,,ortus ,,christi ,works by the same ,author3 ,,sponsa ,,christi ,meditations on the ,religious ,life4 ,,passio ,,christi ,meditations for ,lent4 ,,mater ,,christi ,meditations on ,our ,lady4 ,,dona ,,christi ,meditations for ,ascension-tide1 ,whitsun-tide and ,corpus ,christi4 ,,longmans1 ,,green ,,co4 ,london1 ,new ,york1 ,bombay1 ,calcutta1 and ,madras4 ,,ortus ,,christi ,meditations for ,advent ,,by ,,mother ,,st4 ,,paul ,,religious ,,of ,,the ,,retreat ,,of ,,the ,,sacred ,,heart ,,house ,,of ,,retreats--,,birmingham ,,author ,,of ,,sponsa ,,christi1 ,,passio ,,christi1 ,,mater ,,christi1 ,,dona ,,christi1 ,,etc4 ,,preface ,,by ,,rev4 ,,joseph ,,rickaby4 ,s4,j4 ,ambulabunt gentes in lumine tuo et reges in splendore ortus tui4 7,is4 lx4 #c74 ,,longmans1 ,,green ,,and ,,co4 #ci ,,paternoster ,,row1 ,,london1 ,e4,c4 #d ,,fourth ,,avenue ,,and #cj,,th ,,street1 ,,new ,,york ,,bombay1 ,,calcutta ,,and ,,madras #aiba ,nihil obstat ,,josephus ,,rickaby ,s4 ,j4 ,censor deputatus4 ,imprimatur ,,eduardus ,,ilsley ,administrator ,apostolicus4 ,die #ai ,aprilis #aiba4 ,,preface4 ,reading these ,meditations we discover with surprise how much spiritual food is obtainable from a study of the lessons and liturgy of ,advent4 ,mother ,st4 ,paul is always a heart-searcher4 ,she presses self-reform upon souls1 who to the eye of outward observers and perhaps in their own conceit1 have little or nothing to amend4 ,we must always be following ,christ1 and ,christ is ever moving forward4 ,deliberately to stand still is to widen the distance between ourselves and ,him1 an ungenerous1 not to say a dangerous thing to do4 ,what are called here ,meditations may well be taken for daily spiritual reading in preparation for ,christmas4 ,advent after all is a season of joy1 and these ,meditations must be taken in a joyful spirit4 ,courage and enthusiasm in the cause of ,christ is the supreme need of all ,catholics who really love ,his coming4 7#b ,tim4 ,,iv4 #h7 ,,joseph ,,rickaby1 ,s4 ,j4 ,st4 ,beuno's ,college4 ,,note4 ,although there are twenty-eight ,meditations given in this book they will not all be needed every year1 for the length of ,advent varies between twenty-two and twenty-eight days4 ,the ,third ,sunday of ,advent may fall as late as ,december #agth 7the first day of the ,great ,o's7 and the ,fourth ,sunday of ,advent be ,christmas ,eve4 ,the plan suggested1 which will suit all years1 is to use ,no4 #a on ,advent ,sunday and the rest according to choice till ,december #agth2 from then to ,december #bdth ,nos4 #ba-bh should be used4 ,,contents4 ,,page #a4 ,ortus ,christi 7,advent ,i7 #a #b4 ,our ,lady's ,rest #f #c4 ,my ,sins--,a ,triptych #aa #d4 ,the ,last ,judgment #af #e4 ,traders and ,talents #ba #f4 ,stir up6 #bg #g4 ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 #a ,his ,preparation #cc #h4 ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 #b ,his ,mission #ci #i4 ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 #c ,his ,testimony #dd #aj4 ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 #d ,his ,martyrdom #di #aa4 ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 #e ,his ,character #ec #ab4 ,incarnatus est #eh #ac4 ,ex ,maria ,virgine #fc #ad4 ,the ,lord is nigh 7,advent ,,iii7 #fg #ae4 ,the ,interior ,life1 #a ,humility #gc #af4 ,the ,interior ,life1 #b ,oblation #gg #ag4 ,the ,interior ,life1 #c ,imprisonment #ha #ah4 ,the ,interior ,life1 #d ,hiddenness #he #ai4 ,the ,interior ,life1 #e ,prayer #hi #bj4 ,the ,interior ,life1 #f ,zeal #ic #ba4 ,o ,sapientia6 ,december #agth4 #ii #bb4 ,o ,adonai6 7,expectation of ,our ,lady7 ,december #ahth4 #ajd #bc4 ,o ,radix ,jesse6 ,december #aith4 #aaj #bd4 ,o ,clavis ,david6 ,december #bjth4 #aad #be4 ,o ,oriens6 7,feast of ,st4 ,thomas7 ,december #bath4 #aah #bf4 ,o ,rex ,gentium6 ,december #bbnd4 #abc #bg4 ,o ,emmanuel6 ,december #bc;d4 #abg #bh4 ,christmas ,eve ,december #bdth4 #acj ,,prayers4 ,deus1 qui de beatae ,mariae ,virginis utero1 ,verbum ,tuum1 ,angelo nuntiante1 carnem suscipere voluisti3 praesta supplicibus ,tuis ut qui vere eam ,genitricem ,dei credimus1 ejus apud ,te intercessionibus adjuvemur4 ,o ,god ,who didst please that ,thy ,word should take flesh1 at the message of an ,angel1 in the womb of the ,blessed ,virgin ,mary2 grant to ,thy suppliants that we who believe her to be truly the ,mother of ,god1 may be helped by her intercession4 7,collect for the ,annunciation1 said at ,mass every day during ,advent47 ,omnipotens sempiterne ,deus1 qui gloriosae ,virginis ,matris ,mariae corpus et animam1 ut dignum ,filii tui habitaculum effici mereretur1 ,spiritu sancto cooperante1 praeparasti3 da1 ut cujus commemoratione laetamur1 ejus pia intercessione1 ab instantibus malis1 et a morte perpetua liberemur4 ,almighty1 everlasting ,god1 ,who by the co-operation of the ,holy ,ghost didst prepare the body and soul of the glorious ,virgin ,mother ,mary to become a habitation meet for ,thy ,son2 grant that as we rejoice in her commemoration1 we may1 by her loving intercession1 be delivered from present evils and from everlasting death4 7,collect said at ,office after the ,salve ,regina47 ,conscientias nostras1 quaesumus ,domine1 visitando purifica1 ut veniens ,,jesus ,christus ,filius ,tuus ,dominus noster cum omnibus ,sanctis1 paratam ,sibi in nobis inveniat mansionem4 ,purify our consciences1 we beseech ,thee ,o ,lord1 by ,thy visitation1 that when ,thy ,son ,,jesus ,christ our ,lord shall come with all ,his ,saints1 ,he may find a mansion prepared in us for ,himself4 7,little ,office ,b4 ,v4 ,m4 ,vespers for ,advent47 ,,prayer ,,of ,,ven4 ,,father ,,olier4 ,o ,,jesus1 vivens in ,maria1 ,veni et vive in famulis ,tuis1 ,in spiritu sanctitatis ,tuae1 ,in plenitudine virtutis ,tuae1 ,in veritate virtutum ,tuarum1 ,in perfectione viarum ,tuarum1 ,in communione mysteriorum ,tuorum2 ,dominare omni adversae potestati1 ,in ,spiritu ,tuo1 ad gloriam ,patris4 ,amen4 ,o ,,jesus1 living in ,mary1 ,come and live in ,thy servants1 ,in the spirit of ,thy sanctity1 ,in the fulness of ,thy strength1 ,in the reality of ,thy virtues1 ,in the perfection of ,thy ways1 ,in the communion of ,thy mysteries4 ,dominate over every opposing power1 ,in ,thine own ,spirit1 to the glory of the ,father4 ,amen4 7#cjj days1 once a day1 ,pius ,,ix1 ,oct4 #ad #ahei47 ,sancta ,dei ,genitrix1 ora pro nobis4 ,mater ,christi1 ora pro nobis4 ,vas spirituale1 ora pro nobis4 ,vas honorabile1 ora pro nobis4 ,vas insigne devotionis1 ora pro nobis4 ,turris ,davidica1 ora pro nobis4 ,turris eburnea1 ora pro nobis4 ,domus aurea1 ora pro nobis4 ,foederis arca1 ora pro nobis4 ,janua coeli1 ora pro nobis4 ,,ortus ,,christi4 ,advent ,sunday4 ,arise1 be enlightened1 444 for thy light is come1 and the glory of the ,lord is risen upon thee4444 ,the ,lord shall arise upon thee 444 the ,gentiles shall walk in thy light1 and kings in the brightness of thy rising 7ortus74 7,is4 ,,lx4 #a-c74 #ast ,prelude4 ,a picture of the first streaks of dawn4 #bnd ,prelude4 ,grace to arise because the ,light has come4 ,,point ,i4 ,,the ,,rising ,,of ,,christ4 ,the ,church begins her new liturgical year with the words3 ,ad ,te levavi animam meam--,to ,thee have ,i lifted up my soul 7,introit for to-day7--as though she were straining her eyes to try to see something on the horizon4 ,she cannot see anything very definite yet1 but she is full of hope4 ,deus meus1 in ,te confido1 non erubescam--,my ,god ,i trust in ,thee1 let me not be ashamed1 do not let me lift up my eyes in vain1 she cries2 and she keeps on looking4 ,this will be her attitude all through the season of ,advent1 an attitude of expectancy1 of waiting1 of hope1 of trust1 of prayer4 ,we know for what she is waiting--the ,ortus ,christi--the ,rising of ,christ4 ,the ,lord shall arise upon thee is the promise4 ,to ,thee have ,i lifted up my soul is her response4 ,what is in her mind when she sees those first streaks of light8 ,they are to her an earnest of what is coming1 an earnest of the ,advent of her ,lord4 ,st4 ,bernard says that ,his ,advent is threefold1 that ,he comes in three different ways3 7#a7 ,in the flesh and in weakness1 7#b7 in the spirit and in power1 7#c7 in glory and in majesty4 ,the ,church knows how much these three ,comings mean to her children1 and so at the first sign of dawn she forgets the long weary night1 and calls to each one3 ,arise1 be enlightened for thy light is come1 and the glory of the ,lord is risen upon thee4 ,behold the ,bridegroom cometh1 go ye forth to meet ,him4 ,let us then begin our ,advent in the spirit of the ,church4 ,let us arise once more as she bids us1 rouse ourselves that is1 to look with her at the dawn1 while we say to ourselves3 ,behold ,he cometh leaping upon the mountains1 skipping over the hills4 ,behold ,he standeth behind our wall1 looking through the windows1 looking through the lattices4 ,as we look we hear the voice of our ,beloved1 ,he is speaking to ,his ,church4 ,what has ,he to say as soon as ,he comes in sight8 ,arise1 make haste1 my love1 my dove1 my beautiful one1 and come 7,cant4 ,,ii4 #h-aj74 ,it is the same injunction3 ,arise4 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,the ,,rising ,,of ,,the ,,church4 ,if the ,bridegroom is rising1 it is evident that the ,bride must do the same4 ,he is rising to come to ,his ,bride1 she must rise to go to ,him4 ,how8 ,by meditating on ,his ,advents2 by thanking ,him once more for them2 by asking herself what use she has made of them hitherto1 what use she intends to make during this ,new ,year that is beginning2 by preparing herself for them2 by remembering that as ,his ,bride she has a very real share in each4 #a4 ,the past ,coming1 in the flesh and in weakness4 ,we shall think about this coming more especially at ,christmas1 for which the season of ,advent is a preparation4 ,the bright and morning star 7,apoc4 ,,xxii4 #af7 will by then have risen in all its fulness4 ,the ,word will be made ,flesh and once more we shall rise in the quiet silence of the night to worship our ,god in the flesh and in weakness4 #b4 ,the present ,coming1 in the spirit and in power--,his ,coming in grace to the soul1 to dwell with it by ,his ,spirit4 ,in power--because only ,he ,who is omnipotent could work such a stupendous miracle as the miracle of grace4 ,this miracle could never have been worked1 had it not been for the first ,coming4 ,the ,word was made ,flesh that ,he might by ,his death redeem ,his people and restore to them the kingdom of grace which they had lost in ,adam4 ,this second ,coming is to prepare us for the third4 #c4 ,the future ,coming1 in glory and in majesty when ,he shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead1 and when all will be forced to rise and go to meet ,him whether they will or not4 ,it is those1 who have risen voluntarily to meet their ,god in ,his second ,coming1 who will have no fear of the third4 ,the second ,coming1 then1 the ,coming in grace1 is the most practical one for us as we begin our ,advent1 and upon it we will meditate in our third point4 ,,point ,,iii4 ,,the ,,dwelling ,,of ,,the ,,blessed ,,trinity ,,within ,,us4 ,this is what ,god's ,coming in grace means--a soul in the state of grace is the host of the ,blessed ,trinity1 neither more nor less4 ,we will come to ,him and will make our abode with him1 7,st4 ,john ,,xiv4 #bc7 and from the moment that grace enters1 the soul becomes the abode of ,god the ,father1 ,god the ,son and ,god the ,holy ,ghost4 ,it was at the moment of ,baptism that our souls were raised to the dignity of being hosts of ,god ,himself4 ,what happened then8 ,god added to the natural gifts with which ,he had endowed man supernatural ones1 summed up in the gift of grace4 ,what is that8 ,a participation in ,his own life1 something which makes us partakers of the ,divine nature4 7#b ,pet4 ,i4 #d74 ,he created man thus in the beginning1 for ,he meant man always to possess supernatural as well as natural gifts4 ,he meant always to live with man and talk and walk with him in the paradise of his soul2 but ,adam chased out the ,divine ,guest and lost this miraculous privilege for all his children4 ,god1 however1 could not rest content to be outside the souls which ,he had created solely that ,he might live in them1 and ,he devised a way 7the first ,coming of ,christ7 by which ,he might get back to the dwelling which ,he cherished so much4 ,we need not follow the beautiful story of the ,redemption through all its wondrous steps1 we know it well enough2 we will take it up at ,baptism1 when the divine gift of life which ,adam lost was restored to the soul1 when ,god came back to ,his chosen dwelling1 and the soul regained its responsible position of host to the ,blessed ,trinity4 ,when ,satan had noticed that the soul was left exposed1 that it was a human soul only1 with nothing divine about it1 he naturally had taken possession1 as he does of all empty houses2 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,xii4 #dd7 so at ,baptism the ,priest said3 ,depart from him1 thou unclean spirit1 and give place to the ,holy ,ghost4 ,where the ,holy ,ghost is1 there are also the ,father and the ,son4 ,the ,blessed ,trinity1 then1 waits to take possession of each soul1 waits to come back to ,its own1 waits to restore the privilege that man had at the beginning4 ,thus the new creation takes place1 and the soul is no longer a human soul only1 but divine1 for the ,divine ,life within has made it one with ,itself4 ,does man realize this privilege and rise to it8 ,no6 ,for the greater part of ,christians we are obliged to say3 ,no4 ,as soon as they come to years of discretion1 they invite back the unclean spirit and chase out their ,divine ,guest4 ,what base ingratitude6 ,and what folly6 ,but ,god1 who is rich in mercy is not repelled by such conduct2 ,his one thought is to go back to ,his ,temple which has been so profaned1 and the scheme of ,redemption included a method1 7the ,sacrament of ,penance17 whereby1 if man would1 he could drive out the devil and invite back the ,divine ,guest4 ,is ,god angry8 ,does ,he upbraid8 ,does ,he allude to the past and throw doubts on the future8 ,no1 ,he loves1 and all ,he asks in return is love4 ,such is our ,guest6 ,now what is my side of this great question8 ,i am1 or if ,i am not1 ,i can be1 a ,temple of ,god4 ,god is living within me4 ,how much do ,i think about it8 ,i often talk about recalling the ,presence of ,god1 but it is ,his ,presence within me that ,i have to recall4 ,i make ,acts of ,contrition1 of ,love4 ,to ,whom8 ,to the ,god within me4 ,do not let me forget that my heart is an altar where ,i can1 whenever ,i will1 adore ,god4 ,he is there to walk with me and talk to me as ,he did to ,adam of old4 ,he wants me to live side by side with ,him1 and talk to ,him as naturally as ,i do to my friend4 ,let me try this ,advent1 as one of the best ways of preparing for the ,coming of ,christ at ,christmas1 and for ,his ,coming in judgment1 to realize what the supernatural life means1 what ,god in me means1 what it means to be the host always of ,god ,himself4 ,the realization will transform my life1 will alter my point of view1 will change me from a mediocre ,christian into one who is filled with a great idea and who is occupied with it every moment of his time--an idea which is ever stimulating him to aim higher4 ,god in me--then ,i am never alone1 my life is intimately bound up with ,god's life4 ,i am a partaker of ,his nature4 ,o my ,god1 forgive me for having thought of it so little2 help me to rise to my great privileges4 ,i thank ,thee for letting a few streaks of ,thy ,divine ,light reach my dark soul1 and by the time that the ,sun of ,justice has risen in all ,his splendour this ,advent1 may my soul be flooded with the new light which the realization of the ,divine ,presence within it1 will surely bring4 ,colloquy with ,god within me4 ,resolution4 ,to realize this truth to-day1 and every day more and more4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,we will come to ,him and make our abode with ,him4 ,,our ,,lady',s ,,rest4 ,in omnibus requiem quaesivi1 et in hereditate ,domini morabor4 ,in all these ,i sought rest1 and ,i shall abide in the inheritance of the ,lord4 7,ecclus4 ,,xxiv4 #aa74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,a statue of ,our ,lady4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace to abide in the inheritance of the ,lord4 ,that the ,church intends us to spend the season of ,advent with our ,blessed ,mother is quite evident to anyone who takes the trouble to study the ,liturgy4 ,the ,bridegroom is coming1 but it is through the ,virgin-,mother that ,he will come2 and if we would be amongst the first to greet ,him1 if we desire a large share of ,his grace1 if we would have no fear of ,his judgments1 we must keep close to ,mary4 ,,point ,i4 ,i ,,shall ,,abide ,,in ,,the ,,inheritance ,,of ,,the ,,lord4 ,the ,church applies these words to ,mary2 let us try to see what they mean and how far we may copy her in her determination4 ,the inheritance of the ,lord1 what is it8 ,the words bear many interpretations but we cannot be wrong1 surely1 in thinking that this inheritance was ,mary's own soul2 it was indeed the inheritance of the ,lord1 an inheritance to which the ,blessed ,trinity had a special right1 the ,father because ,he had created her in grace1 the ,son because ,he had saved her from the stain of original sin1 the ,holy ,ghost because ,he had ever sanctified her and kept her full of grace4 ,but what was it that made this inheritance more pleasing to ,god than any of the other souls which ,he had redeemed8 ,mary's correspondence with grace we naturally answer2 but what do we mean by that8 ,we mean1 or we ought to mean1 that ,mary realized to the full that ,god the ,father1 ,god the ,son and ,god the ,holy ,ghost lived within her2 and hence her resolution to abide in the inheritance of the ,lord1 never to leave her ,divine ,guest1 never to forget that she was the host and that it was her privilege to entertain4 ,this is surely the secret of ,mary's life and of her correspondence with grace4 ,she dwelt in closest union with the ,god who dwelt within her4 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,in ,,all ,,things ,i ,,sought ,,rest4 ,where did she seek this rest1 this calm of which her whole life speaks8 ,within her own soul with her ,divine ,guest1 in other words ,mary lived an interior life4 ,she preferred a life inside with ,god1 to one outside in the world4 ,hers was a continual realization of ,god's ,presence--of ,god's ,presence within her2 and it was this realization which enabled her to find rest in every circumstance of her chequered life4 ,she did not allow outward events to mar her interior calm4 ,her ,divine ,guest was always there and to ,him she could always turn4 ,the consequence was that she was never agitated1 disquieted1 excited1 anxious1 troubled4 ,she dwelt in the inheritance of the ,lord1 and there she sought rest in all things whether it was in3 ,the joy of the ,archangel's visit1 or the difficulty of her visit to ,elizabeth4 ,the anguish of the reception at ,bethlehem1 or the joy at the birth of her ,son4 ,the ,angels who sang3 ,glorias at ,his birth1 or the neighbours who made unkind remarks4 ,the shepherds who came to worship in their poverty1 or the ,wise ,men in all their pomp and splendour4 ,the ecstasy caused by her ,babe's smile1 or the distress caused by ,his tears4 ,the words of the ,angel3 ,of ,his ,kingdom there shall be no end1 or the words of ,simeon3 ,he shall be a sign which shall be contradicted4 ,the peaceful home-life with ,,jesus and ,joseph1 or the hurried flight into ,egypt4 ,the anguish of losing ,him 7,desolation71 or the joy of finding ,him 7,consolation74 ,the active work for the little household1 or the times of contemplation at ,,jesus' feet4 ,the long1 happy days at ,nazareth with her ,son1 or the sad day when ,he left ,his ,mother's roof4 ,the account of ,his success3 ,all men go to ,him1 or the account of ,his failure3 ,they all forsook ,him and fled4 ,the cry3 ,hosannah1 blessed is ,he6 or the cry3 ,crucify ,him1 crucify ,him6 it is not fit that ,he should live4 ,the agony of watching ,him suffer and die1 or the delight of seeing ,his glorified ,body4 ,the pain of being left in exile on earth1 or the joy of hearing ,him say3 ,arise1 ,my fair one and come1 the winter is over4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in omnibus requiem quaesivi4--,not that all these things were the same to her1 not that she was indifferent or did not care1 she cared more than anyone else could1 for her heart was perfect and therefore more delicate and sensitive than any other except the ,sacred ,heart of ,,jesus4 ,what then was her secret8 ,that she lived with the ,blessed ,trinity1 and that made her see ,god's ,will in all that happened to her1 and see it so vividly that she almost lost sight of the particular circumstances1 and hardly knew whether they were painful or joyful4 ,the pain was a joy because it was ,god's ,will1 and the joy was only a joy because it was ,god's ,will2 so she never wanted to change any thing4 ,she sought rest in the holy habitation1 the home of the ,blessed ,trinity2 she pondered things over in her heart1 that is1 she talked about them with her ,divine ,guest4 ,,point ,,iii4 ,,the ,,child ,,of ,,mary4 ,the child must copy the ,mother4 ,how is it with me8 ,surely if anyone ought to realize the ,divine ,presence within1 it is a child of ,mary6 ,how far do ,i copy ,our ,lady in her interior life8 ,what do ,i know of that deep calm within1 into which ,i can always retire and seek rest1 and where ,i can1 if ,i will1 rest so entirely that outward circumstances make little difference8 ,if ,i have made the same resolution as ,our ,lady2 namely1 to abide in the inheritance of the ,lord2 pain and anxiety and difficulty will be an actual source of joy1 because they afford an excuse for an extra visit to the ,home within1 and for longer conversations than usual with my loved ,guest4 ,if a difficulty or a humiliation or something that ,i do not like comes in my way1 ,i shall not be troubled1 my first thought will be with my ,divine ,guest4 ,he has permitted this1 even planned it4 ,i will go and talk to ,him about it1 find out what ,he means1 what ,he wants me to do and how ,i can best act in the circumstances to gain glory for ,him4 ,this is what is meant by the interior life1 and it can be1 it ought to be1 far stronger than the exterior4 ,it means a holy indifference to everything except ,god's ,will2 it means rest and peace about everything that happens1 without any desire to have things altered2 it takes all anxiety and disquiet and perplexity out of life and leaves a great calm which nothing has the power to disturb except a will in opposition to ,god's ,will4 ,in omnibus requiem quaesivi4--,is it so very hard8 ,perhaps1 for it means the spiritual life1 and that means a continual battle against self2 but it is a battle worth fighting4 ,to fight is not only the way to seek rest1 but it is also the surest way to obtain it2 for they alone who are continually fighting to keep the enemy out can hope to detain their ,divine ,guest within4 ,colloquy with ,mary4 ,help me1 my ,mother1 to dwell1 this ,advent1 in the inheritance of the ,lord1 and when outward things are too much for me and ,i am apt to behave in a manner unworthy of a child of thine1 do thou lead me by the hand into the place of rest and calm1 where ,god ,himself dwells1 and where ,i shall see things from ,his point of view4 ,o ,god1 who didst please that ,thy ,word should take flesh1 at the message of an angel1 in the womb of the ,blessed ,virgin ,mary1 grant to ,thy suppliants1 that we who believe her to be truly the ,mother of ,god may be helped by her intercession4 7,collect to be said every day at ,mass from ,advent to ,christmas ,eve47 ,resolution4 ,to abide in the inheritance of the ,lord to-day4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,in all things ,i sought rest4 ,,my ,,sins--,a ,,triptych4 ,the night is past1 and the day is at hand2 let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light4 7,from the ,epistle for the ,first ,sunday of ,advent74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,the ,foot of the ,cross where my sins have all been laid4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,the grace of contrition and firm resolution4 ,it is clear from the words which she has chosen for her ,epistle for the ,first ,sunday of ,advent that the ,church intends us during this solemn season to think about sin1--the darkness of the past night and the light of the day that is coming and our duty with regard to both4 ,it is not sin in the abstract1 but our own personal sins that we are to consider4 ,let us cast off the works of darkness4 ,if the ,apostle ,paul included himself in that us1 we need not fear to do the same4 ,it is meet1 when we are thinking on the one hand of ,him ,who is coming to save us from our sins and on the other of ,his coming to judge us according to our works1 that we should give some thought to those sins4 ,nothing will better help us to understand the mercy of the ,saviour and the justice of the ,judge than a meditation upon our own sins4 ,god forgets the sins ,he has forgiven1 but it is better for us1 more wholesome and more humiliating1 to remember them sometimes4 ,david says3 ,my sin is always before me 7,ps4 ,l4 #e74 ,the object of this meditation1 then1 is not to cause trouble in the soul--trouble about sins that are forgiven can only come from the devil--but to excite in us a deeper contrition1 more gratitude and a greater watchfulness4 ,,point ,i4 ,a ,,triptych--,,my ,,sins4 ,am ,i to consider all the sins of my life8 ,the subject seems so vast1 it is difficult to know how to condense it so that ,i may be able to bring it within my grasp4 ,all sin may be summed up in one word--disobedience--non serviam4 ,it was the sin of the ,angels1 it was the sin of our first parents and it is at the root of every sin that has ever been committed4 ,god says3 ,thou shalt not1 the sinner says3 ,i will4 ,god says3 ,do this and thou shalt live2 the sinner says3 ,i will not1 ,i would rather die4 ,sin is man's will in opposition to ,god's ,will4 ,this thought simplifies the subject and makes it easier for me to call up the sins of my life and look at them4 ,let me make a picture of them--a triptych1 a picture1 that is1 with three panels side by side1 the middle one shall be called ,places1 that on the right hand ,persons and that on the left ,work4 #a4 ,places4 ,as ,i look at the middle picture ,i see it consists of numbers and numbers of small ones1 each representing some place that is familiar to me--there is the house where ,i was born1 there the school ,i attended1 houses ,i have visited1 hotels where ,i have stayed1 gardens1 playgrounds1 lonely roads1 walks on cliffs1 villages1 towns1 churches1 the sea-side1 trams1 omnibuses1 trains1 boats1 bicycles1 carriages1 stations4444 ,i am fascinated and cannot help looking still1 though the variety and number are almost bewildering4 ,each picture is so familiar2 some awaken sweet and precious memories1 from some ,i quickly turn away my eyes4 ,all can witness to my presence1 how many can witness also to my sins8 ,indeed the ,lord is in this place1 and ,i knew it not4 7,gen4 ,,xxviii4 #af74 ,that may to some extent be true and if so there is ,one who is always ready to say3 ,father1 forgive them for they know not what they do4 ,i know how much ,i knew1 and the best thing1 the only thing for me to do is to make an ,act of ,contrition4 #b4 ,persons4 ,i turn to the right hand panel and there are crowds and crowds of faces1 each one familiar--father1 mother1 brothers1 sisters1 relations1 servants1 teachers1 scholars1 friends1 enemies1 priests1 confessors1 acquaintances 444 what impression have ,i left upon each of these8 ,if they could be called up and asked3 ,what did you think of so and so8 what would they have to say8 ,they would have something1 for ,i left some impression--and yet none of them know me as ,i really am4 ,the three ,persons of the ,blessed ,trinity have been near me always and always observant4 ,they really know me4 ,what have ,they to say8 ,if ,thou1 ,o ,lord1 wilt mark iniquities1 ,lord1 who shall stand it8 7,ps4 ,,cxxix4 #c74 ,this picture makes me sad6 ,that is just what ,our ,lord wants from this meditation4 ,let me offer once more my heartfelt contrition and ,he will be glad that ,i had the courage to open the triptych4 #c4 ,work4 ,as ,i turn to the panel on the left ,i feel that ,i can breathe more freely--my work will certainly give satisfaction6 ,it is something to be proud of2 ,i have always got on well2 ,i have never been idle and ,i have had a certain measure of success1 and ,i feel that in that respect at any rate my life will bear inspection4 ,but this picture too1 as ,i look at it1 seems to be divided up4 ,yes1 ,i can see quite clearly all the different works upon which ,i have been engaged4 ,all are very familiar and bring back for the most part happy memories1 but some of them seem to be labelled4--,what is it that is written across them8 ,you did it to ,me4 ,and all the rest that have no labels8 ,they do not count--so evidently considered the ,one ,who put on the labels4 ,he left them1 passed them over1 there was nothing there for ,him4 ,but that hospital that was founded is not labelled1 nor that legacy promised for a charitable purpose6 ,surely some of these without labels are good works6 ,and these that are labelled are such insignificant things1 things ,i should never have remembered at all if they were not in the picture--a kind word1 a smile1 a hasty word kept back because ,i knew it would pain ,him1 suffering cheerfully borne because ,i wanted to be like ,him who suffered for me4 ,why these and not those8 ,because ,he prefers little things8 ,no1 but because of the motive4 ,had the hospital been built out of love for ,him and ,his sick1 had it been built for the glory of ,god and not for the glory of self1 it too would have been labelled4 ,had the hasty word been kept back that others might notice my self-control1 it would not have been labelled4 ,what counts with ,god is the intention with which a thing is done4 ,if it