and reason to faith. Without God’s special grace, we shall never attain to perfect peace on this earth. We shall never succeed in completely subjugating or extirpating our passions. Even the Apostle speaks of a law in his members, contrary to the law of the spirit, which holds him captive under the law of sin (Rom. 7, 23). If it was impossible even for the “Vessel of Election” (Acts 9, 15) to neutralize this law, it will surely be the more impossible for us. We must seek peace here on earth in the uninterrupted struggle with our passions. God is pleased with us if we subjugate them merely to the extent of gaining their control. “It is by resisting the passions, therefore, and not by serving them, that true peace is to be found” (Foll. Bk. I, Ch. 6).

Second Point

EXCELLENCE OF THE SAVIOUR’S PEACE

To bring us this peace, Christ became Man. His whole lifework was, in reality, a work of peace and reconciliation. He was promised as Prince of Peace, and was such indeed, when, as St. Paul sublimely says: “He reconciled all things unto Himself, making peace through the Blood of His Cross” (Col. 1, 20). At His birth, peace was announced to the world by the angelic hosts. In the interest of peace, He frequently evaded His enemies. At the end of His life, shortly before His passion, He promised this peace to his disciples, calling it “His peace.” “Peace be with you!” was our Saviour’s first greeting, when He appeared to His Apostles on the evening of the resurrection. How highly Jesus valued peace! Does not this prove sufficiently its intrinsic worth?

Without this threefold peace, the heart of man is like a sea, agitated by a violent storm. The Holy Ghost cannot rule such a heart with His grace. A heart disturbed by passions, is callous to His inspirations—a further proof of the excellence of peace and the necessity of making an effort to acquire it.

Affections: O Divine Saviour, Thou Prince of Peace, eternal thanks to Thy infinite love, for the inestimable gift of Thy divine peace. Let me ever become deeply penetrated with its value and excellence. Grant me the grace never to grow weary in striving for peace, and always gladly to apply the means necessary to secure the possession of Thy peace, so as never to lose it.

Resolution: I will endeavor to remove the hindrances that have thus far opposed the Saviour’s peace in my heart.

Spiritual Bouquet: “My peace I leave you.”

Prayer: Take, O Lord . . .