Meditations On The Mysteries Of Our Holy Faith/Volume 1/Meditations in preparation for Confession and Communion
MEDITATIONS IN PREPARATION FOR CONFESSION AND COMMUNION.
As the purity of the soul (which is the end of the purgative way) is perfectly obtained with the use of the two sacraments of Confession and Communion, it will not be amiss here to insert certain meditations by which we may prepare ourselves worthily to receive them; and by the way to teach beginners the manner how to make this preparation, causing them to hold in estimation the frequency of these two remedies that Almighty God has left us for our salvation.
MEDITATION XXX.
ON THE EXCELLENCES OT THE HOLT SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION; ON THE
VIRTUES EXERCISED IN IT; AND ON THE GRACES THAT ARE RECEIVED.
POINT I.
First, I must consider the great favour that Almighty God has done to His Church, and to me as a member of it, in having instituted the holy sacrament of Penance, [1] pondering some things that discover the greatness of this benefit, and animate me to the use of it
1. It being proper to God alone to pardon sins, according to that of Isaiah, " I am, I am He that blot out thy iniquities for my own sake, and I will not remember thy sins," [2] He would put this power in the hands of priests, assuring us that He would approve in heaven the sentence that they should give upon earth. [3] And He ordained that these priests should be men subject likewise to sin, and in need of the self-same remedy, that they might be „the more compassionate of sinners. And the power that He gave them was so ample that He reserved to Himself alone no sin, how great soever, nor limited to them the number of sins, nor how often they were to pardon them; for He said to St. Peter that pardon should be given not only " seven times, but seventy times seven times [4] that is, without number or limitation. In all which is apparent the goodness of this great and sovereign God, and the desire that He has to pardon us.
Colloquy. — O merciful Father, " seventy and seven times," and thousands of times more, may the angels of heaven praise Thee for the favour Thou doest to us sinners that live upon earth. As often as we can sin, so often, if we ask pardon of Thee, Thou wilt pardon us, for Thy mercy is greater than our misery. I will confidently approach to ask pardon for the injury, seeing He Himself that is injured so liberally offers it to me!
2. Secondly, I will ponder how this sovereign Judge, being about to make a most strict judgment of our lives at the end of them and at the end of the world, would mercifully change this rigorous judgment of our sins into the merciful judgment that we shall make of them in this sacrament; so that (as the Apostle says) if we would judge ourselves, and be absolved, we should not be judged [5] and condemned for those sins; for to this end the Scripture says that " there shall not rise a double affliction." [6]
3. Finally, this sacrament, according to the prophecy of Zacharias, is a fountain of living water, that Almighty God has in His Church "for the washing of" [7] the uncleanness of our sins, to heal the infirmities and wounds of our vices, to restore to us the life of grace, the beauty of charity and the splendour of virtues; to repair lost merits, and to remedy the other evils of our sins. And it is a continual and open fountain, for it is never dry, nor does Almighty God ever shut it so long as we live; but rather desires that as soon as ever we have sinned we should approach to wash ourselves therein.
Colloquy. — Oh, blessed be the fountain of God's goodness, whence springeth this fountain of so great mercy! Come, O my soul, for " waters out of thy Saviour's fountains!" [8] Come with grief by reason of thy sin, but with joy through hope to wash thyself therein!
(This point shall be handled more largely in the fifth part.)
POINT II.
Secondly, I am to consider what an excellent work the act of confession is, to induce us the more to exercise and frequent it; pondering how Christ our Lord instituted this sacrament in His Church, that the faithful might take occasion by their own sins to exercise excellent acts of virtues, with which they might not only repair the losses they received by them, but also might gain new advantages.
1. The acts are principally seven.
i. The first is of faith, believing firmly that the pardoning of sins, which is proper to Almighty God alone, has been communicated to priests, [9] putting in their hands the keys of heaven, with which they shall open the gates of it, that from thence may descend the heavenly gifts and graces that justify sinners; and that sinners may enter into it to enjoy the kingdom which is promised to the just.
ii. The second act is of hope, above all human hope; for the confession of our own crime, which in the tribunals of the world is a means to condemn the guilty, in this tribunal of heaven is a means to absolve him.
iii. The third act is of charity, to which it pertains to be greatly sorry for having offended the infinite goodness of Almighty God, and lost His grace and friendship, desiring to repair it by loving and serving Him with all our hearts.
iv. The fourth is of heroic humility, by which we humble ourselves, not only before Almighty God but before men; discovering unto His ministers the secret things that are to humble us, and to cause in us great shame and confusion, embracing this contempt for the love of Almighty God, and delighting that others should hold us in that opinion that we hold ourselves in.
v. The fifth is of excellent obedience in a matter, as has been said, that is so hard and difficult, and in subjecting ourselves to our confessors as to our superiors, with a mind to obey them in whatsoever they shall ordain to this end.
vi. The sixth is of justice highly elevated, of which we exercise the acts as accuser, culprit, witness, judge, executioner: and subjecting ourselves to God's minister, not perforce but willingly, with a mind to undergo His sentence, and with a zeal to revenge on ourselves the injuries we have done against Almighty God, and to repair and restore the injuries that we have done to our neighbour.
viL The seventh is of admirable fortitude in which we vanquish ourselves, and the vehement inclination that men have to cover their sins, to defend and excuse them like Adam, from whom all men inherit it On this account, whosoever vanquisheth himself in this is more than a man; as holy Job implies when he says, " If, as a man, I have hid my sin, and have concealed my iniquity in my bosom." [10] And sometimes we had need of no less fortitude to confess with humility the sin committed than not to commit it For, as St Gregory says, [11] we generally suffer a greater conflict in manifesting the sin committed than would have been suffered in resisting the committing it. And therefore he is no less to be admired that with humility confesses well his sins than he that exercises other virtues.
2. These seven acts, so heroic, accompany confession, and make it of great merit before Almighty God, and of great glory before the angels and before discreet and prudent confessors; and therefore I must endeavour to exercise them with great spirit, that the fruit and the grace may be more abundant, saying to myself that of Ecclesiasticus, " Give and take, and justify thy soul." [12] And seeing Almighty God is willing to give thee pardon of the seven deadly sins, and grace with the seven gifts thereof, give thou to Him these seven acts, with which thou mayest dispose thyself to receive them, gape " seven times " like "the child" [13] whom the prophet Eliseus raised from death, eliciting these seven affections, that Almighty God may exalt thee to a new life, and exalt thee even to. its height.
POINT III.
1. Thirdly, I am to consider the graces and favours that Almighty God does to those that confess themselves, receiving the sacrament with that disposition which is requisite, which we may reduce to three, in which St. Paul puts " the kingdom of God," saying that it is "justice and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost," [14] which kingdom is promised to those that truly " do penance." [15]
i. He grants them "justice," which is the grace of justification, justifying them of all their sins, making them His friends and adopted children, and inheritors of His heaven. And with this grace He gives them charity, and virtues infused, and the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and the true beauty of the soul, which goes together with humble confession. [16] And if they come to confession with justice, there it is augmented, communicating to them greater grace, and fulfilling that which is said in the Apocalypse: " He that is just, let him be justified still," [17] endeavouring not to cease, but more and more " to be justified, even to death." [18]
ii. Secondly, He grants them "peace " supernatural, not only because He reconciles them to Himself, but also because, in reward of the glorious victory which they obtain of themselves in vanquishing the difficulties of confession, He gives them three victories over their enemies, destroying some, putting others to flight, and subjecting the rest to them, (a) He destroys sins, since "He will cast them all into the bottom of the sea.". [19] (b) The devils with their temptation fly away, for there is nothing that more terrifies them than to manifest the wounds of the conscience to the physician that is to cure them, (c) And the passions of the flesh begin to yield themselves to the spirit; for " when the ways of man shall please the Lord, He will convert even his enemies to peace." [20] And therefore it is a great means of vanquishing temptations and passions to manifest them to the confessor and spiritual father; for, while they remain concealed, the devil is in peace and we in a terrible conflict; but in discovering them he flies, and we remain in peace. [21]
iii. Thirdly, He grants "joy in the Holy Ghost," banishing the fears and heaviness that spring from an evil conscience, replenishing them with alacrity, with the news of pardon, according to that of the prophet David: " To my hearing Thou shalt give joy and gladness, and the bones that have been humbled shall rejoice." [22] For, taking from them the most heavy burden of their sins, which weighs them down like lead, and the spirit of sadness, which, withered and consumed them, they grow green again, and lift up their head with the hope of pardon, and with the pledge they receive of life everlasting.