is done out of love for ,him1 no matter how insignificant it is1 yea1 no matter how badly done1 it will surely be labelled ,you did it to ,me1 and it will last when the mighty works that men have so much praised are crumbling in the dust1 labelled with another label ,you did it not unto ,me4 ,have ,i not need to make another ,act of ,contrition as ,i think of my works1 my love of gain1 my ambition1 love of praise and success1 of the motives of my so-called works of charity1 of the times in which ,i have allowed my work to take the first place in my life1 while my soul had to take the second8 ,i shut up my triptych and leave it at ,thy ,feet ,o my ,,jesus1 where the ,blood from ,thy ,wounds may ever drip upon it1 while ,i with ,magdalen stoop and bathe ,thy ,feet with my tears4 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,the ,,triptych4--,,god',s ,,mercies4 ,as ,i look up1 ,i see my triptych opened again and all the thousands of little pictures seem to be transformed4 ,each one is speaking to me of ,god's goodness and tenderness and love4 ,how good it is to turn away from my own misery to ,his infinite mercy2 yea1 more--to recognize that the one is the cause of the other6 ,and this is what ,he wants4 ,if the sight of self does not lead me instinctively to look at ,christ1 it is a very dangerous thing1 for it can only lead to despondency and discouragement4 ,the object of looking at self and its deeds is so to look that everything good or evil may shrivel up and disappear1 till self is there no longer1 but ,christ only and all ,he has done either for or through me4 ,as ,i gaze now at the picture1 ,i no longer see the places on earth which have known me for short periods of time1 but my place in ,heaven which by ,his mercy1 if ,i persevere to the end1 is to know me through all eternity2 not my dear ones as ,i saw them on earth1 but as they are now in my heavenly country waiting for me2 not my innumerable sins of omission1 nor my good works done to please self1 but the work of ,him who always pleased ,his ,father1 work which has made up for all my omissions1 and which shines through every thing that ,i have done for ,him1 making it1 too1 acceptable to ,his ,father4 ,it seems to me now that ,i want to linger over the picture1 for ,his mercies are indeed infinite1 and ,i shall never be able to thank ,him enough for them4 ,but does ,he1 the ,god of infinite mercy and plenteous redemption1 never look at my pictures8 ,he says3 ,i will forgive their iniquity1 and ,i will remember their sin no more 7,jer4 ,,xxxi4 #cd72 and it is true4 ,he will never open my triptych for the sake of looking at my sins1 but may ,he not open it for the joy of seeing each of those thousands of pictures shining with pearls--the tears of contrition8 ,do not let me disappoint ,him4 ,this is the chalice of consolation which ,i can offer to the ,sacred ,heart in reparation4 ,colloquy with ,,jesus thanking ,him for making me look at my triptych and for all that ,he has taught me in it4 ,resolution4 ,never to look at my sins without at once seeing ,christ--a sight which will necessarily produce humility1 gratitude and contrition4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,my sin is always before me but ,thou shalt give joy and gladness4444 and my mouth shall declare ,thy praise 7,ps4 ,l4 #e1 #aj1 #ag74 ,,the ,,last ,,judgment4 ,the powers of ,heaven shall be moved2 and then shall they see the ,son of ,man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty4 7,the ,gospel for the #ast4 ,sunday of ,advent47 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,the ,last ,day4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace to meditate upon it4 ,the ,church invites us during ,advent to turn our thoughts towards the ,second ,coming of ,christ--,his ,coming in judgment at the end of the world4 ,the subject of the ,last ,judgment is perhaps one which we are rather inclined to avoid in our ,meditations2 but it is one about which ,our ,blessed ,lord said a great deal2 it is continually mentioned1 too1 in the ,epistles and in the ,apocalypse1 and as we shall most certainly take a part in that last great scene of the world's drama1 it is surely well for us to have a rehearsal from time to time4 ,,point ,i4 ,,the ,,coming ,,of ,,the ,,judge4 ,when will ,he come8 ,god hath appointed a day wherein ,he will judge the world in equity by the ,man whom ,he hath appointed4 7,acts ,,xvii4 #ca74 ,the day then is fixed1 but of that day and hour no one knoweth1 no not the ,angels of ,heaven1 but the ,father alone4 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,xxiv4 #cf74 ,how will ,he come8 ,he shall so come as you have seen ,him going into ,heaven 7,acts ,i4 #aa71 the ,angel told the ,apostles who had just watched ,his ,ascension4 ,he will come1 that is1 in ,his beautiful ,resurrection ,body1 dazzling with brightness and glory1 with the wounds in ,hands and ,feet and ,side4 ,he will come with much power and majesty 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,xxiv4 #cj7 for ,he will come to judge1 not to preach penance nor atone for sin2 ,he will come unexpectedly as a thief in the night 7#a ,thess4 ,v4 #b7 at what hour you think not 7,st4 ,luke ,,xii4 #dj72 ,he will come with thousands of ,his ,saints 7,jude #ad7 for all those who have slept through ,,jesus will ,god bring with ,him 7#a ,thess4 ,,iv4 #ac72 ,he will bring1 too1 all the ,angels with ,him 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,xxv4 #ca72 ,he will come with the voice of an ,archangel1 and with the trumpet of ,god 7#a ,thess4 ,,iv4 #ae72 ,he will come with the clouds 7,apoc4 ,i4 #g72 ,he will come in the glory of ,his ,father with ,his ,angels 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,xvi4 #bg72 ,he will come as lightning 7,,xxiv4 #bg7 and before ,him will come ,his ,cross--the sign of the ,son of man in the heavens 7verse #cj71 every eye shall see it4 ,what different emotions that sign will excite6 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,the ,,effects ,,of ,,his ,,coming4 ,every eye shall see ,him1 and they also that pierced ,him4 ,and all the tribes of the earth shall bewail themselves because of ,him 7,apoc4 ,i4 #g74 ,we shall all rise again4 7#a ,cor4 ,,xv4 #ea74 ,the sea will give up the dead that are in it1 and death and hell 444 their dead that are in them4 7,apoc4 ,,xx4 #ac74 ,the dead who are in ,christ shall rise first4 7#a ,thess4 ,,iv4 #ae74 ,we shall be changed1 for this corruptible must put on incorruption1 and this mortal must put on immortality4 7#a ,cor4 ,,xv4 #eb74 ,he shall send ,his ,angels with a trumpet1 and a great voice1 and they shall gather together ,his elect from the four winds4 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,xxiv4 #ca74 ,then we who are alive1 who are left1 shall be caught up together with them 7those who died in ,christ7 in the clouds to meet ,christ4 7#a ,thess4 ,,iv4 #af74 ,then shall ,he sit upon the seat of ,his ,majesty1 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,xxv4 #ca7 and render to every man according to his works4 7chap4 ,,xvi4 #bg74 ,then the heavens shall pass away with great violence1 and the elements shall be melted with heat1 and the earth and the works which are in it shall be burnt up4 7#b ,pet4 ,,iii4 #aj74 ,and all these events are to take place in a moment1 in the twinkling of an eye6 7#a ,cor4 ,,xv4 #eb74 ,with the vivid words of ,scripture before us1 it is not difficult to make a picture of the scene--the sign of the ,cross where all can see it2 the voice of the ,archangel and the trumpet of ,god heralding the approach of the ,judge2 the ,son of ,man1 coming in the clouds with all ,his ,angels and thousands of ,his ,saints 7all those from ,heaven and ,purgatory72 the cries of those to whom ,his coming is as that of a thief in the night 7#a ,thess4 ,v4 #b72 the shouts of joy of the children of light 7verse #e72 the opening of the graves1 the sea giving up its dead and the reunion of each soul1 whether from ,heaven1 ,purgatory or hell1 with its body2 the changing of the bodies of those who are living on the earth into ,resurrection bodies2 then the great multitude of the elect clothed in their bodies of immortality rising to meet their ,lord in the air2 then the great white throne set up and ,he who is appointed by ,god to be ,judge 7,acts ,x4 #db7 taking ,his seat upon it1 ,his garment 444 white as snow 444 ,his throne like flames of fire 444 thousands of thousands ministering to ,him 7,dan4 ,,vii4 #i1 #aj72 the dead1 great and small1 standing in the presence of the throne 7,apoc4 ,,xx4 #ab71 ten thousand times a hundred thousand standing before ,him4 7,dan4 ,,vii4 #aj74 ,,point ,,iii4 ,,the ,,judgment4 7#a7 ,the ,separation4 ,quickly the ,angels separate that vast multitude into two companies--those on ,his right ,hand and those on ,his left1 the sheep and the goats1 those who are to enter into life everlasting and those who are to enter into everlasting punishment 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,xxv4 #df72 those who have been faithful over the few things entrusted to them and those who have hidden their ,lord's talent2 those whose lamps are burning and those whose lamps are going out4 ,there is fixed a great chaos between the two companies1 so that they who would pass from one side to the other cannot1 it is too late4 7,st4 ,luke ,,xvi4 #bf74 7#b7 ,the books4 ,and the books were opened 444 and the dead were judged by those things which were written in the books1 according to their works4 ,and another book was opened1 which is the book of life1 and only they that are written in the book of life of the ,lamb shall enter ,heaven4 7,apoc4 ,,xx4 #ab1 ,,xxi4 #bg74 ,every man's work shall be manifest 7#a ,cor4 ,,iii4 #ac72 every idle word that men shall speak1 they shall render an account for it in the day of ,judgment 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,xii4 #cf74 ,then will be seen1 and all will acknowledge it1 the triumph of right over wrong1 the triumph of the ,kingdom1 the triumph of ,christ2 then will be adjusted all that we have so often longed to adjust but could not1 for let both grow together till the harvest was the ,king's order4 ,then will seeming injustices be explained and crimes that have called to ,heaven for vengeance receive their just reward4 ,then will the unanimous cry be3 ,the ,lord ,he is ,god1 and all will be forced to add3 ,he doeth all things well4 7#c7 ,the ,sentences4 ,there are only two3 7#a7 ,then shall the ,king say to them that shall be on ,his right ,hand3 ,come1 ye blessed of my ,father1 possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world4 ,he tells them why they are to have such a blessed reward--they have been faithful subjects of their ,king during their lives on earth1 they have ministered to ,his needs1 lived for ,him and not for self4 ,they seem surprised1 they cannot remember doing acts of charity to their ,king and ,he explains3 ,as long as you did it to one of these ,my least brethren1 you did it to ,me4 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,xxv4 #dj74 ,the sentence ,come is pronounced on those who lived their lives for their ,king1 who did all they had to do1 no matter what it was1 for ,him1 thus uniting themselves with ,him1 and now ,he will unite ,himself with them for all eternity--,come6 7#b7 ,then ,he shall say to them also that shall be on ,his left ,hand3 ,depart from ,me1 you cursed1 into everlasting fire4 ,and again ,he gives ,his reasons for this terrible punishment--they would not acknowledge ,him as their ,king1 would not serve ,him1 lived for self instead of for ,him and ,his brethren3 ,as long as you did it not to one of these least1 neither did you do it to ,me 7verse #de74 ,during their lives they separated themselves from the ,king and ,his interests3 ,we will not have this ,man to reign over us2 now ,he will separate ,himself from them for all eternity4--,depart from ,me6 ,then ,he will say to the reapers3 ,gather up first the cockle1 and bind it into bundles to burn1 but the wheat gather ye into ,my barn4 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,xiii4 #cj74 ,the ,angels shall go out1 and shall separate the wicked from among the just1 and shall cast them into the furnace of fire 7verses #di1 #ej74 ,then shall the just shine as the sun in the ,kingdom of their ,father4 ,he that hath ears to hear let him hear 7verse #dc74 ,colloquy4 ,inter oves locum praesta1 ,et ab hoedis me sequestra1 ,statuens in parte dextra4 7,among the sheep grant me a place1 separate me from the goats1 placing me on ,thy right ,hand74 ,resolution4 ,to remember the doctrine 444 of eternal judgment 7,heb4 ,,vi4 #b7 to-day4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,he shall come again to judge the living and the dead4 ,,traders ,,and ,,talents4 ,a man going into a far country called his servants and delivered to them his goods2 and to one he gave five talents1 and to another two1 and to another one1 to every one according to his proper ability2 and immediately he took his journey4 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,xxv4 #ad74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,,jesus telling this parable to ,his disciples4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace to learn the lessons from it which ,he intended4 ,,point ,i4 ,,the ,,talents4 ,it is ,christ ,himself ,who is the ,author of this parable and ,he told it to show us how we are to prepare for ,his ,coming4 ,every word of it is of importance and bears some instruction or warning for ,advent4 ,the man going into a far country is the ,man-,god1 ,he ,who came from ,heaven to take our human nature and to redeem us to ,god by ,his ,blood4 ,his work of ,redemption is finished and ,he is going back to ,his own country--,a far country--implying that ,he will be gone a long time4 7,he7 called ,his servants4 ,they are ,his own servants1 ,he has created them1 ,he has bought them with ,his ,blood1 they belong to ,him--their service1 their time1 their very lives are ,his1 and this not because they are slaves forced to labour1 but because of their own free will and out of love and gratitude to ,him who has bought them from the cruel slavery of sin1 they have said3 ,i love my ,master 444 ,i will not go out free 7,ex4 ,,xxi4 #e74 ,and 7,he7 delivered to them ,his goods4 ,they are ,his goods not the servants'1 they all belong to ,him and ,he entrusts them to ,his servants to take care of them and to do the best they can with them while ,he is gone4 ,what are these goods8 ,all the good things which ,god has given to man--his life1 his preservation1 his ,baptism1 his christian education1 intellect1 faith1 health1 rank1 wealth1 talents1 conscience1 opportunities of doing good1 position1--and all have to be traded with1 for the ,master to ,whom they belong4 ,his goods include too what the world would label evils--ill-health1 difficulty1 failure1 poverty1 incapability2 these have to be traded with too1 and there is often a higher profit to be made out of these than out of the others4 ,they are all the ,master's goods and ,he delivers them to ,his servants4 ,to one ,he gave five talents and to another two and to another one1 to every one according to his proper ability4 ,he knows ,his servants1 and ,he knows exactly the strength and capability of each4 ,he measures each burden before imposing it and calculates each sum before giving it4 ,this servant can manage five1 this one two1 this can only manage one4 ,it is no disgrace to have only one talent1 the ability of the servants is the ,master's affair1 not the servants'4 ,they cannot turn to ,him and say3 ,why hast ,thou made me thus8 7,rom4 ,,ix4 #bj74 ,he makes each one according to ,his own ,will and endows him according to ,his ,will too4 ,what the servant has to remember is that he is responsible for all that is entrusted to him1 that he can trade with it and that it is not too much for him1 it is according to his proper ability1 and that though his ,master will never try to reap where ,he has not sown1 ,he will expect to reap where ,he has sown1 ,he will expect a harvest from each talent4 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,the ,,traders4 ,he that had received the five talents went his way and traded with the same and gained other five4 ,he lost no time1 he loved his ,master and he loved the goods because they belonged to his ,master and because they had been lent by ,him4 ,the whole of their value lay in the fact that they were the ,master's2 he felt responsible1 he must not only take care of them but put them to the best account1 and so he set to work at once to trade with them1 and he did well1 for he gained cent per cent6 ,and in like manner he that had received the two gained other two4 ,there was no jealousy1 no thinking the ,master partial or that ,he had underrated his powers in only giving him two talents4 ,he loved and trusted his ,master2 the two talents were very precious because they were ,his and because ,he had chosen them out with such love and care1 giving the servant just what he could manage1 no more and no less4 ,he went and traded and did as well as the first1 cent per cent4 ,thus the good servants1 that is those who love1 who have said1 ,i will not go out free1 are always trading for their ,master4 ,they say to themselves3 ,this talent1 this time1 this opportunity1 this health1 this strength belongs to my ,master not to me1 ,i must use it for ,him4 ,they forget sometimes2 the ,master is so long away and they act as if the goods were their own1 and even trade with them for their own profit1 using their talents to attract people to themselves rather than to their ,master6 ,but as they really love ,him and want to trade for ,him only1 they see the dishonesty of their trading and they do their best by acts of reparation to restore to ,him ,his own4 ,when ,he comes back1 ,he will not expect perfection but effort4 ,some1 ,he says1 will gain a hundred fold but for our consolation and encouragement ,he adds3 some sixtyfold1 and some thirtyfold 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,xiii4 #h74 ,but he that had received the one1 going his way digged into the earth1 and hid his lord's money4 ,he lost no time either1 his mind was made up at once1 he would take no trouble1 make no effort1 would hide his ,master's talent and forget all about it2 he wanted no responsibility1 he could not be troubled with trading4 ,his ,master could not expect much from him1 he argued1 because he had entrusted so little to him1 he knew he was not capable of doing much1 but he would do nothing at all4 ,he did not waste or spoil his ,master's goods1 his sin was one of omission--you did it not to ,me4 ,he dug in the earth instead of laying up treasure in ,heaven4 ,,point ,,iii4 ,,the ,,reckoning4 ,after a long time the ,lord of those servants came and reckoned with them4 ,each servant must come up before ,him to give an account and to be judged according to his works4 ,lord1 ,thou didst deliver to me five talents1 behold ,i have gained other five over and above4 ,lord1 ,thou deliveredst two talents to me1 behold ,i have gained other two4 ,the ,lord gives exactly the same answer1 the same reward to each1 showing clearly that what counts in the reckoning is not the number of good works but the spirit and intention and motive with which they are done1 be they many or few4 ,well done1 good and faithful servant1 because thou hast been faithful over a few things1 ,i will place thee over many things4 ,the reward is not given to the most capable1 nor to those who have the most or the greatest talents1 but to those who have been faithful over the few things entrusted to them4 ,they have traded with their talents for ,god's glory and for the salvation of their own souls4 ,they have realized that each thing entrusted to them was a good1 whether it was sickness or health1 poverty or riches1 prosperity or adversity1 and they have said about each3 ,this belongs to the ,master1 how can ,i best use it for ,him8 ,now they find that the merit of each action done1 each suffering borne for ,him1 has been carefully stored up4 ,enter thou into the joy of thy ,lord4 ,it is ,his joy1 ,his interest1 ,his glory that the faithful servant has studied on earth1 now he shall share them for ever4 ,he that had received the one talent came and said3 ,lord1 ,i know that ,thou art a hard man expecting the impossible1 and being afraid ,i went and hid ,thy talent in the earth2 behold here ,thou hast that which is ,thine4 ,he could have traded and made cent per cent as the others had done and earned the ,euge 7,well done67 ,he not only did not do this1 but he put all the blame on his ,master ,who with such care had given him just the talent that was suited to his ability4 ,he was afraid1 he said1 afraid of what8 ,of his ,master because ,he was hard and unjust8 ,no1 this was only an excuse1 he knew his ,master and he knew it was not true4 ,what he was afraid of was hard work1 effort1 ceaseless watching against temptation4 ,it was far less irksome to bury the talent and live a life of ease1 letting things just take their course1 and hoping all would come out right in the end2 but at the end things were not right1 for he had nothing to give to his ,master1 the one talent was the ,master's1 he knew that quite well3 ,behold here ,thou hast that which is ,thine4 ,wicked and slothful servant--wicked1 because he had robbed ,god of ,his rights2 slothful1 because he would not raise a finger to serve his ,master4 ,take ye away therefore the talent from him and give it him that hath ten4 ,it is a solemn thought that a grace refused by one may be handed on to another who is more faithful4 ,to everyone that hath shall be given is a principle of the ,kingdom4 ,he ever giveth grace for grace 7,st4 ,john ,i4 #af74 ,for every grace used ,he gives more grace--he shall abound4 ,from him that hath not1 that also which he seemeth to have shall be taken away4 ,there is such a thing as a last grace1 a last opportunity4 ,god has nowhere pledged ,himself to give the grace of repentance2 grace is ever a free gift and ,he is not unjust if ,he withholds it4 ,i can never say3 ,i will sin and repent after6 ,to sin is in my power1 but to repent is not4 ,our ,lord speaks of sinners filling up the measure of their iniquity 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,xxiii4 #cb74 ,had ,herod reached the limit1 filled up the measure8 ,is that why ,our ,lord refused to speak to him8 ,we do not know1 but we do know that it is possible for a sinner to sin to such an extent--not necessarily by gross sin1 but by steadily refusing ,god's grace and the opportunities offered to him--that what he has1 that is1 his opportunities1 will be taken from him4 ,the unprofitable servant cast ye out into the exterior darkness4 ,he ever shunned the light and now it will never be his4 ,he was unprofitable1 that was his sin1 he did nothing for his ,master4 ,all sins1 however terrible1 will be forgiven if the sinner turns to ,god and repents1 because his repentance shows that he is trading1 though he may often fail in his business2 but the unprofitable servant carries on no trade with ,god at all1 he leaves ,him out altogether4 ,there is nothing for ,god to do but to leave him out in the exterior darkness which he has deliberately chosen4 ,colloquy with the ,master1 ,who though ,he is a long time coming1 is never far from those who are trading for ,him4 ,resolution4 ,never to leave the ,master out of anything ,i do4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,well done good and faithful servant6 ,,stir ,,up6 ,i think it meet 444 to stir you up by putting you in remembrance4 7#b ,pet4 ,i4 #ac74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,paul writing to ,timothy3 ,stir up the grace of ,god which is in thee 7#b ,tim4 ,i4 #f74 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace to stir myself up this ,advent4 ,on the ,sunday before ,advent and nine times during the ,advent ,masses1 the ,church puts on the lips of her children this prayer3 ,stir up1 ,o ,lord4 ,let us try in this ,meditation to catch her spirit which runs all through the ,advent season and see what it is that she wants ,god to stir up4 ,,point ,i4 ,,his ,,own ,,might4 ,we ask ,him during ,advent to stir up ,his might for four different reasons4 7#a7 ,to protect and deliver us4 ,stir up ,thy might1 we beseech ,thee ,o ,lord and come3 that by ,thy protection we may deserve to be delivered from the threatening dangers of our sins and by ,thy deliverance be saved4 7,the ,collect for ,advent ,sunday47 ,we ask ,him to show ,his might by protecting us from dangers and by delivering us from sin4 ,we want to spend a good ,advent1 we want to prepare well for ,his ,coming1 then there rise up before us the threatening dangers of our sins--those old temptations that are sure to come back again as soon as we begin to put forth fresh effort4 ,are we to be discouraged1 to dread them1 to say we are sure to fall again1 and thus give the enemy a hold over us8 ,no1 but to believe that our ,god ,who is coming will protect us in the day of battle1 that though to humiliate and to strengthen us1 ,he may still permit the temptations1 yet ,he will ,himself be our shield and buckler1 and will deliver us if we trust in ,his strength and not in our own--,stir up ,thy might1 ,o ,lord1 and come to protect and deliver4 7#b7 ,to free us from adversity4 ,stir up ,thy power1 we beseech ,thee ,o ,lord and come1 that they who confide in ,thy mercy may be more speedily freed from all adversity 7,the ,collect for ,friday in ,ember week74 ,the adversity from which the ,church prays to be freed here is probably the same as she continually teaches us to pray for deliverance from in her ,litanies3 war1 pestilence1 famine1 floods1 earthquakes--all things which damage the peace of nations and the produce of the earth1 great national disasters4 ,from all such the world will never be free till the ,advent of her ,lord1 till ,god stirs up ,his power and comes to save it4 ,meanwhile for our consolation we can remember that it is when ,god's judgments are in the earth that the nations learn justice 7,isaias ,,xxvi4 #i74 ,adversity is a great teacher and trainer for ,heaven1 and as we advance in the spiritual life we see more and more that many things which are adversity to the body are prosperity to the soul4 ,we should naturally like to be freed from the adversity of sickness1 poverty1 failure1 loss of friends1 of health and strength1 but all these adversities have their work to do4 ,these are they who came out of great tribulation1 and it is probable that but for the tribulation many would never have washed their robes and have made them white in the blood of the ,lamb 7,apoc4 ,,vii4 #ad74 ,let us strive to be amongst those who trust ,him1 who confide in ,his mercy1 who believe that ,he knows what is best for them1 and who gladly let ,him arrange all for them4 ,he will stir up ,his power and speedily free them one day1 but it will not be till the flail of adversity has done its work and the corn is ready to be garnered in the heavenly barns4 7#c7 ,to save us4 ,stir up ,thy might ,o ,lord and come to save us4 ,in the ,masses for the third week1 that is ,ember week1 the prayer occurs five times1 twice in the ,mass for the third ,sunday and three times in that for ,ember ,saturday4 ,the time of the birth of the ,saviour is drawing nearer1 and the ,church is beginning to be importunate4 ,stir up ,thy might2 for though ,he is coming as a little helpless infant1 ,he is ,god mighty to save4 7#d7 ,to accelerate ,his ,coming4 ,stir up ,thy might1 we beseech ,thee ,o ,lord and come2 and succour us with great power1 that by the help of ,thy grace1 the indulgence of ,thy mercy may accelerate what our sins impede4 7,the ,collect for the #dth4 ,sunday of ,advent74 ,we ask ,him to stir up ,his might in coming4 ,his ,advents show ,his ,omnipotence4 ,only a ,god could come to this world to save it1 only a ,god could come to a soul and raise it to the supernatural state4 ,these are miracles and we ask ,him to stir up ,his might to come and work them4 ,it is our sins that hold ,him back and hinder ,his work both in our own souls and in the world4 ,we want them to do so no more and so we ask for ,his succour and indulgence4 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,our ,,wills4 ,stir up the wills of ,thy faithful1 ,o ,lord1 we beseech ,thee2 that earnestly seeking after the fruit of good works1 they may receive more abundant helps from ,thy mercy4 7,the ,collect for the ,sunday before ,advent74 ,here we pray for something which it is far more difficult to stir up--our own wills4 ,we are not sufficiently in earnest2 the might and the mercy of ,god are there waiting to help us1 but we have not the energy nor the desire to receive them4 ,we weaken our wills by yielding to temptation1 by deliberately going into occasions of sin1 by allowing ourselves to be careless about rules and resolutions1 by letting things drift and contenting ourselves with a low standard4 ,advent is a time to rectify all this1 to pull ourselves up and make a fresh start1 and if we are in earnest1 we shall gladly join in the prayer3 ,stir up the wills of ,thy faithful1 ,o ,lord1 stir up my will4 ,it is not a prayer to be said lightly for it means much--a will stirred up to seek after the fruit of good works means constant and continued effort2 it means mortification1 suffering1 death to self2 it means a determination to do or suffer anything rather than run the least risk of committing the least sin2 it means constant unremitting attention to little things--to the smallest duties1 the least prickings of conscience2 it means hard work4 ,dare ,i say this prayer8 ,if ,i am really anxious for the fruit of good works1 ,i shall dare anything4 ,fruit is impossible without hard work either in the natural or the spiritual world4 ,who is sufficient for these things8 ,certainly ,i am not1 but the consolation is that the work is co-operative4 ,as soon as ,i pray3 ,stir up my will1 ,o ,god1 because ,i want to bring forth fruit to ,thy glory2 ,he will be there giving me more abundant helps from ,his mercy4 ,god does not expect me to work alone1 nor to