FRIDAY AFTER THE OCTAVE OF CORPUS CHRISTI.-THE FEAST OF THE SACRED HEART.* Haurietis aquas in gaudio de fontibus Salvatoris.— Isa. xii. 3. You shall draw waters with joy out of the Saviour's fountains. I. CONSIDER how great must have been the joy of the Israelites when, after journeying for a long time in the desert, and in the greatest distress for want of water, they at length reached the fountain of Elim, whence each one could draw as much water as he wished. But there is no comparison between this fountain of Elim and that of Calvary, where that Sacred Heart was pierced whence Jesus pours forth streams of living grace on thy behalf. This is the fountain from which thou must draw as large a supply as thou art able, to refresh thee during thy journey in the dreary desert of this world. Divine grace is called in Holy Writ by the name of water, to express its qualities, and hence just as water possesses the properties of cleansing, fertilising, and quenching thirst, so also does grace produce corresponding effects in the soul. If thou endeavourest to grasp the meaning of these important qualities of grace, thou wilt be all the more eager to draw the waters of grace from the never-failing wellspring of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. * As the Meditation assigned by the author to this day had no especial bearing on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, I have taken the liberty of transposing it to the Friday in the Seventeenth week after Pentecost, and have inserted here the Meditation assigned to that day, with a slight adaptation to to-day's feast.-THE TRANSLATOR. II. Consider that the first property of this water of divine grace is, that it washes away the defilement, not indeed of the body, but of the soul, imparting at the same time fresh energy, and bestowing on it a degree of beauty capable of making Almighty God Himself in love with it. In the next place, it fertilises the soul by beautifying it with the flowers of good works, like a well-watered garden, and enabling it to produce fruit well pleasing to Almighty God. The third property of this water that flows from the Heart of Jesus, is that it destroys the evil thirst arising from the fever of ill-regulated passions, and at the same time encourages a wholesome thirst that is the effect of a healthy disposition of soul. It destroys the evil thirst by killing useless desires and bad inclinations, or at least by checking them and hindering them from grievously vexing and harassing thee; according to those words: Qui biberit ex aquâ hâc quam ego dabo ei non sitiet in æternum-Joan. iv. 13-He that shall drink of the water that I shall give him, shalt not thirst for ever. It also encourages a wholesome thirst, by fostering the wish of loving and serving Almighty God, of enjoying Him, and being united with Him for ever. This is the water that flows down from the Heart of Jesus as its source, and in finding its level bears the soul up with it again to the Heart of Jesus, as its resting-place: Fons aqua salientis in vitam æternam-Joan. iv. 14—A fountain of water springing up into life everlasting. Why, then, shouldst thou doubt that it is thy privilege also to draw these waters with joy, out of the Saviour's fountains, to thy heart's content? III. Consider that, if thou dost not enjoy an abundant supply of this life-giving water, thou hast no one to blame but thyself, because the Heart of Jesus is a fountain that is open to all: Fons patens domui David -Zach. xiii. 1—A fountain open to the house of David. All that is required in order to obtain it, is to ask for it earnestly; thou needst never fear that it will be denied thee, provided only thou art ready to ask for it, because Jesus is more desirous of bestowing His grace on thee than thou art of receiving it. Resolve, therefore, to take up thy abode close by this wellspring of grace. Let the Sacred Heart of thy crucified Jesus always be before thy eyes; call upon it, adore it, because from it thou hast to draw all thy good. Thy real good consists in laying aside vice and acquiring virtue, and in wishing for nothing else in this world but thy God alone. These dispositions will draw an abundance of that water of divine grace which springs from the Sacred Heart of thy Saviour, if only thou wilt have recourse to it with confidence, and take up thy abode therein. Haurietis aquas in gaudio de fontibus Salvatoris-You shall draw waters with joy out of the Saviour's fountains. SATURDAY AFTER THE OCTAVE OF CORPUS CHRISTI, Si quis sermonem meum servaverit mortem non videbit in æternum,-Joan. viii. 51. If any one shall keep My word, he shall not see death for ever. I. CONSIDER that the sayings of Christ are not unlike those simple substances and herbs endowed in themselves with wonderful properties, but which are overlooked and unheeded by the inexperienced shepherd that treads them under foot, though the skilled simplicist most diligently searches after them, and gathers them in order to carefully lay them by and make use of them for his own advantage. The same thing pre cisely occurs with respect to the words and sayings of the Gospel. One that is not acquainted with their wonderful virtue and power, gives no heed to them; another, who does know their worth, will consider them attentively and store them up. Supposing there were a certain herb that possessed the virtue of keeping death away from thee for several centuries, with what diligence wouldst thou not go in search of it, and, when found, with what care wouldst thou not store it up? And yet with still greater care and diligence oughtest thou to store up the sayings of Christ, since they have the power of keeping death away from thee for ever. II. Consider how it comes to pass that the words of Our Lord possess so great a power? We are liable to a twofold death-death of the body, and death of the soul. As regards the death of the body-he that keeps the words of Our Lord mortem non videbit in æternum―shall not see death for ever; not that he has never to die, but because after death he shall one day recover life in a more excellent form, and in which he will never see death again—a benefit which is not shared by the damned, who will live for ever, only to undergo the torments of dying for ever. Then as regards the death of the soul, which is sin-he that keeps Our Lord's words mortem non videbit—shall not see death-by ever incurring the guilt of grievous sin, because whosoever lives up to the teaching of Our Lord will never lose the life of grace. Serva mandata et vives-Prov. vii. 2-Keep My commandments and thou shalt live. The life of grace is usually lost, either owing to the ill-ordered state of the passions, or on account of the dangers and occasions of sin to which one is exposed, or through the assaults of diabolical temptations; or, finally, from a combination of all these three causes. Now the words of Our Lord have a very special power to regulate our passions, to pre serve us from the danger of falling into the occasion of sin, and to ward off the assaults of the devil. See, then, how great is their worth, and how much thou oughtest to esteem them. Fili mi ad eloquia mea inclina aurem tuam, vita enim sunt invenientibus ea—] -Prov. iv. 20-My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings, for they are life to them that find them. III. Consider in what manner thou hast to keep these words and sayings of Our Lord if thou wouldst turn them to good account. Thou must keep them corde, ore et opere-in thy heart by meditating on them in due season, by loving them with the affections of thy will, and by frequently recalling them with thy memory, especially when thou art in danger of sinning. Ore-In thy mouth, by showing that thou settest a high value on them, and this by willingly making them the subject of conversation and not being ashamed to make open profession of them before the world. Opere-in deed, by putting them faithfully into execution: so that thou also mayest be able to say with truth: Levavi manus meas ad mandata tua quæ dilexi--Ps. cxviii. 48—I lifted up my hands to Thy commandments which I loved. Wouldst thou perchance say that this will cost thee too much trouble? but reflect how great is the fruit, because it is a fruit of life-verba vita; and not of any life, but of life eternal. |