2. With this consideration, I am to resolve myself to execute all that is necessary for confession, how painful, shameful, and troublesome soever it seem, remembering that all is but little in comparison of the great good that Almighty God promises me, and of the eternal evil from which He delivers me. And if I consider what Christ our Saviour did for the pardon of my sins, what sorrows, what ignominies, and what pains He suffered for them, that will soon appear but little to me which God requires for their pardon. And again, if I ponder how much Almighty God might require of me if He would extend His rigour, seeing I merited sorrow, ignominy, and eternal torments, I shall presently see that He requires of me but very little. And therefore I may imagine that the same words are spoken to me which were spoken to leprous Naaman by his servants, "Father, if the prophet" Mizeus had "bid thee do some great thing" to cure thy leprosy, " thou surely shouldst have done it; how much rather what he now hath said to thee, Wash and thou shalt be clean?" [23]
Colloquy. — O my soul, if Almighty God should command thee many things very hard and heavy to heal the leprosy of thy sins, it were reason thou shouldst do them with great promptness and speed: how much more bidding thee do a thing so easy to do as is, Confess thy sins, and thou shalt be healed: "wash seven times in the Jordan" of penance, accompanying thy confession with the seven affections above named, and thou shalt be cleansed of the leprosy of thy sins. Glory, like Job, in not hiding thy sin "as a" frail "man," nor concealing " thy iniquity' in thy bosom. [24] Take the counsel of the Wise man, who says, " For thy soul, be not ashamed to say the truth: for there is a shame that bringeth sin, and there is a shame that bringeth glory and grace." [25] If, vanquished by shame, thou concealest thy sin, thou increasest it; but if with shame thou confessest it, thou shalt obtain a crown of great glory, for the victory thou gainest by confessing thy sins.
MEDITATION XXXI.
ON PREPARATION TO RECEIVE THE HOLY SACRAMENT OF PENANCE.
The end of this meditation is, before my confession to make so perfect a judgment of myself as may make plain all the difficulties that may happen in the sacramental judgment to be made by the confessor, that I may be secure in the last judgment which the Supreme Judge is to make of me. In this judgment I myself must execute the office of the accuser, the witness, the judge and the tormentor. And upon this St Gregory says, that " conscientia accusat, ratio judical timor ligat, dolor excruciat [26] my conscience is to accuse me of all my sins without omitting any one. My reason is to judge what I merit for them, sentencing me to be worthy of great punishment for having committed them. The fear of Almighty God and of His rigorous judgment is to bind me, and to oblige me humbly to undergo what penance soever reason shall dictate and the confessor shall impose upon me. And sorrow, as an executioner, is to torment me, breaking and shivering my heart for the offences I have done to my Creator. These four judicial acts am I to do within the hall of my heart, quickening them with the considerations which are ordained to this end; and much more with the remembrance of the presence of Almighty God, the judge of the living and of the dead, whom I must behold seated in the " throne" of His majesty, as has been declared in the ninth meditation, because the view of this most righteous Judge will be a motive to make me do it with greater diligence. [27]
POINT I.
First, I am to consider that our Lord Christ would that our own acts should be part of this sacrament, viz., contrition, confession, and satisfaction, [28] which answer to the three sorts of sinning by thought, word, and deed, that I myself might concur to the grace of my justification; and that, seeing I sinned with my acts, with the same I might dispose myself to receive my pardon. And now that it has been the good pleasure of our Lord to ennoble my acts, making them the instruments of His grace, it is reason that I should exercise them with the greatest excellency possible, that I may "in all my works" (as the Wise man says) " keep the pre-eminence," [29] begging of the three Persons of the Godhead particular favour for every one of them. Of the Holy Ghost, to whom is attributed charity, I will beg contrition of heart, beseeching Him that He will kindle in my soul the fire of His love, from which may proceed such a sorrow as may consume all the dross of my sins. Of the Son of Almighty God, who is the Word of the eternal Father, to whom is attributed wisdom, I will beg light to know my sins, and such humble words to confess them, that I may be purified and cleansed of them. Of the eternal Father, to whom is attributed power, I will beg force for the works of satisfaction, with perseverance until I have paid all the pains that I owe for my sins.
Colloquy. — O most blessed Trinity, assist my heart and my lips, that I may worthily confess all my sins, and obtain complete remission of them! Amen.
Then I must consider all that is necessary to exercise these three acts with great perfection, reasoning on every one of them.
POINT II.
Of contrition. — As concerning the first act, which is sorrow for sins, I am to procure to have it the most perfect that may be, not contenting myself with an imperfect sorrow which is called attrition, proceeding from fear of the pains of hell, but procuring the perfect sorrow which is called contrition, and proceeds from the love of Almighty God above all things, as has been before said. And this sorrow must be the greatest that possibly may be, because it is the measure of the grace that is given in this sacrament So that if the sorrow be imperfect and little, the grace likewise will be little; if it be perfect and great, the grace will be great which is given in it; for observe, as sorrow increases so shall grace, and if there be no sorrow no grace shall be given. And therefore the principal part of this preparation consists in the perfection of sorrow; to which I must move myself with the considerations that were set down in the fifth meditation, and with some similitudes deduced out of holy Scripture, to move us to the tears of love.
1. Sometimes it tells me that I should weep bitterly, as a mother makes " mourning for the death of an only son," [30] upon whom she had laid all her love and repose; so will I weep for the spiritual death of my soul, which is my " only" one, and by reason is much to be loved; yet I myself have cruelly slain her by sin, and subjected her to death everlasting. And seeing I have so great a feeling of the loss of those things that I love, a much greater feeling am I to have of this, because it is the greatest of all: and in this tears are well employed. For a mother, let her weep never so much, she shall not give life to her son that is dead; but with tears of contrition I shall obtain life for my dead soul.
Colloquy. — O infinite God, I am very much grieved for the injury I have done Thee, by killing with sin the soul that Thou gavest me, and seeing it is more Thine than mine, have mercy upon it! Deliver my soul from the sword of death, and mine only one "from the hand of the dog" [31] of hell, that I may live to Thee and confess Thy holy name! Amen.
2. I will likewise weep for my sins, because with them I have "pierced" [32] the only-begotten Son, who through excellence merits this name, Christ Jesus my Lord — within myself crucifying again, " the Son of God [33] and having, as much as lieth in me, given occasion for Him to die.
Colloquy. — O only-begotten Son of the Father, I am exceedingly sorrowful for my sins, for having been thereby a cause of Thy death; return, O Lord, to live in my soul with Thy grace, seeing Thou didst die to give it life.
3. At other times it tells me that I should weep like a bride that has by death lost her beloved spouse, upon whom depended her whole solace, thereby remaining a widow, poor and abandoned. And so will I weep for my sins, by which I have lost Almighty God, the spouse of my soul, and with Him have lost the jewels of His grace and charity, and the gifts that He had given me, remaining, like a widow, not able to engender children of good works, merits of life everlasting, but abandoned and left desolate, without the protection of so sweet a spouse.
Colloquy. — Oh that my heart would shiver, and break with the force of sorrow, for having lost such a spouse, such jewels, and such amiable protection!
4. And yet, notwithstanding, if I perceive that my heart is still hardened, and melts not with the considerations of love, I will make use of those of fear before mentioned, that fear (as St. Bernard [34] says) may quicken me, and open the door to love. Excitetur ut excitet. Let fear be awakened that it may awake me. Fear, O my soul, the face of the Judge, whom the powers of heaven fear, the wrath of the Omnipotent, the face of His fury, the noise of the world that will perish, the fire that will burn it, the voice of the Archangel, and the most rigorous words of the final sentence. Pear the teeth of the dragon, the belly of hell, the roaring of fierce beasts that stand ready to devour, the worm that ever gnaws, the fire that always burns, the smoke, the brimstone, the whirlwind, and the exterior darkness.
Colloquy. — Oh, "who will give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes," [35] that I may therewith prevent the eternal lamentation, the gnashing of teeth, the binding of hands and feet, the weight of the fiery chains that oppress, that gripe, that burn, and that never consume.
5. With these tears of fear I must dispose myself to pass on to those of love. For (as St Augustine [36] says) " fear must be like the needle that enters through the cloth, not to remain within itself, but to make the thread enter, wherewith to join the parts that are disjoined." So fear must serve to make charity enter, and to join together the affection of the soul, employing them in loving Almighty God and bewailing the offence that it has done Him.
POINT III.
Of confession. — 1. In order to the second act, which is confession, pre-supposing the examination and averring of sins in that manner that has been described in the third point of the 30th meditation, the first purpose must be to confess them all entirely, how ignominious soever they be, vanquishing the shame that may disturb me with those considerations that were set down in the end of the last meditation, saying to myself, Better is shame in the face than a spot in the heart! If thou sufferest not now this little confusion, thou wilt suffer a greater in the day of judgment. And seeing that Almighty God knoweth well all thy iniquities, what is it for His minister to know them, who in His name is to pardon them? Courage, then! Give glory to Almighty God and confess thyself, for thy confession shall not be like that of Achan, 12 to die, but like that of David, [37] to live. Having thus resolved, it is good (as S. Bonaventure [38] advises us) to begin confession with that which causes me most shame; because vanquishing the greatest of my enemies it will be easy to vanquish the rest, as, the giant Golias being vanquished, the Philistines fled.
2. The second purpose must be to manifest my sins, not only with integrity but with all the humility [39] that I may, making of all a clear, pure, sincere, naked, and well-intentioned confession; not excusing nor extenuating my sins, not casting the fault upon my neighbour, like Adam, nor upon the devil, like Eve, but upon myself, like David; confessing my iniquity against myself, and saying that " it is" exceeding "great." [40] But yet I must avoid another extremity, of so much exaggerating my sins that it may seem to be a feigned confession, to be honoured and esteemed for humble; for vain-glory uses many ways to assail these works of humility, seeking in them her own honour. [41]
3. The third purpose must be to hear the reprehension of the confessor with great silence and humility, without interrupting him, though it be very rigorous, as the holy King David heard the terrible reprehension of the Prophet Nathan, acknowledging his fault, and saying, " I have sinned against the Lord." [42] For in this will be verified that of Ecclesiasticus, "Hear in silence; and for thy reverence" that herein thou showest, "accedet tibi bona gratia" — " good grace shall come to thee [43] and what better " grace" than that which is here given, which is the grace of God Himself?
