Consider the extreme sorrow wherein thou leavest me by thy departure, the hope and desire I have of seeing thee glorious, impassible, immortal, wholly resplendent with light and majesty. Rise again, therefore, by returning to life, O Lord! thou wilt restore it to my soul, it will revive with thee, in order to possess thee and be possessed by thee, to be absorbed and transformed into thee, O my Jesus, my love and my sovereign happiness. CONTEMPLATION.-On the eternal Father concerning these words of our Saviour: "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."I. O eternal Father! Father of mercies, and God of all consolation, acknowledge the voice of my Saviour, hearken to the last words of thy Son. He has pronounced them for me, and he pronounced them at his death that I may never lose the remembrance of them, that they might remain engraven in the bottom of my heart, that I might pronounce them at the hour of my death, and that thou mayest receive my spirit as thou didst receive his. How conformable are these words to those he pronounced in his infancy: he said then, did you not know that I must be about my Father's business?-Luke ii. 49. He was obedient unto death, had thy will continually before his eyes, and also resigned himself to it at his death. That obedience is the source of my happiness: those words are my riches, my light, my consolation, and my cure; because by seeing my Saviour thus remit his spirit into thy hands, I discover that those hands are full of grace and mercy; that it is to them I ought to have recourse in all my necessities, pains, and dangers; and, that I shall find in them everything that is necessary for me. That divine Master has told us, that where he is, there shall his servant be. Is it not for that reason he throws himself into thy hands, O eternal Father! that we may throw ourselves therein after him, seek him there, and find him there? II. If those powerful hands restrain me not, O my God! if they suffer me to wander among creatures, what shall become of me? I shall be miserable, abandoned, a vagabond, and always in danger of losing myself. But if they protect me, if they support me, I shall fear nothing, and nothing shall be wanting to me. Hear, then, O heavenly Father! the words of thy Son. Receive me by him, and with him, into thy divine hands. I know how unworthy I am thereof, but I also know very well, that he has acquired for me, by his obedience and death, what I cannot merit of myself. Thus I presume, O my Father and Lord! to commend my spirit, soul, body, senses, and powers into thy hands. I put my sins also into them, that thou mayest pardon them; my wounds, that thou mayest heal them; my blindness, that thou mayest enlighten it; my trepidity, that thou mayest inflame it. I throw myself entirely into them, such as I am, and such as thou knowest me, that is, weak, inconstant, poor, naked, deprived, . of all good, capable of all evil, and more miserable still a thousand times than I can imagine. I cast into them my thoughts, views, designs, affections, consolations, and pains-all I am, all I have, all I hope for, all I fear, and all that can befal me. Receive me into thy hands by those of thy Son. May those divine hands conduct me according to thy holy will; may they refer to thy glory all that is in me; may I acknowledge those hands in everything I see, and in everything I suffer; may I kiss them and adore them even when they strike me; may I retire therein, dwell therein, and repose therein. III. O divine hands! that created heaven and earth for me, permit me never to depart from your guidance. O beautiful cross, ennobled by the blood and death of my Saviour! more brilliant than the stars of heaven, and more precious than all earthly riches, thou art the end of his labours, the beginning of his glory, his field of battle, the trophy of his victory, and the chariot of his triumph. But thou art also my portion, inheritance, and the succession which the Lord has left me. He died in thy arms-poor, naked, deprived of all, and content with possessing thee alone. I reverence thee, O precious cross! I embrace thee and regard thee as my treasure and only relief. Thou art the support of my weakness, the terror of my enemies, and the fountain of my hopes. The heavens already acknowledge thee, the world reveres thee, hell fears thee, and the devil knows that he who has expired on thee is the true Son of God. Thou hast now lost thy ancient rigour, art become a light burthen, an agreeable yoke, a source of glory, and the asylum, strength, and repose of all those that throw themselves into thy I reverence thee, O tree of life! I reverence thee, O source of wisdom! I reverence thee, O furnace of love! Receive me into thy arms, support me, and sanctify me. May he that died on thee, for love of me, receive me. arms. O most holy Mother of God! Queen of angels, star of the sea, and refuge of sinners! You, who with extreme pain beheld him to whom you had given life, die so cruel a death, obtain that I may be crucified with him; that he may receive me into the number of his servants; and that I may die, live, and reign with him. O ye saints of heaven! who this day contemplate that divine, glorious, impassible, and immortal Lamb, and who possess him with assurance never to lose him, look down upon me, obtain me the grace of being crucified on earth with Christ, and of being crowned by him in heaven. Amen. THE END. CONTENTS. The Life of Father Thomas of Jesus Father Thomas's Spiritual Advice.-Chap. I. Instructions concerning II. How to profit by the consideration and reading of the Sufferings III. The method of meditating on the Sufferings of Christ in prayer V. Considerations proper for exciting in us the love of Christ suffering THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST DURING HIS HIDDEN LIFE. 1. Acceptance of whatever he was to suffer II. The time he passed in the womb of his blessed Mother III. The violence he did his love by restricting its action IV. The severity wherewith he treated his body at his Nativity Contemplation on Third Suffering Contemplation on Fourth Suffering V. The Tears he shed for our sins Contemplation on Fifth Suffering Page. 1 9 14 16 19 Contemplation on Seventh Suffering Contemplation on Eighth Suffering of Simeon. Contemplation on Christ's Presentation An explanation of the Song of Simeon VI. Coldness of the season in which he was born . Contemplation on Sixth Suffering VII. His Circumcision VIII. His flight into Egypt, and Herod's Persecution The Presentation of Jesus Christ in the Temple, in the arms 60 62 66 71 75 80 86 87 90 An exposition of the Lord's Prayer in relation to his Hunger and Thirst after Justice 149* THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST DURING HIS PUBLIC LIFE. XVI. His Temptation in the Desert Contemplation on Sixteenth Suffering An exposition of Psalm CXXIX.-"De Profundis" Page. Contemplation on Twenty-first Suffering XXII. His doctrine being contradicted, and his works censured Contemplation on Twenty-second Suffering XXIII. Snares laid against him for putting him to death Contemplation on Twenty-third Suffering. A thanksgiving to Christ for the Truths he taught us whilst Contemplation on Twenty-sixth Suffering Contemplation on Twenty-Seventh Suffering XXVIII. His being seized in the Garden of Olives Contemplation on Thirty-ninth Suffering 374 XL. He is mocked by the Soldiers, and exposed to the laughter of the People 377 An Exposition of these words: "Behold the man" 380 382 XLI. In his Death; that is, from his Condemnation till he expires Contemplation on Forty-first Suffering XLII. He carries his Cross 389 393 397 401 402 404 408 413 417 Interior Dispositions of Christ, in regard of his Cross XLIII. His Crucifixion Contemplation on Christ when he was stripped of his Clothes To the Right Hand To the Feet Contemplation XLIV. The Time he remained on the Cross Contemplation on Forty-fourth Suffering What Christ Teaches and Condemns on the Cross. XLV. The Contempt of his Person, and of the Truths which he Contemplation on Forty-fifth Suffering XLVI. The Impenitence of Judas and of the bad Thief Contemplation on Forty-sixth Suffering XLVII. His Sorrow in seeing the Affliction of his Blessed Mother. Contemplation on Forty-seventh Suffering. XLVIII. He is forsaken by God his Father. |