CHRIST, THE LIGHT OF YOUR SOUL.

"Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee; for the Lord shall arise upon thee." (Is. 60:1)

I.

Imagine yourself to be that blind man who, as is recorded in the Gospel of today, sat by the road begging. (Luke 18:35.) You are spiritually blind in many things, since you are not able to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong, real and apparent good. You are also unable to discover your own defects in such a manner that you may justly say with royal David: "My iniquities have overtaken me, and I was not able to see." (Ps. 39:13)

II.

What a cheerless and disconsolate life it is to be in continual darkness, without corporeal light! How much more so is it to dwell in spiritual darkness and mental blindness! "What manner of joy shall be to me," says the blind Tobit, "who sit in darkness and see not the light of heaven?" (Tob 5:12) Reflect upon yourself, and examine if you see the clear light of heaven, or whether you are not satisfied to see the dim, and false, and fading light of the earth and earthly things. Consider how dangerous it is to be in darkness; for he that "walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth" (John 12:35), and is exposed to a thousand unknown dangers and falls. Learn, hence, sufficiently to esteem the benefit of divine light.

III.

Christ our Lord is "the sun of justice" (Mak. 4:2), and "the true light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world." (John 1:9) Entreat Him, then, when He visits your soul today, to produce in it the usual effects of light; to open your eyes to your own defects; to enable you to discover real from fictitious good. Take care you do not close your eyes against this light, by putting impediments to the grace of the Sacrament. Holy Job says of sinners: "They have been rebellious to the light; they have not known his ways." (Job 24:13) See that you be not rebellious, but dilate your heart to receive the influence of this holy light; say with the Prophet: "Thou lightest my lamp, O Lord; O my God, enlighten my darkness." (Ps. 17:29)

INSTITUTION OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST. I.

I.

After Christ had washed the Disciples' feet, He returned to the table, and, intending to leave mankind a singular memorial of His love for them, "took bread" into His holy hands, to show them that His memorial was the gift of His liberality. "Thou openest Thy hand and fillest with Thy blessing every living creature." (Ps. 144:16) Then, lifting up His eyes to heaven, to show us whence His bread came, He gave thanks to His eternal Father for so great a blessing bestowed upon His followers by His means. He then blessed it, and changed it into His own body. Do you also give thanks to the eternal Father for being made a partaker of this same Divine Bread; and entreat Him that by the means of this spiritual food He would transform you into another man.

II.

The Apostles were certainly astonished when they learned that Christ intended to feed them on His own body and blood. Their minds were, however, illuminated with light from above, and they believed everything possible to God. Learn, you, also to captivate your understanding to the obedience of faith. Observe with what humility, reverence, and devotion each one communicates. Do you imitate them when you approach the same table, and avoid following the example of Judas, who "ate and drank unworthily, eating and drinking judgment to himself, and not discerning the body of the Lord." (1 Cor. 11:29)

III.

"Do this for a commemoration of Me." (Luke 22:19.) Ponder the infinite liberality and charity of Christ, who, intending that this divine benefit should be continued through all ages, by these words gave power to the Apostles and their Successors to consecrate His precious body and blood. This power was never granted even to Angels. Reflect what a dignity it is; respect those whom Christ has honored so highly, and listen with obedience to those to whose voice Christ Himself is so obedient at the altar. Be ever grateful for this divine mystery, and always prepare yourself well to receive it.

INSTITUTION OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST. II.

I.

Christ instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist immediately before His Passion, to show His excess of love towards mankind by preparing for them a heavenly banquet, even at the very time when they were plotting His death. By this institution, He also manifested the desire which He had of always remaining with us, even corporeally. The time was at hand when He was to leave this world: but He would not leave it without leaving us Himself in a peculiar manner. He wished, also, by this institution to leave us a memorial of His Passion and Death, as well as a living sacrifice (for the virtue of the ancient sacrifices ceased at His death), by which the fruit of His Passion might be applied to us. In fine, He instituted this Sacrament as His last will and testament, by which He bequeathed Himself to us.

II.