4. In all this it will be a great aid to me not to regard the priest as he is a man, but as he is the minister of Almighty God, [44] or rather as God Himself is in him, respecting with internal and external reverence; for that His divine Majesty would that the confessor should absolve, not praying for pardon, but commanding, and sentencing as Almighty God, saying, " I absolve thee."
Colloquy. — O my soul, seeing thou hopest to hear this word of eternal life, what matter is it to suffer some temporal shame? " When thou art reproved," " show repentance," for so thou shalt escape wilful sin. [45] Discover once all thy sins, seeing Almighty God hath promised thee to forget them all. [46]
POINT IV.
Of satisfaction. — 1. In order to the third act of satisfaction, I must make a most effectual determination to obey my confessor in whatsoever convenient thing he shall command me, as well for the medicine of my spiritual infirmities as to satisfy for the injuries I have done against Almighty God; for it is reason that the sick should obey the physician in things that are necessary for the obtaining of his health, and the escaping the peril and occasion near at hand to destroy it; and it is likewise just that the debtor should pay that which he owes to his creditor. And seeing Almighty God is willing to pardon me the sin, and to change the eternal into temporal punishment, it is reasonable to animate myself to receive with a good will that penance which my confessor shall assign me to perform, saying with David, "Ego in flagella paratus sum," " I am ready for the scourges " that my sins deserve, and " my sorrow is continually before me, for I will declare my iniquity "et cogitabo pro peccato meo," " and I will think for my sin," [47] endeavouring that neither my memory may forget it, nor my eyes cease to bewail it, nor my hands to chastise it, until it be wholly blotted out. 2. To this end it will help me to consider —
i. The terrible penance that Christ our Saviour did in satisfaction of my sins. What more rigorous discipline could there be than that of His whippings? What rougher hair-cloth than the prickles of the thorns of His passion? What bed harder than that of His cross? And what fast more terrible than all day to suffer hunger and thirst, and to break His fast with gall and vinegar?
Colloquy. — O my soul, seeing Christ suffered so much for the sins that He committed not, suffer somewhat for those that thou hast committed. "Bring forth" " fruit worthy of penance," [48] for the tree that bears not such fruit as Christ shall have no part with Christ!
ii. It will much help me likewise to consider the pains of purgatory, of which soon after we shall speak. For it is a great folly not to be willing to pay the debt until the creditor lay his execution upon me, and cast me into prison with costs and charges; paying in purgatory, with terrible pains, that which in this life I may pay with my short satisfaction and great profit. For such is the liberality of Almighty God, that He rewards with new pay the work that I do to pay the debt, recompensing it with augmentation of grace and glory.
3. Finally, I am to make another most effectual resolution to amend my life, and no more to return to the sins that I have committed; for if this purpose be wanting, the contrition is feigned, the confession sacrilegious, the satisfaction little available, and the absolution of no effect; for his sins are not remitted to him that has a purpose to return to them; and though it were but a venial sin, it cannot be pardoned unless there be purpose of amending it.
4. With this preparation, preserving these holy affections and purposes, I may securely come to this holy sacrament, putting in practice what I have determined with a desire to renew my life, and to make a great change in it, imagining that of the prophet Jeremias is spoken to me: " Set thee up a watch-tower, make to thee bitterness," bewailing bitterly thy sins; " direct thy heart into the right way, wherein thou hast walked." [49] " Et da cor tuum super humeros tuos," " And put thy heart upon thy shoulders," [50] undertaking with love the yoke of obedience to fulfil what Almighty God and His ministers may command me.
MEDITATION XXXII
ON THANKSGIVING AFTER CONFESSION.
1. Having ended the confession of my sins, and received absolution, it is very convenient to give some little time to the confession of praises for the favour that Almighty God has done me; for both confessions our Lord exacts of us, according to the saying of the prophet Hoseas, " Return, O Israel, to the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen down by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and return to the Lord, and say to him, Take away all iniquity, and receive the good; and we will render the calves of our lips [51] that is, instead of the victims which of old they offered Thee in sacrifice, [52] we offer unto Thee now the victims of words; confessing our sins that Thou may est remit them, and confessing Thy mercies when Thou hast remitted them. This " sacrifice of praise," as David says, shall glorify God; " and there is the way by which I will show him," says the Lord, " the salvation of God," [53] which is confirmed thereby to the grateful. To this end it will help to consider how much our Lord Jesus Christ was pleased with the leprous Samaritan, who going to present himself to the priest, was cured as he went of his leprosy, and forthwith returned back to give thanks for the health that was given him; [54] and contrariwise, how much he was displeased with his other nine companions, who having received the like benefit, returned not to acknowledge it and to give to God the glory which they owed him, as we shall further consider in the meditation of this miracle.
2. Therefore, having ended my confession, I will re-collect myself in the church before the blessed sacrament, or in some other convenient place, where being set in the presence of the ever-living God, I will revive the faith of the favour He has done me, in which with my bodily ears I have heard that favourable sentence and most sweet word, " I absolve thee," a word powerful to do what it signifies, to give joy to my ears and " gladness " to my "humbled bones;" [55] and so, trusting in the goodness and mercy of Almighty God, that He has made good and ratified this sentence, I will endeavour to exercise three acts of thanksgiving; which are, to acknowledge the benefit, to praise God for it, and to offer to Him some service. [56]
POINT I.
First, I will ponder in my heart the manifold benefits that I have received in this holy sacrament; of which the prophet David made a brief catalogue by way of praise in the 102nd Psalm, and they may be reduced to six: —
i. The first is, to pardon me all my sins, not only confessed, but also the forgotten sins, and those which without my fault I could not have knowledge of.
ii. The second is to heal the spiritual " diseases " of my soul, as are vices and passions, dejections and fears, and other afflictions, putting a moderation in all, according to reason.
iii. The third is to " redeem " my" life from destruction" to which I was condemned by my sin, and from the most bitter death, which the privation of God's grace brings with it.
iv. The fourth is to crown me " with mercy " and the works of mercy, favouring me to gain the victory of temptations with which I have been and shall be assaulted; delivering me from other innumerable miseries, and offering me His aid that 1 may no more return to them.
v. The fifth is to satisfy my " desire with good things," giving me His grace and charity with the rest of the virtues, or new augmentation of them.
vi. The sixth is to renew my " youth like the eagle's?' unclothing me of the works and customs of " the old man," and clothing me with those of " the new man," and restoring unto me the first fervour of spirit, with new gladness of heart, to execute new works of virtue with great perfection. These benefits our Lord for His part grants to those that confess themselves as they ought, and so much the greater are the benefits as they are given without any merit of ours; and on this account the true penitent ought to be the more grateful. With this spirit I will greatly extol the infinite liberality of Almighty God towards me, and with a silent admiration I will yield myself vanquished by it. [57]
POINT II.
Then will I break out into a canticle of praise with great affection, saying the words of this Psalm, " Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all He hath done for thee. He remitteth all thy sins and healeth all thy infirmities. He redeemeth thy life from destruction, and crowneth thee with mercy and compassion. He satisfieth thy desire with good things, and reneweth thy youth like the eagle's. He hath not dealt with me according to my sins, nor rewarded me according to mine iniquities. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed mine iniquities from me. As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on those that fear Him, for He knoweth our weakness, and He remembereth that we are dust." [58]
Colloquy. — O God of my soul, if the mercies are so great which Thou hast done me, what shall I do not to be remiss in thanksgivings? I desire to procure with Thy aid that which Thou hast begun in me by Thy mercy; and seeing Thou hast pardoned my sins, I will never more return to them; seeing Thou hast delivered me from death, I will not again subject myself to it; seeing Thou hast crowned me with mercies, I will give Thee the glory of all my crowns. Add, O Lord, this mercy to the former, to fill my desire with Thy good things of heaven, giving me grace to accomplish what I offer to Thee, changing my fortitude in such manner that with great fervour I may walk, run, and fly like a renewed eagle, [59] until I obtain the eternal crown of Thy glory! Amen.
After this manner we may make other canticles of praise, inviting those saints that were great sinners to glorify Almighty God in return for having pardoned my sins.
POINT III.
Finally, in order to the third act of thanksgiving, I am to do three things.
1. First, to confirm myself much in my intentions of amendment, imagining that Christ our Lord says to me, as He said to that other sick man in the Temple, who was giving thanks for the health that he had received, " Ecce sanus factus es, jam noli peccare, ne tibi aliquid deterius contingat;" " Behold, thou art made whole, sin no more, "lest some other worse thing happen to thee;" [60] the relapse is usually worse than the fall. But if "as a dog" I return to eat the " vomit," [61] after this eating the first devil will enter with a seven other spirits more wicked than himself;" and this second entrance shall be much " worse than the first." [62] And, at least, I am much to be afraid of falling soon after my confession. For if the same day I fall into the same sins, it will be a sign that my conversion was cold and imperfect, though it were true; and that of Ecclesiasticus may be said to me, "He that washeth himself after touching the dead, if he toucheth him again what doth his washing avail?" And so a man that fasteth for his sins, and doth the same again, what doth his " humbling himself profit him? who will hear his prayer?" [63] But this I am to consider to move me to fear, not to distrust, for it is not strange for a man to " fall seven times," and to " rise again" [64] as often.
