Monday, August 17, 2015

Day 50, SORROWFUL MYSTERIES, Monday August 17


For Love of the Crucified
~ from Meditations on the Passion of Our Lord, St. Alphonsus de Liguori

And in truth, does it not seem folly that God who is Almighty and infinitely happy in Himself should be willing of His own accord to be scourged, treated as a mock king, buffeted, spat upon in the face, condemned as a malefactor, abandoned by all and left to die on a Cross of shame to save miserable worms He Himself had created? 

Considering these things, the enamoured St. Francis, as he went through the country, wept and exclaimed, ' Love is not loved! Love is not loved! ' Hence St. Bonaventure said that he who wishes to persevere in loving Jesus Christ should ever represent to himself his divine Lord hanging on the Cross and dying for him: 'Let him ever have before the eyes of his heart Christ dying on the Cross.

Oh! happy the soul that frequently puts itself in spirit in the presence of Jesus dying on the Cross, and remains there to contemplate with tender affection the pains which Jesus suffered, and the love with which He offered Himself to His Father as He lay agonizing on that bed of sorrow. Souls full of God's love, when hard pressed by temptations of the devil, and by fears for their eternal salvation, derive great comfort from considering in silence, and all alone, Jesus hanging on the Cross and shedding blood from all His wounds. At the sight of Jesus crucified all desire of the goods of this world leaves us, and there comes from this Cross a breath of heavenly air which causes us to forget the things of earth, and enkindles within us a desire to quit all in order to use the affections of our hearts only to love that Lord Who was pleased to die for love of us.

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