suffer alone1 nor to make efforts alone4 ,what ,he wants is a good will4 ,he is coming to men of good will1 and nothing can prove that ,i am one of them1 better than a fervent prayer that my will may be stirred up1 cost what it may4 ,the abundant helps will immediately be at my service2 and when it seems sometimes as if1 in spite of all my efforts1 the day is going to be lost1 ,i will hold on still1 remembering that the help is more abundant when the need is greater4 ,the stores of ,his mercy are infinite and ,he ever gives more to the generous soul4 ,,point ,,iii4 ,,our ,,hearts4 ,stir up our hearts1 ,o ,lord1 to prepare the ways of ,thy only-begotten ,son3 that by ,his ,coming we may be worthy to serve ,thee with purified minds4 7,the ,collect for the #bnd ,sunday of ,advent74 ,here lies the secret2 if our hearts are stirred up there will be little difficulty about our wills4 ,if ,i love1 ,i shall gladly make efforts1 no trouble will be too much1 no work too exacting1 no sacrifice too great1 no mortification too hard4 ,if you love ,me1 keep ,my commandments4 ,my will is to be stirred up to seek1 but my heart is to be stirred up to prepare4 ,it is my ,king ,who is coming1 ,he ,who has a right to my heart1 and ,he is quite sure to pass by my way1 for to win my heart and make it all ,his own is one of the special reasons of ,his ,coming4 ,no pains1 no cost shall be spared in my preparation2 my heart shall be decorated with the flowers that ,i know ,he loves and hung with banners which shall speak of my gratitude for all ,he has done4 ,this is the preparation of the heart--the preparation of love2 and it will not stop at my own heart1 for if ,i really love my ,king ,i shall take an interest in all the work that ,he is coming to do2 ,i shall try to prepare ,his way for ,him in the hearts of others2 ,i shall let them know that ,,jesus of ,nazareth is going to pass by4 ,perhaps ,i shall have no opportunity of speaking about ,his visit1 but the careful preparations ,i am making will not go unnoticed--each thing that ,i do out of love to ,him will in some way or another spread ,his ,kingdom in the hearts of men4 ,colloquy4 ,with my ,king ,who is coming4 ,resolution4 ,to do something to-day in preparation4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,stir up6 ,,st4 ,,john ,,the ,,baptist4 7#a7 ,,his ,,preparation4 ,this is he of whom it is written3 ,behold ,i send my ,angel before ,thy face1 who shall prepare ,thy way before ,thee4 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,xi4 #aj74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,picture of the ,naming ,day of ,st4 ,john the ,baptist who is on ,our ,lady's knee1 while ,elizabeth and the kinsfolk are discussing the name and ,zachary is writing on a tablet2 ,st4 ,joseph is looking on4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,the spirit of penance4 ,often during ,advent the ,church directs our thoughts to the great ,precursor of ,,jesus ,christ1 to him who was sent to prepare ,his ways4 ,on four occasions she chooses for the ,gospel in the ,mass1 passages which relate to ,st4 ,john the ,baptist and his work of preparation4 ,if we would prepare well for the coming of our ,king1 we cannot do better than meditate on ,st4 ,john the ,baptist and try in our small measure to prepare as he did4 ,,point ,i4 ,,the ,,preparation ,,before ,,his ,,birth4 7#a7 ,a prophecy4 ,four hundred years before the ,precursor's birth1 ,malachias prophesied of him3 ,behold ,i send ,my angel1 that is ,my messenger2 and ,our ,lord tells us expressly 7,his words are noted by three of the ,evangelists1 ,st4 ,matthew1 ,st4 ,mark and ,st4 ,luke7 that this messenger was ,john the ,baptist1 who was sent by ,god to prepare the ways of the ,messias4 7#b7 ,his miraculous conception--for his parents were both well advanced in years4 ,both his father and mother were just before ,god walking in all the commandments and justifications of the ,lord without blame2 and they had their cross to bear--the reproach of having no son and therefore no hope of the ,messias being born to them2 but this did not prevent them from praying1 as all fervent ,israelites prayed1 for the coming of the ,messias4 ,the answer to their prayer was nearer than they thought4 ,one day as ,zachary was performing the most solemn part of his priestly office--offering incense on the golden altar that stood over against the veil which separated the ,holy ,place from the ,holy of ,holies--he saw an angel standing on the right side of the altar1 who1 after he had calmed his fear1 told him that his prayer was heard1 that the ,messias was coming1 and that his wife ,elizabeth was to bear him a son who was to be ,his ,precursor1 he shall go before ,him4 ,the angel then prophesied many things about this child1 which all show how careful was ,god's preparation of ,his ,precursor3 ,thou shall call his name ,john 7the ,grace of ,god74 ,only those who had an important future before them were named by ,god ,himself before their birth4 ,many shall rejoice in his nativity4 ,many--both angels and men4 ,he shall be great before the ,lord4 ,great in sanctity and great in office4 ,he shall drink no wine nor strong drink4 ,he shall be a ,nazarite1 one separated and consecrated to ,god by a vow4 ,he shall be filled with the ,holy ,ghost even from his mother's womb--that is1 he shall be cleansed from the stain of original sin and put into the state of grace before his birth as was ,jeremias 7,jer4 ,i4 #e74 ,he shall convert many by preaching penance and telling of ,him who takes away sin4 ,he shall go before ,him 444 to prepare unto the ,lord a perfect people4 ,zachary listened but he could not believe that what he heard was true1 though ,gabriel1 who stands before ,god1 had been sent expressly to him with the message of good tidings4 ,he asked for a sign and ,he received one which not only proved to him that ,god can do what ,he wills as ,he wills1 but also that ,he expects ,his children to trust ,him4 ,when at length ,zachary appeared from behind the curtain to the waiting and wondering people1 instead of giving them the accustomed blessing 7,num4 ,,vi4 #bd1 #bf71 he made signs to them and remained dumb and they understood that he had seen a vision4 ,god dealt severely with ,zachary because he was so closely bound up with the ,advent of the ,messias4 ,he had to be taught1 and we through him1 that the least venial sin may hinder ,god's work and designs1 and that if we would be ,his instruments used by ,him for the preparation of the ,coming of ,his ,son1 we must be absolutely faithful about little things1 full of confidence in ,god1 setting no limit to ,his power and never doubting ,his dealings with us4 7#c7 ,he was filled with the ,holy ,ghost4 ,six months later1 ,elizabeth who had been waiting in solitude and silence for ,god to fulfil ,his designs1 received a visit from the ,mother of ,god1 and the ,precursor and the ,messias ,who was to come were brought into close contact4 ,we cannot doubt that it was at that moment when1 as ,elizabeth said the infant in my womb leaped for joy1 that ,john was filled with the ,holy ,ghost4 ,thus ,god cleansed ,his ,precursor before his birth from the stain of original sin1 again showing us that those who are to prepare for the ,coming of ,his ,son must be distinguished by their purity4 7#d7 ,by the holiness of his mother and his home4 ,his mother taught by the ,holy ,spirit was the first to recognize ,our ,lady as the ,mother of ,god2 she was saluted by ,our ,lady and ministered to by her4 ,she had the unspeakable privilege of having ,our ,lady with the blessed ,fruit of her womb ,,jesus living under her roof for three months4 ,a home where the ,mother of ,god was welcomed and honoured--such was the home ,god chose for the ,precursor of ,his ,son4 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,the ,,preparation ,,after ,,his ,,birth4 ,there was a man sent from ,god1 whose name was ,john4 ,this man came to bear witness of the ,light1 to prepare unto the ,lord a perfect people4 7,the ,gradual for the ,vigil of ,st4 ,john the ,baptist74 ,the ,feast of the ,nativity of ,st4 ,john the ,baptist is a ,double of the ,first ,class with an ,octave1 for ,mary and her ,son were present at his birth and he was great before the ,lord4 ,the eighth day was the day of circumcision and the naming day4 ,everybody naturally was calling him ,zachary1 but his mother who knew from her husband that the name was fixed1 said3 ,not so1 but he shall be called ,john4 ,they would not have it and appealed by signs to the deaf and dumb father1 who wrote3 ,john is his name1 for he was so named of the angel before he was conceived4 ,at that moment ,zachary's penance came to an end and he spoke blessing ,god4 ,this fresh miracle was soon noised abroad and the people asked in fear3 ,what an one1 think ye1 shall this child be8 ,zachary1 filled with the ,holy ,ghost1 used his loosed tongue to sing his beautiful hymn of praise to ,god who had remembered ,his holy testament1 and had allowed the ,orient from on high to visit them4 ,and then addressing his little son1 he said3 ,and thou child shalt be called the prophet of the ,highest1 for thou shalt go before the face of the ,lord to prepare ,his ways4 ,he began to prepare ,his ways by a life of hardship1 solitude and penance1 having no fixed home1 living on what he could find in the deserts--locusts and wild honey1 and wearing as a garment camels' hair with a leathern girdle4 ,tradition tells us he began all this at a very early age and he continued it until the day of his manifestation to ,israel1 that is1 until the day he left his solitude and began to preach--nearly thirty years later4 ,he had thirty years' preparation for his life's work1 like ,him whose way he was preparing1 and he was preparing it no less as a solitary in the deserts than as the great preacher of penance by the ,jordan4 ,what lessons can we learn for our own preparation for the ,coming of ,christ this ,advent8 #a4 ,that because we are going to be amongst those who in some way or other prepare ,his ways1 ,god has occupied ,himself with our preparation even before we were born4 ,either by surrounding us with good1 or by bringing good out of evil or by some of ,his many ways which are not our ways1 ,he has had a hand in all that concerns us4 ,we have first firmly to believe this1 and secondly to co-operate with all ,god's designs for us1 as ,john did4 #b4 ,that if we would prepare the ways of ,christ we must be familiar with ,his ,mother1 accustomed to receiving her salutations and to returning them4 ,that we must have her to live with us and take an interest in all that concerns us4 ,who could better help us to prepare for the ,coming of her ,son than ,his own ,mother8 #c4 ,that we must be filled with the ,holy ,spirit and never turn ,him out of our hearts by sin4 ,it would be useless to try to prepare the way for ,christ if we had not the co-operation of the ,holy ,spirit4 #d4 ,that penance in one form or another must have a share in our preparation for the ,coming of ,christ4 ,all we know of ,john from the time of his infancy till he began his mission is that he was in the deserts4 ,it was not that he preferred such a life1 but he felt that it was the one most suited to his own preparation for the ,messias1 for during those long years in the deserts he was preparing the way of ,christ in his own heart2 during his mission he prepared it in the hearts of others4 ,solitude1 fasting1 lack of ease and comfort1 coarse clothing--these were the allies which ,john chose to aid him in his preparation for the ,coming of the ,king1 for ,his ,kingdom is not of this world and the weapons of our warfare are not carnal 7#b ,cor4 ,x4 #d74 ,he was consecrated to ,god1 and he separated himself from everything that might interfere with his entire consecration4 ,colloquy4 7#a7 ,with ,god the ,father ,who has chosen me to prepare the ways of ,his ,son4 7#b7 ,with ,him ,who is coming4 7#c7 ,with ,god the ,holy ,ghost ,who is co-operating with me4 7#d7 ,with ,our ,lady who is ready to let me do all my work by her side4 7,ecclus4 ,,xxiv4 #cj74 7#e7 ,with ,st4 ,john the ,baptist who will obtain for me1 if ,i ask him1 the spirit of penance4 ,resolution4 ,to examine myself to-day as to the place penance is having in my ,advent1 and if it has none1 to fix at least one daily penitential act4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,he was in the deserts4 ,,st4 ,,john ,,the ,,baptist4 7#b7 ,,his ,,mission4 ,in those days cometh ,john the ,baptist preaching in the desert of ,judea4444 preaching the baptism of penance unto remission of sins4 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,iii4 #a4 and ,st4 ,mark ,i4 #d74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,john preaching and baptizing by the ,jordan4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,gratitude to the ,friend of the ,bridegroom for pointing ,him out to the ,bride4 ,,point ,i4 ,,the ,,prophet4 ,when ,john was about thirty years of age the word of the ,lord 7,st4 ,luke ,,iii4 #b7 reached him in his solitude1 just as it had done all the prophets of old from ,samuel down to ,malachias1 but since then1 that is for a period of four hundred years1 ,god had spoken through no prophet4 ,as a result of this word the ,prophet of the ,highest came into all the country about the ,jordan--a large area--and began his mission4 ,his arrival made a great stir and the people flocked to see and hear him4 ,there went out to him ,jerusalem and all ,judea and all the country about ,jordan4 ,all classes went--publicans1 soldiers1 even the ,pharisees and ,sadducees1 for if this man were really a prophet sent from ,god1 it behoved them to know all about him4 ,what did the multitudes see8 ,a man wearing a garment of camels' hair and a leathern girdle about his loins1 whose food consisted of locusts and wild honey--a man as the ,angel ,gabriel had prophesied in the spirit and power of ,elias 7see ,,iv ,kings ,i4 #h74 ,what did they hear8 ,a voice of one crying in the desert3 ,prepare ye the way of the ,lord1 make straight ,his paths4 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,iii4 #c74 ,and what were their conclusions8 ,that this was he who was spoken of by ,isaias the prophet 7verse #c71 that he was sent from ,god 7,st4 ,john ,i4 #f7 and that he came for a witness1 to give testimony of the light 7,st4 ,john ,i4 #g74 ,what light8 ,the ,light of the world4 ,john came to proclaim that the dawn which the world had been so long watching was on the point of giving place to day1 that the ,sun of justice was even now rising with health in ,his wings for those that feared ,god's name1 and that they must go forth to meet him 7,mal4 ,,iv4 #b74 ,i too must go forth4 ,what am ,i going to do to-day which will prove to myself1 to my ,guardian ,angel1 to my ,patron ,saint1 to ,mary my ,mother and to ,him ,who is coming that ,i am preparing the way of the ,lord8 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,his ,,preaching4 ,john came preaching the baptism of penance for the remission of sins 7,st4 ,luke ,,iii4 #c74 ,his voice was like that of a herald proclaiming a great event that was close at hand4 ,do penance1 for the kingdom of heaven is at hand 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,iii4 #b74 ,the ,messias is coming to set up ,his ,kingdom4 ,he ,whom you have so long expected is close to you1 prepare for ,him4 ,then ,john told them shortly and explicitly how to prepare3 7#a7 ,to believe in ,him ,who was to come 7,acts ,,xix4 #d74 7#b7 ,to repent of their sins and bring forth fruits worthy of penance such as fasting and self-denial 7,st4 ,mark ,,ii4 #ah74 7#c7 ,to confess their sins 7,st4 ,mark ,i4 #e74 7#d7 ,to be baptized as a sign of hope that their sins had been forgiven4 ,john's baptism could not wash away sin1 for it was no sacrament1 ,st4 ,paul1 as well as ,st4 ,mark and ,st4 ,luke1 called it the ,baptism of penance 7,acts ,,xix4 #d74 ,it was a baptism which proclaimed to all that he who submitted to it acknowledged himself to be a sinner and a penitent4 ,john the ,baptist was greatly in earnest1 for the time was short2 he spoke very plainly to those whom he noticed coming to be baptized out of curiosity or human respect without any repentance or intention of doing penance4 ,he warned them of the wrath of ,god which would fall upon sinners who persisted in their sin1 of the folly of thinking that all was well with them because they had ,abraham for their father2 he told them that every tree which did not yield good fruit would be cut down and cast into the fire1 that ,he ,who was coming and was even now so nigh would divide all people into two classes--the wheat and the chaff1 and that the great winnowing fan was already in ,his ,hand4 ,the people then began to feel uncomfortable and alarmed1 and anxious to make sure that they were not going to be blown away as chaff1 or burnt with unquenchable fires by the ,mighty ,one ,who was coming2 and different classes began to ask ,john what they must do4 ,his answers were singularly appropriate and confirmed the opinion that he was indeed a prophet4 ,to the people generally he counselled charity1 kindness and brotherly love as the best possible preparation2 to the public tax-collectors1 who grew rich on the sums that they demanded in excess of the fixed tax1 that they should do nothing more than that which was appointed2 to the soldiers1 that they should avoid violence and calumny and be content with their pay 7,st4 ,luke ,,iii4 #aj-ad74 ,he showed clearly by his straight and simple answers that the best way for us to prepare for ,him ,who is coming1 is to look into our daily life and occupations and change anything and everything that we know ,he would find faulty4 ,,point ,,iii4 ,,his ,,baptism4 ,one after another the people made up their minds to change their evil lives and bad habits4 ,they made their good resolutions and as a proof of their sorrow for the past and firm purpose of amendment for the future1 they went into the ,jordan confessing their sins1 and ,john baptized them4 ,he told them then that ,he ,who was coming was mightier than himself1 and that ,he would baptize them with the ,holy ,ghost and fire4 ,then cometh ,,jesus from ,galilee to the ,jordan unto ,john to be baptized by him6 ,where had ,he come from8 ,straight from ,his home1 from ,nazareth1 from ,his ,mother4 ,he had come to fulfil ,john's prophecy1 to begin ,his public ministry to the people1 and ,he would begin it by identifying ,himself with them4 ,they were sinners1 coming to confess their sins and ,he would be numbered with the transgressors 7,isaias ,,iii4 #ab74 ,but ,john stayed ,him1 saying3 ,i ought to be baptized by ,thee1 and comest ,thou to me8 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,iii4 #ad74 ,though they were cousins it is probable that they had not met since their early childhood4 ,one had lived in the seclusion of ,nazareth and the other in the seclusion of the desert4 ,i knew ,him not1 7,st4 ,john ,i4 #ca1 #cc7 ,john said4 ,it was probably the fact of someone coming for the baptism of penance who had no sins to confess that made ,john suspect and then protest2 but he could not resist the gentle1 authoritative words3 ,suffer it to be so now1 for so it becometh ,us to fulfil all justice4 ,then when ,he had gone out of the water ,john saw a wonderful sight--he described it himself3 ,i saw the ,spirit coming down as a dove from ,heaven and ,he remained upon ,him2 and ,i knew ,him not1 but ,he ,who sent me to baptize with water said to me3 ,he upon ,whom thou shalt see the ,spirit descending and remaining upon ,him1 ,he it is ,that baptizeth with the ,holy ,ghost4 ,and ,i saw2 and ,i gave testimony1 that this is the ,son of ,god4 7,st4 ,john ,i4 #cb-cd74 ,he knew ,him now--there was no longer any doubt1 no more time of waiting and preparation1 ,he ,who should come had come4 ,god ,himself pointed ,him out to the faithful ,precursor--a voice from ,heaven said3 ,this is ,my beloved ,son in ,whom ,i am well pleased 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,iii4 #ag74 ,what a reward for ,john after his life of solitude and penance and mortification--to be in close contact with the ,son of ,god1 to see the ,holy ,spirit in the form of a dove1 and to hear the ,voice of ,god the ,father1 and thus have the seal set to his mission6 ,and ,i saw2 and ,i gave testimony4 ,and what have the waters of ,jordan to say8 ,that ,he1 over ,whose ,sacred ,head they closed1 has1 by the contact of ,his precious ,body1 sanctified them and all other waters and given them power1 when they are in contact with ,his mystical ,body to wash away sin4 ,,jesus went down to ,john in the ,jordan not to receive a gift1 but to impart one4 ,from henceforth the waters will bring forth abundantly and ,god will say of ,his new creation1 as ,he did in the beginning1 that it is good4 ,all three ,persons of the ,blessed ,trinity were present at this new creation1 the ,holy ,spirit brooded over the face of the waters for this new baptism was the ,baptism of the ,holy ,ghost1 the ,voice of the ,lord was upon the waters 7,ps4 ,,xxviii4 #c71 the ,voice1 that is1 of the ,father proclaiming that ,he was well pleased1 not only with ,his ,beloved ,son but with this first act of ,his public ministry2 for in ,him ,he saw a countless multitude coming out of the sanctified water1 and of each one ,he will say3 ,this is ,my beloved son1 in whom ,i am well pleased4 ,o ,almighty ,eternal ,god1 preside over the mysteries of ,thy great mercy1 preside over ,thy sacraments and send forth the ,spirit of adoption to regenerate the new people1 whom the font of ,baptism brings forth to ,thee 7,prayer for the ,blessing of the ,font on ,holy ,saturday74 ,colloquy4 ,grant we beseech ,thee1 ,almighty ,god1 that ,thy servants may walk in the way of salvation2 and by following the exhortation of ,blessed ,john the ,precursor may securely attain the possession of ,him ,whom ,he foretold1 ,our ,lord ,,jesus ,christ4 7,collect for the ,vigil of ,st4 ,john the ,baptist74 ,resolution4 ,to prepare ,his ways to-day4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,blessed ,john the ,baptist 444 pray to the ,lord our ,god for us4 ,,st4 ,,john ,,the ,,baptist4 7#c7 ,,his ,,testimony4 ,this man came for a witness to give witness of the ,light1 that all men might believe through ,him4 7,st4 ,john ,i4 #g74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,john stood and two of his disciples and beholding ,,jesus walking1 he saith3 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god4 7verses #ce1 #cf74 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace so to hear his testimony that we follow ,,jesus4 ,,point ,i4 ,,that ,,he ,,may ,,be ,,made ,,manifest ,,therefore ,,am ,i ,,come 7verse #ca74 ,this was all ,john wanted1 all he cared about1 it was his vocation1 it was the point of his long years of mortification1 the reason for his preaching and baptism2 he was a man of one idea--the ,christ is coming1 ,i must manifest ,him to the people4 ,this man came for a witness to give testimony of the ,light 7verse #g74 ,when the people wondering asked him3 ,art thou the ,christ8 ,art thou ,elias8 ,art thou the prophet8 his answer was3 ,no1 ,i am only a voice proclaiming ,his coming4 ,i1 ,he8 ,oh1 no1 ,i am not worthy to be ,his slave4 ,he is the ,light1 the ,light of the whole world4 ,i saw the ,spirit coming down as a dove from ,heaven and ,he remained upon ,him4444 ,and ,i saw2 and ,i gave testimony that this is the ,son of ,god 7verses #cb-cd74 ,let me look at my preparation for ,his coming this ,advent and see whether ,i am in any way following in the footsteps of the great ,precursor4 ,can ,i be said to be a person of one idea--that of manifesting my ,lord to others8 ,when people want to make much of me and my work and ask who ,i am1 is my one thought to turn their eyes from me to ,him ,who is coming8 ,am ,i really persuaded that ,i am only here to make ,him manifest8 ,is ,he being made manifest to others through me8 ,do those with whom ,i come in contact leave me1 with a greater knowledge of ,him1 with a greater desire for ,his coming1 with more anxiety about the salvation of their souls and with more zeal for that of others8 ,do my words and deeds1 does my very manner1 speak to them of ,him and make them think of ,him8 ,art thou the ,christ8 ,in one sense1 yes1 for ,i am or ought to be another ,christ 7alter ,christus71 living ,his life1 doing ,his work and representing ,him in the world4 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,behold ,,the ,,lamb ,,of ,,god4 ,this is ,he1 behold ,him6 ,he is the ,lamb of ,god4 ,he it is to whom all the lambs that have been sacrificed point2 their blood could not wash away sin1 but behold ,him who taketh away the sin of the world4 ,you are sorry for your sins1 you have confessed them and ,i have baptized you as a sign that they are forgiven1 now there is ,one among you who takes them away4 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god6 ,this was what ,john said when he saw ,,jesus the day after ,his baptism2 he said the same thing the next day when he saw ,him walking by the ,jordan2 two of his disciples were with him1 ,andrew and ,john 7probably71 and when they saw their master pointing to ,,jesus and saying3 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god6 they did what ,john meant them to do1 they left their master and followed ,him4 ,how well had the faithful ,precursor prepared the way in their hearts6 ,how thoroughly he had done his work6 ,how absolutely he had effaced himself6 ,there was no doubt1 no hesitation in the minds of his disciples1 no wondering whether ,john would mind2 they followed ,,jesus1 and ,john had the joy of seeing ,,jesus turn and speak to them3 ,what seek you8 ,and then the joy of hearing them call ,him ,master4 ,master1 where dwellest ,thou8 ,come and see4 ,then the ,friend of the ,bridegroom saw the three going away together1 and he knew that his mission had not been in vain1 the ,bride was beginning to join the ,bridegroom4 ,,point ,,iii4 ,,he ,,that ,,hath ,,the ,,bride ,,is ,,the ,,bridegroom4 ,it was not for nothing that ,andrew and ,john spent that day with ,,jesus4 ,they told others what they had found3 ,we have found the ,messias1 which is being interpreted the ,christ1 and they brought their companions one by one to ,,jesus1 with the result that very soon the ,baptism of the ,holy ,ghost was taking place in the ,jordan as well as the ,baptism of ,penance1 and the people instructed by ,john left the less for the greater4 ,there were busybodies1 as ,st4 ,paul calls them 7#a ,tim4 ,v4 #ac71 even in those days1 people who could not let others alone1 who could not understand the situation or pretended that they could not2 they came to ,john and said to him3 ,rabbi1 ,he that was with thee beyond the ,jordan1 to ,whom thou gavest testimony1 behold ,he baptizeth and all men come to ,him 7,st4 ,john ,,iii4 #bf74 ,they were words calculated to stir up jealousy and ill-feeling2 but ,john was too humble and too great to be disturbed by them1 his answer was characteristic3 ,you yourselves do bear me witness1 that ,i said that ,i am not ,christ1 but that ,i am sent before ,him4 ,he that hath the ,bride is the ,bridegroom4 ,there is the proof that all ,i have been telling you is true4 ,he has the ,bride1 the people all go to ,him1 you see for yourselves that ,he must be the ,bridegroom2 but the ,friend of the ,bridegroom1 who standeth and heareth ,him1 rejoiceth with joy because of the ,bridegroom's voice4 ,this my joy therefore is fulfilled4 ,it was enough for the ,friend of the ,bridegroom to hear ,his ,master's voice4 ,the necessity for him and his preaching was fast passing away and he knew it4 ,he had been for a time the great man1 the popular preacher1 the one every one talked about1 whose advice everyone sought1 now he must stand aside and see his disciples gather round another master1 himself not in the group at all4 ,it is a position most workers in ,god's vineyard find themselves in sooner or later1 they have to give place to others1 to watch others reaping the fruit of their labours1 to see those whom they have taught going to other teachers1 those who have sought their advice seeking it elsewhere4 ,how do they bear this difficult situation8 ,how am ,i going to bear it when my turn comes8 ,am ,i going to pose as a martyr1 craving for and expecting every one's sympathy8 ,am ,i going to put difficulties in the way of those who succeed me1 and make it hard for those to whom it has been my privilege to minister8 ,some are even jealous and show their displeasure by criticizing those who succeed them6 ,what was ,john's attitude8 ,all he wanted was his ,master and ,his ,will4 ,he was the ,friend of the ,bridegroom4 ,he was satisfied to stand on one side1 and his cup of joy was full when he heard his ,master's ,voice4 ,he must increase in the minds of the people and ,i must decrease4 ,let me learn a lesson from ,john the ,baptist and make my sacrifice beforehand1 remembering that nothing matters so long as ,i am the friend of the ,bridegroom1 can hear ,his ,voice and see the souls ,i have tried to help following ,him4 ,these are joys1 real joys1 and they are perhaps never fully realized till the cool shade of the background is reached4 ,,point ,,iv4 ,,john',s ,,testimony ,,of ,,himself4 #a4 ,i am sent before ,him 7,st4 ,john ,,iii4 #bh74 #b4 ,i am the voice 7chap4 ,i4 #bc74 #c4 ,i baptize with water 7verses #bf1 #ca74 #d4 ,i am not worthy 7verse #bg74 #e4 ,i am come that ,he may be made manifest 7verse #ca74 #f4 ,i ought to be baptized by ,thee 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,iii4 #ad74 #g4 ,i knew him not4 7,st4 ,john ,i4 #ca74 #h4 ,i saw the ,spirit coming down 444 and ,he remained upon ,him 7verse #cb74 #i4 ,i saw 7verse #cd72 7that is1 ,i understood74 #aj4 ,i gave testimony that this is the ,son of ,god4 7ibid47 #aa4 ,i am not the ,christ 7verse #bj74 #ab4 ,i must decrease 7chap4 ,,iii4 #cj74 ,colloquy with ,st4 ,john the ,baptist4 ,resolution4 ,to bear my testimony4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god6 ,,st4 ,,john ,,the ,,baptist4 7#d7 ,,his ,,martyrdom4 ,herod the ,tetrarch1 when he was