MEDITATIONS
FOR EVERY DAY
OF ADVENT
By
St. Alphonsus Liguori
MEDITATION VIII
SECOND SUNDAY
God Sends His
Son to die in order to restore us to Life.
But God (who is rich in mercy) for
His exceeding charity wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins,
hath quickened us together in Christ. Eph.
ii. 4, 5.
Consider that sin is the death of the soul; because this enemy of God
deprives us of divine grace, which is the life of the soul. We, therefore,
miserable sinners, were already by our sins dead and condemned to hell. God, through
the immense love which he bears to our souls, determined to restore us to life;
and how did he do so? He sent his only-begotten Son into the world to die, in
order that by his death he might restore us to life.
With reason therefore does
the Apostle call this work of love exceeding charity;
too much love; yes, indeed, for man could never have hoped to receive life in
such a loving manner if God had not found this means of redeeming him: Having obtained
eternal redemption. All men were therefore dead there was no remedy
for them. But the Son of God, through the bowels of his mercy, hath come down
from heaven, the Orient from on high, and has given us life. Justly, therefore,
does the Apostle call Jesus Christ our life: When Christ shall appear, who is your life.
Behold our Redeemer, clothed with flesh and become an infant, says
to us: I am come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly. For
this end be accepted death, that he might give us life. It is but reasonable,
therefore, that we should live only to God, who has condescended to die for us:
Christ died, that they who live may not live to themselves, but unto Him who
died for them? It is reasonable that Jesus Christ should be the only sovereign of our heart since he has spent his blood and his life to
gain it to himself: To this end Christ died and rose again, that He might be
Lord both of the dead and of the living? O my God! who would be so ungrateful a
wretch as to believe as an article of faith that God died to secure his love,
and yet refuse to love him, and, renouncing his friendship, choose voluntarily
to make himself a slave of hell?
Affections and
Prayers
My Jesus! if Thou hadst not accepted and suffered death for me, I
should have remained dead in my sins, without hope of salvation and without the
power of ever loving Thee. But after Thou hast obtained life for me by Thy
death, I have again many times voluntarily forfeited it by returning to sin.
Thou didst die to gain my heart to Thyself, and I by my rebellion have made it
a slave of the devil. I lost all reverence for Thee, and I said that I would no
longer have Thee for my master. All this is true; but it is also true that Thou
desirest not the death of the sinner, but that he should be converted and live;
and therefore didst Thou die to give us life. I repent of having offended Thee,
my dearest Redeemer; and do Thou pardon me through the merits of Thy Passion;
give me Thy grace; give me that life which Thou hast purchased for me by Thy
death, and henceforth mayest Thou have entire dominion over my heart. Never let
the devil have possession of it again; he is not my God, he does not love me,
and has not suffered anything for me. In past times he was not the true sovereign,
but the robber of my soul; Thou alone, my Jesus, art my true Lord, who hast
created and redeemed me with Thy blood; Thou alone hast loved me, and oh, how
much! It is therefore only just that I should be Thine alone during the life
that remains to me. Tell me what Thou wouldst have me to do; for I will do it
all. Chastise me as Thou wilt; I accept everything Thou sendest me; only spare
me the chastisement of living without Thy love; make me love Thee, and then
dispose of me as Thou wilt. Most holy Mary, my refuge and consolation,
recommend me to thy Son: his death and thy intercession are all my hope.
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