He instituted the Sacrament under the accidents of bread and wine, in order that He might be more perfectly united to us by becoming our meat and drink, and by incorporating Himself with us. Another motive was to teach us that this divine food operates in the soul those effects which ordinary food produces in the body; that is, it nourishes, preserves, and increases our spiritual strength, and in some respect transforms us into Himself. "He who eateth Me, the same also shall live by Me." (John 6:58) As bread is a mass composed of many grains, and wine a liquid produced from many grapes, so, by the participation of this Divine Sacrament, the hearts of the faithful are made one spirit. Hence, the reception of this Sacrament is properly called Communion, or a union of many among themselves and with Christ.

III.

Although under each of the sacramental forms the entire body and blood of Christ are contained, without any real separation of one from the other, yet Christ instituted the Sacrament under both forms in order that He might the better represent His Passion and Death, during which His blood was entirely drained from His sacred body. Recollect His bloody sweat, His scourging at the pillar, His being crowned with thorns, nailed to the Cross, and pierced with the spear. Think what return you can make for so much love. Say with David: "I will take the chalice of salvation," by grateful recollections and compassion, "and I will call upon the name of the Lord." (Ps. 115:4)

CHRIST'S SERMON AFTER SUPPER. I.

I.

After Christ had distributed His body and blood to His Apostles, He addressed to them that long sermon which is recorded in the Gospel of St. John. After Communion, Christ is accustomed to treat more at large with the pious soul and He would do so with you, were you not accustomed to leave Him immediately, or to shut your ears to His holy inspirations. In this sermon, He performed the character of a comforter, by alleviating the grief of His Apostles for His future absence, showing them how expedient it was for them that He should leave the world. He acted the part of a master, by teaching them what He wished them to observe. He acted as an intercessor with His heavenly Father in our behalf, praying Him to preserve us. "Examine how you observe what He enjoins," and be thankful for the lessons which you have received from Him.

II.

As our master, Christ chiefly insists on our love of His Father and Himself above all things. "As the Father hath loved Me, I also have loved you. Remain in My love." (John 15:9) Examine whether you love Him as He has loved you; and yet there can be no comparison between the effects of these affections. His love for you is infinitely beneficial to you; yours for Him is in no respect profitable to Him. Notwithstanding this, out of pure affection for you, and to gain your love, He has given you His own precious body and blood, and even His life on the Cross, for your redemption. "Greater love than this no man hath." (John 15:13)

III.

"If ye love Me, keep My Commandments; if any one love Me, he will keep My word." (John 14:15) "The performance of actions," says St. Gregory, "is the proof of love." How necessary is it for you, if you really love your Savior, to act and suffer for Him! Compassionate Him, at least, in His sufferings: offer up the fast of Lent, and whatever painful circumstances may attend it, for your past sins, and in union with His pains and torments.

CHRIST'S SERMON AFTER SUPPER. II.

I.

After having enjoined the love of God above all things, our Divine Master insists on the love of our neighbor. "This is my Commandment," He emphatically says, "that ye love one another, as I have loved you." (John 15:12) He calls this "a new Commandment," and styles it "His" own, because it is peculiar to Christianity. This precept was new, as to the manner of observing it, because He requires that our love should be like His, extending to friend and foe, without respect to merit or recompense, and even with our own temporal inconvenience. "By this shall all men know that ye are My Disciples," He says, "if ye have love one for another." (John 13:35) Take care that you be one of His Disciples, and respect what He has inculcated in such weighty terms.

II.

Our Divine Teacher commands us also to practice prayer. "Hitherto you have not asked anything in My Name; ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." (John 16:24) So friendly an invitation cannot fail to ground a great confidence. The poor and needy are invited, and even pressed, to receive benefits; and the invitation comes from a Being who is both able and willing to realize His promise. We have only to pray in a proper manner, that is, in Christ's Name, for such things as regard our salvation, and with perseverance.

III.