reproved by him for ,herodias1 his brother's wife1 and for all the evils which ,herod had done1 he added this also above all1 and shut up ,john in prison4 7,st4 ,luke ,,iii4 #ai1 #bj74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,john the ,baptist in ,prison4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace to be faithful unto death4 ,,point ,i4 ,,john ,,in ,,prison4 ,john knew no fear where right was concerned4 ,his duty was to make the paths straight for ,him who was coming and it mattered little to him whether he rebuked the ,pharisees and ,sadducees at the ,jordan or ,herod in his palace4 ,herod1 however1 could not brook such plain speaking and he had 7at first7 a mind to put him to death 7but7 he feared the people1 because they esteemed him as a prophet 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,xiv4 #e74 ,herodias also had laid snares for him and was desirous to put him to death and could not because of ,herod who knowing that ,john was a just and holy man 7afterwards7 protected his life 7,st4 ,mark ,,vi4 #ai1 #bj74 ,so ,john was shut up in prison2 ,josephus tells us that it was at a place called ,machaerus on the east of the ,dead ,sea where ,herod had a castle4 ,let us go and visit ,john in that lonely prison1 where he was cast quite at the beginning of ,christ's ministry4 ,his long years of preparation in the desert1 his fearless1 outspoken preaching1 his generosity and humility in giving place to his ,master1 his important office of ,forerunner of the ,messias1 his vision of the ,blessed ,trinity--are they all to end thus8 ,is this how ,god treats ,his friends8 ,is this the reward for fidelity and loyalty8 ,yes1 ,st4 ,john would be the first to answer1 these are ever ,god's ways1 ,he must increase1 ,i must decrease4 ,john had indeed been specially favoured and he was specially favoured in prison too4 ,it is not everybody whom ,god can trust with a trial such as this4 ,john was still preparing the ways of the ,lord1 no longer by an active life1 but by a life of suffering1 solitude and privation4 ,his patience and his perfect submission to ,god's ,will no doubt prepared the ways of ,christ in the hearts of many4 ,if ,he is to increase1 ,i must decrease1 it is only natural4 ,yes1 it is natural for the saints to reason like this1 but what about me8 ,i want to be a saint4 ,i often perhaps ask ,god to make me one1 perhaps ,i even tell ,him to use any means ,he likes1 not to spare me4 ,does not this solve many a problem8 ,god is only taking me at my word2 the beginning1 the middle and the end of the process of saint-making is humility4 ,i must decrease1 and if ,i ask to be a saint1 ,he will give me the humiliations and the sufferings which alone can teach me humility and unite me to ,himself4 ,what then does it matter1 if ,i have to suffer physically or morally1 if a career of usefulness in ,his service is suddenly cut short1 if ,i have to stand on one side and see the work ,i love and for which my whole life has been a preparation1 being done by another1 if those ,i have taught do not seem to understand1 if my life is full of little things ,i dislike and which seem made to annoy me--all these and everything else that can possibly happen to me are the direct result of my ,god-given wish to be a saint4 ,let me ask ,st4 ,john the ,baptist for courage to continue my prayer this ,advent and to accept joyfully for ,him ,who is coming all that it entails1 saying1 to myself when something seems to happen on purpose to annoy me3 ,this is to help to make me a saint1 and then seeing to it that it does4 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,the ,,end4 ,vengeance still rankled in the breast of ,herodias for ,john had said to ,herod3 ,it is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife4 ,she laid her plans and awaited her opportunity2 it came on ,herod's birthday2 he gave a supper for the princes and tribunes and chief men of ,galilee1 and she made her daughter come in and dance till they were all so pleased that ,herod swore to the girl3 ,whatsoever thou shalt ask ,i will give thee1 though it be the half of my kingdom4 ,herodias knew ,herod and expecting that this would happen had told her daughter to do nothing without consulting her4 ,what shall ,i ask8 she said to her mother1 who replied without any hesitation3 ,the head of ,john the ,baptist4 ,herodias was evidently afraid that the king would change his mind and that her wicked plans would after all fail1 for she impressed upon her daughter the necessity of haste4 ,the girl went back immediately1 with haste to ,herod1 and said3 ,i will that forthwith thou give me in a dish the head of ,john the ,baptist4 ,herod was very sorry1 for he was interested in his prisoner1 also he knew him to be a just and holy man 7,st4 ,mark ,,vi4 #bj7 and he hesitated before such a crime2 but he had taken an oath and to break it before his guests would be inconsistent with his dignity1 besides he would not displease the girl1 so he acted at once as ,herodias had bidden him3 he sent and beheaded ,john in the prison1 and his head was brought in a dish1 and it was given to the damsel1 and she brought it to her mother4 ,faithful unto death4--,o ,lord1 ,thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones 7,communion for the feast of the ,beheading of ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 ,august #bith74 ,and his disciples came and took the body and buried it1 and came and told ,,jesus1 told the ,bridegroom that ,his friend was dead4 ,which when ,,jesus had heard1 ,he retired from thence by a boat1 into a desert place apart4 ,faithful unto death1 ,i must be too1 if my preparation this ,advent is to be anything like that of ,st4 ,john the ,baptist4 ,he died to self long before his cruel death in the prison2 his whole life from the day he went into the desert as a little child was a living death3 ,as dying and behold we live 7#b ,cor4 ,,vi4 #i74 ,this is how ,st4 ,paul describes the state of all those who will live godly in ,christ ,,jesus 7#b ,tim4 ,,iii4 #ab74 ,it is the death of the old man1 the death of self2 the ,i must ever be decreasing1 ever receiving the blows which will one day1 probably not before the soul's last day on earth1 cause its death4 ,such is the prospect ,i have before me1 if ,i would copy ,john the ,baptist and be faithful unto death4 ,what is my consolation and strength8 ,that ,,jesus knows and sympathizes4 ,not one of the blows which cost me so much1 not one of the sufferings1 not one hour of desolation or loneliness or temptation or misunderstanding or unkindness1 or any of the many things which are conspiring together for the death of the old man1 are lost upon ,him4 ,he knows1 ,he cares1 ,he sympathizes and ,he is glad1 for in proportion as the ,i is decreasing1 ,he is increasing in my soul4 ,colloquy 7#a7 ,with ,john in the prison4 7#b7 ,with ,,jesus in a desert place apart4 ,resolution4 ,to be faithful unto death to-day4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,i spoke of ,thy testimonies before kings and ,i was not ashamed 7,introit for the ,feast of the ,beheading of ,st4 ,john the ,baptist74 ,,st4 ,,john ,,the ,,baptist4 7#e7 ,,his ,,character4 ,what went you out into the desert to see8 ,a reed shaken with the wind8 ,but what went you out to see8 ,a man clothed in soft garments8 ,behold they that are in costly apparel and live delicately1 are in the houses of kings4 ,but what went you out to see8 ,a prophet8 ,yea1 ,i say to you1 and more than a prophet1 for 444 among those that are born of women1 there is not a greater prophet than ,john the ,baptist4 ,but he that is the lesser in the ,kingdom of ,god1 is greater than he4 7,st4 ,luke ,,vii4 #bd-bh74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,,jesus talking to ,his disciples about ,john4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace to stand by and listen and learn4 ,,point ,i4 ,,his ,,humility4 ,one day when ,john was in prison his disciples came and told him that they had heard that ,,jesus was working a great many miracles and that ,his fame was spreading all through the country4 ,at ,capharnaum ,he had healed a centurion's servant1 and at ,naim ,he had raised a widow's son to life2 and the people were all glorifying ,god and saying3 ,a great prophet is risen up among us1 and ,god hath visited ,his people 7,st4 ,luke ,,vii74 ,this news sounded like music in ,john's ears2 it was just what he wanted2 it was a proof that his life's work had not been in vain3 ,he must increase4 ,the disciples however who brought the news did not take at all the same view of the case4 ,they were not pleased that another should take the place of their master while he languished in prison4 ,john knew that had they been quite sure that ,,jesus was the ,messias1 such thoughts could have had no place in their minds1 and so to strengthen their faith he sent two of them to ,,jesus with the question3 ,art thou ,he that art to come or look we for another8 hoping no doubt that they might see some miracles for themselves1 or at any rate that personal contact with ,,jesus would clear away their doubts4 ,see the beautiful humility of ,john's character1 there is no thought for himself2 he is only anxious still to point out the ,lamb of ,god and to remove all obstacles from ,his path in the hearts of all2 he is still the voice crying with no uncertain sound4 ,it happened 7not by chance7 that just when the two disciples arrived many miracles were being worked by ,,jesus1 and in answer to their question1 which they were probably now rather ashamed to put1 ,he said3 ,go and relate to ,john what you have heard and seen2 and ,he added3 ,blessed is he whosoever shall not be scandalized in ,me4 ,surely after that the disciples could never again stumble in their faith1 and it must have been with joy in their hearts that they told their master of all they had seen and heard4 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,christ',s ,,testimony ,,of ,,john4 ,when the messengers had gone1 ,,jesus began to talk to the people about ,his faithful ,precursor1 whom they all knew so well4 ,what went you out in the desert to see8 ,he asked them4 ,was it a reed shaken with the wind8 ,was it a man clothed in soft garments and living delicately8 ,was it a prophet8 ,on another occasion ,he spoke of him as a burning and a shining light 7,st4 ,john ,v4 #ce74 ,what praise this was on the lips of the ,master6 ,the four points ,he picked out are characteristics that ,he appreciates not only in ,john but in all who are preparing for ,his ,coming4 ,let us see where we stand with regard to them4 #a4 ,a determination of purpose4 ,what went you out into the desert to see8 ,a reed shaken with the wind8 ,no1 but a man of one idea1 and who pursued that idea through all difficulties and opposition and failure1 not counting the cost4 ,i want to copy ,john the ,baptist4 ,i want to prepare the way of the ,lord in my heart1 how shall ,i do it8 ,not by allowing myself to be a reed shaken with the wind1 trying very hard for a day or two and then giving all up and saying it is no use2 not by making good resolutions and then quietly dropping them because they have been broken4 ,no1 but by a steady1 determined effort1 in spite of many failures1 to overcome in myself everything which ,i know will be a hindrance to my ,king pursuing ,his way in my soul4 ,he is never disappointed by my failures2 these are more than made up for directly ,i tell ,him that ,i am sorry4 ,what pains ,his loving ,heart is cessation of effort1 giving up the fight1 running away from the enemy instead of standing up to be knocked down again1 if my ,captain thus wills to give me another opportunity of meriting1 and of practicing humility4 ,saints are not made by victories all along the line1 but by repeated failures humbly and patiently accepted1 with a firm determination that each failure shall be the last4 ,but what is the use when ,i know ,i shall fail again8 ,i do not know2 ,i need not fall1 it is my own fault if ,i do4 ,to do less than have a firm determination about the future1 would be to lay down my arms4 ,every effort made for ,god leaves me holier1 and as long as ,i keep on trying ,i am making progress in the spiritual life1 though ,i cannot see it4 #b4 ,self-sacrifice4 ,but what went you out to see8 ,a man clothed in soft garments8 ,behold they that are in costly apparel and live delicately are in the houses of kings4 ,john prepared for the ,coming of his ,king by a life of self-sacrifice1 every day giving up for the sake of ,him ,who was coming all the things that were just as dear to his nature as they are to mine4 ,what part is self-sacrifice taking in my preparation for my ,king this ,advent8 ,i have no need to go into the desert or live the life of a hermit4 ,it is the little tiny acts of self-sacrifice known only to my ,king and me which are so pleasing to ,him4 ,it is wonderful what notice ,he takes of little things which are done out of love to ,him4 ,if we could promise ,him a certain number of these little acts every day--perhaps six or ten1 or even one--and mark them down to ensure their being remembered1 it would be a preparation very precious in ,his sight4 ,to do a hard thing just because it is hard1 to keep silent when ,i could say something sarcastic or clever but not quite charitable1 to bear little physical sufferings without letting everybody know about them1 to be cheerful and bright when ,i am feeling tired and moody1 to accept all that happens to me as coming straight from ,god's ,hands1 especially all the little crosses that come to me through others--these are the things that will make me a saint and ,i cannot keep ,advent or any other season better than by practicing them4 ,nothing is too small for my ,king to notice4 ,let me then be generous and give ,him all ,i can1 remembering that as long as the little act costs me something1 it is sure to be acceptable to ,him2 ,he must increase1 ,i must decrease1 and it is by self-sacrifice that this great work will slowly but surely be accomplished in my soul4 #c4 ,fidelity to duty4 ,but what went you out to see8 ,a prophet8 ,yea1 ,i say to you1 and more than a prophet for 444 amongst those that are born of women1 there is not a greater prophet than ,john the ,baptist4 ,but he that is the lesser in the kingdom of ,god is greater than he4 ,john was more than a prophet1 because he not only prophesied of ,christ as so many other prophets had done1 but he was the last of the prophets1 the immediate ,forerunner of the ,messias4 ,no office could be greater than this and no one else ever held it1 it was unique and made ,john more than a prophet4 ,nevertheless1 ,our ,lord said3 ,he that is the lesser in the kingdom of ,god is greater than he--lesser in holiness and in office1 but greater in dignity and privilege1 because he is a member of the ,holy ,catholic ,church and a partaker of her ,sacraments4 ,thanksgiving that ,i am a member of the ,holy ,catholic ,church should often find a place in my heart1 and especially during ,advent when the ,church begins again to spread out before me all the treasures of her ,liturgy and when my thoughts and meditations are centred round ,him ,who is coming to be incarnate for that ,church1 to die for it1 to make a plan which will enable ,him to be with it all days1 even to the consummation of the world 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,xxviii4 #bj71 and finally to judge it that ,he may present it to ,himself a glorious ,church1 not having spot or wrinkle1 or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish4 7,eph4 ,v4 #bg74 ,if my privileges are greater than those of ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 my responsibilities are greater also4 ,as ,i think how faithfully he fulfilled one of the greatest offices ever entrusted to man1 let me remember that ,i too have a special office given me to fulfil1 and it is no less important for me to fulfil it faithfully1 than it was for ,st4 ,john4 ,it may be that my office is a very lowly one1 that ,i have only one talent1 but ,,jesus is taking notice how ,i am trading with it4 ,what have ,his messengers to say when ,he asks3 ,what went you out to see8 ,let the season of ,advent inspire me to be up and doing--faithful in that which is least1 living as one who has to give an account of each talent1 each occasion of merit1 each opportunity of influencing another1 each inspiration of grace4 #d4 ,light giving4 ,he was a burning and a shining ,light4 ,this was the secret of ,john's greatness1 of his humility1 of his courage1 of his zeal4 ,his heart so burned with love for ,god and zeal for ,his service that it shone out on all with whom he came in contact4 ,let me make one last examen on myself here4 ,do ,i feel sometimes that my influence on others is very small1 that my light seems to be hidden under a bushel1 that try as ,i will1 ,i cannot make any impression8 ,may it not be that ,i am thinking too much about the shining of the light and too little about the burning8 ,the candle must burn before it can shine4 ,if my heart is in constant touch with the ,sacred ,heart of ,,jesus it will burn with ,his love and zeal1 and the shining will follow as a matter of course1 ,i need not trouble about it2 but if ,i allow anything to separate my heart from ,his1 even ever so little1 the fire in my heart will die down2 there may be a little glow left1 unless ,i leave it too long1 but there is not enough to shine before men4 ,what went you out to see8 ,what answer would those with whom ,i live1 those who know me best1 have to give8 ,colloquy with ,,jesus and ,st4 ,john the ,baptist4 ,resolution4 ,to win the approval of ,,jesus to-day by the way in which ,i prepare for ,his ,coming4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,what went you out to see8 ,,incarnatus ,,est ,regem venturum ,dominum venite adoremus4 ,come let us adore the ,king our ,lord ,who is to come4 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,picture of the ,annunciation4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace to understand the mystery of the ,incarnation4 ,,point ,i4 ,,venite ,,adoremus4 ,come let us adore the ,king our ,lord ,who is to come4 ,these are the opening words of the ,invitatory which the ,church uses every day at ,matins during the first fortnight of ,advent4 ,let us turn then from the ,precursor1 who has taught us so many lessons1 to ,,jesus ,christ ,himself4 ,what is ,he doing during these months of waiting before ,christmas8 ,he1 too1 is preparing1 preparing for the work for which ,he has already come into the world1 although ,he is not yet manifest4 ,john the ,baptist has pointed ,him out to me3 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god6 ,now ,i will do what his disciples did--leave the ,friend of the ,bridegroom for the ,bridegroom ,himself4 ,he has become incarnate for me2 it behoves me then to keep as close to ,him as possible1 to love ,him with all my heart and to copy ,him as far as ,i can4 ,he is ,god and therefore there can be nothing imperfect about ,him2 from the first moment of the ,word being made flesh in the womb of ,his ,mother till she brought forth her first-born ,son on ,christmas day1 ,his faculties1 ,his reason1 ,his intelligence1 ,his sensibilities were all in a state of perfection2 ,he knew the past1 the present1 and the future2 and ,he1 the ,source of grace1 was pouring forth grace on all around ,him4 ,directly we understand this1 we feel that we must draw near1 not only to adore but to sympathize1 to wonder1 to love1 to learn1 to imitate4 ,for those who understand the ,incarnation1 ,his work did not begin on ,christmas ,day1 but on the ,feast of the ,annunciation1 when ,mary said3 ,behold the handmaid of the ,lord1 be it done unto me according to ,thy word4 ,what happened at that moment8 ,the ,holy ,ghost overshadowed her1 the ,body of ,our ,lord was formed from her pure blood1 ,god created the human ,soul to dwell in it1 and by the act of the ,incarnation that ,soul and ,body became the ,soul and ,body of the ,word1 the ,second ,person of the ,blessed ,trinity2 ,mary became the ,mother of ,god and ,gabriel worshipped before the ,tabernacle of the ,word made flesh4 ,mary was the next to adore2 ,joseph1 ,elizabeth1 ,john1 ,zachary followed1 and there may have been other privileged ones to whom ,our ,lord ,himself revealed ,his secret2 but the world at large went on as usual--it knew ,him not4 ,the same thing happens every day in our midst4 ,when the priest with his ,god hidden on his breast passes on his way to give the ,bread of ,life to some sufferer1 only a few privileged ones know the secret and offer their silent adoration4 ,venite adoremus4 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,divine ,,adoration4 ,it was a new life that ,our ,lord entered upon at the moment of the ,incarnation4 ,he had had ,his ,divine ,life from all eternity1 but ,god had never before been man4 ,he now for the first time could express ,himself through a human body4 ,god could adore with human lips1 could love with a human heart1 could suffer through human senses1 could plan with a human intelligence1 could reason with a human mind4 ,the consequence of the union of the two natures was that the human nature was perfect1 more than perfect--it was ,divine1 and ,god received at the moment of the ,incarnation1 the first perfect human act of adoration1 the first perfect human act of love1 of humility and of all the other virtues4 ,the ,god-,man could adore perfectly1 because being ,god ,he knew ,god and knew what adoration was fitting for ,god2 it was ,god adoring ,god and yet it was a human act1 the act of a man like ourselves4 ,at that moment ,god received what ,he wanted from one of the human race4 ,the first breath drawn by ,his ,son ,incarnate made it worth ,his while to have created man in spite of the ,fall4 ,he received not only reparation but all ,he expected from the human race when ,he first created it4 ,he was satisfied1 and would have been satisfied even if that first moment had also been ,his last on earth4 ,the ,incarnation would have done its work1 the justice of ,god could have required no more--a human will was perfectly submissive to ,his ,will1 a human heart beat in unison with ,his1 a human creature offered itself as a victim for the race3 ,behold1 ,i come to do ,thy ,will1 ,o ,my ,god1 ,i have desired it4 7,ps4 ,,xxxix4 #h1 #i74 ,god received at the moment of the ,incarnation a higher act of worship than ,he had ever received from all the nine choirs of ,angels1 and that act was a human act4 ,did the ,angels who fell understand this and was this the cause of their rebellion8 ,it is true that this first moment of the ,incarnation would have more than satisfied ,god1 but it was not enough for the ,god-made-,man4 ,he would go on1 on even to the death of the cross1 not to satisfy ,his ,father's justice1 but ,his own love1 and to show to those whom by ,his ,incarnation ,he had made ,his brethren to what lengths love can go4 ,every breath ,he drew was as perfect as the first--a perfect offering1 a perfect act of adoration2 every beat of ,his ,heart until ,he said3 ,father1 into ,thy ,hands ,i commend ,my ,spirit1 was a perfect act of love2 every act1 every thought1 every word perfect1 because they were the acts1 thoughts and words of ,god4 ,,point ,,iii4 ,,the ,,practical ,,conclusion4 ,what have ,i to do with these sublime truths8 ,everything1 for ,he was incarnate for me4 ,what does it mean8 ,it means that ,he is my ,brother and that ,he is giving to ,god what ,god must have1 but what ,i cannot give ,him2 and that all ,i have to do is to unite myself to ,him and to offer my imperfect acts of adoration1 love1 humility with ,his perfect ones4 ,he has given ,himself to me1 that ,i may give ,him back to ,god--a perfect offering with which ,god will be entirely satisfied4 ,my ,god1 ,i cannot adore ,thee as ,i should1 though ,i desire to do so with my whole heart1 but ,,jesus is there incarnate for me1 ,he is adoring ,thee perfectly for me1 accept ,his adoration and mine with it4 ,my ,god1 ,i love ,thee1 but ,i cannot love ,thee enough1 ,i cannot love ,thee as ,i ought1 ,i cannot love ,thee as ,thou deservest to be loved1 but ,,jesus is incarnate for me1 ,he has a human ,heart which is loving ,thee perfectly2 ,i put my heart inside ,his1 accept ,his love and mine with it4 ,my ,god1 ,i want to be perfectly submissive1 perfectly humble1 a perfect victim1 but great though my desires are1 ,i cannot arrive at the perfection which ,thou dost require4 ,oh1 look upon my ,brother incarnate for me1 accept all ,his perfections2 let me offer my little struggles and desires and efforts with all that ,he is doing1 for is it not all for me8 ,through ,him and with ,him and in ,him4 ,let me go to ,nazareth to ,mary2 she will welcome me for she knows that ,he has become incarnate for me4 ,the ,angel has just left her to take back her ,fiat to ,heaven4 ,i will take his place and on bended knees before that holy shrine where the new ,life has just begun1 ,i will meditate4 ,never before perhaps have ,i so felt the need of thanksgiving1 of adoration1 of wonder1 of love4 ,all ,i offer now and from henceforth must pass through ,mary to her ,son1 ,who will offer my gifts with ,his own to ,his ,father4 ,colloquy with ,god-,incarnate4 ,resolution4 ,to thank ,god often to-day for the ,incarnation4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,he was incarnate by the ,holy ,ghost of the ,virgin ,mary and was made ,man4 ,,ex ,,maria ,,virgine ,apud me est fons vitae4 ,in me is the ,source of life4 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,mary1 just after the ,angel had departed from her4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace to understand ,mary's part in the ,incarnation4 ,,point ,i4 ,,mary ,,shares ,,all ,,with ,,her ,,son4 ,all the joy that the ,incarnation brought to the ,blessed ,trinity1 ,mary to a great extent must have shared4 ,there was the joy of ,god the ,father1 because ,he saw ,his designs in creating man fulfilled1 ,his justice satisfied and a human creature doing ,him perfect homage and bringing ,him so much glory4 ,there was the joy of ,god the ,son1 because at last ,he was united to our human nature1 because ,he being ,god had nevertheless a human ,soul and a human ,body1 to which ,he could unite all the ,divine perfections1 and by means of which ,he could carry out all ,his ,father's designs for the lost human race4 ,there was the joy of the ,holy ,spirit ,who had overshadowed ,mary and by ,his ,divine power created in her a ,soul and a ,body so beautiful that they were worthy to be taken by the ,eternal ,word and for ever united to the ,divinity4 ,the ,holy ,ghost saw now a human ,soul into which ,he could pour all the grace that would be needed by the whole human race4 ,of ,his fulness all were to receive 7,st4 ,john ,i4 #af74 ,and what was the means whereby all this joy was given to the ,blessed ,trinity8 ,the ,body which had been formed from the most pure flesh and blood of ,mary4 ,she had lent herself at ,god's request to be the instrument used1 and now she was the ,tabernacle where the ,god-,man lay hidden4 ,as ,he shared ,his life with ,his ,mother1 since it was her blood which was coursing through ,his ,veins1 so ,he shared all ,his acts with her4 ,that first perfect act of adoration made by a human ,soul to ,god was shared by ,mary--she adored too4 ,that first whole-hearted oblation of a human ,soul to ,god was shared by ,mary when she said her3 ,fiat mihi secundum verbum ,tuum4 ,that first perfect act of love from a human ,heart was shared by ,mary for how close was the union between the ,sacred ,heart of ,,jesus and the most pure heart of ,mary6 ,when ,,jesus made acts of reparation of humility1 of conformity to ,his ,father's ,will1 ,mary made them too--she could not but do so1 for her life was so closely bound up with that of her ,son2 ,he became the mainspring of all she did4 ,it was the charity and humility in ,his ,heart that made her go to visit her cousin ,elizabeth and make herself her handmaid2 it was ,his salutation that made hers so powerful with regard both to ,elizabeth and to the infant ,john2 it was the thanksgiving in ,his ,heart which overflowed into hers and made her sing her ,magnificat4 ,that ,mary spent the nine months in adoration we may well believe1 but she spent them also in union with her ,son1 sharing all with ,him and giving us a perfect model of the interior life--which means not only that ,god shares in the acts of the soul1 but also that the soul shares in the acts of ,god1 ,emmanuel--,god with us--in order that we may be with the ,king for ,his works 7#a ,paralip4 ,,iv4 #bc74 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,mary ,,my ,,example4 ,he was incarnate for me1 and ,his ,mother is my ,mother2 it is to her that ,i must look now to teach me how to spend these days before ,his birth4 ,teach me1 my ,mother1 to follow the great example which you set4 ,teach me1 too1 to rejoice in the wonders of the ,incarnation4 ,who should be more filled with joy than ,i for whom ,he was incarnate8 ,teach me what the interior life means1 teach me to allow ,him to be the mainspring within me of all ,i do1 so that the life which ,i live is not mine but ,his1 the words which ,i speak not mine but ,his1--,,jesus acting1 thinking1 speaking through me4 ,this is the interior life which ,mary understood so well and lived so perfectly during her time of waiting4 ,there is1 however1 another side to the interior life1 and this is the one we want to meditate about more especially1 while we are thinking of the ,son of ,god incarnate in the womb of the ,blessed ,virgin4 ,he has taken human nature1 my nature1 and joined it to the ,godhead4 ,he has made ,himself a partaker of my human nature in order that ,i may be a partaker of ,his divine nature4 ,i must not only think1 then1 of ,his working in and through me1 but of my working in and through ,him4 ,mary entered into and shared not only ,his ,acts of adoration and love and praise1 but also the work ,he had come to do1 ,his plans for the ,redemption of the world4 ,they dwelt with the ,king for ,his works1 and they abode there 7#a ,paral4 ,,iv4 #bc74 ,how true this was of ,mary6 ,it is in this that ,i must try to copy her4 ,i will abide in the ,tabernacle of the ,most ,high1 and ,i will offer myself for ,his works1 ,his interests shall be mine1 ,he shall feel that one soul at least1 sympathizes and cares and intends to co-operate in the great work ,he has come to do4 ,let me1 then1 as the season of ,advent is fast passing1 ask myself once again3 ,am ,i doing all ,i can for the spread of the ,kingdom which ,he came to this earth to set up8 ,am ,i trying to look at the world with the eyes of love with which ,he regarded it1 when ,he first made ,himself incarnate for it8 ,am ,i helping ,his poor1 tending ,his sick1 instructing ,his ignorant1 bringing ,home ,his sheep1 loving ,his little ones1 comforting ,his sorrowful ones8 ,such are ,his works1 and if ,i would do them1 ,i must dwell with the ,king and learn to do them in ,his way--,i must live an interior life4 ,,point ,,iii4 ,,all ,,passes ,,through ,,mary4 ,it is only those who do not understand the ,incarnation who stumble over this statement4 ,what could be more natural8 ,if ,he chose to redeem the world through ,mary1 to do all ,his great works which depend on the ,incarnation--such as the foundation of the ,church with all her ,sacraments--through ,mary1 is it strange that when ,i want to help the ,king in ,his works1 ,i should do the same and put my little gifts for the ,king into her hands8 ,rather would it be strange if ,i wanted to work on a different plan from my ,king's4 ,she is the ,janua coeli1 the ,turris ,davidica1 the ,sacrarium ,spiritus ,sancti2 the ,tabernacle where ,he was incarnate for me4 ,through her and by means of her1 ,he hands me all the graces ,i receive4 ,what more natural than that ,i should make use of such a messenger to take back my offerings8 ,and do they lose in the transaction8 ,surely they must gain1 first because she will purify them and add to them her own merits and graces1 and secondly because a gift presented by ,his own ,mother cannot but be enhanced in value4 ,blessed ,grignon de ,montfort says3 ,god has chosen her for the treasurer1 steward and dispenser of all ,his graces1 so that all ,his graces and all ,his gifts pass through her hands2 and according to the power she has received over them1 as ,st4 ,bernardine teaches1 she gives to whom she wills1 as she likes1 and as much as she likes1 the graces of the ,eternal ,father1 the virtues of ,,jesus ,christ and the gifts of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,we may1 if we like1 do all our actions with ,mary1 in ,mary1 by ,mary1 for ,mary1 in order to do them more perfectly with ,,jesus1 in ,,jesus1 by ,,jesus1 and for ,,jesus1 our ,last ,end4#a ,if ,i am a child of ,mary in anything more than in name1 ,i shall not hesitate to use this great privilege which is offered to me1 knowing that by so doing1 not only will the value of my prayers and penances and actions be enhanced in ,god's sight1 but my merits and graces will be increased4 ,mary will see to it that her children who thus trust her have a ,benjamin's portion4 ,colloquy with ,mary1 asking her to obtain for me during this waiting time the grace to trust her with all my secrets for her ,son4 ,resolution4 ,to dwell with the ,king for ,his works to-day4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,janua coeli1 ora pro nobis4 ,,the ,,lord ,,is ,,nigh ,brethren1 rejoice in the ,lord always2 again1 ,i say rejoice4 ,let your modesty be known to all men4 ,the ,lord is nigh4 ,be nothing solicitous2 but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to ,god4 ,and the peace of ,god which surpasseth all understanding1 keep your hearts and minds in ,christ ,,jesus4 7,phil4 ,,iv4 #d-g74 7,the ,epistle for the ,third ,sunday of ,advent74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,before the ,tabernacle4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace to remember the ,presence of ,god4 ,the ,lord is nigh because by ,his grace ,he is within us1 because by ,his omnipresence ,he is not far from every one of us 7,acts ,,xvii4 #bg71 because in the ,blessed ,sacrament ,he is with us all days1 even to the consummation of the world 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,xxviii4 #bj7 and because it may be to-day that ,he will come in judgment4 ,in consequence of this nearness of our ,god to us1 from whatever point of view we regard it1 ,st4 ,paul tells us that there are certain practices which are incumbent upon us4 ,,point ,i4 ,,rejoice ,,in ,,the ,,lord ,,always4 ,to rejoice always--this is my duty1 because the ,lord is nigh4 ,when joy is absent from me1 it is because faith in ,his nearness is absent4 ,when clouds hide the ,sun of ,justice1 and ,i am disposed to be sad and despondent1 let me make an ,act of ,faith in ,his ,presence3 ,my ,god1 ,i know that ,thou art within my soul1 because ,i have reason to believe that ,i am in the state of grace4 ,my ,,jesus1 ,i believe that ,thou art there in the ,tabernacle4 ,my ,god1 ,i believe that ,thou art truly present behind every person and every circumstance and every trial4 ,my ,,jesus1 ,i believe that it may be to-day that ,thou wilt summon me to stand before ,thee as my ,judge4444 ,i shall find that ,acts of ,faith1 such as these1 will help to dispel the despondency and send me on my way rejoicing4 ,how can ,i do anything but rejoice when ,i think of the ,divine ,inhabitation8 ,can ,i be sad when ,i realize the presence of ,,jesus in the ,blessed ,sacrament of the ,altar and all that means to me8 ,can ,i allow circumstances and trials to depress and crush me when ,i know with what infinite love and care they have been arranged for me by ,him who hides ,himself in each one of them8 ,and if the thought that the ,lord is nigh in judgment can hardly in itself be a thought that brings joy1 yet1 when ,i know how much value ,he sets on joy1 ,i should like ,him to find me rejoicing when ,he pays that always unexpected visit to my soul4 ,the ,lord is nigh1 therefore rejoice4 ,to rejoice in the ,lord is always possible1 it only means a realization of the supernatural1 and as soon as that is realized1 everything is seen in a different light4 ,in ,thy light we shall see light 7,ps4 ,,xxxv4 #aj71 and at ,thy right hand are delights even to the end 7,ps4 ,,xv4 #aa74 ,it is just because the ,lord is nigh that ,i cannot but rejoice1 and it is only when ,i forget ,his ,presence that the clouds have the power to chill and depress me and rob me of my joy4 ,st4 ,paul is afraid that ,i may forget1 and so he adds3 ,again ,i say3 ,rejoice4 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,let ,,your ,,modesty ,,be ,,known ,,to ,,all ,,men4 ,the ,greek word which is translated modesty means more1 it means fairness1 kindness1 gentleness1 moderation1 self-restraint1 not insisting on strict justice4 ,these are the qualities by which ,i am to be known to all men1 because the ,lord is nigh4 ,he is within me--always if ,i will by ,his grace and often by the ,blessed ,sacrament4 ,i may truly be said to bear ,god in my body4 ,what follows8 ,i am ,his representative to the world2 ,he is living ,his life in the world through me2 if people want to know something about ,god and what ,he is like1 they ought to be able to find out by watching my life4 ,the ,lord is nigh--my gentleness has to recall this fact to others4 ,the servant of the ,lord must not wrangle1 but be mild towards all men4 7#b ,tim4 ,,ii4 #bd74 ,he must not stand up for his rights1 though strictly speaking he may have them2 he must not be wedded to his own opinions and ever anxious to give them2 he must not argue and strive to show that he is in the right1 which means that everybody else is in the wrong4 ,no1 if he does these things1 he is giving an altogether false representation of ,christ ,who is within him1 of the ,lord ,who is so nigh4 ,some people are gentle by nature1 but it is not this natural quality of gentleness1 often a mark of weakness of character and will1 which is to be known to all men4 ,it needs a strong will and much self-restraint to show the gentleness of ,christ2 it means the temper kept in check when slighting1 insulting or unkind words are said2 it means keeping silence when misjudged or falsely accused because ,,jesus was silent2 it means keeping back the cutting word or the stinging sarcasm and letting them die away before ,his ,presence2 it means giving up a cherished plan or desire and letting no one except ,him ,who asks for the sacrifice know what it costs2 it means being able to let a matter drop1 though we may be in the right--such is the gentleness of ,christ1 which we have to make known so that by our behaviour others may be attracted to ,him ,who is so nigh4 ,what a point it would give to our preparation for ,his ,coming this ,advent1 if each day found us striving to let our gentleness win others to ,him and make them long to know the ,babe of ,bethlehem4 ,,point ,,iii4 ,,be ,,nothing ,,solicitous4 ,take no thought1 for your ,heavenly ,father knoweth that you have need4 ,do not be solicitous1 careful1 anxious about anything1 there is no need for the ,lord is nigh4 ,he knows what is best for ,his child4 ,he can alter things if ,he likes1 leave all to ,him4 ,all worry and anxiety only come really from want of faith4 ,does a child worry when its father is near8 ,no1 it leaves everything to him without any care4 ,the ,lord is nigh1 be nothing solicitous4 ,the way may seem blocked1 but it is not blocked to ,him2 the ,lord is still nigh1 ,he knoweth my way 7,job ,,xxiii4 #aj71 is it not enough8 ,let me love and trust and continually talk to ,him ,who is so near2 let me remember that ,i am never alone1 that the difficulties and problems and sorrows of life concern two1 that the responsibility is shared1 that the important business of life is a joint one4 ,surely with such a ,partner1 ,one who is never absent but always nigh1 ,i need be in nothing solicitous4 ,,point ,,iv4 ,,in ,,everything ,,by ,,prayer ,,and ,,supplication ,,with ,,thanksgiving1 ,,let ,,your ,,petitions ,,be ,,made ,,known ,,unto ,,god4 ,the conclusion ,i arrived at in the last point is a just one1 but ,i am not on that account to do nothing4 ,he must have my active co-operation and whether ,i am working for my own salvation or for the salvation of others or1 which ought to be the case1 for both1 ,i must in everything ,i do1 let my petitions be made known unto ,god1 that is1 ,i must never act on my own responsibility4 ,i am going to see such and such a person1 come with me2 ,i have this letter to write1 tell me what to say2 ,i have a difficult matter to settle1 give me the necessary wisdom and tact2 ,i am going to rest1 or to take my food or my recreation1 ,i want ,thee with me all the same--such must be my requests4 ,what about my mistakes1 the things ,i forget and leave out1 the faults that ,i mean with all my heart not to commit1 but which ,i am always falling into all the same8 ,ah1 it is here that the inestimable benefit of having such an all-powerful ,partner comes in4 ,instead of bewailing my incapability1 which only makes me still less capable1 ,i must make my requests known to ,him4 ,what sort of requests will these be8 ,i have committed that fault1 made that same mistake again1 please forgive me and correct it2 ,i have forgotten to say something ,i meant to say1 please say it for me2 ,i have been stiff1 unyielding1 ungracious1 discourteous1 harsh1 severe1 please make up for my deficiencies and whatever happens do not let them judge ,thee by ,thy representative1 make them understand that ,he for whom ,i am working is never anything but gracious and gentle1 that ,he never breaks the bruised reed nor quenches the smoking flax2 do not let me spoil ,thy work4 ,such are the prayers and supplications by which ,i should continually be making known my needs to ,him ,who is always nigh4 ,and what about the thanksgiving8 ,this is most necessary1 otherwise1 ashamed though ,i am to confess it1 ,i shall be attributing the successes to my own powers and skill and capability6 ,it seems hardly credible1 but unfortunately past experience tells me that it is all too true4 ,in order to guard against such a distorted and absurd view of things1 ,st4 ,paul tells us not to forget the ,thanksgiving4 ,the ,lord is nigh1 let me turn to ,him and say3 ,deo gratias1 for it is ,he ,who has prevented my awkwardness from spoiling ,his work4 ,he loves to be thanked and ,he notices when ,he is not4 ,let me be thoroughly persuaded that the work is all ,his1 and that if anything succeeds that ,i do1 it is only because ,he has allowed ,his success to pass through me1 thus thanksgiving will not only be easy but natural4 ,but who is ever going to persuade me that no glory is due to me8 ,who is sufficient for these things8 ,he ,who condescends to be my ,co-worker4 ,he can do even that1 if ,i love ,him sufficiently to want ,him to have all the glory4 ,,point ,v4 ,,the ,,result--,,peace4 ,the peace of ,god which passeth all understanding 7shall7 keep your hearts and minds in ,christ ,,jesus4 ,this will be the result1 not of ,our ,lord being nigh1 but of our realization of ,his nearness4 ,a great peace will keep1 that is1 take possession of1 our hearts and minds4 ,everything will be right because it comes straight from ,god's ,hands4 ,my peace ,i give unto you1 not as the world giveth do ,i give unto you 7,st4 ,john ,,xiv4 #bg74 ,god's peace passes the understanding of the world1 it has nothing to compare with it4 ,it passes the understanding of ,god's children too4 ,it is one of the mysteries with which ,he blesses ,his own and makes life possible for them in a world of turmoil4 ,colloquy with ,him ,who is nigh4 ,resolution4 ,to remember that ,i am never alone4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,the ,lord is nigh4 ,,footnote3 ,footnote #a3 ,the ,secret of ,mary unveiled to the devout soul by ,louis-,marie ,grignon de ,montfort4 ,,the ,,interior ,,life4 7#a7 ,,humility4 ,i am ,thy servant1 ,i am ,thy servant and the son of ,thy handmaid4 7,ps4 ,,cxv4 #af74 ,janua coeli1 ora pro nobis4 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,the ,gate of ,heaven4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace to enter that gate and learn4 ,we are going now to keep very close to ,mary4 ,she is passing all these precious days in communion with her ,son and ,he is teaching her what conformity to ,himself means4 ,but she has ,him not for herself alone but for all those for whom ,he has made ,himself incarnate and has come to die4 ,the time passed within that ,gate of ,heaven was the first stage of ,his earthly journey and ,he was there for me1 for my learning4 ,he was already my ,model4 ,let me go1 then1 to-day to the ,gate of ,heaven1 go to ,mary and ask to be allowed to study some of those heavenly lessons which were so dear to her heart4 ,janua coeli1 ora pro nobis4 ,remember1 ,o most gracious ,virgin ,mary1 that never was it known that any who implored thy help or sought thy intercession were left unaided4 ,inspired with this confidence ,i fly unto thee4444 ,o1 ,mother of the ,word ,incarnate despise not my petitions1 but in thy mercy hear and answer me4 ,,point ,i4 ,,the ,,humility ,,of ,,jesus4 ,we cannot contemplate this stage of ,our ,lord's life without being struck first of all by the humility and self-abasement of it1 by the way in which in some sense ,he annihilated ,himself that ,he might do ,his ,father's ,will4 ,st4 ,paul says3 ,he emptied ,himself 444 being made in the likeness of men 7,phil4 ,,ii4 #g74 ,he stripped ,himself1 robbed ,himself of all that ,he possessed3 ,semetipsum exinanivit4 ,we know that ,mary1 ,his created ,home1 was chaste and pure1 that no breath of sin had ever touched her1 that the ,holy ,spirit ,himself had overshadowed her and had undertaken the preparation and the adornment of the earthly ,tabernacle of the ,word2 but pure and holy though she was1 ,mary was only a creature and ,he was the ,creator4 ,he was ,god and she was one of the human race4 ,his place was on the highest throne of ,heaven and yet ,he abhorred not the ,virgin's womb but there lived hidden from the sight of all1 like any other infant and yet wholly unlike1 because ,he had full possession of ,his faculties and intelligence4 ,in the manger ,he will be seen1 and so will be loved1 pitied and worshipped2 there will be many consolations which will go far to lessen and soften ,his humiliations1 but here1 ,he is alone1 hidden2 ,his very existence not even suspected4 ,he has annihilated ,himself1 made ,himself nothing4 ,he could have taken our nature1 had ,he so wished1 without all these humiliations2 why then did ,he despise not the ,virgin's womb8 ,because this is to be ,his principle all through ,his life1 ,he will love unto the end4 ,he will leave nothing undone that ,he could possibly do4 ,he came to do ,his ,father's ,will and ,he will do it thoroughly4 ,he will bear all the humiliations because ,he wants to be my ,model and to teach me that there is only one way of learning humility4 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,the ,,humility ,,of ,,mary4 ,mary1 though she cannot see ,him1 is sharing intimately all ,his humiliations4 ,she knows as no one else can all ,he is going through2 and because she is ,his ,mother she feels more intensely than anyone could what ,his humiliations are1 she can never forget them4 ,she shares all with ,him and ,he lets her2 her sympathy is ,his consolation4 ,of all the virtues of the interior life1 humility is the one which is the most strongly marked in ,mary1 and perhaps more strongly during these nine months than at any other time4 ,it was her humility which attracted the ,eternal ,word from ,heaven to take up ,his dwelling in ,his earthly ,tabernacle4 ,it was her humility which made her visit her cousin ,elizabeth4 ,it was her humility which made her sing in her ,magnificat of the great things ,god had done for her and how ,he had regarded the low estate of ,his handmaid4 ,it was her humility which made her ready to suffer any humiliation rather than disclose ,god's secret to ,st4 ,joseph4 ,it was her humility which made her incapable of resenting all the humiliations she had to bear at ,bethlehem on ,christmas ,eve--and all this humility1 all this power to bear humiliations1 came from the fact that she was living an interior life1 living a hidden life with her ,son1 looking at everything from ,his point of view and not from her own4 ,,point ,,iii4 ,,learn ,,of ,,me4 ,now let me turn from the interior life of ,,jesus and ,mary to my own4 ,,jesus lived ,his interior life for me4 ,if ,he allowed ,mary to share it1 ,he will allow me1 for ,he said once that ,he counted as ,his ,mother all those who do ,his ,will4 ,his ,will is quite clear3 ,learn of me for ,i am humble4 ,dare ,i go to the ,gate of ,heaven and say that ,i want to learn to be humble1 that is1 that ,i want to copy ,,jesus and ,mary in their humiliations8 ,it takes a great deal of courage to ask for humiliations1 and perhaps it is almost impossible to do so without some pride lurking in the request2 but what ,i can do is to be so anxious to learn to be humble as ,he bids me1 that ,i ask for strength to bear the humiliations that ,he sends4 ,how do ,i bear them8 ,do ,i say3 ,oh well1 it is a humiliation1 ,i must bear it6 or1 ,oh well1 ,i shall never learn humility without humiliations6 or3 ,i am always getting humiliations1 some people are1 but ,i gladly accept them6 ,all such speeches have their source1 not in humility but in pride4 ,can we imagine ,mary talking like this8 ,humiliations will never do their blessed work of making me humble if ,i thus use them to attract attention to my supposed virtue4 ,a humiliation is spoiled the moment it sees the light2 it has no strength left in it wherewith to produce humility4 ,do ,i want to be humble8 ,then let me go to that quiet retreat where ,,jesus is humiliating ,himself for me1 let me take all my humiliations there4 ,when ,i am left out1 forgotten1 despised1 when my help is unasked1 my opinion disregarded1 when things are said of me that are hard to bear1 when reflections are made on my actions1 let me go at once to where ,,jesus is hidden and hide myself and my pain there1 my one fear being lest anyone but ,he should suspect my pain1 and this not from stoicism or natural self-restraint1 so pleasing and consoling to self1 but because ,i am afraid of spoiling my chance and preventing the humiliation from doing its work4 ,if ,i can only deposit it safely in ,his ,heart before another sees it and robs me of my jewel1 all will be well4 ,he who suffered all those humiliations for me1 will know how to ease my pain1 ,he will tell me what a consolation it is to ,him that ,his child understands and is trying to make a faithful copy4 ,colloquy4 ,o ,mary1 ,gate of ,heaven keep the gate wide open and beckon me in whenever you see me in danger of falling through my pride4 ,you know the dangerous moments1 please forestall them for me1 and when ,i am safe1 and listening to the ,sacred ,heart beating for me1 the pain of the humiliation will be turned into joy and perhaps ,i shall make ,him feel that ,his humiliations have not been in vain4 ,resolution4 ,to examine myself to-day on how ,i take my humiliations and to resolve how ,i will take them for the future4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,learn of ,me for ,i am humble4 ,,the ,,interior ,,life4 7#b7 ,,oblation4 ,sacrifice and oblation ,thou wouldest not1 but a ,body ,thou hast fitted to ,me4 ,holocausts for sin did not please ,thee4 ,then said ,i3 ,behold ,i come4 ,in the head of the book it is written of ,me1 that ,i should do ,thy ,will1 ,o ,god4 7,heb4 ,x4 #e-g74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,thy holy ,tabernacle1 which ,thou hast prepared from the beginning 7,wisdom ,,ix4 #h74 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace to be generous4 ,,point ,i4 ,,the ,,oblation ,,of ,,jesus4 ,as soon as the ,word had taken possession of ,his earthly home1 ,he began to live ,his new life--a life in all its fulness of knowledge and of grace and which will ever remain at its highest point1 a life of infinite worth1 a life lived for others1 a life abounding in merits and satisfactions1 a life of contemplation and yet of activity1 a life to be studied carefully by all who seek to live an interior life and specially by those who for the love of their ,incarnate ,god hide themselves in the cloister4 ,this new life was before everything else a life of oblation4 ,the first act of the ,word ,incarnate was to offer ,himself to ,his ,father3 ,here ,i am2 ,i have come to do ,thy ,will and ,i have come to do it not for ,myself but for all creation2 ,i offer ,myself to do what it cannot do and to satisfy ,thy claims4 ,he made ,himself1 then1 from the first moment of ,his existence a ,victim--a ,victim laid on the altar4 ,this was ,his first posture1 and ,he will keep it not only during this first stage of ,his life1 but all through ,his life and all through ,his ,sacramental life1 whether the ,host is offered to ,god at the ,holy ,mass or is living ,its life of a ,victim in the ,tabernacle2 and in ,heaven ,he will still be the ,lamb as it had been slain4 ,with the oblation of ,himself1 so acceptable to the ,father1 the ,victim offers all that concerns ,him1 all for which ,he has come to this earth1 all ,his designs for man's salvation4 ,he submits all ,his plans for ,his great building1 the ,holy ,catholic ,church1 of which ,he offers ,himself to be the ,chief ,corner-stone1 dwelling in it as its life throughout all time4 ,he offers ,himself also to bear all the effects of ,his oblation and to drink the chalice to the dregs4 ,he offers ,himself as a ,surety for the whole human race and for it ,he offers all ,his merits and satisfactions4 ,he keeps nothing back--the whole of the life just begun is offered for the glory of ,god and the salvation of the world4 ,it is a whole burnt-offering1 a holocaust offered at its very beginning to ,him ,who spared not even ,his own ,son1 but delivered ,him up for us all4 7,rom4 ,,viii4 #cb74 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,the ,,oblation ,,of ,,mary4 ,mary lived her life with her ,son and to her ,he communicated ,his secrets4 ,it is impossible to imagine that ,he did not reveal to her ,his plans and designs which were the reason of ,his coming to this earth1 and how ,he was going to carry them out4 ,she knew1 then1 that she was the ,mother of a ,victim2 and when ,he offered ,himself to ,god1 she joined in1 offering herself and her ,son for all that ,he wished4 ,behold the handmaid of the ,lord6 ,here ,i am1 ,i offer myself to ,thee1 do what ,thou wilt with me4 ,this was ,mary's attitude all through her life from the time when her ,fiat was a sign for the ,incarnation to take place1 till she stood on ,calvary's ,hill assisting at the offering of the ,victim4 ,truly had the ,mother of ,sorrows caught the spirit of her ,son2 all through her life she regarded ,him as a ,victim4 ,when ,he was forty days old she formally offered ,him to ,god1 and her life though bound up with ,his was nevertheless detached from ,him1 as from something given to another4 ,now at this early stage of ,his life1 ,mary is learning her lesson and gaining her strength4 ,she is doing it by leading an interior life1 hidden with her ,son4 ,o my ,mother1 as ,i come to-day to the holy ,tabernacle prepared from the beginning where the ,sacred ,victim lies hidden1 help me to make my life one with ,his as thou didst1 help me to detach myself from everything for ,his sake and to say my ,fiat whenever ,he asks for it4 ,,point ,,iii4 ,,learn ,,of ,,me4 ,if ,i want to live an interior life1 ,i must model it on the life of ,,jesus hidden in the womb of ,his ,mother4 ,he wants me to lead it for ,he is ever saying3 ,learn of ,me ,who led this life for you4 ,an interior life must be essentially a life of oblation4 ,this is its foundation3 the offering of the soul as a holocaust to ,god and then regarding itself as a victim1 all it has and does and is and thinks and plans1 belonging not to itself but to ,god4 ,it lies on the altar waiting to be consumed2 it is not surprised when it is treated as a victim and feels the flames1 not surprised1 that is1 when it is forgotten and thought nothing of2 its life is hidden1 how should people remember it6 ,if it has to suffer1 it considers it the most natural thing in the world for a victim4 ,if its plans are all frustrated1 it knows that it is lying there on the altar to do ,god's ,will1 not its own1 and that this is only the fire consuming the victim2 if it did not happen thus the victim might indeed be surprised and anxious1 wondering whether ,god had accepted its sacrifice4 ,present your bodies a living sacrifice1 holy1 pleasing unto ,god1 your reasonable service 7,rom4 ,,xii4 #a74 ,the sacrifice is ever living1 and ever being consumed4 ,the victim feels keenly all the many processes by which ,god shows that ,he has accepted the offering1 but if it copies its ,model1 there will be no complaint1 no drawing back of the offering1 no wishing that it had chosen an easier course1 no wondering whether it had made a mistake in its vocation2 rather will there be joy in its heart because in its humble way it is like its ,master1 and each fresh touch of the fire will be to it a fresh proof that ,god has not forgotten it1 but has taken it at its word and counts on it to be all that it promised to be4 ,what is necessary for all this8 ,only one thing3 ,love4 ,if ,i love1 ,i can do it4 ,walk in love as ,christ also hath loved us and given ,himself an oblation for us4 ,o my little ,,jesus1 hidden there for me and offering ,thyself for me1 teach me to be generous1 teach me to love ,thee as ,thou deservest2 help me to lie quietly and unresistingly on the altar4 ,i am not alone4 ,thou art there1 bearing all with me and giving me the necessary strength to bear all for ,thee4 ,help me to sacrifice willingly all my cherished desires and tastes1 all my will4 ,thou didst withhold nothing from me1 help me to withhold nothing from ,thee4 ,so shall ,i make ,thee some reparation for all the time wasted in the past1 for all the sins committed against ,thy love2 so only can ,i obey ,thy command3 ,learn of ,me1 and make some little return for ,thy infinite love4 ,colloquy with ,,jesus and ,his blessed ,mother4 ,resolution4 ,to offer myself as a victim to-day4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,walk in love as ,christ also hath loved us1 and hath delivered ,himself for us1 an oblation and a sacrifice to ,god4 7,eph4 ,v4 #b74 ,,the ,,interior ,,life4 7#c7 ,,imprisonment4 ,i was in prison and you came to ,me4 ,lord when did we see ,thee 444 in prison8 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,xxv4 #cf1 #ci74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,turris ,davidica4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace to visit ,him in ,his prison4 ,,point ,i4 ,,dependence4 ,our blessed ,lord's life1 during the nine months1 was a life of imprisonment4 ,he chose for ,himself a position of dependence1 helplessness and inability4 ,he ,who was the ,light of the world chose to live in darkness2 ,he ,whom the ,heavens cannot contain chose a more cramped position than any prisoner has ever had to endure2 ,he ,who was infinite allowed ,himself to be confined2 ,he ,who was immortal took a mortal body4 ,he endured all the sufferings that helplessness and inability and immobility entail2 and we have to keep reminding ourselves that ,he was fully alive to all ,his sufferings4 ,we are not making an imaginary picture1 but trying to realize what were the actual facts of those nine months4 ,his ,mother understood1 let us try to do the same4 ,let us go to the ,tower of ,david where ,our ,lord is kept a prisoner and let us remember that ,he is there for us4 ,let us not be amongst those to whom ,he will have to say sadly3 ,i was in prison and you did not visit ,me4 ,later on1 at the end of ,his life1 ,he will allow ,his own people to take ,him prisoner and will stand still while they put the chains on ,his wrists and will allow ,himself to be dragged where they wish4 ,later on still ,he will choose to be imprisoned in the little ,host and to make ,himself to the end of time our ,prisoner