2. The second thing that I ought to do is, forthwith to perform all my penance, if it can be performed, and if not some part of it, with a spirit and affection of obedience and love, to pay somewhat of the great debt that I owe to Almighty God, wishing that I had ability to do much more for Him that has done me so many benefits, and saying that of the other servant, " Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all." [65]
3. The third thing is, in thankfulness of the benefit received in this sacrament of Penance, to dispose myself with great fervour to receive that of the sacred Communion; because for this end it is ordained, according to that of the Prophet David, " What shall I render to the Lord for all the things that He hath rendered to me? I will take the chalice of salvation, and will call upon the name of the Lord." [66]
MEDITATION XXXIII.
MEDITATION ON THE MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR BEFORE COMMUNION.
Of the excellences and fruits of this most blessed sacrament of the Altar we shall speak in the fourth part among the mysteries of the Supper, but more largely in the sixth part among the divine benefits. In this meditation I will only point out certain considerations to communicate with reverence and devotion, in which I am to fix my eyes upon these four things, viz.: i. The excellences of our Lord that comes to visit us; ii. The vileness of man whom He comes to visit; iii. The amiable guise in which He comes; iv. And the ends of His coming, making comparison between the one and the other, the better to show the greater splendour of this sovereign benefit.
POINT I.
First, I am to consider the excellences of this Lord, who is inclosed in this blessed sacrament, exercising a lively faith on them all, as well on those that He has as Almighty God as on those which He has as man,
1. First, I will discourse on the excellences of His Godhead, and of the works that He does as Almighty God, pondering that He that is there is the very " only-begotten" Son, [67] which is in the bosom "of the eternal Father," "the brightness of His glory and the figure of His substance," [68] as eternal, immense, infinite and omnipotent as the Father, the very wisdom, goodness, and fortitude by whom all things were created and are preserved. There also is the governor of the world, the sanctifier and glorifier of souls, He that is the first beginning and the final end of all creatures. And though He be a Lord of so great majesty that neither heaven nor earth can contain Him, yet He was not content to have made Himself man for our remedy, but would yet humble and restrain Himself more, remaining with us in this visible sacrament to comfort and protect us with His presence, that we might have upon earth some visible "throne of grace," to which to approach, as the apostle says, "with great confidence to obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid." [69]
Colloquy. — O divine Word, who art in the immense bosom of Thy eternal Father, how is it that Thou comest to dwell in the confined bosom of a foolish man? O King of Glory, who art in Thy heaven seated in a throne of infinite majesty, how is it that Thou humblest Thyself to be on earth in a throne of such baseness? Thy infinite charity hath been the cause of this humiliation to exalt me, and to excite me to love Thee for a work of so great love. Oh that I could love Thee as Thou lovest me! Oh that I could humble me as Thou didst humble Thyself, to be able to honour and serve Thee as Thou deservest! To this throne will I approach for the remedy of my evils " with confidence," that Thou mayest fill my desire with Thy good things.
2. Secondly, I will consider the mysteries of His most sacred humanity, and of the marvellous works that He did in it, and of the offices that He exercised, pondering how He Himself is in this sacrament that was nine months in the womb of our Blessed Lady the Virgin, enriching her with admirable gifts of His grace; and from thence in the house of Zacharias sanctified the Baptist, and replenished with the Holy Ghost both the son and the mother; and seeing He has in this sacrament the same goodness and omnipotence, He may work the same effects in my soul. Moreover, He that is there is the very same that was laid in a manger, and was adored by the shepherds and Magi, paying them for this service with an abundant reward. And if I do adore Him with the same lively faith, I shall receive the same grace. Again, there is He that went through the world teaching and preaching, curing the sick, raising the dead, and doing good to all with innumerable miracles. And especially I will ponder that it is He Himself who for my sake was taken, scourged, crowned with thorns, scorned and crucified — who, being nailed on the cross, prayed for His enemies, pardoned the thief and promised him paradise. And since He Himself in person is in the most blessed sacrament, representing His passion, and with the same blood that He shed therein, He likewise both may and will work in me the same effects. Finally, He that despoiled hell, rose again in glory, and sitteth on the right hand of His eternal Father, and shall afterwards come to judge the whole world, even He Himself, with the same glory, is in this holy sacrament; for, not content to have His court and throne in heaven, He will also have another throne on earth, for the comfort of us that live in it. And there He does to us the offices that He was wont to do in the world, of our Master, Physician, Redeemer, Pastor, and High Priest, desiring that we should come unto Him with the same faith and confidence, as if we saw Him in His mortal and visible flesh, seeing He Himself is really there, though covered under the accidents of bread and wine.
Colloquy. — O my sweet Redeemer, what thanks may I give Thee for Thy works of mercy, with which Thou comest every day to visit us from on high? Why shall not I confidently come to Thee, seeing Thou comest from heaven for me? I adore Thee, and glorify Thee in this venerable sacrament, and in spirit I cast myself at Thy feet like Mary Magdalen, that Thou mayest pardon me. With the woman that had the issue of blood, I touch Thy sacred vestment that Thou mayest cure me; and with St. Thomas, I feel Thy sovereign wounds, [70] that Thou mayest illuminate me and quicken my faith; with which I say and confess that Thou art my Lord and my God, worthy of highest honour and glory, world without end. Amen.
POINT II.
Secondly, I am to consider in what gentle and amiable manner Christ our Lord comes to visit me, I being so miserable and abominable a sinner.
1. First, I will ponder that it might have sufficed for my salvation to behold this most blessed sacrament, as it sufficed the Israelites when wounded by serpents, for the healing of their wounds, to behold a brazen serpent " set" "up for a sign," [71] which was the figure of this Saviour. Or it might have sufficed only to touch it with the hand, as the woman that had the issue of blood was made whole by touching only the hem of His garment; [72] and to give me but this liberty were an over-great honour. But the charity of this great God was not contented with this, but He will also join Himself to me with the most entire and penetrating union that any corporeal thing can join itself to man; for, in the form of food, He enters in at my mouth, passes through my throat, and makes His dwelling and habitation within my breast, so long as the species of the sacrament remain; and so renews that famous miracle of which the prophet Jeremias spoke: "The Lord hath created a new thing upon the earth." "Fsemina circumdabit virum;" "A woman shall compass within her a perfect man" [73] in wisdom and sanctity, which is Christ; for every day, whatever woman or other person communicates, bears within them for that time this man, perfect in age, and as great and beautiful as He is in heaven.
2. But this will seem a much greater wonder to me if I consider the vileness of the person that bears it within him, and the baseness and exceeding straitness of the house into which He enters.
Colloquy. — O Sovereign new man, celestial Adam, what new inventions of love are these that Thou makest to cherish me? Knowest Thou peradventure into what house thou enterest? Behold what I am, a vessel of iniquity, a cave of basilisks, and a house of perdition. Then why wilt thou enter into so vile a harbour, or how dare I entertain Thee there? My tongue is a world of impieties, how shall I touch with it Him that is the fountain of all good? My throat is a sink of gluttony and drunkenness, then how shall the author of purity and sanctity pass through it? My breast is a sink of wicked cogitations and desires, how shall I harbour in it Him that is charity itself? O sovereign king, how well does it befit Thee to be the Father of mercy, seeing Thou wilt dwell in a house of so great miseries? Renew it first, O Lord, cleanse and adorn it, that it may be for Thee a worthy abiding-place. O infinite God, " inclina coelos tuos, et descende " bow down Thy heavens and descend." [74] And seeing Thou wilt descend and humble Thyself to dwell within me, what is it for the heavens to humble themselves and descend? Let the celestial virtues come into my soul; let lively faith, assured hope, and much-enkindled charity come; let humility, obedience, and devotion come, and convert into heaven that which must be the habitation of the king of heaven Himself! Amen.
3. The like colloquies I should make to the three Persons of the Godhead, beseeching them that they would make me a new man, renewed in spirit to receive this new celestial Adam, who is willing to harbour Himself in my soul; and especially I will say to the Holy Spirit,
Colloquy. — O most holy Spirit, that didst purify and adorn the soul of the most sacred Virgin, that it might be a worthy habitation for her Son, purify me also, and adorn me with Thy grace, seeing the selfsame God that entered into her is to enter into me! Amen.
POINT III.
Thirdly, I must consider the ends that Christ our Lord purposes in this coming, beseeching Him as soon as He enters to put them in execution, and that my unworthiness may be no means of hindering it.
1. This may be considered by running through some of the offices that this our Lord did in the world, which He comes to exercise in my soul. i. He comes as a Saviour to pardon me my sins, applying to me the price of the blood He shed for them. ii. He comes to cure all my spiritual infirmities, like a physician that enters into the house of a sick man, and comes near him to apply to him his sovereign remedies, iii. He comes as a master, to illustrate me with the light of His inspirations, and to instruct me in the way of virtue and perfection, iv. He comes as a high-priest, to apply to me the fruit of the bloody sacrifice which He offered for me upon the cross, and to move me to offer to Him the sacrifice of an humble and contrite heart, the host of praise and the holocaust of love. v. He comes as meat to sustain me, as to a child with the milk of His deliciousness, and to unite Himself to me with the union of perfect love, and to give me the kiss of peace, of reconciliation and perfect friendship; fulfilling the desire of the soul that said, " Let Him kiss me with the kiss of His mouth," [75] and make peace with me. And in this manner I may run through His other offices, imagining that He comes as a shepherd, to gather me to His fold; as a protector, to defend me; and as " a consuming fire," to purify and inflame me.
