186 CHAPTER XIX. HIS LABOURS AND TRAVELS. Prophecy. SAY to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not; behold, your God will come with vengeance, even GOD with a recompense, He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing. Isa. xxxv. 4—6. Gospel Narrative. And JESUS went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness, and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad as sheep without a shepherd. S. Matt. ix. 35, 36. When the even was come, they brought unto Him many that were possessed with devils; and He cast out the spirits by His Word, and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew Him and He healed all that were sick; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and prayed. And Simon and they that were with him followed after Him, and when they had found Him, they said unto Him, All men seek for Thee. And the people sought Him, and came unto Him, and stayed Him that He should not depart from them. And He said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of GOD to other cities. Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also; for therefore came I forth. And He preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils. S. Matt. viii. 16, 17; S. Mark i. 35-39; S. Luke iv. 42. And He said unto them (the apostles), Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile; for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. S. Mark vi. 31. He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee. And He must needs go through Samaria. Then cometh He to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to His son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. JESUs therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: JESUS saith unto her, Give me to drink. For His disciples were gone away into the city to buy meat. S. John iv. 5-8. Reflections. O my God, who may complain of doing too much, if they consider the labours of JESUS? Let us in every part of our lives, reflect on His Example. His retirements were filled up with holy meditations, and in the midst of business, His mind was occupied on heavenly things. His conversations mispent no time; charity to soul or body was the result of every mo ment. In His leisure hours He instructed the ignorant, reclaimed the offender, and healed the sick. It was Thy meat and drink, O LORD, to do Thy FATHER'S will; O make it ours to perform Thine. And let us, in whatever we take in hand, always consult Thy commands in Thine Example. Meditation. O Divine Saviour! Who knowest the greatness of my sins, the evils they cause me, and the blessings they deprive me of; Who art touched with compassion for our infirmities, (Heb. iv. 14,) Who hast suffered so much to heal them, and Who hast so earnestly sought me; Thou hast shown Thyself, O Divine Light! to them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death. Thou hast sought Thy wandering sheep, O merciful Shepherd! amongst the hills and the vales, in towns and villages; overwhelming Thy Sacred Body, which followed the dictates of Thy Will, with a thousand fatigues. Thou dost incite all hearts by the sweet violence of Thy charity, to love, and seek, and receive Thee; Thou fillest them with Divine doctrine, and with admiration of Thy works, and the sweetness of Thy grace. (See S. Matt. xiii. 54; S. Mark vi. 2; vii. 37; S. Luke iv. 22; S. John vii. 46.) What blessings dost Thou not shower upon sinners amidst so many labours which Thou enduredst for them! How ought my heart to be filled with gratitude for so many painful journeys. When any one invites Thee, Thou goest to see them, and graciously suppliest all they lack, and fillest them with abundant grace. (S. John ii.) Thou seekest even those who do not invite Thee, because Thou knowest the need they have of Thee. Thou camest to the borders of the sea, to take sinners to make them Thy disciples. (S. Matt. iv. 18, 22.) Thou goest before an afflicted widow to raise her son, who had died in the city of Nain;1 Thou approachest a pool to heal a paralytic, abandoned by all the world. Thou madest a voyage to Tyre and Sidon to find there a Canaanite;3 Thou didst enter into the house of a Pharisee to sanctify a sinner,* and into the house of Peter to heal his mother-in-law.5 Thou takest the way by which Thou knewest Zaccheus would come, and sheddest a thousand blessings upon him and his house." Thou seekest the Samaritan with much fatigue, in order to make her taste the sweetness of Thy grace. Thou visitest sinners, and eatest with them, in order to teach them heavenly truth.8 Thou goest before the blind to give them their sight; the possessed, to deliver them;10 the lepers, to cleanse them;" the afflicted, to console them;12 the wanderers, to lead them in the way; the 9 1 S. Luke vii. 11-18. 3 S. Matt. xv. 21--28. S. Luke iv. 38, 39. 7 See heading. 2 S. John v. 2-9. 4 S. Luke vii. 36-50. 6 S. Luke xix. 1-10. 9 S. Matt. ix. 10--13. 9 S. Matt. ix. 27-31; S. Luke xviii. 35-43; S. John ix. 10 S. Matt. ix. 32--34, xii. 21; S. Mark v. 1; S. Luke iv. 33-37; viii. 1—3. 11 S. Matt. viii. 1-3; S. Luke xviii. 11-19. 12 S. Matt. xi. 28-30; xv. 32; S. John xi. hard-hearted, to soften their hearts,' and Thou doest nothing but for their good. When Thou wast weary and obliged to rest, the miseries of so many wandering sheep, and the dangers to which they were exposed, would not permit Thee to take the repose Thou didst need. The days were too short, and the nights too long, to satisfy the zeal and love which burned in Thy compassionate heart.2 Although the people followed Thee in crowds, in the fields and on the mountains, to hear Thy doctrine, and found with Thee nourishment for both soul and body, Thy charity was not satisfied, for Thou wentest to seek those whom the cares of this life prevented from following Thee. Thou showest Thyself to all who seek Thee, and sufferest none to seek Thee in vain; and Thou callest even those who seek Thee not.5 Open the eyes of my soul, O Divine Pastor! that I may see myself to be one of those lost sheep, which Thou didst seek with so much care, so much perseverance, and fatigue. Thy Divine Voice henceforth calls me, Thy mercy invites me, Thy doctrine instructs me, the hope Thou givest to sinners sustains me, Thy miracles heal me, Thy works comfort me, and those eyes, which convert hearts, regard me with pity. 1 S. Matt. xiii. 10-17; S. John vii. viii. ix. 2 See texts at the head, and S. Mark i. 32--37. 3 S. Matt. xv. 29-39; S. Mark vi. 34, 35; S. Luke ix. 10; S. John vi. 4 S. Luke x. 38-42; S. John xi. 5 S. Matt. ix. 9; S. John i. 43. |