of ,love4 ,thy imprisonments were all voluntary1 my ,,jesus1 they were all suffered out of love and out of love for me4 ,oh1 may these visits that ,i am paying ,thee during the blessed season of ,advent result in my imbibing more of the spirit of my imprisoned ,master4 ,mine too is a voluntary imprisonment2 ,i am ,his captive because ,i said3 ,i will be ,his servant1 ,i will not go out free 7,ex4 ,,xxi4 #e74 ,i gave up my liberty1 preferring to be ,his prisoner rather than the devil's free man4 ,naturally ,he takes me at my word1 but oh1 sometimes prison-life is very hard to bear6 ,he chains me to a bed of sickness1 where ,i must lie still and see the work ,i long to do left undone or1 what is perhaps harder still1 badly done2 ,he gives me great desires and no means of fulfilling them2 ,he fills me with plans and schemes for ,his glory and then seems to make it impossible for them to be realized2 ,he trains me1 as ,i think1 for some particular position and then detains me in another for which it seems to me ,i have not the least aptitude2 ,he sets limits to my strength2 ,he seems to keep me always in the background2 ,he appears to use everybody else except me for ,his work2 ,he seems to cramp my efforts and allow me no scope for the talents ,he has given me4 ,the ,divine ,prisoner ,himself answers my plaints3 ,my child1 all these things only prove that you are ,my prisoner1 that ,i have taken you at your word and that ,i do with you as ,i wish4 ,your time is not lost any more than ,mine was4 ,by doing ,my ,will1 however inscrutable it may seem to you1 you are doing far more for ,me than if you were doing your own4 ,trust me1 be patient1 bear and suffer all for ,me1 ,who am a ,prisoner for you4 ,i love you to be dependent on ,me1 ,i love you to walk by faith1 ,i love you to trust ,me1 and so ,i am constantly doing little things to remind you that you are ,my prisoner4 ,strive to be a prisoner of love as ,i am1 that is 7#a7 one who is in prison for love of another1 7#b7 one who loves his chains1 7#c7 one whose every act in prison is done to please ,me4 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,darkness4 ,how much darkness adds to the sufferings of prison life6 ,it was a suffering which ,,jesus living in ,mary endured for me2 and yet while ,he1 the ,light of the world was there1 her blessed womb was flooded with light1 with the light of ,heaven itself4 ,what light this thought throws on my interior life6 ,the suffering of darkness6 ,it is a suffering which ,he inflicts upon many of ,his prisoners of love4 ,who is there among you that feareth the ,lord1 that heareth the voice of ,his servant1 that hath walked in darkness and hath no light8 ,let him hope in the name of the ,lord and lean upon his ,god4 7,is4 ,l4 #aj74 ,if only ,i can make myself believe that the darkness is permitted by ,him there will be a ray of light at once in the darkness because ,god is there1 ,surely ,god is in this place4 ,but how can ,i be sure that the darkness is permitted by ,him8 ,if ,i am living the interior life1 if my intention is to please ,him in all that ,i do1 and if1 however badly ,i succeed1 ,i never willingly take back that intention1 then ,i am pleasing ,god2 and if ,i am pleasing ,god1 ,i am one of ,his own dear children1 just as really as was ,his ,son ,who did always the things that pleased ,him4 ,if ,i am one of ,his children ,i know1 for ,he has told me so1 that nothing can happen to me without ,his knowledge and ,his permission1 yea ,his arranging4 ,so if ,i have to walk in darkness rather than in light1 if desolation is my spiritual lot and consolation is almost unknown to me1 if a veil hides ,god's face and my continual cry is3 ,oh1 that ,i might know and find ,him 7,job ,,xxiii4 #c71 if prayer seems impossible1 if ,i have a distaste1 almost a repugnance for all spiritual things1 if even ,our ,lady seems to desert me1 if at times ,i am on the brink of despair1 tempted even to think that my soul will be lost1 if1 in short1 darkness1 thick darkness has settled down on my soul--what then8 ,let him hope in the name of the ,lord and lean upon his ,god4 ,but how can ,i hope in darkness1 how can ,i lean upon ,someone ,who is not there8 ,by faith1 that is by saying all the time3 ,this darkness is ,his doing1 therefore it is what ,he wants for me4 ,i1 the ,lord create darkness6 ,that makes all the difference4 ,faith1 as it always does1 lets a streak of light into the darkness2 ,god is there and it is only to make the soul more sure of this that ,he permits the darkness4 ,if the soul can find and recognize ,god in the darkness then it knows ,him very intimately and this is what ,god wants--a love so great that it detects the ,beloved ,one at once4 ,does darkness make any difference to the intercourse of those who love8 ,they rather prefer it1 so that all may be shut out except each other4 ,this is what ,god wants from those whom ,he is teaching to be interior--,he puts them into prison and leaves them in the dark4 ,are they going to be unhappy1 to repine and complain1 longing for consolation and all the sweet things with which ,god fed them when they hardly knew ,him8 ,not if they have faith2 and if their faith is strong1 they will hardly be able to distinguish desolation from consolation1 ,god's absence from ,his presence1 yea the very darkness itself from the light6 ,for is it not their ,god who is the cause of all that is happening to them1 and is not that enough for those who love8 ,they only want ,his ,will1 not their own1 and ,his ,will is to keep them in prison and in the dark and so to unite them more closely to ,himself ,who for their sake faced for nine months the darkness of the womb4 ,in the terrible moments when despair seems so near us1 let us hold on to the fact that we want to please ,god and therefore that we are ,his children and that ,he loves us and is arranging everything--this is the little ray of hope in the darkness1 the line of light1 and in it we read the words3 ,i give them life everlasting and they shall not perish for ever2 and no man shall pluck them out of ,my ,hand4 7,st4 ,john ,x4 #bh74 ,colloquy with ,,jesus1 the ,light of the world1 imprisoned in darkness for me4 ,resolution4 ,to lean upon my ,god in times of darkness4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,i form the light and create darkness4 7,is4 ,,xlv4 #g74 ,,the ,,interior ,,life4 7#d7 ,,hiddenness4 ,verily1 ,thou art a hidden ,god1 the ,god of ,israel the ,saviour4 7,is4 ,,xlv4 #ae74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,,jesus hidden in ,mary4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace so to find ,him that ,i may live the hidden life4 ,,point ,i4 ,,thou ,,art ,a ,,hidden ,,god4 ,he was hidden in the womb of ,his ,mother2 all through ,his life and death on earth1 ,his ,divinity was hidden except to a very few2 in ,his ,eucharistic life ,he will hide ,himself to the end of time in the little ,host4 ,he seemed to love hiding when ,he was on earth and when ,he did reveal ,himself1 it was something like a child playing at hide and seek4 ,he hid ,himself from the ,samaritan woman till ,he had heard all her story and then said suddenly3 ,i am ,he 7the ,messias7 ,who am speaking with thee 7,st4 ,john ,,iv4 #bf74 ,the blind man whom ,he cured had not the least idea ,who ,he was till ,,jesus1 hearing that he had been reviled and cast out of the ,synagogue1 went and talked to him about the ,son of ,god and then said in the middle of the conversation3 ,thou hast both seen ,him1 and it is ,he that talketh with thee 7chap4 ,,ix4 #cg74 ,from ,mary ,magdalen at the sepulchre ,he deliberately hid ,himself under the form of a gardener that ,he might have the joy of suddenly surprising her with ,his presence4 ,perhaps the most touching story of all is that of the two disciples going to ,emmaus2 out of ,his very love for them1 ,he blindfolded them and then made them look for ,him1 while ,he put them off the scent by pretending that ,he knew nothing about all the things that had been happening in ,jerusalem2 and then when ,his moment was come their eyes were opened and they knew ,him4 7,st4 ,luke ,,xxiv4 #ca74 ,he treats ,his children in the same way still1 ,he constantly hides ,himself from them1 leaves them alone to fight and struggle in desolation1 solitude and spiritual darkness1 and then sometimes shows by ,his sudden presence how near ,he has been all the time4 ,let me consider two questions3 #a4 ,how does ,he hide ,himself8 7#a7 ,behind obstacles that ,he makes3 suffering1 desolation1 darkness1 temptation1 scruples1 failure 7spiritual as well as temporal71 uncongenial people and surroundings--all those many forms of the cross which the true disciple knows so well4 ,let us remember that ,he is hidden in them1 it will make all the difference4 7#b7 ,behind obstacles that we ourselves make4 ,this is not so consoling4 ,he has every right to hide ,himself from me1 but ,i have no right to make ,his coming to me difficult by obstacles that ,i put in ,his path1 and yet how often ,i do it6 ,self is the great obstacle4 ,i am taken up with myself1 with my own shortcomings and miseries and failures and weaknesses1 with my imagination 7how it runs away with me1 away from ,him67 and my fears1 my introspection--uselessly looking into myself to see how ,i am advancing4 ,what are all these but obstacles which keep ,god at a distance8 ,the soul that attracts ,him is the soul that is occupied with ,him1 not with self4 #b4 ,why does ,he hide ,himself8 ,why does ,he deliberately set up obstacles which prevent the soul from seeing ,him8 ,why does a mother hide from her child8 ,is it not for the joy of seeing it look for her and for the consolation she is going to give it in letting herself be found8 ,it is the same with our ,god ,who hides ,himself4 ,he wants to make us look for ,him1 ,he wants to increase our love1 our desire and our merit1 ,he wants to make us strong in faith and confidence1 while acknowledging our helplessness and dependence and nothingness without ,him4 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,your ,,life ,,is ,,hid ,,with ,,christ ,,in ,,god4 ,though ,,jesus was hidden in ,mary1 ,he was never hidden from her4 ,this was 7#a7 because ,mary never put any obstacle between herself and ,,jesus--her thoughts were all with ,him and never with herself1 and 7#b7 because her faith and love and desire were so strong that she at once overcame all obstacles1 which ,he in ,his love and desire for her merit put in her way as was the case during the three days' loss4 ,,jesus and ,mary are the models of my interior life4 ,like ,mary ,i must try to surmount all obstacles1 welcome every sword that pierces1 leave self and seek ,him4 ,like ,,jesus in ,mary ,i must strive to lead a hidden life4 ,how is it to be done8 ,there is only one way--to have ,god always before my eyes1 and self only there to be sacrificed4 ,if ,i make this my rule1 it will simplify my life and be the quick solution of many problems4 ,why this dryness in prayer8 ,to bring ,god to my mind and to give me an opportunity of sacrificing self with its love of spiritual consolation and sensible enjoyment4 ,the very dryness makes me thirst after ,god3 ,as the hart panteth after the fountains of water1 so my soul panteth after ,thee1 ,o ,god4 ,my soul hath thirsted after the strong living ,god2 when shall ,i come and appear before the face of ,god8 7,ps4 ,,xli4 #a-c74 ,this is what ,god wants--to see the soul longing and thirsting for ,him4 ,that is why ,he puts the obstacle of dryness between ,himself and the soul1 and hides ,himself behind it while ,he watches the soul struggling to forget itself and saying3 ,o my soul why dost thou disquiet me8 ,hope thou in ,god1 for ,i will still give praise to ,him 7verse #ab74 ,this is how the faithful soul overcomes the obstacles--not by praying to have them removed1 but by a firm faith that ,god is in them4 ,so with temptations--why these terrible temptations1 when ,god could so easily remove them8 ,because ,he is the ,master and ,he knows what is best4 ,if the temptations were removed1 the soul would soon be wrapped up in self-complacency and self-satisfaction4 ,temptations properly used keep the soul close to ,god1 it sees ,god hidden in them and forgetting all about its treacherous self1 it turns to ,him ,who alone can save it from falling1 it keeps ,god only in view and makes the sacrifice of self4 ,the same principle holds good for all the many obstacles behind which ,god hides4 ,if they are properly used they are no longer obstacles1 but stepping-stones by means of which we pass to ,him4 ,god everywhere and self nowhere6 ,god everything and self nothing6 ,god1 not self1 the object of all ,i do and think and plan6 ,and that not because ,i can feel ,him and see ,him and enjoy ,him1 but because my faith tells me that though hidden ,he is there4 ,this was the principle of ,mary's life hidden with her ,son4 ,he was the cause1 the direct cause1 of all her troubles1 of all the many swords that pierced her most pure heart1 yet never was there a life hidden with ,christ as was ,mary's and the reason was that she forgot herself and saw ,,jesus only4 ,your life is hid with ,christ in ,god4 ,are these words of ,st4 ,paul true about me8 ,let me read the whole verse and then ,i shall know3 ,for you are dead1 and your life is hid with ,christ in ,god4 ,when self is dead1 then ,i shall be able to say ,god only1 and till then1 ,god be thanked1 ,i can hide my miserable self in ,him and tell ,him that ,i want it to be sacrificed though ,i so seldom have the courage to do it4 ,colloquy with ,,jesus hidden in ,mary4 ,resolution4 ,to see my hidden ,god everywhere and self nowhere4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,why hidest ,thou ,thy ,face8 7,job ,,xiii4 #bd74 ,,the ,,interior ,,life4 7#e7 ,,prayer4 ,behold ,i come that ,i should do ,thy ,will3 ,o my ,god1 ,i have desired it1 and ,thy law in the midst of my heart4 7,ps4 ,,xxxix4 #h1 #i74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,vas spirituale4 ,vas insigne devotionis4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace to pray without ceasing4 7#a ,thess4 ,v4 #ag74 ,,point ,i4 ,,the ,,spirit ,,of ,,prayer4 ,amongst all the lessons that ,,jesus living in ,mary teaches us1 that on prayer must ever hold a foremost place4 ,what is ,prayer8 ,the lifting up of the heart and mind to ,god1 the ,catechism tells us4 ,to love ,god1 then1 and to think about ,him is to pray4 ,,jesus lived in ,mary uniquely to do the ,will of ,his ,father4 ,he and the ,father were one--one heart1 one mind4 ,he took pleasure in all that concerned ,his ,father3 ,hallowed be ,thy ,name1 ,thy ,kingdom come1 ,thy ,will be done on earth as it is in ,heaven4 ,he taught us to pray in the same way1 taking our thoughts away from ourselves to our ,father1 and when we do ask for something for ourselves1 letting it be just a short prayer for mercy or for help1 acknowledging our weakness and misery and nothingness1 while we keep our eyes fixed on our ,father--,he ,god1 ,i ,his creature2 ,he everything1 ,i nothing4 ,god be merciful to me a sinner1 this prayer contains all we need4 ,o my little ,,jesus1 ,who didst think of me in ,thy communion with ,thy ,father1 for ,thou didst come to do ,his ,will1 and ,his ,will was that ,i should be saved1 teach me to think of ,thee and to love ,thee so much that my life1 too1 may be one perpetual prayer1 that is1 that communion with ,god may be the attitude of my soul4 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,mary',s ,,spirit ,,of ,,prayer4 ,she was ever holding colloquies with her ,god within her1 pondering things over in her heart1 that is1 talking them over with ,him from ,whom she had no secrets and between ,whom and her soul she put no obstacles4 ,her life was spent with ,him2 whatever her duties might be1 everything was done with ,him1 that is prayer4 ,if duties or conservation demanded all her attention for a while1 did it matter8 ,no1 for ,he was there all the same4 ,he1 in her1 carried on the blessed converse with ,his ,father2 there was never any separation between ,mary and the ,blessed ,fruit of her womb1 ,,jesus4 ,she would come back to ,him with all the more joy1 and tell ,him what she had been doing and saying4 ,oh1 blessed life of union between ,,jesus and ,mary6 ,teach me1 my ,mother1 what prayer is4 ,thou didst understand it so well4 ,it was prayer that made thy life interior for thou wast ever communing with ,him ,who was within thee4 ,o ,mother of the ,word1 despise not my words4 ,,point ,,iii4 ,,learn ,,of ,,me4 ,when we think of ,,jesus praying for nine months to ,his ,father1 when we think of ,mary's nine months' colloquy with ,,jesus1 we begin to think that there is something wrong about our methods of prayer1 that they need re-modelling4 ,let us try to understand something of what ,his prayer was4 ,we think of ,him1 and quite rightly1 as talking over with ,his ,father all ,his plans for man's salvation1 praying for each individual thing that would be connected with it through all time4 ,we love to think that ,he prayed particularly for each one of us4 ,but all this was not the essence of ,his prayer1 if it were1 we might well be discouraged and feel that we could never copy such a model2 our distractions and fatigues1 our ignorance and want of memory1 to say nothing of our times of dryness and distaste for prayer would make such prayers1 except perhaps now and again in times of consolation1 impossible for us4 ,am ,i to turn away sadly then from ,mary this time1 saying3 ,it is too hard for me1 ,i cannot copy thy ,son here8 ,no1 rather let me ask what was the essence of ,his prayer8 ,what was it which lay behind all8 ,it was the intention4 ,and what was that8 ,we have meditated upon it many times3 ,behold ,i come to do ,thy ,will1 ,o my ,god4 ,the essence of ,his prayer was3 ,thy ,will be done and ,i am here to do it4 ,naturally there are many different ways of doing that ,will1 and many degrees in the perfection with which it is done2 and that is why we are quite safe in picturing to ourselves ,,jesus in the womb of ,his ,mother forgetting no single detail2 or perhaps a truer picture would be a union with ,his ,father so perfect that everything lay open before them both1 and that there was no need to talk about what was so evident4 ,now let me apply all this to myself and ,i shall find that instead of being discouraging it is most encouraging1 instead of making my prayers harder it will make them far easier4 ,what is my intention in my prayers8 ,is it not to please ,god and to do ,his ,will8 ,what does my ,morning ,offering mean1 but that the prayers1 work and sufferings of the day are all offered to ,him8 ,i form then my intention for the day1 and as long as ,i do not deliberately take back that intention1 it is there1 even if ,i forget to renew it each morning4 ,now let me see how this works out in practice4 ,i pay a ,visit to our ,lord1 perhaps ,i am too tired to think about ,him1 ,i may even sleep in ,his presence2 perhaps ,i am so busy that ,i find it impossible to keep away distracting thoughts2 perhaps ,i am more taken up with the spiritual book ,i am reading than with ,him--the time is up and ,i go1 thinking1 perhaps1 what is the good of paying ,him a ,visit like that8 ,there is great good even in that ,visit which all the same might have been so much more perfect4 ,what was my intention in paying it8 ,certainly to please ,him4 ,then ,i have pleased ,him4 ,it was a pleasure to ,him to see me come in and sit with ,him1 even though ,i was occupied with my own concerns most of the time4 ,we are too much taken up with asking how we say our prayers1 but the important question is why do we say them4 ,to go and sit in ,his presence1 because ,he is lonely or because ,i am tired and ,i would rather sit with ,him than with anyone else is prayer1 even if ,i say nothing4 ,what ,god is doing for me is of far more importance to my soul than what ,i am doing for ,god2 and all the time that ,i am there1 whether ,i am thinking of ,him or not1 ,he is impressing ,his image on my soul1 and this is true1 if ,i am in the state of grace1 not only of my stated times of prayer1 but of all the day long and the night too4 ,what ,god wants in our prayers is simplicity4 ,to help us to understand what simplicity is1 let us think of a little child with its mother4 ,the mother gives it something to play with or something to do4 ,is she very much concerned about what the child is doing or how it is doing it8 ,not at all1 that is of no consequence2 nothing it does can be of any real service to the mother2 but there is something that concerns her very much1 and that is whether her child loves her1 is happy to be with her1 and wants to please her4 ,we are only children and ,god is more tender than the tenderest mother4 ,it makes very little difference to ,him what we are doing while we are with ,him or even how we do it 7how can our little services make any difference to ,him672 but whether or no we love ,him1 whether or no we care to be with ,him1 whether or no we want to please ,him1 these things make all the difference4 ,colloquy with ,,jesus and ,mary about prayer4 ,resolution4 ,to try to live more in the spirit of prayer4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,let nothing hinder thee from praying always 7,ecclus4 ,,xviii4 #bb74 ,,the ,,interior ,,life4 7#f7 ,,zeal4 ,behold ,i come that ,i should do ,thy ,will4 ,o my ,god1 ,i have desired it1 and ,thy law in the midst of my heart4 7,ps4 ,,xxxix4 #h1 #i74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,,jesus living in and working through ,mary4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,the grace of zeal according to ,his methods4 ,there is a very close connection between prayer and zeal2 the more perfect the prayer1 the greater necessarily will be the zeal4 ,why8 ,because prayer is identifying oneself with the mind and ,will of ,god1 and doing everything with the unique intention of pleasing ,him4 ,what are the ,will and pleasure of ,god8 ,the salvation of the world for which ,he became incarnate--,the closer we unite ourselves to ,god in prayer1 the dearer will ,his intentions be to us4 ,the best workers are those who pray best1 those who enter most deeply into ,god's ,will and plans4 ,when we find our zeal flagging1 it would be well to examine ourselves on our spirit of prayer4 ,,point ,i4 ,,the ,,zeal ,,of ,,jesus ,,living ,,in ,,mary4 ,this zeal showed itself at once4 ,no sooner had ,he become incarnate than ,he inspired ,his ,mother to take a difficult journey into the hill country to visit her cousin ,elizabeth4 ,the zeal of ,,jesus showed itself first of all1 as it naturally would1 on ,his ,mother and filled her spirit with the humility and charity and forgetfulness of self which were needed for the journey4 ,it then effected ,elizabeth and filled her with the ,holy ,ghost1 but these were only the overflowings of ,his zeal on ,his way to make what ,father ,faber calls ,his first convert4 ,the soul of ,john the ,baptist1 ,his chosen ,precursor1 was very precious to ,him and as yet it lay unconscious at a distance from ,god in darkness and the shadow of death4 ,one of the first acts of ,god ,incarnate was to deliver that soul from prison and let it see what great things ,he had in store for it4 ,at the sound of the voice of the ,mother with her ,child1 a change was wrought in that dark soul2 it was set free from the curse of original sin1 it was flooded with grace1 it was brought nigh to ,god1 the ,holy ,ghost with all ,his gifts took possession of it and as a consequence1 it leapt in the womb in joy and gratitude and adoration4 ,the voice of ,mary directed by her ,child had simultaneously worked two miracles of grace4 ,elizabeth heard the salutation first1 but it was the leaping of the ,babe in her womb which made her understand that the ,incarnation had taken place1 and cry with a loud voice3 ,blessed art thou among women and blessed is the ,fruit of thy womb4 ,if the zeal of ,,jesus was so powerful during the first hours of ,his life1 what must it not have effected during the nine months6 ,how many souls without knowing 7as ,st4 ,john the ,baptist did7 the cause1 were brought nearer to ,heaven by the presence of the ,incarnate ,god in the world6 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,mary',s ,,zeal4 ,we have no need to dwell at any length on the zeal of her whom ,,jesus used as ,his instrument during the nine months4 ,mary's was a zeal which compelled her to spend and be spent in the service of those whom ,,jesus loved2 and the secret of its force was the interior life which she lived with her ,son--a perfect union of will and purpose with ,his4 ,let me try to copy my ,mother in her interior life and then ,i may hope that her ,son will use me too as an instrument of some of ,his zeal for souls4 ,he must use someone1 for ,he has made ,himself as dependent now in the ,tabernacle as ,he was during the time that ,he lived in ,mary4 ,he has deliberately put ,himself in the position of needing instruments for ,his work and ,he will naturally choose those who are most imbued with ,his spirit and who are willing to adopt ,his methods4 ,such an instrument was ,mary4 ,she put no obstacles in ,his way1 because she had no will apart from ,his1 her zeal was only a reflexion of ,his4 ,,point ,,iii4 ,,learn ,,of ,,me4 ,if ,i am to fashion my zeal after the pattern of the zeal of ,,jesus1 ,i must be careful to see that my methods are the same as ,his4 ,what were ,his8 7#a7 ,solitude4 ,such was ,his solitude that no one but ,mary knew that ,he was there4 ,he chose solitude not only during this first stage but during the greater part of ,his life on earth1 and ,he chooses it still in ,his ,eucharistic life4 ,it must then be a very necessary accompaniment to zeal4 ,learn of ,me4 ,what am ,i to learn8 ,that if my zeal is to be efficacious ,i must live a hermit's life far from the haunts of men8 ,not necessarily4 ,it would be possible to do this without finding the solitude that begets zeal2 and it is quite possible to find the necessary solitude even in the midst of the world's tumult4 ,to say that ,i have no opportunities for doing good because ,i am in uncongenial surroundings1 or because ,i am obliged by my circumstances to lead a lonely life or to live where there is apparently no scope for work for souls is to fail to understand what zeal is4 ,why do people shut themselves up in convents1 cries the world1 when they might do so much good outside8 ,uniquely because of their zeal for souls--they have sufficient courage to adopt ,our ,lord's methods4 ,if ,i am one whom ,he has trusted with the trial of loneliness in my life1 let me cultivate a devotion to ,him in ,his ,mother's womb1 and let me take heart and be of good courage4 ,all the activity in the world that is of any use is of use because of the prayer that is behind it4 ,whose prayers who shall say8 ,they may be mine if ,i live an interior life1 for those who live in the retreat of their own heart with ,god have a limitless scope for their zeal4 7#b7 ,silence4 ,zeal for ,god and ,his work does not depend then1 on words4 ,i need not be troubled because ,i am not eloquent1 or because ,i have an impediment in my speech1 or because ,i never know what to say4 ,how could such things matter to ,god1 the ,omnipotent ,god6 ,he could alter them in a moment if necessary4 ,the ,word ,himself ,who could have spoken so attractively and with such power was silent for most of ,his life4 ,the time ,he chose for ,his ,incarnation was while all things were in quiet silence and the night was in the midst of her course 7,wisdom ,,xviii4 #ad72 and ,he is silent still in the ,tabernacle2 ,he loves silence1 and the more the soul is interior1 the more it will adopt ,his method of silence and the more it will understand what a marvellous help it is to zeal4 ,how can this be8 ,because the silence that we choose to keep for ,god means shutting out all else1 that we may talk to ,him alone4 ,could there be a better method than this for making us zealous for the work so dear to ,his ,heart8 7#c7 ,obedience4 ,think of ,his obedience in the womb of ,his ,mother4 ,his very ,incarnation was an act of obedience1 ,he waited for ,mary's ,fiat4 ,his waiting for nine months was purely an act of obedience to the laws of nature1 for ,his ,soul and ,body were perfect from the moment of ,his conception4 ,all the time that ,he lived in ,mary1 ,he obeyed all whom she obeyed--,st4 ,joseph1 the ,roman ,emperor1 the people at ,bethlehem4 ,he gave up ,his own ,will to others4 ,this was ,his method of being zealous4 ,this is how ,he did the work that ,he had come to do4 ,can ,i adopt this method8 ,it is not easy4 ,i do so love to follow my own sweet will especially when ,i am working for the souls of others4 ,i feel that no one has a right to dictate to me1 that my work ought to be spontaneous1 not cramped nor confined nor limited nor any other adjective that the devil can persuade me to use1 if only he can make me believe that it is a blessed thing to be independent6 ,if my zeal for ,god is to be worth anything1 let me follow the methods of ,god ,incarnate in the womb of ,his ,mother and be absolutely obedient to ,god1 to ,his ,holy ,church and to those whom ,i ought to obey4 7#d7 ,poverty4 ,you know the grace of our ,lord ,,jesus ,christ1 that being rich1 ,he became poor for your sakes1 that through ,his poverty you might be rich 7#b ,cor4 ,,viii4 #i74 ,in ,his zeal for our wealth1 ,he made ,himself poor1 ,he deliberately adopted poverty as one of ,his methods in ,his life of zeal4 ,poverty is the voluntary laying aside of all that we might have1 in order that our purpose may be single4 ,all can do this whether rich or poor1 for all have much that they would rather not lay on one side1 and all have self4 ,let us think what the ,eternal ,word was as ,god1 and then what ,he was in ,mary's womb1 and we shall understand what poverty means4 ,if we are to be zealous in ,his service1 we must not only understand1 but copy4 7#e7 ,patience4 ,patience is a twofold grace1 that of waiting and that of suffering1 both are a great aid to zeal4 ,the ,eternal ,word's zeal for the salvation of men had existed in all its perfection