MEDITATION V
The
Abasement of Jesus
Formam servi
accipiens.
Taking
the form of a servant. 1 Phil. 2: 7
The eternal Word descends on earth to save man; and whence does he
descend? His
going out is from the end of heaven. He
descends from the bosom of his divine Father, where from eternity he was
begotten in the brightness of the saints. And where does he descend? He
descends into the womb of a Virgin, a child of Adam, which in comparison with
the bosom of God is an object of horror; wherefore the Church sings, Thou didst
not abhor the Virgin s womb. Yes, because the Word being in the bosom of the
Father is God like the Father, is immense, omnipotent, most blessed and supreme
Lord, and equal in everything to the Father. But in the womb of Mary he is a
creature, small, weak, afflicted, a servant inferior to the Father, taking the form
of a servant.
It is related as a great
prodigy of humility in St Alexis that, although he was the son of a Roman
gentleman, he chose to live as a servant in his father's
house. But how is the humility of this saint to be compared with the humility
of Jesus Christ? Between the son and the servant of the father of St. Alexis
there was, it is true, some difference; but between God and the servant of God
there is an infinite difference. Besides, this Son of God having become the
servant of his Father, in obedience to him, made himself also the servant of
his creatures, that is to say, of Mary and Joseph: And he was subject to them.
Moreover, he made himself even a servant of Pilate, who condemned him to death,
and he was obedient to him and accepted it; he became a servant to the
executioners, who scourged him, crowned him with thorns, and crucified him; and
he humbly obeyed them all, and yielded himself into their hands. O God! and
shall we, after this, refuse to submit ourselves to the service of so loving a
Saviour, who, to save us, has subjected himself to such painful and degrading
slavery? And rather than be the servants of this great and so loving a Lord,
shall we be content to be slaves of the devil, who does not love his servants,
but hates them and treats them like a tyrant, making them miserable and
wretched in this world and in the next? But if we have been guilty of this
great folly, why do we not quickly give up this unhappy servitude? Courage,
then, since we have been delivered by Jesus Christ from the slavery of hell;
let us now embrace and bind around us with love those sweet chains, which will
render us servants and lovers of Jesus Christ, and hereafter obtain for us the
crown of the eternal kingdom amongst the blessed in Paradise.
Affections and Prayers
My beloved Jesus, Thou art the Sovereign of heaven and earth; but for
the love of me Thou hast made Thyself a servant even of the executioners who
tore Thy flesh, pierced Thy head, and finally left Thee nailed on the cross to
die of sorrow. I adore Thee as my God and Lord, and I am ashamed to appear
before Thee, when I remember how often, for the sake of some miserable
pleasure, I have broken Thy holy bonds, and have told Thee to Thy face that I
would not serve Thee. Ah, Thou mayst justly reproach me: Thou hast burst my bands, and thou saidst:
I will not serve. But still, O my Saviour, Thy merits and Thy
goodness, which cannot despise a heart that repents and humbles itself, give me
courage to hope for pardon: A contrite and humble heart, O God, Thou wilt not
despise. I confess, my Jesus, that I have offended Thee greatly; I
confess that I deserve a thousand hells for the sins I have committed against
Thee; chasten me as Thou seest fit, but do not deprive me of Thy grace and
love. I repent above every other evil of having despised Thee. I love Thee with
my whole heart. I propose from this day forth to desire to serve Thee and love
Thee alone. I pray Thee bind me by Thy merits with the chains of Thy holy love,
and never suffer that I see myself released from them again. I love Thee above
everything, O my deliverer; and I would prefer being Thy servant to being
master of the whole world. And of what avail would all the world be to him who
lives deprived of Thy grace? My sweetest Jesus, permit me not to separate
myself from Thee, permit me not to separate myself from Thee. This grace I ask
of Thee, and I intend always to ask it; and I beg of Thee to grant me this day
the grace to repeat continually to the end of my life this prayer: My Jesus,
grant that I may never again separate myself from Thy love. I ask this favor of
thee also, O Mary, my Mother: help me by thy intercession, that I may never
separate myself again from my God.
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