2. Whilst I am pondering these offices which Christ our Lord is willing to do for me, I will also consider the great necessity that I have of them, beholding myself as .a man captive under the devil for my sins, sick of divers passions, ignorant with many errors, weak, poor, and needing sustentation for my soul, peace with my Creator, and to be governed, protected, and favoured by my Saviour. And making comparison between Him and myself, and between His excellent offices and my own innumerable miseries, I will break out on the one side into affections of admiration, and on the other into fervent desires of His coming, saying to Him,
Colloquy. — O God of immense majesty, how is it that I am not beside myself, considering this device of Thy infinite charity! Elias and Eliseus contracted their dimensions, joining themselves to a dead child to restore him to life; [76] but Thou constrainest Thyself much more to a morsel of food to join Thyself to me, and to raise me again to a new and fervent life. It had been sufficient that with Thy word Thou hadst commanded what Thou wouldst, and presently it had been done; or that some servant of Thine, like Giezi, [77] had touched me with Thy "staff" that I might live, but Thou wouldst not, but comest in person to heal me, to revive me, and to reclaim me. Come, then, O my Saviour, and delay not! Come, and dissolve the miseries of Thy servant, awake Thy omnipotency and come, that Thou mayest presently save me! "0 that Thou wouldst rend the heavens and wouldst come," that with Thy coming " the mountains" [78] of my passions might dissolve, and all my bowels might " melt" themselves in Thy love! " Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just: let the earth be opened and bud forth a Saviour!" [79] O most sweet Saviour, come to my soul that longeth to receive Thee, take from her all impediments to Thy entrance, exercise in her the offices Thou purposedst by Thy coming. Join Thee speedily to me, for I desire to see myself united with Thee my only chief good, world without end! Amen.
3. This kind of fervent desires is much to be exercised in this point; for Christ our Lord will be received with desire and hunger of His coming. And this food, the greater the hunger with which it is eaten with so much the more profit it enters. And in this we shall be aided with other places of divine Scripture like those which have been produced, in which the holy fathers declared the fervent desire they had of the coming of the Messias for the redemption of the world.
4. With these desires I should join others, of carrying the greatest possible purity of heart; endeavouring that, as the body goes to communicate fasting from all corporal meat, (so that from the midnight before it must not have eaten nor drunk anything, how little soever,) so also the soul may that day go fasting from all sin; in such a manner that, as near as may be possible, from the night before it be not spotted with any defilement 44 of the flesh" or "of the spirit," [80] and that from my mouth there issue no idle word nor from my heart any evil thought; for Christ our Lord being purity itself, it is our duty to receive Him with the greatest purity that we possibly can. And if through our imbecility we fall into any sin, we are first to purify [81] ourselves of it by the means of confession, (which is obligatory if it be a mortal sin,) or by the means of contrition, when it is but a light sin and that we were lately at confession.
MEDITATION XXXIV.
ON SPIRITUAL COMMUNION, OR A DISPOSITION FOR SACRAMENTAL COMMUNION AND FOR HEARING MASS PROFITABLY.
Spiritual communion is an exercise of excellent interior acts, by which, as St Thomas says, [82] without receiving the sacrament, we participate in the fruit of the sacrament, which is union with Jesus Christ And it serves on two occasions and for two ends.
i. The first is, duly to prepare ourselves before sacramental communion, adorning the bouI with acts of virtues suitable to this celestial banquet, ii. The second is, to hear mass every day with profit As the priest when he says mass together offers the sacrifice and receives the sacrament, so, when I hear mass, it is good that I do two other like things. The first is, to offer that sacrifice in thanksgiving for the benefits received or in satisfaction of my sins or of the sins of them that are departed, and to obtain of Almighty God the benefits that I require of Him for myself and for the whole Church; for to all this is this sacrifice ordained, as in the fourth part shall be declared. The second is, to receive likewise the sacrament spiritually, eating Christ our Lord with desire, by means of the acts of the three theological virtues, faith, hope, and charity; according to which the same Lord Himself said, " I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall not hunger, and he that believeth in me shall never thirst" [83] The manner of this communion disposing for the sacrament is that which follows.
POINT I.
Acts of Faith. — 1. First, we are to exercise acts of faith concerning this mystery, briefly pondering, first, the excellency and firmness of the four pillars upon which this faith relies; that is to say, that Almighty God wanted not infinite wisdom to invent this means of our spiritual sustentation, nor goodness to will it, nor omnipotence to execute it. And seeing God is an infallible truth in all that He reveals, and that He has revealed this mystery, I am to believe Him with all assuredness, much more than if I had seen Him with my bodily eyes.
2. Upon this foundation faith is to exercise her acts, denying the judgment that proceeds from the senses, and firmly believing that under those species of bread and wine is Christ Jesus true God and man, with all the fulness, glory, and majesty that He has in heaven. And as there He invites and fills the blessed with the clear sight of His divinity and humanity, so here He will unite and fill our desires of good things with the sight, by a lively faith, of Himself inclosed in this sacrament And to this end faith must help itself with meditation and contemplation, penetrating the greatnesses of this Lord, as has been said in the first point of the preceding meditation. The acts of faith are to be exercised in this form: I believe that under this veil is covered Jesus Christ my Lord, His body, His soul, His blood and His divinity. I believe that there is present the Son of the ever-living God, infinite, eternal, immense, almighty, wise and holy — yea, wisdom and sanctity itself. I believe that there is my Saviour, my Master, my Father and Judge, and my Glorifier, He that for me was born in a manger, and was whipped, crowned with thorns, and crucified. All this I believe because He Himself has revealed it; and I am most assured that He had knowledge, power, and will to do it.
Colloquy. — O my King and my Almighty God, although I see Thee not clearly, yet it suffices me to know that Thou art there, that I may reverence, adore, and glorify Thee as if I did see Thee. I rejoice to have Thee present, and I give Thee thanks that Thou deignest to be with me. Quicken my faith, O Lord, that I may love ever to be with Thee! Amen.
POINT II.
Secondly are to be exercised the acts of hope, resting upon the same four pillars that faith does; namely, upon the infinite wisdom, goodness, and omnipotence of Almighty God, and upon His fidelity to fulfil all that He promises, seeing He has knowledge, power, and will to perform it. Upon this foundation hope must exercise its acts, aiding itself with prayer to ask and obtain what it hopes and desires.
1. And what here is to be hoped and desired is the performance of the promises that Christ our Saviour made to those that worthily receive Him in this sacrament, as may be gathered out of the sixth chapter of St. John, saying thus to Him, " I hope," O my Saviour, that if I " eat of" this " bread of life," I shall never "die," I " shall live for ever," I shall abide "in" Thee, and Thou "in" me, united Thou with me, and I with Thee. I hope that "as" Thou dost "live by the Father, so I" shall "live by" Thee; and by Thy means I shall obtain " everlasting life," and Thou wilt " raise" me " up in the last day." [84]
Colloquy. — O " Bread of life," I come to receive Thee, with great confidence that Thou wilt quicken my spirit, comfort my heart, cheer my soul, fortify my powers, make chaste my flesh, and change me into another man, for I shall not change Thee into me [85] unless Thou changest me into Thee. O most sweet Saviour, augment in me confidence, that I may be worthy to obtain Thy sovereign promise!
2. But hope must pass yet farther, hoping in the goodness and omnipotence of this our Lord, who is not tied to the sacrament, but may grant me all these benefits only for a lively desire in me to receive Him; and therefore, beholding this divine sacrament, I may exercise these acts of faith and confidence — sometimes, with the centurion, saying unto Him, " Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof, but only say the word, and my" soul " shall be" saved. [86] And sometimes I will say to Him, If to behold "the brazen serpent" [87] sufficed to heal those that were wounded, it may likewise suffice me to behold Thee with a lively faith, and Thee to look upon me with Thy mercy, that Thou mayest deliver me from all misery. At other times, as the woman that had the issue of blood, I will say within myself, " If I" [88] touch but the " garment" that covereth my Lord, without doubt " I shall be healed." And if the shadow of His apostle healed the sick, [89] how much more shall the shadow of this divine sacrament heal my soul? With this confidence ought I to enter into the Church, to assist at mass, and to behold the sacred Host and chalice when they are elevated For, as St. Bernard says, great faith attains to great things; and the more the affection of confidence dilates itself, the more we shall obtain of God's mercy. [90]
POINT III.
Finally, charity is to exercise her acts by which we are spiritually united and joined with Christ our Lord with the union of love, which is intended in the communion of this blessed sacrament. The principal acts are, to rejoice in the goodness, charity, omnipotence, and liberality of Christ, which is resplendent in this banquet; to rejoice to see myself so beloved of Him, that He gives Himself to me for meat; to desire always to be united with Him by actual knowledge and love, and to be like Him in all His virtues; to desire that all may know, love, and reverence Him in this most blessed and sovereign sacrament, and may enjoy the benefits that are inclosed in it; and to offer myself with great earnestness, to have in all things the same willing and aversion that He has, placing my whole liking in complying with His.