and all its fulness from all eternity1 yet think how long ,he waited6 ,when the conditions were changed and ,he had at length become incarnate1 ,he still waited patiently for nine months1 and after that ,he waited for thirty years6 ,this was zeal1 zeal in its perfection4 ,is my zeal tempered with patience8 ,am ,i patient with souls1 patient with myself1 patient above all when ,god says3 ,wait1 do nothing8 ,,jesus showed ,his patience in the womb of ,his ,mother not only by waiting2 but by suffering1 as we have already seen1 all the inconveniences that were incident to ,his new existence4 ,he doubtless also forestalled all the sufferings that were in store for ,him and offered them all to ,his ,father4 ,zeal without the aid of suffering cannot go far and it was one of the methods ,he chose4 ,if ,i have not courage enough to choose it1 ,i must1 if my zeal is to be at all like ,his1 be ready for it when ,he chooses it for me4 ,it will probably be seen one day that those whose lives have been lives of suffering1 and who have never been able to do any active work for ,him1 are those whose zeal has effected the most for ,his glory and ,his ,kingdom4 ,those of us who are not entrusted with this wonderfully blessed gift of suffering1 can at any rate offer to ,him for souls all the many little inconveniences and incommodities of our lives1 and so copy to some small extent the life of ,,jesus hidden in ,mary4 ,o my little ,,jesus1 help me1 at whatever cost to self1 to copy ,thee4 ,colloquy with ,,jesus hidden in ,mary1 asking ,him for grace1 so to adopt ,his methods that ,he may use me as an instrument of ,his zeal4 ,resolution4 ,not to shrink from adopting ,his methods4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,every one that hath zeal 444 let him follow ,me 7#a ,macc4 ,,ii4 #bg74 ,o ,,sapientia6 ,december #agth4 ,o ,wisdom ,who camest forth from the mouth of the ,most ,high1 reaching from end to end mightily1 and disposing all things sweetly1 come and teach us the way of prudence6 7,vide ,wisdom ,,viii4 #a74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,the ,tabernacle of the hidden ,god4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,the grace of prudence4 ,for seven days before the ,vigil of ,christmas1 the ,church makes use of seven solemn antiphons1 commonly known as the ,seven ,o's1 because they all begin with ,o4 ,one is sung every day at ,vespers reminding us that ,our ,lord is to come in the evening of the world's history4 ,they are a sort of cry or invitation of the ,church1 addressing her ,bridegroom by some spiritual title and begging ,him to come4 ,before and after the ,magnificat is the time the ,church chooses for these solemn antiphons in order to keep constantly before our minds the truth that ,he is coming by ,mary4 ,as the days of ,advent draw nearer to their close1 this truth is plainly marked in the ,mass4 ,the ,epistle1 ,gospel and ,communion for ,ember ,wednesday 7in the third week7 are all full of ,mary2 the ,gospel for ,ember ,friday gives the account of the ,visitation2 the ,mass for the ,fourth ,sunday of ,advent1 as if the ,church were loath to leave her out1 brings ,mary in at the ,offertory and ,communion2 and that for the ,vigil of ,christmas devotes its ,gospel to her4 ,let us then as we meditate on these great antiphons look in the direction of ,mary where our ,king is as yet hidden1 remembering that it is she who when ,christmas comes1 is going to shew unto us the ,blessed ,fruit of her womb ,,jesus4 ,,point ,i4 ,o ,,wisdom ,,that ,,proceedest ,,from ,,the ,,mouth ,,of ,,the ,,most ,,high4 ,he is the ,eternal ,wisdom1 and ,he has now become the ,incarnate ,wisdom4 ,it is to ,him that the ,church is calling to-day4 ,he is the ,wisdom of ,god 7#a ,cor4 ,i4 #bd7 and the ,source of all wisdom2 and yet as man the ,spirit of ,god has rested upon ,him and filled ,his human ,soul with the seven-fold gifts1 of which ,wisdom is the first4 ,this gift enabled ,him as man to know all mysteries1 all ,god's secret designs and plans1 and to enjoy to the full all ,his perfections4 ,the subject is so vast that it seems impossible for me to meditate about it1 but ,i will take one of the many things which the ,holy ,scriptures say about ,wisdom1 one which will lead me again to the ,sanctuary where ,i would be4 ,god loveth none but him that dwelleth with ,wisdom 7,wisdom ,,vii4 #bh74 ,he so loved ,his poor fallen world that ,he gave ,his only begotten ,son to be incarnate for it1 and now all ,he asks from ,his children in return is their love and that they should show it by dwelling with ,him4 ,he came to be ,emmanuel1 ,god with us4 ,he tabernacled among us1 and what ,his ,father asks is that we should not shun ,him and live far away from ,him1 but that we should dwell with ,him4 ,let me keep close then in spirit to ,his blessed ,mother1 the ,tabernacle where my ,god is hidden1 and let me keep close in reality to the ,tabernacle on the ,altar where ,he is expecting my confidences as surely as ,he expected those of ,his ,mother2 let me treat ,him as my ,friend to ,whom ,i can tell everything that concerns me--how anxious ,i am to desire ,him to come and yet how little desire ,i seem to have4 ,there is a way of dwelling with ,him which is even closer still3 ,he that eateth ,my ,flesh and drinketh ,my ,blood abideth in ,me and ,i in him 7,st4 ,john ,,vi4 #eg74 ,this is the extension of the ,incarnation1 the way that ,infinite ,wisdom devised by which poor fallen man could nevertheless dwell with ,wisdom4 ,o ,eternal ,wisdom1 help me to make better use of this ,thy most wonderful plan for continuing the ,incarnation6 ,he was incarnate for me in the womb of the ,blessed ,virgin1 but ,he is incarnate for me in a more special and personal way each time that ,i receive ,him in ,holy ,communion4 ,by means of my ,communions and their effects ,i can dwell always without any interruption in the tabernacle of the ,most ,high1 for it is of me that ,eternal ,wisdom speaks when ,he says3 ,my ,father will love him1 and ,we will come to him and will make ,our abode with him4 7,st4 ,john ,,xiv4 #bc74 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,reaching ,,from ,,end ,,to ,,end ,,mightily ,,and ,,disposing ,,all ,,things ,,sweetly4 ,wisdom can do all things 7,wisdom ,,vii4 #bg7 and it is ,god hidden in the womb of ,mary1 ,who is reaching from end to end of the earth and ordering the whole world to be enrolled everyone in his own city4 ,why was this8 ,because the ,roman ,emperor wanted to know the number of the subjects in his vast empire just to satisfy his ambition8 ,this is the answer the world would give1 but in this case the children of ,light--the children of the ,incarnate ,wisdom know better4 ,the world is being agitated1 though it does not know it1 not by the command of any earthly monarch1 but by the ,king of kings ,who is about to be born and ,who must fulfil a certain prophecy as to ,his birthplace4 ,the prophet ,micaias said of ,him3 ,his going forth is from the beginning1 from the days of eternity4 ,and thou1 ,bethlehem ,ephrata art a little one among the thousands of ,juda2 out of thee shall ,he come 7chap4 ,v4 #b72 and ,mary1 the mother who had been destined from all eternity to give birth to ,him ,who was from the days of eternity1 was living quietly at ,nazareth making all her preparations for ,his birth there4 ,but could not ,god have devised means to send ,mary to ,bethlehem without disturbing the whole world8 ,yes1 but ,he would show to those who have eyes to see1 that wisdom can do all things1 that though ,he is to all appearances helpless1 hidden and dependent1 yet it is ,he and not any other ,who is ,king of the whole world1 and that even now before ,his birth ,he can reach from end to end of it mightily and do what ,he will therein4 ,and so there went out a decree from ,caesar ,augustus that the whole world should be enrolled 444 everyone in his own city1 and ,joseph and ,mary went to ,bethlehem and it so happened 7as we should say7 that when they were there1 her days were accomplished1 that she should be delivered 7,st4 ,luke ,,ii4 #a-f7 and the ,king was born in ,bethlehem4 ,sweetly ,he had ordered all things to suit ,his divine purpose4 ,,point ,,iii4 ,,come ,,and ,,teach ,,us ,,the ,,way ,,of ,,prudence4 ,come1 my little ,king1 ,who art nevertheless the ,eternal ,wisdom1 come and teach me this heavenly prudence4 ,i know ,thy power and ,i know ,thy gentleness4 ,i know1 that is to say1 that ,thou canst do everything and that ,thou art disposing sweetly everything in my life2 but ,i want ,thee to come and teach me to put my knowledge into practice4 ,if the whole world could be set in motion by ,thee just in order that one little desire of ,thy ,divine ,providence might be fulfilled1 shall ,i not be ready to own that ,thou art indeed the ,king1 that whatever may happen in the earth1 it is the ,lord ,who reigneth2 and in my own life when things seem1 as they sometimes do1 inexplicable and beyond all human ken1 ,oh6 come and teach me that the way of prudence is to lie still like a little child in its mother's arms1 not to try to fathom nor to understand1 but to say3 ,i am in the ,arms of the ,eternal ,wisdom1 ,who can do all things1 ,who loves me with an infinite love and ,who is disposing all things sweetly1 gently1 mercifully for my sake4 ,this is the lesson the ,child yet unborn would teach4 ,his ,mother understood1 for1 as we have seen1 one principle guided the two lives2 but it was not easy for her to have all her plans disarranged1 to hear that she and her husband must take a long journey perhaps of two or three days1 to know that her ,son could not be born in her own little home so dear to her with all its hallowed memories1 to know that she could not lay ,him in the little cradle that she had so lovingly prepared for ,him nor surround ,him with the little comforts that she had been able to provide4 ,all this would have been much even for a rich mother to give up1 and ,mary was poor and she knew that she and ,joseph would have to take just what they could get and no more4 ,yet in ,mary's heart there was no anxiety1 no murmuring1 no hesitation1 no regret even4 ,why8 ,because the ,babe within her taught her prudence1 taught her1 that is1 that ,god's ways are best1 that it was ,he ,who was ordering all things sweetly1 and that if her plans were upset1 it simply meant that they did not happen to be ,god's plans2 and she willingly gave up hers for ,his4 ,o ,mary as ,i kneel before the ,tabernacle where ,thy ,son as yet lies hidden1 present my petitions to ,him4 ,tell ,him that1 cost what it may1 ,i do want ,his ,will to be done1 ,i do want to realize that it is ,he ,who is ordering all things sweetly for me and that though the way is often difficult it is ,his way and therefore mine--the way of prudence4 ,colloquy with the ,incarnate ,wisdom4 ,resolution4 ,i purposed therefore to take her 7,wisdom7 to me to live with me1 knowing that she will communicate to me of her good things 7,wisdom ,,viii4 #i74 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,o ,sapientia6 444 come and teach us the way of prudence4 ,o ,,adonai6 ,december #ahth4 ,feast of the ,expectation of ,our ,lady4 ,o ,adonai and ,leader of the ,house of ,israel6 ,who appearedst to ,moses in the fire of the flaming bush and gavest him the law on ,sinai4 ,come and redeem us by ,thy outstretched arm4 7,ex4 ,,vi4 #c1 ,,iii4 #a-i1 ,,xx4 #ah-bb74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,the ,tabernacle of the ,hidden ,god4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace to expect and desire with ,mary4 ,,point ,i4 ,o ,,virgo ,,virginum6 ,we think again to-day of the ,mother as well as of the ,son4 ,there is another ,o which is in the ,vespers of the ,feast of the ,expectation together with the ,o ,adonai6 and that is ,o ,virgo virginum6 ,we appeal again then to ,mary asking her to show us how to wait1 how to desire1 how to love1 how to worship4 ,let us try to think what her feelings must have been during these last few days4 ,she is preparing for her journey1 putting together the few necessaries that they could take1 packing up the little swaddling clothes1 and all the time thinking of nothing but her ,son1 ,whose ,face she is now so soon to see4 ,the joy of the expectation is so great that it overshadows all else--she can talk of and think of nothing but ,his birth1 now so near1 and it is to ,him that she talks4 ,all her secrets1 all her longings1 all her hopes1 all her words of love and joy are for ,him4 ,this is the interior life4 ,as the great day approaches is my interior life becoming more intense8 ,are all my desires centred on the little ,one ,who is coming8 ,am ,i continually holding converse with ,him1 telling ,him all that is in my heart8 ,is ,he the centre of all my preparations for ,christmas8 ,is the real ,christmas joy1 that is1 the joy caused by the thought of ,his ,coming1 so great that it puts into the shade all difficulties1 sorrows1 disappointments and inconveniences8 ,mary's troubles were all caused by ,,jesus4 ,if it had not been for the prophecy which said ,he must be born in ,bethlehem she would not have had to leave her home at such an inconvenient moment and at such an inclement season of the year4 ,when shall ,i learn that all my troubles come directly from ,,jesus too1 and from my union with ,him8 ,when ,i do1 ,i shall have peace1 the peace which ,mary had and which a really interior life cannot fail to produce4 ,if ,i find that my peace is easily disturbed by passing events1 let me examine my conscience as to my interior life and ,i shall probably find the reason4 ,,point ,,ii4 ,o ,,adonai ,,et ,,dux6 ,o ,lord and ,leader6 ,give ear1 ,o ,thou that rulest ,israel1 ,thou that leadest ,joseph like a sheep6 7,introit for ,advent ,,ii and ,gradual for ,advent ,,iii74 ,this is the idea in the ,church's cry to-day1 she is saluting her ,general4 ,he it is ,who though as yet hidden is nevertheless leading all4 ,he it is ,who slowly though surely has been leading the world through many phases till it is ready for its ,creator to come and live upon it4 ,he it is ,who has led ,joseph like a sheep--carefully watched over the chosen nation1 because ,he ,himself1 when the time came1 was to be born in it4 ,he it is ,who led the prophets1 carefully guiding their hands to write of ,him and making their prophecies more and more lucid as the day approached4 ,he it is ,who is now leading the whole world and placing everybody in his own city4 ,he it is ,who is leading ,joseph away from ,nazareth4 ,he it is ,who is leading ,his own ,mother over every step of that difficult and tiring journey1 letting the joy in ,his own ,heart overflow into hers2 and ,he is my ,leader too4 ,with such a ,general1 nothing will be overlooked in my life2 everything will be arranged in wisdom and love4 ,i need have no fear1 no anxiety on that account2 but such a ,leader expects a whole-hearted1 unswerving allegiance from ,his followers4 ,he expects not only their obedience1 but their loyalty and their love4 ,does ,he demand these by force8 ,no1 for ,he is a ,leader1 not a driver4 ,he calleth ,his own sheep by name and leadeth them4444 ,he goeth before them and the sheep follow ,him 7,st4 ,john ,x4 #c1 #d74 ,what are ,his methods8 ,the ,incarnation with all its consequences4 ,he made ,himself a man1 not an angel1 because ,he wanted to attract man to ,himself1 to win his love4 ,he identified ,himself with man1 because ,he wanted man to identify himself with ,him4 ,the church1 the ,holy ,eucharist1 the ,tabernacle1 ,holy ,communion1 ,his ,sacred ,heart--all these are to attract men to follow ,him4 ,he is there in each of these going before and leading men on4 ,he is appealing to them now from the womb of ,his ,mother1 suggesting to them that they should choose suffering and humiliation and the hidden life1 because ,he chose them and loved them and submitted to them for us2 they were ,his methods1 and ,his object in becoming incarnate for us was to win our love to such an extent that we should take ,him as our ,leader and adopt ,his methods4 ,oh6 come1 little ,leader1 come and redeem us4 ,i for one am determined to follow wheresoever ,thou dost lead1 in what place soever ,thou shalt be1 my ,lord ,king1 either in death or in life there will ,thy servant be 7#b ,kings ,,xv4 #ba74 ,behold ,i have given ,him for a ,leader 7,is4 ,,lv4 #d74 ,,point ,,iii4 ,,the ,,outstretched ,,arm4 ,the outstretched arm is a sign 7#a7 of power4 ,the little ,one ,whom we are expecting1 though so winning and gentle and loving1 is nevertheless the ,almighty and ,all-powerful ,god4 ,he it is ,who said3 ,i made the earth and the men and the beasts that are upon the earth by ,my great power and by ,my stretched out arm 7,jer4 ,,xxvii4 #e74 ,he it is ,who said of those who would not acknowledge ,him as their ,king3 ,i will ,myself fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm 7chap4 ,,xxi4 #e74 ,he it is ,who with a strong hand and a stretched-out arm delivered ,his people of old out of the land of ,egypt 7,deut4 ,,xxvi4 #h74 ,he it is ,who gave the law on ,sinai1 when the thunders began to be heard and lightning to flash and a very thick cloud to cover the mount1 and the noise of the trumpet sounded exceeding loud and the people 444 feared4 ,why8 ,because the ,lord came down upon ,mount ,sinai in the very top of the mount 7,ex4 ,,xix4 #af1 #bj74 ,he came then in power to give with ,his own outstretched arm ,his commandments to ,his people2 but now ,he is coming in the silence of the night to win them by ,his love and no one will be afraid of a little ,child4 ,oh6 come1 and redeem us by ,thy stretched out arm4 ,come in all ,thy might to save us from our sins--our past sins and the evil habits they have left1 our present attachment to venial sins which we are ashamed of1 but are obliged to confess lingers still2 come and deliver us from our countless imperfections3 ,lord if ,thou wilt1 ,thou canst make me clean 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,viii4 #b74 ,the outstretched arm is also a sign 7#b7 of pity1 of yearning1 of longing4 ,a mother stretches out her arms to receive her babe taking its first tottering steps1 to welcome her prodigal1 to protect those in danger1 to help in every time of need4 ,when ,god was longing to deliver ,his people of old from the cruel bondage in ,egypt1 ,he attracted ,moses' attention by a burning bush1 so that ,he could tell him of ,his yearnings towards ,his people4 ,moses saw that the bush was on fire and was not burnt and he said3 ,i will go and see why the bush is not burnt 7,ex4 ,,iii4 #b-c74 ,that bush hid two mysteries which were beyond ,moses' power of reason1 but ,god revealed them later to ,his ,saints4 ,the fire that burned was the ,divinity and the bush which was impregnated by the fire and yet not burnt was the ,sacred ,humanity4 ,again1 the bush was a figure of ,mary who though she received the ,god-,man into her sacred womb yet remained a virgin--the bush held the flame of fire which lighted the whole world and yet remained intact4 ,moses though he did not see the things which we see1 nevertheless saw a great sight and when the ,lord saw that he went forward to see1 ,he called to him out of the midst of the bush and told him not to come too near and to take off his shoes for the ground was holy4 ,he then told him ,who ,he was and why ,he had come3 ,i have seen the afflictions of ,my people4444 ,i have heard their cry 444 and knowing their sorrow1 ,i am come down to deliver them 7verses #g1 #h74 ,it was the ,heart of ,god yearning for ,his children4 ,his ,hands were stretched out in pity and love1 but ,his hour was not yet4 ,he waited and when the fulness of the time was come1 ,god sent ,his ,son 7,gal4 ,,iv4 #d72 and now we are kneeling before the ,sanctuary wherein ,he has still a few days to wait2 we have turned aside to see the great sight1 we know that we are treading on holy ground4 ,rubum quem viderat ,moyses incombustum conservatam agnovimus tuam laudabilem virginitatem2 ,dei genitrix intercede pro nobis4 ,in the bush which ,moses saw unconsumed1 we acknowledge thy admirable virginity preserved3 intercede for us1 ,o ,mother of ,god4 7,little ,office4 ,b4 ,v4 ,m4--,a ,christmas antiphon74 ,as we keep near to the ,burning ,bush we wonder more and more at the mystery2 we ask why1 but we never receive a satisfying answer1 for who can fathom the mystery of the love of ,god8 ,the ,word is silent yet4 ,could ,he speak1 we should hear the same words as ,moses heard1 for the ,heart of ,god changes not3 ,i have seen the afflictions of ,my people4444 ,i am come down to deliver them4 ,how intense were ,his yearnings6 ,how great was ,his expectation6 ,let me try to make ,him some little return by my desires and my yearnings for ,him6 ,oh6 come1 little ,saviour1 come and redeem us by ,thy outstretched ,arm6 ,colloquy with ,him ,who is so soon to come4 ,resolution4 ,to wait with ,his ,mother to-day asking her to give me some of her desire4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,a little ,child shall lead them 7,is4 ,,xi4 #f74 ,o ,,radix ,,jesse6 ,december #aith4 ,o ,root of ,jesse6 ,who standest as the ensign of the people1 before ,whom ,kings shall keep silence and unto ,whom the nations shall make their supplication1 come and set us free1 tarry now no longer4 7,vide ,is4 ,,xi4 #aj and ,apoc4 ,,xxii4 #af74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,the ,tree of ,jesse so often seen carved on cathedral porches and painted on windows1 and in ,missals4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace to rally under the ,standard of the ,tree of ,jesse4 ,,point ,i4 ,,the ,,root ,,of ,,jesse4 ,there shall come forth a ,rod out of the ,root of ,jesse1 and a ,flower shall rise up out of his ,root2 and the ,spirit of the ,lord shall rest upon ,him3 the ,spirit of ,wisdom and of ,understanding1 the ,spirit of ,counsel and of ,fortitude1 the ,spirit of ,knowledge and of ,godliness2 and ,he shall be filled with the ,spirit of the ,fear of the ,lord 7,is4 ,,xi4 #a-c74 ,st4 ,jerome says that the ,branch is ,our ,lady and the ,flower her ,son1 ,who says of ,himself3 ,i am the ,flower of the field and the ,lily of the valleys 7,cant4 ,,ii4 #a72 and a responsory dating from the middle ages says3 ,r4 ,the ,root of ,jesse gave out a ,branch3 and the ,branch a ,flower2 and on the ,flower resteth the ,holy ,spirit4 ,v4 ,the ,virgin ,mother of ,god is the ,branch1 her ,son is the ,flower1 and on the ,flower resteth the ,holy ,spirit4 ,so once again1 if we would find the ,flower we must first find the ,branch which bears it4 ,the ,flower is still in bud but presently it will open1 and its beauty and fragrance will fill the whole earth and attract all men to it3 ,what manner of one is thy ,beloved of the beloved1 ,o thou most beautiful among women8 ,my ,beloved is white and ruddy1 chosen out of thousands 7,cant4 ,v4 #i1 #aj74 ,i can understand that thy beautiful ,lily is white1 for ,i know that such is ,his purity that even the heavens are not pure in ,his sight1 but why is ,his apparel red8 7,is4 ,,lxiii4 #b74 ,because ,he is clothed with a garment sprinkled with blood3 and ,his name is called3 ,the ,word of ,god 7,apoc4 ,,xix4 #ac74 ,even now1 before ,his delicate petals are unfolded1 they are marked with the ,cross4 ,o ,root of ,jesse1 can ever tree compare with thine--one of whose branches was found worthy to bear a ,flower so fair6 ,there are further beauties as we gaze--a heavenly ,dew is resting on the ,flower1 it is the ,holy ,spirit ,himself1 ,who at that blest moment when ,he overshadowed the ,branch poured out all ,his choicest gifts upon the ,flower4 ,as ,god1 the seven-fold gifts were ,his from all eternity1 and directly the ,humanity was united to the ,eternal ,word1 the divine perfections belonged to it1 so that as man ,he was made unto us the ,wisdom of ,god and could understand all mysteries4 ,by the gift of ,understanding ,he knew and entered into all ,god's plans for the ,redemption of the world4 ,the gift of ,counsel showed ,him exactly what was the ,will of ,his ,father which ,he had come to do4 ,the gift of ,fortitude gave ,him the strength to carry out ,his ,father's ,will and to say ever3 ,not ,my ,will but ,thine be done4 ,his ,knowledge was so profound that ,he preferred poverty to riches1 and to be despised rather than to be honoured2 ,he knew as ,man the true worth of the thing which as ,god ,he had created4 ,the gift of ,piety established that tender relationship between ,him and ,his ,father which ,he wished us to have when ,he taught us to say3 ,our ,father2 it included also ,his perfect relationship with ,his ,mother and ,st4 ,joseph4 ,the gift of ,fear gave ,him as ,man a reverence and respect for the majesty of ,god4 7,vide ,heb4 ,v4 #g74 ,it was thus that the heavenly ,dew rested on the heavenly ,flower4 ,o my ,,jesus1 come and tarry no longer6 ,i know that ,thou hadst no need of any of these gifts2 they rested on ,thee because ,thou art my ,model and ,thou wouldst show me how to use them4 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,the ,,ensign ,,of ,,the ,,people4 ,it is the ,tree of ,jesse which stands as an ensign1 about which ,our ,lord says3 ,i am the ,root and ,stock of ,david 7,apoc4 ,,xxii4 #af74 ,he then is the ,standard-bearer and the ,standard is ,his ,cross4 ,bearing ,his own ,cross ,he went forth 7,st4 ,john ,,xix4 #ag74 ,he is the sign which shall be contradicted by ,his enemies 7,st4 ,luke ,,ii4 #cd71 but when the sign of the ,son of ,man shall appear in the ,heavens 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,xxiv4 #cj7 it will bring joy and hope to the hearts of all those who love ,his ,coming 7#b ,tim4 ,,iv4 #h74 ,my beloved is white and ruddy1 chosen out of thousands1 or according to another translation3 ,my beloved is white and ruddy a ,standard bearer 7,cant4 ,v4 #aj ,a4 ,v4 ,margin71 chosen for ,his strength as well as for ,his beauty4 ,to ,him shall the nations make supplication1 for ,he said3 ,i1 if ,i be lifted up from the earth will draw all things to ,myself 7,st4 ,john ,,xii4 #cb74 ,there are only two standards in the world--that of ,,jesus ,christ and that of the devil4 ,both leaders want me to enlist2 both are trying to win me2 but by what different means6 ,the devil strives to entrap me with the silken threads of sin which seem so insignificant and harmless1 but which if ,i allow myself to be trapped by them1 he will twine into a thick rope and hold me fast2 while ,,jesus draws me to ,himself with the cords of love4 ,both are infinitely more powerful than ,i am1 and yet all depends on me1 that is1 on my will4 ,the cords of love are far stronger than the cords of hate1 so ,i need not be afraid of the devil's capturing me against my will2 but on the other hand ,,jesus will not draw me with the cords of love against my will4 ,if thou wilt1 444 come1 is ,his method4 ,there are chains1 there is a cross1 but all is love4 ,a little ,child holds the ,standard1 a little ,child leads1 and all ,he asks is that we should follow ,him and do as ,he does4 ,come1 then1 little ,,jesus1 set up ,thy ,royal ,standard1 come1 tarry no longer4 ,i am longing to show ,thee that ,i am not going to be a soldier in name only2 longing to show ,thee that ,i understand that a soldier who has pledged himself to fight under ,thy ,standard must adopt ,thy methods1 that if ,i would be a soldier on whom ,thou canst count1 ,i must be really mortified1 really poor1 really ready to give up my own will and my own methods1 really anxious to have humiliations because ,i know that there is no other way of attaining the beautiful virtue of humility4 ,i am longing to show ,thee that ,i understand that those who march under ,thy ,standard must be marked by the ,cross4 ,oh6 come1 and set me free from all that keeps me from offering myself whole-heartedly for ,thy service4 ,come and cut all the many little cords that still bind me to the service of self4 ,thy ,mother wants ,thee1 the ,angels are longing to look upon ,thy ,face1 the world wants ,thee though it knows it not1 and ,i am longing to want ,thee too4 ,oh6 teach me to want ,thee more4 ,colloquy with the ,branch and the ,flower4 ,resolution4 ,to examine myself to-day as to my attachments4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,come and set us free1 tarry now no longer4 ,o ,,clavis ,,david6 ,december #bjth4 ,o ,key of ,david and ,sceptre of the ,house of ,israel6 ,who openest and no man shutteth2 ,who shuttest and no man openeth2 come and bring forth from his prison-house the captive sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death4 7,isaias ,,xxii4 #bb1 ,apoc4 ,,iii4 #g1 ,gen4 ,,xlix4 #aj1 ,heb4 ,i4 #h74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,the little ,king with the ,key and the ,sceptre4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace to respond to the ,key and the ,sceptre4 ,,point ,i4 ,,the ,,key ,,of ,,david4 ,i will lay the ,key of the ,house of ,david upon ,his shoulder 7,is4 ,,xxii4 #bb74 ,to the ,angel of the ,church of ,philadelphia write3 ,these things saith the ,holy ,one and the ,true ,one1 ,he that hath the ,key of ,david1 ,he that openeth and no man shutteth1 shutteth and no man openeth3 ,i know thy works4 ,behold ,i have given before thee a door opened which no man can shut1 because thou hast a little strength4 7,apoc4 ,,iii4 #g-h74 ,the ,babe unborn has already had the ,key laid upon ,his ,shoulder4 ,he already has authority4 ,soon1 very soon now1 ,he will come to use it4 ,how will ,he use this ,key and what is it8 ,it is the ,key of authority but it is also the ,key of love4 7#a7 ,he is coming to unlock the gates which hold the human race fast in ignorance and sin1 to be its ,redeemer1 to give it a door opened which no man can shut1 to give it a chance if it will of walking out of its prison-house into the liberty wherewith ,christ alone can make it free 7,gal4 ,,iv4 #ca74 7#b7 ,he is coming to put ,his golden ,key of love into the hearts of men1 to open those doors which are shut against ,him and which none but ,he can open1 for none but ,he can give grace4 ,each little child whose heart is filled with grace at its ,baptism is only able to receive it because the little ,child