St. Alphonsus Liguori: Daily Meditations for Fifth Week after Easter

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Wednesday – Fifth Week After Easter

Morning Meditation

“BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT.”

The maxims of the world are altogether opposed to those of the Gospel. Thus worldlings put their trust in riches, whilst the Saints of God look upon poverty as their greatest treasure. It is not certain the rich are lost, but the Redeemer Himself has declared: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven-(Matt. xix. 24).

I.

To the young man who asked what he should do in order to attain perfection Jesus said: If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor -(Matt. xix. 21). The Saviour told him that he should renounce all his possessions without a single exception. For when, as St. Bonaventure says, the spirit is encumbered with the weight of any temporal possessions, the soul cannot rise to union with God: “Burdened with the load of temporal things, the spirit cannot ascend to God.” “The love of terrestrial objects,” according to St. Augustine, “is the birdlime of the spiritual wings,” which impedes the flight of the soul to God. And again the holy Doctor says: “By the great wing of poverty a Christian flies quickly to Heaven.” Hence St. Laurence Justinian exclaimed: “O blessed voluntary poverty, possessing nothing, fearing nothing, always cheerful, always abounding, because it turns to advantage every inconvenience.”

It was for our edification and instruction that Jesus Christ wished to live in continual poverty on earth. Hence St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi called poverty the spouse of Jesus. “Poverty,” says St. Bernard, “was not found in Heaven-it abounded on earth; but man did not know its value: therefore the Son of God, longing after it, came down from Heaven to choose it for Himself, and make it precious to us.” Being rich, says St. Paul, he became poor for your sakes, that through his poverty you might be rich-(2 Cor. viii. 9). Our Redeemer was the Lord of all the riches in Heaven and on earth, but He wished to be miserably poor in this life in order to enrich us and to excite us by His example to the love of poverty which, by withdrawing our affections from temporal goods, procures for us eternal riches. He wished to be poor during His whole life. Poor in His Birth-He was born, not in a palace but in a cold stable having only a manger for His cradle and straw for His bed. Poor in His life and poor in all things He dwelt in a miserable cabin containing but a single room which served for all the purposes of life. Poor in His garments and in His food. St. John Chrysostom says that the Redeemer and His disciples ate nothing but barley-bread; and this may be inferred from the Gospel (John vi. 9). Poor, in fine, in His death: leaving nothing behind Him but His miserable garments; and these, even before His death, were divided among the soldiers. Thus for His winding-sheet and sepulchre He depended on the bounty of the charitable.

O my Jesus, in Thee I find all things: out of Thee I desire nothing. Ah, draw me entirely to Thyself; enkindle in my heart Thy holy love alone, by which I desire to be entirely consumed. Deliver me, O Lord, from all affections that separate me from Thee.


II.

Jesus once said to Blessed Angela de Foligno: “If poverty were not a great blessing I should not have chosen it for Myself, nor should I have left it as an inheritance to My elect.” It was because they saw Jesus poor that the Saints loved poverty so much. Father Louis of Granada and Blessed John of Avila discussed one day the reason why St. Francis of Assisi had such an affection for poverty. Father Louis maintained that it was “because the Saint wished to be freed from every impediment to a perfect union with God. But Blessed John of Avila asserted with more truth that the ardent love of St. Francis for holy poverty arose from his ardent love of Jesus Christ. And surely a soul that loves Jesus Christ intensely cannot but exclaim with the Apostle: I count all things as dung, that I may gain Christ-(Phil. iii. 8). I esteem all the goods of the earth as dung, and therefore I despise them all, that I may gain Jesus Christ. Hence St. Francis de Sales used to say that when a house is on fire the furniture is thrown out of the windows; and, long before, the Holy Ghost said: If a man should give all the substance of his house for love he shall despise it as nothing-(Cant. viii. 7). The ardent lover cheerfully despises all things through the love He bears to God.

My dear Redeemer, I know Thou hast been calling me for so many years because Thou dost wish me to belong to Thee entirely. Since, then, Thou dost so ardently desire my welfare, grant that henceforth I may seek only Thy love and the fulfilment of Thy will. Amen.

Spiritual Rreading

VITA, DULCEDO! HAIL, OUR LIFE, OUR SWEETNESS!

XXIII.-MARY IS OUR LIFE BECAUSE SHE OBTAINS FOR US PERSEVERANCE.