Colloquy. — O most sweet Saviour, wheresoever Thou art Thou art exceedingly amiable; but in this sacrament Thou art most worthy to be beloved with all the whole forces of love. Oh that I loved Thee with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, and with all my strength. May I love Thee for the bounty that Thou discoverest herein; for the love that herein Thou showest to me; for the benefits which herein Thou dost me; for the evils from which Thou deliverest me; for the good things which Thou promisest me; and for the much that Thou desirest that I should love Thee. Fulfil, O Lord, this desire which Thou hast, and which I have, granting me to love Thee as Thou desirest to be loved, uniting me to Thee with the union of perfect charity, that it may remain unto life everlasting! Amen.
(Divers other meditations, with several forms of preparing ourselves to communicate, shall be set down in the parts that follow, following the order of the evangelical history, and will easily be found by the table.)
MEDITATION XXXV.
ON THANKSGIVING AFTER COMMUNION.
After we have communicated, it is of the greatest importance to know how to enjoy the sweet presence of the Guest that we have received; for there is no better time to treat with Him than when we have Him within us. For here likewise it is truth that He said, that while He is in the little " world" of every man, He is " the light of the world," [91] and therefore it behoves us to walk whilst this light lasts, before it be hidden, and " darkness" overtake us. And as this divine sacrament is so sovereign a benefit, and so high a gift of His divine liberality, so we are to be grateful to Him for it, with the greatest gratitude that we possibly can; applying herein the counsel of the Wise man, "Defraud not thyself of the good day;" [92] "et particula boni doni non te praetereat," "and let not the part of a good gift overpass thee," but make use of the good lot that has befallen thee. For as we much esteem the least part whatsoever of this sacrament, for that whole Christ is in it, so we should esteem every little part of the day and time that we have Him within us; seeing in each part of it He is able to do us great favours if, with a devout and thankful mind, we dispose ourselves to receive them, especially as this sacrament (as St. Dionysius [93] says) is the consummation, fulfilling, and perfection of all the other, and the most effectual means that Almighty God has given us for our perfection. And seeing we have Him present to communicate it unto us, there is reason to enlarge the vessel of the heart to receive it. To this end we are here to exercise with greatest fervour the three acts of thanksgiving that were set down in the 34th meditation, spending the time not so much in new considerations, seeing those that are set down are sufficient, as in new affections, and canticles of praise and thanksgiving in this form ensuing.
POINT I.
1. First, I am greatly to quicken my faith of the presence of this our Lord that is within me, beholding the invisible as if I did visibly behold Him, and briefly pondering that He is the same Lord of whom I conceived so great excellences when I prepared myself to communicate. And seeing where the king is there is the court, I may imagine (as St. Gregory [94] says) that He is environed with thousands of the courtiers of heaven, in whose company, prostrate in spirit before His feet, and wondering that so great a God is harboured in so humble a place, I will break out first into affections of humility, of reverence, and of my own confusion, sometimes saying with St. Peter, " Depart from me," and go forth from this wretched little ship, " for I am a sinful man, O Lord." [95] And sometimes with St. Elizabeth I will say to Him, " Whence is this to me that " my God and " my Lord should come to me?" [96]
Colloquy. — O eternal God, "what is man that Thou art mindful of him?" or the son of man that Thou visitest him? " Thou madest him a little less than the angels" by being clothed with vile flesh; and comest Thou from heaven accompanied with angels to harbour Thyself within him? "0 Lord, our Lord, how admirable is Thy name in the whole earth," [97] seeing Thou hast made it Thy habitation as well as heaven!
2. Then will I break out into affections of praise and thanksgiving, using some canticles of the Church. Sometimes I will say as the seraphim, " Holy, holy, holy the Lord God of hosts," [98] that has humbled Himself to dwell in this smoky, cloudy temple of my soul. Sometimes I will cry out with the Hebrew children that accompanied Christ on Palm-Sunday, saying, O king of Israel and Saviour of the world, " blessed be He" that has come from on high to visit me, I not knowing how to deserve it. [99] At other times, with the three children that were in the furnace in Babylon, I will invite all creatures to " bless the Lord" [100] for this favour that He has done me.
3. Or in imitation of this canticle I will make another, inviting to the same end the nine choirs of angels, and the choirs of the patriarchs and prophets, of the apostles and evangelists, of the martyrs and doctors, bishops and confessors, priests and Levites, virgins and widows, and all the saints in heaven in this form.
Colloquy. — May Thy angels, archangels, and principalities bless Thee, O Lord! may they praise and glorify Thee for ever! May Thy powers, virtues, and dominations bless, praise, and glorify Thee, world without end! May the thrones, cherubim, and seraphim bless Thee, praise Thee, &c. Bless our Lord, O ye patriarchs and prophets, praise Him and glorify Him for ever! " Bless our Lord," O ye apostles and evangelists, praise Him, &c.
And in this manner I may go through all the saints.
4. I may likewise with David invite all faculties and senses, and all the thoughts and affections of my heart, saying, " Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name," [101] that all together may assemble to adore and glorify this our Lord for the part that they all have in this sovereign benefit.
Colloquy. — May mine eyes bless Thee, O Lord, for they have seen Thee in this sacrament; and my lips, for they have touched Thee; and my tongue and palate, for they have tasted Thee; and my breast, for that it is Thy habitation; and let all my bones say, "Lord, who is like to Thee?" [102] Let my memory bud forth Thy praises, my understanding magnify Thee, my will love Thee, my appetites desire Thee; and let them all be dissolved in Thy presence, singing the glory of Thy coming. Amen.
POINT II.
1. Then I am to recall to my memory the office of Christ our Lord, and the ends that He had in coming to visit me, being glad and joyful to have within me my Redeemer, my physician, my master, and all my good; and with a great affection I will spiritually embrace Him with the arms of humility and charity, speaking that of the Canticles, "I have found Him whom my soul loveth; I hold Him, and will not let Him go." [103] I will for no cause part from His sweet company; and for no labour nor tribulation [104] will I leave His friendship. I will always have Him with me till He carry me to the house of my mother, which is the celestial Jerusalem, where I may enjoy Him with perfect security.
2. Then, like David, [105] in the presence of this our Lord I will pour forth my prayer, and set before Him all my necessities and miseries, recounting them as if He knew them not, because He delights to hear them, beseeching Him to do His offices in remedying them, seeing this was the end of His coming; and that the coming of so great a prince should not be in vain. And therefore I may say to Him,
Colloquy. — I, O Lord, am sick of grievous infirmities and passions; pride, wrath, sensuality and covetousness have prostrated me. Thou art the omnipotent physician, and hast come to my soul to cure me; cure me according to Thy power, and leave me whole. Say in this entrance as Thou saidst entering into the house of Zaccheus, " Hodie salus huic domui facta est," " This day is salvation come to this house." [106] And because Thy saying is doing, it shall be as Thou saidst. I am likewise full of ignorances and errors in the darkness and obscurity of death. Thou art my master, my light, and my guide; teach me, illuminate me, and guide me, for this was the end of Thy coming!
In these and other like petitions I will spend another while, wrestling like Jacob [107] with this angel of the great counsel, with the wrestling of prayers, beseeching Him not to depart without pouring out upon me His most abundant benediction.
POINT III.
1. Finally, I am to make some offers to this our Lord in thankfulness for the favour He has done me, inviting Him, seeing He invites me; for upon this He says in the Apocalypse, " If any man shall hear my voice, and open to me the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with me [108] for the soul to whom our Lord enters sups of the celestial gifts that this our Lord communicates to her, and He sups of the "fervent affections and purposes that she offers to Him. And so in communicating I am to invite Christ our Lord, considering what is acceptable to Him, and offering to Him what is best to His liking.
i. And specially I will offer Him my heart, [109] for that is the principal thing He requires of me; and seeing He gives me Sis heart, what is it for me to give Him mine, with a determination to admit nothing that may be contrary to His love, nor any thought that may separate me from Him? [110]
ii. I will likewise exhibit to Him my body as a sacrifice, holy and pleasing to His eyes, with a desire to carry ever with me His " mortification," and the signs of His passion; resolving particularly to mortify and make a cruel war against that passion that most hinders me from serving Him as I ought. And besides this, it shall be well that day to invite Christ Jesus in the poor, bestowing on them some alms according to my ability.
iii. And if I be a religious man, I may anew offer to Him perpetual obedience to His most holy will, most pure chastity, and poverty of spirit, according to my estate. And I will always offer something that I may accomplish the same day, endeavouring to spend it all in these exercises of thanksgiving and imitation, saying as the spouse, " A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, he shall abide between my breasts; n [111] and as the apostle, "I live, now not I," for I have within me " Christ Himself, who liveth in me," [112] in whose "strength" I will walk like another Elias,"unto the mount of God, Horeb," [113] ascending from virtue to virtue, until I clearly and manifestly behold Him whom in this blessed sacrament I receive.
2. I will conclude with a colloquy to this our Lord, beseeching Him that although the sacramental species being consumed He departs, as regards His corporeal presence, yet that He would always remain with me, according to His spiritual presence, awakening my memory that I may always be mindful of Him, illustrating my understanding that I may always think and meditate upon Him, and inflaming my will that it may always be united with Him, world without end, Amen.
MEDITATION XXXVI.
ON PURGATORY, TO ENCOURAGE US TO THE WORKS OF PENANCE.
