Imagini ale paginilor
PDF
ePub

176

CHAPTER XVII.

THE POVERTY OF OUR LORD'S LIFE.

Prophecy.

See Isaiah liii. 3.

Gospel Narrative.

AND she brought forth her First-born Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a Manger, because there was no room for them in the Inn. S. Luke ii. 7.

And JESUS saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His Head. S. Matt. viii. 20. See also chap. xvii. 20-27.

Is not this the Carpenter, the

[blocks in formation]

Reflections.

Although JESUS CHRIST was the King of Glory, and possessed all the treasures of heaven and earth, He vouchsafed to become poor, and in this world He

chose to be born in a poor place, which belonged to another, of a poor Mother, and to have a poor Carpenter as His reputed father. For His first courtiers He had poor Shepherds; and He was presented in the Temple, and redeemed as the poorest of men. During the three years of His Ministry, He "had not where to lay His Head," and He denied Himself the comforts which He had freely given to the creatures of His Hand; for He says, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay His Head." The Apostles whom He chose, were poor men. He died naked on the Cross, and was buried in the tomb of another. Thus we see, how the King of Kings, Who abundantly supplies the wants of all, was Himself subject to poverty and hardship. He has taught us not to be seekers of bodily comforts, but to learn, both from His precepts and example, lessons of humility, poverty, and self-denial. Let us then follow our Divine Master, and having food and raiment, be therewith content.

Meditation.

O Fountain of heavenly riches! O abundant Source of all good! O Infinite happiness of the souls which desire and seek Thee! O JESUS, my GOD, my Saviour, my King, and my All! I render eternal praise to Thee, since Thou art my riches and felicity. In Thee I possess all, for Thou hast in Thyself all that can render me happy, and out of Thee I find only poverty. Wean my heart from earthly things, and

N

take from my senses the taste for all things which draw me from Thee. Deliver my soul from the vanities which occupy it; and fill all its capacity, which Thou hast made only for Thyself, that I may seek after Thee, my only Good, and have all my powers occupied with Thee.

Thou wast born poor, lived poor, and died poor; and Thou hadst not a place on earth, where to repose Thy Sacred Head, nor aught to bury Thee after Thy Death. On Calvary they stripped off Thy poor robes, which became the perquisites of those who crucified Thee. Upon the Cross, Thou wast deprived of those solaces which the greatness of Thy sorrows demanded; and in Thy Death, Thou wast left alone. Have pity on me, LORD, and grant to Thy unworthy creature, the grace to give myself up entirely to Thee. But, alas! miserable though I am, I allow myself to wander. I seek that which Thou didst avoid, I submit to that which Thou didst disdain, and run after the basest things with insatiate desires; and I am so blind as to think that I can satisfy myself out of Thee. Thou, LORD, to Whom all is due, Thou hast preferred the privation of earthly comforts, to their abundance, solely for the love which Thou hast for sinners. But as for me, I am unhappy when these things fail me, and happy when I possess them, even without Thee. What blindness! What misery! These perishable goods corrupt me, yet I desire them, they cause me to lose Thy love, and deprive me of Thee, O my God, and of Thy Divine blessings.

Thou knowest my sins, O Saviour! and Thou alone canst cleanse them. O JESUS, Who wast poor and

destitute of all, have pity on my poverty. Alas! I see how far I am from that poverty of spirit which Thou desirest in Thy servants. But such as I am, I throw myself at Thy Feet; break the bonds which bind me to the earth, fill me with a holy disregard of those things which Thou didst despise in this life; and collect all my thoughts, affections, and actions into Thyself.

It is true, O LORD, that I am utterly unworthy that Thou shouldst enter into my soul; but since my unworthiness has not prevented Thee from calling me, it ought not to hinder me from following Thee. Draw me then, O LORD, as Thou didst draw S. Matthew, and Zaccheus, and Magdalen; and if I am still more blind and miserable than they, the excess of my misery is a reason to draw down Thy compassion upon me. Thou, O my Saviour, hast not disdained poverty in any form. Thou wast born of a poor Mother, in a poor place. Thou didst draw to Thy Manger, poor and simple Shepherds. Thou didst choose poor and unlettered disciples. Thou hast called poor sinners to Thee, Thou hast lived among sinners, and Thou didst die between two sinners. There is no kind of poverty that Thou hast not loved, either to practise, to heal, or to enrich it. I therefore, poor and destitute as I am, throw myself, O my Saviour, and my GOD! with all my sins, my miseries and infirmities, and with all the good desires with which Thou hast inspired me, I throw all into the arms of Thy Mercy, that Thou mayest forgive, heal, and enrich me with Thy Grace.

Prayer.

All praise, glory and honour be to Thee, O CHRIST, Who didst not disdain the intercourse of publicans and sinners, but didst show most gracious friendship, and free forgiveness of sins, to S. Matthew, Zaccheus, Mary Magdalen, to the woman taken in adultery, and all other penitents; have mercy also, O LORD, on me a sinner, and grant me the entire pardon of my sins; give me a sure hope of Thy grace, and a sure and holy confidence in Thee. Give me grace to embrace all men with true affection and charity, readily to forgive all who have injured me, and perfectly to love all who Amen.

hate me.

O LORD JESUs, the King of Glory, Who didst vouchsafe to lead a Life of poverty and privation, give me grace to disregard all the gilded glories, empty consolations, and false honours of this world, and to follow Thee in all simplicity and humility of life. Amen.

See also "Prayer for a low esteem of worldly things." Devotions for Sick Room, page 158.

« ÎnapoiContinuă »