We, says St. Thomas of Villanova, when tempted by the devil need only imitate little chickens which, as soon as they perceive the approach of a bird of prey, run under the wings of their mother for protection. This is exactly what we should do whenever we are assaulted by temptation: we should not stay to reason with it, but immediately fly and place ourselves under the mantle of Mary. I will, however, quote the Saint’s own words addressed to Mary: “As chickens when they see a kite soaring above run and find refuge under the wings of the hen, so are we preserved under the shadow of thy wings.” “And thou,” he continues, “who art our Lady and Mother, hast to defend us; for, after God, we have no other refuge than thee, who art our only hope and our protectress; towards thee we all turn our eyes with confidence.”

Let us then conclude in the words of St. Bernard: “O man, whoever thou art, understand that in this world thou art tossed about on a stormy and tempestuous sea, rather than walking on solid ground; remember that if thou wouldst avoid being drowned thou must never turn thine eyes from the brightness of this star, but keep them fixed on it and call on Mary. In dangers, in straits, in doubts, think of Mary, invoke Mary.” Yes, in dangers of sinning, when molested by temptations, when doubtful as to how you should act, remember that Mary can help you and call upon her, and she will instantly succour you. “Let not her name leave thy lips, let it be ever in thy heart.” Your hearts should never lose confidence in her holy name nor should your lips ever cease to invoke it. “Following her thou wilt certainly not go astray.” Oh, no; if we follow Mary we shall never err from the paths of salvation. “Imploring her, thou wilt not despair.” Each time that we invoke her aid we shall be inspired with perfect confidence. “If she supports thee thou canst not fall; if she protects thee thou hast nothing to fear, for thou canst not be lost; with her for thy guide thou wilt not be weary, for thy salvation will be worked out with ease. If she is propitious thou wilt reach the port.” If Mary undertakes our defence we are certain of gaining the kingdom of Heaven. This do and thou shalt live-(Luke x. 28).

Evening Meditation

THE PRACTICE OF THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST

XXIX.-“CHARITY IS KIND”- HE THAT LOVES JESUS CHRIST LOVES MEEKNESS

I.

And more than this, the superior should be kind even in the correction of faults. It is one thing to correct with firmness, and another with harshness. It is needful at times to correct with firmness, when the fault is serious, and especially if it be repeated after the subject has already been admonished of it; but let us always be on our guard against harsh and angry correction; he that corrects with anger does more harm than good. This is that bitter zeal reproved by St. James. Some make a boast of keeping their family in order by severity, and they say it is the only successful method of treatment; but St. James speaks not so: But if you have bitter zeal … glory not-(James iii. 1.4). If on some rare occasion it be necessary to speak a cross word in order to bring the offender to a proper sense of his fault, yet in the end we ought invariably to leave him with a gentle countenance and a word of kindness. Wounds must be healed after the fashion of the good Samaritan in the Gospel, with wine and oil. “But as oil,” said St. Francis de Sales, “always swims on the surface of all other liquids, so must meekness prevail over all our actions.” And when it occurs that the person under correction is agitated, then the reprehension must be deferred till his anger has subsided, or else we should only increase his indignation. The Canon Regular St. John said: “When the house is on fire, one must not cast wood into the flames.”


II.

You know not of what spirit you are-(Luke ix. 55). Such were the words of Jesus Christ to His disciples James and John, when they would bring down chastisements on the Samaritans for expelling them from their country. Ah, said the Lord to them, and what spirit is this? This is not My spirit, which is sweet and gentle; for I am come not to destroy but to save souls: The Son of man came not to destroy souls, but to save-(Luke ix. 56). And would you induce Me to destroy them? Oh, be silent, and never make the like request to Me, for such is not according to My spirit. And, in fact, with what meekness did Jesus Christ treat the adulteress! Woman, said He, hath no man condemned thee? Neither will I condemn thee! Go, and now sin no more-(John viii. 10, 11.). He was satisfied with merely warning her not to sin again, and sent her away in peace. With what meekness, again, did He seek the conversion of the Samaritan woman, and so, in fact, converted her! He first asked her to give Him to drink; then He said to her: If thou didst know who he is that saith to thee: “Give me to drink” and then He revealed to her that He was the expected Messiah. And again, with what meekness did he strive to convert the impious Judas, admitting him to eat from the same dish with Him, washing his feet and admonishing him in the very act of His betrayal: Judas, dost thou betray the Son of Man with a kiss?-(Luke xxii. 48). And see how He converted Peter after his denial of Him! And the Lord turning, looked on Peter-(Luke xxii. 61). On leaving the house of the high-priest, without making him a single reproach, He cast on him a look of tenderness, and thus converted him; and so effectually did He convert him that, during his whole life long, Peter never ceased to bewail the injury he had done to His Master.