Part four (1): Part Four

Devotional Exercises to Be Done Each Week

to Live a Christian and Saintly Life and

to Make Jesus Reign in Your Soul

193- Part Four

Devotional Exercises to be Done Each Week

To Live a Christian and Saintly Life and

To Make Jesus Reign in Your Soul

1. the Three Special Days of the Week

There are three week-days that should stand out above the others, and be spent with more devotion and attention to God.

Monday should be consecrated to the honor of the first day of Christ's life in the world. On this day you should renew your desire to begin a new life for Our Lord, and resolve to spend the week devotedly i n His service.

Friday is dedicated to the last day of Our Lord's life on earth. You ought to regard every Friday as though it were the last day of your life, and spend it accordingly.

Saturday is consecrated to the honor of the life of Jesus in Mary and of Mary in Jesus, a life to which all Christians are bound to have special devotion. On Saturday you should render love and praise to the most Blessed Virgin with more than usual zeal and affection, and try to make reparation for having fallen away during the week from your duties to her and her Son. So, too, at the close of this day, it is well to honor the Blessed Virgin in the last day and the last hour of her life as I shall set forth in «Part Six."

11. Manner of Honoring the Whole Life of Jesus in the Course of Each Week

In order to spend the remaining days of the week devoutly, it is a good thing to dedicate each day to some mystery of the life of Christ, in order to give particular honor to His life on that day and to try to implant its special virtues in your soul by consideration and imitation. According to St. Paul, we are all dead in Adam and living in Jesus Christ (I Cor. 15, 22), and since Jesus Christ is our life (Col.3,4),

none of us have any right to live on earth except by the life of Jesus Christ. Remember that God lets you remain here only that you may work to destroy in you the wicked and sinful life of the old Adam and to establish there the holy and divine life of Jesus.

Hence, your chief care and occupation should be to consider, adore, and imitate the life of Jesus, i n order that, by this means, you may form and establish within yourself a perfect image of that life.

Here are a few meditations for each day of the week, which sum up the whole life of Jesus, and which I present in the form of prayers, so that every type of person may use them to honor the various phases of the life of Christ. 195-

Iii. First Meditation-sunday

The Divine Life of Jesus in the Bosom of His Father

from all Eternity

1. 0 Jesus, my Lord and my God, I contemplate, adore and glorify Thee in Thy divine life from all eternity in the bosom of the Eternal Father, before Thy Incarnation in the virginal womb of Thy Mother. Oh, how holy a life this is, how pure, divine, wonderful and filled with glory, greatness and delights! What joy to see Thee living, from all eternity, a life so filled with perfection, contentment and wonders! Blessed be Thou, 0 Father of Jesus, for having imparted such a life to Thy Well-beloved Son! 0 Jesus, I offer Thee all the glory, love and praise Thou dost derive from the Father and the Holy Spirit throughout the eternity of Thy divine life.

2. 0 Jesus, when I consider Thy divine and eternal life, I see that Thy chief function for all eternity is to contemplate, glorify and love Thy Father, to refer Thyself to Him as to Thy principle, to give Him Thy being, Thy life, Thy perfections and all that Thou shalt be forever, as gifts received from Him, to be employed in glorifying and loving Him, and to offer Him infinitely worthy praise and love. Blessed be Thou, 0 Jesus, for all these things. 0 Most Amiable Father, how I rejoice to behold Thee so loved and glorified by Thy Son! I offer Thee all love and glory that Thou dost receive from Him during*all eternity, by His divine life in Thy fatherly bosom before His Incarnation.

3. 0 good Jesus, Thou hast expended all Thy divine life for my benefit. From all eternity Thou dost think " of me, love me and offer me to the Father, and Thou dost offer Thyself also to Him, to come one day upon earth to be made flesh, to suffer and die on earth for love Of me. 0 Dearest Jesus, Thou hast loved me from all eternity, and I hardly know if I have yet begun to love Thee as I ought.

Forgive me, my Saviour. From now on, and for all eternity, let me live but to love Thee!