Christ foretells that it will be the lot of all those who follow Him to suffer persecution: "They will put you out of the synagogues; yea, the hour cometh, when whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth a service to God." (John 16:2) He encouraged His Disciples to bear all these patiently, from three considerations. 1. "The servant is not greater than his Lord; if they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you." (John 15:20) 2. By pronouncing it a sign of predestination: "Because ye are not of the world, therefore the world hateth you." 3. By proposing the reward: "Your sorrow shall be turned into joy." (John 16:20) Offer yourself to suffer what your Savior may please to send you.

CHRIST'S PRAYER IN THE GARDEN.

I.

"And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to mount Olivet" (Matt. 26:30), "over the brook Cedron, where there was a garden" (John 18:1), in order that where human nature fell it might begin to be restored. As He went along, "He began to fear and to be heavy" (Mark 14:3), saying to His three disciples: "My soul is sorrowful even unto death." (Matt. 26:34) The grief which He felt was equal to the pains of dying, and would have taken away His life had He not reserved it for other torments. Christ might, if He had chosen, been free from all these pains, and have gone to suffer with pleasure; because the beatific vision which He always enjoyed was capable of drowning all pain whatsoever. But He deprived Himself of its influence, in order that He might be like us in all things, and give us an example which we might imitate in our sufferings.

II.

"When He was come to the place, He said to them, Pray, lest ye enter into temptation; and He was withdrawn away from them a stone's cast, and kneeling down, He prayed, Father, if thou wilt, remove this chalice from me! but yet not My will, but Thine be done." (Luke 22:40) Ponder His profound reverence to His eternal Father, and His confidential love expressed in the word "Father." Contemplate His perfect resignation in the words, "not My will, but Thine be done," and His perseverance in prayer for a whole hour. "Could ye not watch one hour with Me?" (Matt. 26:40) Learn hence how to pray, and resign yourself to the divine will.

III.

Christ, like a good shepherd anxious for His flock, even in the midst of His own distress and the ardor of His prayer, visits His three Apostles. He found them asleep the first, second, and third times. Immediately after Communion, they were so full of fervor as to offer themselves to die for their Master; but they cannot now even hold up their heads in prayer. Examine if this be not the character of yourself. The Apostles formerly watched all night for their own interest, when they were fishermen; but now, when the interest of their souls is concerned, and when they are commanded to watch, they cannot refrain from sleep. Beware of sloth, tediousness, and forgetfulness in spiritual things; for, as St. Augustine observes, "the sleep of the soul is to forget God."

CHRIST'S BLOODY SWEAT.

I.

After Christ had found His disciples asleep, and had left them in order to continue His prayer, "there appeared to Him an Angel from heaven strengthening Him." (Luke 22:43) Good God! Is it possible that the eternal Son of God should borrow comfort from His creatures? Observe how the Father of lights at last sends comfort to those who persevere in prayer. Imagine what reasons the Angel might use in comforting your agonizing Savior. He probably represented to Him the necessity of His Passion for the redemption of mankind, and the glory that would redound to His Father and Himself. All this Christ understood infinitely better than the Angel, yet He did not refuse the proffer of consolation, in order to teach you to respect the advice and consolation of your inferiors.

II.

"His sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground." Imagine you see it gush from every pore of His sacred body, and beg of Him to bathe your soul in it. Detest your tepidity and coldness in prayer, and your barrenness in devotion. Ponder the causes of so preternatural an effect: 1. The clear apprehension of all His future torments, as if they were present. 2. His perfect foreknowledge of the sins that would be committed, and of the general ingratitude of mankind, for whom He was on the point of suffering so much and so ineffectually. Condole with your Savior, and grieve that you yourself have been so great a cause of His pain and sufferings.

III.

"And being in an agony, He prayed the longer." From this you ought to learn that, in proportion as afflictions increase, so ought you to redouble your exertions in prayer. Christ might have prevented His agony or this conflict between the spirit and flesh if He had pleased; but He underwent it in order to show us how we ought to resist and conquer our passions. Reflect how easily you suffer yourself to be overcome by your evil propensities, and transgress your good resolutions. When temptation presses, you ought "to expect the Lord, to do manfully, and to let your heart take courage, and wait for the Lord." (Ps. 26:14)