The principal end of this meditation is, to encourage those who walk in the purgative way to the exercise of penal works, to pay the pains that they owe for their sins; and likewise it may be exercised on All Souls' Day in remembrance of the dead, to move us to have compassion on them, and to assist them.
POINT I.
First I am to consider that God our Lord has ordained that whosoever shall die, having committed mortal or venial sin, although the fault be pardoned him, yet if he have not paid the pain correspondent to it he shall not enter into heaven until he pay it in a prison under the earth, deputed to this end,' which is called purgatory, to which the soul of the just is carried by his angel, that he may there satisfy his whole debt to " the last farthing." [114]
1. Upon this truth of our faith, I will ponder first how just God our Lord is, and how great is the righteousness of His justice, though it be mixed with mercy. For He will leave no sin without some chastisement; and therefore in the sacrament of penance, when he pardons mortal sin He changes the eternal into some temporal punishment, demonstrating in that His infinite mercy, and His justice; His mercy in pardoning the most terrible pain that was perpetually to continue, and His justice in requiring satisfaction with another lighter pain that continues but a while. With this consideration I will animate myself to conform myself to His justice, seeing His mercy so abundant towards me, to change millions of years in a most terrible fire into a very few of voluntary penance; so that all I am able to suffer in this life is to seem little or nothing to me in comparison of what I have deserved, and Almighty God has pardoned me.
2. Secondly, I will ponder how this temporal pain, if it be not paid in this life with some very deep contrition, or with some penal works, it must of necessity be paid in the other, as well for observing the order of the divine justice, as also because Almighty God is so great a lover of purity that He will admit nothing into heaven but what is very well purged, not only from sin, but from the pains which are its consequences, for the " glorious church," says Saint Paul, "must neither have spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing," [115] and therefore I must labour for such purity in this life that I may have nothing to purge in the other.
Colloquy. — O Lamb of God, in whose blood the just wash and make " white " their souls to be admitted into Thy kingdom, grant me by the virtue of Thy most precious blood, so great compunction for my sins that I may likewise be free from the pains, that my soul being loosed out of the prison of this body [116] be not detained in the prison of purgatory! Amen.
3. Hence I will proceed to ponder how great an evil venial sin is, seeing that with it it is impossible to enter into heaven until it be first purified, for there, as St. John says, nothing that is polluted may enter. And I shall also perceive how much Almighty God abhors it when He there detains captives His own friends though they be very holy, until they be purified, and humbles them so much that He gives them for their prison, under the earth, an obscure place, and near to hell, discovering hereby how heavy the burden is of any sin whatsoever or pain that results from it, seeing it casts us into so profound an abyss. From all these considerations I will gather a great detestation of venial sins for the good that they deprive me of, for the prison with which they menace me, for the burden with which they burden me, and, above all, because Almighty God so abhors it, as we shall forthwith ponder more at large.
POINT II.
Secondly, I am to consider what a great feeling those souls have, and mine shall have, of the obscurity and darkness of that prison, which is to want the sight of Almighty God, and what a terrible pain this is, which is like to that which they call the pain of loss, pondering the causes of this feeling and pain.
1. The first is, because there they have a very lively faith of what Almighty God is, and how good, how beautiful and potent He is; how He is our last end and eternal blessedness, many of those clouds and doubts which we have here being taken away. And this liveliness of faith shall kindle their desire to see their last end, and consequently shall increase the pain of their delay of the beholding it; for, as the Wise man says, " Hope that is deferred afflicteth the soul." [117]
2. The second cause is, because the love of Almighty God is there in its perfection, and exceedingly desires to see its beloved, to be united with Him, and has nothing to divert it, nor entertain it in this life, with meriting new glory, augmenting its perfection and doing good to its neighbours; all which ceases in purgatory. And if with all this some holy men have here so great a longing to behold Almighty God, that they are much afflicted with the delay of the accomplishment of their desire, and mourning say with David, " Woe to me, that my sojourning is prolonged," [118] my soul hath been long a sojourner on the earth; with how much more feeling shall the souls detained in purgatory say this, who love, are in pain, and yet profit not by that pain?
3. The third cause of this pain is, the suspension in which those souls are, not knowing how long time this prison, and this delay of beholding Almighty God shall endure; for although they are conformable to the will of God, yet for all this they are in great pain, considering that originally it springs from their own sin, and from their own negligence and carelessness, as well in satisfying for their sins as in desiring to see Almighty God. For, as it was revealed to St. Bridget, [119] there is for this culpable lukewarmness a kind of punishment in the other life, which they call the purgatory of desire, with which they are chastised that were but lukewarm in their desire to see Almighty God.
4. This pain likewise is augmented by wanting the sight of our Saviour Christ, of the most blessed Virgin, of the sweet society of the angels and saints in heaven, and the sight of all other things which they believe and hope to behold; for of them all they have a very lively faith, confirmed by the experience of their immortality, and of the purgatory itself which they suffer. The greatness of this pain I may figure by that which a discreet, wise, and noble man has, when he is imprisoned in a very obscure prison, without seeing the light of heaven but by some chink or loop-hole, without having any communication with his kindred, friends, or acquaintance, and without knowing what passes in the world, or how long his imprisonment shall continue. And although it is to be believed that the angel guardian comes now and then to comfort the soul of him of whom he had care, yet we may imagine that it answers him, as blind Tobias answered to St. Raphael, " What manner of joy shall be to me, who sit in darkness and see not the light of heaven," [120] or my sweet Creator and Redeemer?
Colloquy. — O my soul, seeing thou believest this pain that attends thee in purgatory if thou payest not here what thou owest for thy sins, defer not the payment, that Almighty God may not defer thy beholding Him clearly. Desire with great fervency to go to behold Him, removing from thee all that may defer the accomplishment of this desire; that with the end of thy life there may be an end of thy pain, and that thou mayest presently enter into rest and glory. Amen.
POINT III.
Thirdly, I am to consider the pain which they call of sense, which my soul shall suffer in purgatory, tormented by its terrible fire.
1. This is to be estimated, first, because this fire is the same with that of hell, in comparison of which that of this life is as it were but painted; as also because it wonderfully torments, as being the instrument of Almighty God, and of a wrathful God, whose hand is exceeding heavy when He revenges His injury. For as the fire melts the silver, to purify it from dross, so this fire, as the Prophet [121] says, shall melt, that is, shall terribly afflict those souls, to purify them from the dross they brought from the world. So that whilst there is anything to purify, the pain shall continue; for there is no sleep, nor distraction, nor anything else to temper the fury thereof, as there is in this life. And upon this holy men conclude [122] that the torments of purgatory exceed in that which is pain and torment the torments that sinners endure in this life, and those which martyrs have sustained; and even those that the king of martyrs Himself, Christ Jesus our Lord did suffer, to whom I am humbly to say,
Colloquy. — O most sweet Eedeemer, chastise me not in Thy fury within the fire of hell, and purify me so in this life that I may have no need of the fire of purgatory! Amen.
2. From this consideration I should collect three affections and intentions of very great importance.
i. The first is, a great fear of Almighty God, and of the rigour of His justice. For if I consider it well, what need I be so much amazed that the majesty of God stands beholding the souls burn in hell without having compassion of them, seeing they are His enemies, and persist in abhorring Him; as that He should see those of purgatory burn, enduring most terrible pains, and sometimes for very light sins? — and yet loving them much, and being beloved by them, He lets them burn and be in pain until they pay all that they owe Him.
Colloquy. — Who shall not fear thee, O King of the nations? If Thou thus burn the fruitful tree for a few thorns that were mingled with the good fruit, how wilt Thou burn and torment the withered, barren tree that hath brought forth nothing but the thorns of grievous sins?
ii. The second intention is, to satisfy in this life for my sins, and to embrace willingly all penances and afflictions whatsoever, seeing they are as nothing in comparison of these other. For that which is suffered in this life is but little, and for a little time, and is very profitable in order to increase in virtue, and merit an augmentation of grace and glory; but in purgatory much is suffered, and unprofitably for the ends before mentioned. And therefore I must beseech our Lord, that if I shall be careless of this payment, it will please Him to purify me with the fire of afflictions, that I may pay here with gain that which I shall afterwards pay without gain.
Colloquy. — O my Saviour, that didst promise to purify the sins of Thy Church, as gold and silver are purified in the fire, [123] purify me as Thou wilt in this life, that in departing out of it I may go to enjoy Thee. Amen.
iii. The third intention is to avoid as much as possible venial sins, seeing, as the apostle says, they are no other thing but "wood, hay," and "stubble," [124] to make fuel for the fire that shall burn me in purgatory. This is a great rashness, if I have the eyes of faith to behold it; for if I should see a man cut wood from a mountain and carry it to his house, and asking him wherefore he carried that wood, he should answer me that it was to kindle a fire in which to burn himself, should I not hold him for a madman? Then am not I much more mad, doing things with so great pleasure that shall burn me in purgatory? [125]
Colloquy. — O my soul, seeing thou art founded upon so precious a foundation as is Christ our Lord, build upon it works of great value, " gold" of charity, " silver" of innocence, and " precious stones" of solid virtues, which may remain with thee unto life everlasting. Beware thou minglest not with them works that shall perish, the " wood" of avarice, the " hay" of sensuality, and the " stubble" of vanity, loving with some disorder the goods of this life; for this shall be fuel for the fire that shall burn thee in the life to come. O good Jesus, deliver me from such madness, preserving me from these sins by Thy grace! Amen.