Iv. Second Meditation-monday

The First Moment of the Temporal Life of Jesus

1. 0 Jesus, I adore Thee at the moment of Thy Incarnation, which is the first instant of Thy mortal life. I adore all the marvelous things that took place in Thee at that moment. What great accomplishments were effected in Thee and by Thee, in that blessed instant, in the eyes of the Father, the Holy Spirit, Thy sacred humanity, and Thy Blessed Mother! What thoughts, what affections, what love! How Thy holy soul i n that instant devoted itself, before Thy Father's face, to adore and glorify Him and sacrifice Thee entirely to His glory, and to accomplish all that He willed! 0 Good Jesus, I adore Thy first thoughts and Thy first acts of adoration, oblation, love and praise, which Thou didst offer to Thy Father at that time. How exalted and divine were the love and glory Thou gavest Him then! Truly Thou didst give Him infinitely more honor and love in that moment alone than all the angels and all men accorded Him in the five ,thousand years that preceded Thy Incarnation, or ever shall give Him for all eternity. 0 Father of Jesus, what satisfaction for my soul to behold Thee so loved and glorified by Thy Son! 0 Jesus, be Thou blessed, adored and glorified forever for the honor and love Thou didst give to Thy Father at the blessed moment of Thy Incarnation!

2. 0 Jesus, when I consider Thee in this mystery, I see by the light of faith that Thou dost entertain most exalted thoughts and great designs upon her in whom the Incarnation was accomplished, and that Thou dost indeed effect great and marvelous things in*her. 0 Jesus, I adore Thy first thoughts, Thy first acts of love and movements of grace, of light and of eminent sanctity which Thou didst produce in Thy Blessed Mother at the moment of Thy Incarnation. So, too, do I adore the first acts of adoration, praise and love of the most admirable Mother for the Most Adorable Son. Blessed be Thou, 0 Jesus, Son of Mary, for all the wonders Thou didst work in Thy divine Mother by this stupendous mystery. Blessed be Thou, 0 Mother

of Jesus, for all the glory thou hast given thy Son in this same mystery. Unite me, I implore Thee, to all the love and honor thou didst give thy Dear Son in the first instant of His life, and grant that I may share in thy peerless love for Him and in thy zeal for His glory.

3. 0 Most Amiable Jesus, at the same instant that Thou didst look up to the Father, after the Incarnation, Thou didst also look upon me. Thou didst begin to think of Him, refer Thyself to Him and love Him and Thou didst likewise begin to think of me, to give Thyself to me and love me. At the very instant Thou didst begin to live, it was to live for me, to prepare and acquire for me most extraordinary graces, and to form plans for my salvation. From that very moment Thou didst plan and desire to create in me an image of the mystery of Thy Incarnation and to become incarnate in me,, that is, to unite me to Thyself, and Thyself most intimately to me, both physically and spiritually by Thy holy grace and Thy divine sacraments, and then to fill me with Thyself, and establish Thyself in me to live and reign perfectly in me.

0 what goodness! What boundless love! Infinitely blessed be Thou, 0 Good Jesus! May all Thy mercies and all Thy wonders for the children of men bless Thee forever! I most humbly beg Thy forgiveness for the obstacles which I have put in the way of the accomplishment of the great designs Thou hast deigned to have in my regard. Never allow me to impede Thy grace again. From now on I desire to annihilate, at all costs, everything in me that opposes Thy holy will. My Jesus, may it please Thee to grant me the grace and strength to do this.

V. Third Meditation-tuesday

The Holy Childhood of Jesus

1. 0 Great and Admirable Jesus, Thou wast not satisfied to become man for love of men, but Thou didst also will to become a child, subject to all the lowliness and weakness of infancy, in order to honor the Eternal Father in every condition of human life, and to sanctify all the states of our life. Blessed be Thou, Good Jesus, for

these favors. May all Thy angels and saints bless Thee eternally. 0 most amiable Child, I offer Thee my own childhood, although it is past, imploring Thee most humbly that, by virtue of Thy divine Childhood, Thou mayest wipe out all that was bad or imperfect and cause my whole life as a child to render homage to Thy most adorable Childhood.

2. 0 Divine Jesus, when I contemplate Thee in Thy holy Childhood, I see that Thou art never idle, but dost effect great things for Thy Eternal Father, contemplating, adoring and loving Him, and also for Thy Blessed Mother, heaping upon her a world of graces and blessings, also for St. Joseph, and little St. John the Baptist and the other saints with whom Thou didst associate as a Child, accomplishing in them most wonderful works of illumination and sanctity. I adore Thee, love Thee and bless Thee in all Thy divine occupations and in the marvelous effects of Thy divine Childhood. I offer Thee all the honor and love Thou didst receive in Thy holy Childhood from Thy Father, Thy Blessed Mother, St. Joseph, St. John the Baptist, St. Gabriel, and from the other angels and saints who are in any special way associated with Thy divine Childhood.

