SHORT MEDITATIONS

FOR

EVERY DAY IN THE YEAR.

TRINITY SUNDAY.

Tres sunt, qui testimonium dant in cælo, Pater, Verbum et Spiritus Sanctus, et hi tres unum sunt.-1 Joan. v. 7.

There are three who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one.

I. CONSIDER that amongst the distinctive marks of Christianity, faith in the adorable mystery of the most holy Trinity is peculiar to itself that faith by which we believe in one only God and one only Divine Essence in three Divine Persons ;- -one only God Who contains in Himself every kind of infinite perfection; our first beginning and our last end; our Lawgiver and supreme King. Videte, quod ego sum solus, et non est alius Deus præter me-Deut. xxxii. 39

-See ye that I am alone, and there is no other God besides Me. It is on this belief that the obligation, under which thou liest, rests, of obeying and serving God only, of acknowledging Him to be the only source of all the good thou canst hope for, of looking to Him alone for real happiness, of keeping thy heart turned towards Him, and of loving Him above all things as thy supreme good. But how often hast thou not

made the will of God secondary to thy own capricious whims! How scanty are the thanks thou hast given Him for all the goodness He has shown thee! How very little hast thou placed thy trust in Him!

and alas! how much more love hast thou thrown away on poor miserable creatures than thou hast given to thy God and only good! Be ashamed of thyself, and in the grief of thy heart exclaim with S. Augustine Sero te amavi-too late have I loved thee!

II. Consider how, though God Almighty is but one in His essence, He is three in person, forasmuch as by contemplating and fully comprehending Himself, He generates a substantial image of Himself, whole and perfect in every way, which is the Word. On beholding this beauteous image of Himself, Who is Splendor gloriæ, et figura substantiæ ejus—Heb. i. 3-The brightness of His glory and the figure of His substance,—the Eternal Father loves Him with an infinite love; the Divine Word on His side reciprocates this love in an infinite degree in regard of His eternal Father; and this reciprocal love produces the third Person-the Holy Ghost, there being in all three the greatest perfection, complete equality, and perfect unity of will. Christ's prayer in the supper-room was to this effect, that the concord and union of will which reigns among the Divine Persons might reign also amongst His followers: Ut sint unum sicut et nos unum sumus-Joan. xvii. 11-

That they may be one, as We are one. It must therefore be thy earnest endeavour to establish and maintain a like concord and harmony of will in thy relations with God, with thy superiors and with thy neighbour generally, in order to recopy as faithfully as may be that most perfect union which exists between the Divine Persons.

III. Consider that thou hast been made after the likeness of God and of the most august Trinity inasmuch as thy Creator has given thee a soul with three

powers substantially united to it, yet distinct amongst themselves. Now since thou art an image of God, thy perfection consists entirely in bringing out the resemblance to thy divine original by imitating, not indeed His power, as Lucifer tried to do with such sorry success, nor His knowledge, as Adam unfortunately strove to do, but His holiness, as in so many words we are bid to do by God Himself: Sancti eritis, quia ego sanctus sum-Lev. xix. 2—Be ye holy, because Í am holy; and on which account-viz., by reason of His holiness-He receives the especial homage and praise of the angelic spirits who sing Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanc tus, Dominus Deus-Apoc. iv. 8-Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty. Make therefore the most earnest endeavours to model thy life on the perfect holiness of God.

MONDAY AFTER TRINITY SUNDAY.

Ipse vobis demonstrabit cœnaculum grande stratum: et illic parate nobis.-Marc. xiv. 15.

He will show you a large dining-room furnished; and there prepare ye for us.

I. CONSIDER, with a view to preparing thyself during these days that precede the solemnity of the most adorable Sacrament, in what the preparations consisted which Christ Himself made. In the first place He sends two of His disciples to get ready a large and well-furnished room Conaculum grande stratum and why, pray? If Jesus was ever so enamoured of poverty that He was content with a manger at His birth, with a scanty cell during His lifetime, and at His death had not even a draught of water wherewith to quench His thirst-why go in search of a stately and richly-adorned room in order to spread