 |
Dilexit
nos, et tradidit semetipsum pro nobis.
God had conferred so many blessings on men, thereby to draw them to love Him; but ungrateful men not only did not love Him, but they would not even acknowledge Him as their Lord. Scarcely in one corner of the earth, in Judea, was He recognised as God by His chosen people; and by them He was more feared than loved. He, however, Who wished to be more loved than feared by us, became man like us, chose a poor, suffering, and obscure life, and a painful and ignominious death; and why? To draw our hearts to Himself. If Jesus Christ had not redeemed us, He would not have been less great or less happy than He has always been; but He determined to procure our salvation at the cost of many labours and sufferings, as if His happiness depended on ours. He might have redeemed us without suffering; but no – He willed to free us from eternal death by His own death; and though He was able to save us in a thousand ways, He chose the most humiliating and painful way of dying on the cross of pure suffering, to purchase the love of us, ungrateful worms of the earth. And what indeed was the cause of His miserable birth and His most sorrowful death, if not the love He had for us? Ah, my Jesus, may that love which made Thee die for me on Calvary destroy in me all earthly affections, and consume me in the fire which Thou art come to kindle on the earth. I curse a thousand times those shameful passions which cost Thee so much pain. I repent, my dear Redeemer, with all my heart for all the offences I have committed against Thee. For the future I will rather die than offend Thee; and I wish to do all that I can to please Thee. Thou hast spared nothing for my love; neither will I spare anything for Thy love, Thou hast loved me without reserve; I also without reserve will love Thee. I love Thee, my only good, my love, my all.
The name Jesus signifies Saviour. And St Peter assures us that the Eternal Father has not given to men any other name by which they may be saved amidst the snares of this deceitful world, than the adorable Name of Jesus. It is this Name that makes the truth of faith shine everywhere, and that calls men from the depths of darkness to the adorable light of the Gospel. It is by virtue of this adorable Name that the Apostle gave light to the blind, made the lame walk, healed the sick, raised the dead to life, and filled the whole world with astonishment. And if the Angel at first announced that Jesus would bring life into the world by delivering it from the cruel slavery into which Adam had plunged it, this good Saviour confirmed this promise Himself when He declared that He had come so that His sheep might have life, and might have it more abundantly. By virtue of His Name we see idolatry overthrown and the Synagogue vanquished. Ah! since in this world there is no good that is not due to the efficiency of the Name of Jesus, let us acknowledge with humility and love the source of all these riches; and if in the past we have been unfaithful, let us once for all put an end to our ingratitude, and let us endeavour to repair all the wrong that we have done, and say:
Sic
Deus dilexit mundum, Oh, how much does that little word so mean! It means that we shall never be able to comprehend the extent of such a love as this which made a God send His Son to die, that lost man might be saved. And who would ever have been able to bestow on us this gift of infinite value but a God of infinite love? I thank Thee, O Eternal Father, for having given me Thy Son to be my Redeemer; and I thank Thee, O great Son of God, for having redeemed me with so much suffering and love. What would have become of me, after the many sins that I have committed against Thee, if Thou hadst not died for me? Ah, that I had died before I had offended Thee, my Saviour! Make me feel some of that detestation for my sins which Thou hadst while on earth and pardon me. But pardon is not sufficient for me, Thou dost merit my love; Thou hast loved me even to death, unto death will I also love Thee. I love Thee, O infinite goodness, with all my soul; I love Thee more than myself; in Thee alone will I place all my affections. Do Thou help me; let me no longer love ungrateful to Thee, as I have hitherto done. Tell me what Thou wouldst have of me, for, by Thy grace, all, all will I do. Yes, my Jesus, I love Thee, my treasure, my life, my love, my all.
And of what worth would the blood of all goats or even of all men be, if they were sacrificed to obtain divine grace for us? It is only the Blood of this Man-God which would merit for us pardon and eternal salvation. But if God Himself had not devised this way to redeem us, as He did by dying to save us, who ever would have been able to think of it? His love alone designed it and executed it. Therefore holy Job did well to cry out to this God Who loves man so much: What is man, O Lord, that Thou dost so exalt him? Why is Thy heart so intent upon loving Him? What is man that Thou shouldst magnify him? Or why dost Thou set Thy heart upon him? (7:17) Ah, my Jesus, one heart is but little with which to love Thee; if I loved Thee even with the hearts of all men, it would be too little. What ingratitude, then, would it be if I were to divide my heart between Thee and creatures! No, my love, Thou wouldst have it all, and well dost Thou deserve it; I will give it all to Thee. If I do not know how to give it Thee as I ought, take it Thyself, and grant that I may be able to say to Thee with truth, O God of my heart! (Ps 72:26) Ah, my Redeemer, by the merits of the abject and afflicted life that Thou hast willed to live for me, give me true humility, which will make me love contempt and an obscure life. May I lovingly embrace all infirmities, affronts, persecutions and interior sufferings, and all the crosses which may come to me from Thy hands. Let me love Thee, and then dispose of me as Thou wilt. O loving heart of my Jesus! make me love Thee by discovering to me the immense good that Thou art. Make me all Thine before I die. I love Thee, my Jesus, Who art worthy to be loved. I love Thee with all my heart, I love Thee with all my soul.
God has loved man from all eternity: I have loved thee with an everlasting love. (Jer 31:3) “But,” says St Bernard, “before the Incarnation of the Word the divine Power appeared in creating the world, and the divine Wisdom in governing it; but when the Son of God became man, then was made manifest the love which God had for men.” And, in fact, after seeing Jesus Christ go through so afflicted a life and so painful a death, we should be offering Him an insult if we doubted the great love which He bears us. Yes, He does surely love us; and because He loves us, He wishes to be loved by us. And Christ died for all, that they also who live may not now live to themselves, but for Him Who died for them and rose again. (2 Cor 5:15) Ah, my Saviour, when shall I begin to understand the love which Thou hast had for me? Hitherto, instead of loving Thee, I have repaid Thee with offences and contempt of Thy graces, but since Thou art infinite in goodness I will not lose confidence. Thou hast promised to pardon him who repents; for Thy mercy’s sake fulfil Thy promise to me. I have dishonoured Thee by putting Thee aside to follow my own pleasures; but now I grieve for it from the bottom of my soul, and there is no sorrow that afflicts me more than the remembrance of having offended Thee, my Sovereign Good; pardon me and unite me entirely to Thee by an eternal bond of love, that I may not leave Thee any more, and that I may live to love Thee and to obey Thee. Yes, my Jesus, for Thee alone will I live, Thee only will I love. Once I left Thee for creatures, now I leave all to give myself wholly to Thee. I love Thee, O God of my soul, I love Thee more than myself. O Mary, Mother of God, obtain for me the grace to be faithful to God till death.
|
