Chapter 17. Meditation for Sunday Night, on the Divine Benefits

1.—Having made the sign of the cross accompanied. by the preparation mentioned in the second chapter, take as the subject for thy meditation the diyine benefits, in order to return thanks to God for them, - more to warm thy love towards him from whom thou hast received so many favours, also the better to excite thy compunction for the many offences thou hast committed against so kind a benefactor.

2.—And though these benefits are innumerable, they may , all be considered under five heads, viz. the benefits of our ere-aa ‘ \ w ul ation, our preservation, our redemption, and creation, and also the secret benefits which each one is conscious to himself of having received. -

3.—As respects the first, that of creation, consider first attentively what thou wast before thou wast created and what God did for thee and gave thee without any merit on thy part; viz. thy body, with its members and senses; and thy beautiful soul created after his own image and likeness for so high a purpose as the enjoyment of God through its three noble faculties, the understanding the memory and the will. Consider well that the gift of such a soul was a gift of infinite value, since there is clearly no skill or ability in any of the inferior orders of creation, which man does not possess in a more perfect degree and which through the powers of his mind he is unable to control. Hence it is evident that this gift alone contained within itself every other gift. 4.—As respects the benefit of preservation, see how thy whole existence hangs upon the Providence of God, how thou couldst not live for a single instant, nor perform the slightest act, but through him; how he created all things in the world for thy use, even the very angels of heaven has he deputed to Heb. i. guard and assist thee. Then reflect on the Mark xi. health with which he has. blessed thee, the strength, the life, the nourishment, and all other temporal blessings. And above all weigh well the miseries and disasters which thou seest daily befalling others and in which thou thyself mightest have been involved but for the protecting compassion of-the Almighty.

5.—As regards the benefit of thy redemption, consider two things.” First, how many and how great have been the blessings derived from it; and secondly, how many and how great the sufferings of our Lord both in his body and in his most sacred soul to obtain these benefits for thee.

6.—As regards the benefit of thy vocation, consider first the great goodness of God in making thee a christian, in calling thee to the faith by means of thy most holy baptism, and making thee a partaker in the other sacraments. And if after this call, having lost thy innocence he drew thee out of sin, restored thee to his grace and set thee on the road to salvation, how canst thou sufficiently acknowledge this benefit? What infinite mercy was it not to preserve thee so long, to bear with thy manifold sins, to send thee such inspirations, and not cut the thread of thy life as he did that of so many situated just as thou wast? And finally to call thee with such abundance graces as to raise thee from death to life and open thy eyes to | behold eternal light? What mercy has he not shewn thee, | after thy conversion, in bestowing upon thee the grace to avoid | relapsing into sin and the power toovercome the enemy; and the blessing of final perseverance in virtue? This is that water early and late which God promised by the Prophet Joel, saying,

Joel ii. 28. “And you Oh children of Sion, rejoice and be joyful in the Lord your God; because he hath given you a teacher of justice, and he will make the early and the latter rain to come down for you as in the beginning.” That is to say; that persevering grace with which commenced the sowing of all virtues, and then that subsequent and final grace, with which the sowing is brought to a prosperous harvest.

7.—These are general and acknowledged benefits, but there are other hidden ones known only to the recipients, and some so hidden, that even the receiver knows them not, but only he who confers them. How often hast, thou, in punishment of thy pride, or negligence or ingratitude, deserved that the hand of God should be lifted against thee, arid that he should cast thee off, as he has numbers of others from the same cause, and has not done so by thee? From» what evils and occasions of evil has not God by his providence preserved thee, loosening the nets of the enemy, anticipating his plans and disconcerting his plots and designs? How often has he not done for each of us that which he said to St. Peter ; Luke xxil. 81 & 32. “Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not?” Who then but God can know these secrets? Man may occasionally be aware of positive benefits, but privative benefits consisting in delivering us from evils, who can know them? ‘Therefore for all these as for the rest it is right we should give thanks to the Lord and know how much we are out of our reckoning and how much more we owe than we are able to pay, since we are incapable of understanding our liabilities.

8.—Having finished the meditation make a thanksgiving, an offering and petition as mentioned in the second chapter.