Twenty-second meditation. Our Saviour on the Cross

First point.

Ebflect upon what St. Augustine says, that " Isaac was immolated by his father's will where Jesus was afterward crucified, and that the cross of the Saviour was planted on the sepulchre of Adam." It was most appropriate that the Physician should be raised up from the couch of the sick man, and that the divine mercy should descend upon the place where pride fell. In order, therefore, that our blessed Saviour should shed His blood upon the ashes of the first transgressor, and that the soul which was, at the Last Day, to animate those same ashes might be cleansed of sin, the cross upon which Jesus was nailed was planted on the tomb of Adam.

Second point.

Contemplate the divine Saviour extended and elevated on this cross, as on a funeral pile of honor. Ah! it was then that, as a great bishop, He offered the perfect sacrifice to His Father; it was then that He turned thoughts of special love upon us. " O My eternal Father! I take upon Myself all the sins of this, My daughter. I load Myself with them in order to suffer death, that she may be forgiven, I die, that she may live. I long to be crucified, that she may be glorified." O sovereign love of the Heart of Jesus! what heart is capable of devoutly blessing Thee?

Third point.

Behold, whilst the Jews with hearts of iron and stone surround the cross, our meek

Jesus, on the contrary, as David says, " has a Heart liquefied with love in the midst of His breast." And like that admirable bird which attracts to itself the jaundice of man, and dies in order to heal him, this wonderful Bird of paradise, our sweet Jesus, who was never stained with the jaundice of sin, is fastened to the cross to draw into Himself the poison from man, His beloved friend. He gladly dies in order to give life to our poor human nature.

Affections.

" O God! " I repeat with St. Augustine, lamenting the ingratitude of men, "is it possible that man knows that Thou didst die for him, and yet he does not live for Thee?" And with St. Francis: "Alas, O Jesus! my sweet Jesus! Thou didst die of love, and no one thinks of it! " My sweet Redeemer, never was the misery of Adam so poisonous to us, as Thy clemency is powerful to save us. O obedient J esus! obedient even unto the death of the cross, be Thou the Eepairer of all my acts of disobedience! May Thy precious blood sink into the deepest wounds of my soul, for it is the medicine of my salvation!

O free will of my heart! how desirable to be fastened to the cross of our divine Saviour in order to die to self, to offer self as a holocaust to the Lord! Never forget, O my soul, that your Congregation is spiritually founded on Mount Calvary for the service of this crucified Lover, in imitation of whom we must crucify the senses, imagination, aversions, passions, and humors for the love of the heavenly Father.

O innocent Jesus, who didst die for my iniquity, grant that I may no longer live but for Thy goodness! Like the mystical serpent, love has elevated Thee on high!

If I do not look upon Thee, my sweet Physician, I shall not deserve to be cured. Therefore, O Lord 1 may my eyes be constantly fixed on Thy sufferings, and my heart riveted to Thy goodness! Jesus, by Thy pierced hands, pardon my evil deeds! By Thy pierced feet, grant me forgiveness of my transgressions!