Meditations for Each Day 27: The Passion and Death of Jesus

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 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, in thinking of Thee, in loving and glorifying Thee. Ejaculatory prayer: "My delights were to be with the children of men." Deliciae meae esse cum filiis hominum (Prov. 8, 31) - 28-

Friday

The Passion and Death of Jesus

Jesus Practises Submission and Patience

THROUGHOUT His PASSION

0 JESUS, Thou art the love and the delight of God and the angels, of heaven and earth. Thou art the God of consolation, the source of all joy and bliss, joy and blessedness itself. Yet, when I behold Thee on the final day of Thy mortal life, I see that Thou art the object of the wrath and persecution of heaven, earth, hell, of God, men and all creatures. I see the universe and the powers of evil leagued against Thee, expending all their energies to make Thee suffer. Thou art, as it were, a target exposed to every volley of contradiction and outrage. I behold Thee so filled with sorrow, anguish and torments i n every part of Thy body and soul, that Thou dost seem to be transformed into pain and sufferings. Hence the Prophet Isaias calls Thee "the man of sorrows." Virum dolorum (Isa. 53, 3)- 0 m y Dearest Jesus, what has reduced Thee to so pitiable a state? It is Thy goodness, my Saviour, and the excess of Thy love. 0 my Sweet Jesus, let me adore, love and bless Thee in all Thy sufferings, both interior and exterior; let me adore in Thee the holy and divine dispositions of Thy suffering. W ith what submission to Thy Father's will, with what deep humiliation under the burden of all the sins of the world, with what charity for us, with what meekness and patience towards Thine enemies Thou didst endure the culmination of all sufferings! How ashamed I am to behold my Jesus suffering so extremely, with such dispositions, while I see how sensitive I am to the slightest pain, and so far from sharing His dispositions! 0 Good Jesus, I give myself to Thee to suffer all Thou dost will and