Meditation for Monday

This day, with the preparation before appointed, and having made the sign of the Cross, we have to consider the washing of the disciples’ feet, and the Institution of the most Holy Sacrament. Consider then, O my soul, thy dear “and loving Lord at this Supper. Observe the perfect example of humility which He there sets before thee, in rising from the Table, and washing His disciples’ feet ! O good Jesu, what is this that Thou doet? O dearest Jesu, why is Thy “Majesty thus humiliated ? What wouldest thou have thought, oh, my soul! if thou hadst seen there thy God kneeling before the feet of men—before the feet of Judas ! O thou cruel one, how doth this great humility not soften thine heart? this wondrous meekness,; why doth it not penetrate thy inmost being? Can it be so that thou hast determined to sell this most gentle Lamb ? Canit be that with such an example, thou hast no compuncton? O fair white Hands, how can ye touch feet so foul and so detestable? Thy most pure Hands, had they no repugnance in washing feet become soiled in the journeyings made, and plottings to have Thy Blood shed? ye blessed Apostles, how must ye have trembled at the sight of so great humility! And thou, Peter, what dost thou? Wilt thou consent that thy Lord and King should wash thy feet? Marvelling and astonished to see his Lord so kneeling before him, Peter began to say, “Lord, dost Thou wash my feet?”! Art not Thou the Son of the living God? Art not Thou the Creator of the world, the beauty of Heaven, the Paradise of Angels, the redemption of mankind, the splendour of Thy Father's glory, the fountain of Divine Wisdom in its depths? How canst Thou will to wash my feet, Thou Lord of so great majesty and glory, how canst Thou desire to take upon Thee a service so low?

Consider how, when He had washed the disciples’ feet, He wiped them with the linen cloth wherewith He was girded. Lift up then the eyes of thy mind, and thou wilt see here represented the Mystery of our Redemption.

That filthiness, and the washing, and the cleanness after, are to teach us. For what more foul than man conceived in sin, and what more pure and lovely than Christ ‘conceived by the Holy Ghost? “ My beloved is white and ruddy,” saith the spouse in the Canticle “ chiefest among ten thousand.” He so pure and fair took upon Him the nature which sin had so defiled; but cleansed it wholly, being Himself undefiled by contact with it. After this, consider the words with which the Saviour concluded this Mystery, “ I ‘have given you an example, that ye should «do as I have done to you.” These words were not to refer only to this action, and example of humility, but to all the acts and life of Christ as well. For this Life is a most perfect model of all virtues, of which this is but one example.

OF THE INSTITUTION OF THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT.

To understand something of this Mystery, ‘thou must first call to mind, that no created tongue is able to express the greatness of the love which Christ hath towards His Spouse the Church, and consequently towards everyone of those souls which are in a state of grace, for each one of these is also His spouse. Therefore, when purposing to depart from this life, and absent Himself from His Spouse the Church (lest this absence should be to her a cause of forgetting Him), this most loving Bridegroom left her, for a memorial, this most Holy Sacrament in which He Himself remained ; desiring that between Himself and her, there should be no other pledge than Himself to keep alive the memory of Him.

In this so long absence, the Bridegroom desired also to leave to His Bride this companionship, that she should not be in solitude; and He bequeathed to her, therefore, this Sacrament wherein He Himself is present, as the best companionship He could leave her.

Again, at that time of instituting It, He was about to suffer Death for His Bride, to redeem and enrich her with His Precious Blood. And that she might be able, when she would, to enjoy this treasure, He left her the keys of it in this Sacrament. For, as saith Saint Chrysostom, “‘ as often as we come to this Sacrament, we must think we place our mouth on the Side of Christ, and drink that Precious Blood, and become partakers of It.” 7 This heavenly Bridegroom desired, moreover to be loved by His Spouse with a great love, and, for this cause, ordained this Mysterious Food, consecrated with such words that whosoever should worthily receive It should be at once struck and wounded by this love.

He desired, likewise, to assure her, and bestow upon her pledges of that blessed heritage of glory, so that with the hope of so much good, she might pass joyfully through all remaining sorrows and pains of this life. Therefore, that the Bride might hold for certain and sure the hope of this, He hath, for pledges, left her this unspeak- able treasure, which is the pledge of all that can be hoped for hereafter ; so that she may not doubt that God will bestow Himself in glory, where He will live in the spirit, since He denies not Himself in this vale of tears where’ He lived in the flesh.’

2 This obscure passage seems to mean that God Incarnate has given a pledge that He will live in His Church in her wholly heavenly estate; by the gift of Himself here in the Blessed Sacrament while she is still in this mortal life.

Moreover He desired, in the hour of His Death, to make a will and testament, and to leave to His Spouse a certain legacy, distinguished for its powers of restoration, and He left her this the most precious and beneficial He could leave, for in It God Himself is bequeathed to us.

Lastly, He desired to leave for our souls sufficient provision and maintenance by which they might live; for the soul has no less need of its own proper sustenance for living the spiritual life, than the body has of its food for bodily life. Therefore, ‘our Wise Physician, Who holds in His Hands the pulses of our weakness, ordained this Holy Sacrament. And He ordained It for this purpose in the form of sustenance, so that the very species, in which He instituted It, should declare the effect it was to work, and that the need our souls have of it, is no less than the need our bodies have of their own proper food.