Abundant indeed, and manifold, was the grace which flowed forth from Thee, when Thou didst die upon the Cross in order that we might live; for original sin is done away, actual sin is forgiven, pardon is extended to all, the sentence is modified, vengeance is stayed, every debt is wiped out; to no contrite soul is mercy denied; for of Thy Passion the merit is inexhaustible.
It was not for nothing that Thou didst submit to die. For what then didst Thou die? It was not an angel that needed Thy death; for the angels have never lost their first estate. The devil can never be reinstated, for his fall only hardened him. It was for man, then, that Thou didst die; and it was because death came upon him by reason of his being caught in the snares of the devil. Fitting indeed it was that Thy Charity should raise up him whom another's malice had caused to fall: but how great is the love, how immeasurable is the depth, of the counsels of God! Oh the wonder of the never-to-be-forgotten mystery — man earning salvation through the merits of the Cross, winning a kingdom through its offence; entering into glory through an exacted penalty; brought through death into life everlasting! Thy Passion, therefore, O Lord, is of all things the most sacred; it is for all wounds a sovereign remedy; Thy Cross is the downfall of all who are against us; it is the safeguard of all who trust in Thee; Thy death is the penalty by which all our faults are expiated, it is the foundation of all our virtues. I will rejoice, then, in Thy merits and in the fruits of Thy Passion, and I will ever take comfort from the thought that Thou hast redeemed me; but my love for Thee must ever make me grieve over Thy cruel death. It is love that makes me rejoice