3. 0 most amiable Child, I adore all Thy thoughts and designs and Thy most burning love for me. Thou wast thinking of me, and didst love me without interruption in Thy Childhood. Thou didst cherish the plan and the strong desire to imprint upon my heart an image of Thy divine Childhood, that is, to make me enter uporl a state of holy and sacred childhood, which should imitate and honor the meekness, simplicity, humility, purity of body and spirit, the obedience and innocence of Thy holy Childhood. 0 my Jesus, I give myself to Thee to accomplish Thy plan and desire and to enter into this state. I shall henceforth strive, with the help of Thy holy grace, which I invoke with my whole heart, to become meek, humble, simple, pure, obedient, free of all arrogance, bitterness and malice, like a child, so that I may render some small honor to Thy Childhood which so deserves to he honored.

Vi. Fourth Meditation-wednesday

The Hidden Life of Jesus

1. 0 Jesus, although Thou didst have so many and such great things to do on earth, converting so many souls, working so many miracles, doing so much good by Thy blessed example and holy preaching, i f Thou hadst gone out among men, yet Thou didst not will to do this. Instead, Thy choice On earth was alife hidden and unknown until the age of thirty, performing in that time no outward act that might make Thee known to men. Thou didst remain hidden and withdrawn into the Father, in whom Thy mind, heart, thoughts, desires and affections were uninterruptedly enclosed. And Thou didst choose this hidden life to honor Thy hidden life from all eternity in the bosom of Thy Father, and to teach us that solitude and retirement are pleasing to Thee. Of the thirty-four years of Thy life upon earth, no more than four were spent in active intercourse among men, while thirty were spent in retirement and solitude. Blessed be Thou, 0 Good Jesus, for all the glory Thou didst give Thy Father during these thirty years of Thy hidden life! Grant that I in their honor may henceforth love retirement and solitude, both interior and exterior. Draw me apart and hide me in Thee. Absorb my mind into Thine, my heart into Thy Heart and my life into Thy life. I desire henceforth, with the help of Thy grace, to make every effort to withdraw my thoughts and affections from all things into Thee, 0 my Jesus, as into my place of refuge, my center, my element and m y paradise, outside of which all else is hell and perdition. I wish to dwell ever in Thee, following thy commandment: Manete in me; "Abide in me" (John 15, 4), that is, in Thy spirit, Thy love, Thy sentiments and inclinations, never to leave Thee again.

2. 0 Most Great and Most Adorable Jesus, Thou didst will to lead an unknown and despised life, alife base and abject in the eyes of men. a life of poverty, labor and suffering, bearing the name and following the trade of carpenter, to teach us first by example what Thou didst later teach us by words, namely, that "what is high to men is an abomination before God"; quod hominibus altum est,

abominatio est ante Deum (Luke 16, 15). 0 Jesus, imprint this truth deeply in my mind and firmly implant in my heart a great hatred and horror of all fame, praise, greatness and vanity, and for all that catches and dazzles the eyes of men, giving me a very strong love for all that involves lowliness, abjection and humiliation.

3. 0 Jesus, Thou art God like Thy Heavenly Father and Thou art but One God with Him; Thou hast but one power and operation, and with Him Thou art the Creator, Preserver and Governor of our vast universe. From all eternity Thou dost send forth with Him a God and a Divine Person, that is, the Holy Ghost, who i s God even as the Father and Thou. This and other exalted things worthy of Thy supreme greatness. Thou dost accomplish. Yet in Thy hidden and laborious life on earth, I see that Thou dost lower Thyself to the commonest and most lowly actions of human life, such as eating, drinking, sleeping, working, earning Thy living with the toil of Thy hands and in the sweat of Thy brow. I am filled with wonder and consolation because Thou art no less great and admirable in small things than in great. In these lowly commonplace activities Thou didst render infinitely great glory to the Omnipotent Father because, 0 Jesus, Thou didst perform all actions, even the smallest and most ordinary, not with common or ordinary dispositions, but with an infinite love for the Father and for us. Thou didst merit and acquire, by the power of Thy holy actions, a special grace for all our acts, to enable us to perform them meritoriously. Hence we can and must do everything, in a devout manner. Otherwise we nullify and waste the graces Thou hast acquired for us i n the performance of like things. Do not allow this to happen, 0 Good Jesus! Give me the grace Thou hast acquired for me by Thy holy actions, so that I may perform all my own acts with holiness. This is my desire and my resolve. Grant me grace to carry it out purely for Thy glory, that in future I may offer up all m y acts, even the smallest, in honor of Thine and that I may. as far as possible, perform my tasks with the dispositions arid intentions that exalted the lowliness of all Thy most humble, human deeds.

