December 15 — On the Glory the Son of God gave to his Father in his Moth er's Womb

Consider, first, that, as the soul of Christ, from the first instant of his conception, by being assumed to the divine person of the Word, was full of all light and knowledge, and consequently enjoyed, from the beginning, the perfect use of reason and understanding; so the inward powers and faculties of his soul, from the first instant of his conception, were always employed; they were never idle. Now, as the great design of God, in the incarnation of his Son, was his own glory, and the redemption of man, so the continual occupation of the Son of God made man, was the procuring of his Father’s glory, and man’s salvation. from the very first moment that his soul received a being, by creation, this was his perpetual employment. It was, from the beginning, the indispensable duty, both of angels and men, in their first creation, to turn themselves immediately to God, by adoration, oblation, and love, and to dedicate themselves eternally to him and to his glory. The omission of this, at first, was the cause of the condemnation of Lucifer and his companions; and the like omission is to this day the cause of the condemnation of millions of men, who unhappily turn themselves away from God, for the sake of the creature. But the soul of Christ, our great Deliverer, and our most perfect Model and Pattern, has taught us better things, by his nine months’ occupation in the Virgin’s womb; where, silent as he is, he preaches to us admirable lessons, with regard to the glory we ought at all times to give to God.

Consider, secondly, that these lessons, which the Son of God teaches us, by his great example, in his mother’s womb, are contained in the different acts of virtue, in which he there spent his time. He began, as we learn from the Psalmist, (Ps, xxxix. 7, 8, 9,) by offering himself to his Father, without reserve, to do all his will; he embraced this will in the midst of his heart; he substituted himself in the place of all the ancient sacrifices, to be the great burnt-offering and sin-offering that should be immolated for God’s glory, and for the expiation of the sins of the world; he presented his body just then formed by the Holy Ghost, with nis ears pierced (as it was prescribed in the law, with relation to such as yielded themselves up to be servants for ever, {Deuter. xv. 17,) to be entirely at the disposal of his Father, a perpetual servant, obedient unto deaths even unto the death of the cross, O, let as hear from himself these his dispositions — Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire; but thou hast pierced ears for me. Burnt-offering and sin-offering thou didst not require: then said /, Behold I come. In the head of the book it is written of me that I should do thy will: O my God [have desired it and thy law in the midst of my heart. O, my soul, how happy shall we be, if we labour in good earnest to imitate these dispositions of out dear Jesus, by embracing like him the will of God, and his holy law in the midst of our hearts, and offering ourselves, without reserve, to be at all times his devoted servants! Consider, thTd], that iqfiiute glory which our Lord gave to his Father all the time he 'vas in his mother’s womb; first, by the acts of adoration and homage which, as man, he continually paid to God, perfectly annihilating himself in his sight, and continually ■ bowing down all the powers of his soul, to offer him a most acceptable worship, worthy of his divine Majesty; secondly, by acts praise and thanksgivings which he offered up both for himself, and for the whole creation; thirdly, by acts of oblatioos and eternal dedication of himself to his Father, to be ever his, both in life and death, both in time and eternity, with a total consecration of his whole soul and body, of his whole will, memory and understanding, of all his senses and faculties, and of all his thoughts, words, and deeds, to his divine service; fourthly, by acts of a most pure and most perfect love, zeal, and desire, of ever promoting in all things, and above all things, the sanctification of the name of God, the propagation of his kingdoms and the doing his will upon earths as it is in heaven. Such acts as these, joined with acts of charity and prayer for us poor sinners, were the perpetual occupation of Christ, our Lord, in his mother’s womb — a happy employment indeed, and mos worthy of our imitation at all times.

Conclude to embrace, and to follow in the practice of th} life, these heavenly lessons which the Son of God teaches thee, by his divine example from his mother’s womb: no other exer cises can be either more agreeable to him or to his Father, oi more advantageous to thyself.