“And
the Word was made flesh.”
St.
John 1: 14
Our Lord sent St. Augustine to write upon the
heart of St. Mary Magdalene of Pazzi the words, “Verbum caro factum est.” Oh,
let us also pray the Lord to enlighten our minds, and to make us understand
what an excess and what a miracle of love this is, that the eternal Word, the
Son of God, should have become man for the love of us. The holy Church is
struck with awe at the contemplation of this great mystery: “I considered Thy
works, and was afraid.” (Resp. iii.; Nocturn. ii.; in fest. Circumc.) If God
had created a thousand other worlds, a thousand times greater and more
beautiful than the present, it is certain that this work would be infinitely
less grand than the incarnation of the Word: “He hath showed might in His arm.”
To execute the great work of the Incarnation, it required all the omnipotence
and infinite wisdom of God, in order to unite human nature to a Divine person,
and that a Divine person should so humble Himself as to take upon Him human
nature; thus God became man, and man became God; and hence, the divinity of the
Word being united to the soul and body of Jesus Christ, all the actions of this
Man-God became divine; His prayers were divine, His sufferings divine, His infant
cries divine, His tears divine, His steps divine, His members divine, His very
blood divine, which became as it were a fountain of health to wash out all our
sins, and a sacrifice of infinite value to appease the justice of the Father,
who was justly offended with men. And who then are these men? miserable, ungrateful,
and rebellious creatures. And yet for these God becomes man; subjects Himself
to human miseries; suffers and dies to save these unworthy sinners: “He humbled
Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross” (Phil.
ii. 8). Oh, holy faith! If faith did not assure us of it, who would believe
that a God of infinite majesty should abase Himself so far as to become a worm
like us, in order to save us at the cost of so much suffering and disgrace, and
of such a cruel and shameful death? ‘Oh, grace! oh, power of love! cries St.
Bernard. Oh, grace, which men could not even have imagined, if God Himself had
not thought of granting it to us! Oh, divine love, which can never be fathomed!
Oh, mercy! Oh, infinite charity, worthy only of an infinite bounty!
AFFECTIONS AND
PRAYERS
O soul, O body, O blood of my Jesus, I adore
you and thank you; you are my hope; you are the price paid to save me from
hell, which I have so often merited. Oh, my God, what a miserable and hopeless
life would await me in eternity, if Thou, my Redeemer, hadst not thought of
saving me by Thy sufferings and death! But how is it that souls, redeemed by
Thee with so much love, knowing all this, can live without loving Thee, and can
despise the grace which Thou hast acquired for them with so much suffering? And
did not I also know all this? How, then, could I offend Thee, and offend Thee
so often? But I repeat it, Thy blood is my hope. I acknowledge, my Saviour, the
great injuries that I have done to Thee. Oh, that I had rather died a thousand
times! Oh, that I had always loved Thee! But I thank Thee that Thou yet givest
me time to do so. I hope in the time that remains to me in this life, and for
all eternity, to sing for ever Thy praises for the mercies Thou hast shown me.
I have deserved, on account of my sins, to be more
and more in darkness; but Thou hast given me more and more light. I deserved
that Thou shouldst abandon me; but Thou, with calls still more loving, didst
come to me and seek me. I deserved that my soul should remain more hardened;
but Thou hast softened and touched it with compunction, so that by Thy grace I
now feel great sorrow for the offenses I have committed against Thee; I feel
within me an ardent desire of loving Thee; I feel fully resolved to lose every
thing rather than Thy friendship; I feel a love towards Thee that makes me
abhor every thing that displeases Thee. And this sorrow, this desire, this
resolution, and this love, who is it that gives them to me? It is Thou, O Lord,
in Thy great mercy. Therefore, my Jesus, this is a proof that Thou hast
pardoned me; it is a proof that Thou now lovest me, and that Thou willest me at
all costs to be saved; Thou willest that I should be saved, and I will save
myself principally to give Thee pleasure. Thou lovest me, and I also love Thee;
but my love is but little. Oh, give me more love; Thou deservest more love from
me, for I have received from Thee more special favours than others; I pray
Thee, do Thou increase the flames of my love. Most holy Mary, obtain for me
that the love of Jesus may consume and destroy in me every affection that has
not God for its object. Thou dost listen to the prayers of all that call on
thee; listen to me also, obtain for me love and perseverance.
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