Vii. Fifth Meditation-thursday

The Public Life of Christ on Earth and in the

Most Blessed Sacrament

1. 0 Most Amiable Jesus, Thou dost live, reign and commune for all eternity with the Eternal Father and the Holy Spirit. How rich is this association and how delightful to Thee! What glory and praise Thou dost receive from the Father and Holy Spirit! Yet Thou didst will to come forth from the bosom of the Father to appear on earth, to associate, eat and drink in familiar visible companionship, not only with Thy Blessed Mother, St. Joseph and the holy apostles and disciples, but even with sinners, from whom Thou didst receive all kinds of outrages and indignities. Thou didst will to do this: (1) By association with Thy Blessed Mother, St. Joseph, the holy apostles and the disciples, to give homage to Thy divine and holy association with the Father and Holy Spirit from all eternity. (2) By the pain Thou didst suffer from associating with sinners, to deliver us from the punishment, so rightly deserved by our sins, of being reduced for ever to the wretched company of demons, and to make us worthy to live eternally in the company of the angels and saints, Thy Blessed Mother, and the Three Divine Persons. (3) In order to show us how true are thy words: Thy delights are to be with the children of men (Prov. 8, 31). (4) To acquire for us, by the merit of Thy active life, the grace we need to behave virtuously in our relations with one another. (5) In order that the perfection of Thy holy and divine conduct in Thy relations with other men might serve as a model and example of the way we should act towards our neighbor.

2. I adore Thee, 0 Jesus, I bless Thee and love Thee for all these things. I adore Thee in Thy public life and active ministry, which lasted from Thy thirtieth year to the day of Thy death. I adore and give Thee glory for everything in this period of Thy life, inward and outward, that is, all the actions, words, teachings, miracles, journeys, labors and weariness, and for all Thy thoughts, feelings, intentions, affections and inner dispositions. I bless Thee for all the glory Thou didst render to the Eternal Father. I offer Thee all the love and

honor accorded during the time of Thy active life by all the holy souls who came in contact with Thee. I also offer Thee all my own associations and contacts, whether past or future, in homage to Thine own, and I implore Thee to cause all my actions relating to my neighbor to be consecrated to the glory of Thy public life.

3. 0 Jesus, I adore the thoroughly holy and divine dispositions which characterized Thy activity among men. With what dignity, charity, meekness, patience, modesty, detachment from creatures and attention to God didst Thou move and act in the world of men! 0 my Saviour, I desire that such dispositions may henceforth characterize all my relations with my neighbor. Alas! How far I am from such perfection and how many faults I have committed in the days gone by! For all these I beg Thy forgiveness, imploring Thee to implant in me all the dispositions I have set down above.

4. 0 Lord, Thou wert not satisfied with having lived and. associated with mankind during Thy mortal life. When Thou wast on the point of returning to heaven, Thy most insatiable love and Thy exceeding great desire to prove the tremendous truth that Thy delight is to be with the children of men inspired Thee to devise a most admirable invention that would keep Thee ever with us, and give Thyself to us with all the essence of Thy riches and wonders. All this was accomplished by means of the Holy Eucharist, which is a compendium of all Thy wonders and the greatest of all the effects produced by Thy love for us. 0 love, 0 goodness, how is it that I am not utterly transformed into love and praise for Thee? 0 Jesus, forgive me my past abuse of so great a grace, grant that in the future I may make a better use of this Divine Sacrament and that, as Thou dost find Thy delight in being with me, I may also find all my delight in Thy company, i n thinking of Thee, and in loving and glorifying Thee.