POINT IV.
Fourthly, I am to consider two remarkable things that are in the souls of purgatory.
1. The first is, the great resignation that they have to the will of Almighty God, as regards the greatness and continuance of their pains; and the great patience with which they suffer and accept their torments, being pleased that God is just and chastises them according to their merits, and that He purifies them in that fiery furnace, that being refined they may enter into heaven. Hence I will learn to have patience in my afflictions, if I desire they should be my purgatory, and not my hell; seeing the lesser they are the more profitable they are to pay my debts withal, and are contrived by God's justice to that end. And seeing whatsoever is in Almighty God is to be loved (for " He is all lovely" 13), if I love Him indeed I am to rejoice that He is a doer of justice, and that He has a place appointed to chastise my sin, being, as it is, so worthy of chastisement.
2. The second is, the great desire that these souls have to be aided by the faithful that live upon the earth with sacrifices, prayers, alms, fastings, and other satisfactory works; as also with indulgences and other suffrages, to get out quickly from those pains, and to go to enjoy Almighty God, which ought to move me to favour them as much as I can, though I take it from myself to give to them. For if I should see my friend burn in a great fire, and could get him out without burning myself or any other hurt, it were a great cruelty not to get him out. Then, if by faith I see these souls burn in such a terrible fire, and may deliver them with masses, indulgences, and other good works, it will be a great charity to be careful to do so. And if what I would for myself I am to will for my neighbour, it is just to do what I may to deliver him that suffers pain in purgatory as I would that others should do for me when I am there. Especially, because with this care I make myself worthy that Almighty God should then inspire others to aid me, [126] "for the merciful shall obtain mercy" [127] in that kind wherein they themselves used it. And these very souls, when they come to behold Almighty God, are very grateful to those that favoured them in their afflictions, and will solicit the favour of God for us in ours. And although I take from myself the satisfaction of the work that I apply to the dead, yet in giving it for alms I augment the merit; for charity increases by taking from myself that I had need of to succour the needy. For all these reasons the Holy Scripture says that ' 1 it is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins," [128] for from this care follow those benefits that have been declared to those that pray for them.
With this meditation is concluded all that appertains to the purgative way and to purity of soul, which is its proper end; whose defects, if any were in this life, are remedied in the purgatory of the other, to enter with entire purity into glory, which is the final and last thing of the just; of which shall he made a meditation in the end of the sixth part, because it is the last of God's benefits, and the farthest end of the unitive way, in which the just shall rest united to their God, world without end. Amen.
END OF VOL. I,
RICHARDSON AND SON, LONDON, DUBLIN, AND DERBY.
- ↑ S. Th. 3, p. q. lxxxiv. aw. 6 et 7.
- ↑ Isa. xliii. 25.
- ↑ Joan. xx. 23.
- ↑ Matt, xviii. 22.
- ↑ 1 Cor. xi.31; S. Cypr. serm. de passione.
- ↑ Nahum i. 9.
- ↑ Zach. xiii. 1.
- ↑ Isa. xii. 3.
- ↑ Matt, xviii. 18.
- ↑ Job xxxi. 33.
- ↑ Lib. xxi. mor. c. 12.
- ↑ Ecclus. xiv. 16.
- ↑ 4 Reg. iv. 35.
- ↑ Rom. xiv. 17.
- ↑ Matt. iii. 2.
- ↑ S. Aug. in illud Ps. xcix.; "Confessio et pulchritudo in conspectu ejus."
- ↑ Apoc. xxii. 11.
- ↑ Ecclus. xviii. 22.
- ↑ Mich. vii. 19.
- ↑ Prov. xvi. 7.
- ↑ Cas. col. ii. c. 10 et 11; S. Bona, in speculo discipline, p. 2, c. 3.
- ↑ P2. 1. 10.
- ↑ 4 Reg. v. 13.
- ↑ Job xxxi. 33.
- ↑ Ecclus. iv. 24.
- ↑ Lib. xxv. mor. c 26.
- ↑ Job xxiii. 4, ct xxxr. 14; Isa. xliii. 26.
- ↑ S.Th. 8, p. q. xc. art. 2.
- ↑ Ecclus. xxxiii. 23.
- ↑ Jer. vi. 26.
- ↑ Ps. xxi. 21.
- ↑ Zach. xii. 10.
- ↑ Heb. vi. 6.
- ↑ S. Bern. serm. xvi. in cant.
- ↑ Jer. ix. 1.
- ↑ Tract, in illad 1 Joan. iv. 18. "Charitas perfecta foras mittit timorem."
- ↑ Josue vii. 13 2 Reg. xii. 13.
- ↑ De puritate conscientiae, c. 1.
- ↑ S. Th. q. ix., addit. art. tit. 4>.
- ↑ Ps.xxxiv.5; xxi. 11.
- ↑ S. Bern, de grad. hurail. simulate confes.; S. Bonavent. ubi supra, c. 8.
- ↑ 2 Reg.xii. 13.
- ↑ Ecclus. xxxii. 9.
- ↑ S. Bonavent. in specu. par. ii. c. 3; et de informati. novit. c. 12.
- ↑ Ecclus. xx. 4.
- ↑ Ezech. xviii. 23.
- ↑ Ps. xxxvii. 18.
- ↑ Matt. iii. 8.
- ↑ Jer.xzzi.21 joxtaSeptuag.
- ↑ S. Jer."Ibi cogitatione operibua junge.'
- ↑ Osee xiv. 3.
- ↑ Ps. xlix. 13.
- ↑ Ps. xlix. 23.
- ↑ Luc. xvii. 15,16.
- ↑ Ps. 1. 10.
- ↑ S. Th. 2, 2, q. cvii. art. 2.
- ↑ S. Th. 1, 2, q. cvi. art. 2.
- ↑ Ps. cii.
- ↑ Isa. xl. 31.
- ↑ Joan. v. 14.
- ↑ Prov. xxvi. 11; 2 Pet. ii. 22.
- ↑ Luc. xi. 26.
- ↑ Ecclus. xxxiv. 30.
- ↑ Prov. xxiv. 16.
- ↑ Matt, xviii. 26.
- ↑ Ps. cxv. 12.
- ↑ Joan. i. 14.
- ↑ Heb. i. 3.
- ↑ Heb. iv. 16.
- ↑ Joan. xx. 27.
- ↑ Num. xxi. 9; Joan. iii. 14.
- ↑ Luc. viii. 44.
- ↑ Jer. xxxi. 22.
- ↑ Ps. cxliii. 5.
- ↑ Cant. i. 1.
- ↑ 3 Reg. xvi. 21.
- ↑ 4 Reg. iv. 34.
- ↑ Isa. lxiv. 17.
- ↑ Isa. xlv. 8.
- ↑ 2 Cor. vii. 1.
- ↑ 1 Cor. xi. 28;
- ↑ S. Th. 3, p. q. lxxx. art. 1 ad 3.
- ↑ Joan. vi. 35.
- ↑ Joan. vi. 35, 50, &c.
- ↑ S. Aug. vii. confes. c. 10.
- ↑ Matt. viii. 8.
- ↑ Num. xxi. 8.
- ↑ Luc. viii. 44.
- ↑ Act. v. 16.
- ↑ S. Bern. serm. xxxriii. in cant.
- ↑ Joan. viii. 12; xii. 46.
- ↑ Ecclus. xiv. 14.
- ↑ De eccl. hierar. c. iii.; S. Th. 4. q. lxv. art. 3.
- ↑ lib. iv. dialog, c. 58.
- ↑ Luc. v. 8.
- ↑ Luc. i. 48.
- ↑ Ps. viii. 5.
- ↑ Isa. vi. 3.
- ↑ Matt xxi. 15.
- ↑ Dan. iii. 52.
- ↑ Ps.cii. 1.
- ↑ Ps.xxxiv. 10.
- ↑ Cant. iii. 4.
- ↑ Gal. iv. 26.
- ↑ Ps. cxiv.
- ↑ Luc. xix. 9.
- ↑ Gen. xxxii. 24.
- ↑ Apoc. iii. 20.
- ↑ Prov. xxiii. 26.
- ↑ Rom. xii. 1.
- ↑ Cant. i. 12.
- ↑ Gal. ii. 20.
- ↑ 3 Reg. m.8.
- ↑ 2 Mach. xii. 40 j Zach. ix. 11; 1 Cor. iii. 12; S. Th. in addit. q. lxix. et lxx.; Matt. v. 26.
- ↑ Ephes. v. 26.
- ↑ Apoc. vii. 14.
- ↑ Prov. xiii. 12.
- ↑ Ps. cxix. 5.
- ↑ Refert Blosius in raonili spiritual, c, xiii.
- ↑ Tob.v. 12.
- ↑ Mal. iii. 3.
- ↑ S. Aug. in Ps. xxxvii., et S. Greg, in Ps. iii. peniten., S. Th. 3. p. q. xlvi. art. 6 ad 3.
- ↑ Mai. iii. 3.
- ↑ 1 Cor. iii. 12.
- ↑ S. Th. ibid.
- ↑ S. Greg. lib. iv. mor. c. 17.
- ↑ Matt. v. 7.
- ↑ 2 Mac. xii. 46.