with the golden ,key has opened its heart4 ,thou hast opened the ,kingdom of ,heaven to all believers4 ,come1 then1 ,o ,key of ,david1 come and begin ,thy blessed work on earth4 ,thou hast already put ,thy magic ,key into the heart of ,st4 ,john the ,baptist and doubtless of many another2 come and tarry not1 come and found ,thy ,church and pass on the wondrous power of the keys to those with whom ,thou wilt leave ,thy authority4 7#c7 ,he is coming to open with ,his ,key of love ,his own most ,sacred ,heart4 ,none but ,he can open that vast treasure-house of love1 and none but ,he can shut it4 ,it will be there for a refuge for all ,his children in all time--a standing memorial of ,his love4 ,what does ,he ask in return8 ,only that when we hear ,him put ,his golden ,key into our hearts1 there may be a response3 ,my ,beloved put ,his ,hand through the key-hole and my heart was moved at ,his touch4 ,i arose up to open to my ,beloved 7,cant4 ,v4 #d-e74 ,the rising up to let ,him in is our part1 ,he puts in ,his ,key and unlocks1 that is1 ,he removes all obstacles by ,his grace1 but we must respond to that grace for though ,he has unlocked the door ,he will not force an entrance4 ,behold ,i stand at the door and knock1 and then ,he waits1 waits for our correspondence and for our love4 ,my son1 give ,me thy heart1 ,he wants it1 ,he has used ,his ,key of love to obtain it1 but ,he will not take it1 it must be a free gift of love4 ,at the last great ,advent the door of ,his mercy will be shut against all those who have refused ,him an entrance into their hearts1 and when ,he shuts1 no man can open4 ,lord1 ,lord1 open to us1 and the answer will come through the eternally locked door3 ,i never knew you1 depart from ,me4 ,oh6 come1 ,divine little ,one1 come with ,thy ,key while yet there is time and unlock the many hearts which still find no place for ,thee1 no time to attend to ,thee waiting so patiently1 no desire to give ,thee an invitation this ,christmas2 and give them grace to respond4 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,the ,,sceptre ,,of ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,israel4 ,the little ,one ,who is to come not only has a ,key on ,his ,shoulder1 but a ,sceptre in ,his ,hand4 ,the word used for ,sceptre 7shebet7 in the ,hebrew has four distinct meanings and we can apply them all to our ,lord and ,saviour1 ,,jesus ,christ4 ,it is3 7#a7 a rod of command1 a sign of royalty 7,esther ,,iv4 #aa1 ,ps4 ,,xliv4 #g72 7#b7 a rod of iron1 a rod of correction 7,ps4 ,,ii4 #i1 ,prov4 ,,xxii4 #ae72 7#c7 the shepherd's rod or wand 7,lev4 ,,xxvii4 #cb72 7#d7 the flail which separates the grain from the chaff 7,is4 ,,xxviii4 #bg74 7#a7 ,a sign of royalty4 ,he is my ,king--how much that says to me6 ,he has authority over me and a right to command me1 a right to my service from every point of view2 but ,he will not exact it from me4 ,he stretches out ,his ,sceptre of mercy in token of clemency4 ,he wants my service1 but ,he wants it to be the outcome of my love and so ,he uses ,his ,sceptre to attract me4 ,he brings ,himself down to my level1 ,he calls ,himself my ,brother1 my ,friend4 ,he tells me that if ,i will throw in my lot with ,him and do as ,he does1 one day ,i shall share ,his ,kingdom and reign with ,him4 ,such is my ,king and such is the meaning of ,his ,sceptre4 ,where is ,he that is born ,king of the ,jews8 ,thou art as yet hidden1 ,o my little ,king1 but ,thou wilt be born a king for ,thy throne1 ,o ,god1 is for ever and ever1 a sceptre of justice is the sceptre of ,thy ,kingdom 7,heb4 ,i4 #h74 ,what is my response going to be to that ,sceptre stretched out once again8 ,that of a loyal1 whole-hearted1 loving subject or that of one who is still hesitating between the service of self and the service of the ,king8 7#b7 ,a rod of correction4 ,for ,his enemies it is a rod of iron1 but for ,his children a rod of love1 for what son is there whom the father doth not correct8 ,whom the ,lord loveth ,he chastiseth2 and ,he scourgeth every son whom ,he receiveth4 ,persevere under discipline4 ,god dealeth with you as with ,his sons4 7,heb4 ,,xii4 #f-g74 ,we are not to faint nor be weary nor neglect the discipline1 not to be inclined to give all up and choose an easier path2 no1 but to regard the discipline as a consolation1 7verse #e7 a proof of love1 a sign that we are really the children with whom ,he does what ,he likes1 instructing us according to ,his own pleasure 7verse #aj74 ,oh6 my little ,king1 come with ,thy rod of correction1 come and make me a saint and do not spare me in the making4 ,he that spareth the rod spoileth the child4 ,i do not want to be a spoilt child1 but a child on whom ,thou canst count1 that is1 a child to whom ,thou canst say what ,thou wilt and whom ,thou canst criticize as thou wilt1 by the mouth of whom ,thou wilt1 a child whom ,thou dost not consider because ,thou art sure of its love1 sure1 that is1 that it loves ,thee and ,thy ways better than self and its ways4 7#c7 ,a shepherd's staff or crook4 ,as it had been prophesied of ,him that ,he should be a king1 so it had also been prophesied that ,he should be a shepherd3 ,i will save ,my flock 444 and ,i will set up one ,shepherd over them and ,he shall feed them and ,he shall be their ,shepherd 7,ezech4 ,,xxxiv4 #bb1 #bc1 and ,,xxxvii4 #bd74 ,he shall feed ,his flock like a shepherd1 ,he shall gather together the lambs with ,his arms1 and shall take them up in ,his bosom1 and ,he ,himself shall carry them that are with young 7,is4 ,,xl4 #aa74 ,i am the ,good ,shepherd2 even now while ,he is yet in the womb of ,his ,mother ,he is counting ,his sheep1 calling them out1 knowing each one by name1 thinking of the great fold which ,he is going to make1 of the one shepherd to whom ,he will entrust the great work of feeding ,his sheep1 of the other sheep whom ,he must bring into the fold sooner or later4 ,even now ,he is planning to lay down ,his life for ,his sheep that they may have life and have it more abundantly4 7#d7 ,the flail which separates the chaff from the good grain1 the tribulum which causes great tribulation on earth's threshing floor1 but which is used only for the good of the grain and ensures its being gathered into the heavenly garners4 ,oh6 my little ,king1 ,who art coming to bring peace make me understand that ,i shall never have peace till ,i am fully persuaded that all my tribulation1 all my troubles1 trials and afflictions are directly caused by ,thee1 that it is ,thou ,thyself and no other ,who dost use the threshing instruments to separate me from all that is not pleasing to ,thee4 ,come then1 and with ,thy ,key of love unlock the prison-house and bring forth the captive sitting in darkness and then with ,thy ,sceptre rule him1 correct him1 guide him and afflict him4 ,colloquy with ,him ,who has the ,key and the ,sceptre4 ,resolution4 ,to rise up and open to my ,beloved4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,o ,clavis ,david6 ,o ,,oriens6 ,december #bast4 ,feast of ,st4 ,thomas4 ,o ,orient6 7,dawn of the ,east1 ,rising ,sun4 ,dayspring7 ,splendour of the ,light ,eternal and ,sun of ,justice1 come and enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death4 7,is4 ,,ix4 #b1 ,zach4 ,,iii4 #h1 ,,vi4 #ab1 ,mal4 ,,iv #b1 ,st4 ,luke ,i4 #gh74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,the light of the morning when the sun riseth 7#b ,kings ,,xxiii4 #d74 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace to tread always the ,way of ,peace4 ,,point ,i4 ,,the ,,orient4 ,behold ,i will bring my ,servant the ,orient4 7,zach4 ,,iii4 #h74 ,now ,god has kept ,his promise for ,zachary has already sung3 ,the ,orient from on high has visited us4 ,but where is ,he1 this ,servant of ,god ,who has come to do ,his ,will1 this ,man ,who is also ,god1 this ,splendour of the ,light ,eternal and ,sun of ,justice8 ,as yet ,he is hiding ,his light1 but fear not for on the fifth day ,our ,lord will come unto you 7,antiphon of the ,benedictus for to-day74 ,he will come and ,he will not tarry2 but when ,he comes ,he will still hide ,his light under the swaddling clothes and the helplessness and dependence of a little babe4 ,why is this1 ,o ,orient8 ,thou art the ,light ,eternal and the ,sun of ,justice and yet ,thy rising seems to make so little difference in the world4 ,hardly any know that ,thou hast risen4 ,my child1 it is true that ,i am the ,light of the world1 true that ,i am the bright and morning ,star1 but the light can only reach the world by faith4 ,those who have faith like ,zachary and his wife and infant son know that ,i have visited them1 not because they have seen me1 but by faith4 ,it is the same with my own sweet ,mother3 ,blessed art thou that hast believed 7,st4 ,luke ,i4 #de74 ,it will be the same when ,i am born in a few days' time4 ,most will see nothing beyond a babe in swaddling clothes1 but to a chosen few who have the gift of faith the ,sun of ,justice will have risen1 the ,star will have appeared1 their cry will be3 ,behold a ,man1 even the ,man-,god1 the ,orient is ,his name4 ,it will be the same all through ,my life on earth1 only the few will recognize the ,light of the world2 most will not come to ,me1 but will prefer darkness rather than light4 ,it will be the same with ,my sacramental life in the ,church4 ,i shall be there1 but only the eye of faith will detect ,me4 ,the ,sun of ,justice has risen with health in ,his ,wings1 but only very gradually will ,he make ,himself felt in a world that is sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death4 ,and why1 ,o ,orient1 ,splendour of the ,light ,eternal1 why dost ,thou not cast ,thy bright beams over the whole world at once that all may know and recognize ,thee as the ,dayspring which has risen8 ,because1 ,my child1 ,i love faith and it is by faith that ,i intend men to know ,me4 ,i do enlighten every man that cometh into this world 7,st4 ,john ,i4 #i71 that is ,i give to each sufficient light to save his soul1 to one more1 to another less1 and ,i shall judge according to the light ,i have given2 but what ,i want from all is co-operation1 ,i want their faith1 ,i want them to believe1 not because they can see and understand1 but because by means of ,my grace in their hearts and especially by means of the revelation given to ,my ,church ,i enlighten their minds4 ,yes1 the ,sun has risen with health in ,his ,wings1 and gradually ,he will increase in strength till the uttermost parts of the earth respond to ,his light4 ,it is a work of time just as it is a work of time in each individual soul4 ,the soul does not see clearly as soon as the light enters2 there is a period when men seem like trees walking 7,st4 ,mark ,,viii4 #bd72 but if only it will respond and hold on by faith1 the time will come when it will see all things clearly4 ,o ,orient1 come and enlighten those that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death with the light of faith4 ,it is faith that is needed on the earth1 it is faith that is needed in each individual soul4 ,it is faith that ,i need1 more faith1 more confidence in ,thy dealings4 ,many shadows are still cast on my soul by sin--even a wilful imperfection casts a shadow4 ,oh ,what need ,i have of ,thee1 ,o ,orient from on high1 to come and visit me and chase away the shadows of the night6 ,till the day break and the shadows retire 7,cant4 ,,ii4 #ag1 ,,iv4 #f74 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,st4 ,,thomas4 ,it is a coincidence1 if not something more1 that puts the antiphon ,o ,oriens6 on the same day as the ,feast of ,st4 ,thomas4 ,it was on account of ,st4 ,thomas' doubt that the great principle was given to the ,church3 ,blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed4 ,it is on account of ,st4 ,thomas' faith that countless ,indulgences are granted every day to the faithful who make use of his words3 ,my ,lord and my ,god when their sight shows them nothing but a little ,host elevated by a priest4 ,it was ,st4 ,thomas' zeal which made him go to the ,indies and proclaim that the ,orient had visited ,his people and that ,god had become incarnate for men4 ,thou didst make all the ,indies shine with much light 7,hymn of the ,greek ,church to ,st4 ,thomas71 and that light was the light of faith in ,him ,whom they had not seen4 ,it is ,st4 ,thomas who comes to-day to revive our flagging faith1 to introduce us to the ,babe of ,bethlehem and tell us that ,he is indeed the ,orient though ,he is hiding ,his light1 to warn us to give no heed to temptations against the faith1 to tell us that when we are contemplating the humility and nothingness of our ,god and the temptation comes to us1 as it did to him to say3 ,unless ,i see for myself1 ,i will not believe1 to remember the words of the ,master3 ,blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed4 ,o blessed ,saint ,thomas6 who art now in the land of light and vision1 intercede for us that we may be as little children1 believing all we are told and quietly waiting till the day dawn and the ,orient arises in all ,his majesty and strength1 preparing as a giant to run ,his course1 but for the moment hiding everything under the form of a helpless babe4 ,we do not ask for sight but for the light which will lead us to ,him1 the light of faith1 so that when we see ,him wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger we may cry out with you3 ,my ,lord and ,my ,god4 ,,point ,,iii4 ,,the ,,way ,,of ,,peace4 ,the ,orient visited us not only to enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death1 but also to direct our feet into the way of peace 7,st4 ,luke ,i4 #gi74 ,and what is the way of peace but the way of faith1 which ,he is coming to light up8 ,nothing can bring peace to this dark and sin-stricken world but faith4 ,the ,sun of ,justice is rising with health in ,his ,wings and that health is faith4 ,it is the remedy for all ills4 ,men try every other remedy but they leave out ,god and ,his faith and the result is that the world remains in chaos4 ,the ,light has risen1 the ,orient has visited us1 but men shut their eyes to the light and prefer the darkness1 because their deeds are evil4 ,the ,way of ,peace is made by the ,prince of ,peace1 it is the ,highway to the ,heaven of ,peace4 ,am ,i on it8 ,yes1 for ,i am one of the household of faith and can never thank ,him sufficiently for having directed my feet into the ,city of ,peace4 ,but this is not all4 ,many people1 even those of the household of faith have very little real peace in their lives4 ,they spend their time in complaints1 regrets1 criticisms1 anxieties4 ,is this what the ,king of ,peace intends8 ,oh no6 ,he is ever there waiting to direct their feet towards the green pastures and the still waters1 but the ,way of ,peace is the way of faith1 of trust and confidence4 ,until ,i can really trust ,him1 the peaceful pastures can never be mine1 ,i can never lie down in them and rest4 ,i am ,his sheep1 but ,i do not wholly trust my ,shepherd4 ,if ,i did1 ,i should believe that whatever ,he chose and arranged for me was the best2 ,i could not complain of what ,he had planned for me1 however hard it might be4 ,i could not criticize ,his arrangements and want to make my own4 ,may my trust be so absolute this ,christmas that it is apparent to everyone that ,i possess the peace which the ,babe of ,bethlehem comes to bring4 ,o ,orient come once more and direct my feet into the way of peace4 ,colloquy with the ,orient4 ,resolution4 ,although ,he should kill me1 ,i will trust in ,him4 7,job4 ,,xiii4 #ae74 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,o ,oriens6 ,o ,,rex ,,gentium6 ,december #bbnd4 ,o ,king of nations and their desired ,one and the ,corner-stone that makest both one1 come and save man whom ,thou didst form out of slime6 7,gen4 ,,xlix4 #aj1 ,agg4 ,,ii4 #h1 ,isaias ,,xxviii4 #af1 ,gen4 ,,ii4 #g74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,mary and ,joseph on the road to ,bethlehem4 ,behold thy ,king will come to thee4444 ,he is poor and riding upon an ass4 7,zach4 ,,ix4 #i74 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace to welcome my ,king4 ,,point ,i4 ,,the ,,desired ,,of ,,all ,,nations ,,shall ,,come4 ,king of nations ,he has always been1 for ,he created them2 in ,him they live and move and are4 7,acts ,,xvii4 #b74 ,he has been in ,his earth ever since ,he created it1 governing it1 sustaining and preserving the life which ,he gave1 co-operating always with ,his creatures4 ,we must not think of ,him as creating the world and then leaving it to do the best it could till the time came for ,him to be incarnate4 ,that is a false idea4 ,his delights were always to be with the children of men and though the ,orient did not begin to dawn till the time of the ,incarnation1 the ,light had been in the world all along2 the ,sun of ,justice had existed from all eternity4 ,he was in the world and the world was made by ,him and the world knew ,him not4 7,st4 ,john ,i4 #aj74 ,but though it knew ,him not1 the world had enough light to desire ,him4 ,ever since ,god at the time of man's fall had made ,his great promise concerning the ,woman and her ,seed1 ,he that was to come had been to the nations their desired ,one4 ,that promise had been carefully cherished1 handed on from father to son till ,moses came and recorded it in the book of ,genesis2 and though of necessity one nation had to be selected to which the ,woman and her ,seed were to belong1 yet the promise was given to all nations and all claimed their share in it4 ,the chosen nation through whom all the others were to be blessed was ,abraham's4 ,through him and his seed the great promise was to be fulfilled 7,gen4 ,,xii4 #c74 ,the time was hinted at in the patriarch ,jacob's blessing to ,juda3 ,the sceptre shall not be taken away from ,juda1 nor a ruler from his thigh1 till ,he come that is to be sent and ,he shall be the expectation of nations 7,gen4 ,,xlix4 #aj74 ,the house or family which was to have the joy of realizing the promise was ,david's2 the place where the ,woman was to bring forth her ,seed was ,bethlehem4 ,here she that travaileth shall bring forth and here shall ,he come 444 that is to be the ,ruler in ,israel 7,mich4 ,v4 #b-c74 ,each subsequent prophecy or promise developed and enlarged the original one given in ,eden1 but in that one the nations had all that they needed upon which to build up their hopes and nourish their desires--the ,woman and her ,seed1 the ,child with ,his ,mother--and though the promise belonged to the chosen nation 7,rom4 ,,ix4 #d71 the first great promise had been handed down through the other nations and they knew enough to make them desire1 enough to find the ,light if they sought it as did the ,wise ,kings of the ,east4 ,o ,king of nations1 as ,i look back through the ages and see the ,child and ,his ,mother so clearly set forth in promise and prophecy1 in type and example1 when ,i think of ,thy plans for the redemption of the world1 made from all eternity and gradually unfolding as the fulness of time approached1 when ,i think of the nations all desiring ,thy coming1 when ,i think of the intense desire of ,thy loving ,heart1 there is one thing that seems to jar and to be out of harmony with the rest1 and that is the lamentable want of desire in my own heart6 ,the time is very short now1 the ,child with ,his ,mother are already on the way to ,bethlehem4 ,oh6 ,let me multiply my ,acts of ,desire that my little ,king when ,he comes may be indeed my desired ,one too4 ,i sat down under ,his shadow1 ,whom ,i desired4 7,cant4 ,,ii4 #c74 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,the ,,corner-,,stone ,,that ,,maketh ,,both ,,one4 ,behold ,i will lay a stone in the foundations of ,sion1 a tried stone1 a corner-stone1 a precious stone1 founded in the foundations 7,isaias ,,xxviii4 #af71 the stone which the builders rejected 7,ps4 ,,cxvii4 #bb74 ,this is one of the promises confided to the chosen nation4 ,our ,blessed ,lord claims it as applying to ,himself 7,st4 ,matt4 ,,xxi4 #db1 ,st4 ,luke ,,xx4 #ag71 and ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,paul both speak of it as if it were well known4 7,acts ,,iv4 #aa1 #a ,peter ,,ii4 #f-h1 ,rom4 ,,ix4 #cc1 ,eph4 ,,ii4 #bj74 ,he is the ,corner-stone ,who is coming to make both one 7,eph4 ,,ii4 #ad71 both the ,jews to whom belongs the promise 7,rom4 ,,ix4 #d7 and the ,gentiles who are co-partners of ,his promise 7,eph4 ,,iii4 #f74 ,he is coming to preach peace to them that are far off as well as to them that are nigh1 coming to make the strangers and foreigners feel that they are fellow-citizens with the saints and the domestics of ,god1 coming to weld all together into one great building of which ,he ,himself is to be the chief ,corner-stone1 binding together the two walls 7,jews and ,gentiles71 supporting each stone and keeping each in its place1 a holy temple in the ,lord1 a habitation of ,god in the spirit4 ,such is the picture ,st4 ,paul draws for us 7,eph4 ,,ii71 and such is the picture which the antiphon for to-day brings before our minds4 ,all one in ,christ ,,jesus4 ,he is the ,king of all nations1 the ,desired of all nations1 the ,corner-stone of the whole building2 with ,him there is neither ,jew nor ,gentile 7,gal4 ,,iii4 #bh74 ,let me tell ,him even now before ,he comes how ,i long to share in the great work so dear to ,his ,sacred ,heart1 let me offer myself to co-operate with ,him in ,his designs for the human race which ,he loves so well4 ,let me be ready to labour1 to suffer1 to pray1 to spend and be spent1 if only ,i may thus bring ,him a few stones for ,his ,holy ,temple4 ,i was sometime afar off but now have been made nigh by the ,blood of ,christ 7,eph4 ,,ii4 #ac74 ,what shall ,i render8 7,ps4 ,,cxv4 #ab74 ,,point ,,iii4 ,,come ,,and ,,save ,,man ,,whom ,,thou ,,didst ,,form ,,out ,,of ,,the ,,dust4 ,their desired ,one ,who has never been far from the hearts of ,his children1 knows the need of the nations4 ,he ,who formed man out of the dust knows his need of a ,saviour4 ,what are the desires of the nations compared with ,his desire8 ,from all eternity ,he has desired the time to come when by taking the nature of man ,he could fulfil their desires and be to them both a ,king and a ,saviour4 ,very soon now will the ,angels be telling the glad tidings to man3 ,to you is born the ,saviour4 ,very soon will the heavenly choirs be singing the praises of the new-born ,king1 and the question will be asked even by distant nations3 ,where is ,he that is born ,king8 ,oh6 come1 little ,king1 come and fulfil the desires of all hearts4 ,thou hast given them and ,thou also must satisfy them4 ,art ,thou really the one desire of my heart1 around which all my hopes centre8 ,if ,thou wert not there1 ,i know that life would be nothing but a blank4 ,come and create a greater desire than ever after the perfection ,thou wouldst have1 and then show me how to follow after it4 ,in what place soever ,thou shalt be1 my ,lord ,king 444 there will ,thy servant be 7#b ,kings ,,xv4 #ba74 ,to-day then ,i will journey with ,thy blessed ,mother1 for surely the closer ,i keep to her1 the greater must be my desires4 ,colloquy with the desired ,one4 ,resolution4 ,grace to desire ,him more ardently4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,o ,rex ,gentium6 ,o ,,emmanuel6 ,december #bcrd4 ,o ,emmanuel1 our ,king and ,lawgiver1 the ,expectation and ,saviour of the nations6 ,come and save us1 ,o ,lord our ,god4 7,is4 ,,vii4 #ad1 ,,viii4 #h1 ,,xxxiii4 #bb1 ,st4 ,jas4 ,,iv4 #ab74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,mary and ,joseph in the temple at ,jerusalem4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace to worship with them4 ,,point ,i4 ,,emmanuel1 ,,god ,,with ,,us4 ,on the way from ,nazareth to ,bethlehem lies ,jerusalem and we may be quite sure that a happy event for ,mary and ,joseph on this long and tiring journey now nearing its end would be their visit to the ,temple1 near which ,mary1 and probably ,joseph too1 had spent most of her life4 ,we may think1 then1 of ,mary to-day taking her ,son into ,his own ,temple4 ,we may think of the joy of the ,angels as they lifted high the gates to let the hidden ,king come in4 ,in the ,holy of ,holies of ,solomon's ,temple was the ,ark of the ,covenant1 inside which were the ,tables of ,god's law and upon which was manifested the presence of the ,all-,holy4 ,but here kneeling in the ,temple1 in the women's court afar off1 was the real ,ark of the ,covenant of which the other was only a type1 hiding within her chaste womb the new ,lawgiver ,whose ,presence was known only to the ,angels who were worshipping round ,his ,shrine1 and to ,mary and ,joseph the only earthly worshippers in the ,temple that day who understood4 ,here was the ,virgin with her ,son1 the prophecy was fulfilled--,god with us4 ,his name shall be called ,emmanuel4 ,yet ,mary and ,joseph were not the only worshippers in the ,temple that day--there was a ,human ,soul worshipping ,god as ,he had never been worshipped before4 ,the ,heart of ,jesus now so near the end of the first stage of ,its existence on earth was offering to ,god all ,its homage and all ,its love1 offering to ,him all the work that had been done during the nine months passed in the holy ,ark of the ,covenant1 all the humiliation and self-abasement1 the silence and dependence1 the suffering and patience1 the satisfaction and merit4 ,he had been doing all the time the things that pleased ,his ,father1 the things that ,he had made ,himself man to be able to do4 ,now ,he is waiting--and the very waiting is another ,act of worship--waiting for the moment to come when ,he can take the next step in ,his earthly journey1 waiting with ,his ,mother whose intense desire is only second to ,his ,own4 ,o ,emmanuel6 ,god with us6 ,i feel that ,i must go too to ,thy ,sacred ,courts to-day and make one more worshipper before that ,holy ,shrine4 ,advent is nearly over1 my time of preparation is well-nigh at an end4 ,what have ,i to offer as ,i kneel in adoration8 ,feeble desires1 broken resolutions1 failure again in the thing ,i did so want not to fail in this ,advent1 good intentions1 but little else4 ,dare ,i come and kneel there where all is so holy and so perfect8 ,yes1 for ,he is ,emmanuel1 ,god incarnate for me4 ,let me hand ,him through ,his ,mother all my poverty and wretchedness and weakness and failure1 together with my contrition and repentance and love1 and in exchange ,he will hand me ,his forgiveness and the promise to offer my inadequate worship1 together with ,his own ,divine perfections1 to ,his ,father1 ,who will be satisfied4 ,this is what ,emmanuel means4 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,our ,,lawgiver4 ,the ,lord is our ,judge1 the ,lord is our ,lawgiver1 the ,lord is our ,king ,he will save us4 7,is4 ,,xxxiii4 #bb74 ,he is our ,king1 therefore ,he has a right to make laws for us4 ,and who could be a better ,judge of how the laws are kept than ,he ,who made them8 ,am ,i afraid at the sterner aspect which things seem to have taken8 ,there is no need1 for ,he is still our ,emmanuel1 but ,he can only be thus our ,friend and ,companion by being also the ,one ,who has an absolute right to make laws for us and to expect our obedience4 ,you are ,my friends1 if you do the things ,i command you 7,st4 ,john ,,xv4 #ad74 ,the reason for all ,his titles is that ,he wills to save us4 ,he is first of all the ,saviour and then1 in order that our salvation may be accomplished1 ,he makes ,himself our ,king1 our ,lawgiver and finally our ,judge4 ,if you love ,me1 keep ,my commandments4 ,such is our ,lawgiver's appeal4 ,surely ,his commandments are not grievous4 ,he ,who did always the things which pleased ,his ,father1 asks us to try to do the same4 ,o my little ,lawgiver1 accomplishing so silently and so perfectly the ,will of ,thy ,father1 command me and ,i will obey1 give ,thy orders through whom ,thou wilt2 be they hard or easy1 be they in accordance with my will or contrary to my whole nature6 ,i will think of ,thy perfect submission to ,thy ,father's ,will during those nine months for me and will say3 ,i1 too1 will do always the things which please ,him no matter what they cost4 ,,point ,,iii4 ,,the ,,expectation ,,of ,,the ,,nations4 ,,jesus is waiting1 ,mary is waiting1 the ,angels are waiting1 all nations1 all the earth1 and ,heaven too is waiting--waiting for our ,emmanuel to come and save us4 ,the empty manger speaks of the ,church's expectation to-day4 ,we can count the hours now1 all things are ready4 ,oh6 come and save us6 ,come and begin ,thy blessed work over again1 come and save the many who as yet know ,thee not and who are expecting everything this ,christmas except a ,saviour4 ,may the sight of the empty crib remind me to look well into my preparations to-day to see that nothing is wanting in the welcome ,i am going to give to the ,king6 ,colloquy with our ,emmanuel4 ,at the ,incarnation1 at ,thy birth1 all through ,thy life1 ,thou didst dwell with us2 on every altar ,thou hast promised to be with us all days2 in ,holy ,communion ,thou hast said ,i will dwell with them2 in the hour of death ,i will fear no evil for ,thou wilt be with me2 and ,thou hast secured ,heaven for me by ,thy prayer3 ,father1 ,i will that those whom ,thou hast given ,me be with ,me where ,i am4 ,emmanuel1 ,god with us4 ,resolution4 ,grace to expect ,him to-day in all that ,i do4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,o ,emmanuel6 ,,christmas ,,eve4 ,this day you shall know that the ,lord will come and save us3 and in the morning you shall see ,his glory4 7,ex4 ,,xvi4 ,introit for ,christmas ,eve74 #ast4 ,prelude4 ,the stable and the manger waiting for ,,jesus4 #bnd4 ,prelude4 ,grace to make my final preparations4 ,,point ,i4 ,,my ,,preparation--,,last ,,touches4 ,to-day ,mary and ,joseph arrive at their journey's end4 ,we think of them footsore1 weary1 homeless2 we think of the discouragement and rebuffs that they meet with as they hear on all sides that there is no room for them2 but do we think enough of the intense joy that reigned in ,mary's heart1 a joy communicated to her by her ,son8 ,he is rejoicing that ,his hour is come2 the very refusals of ,his people to receive ,him and ,his ,mother are to ,him a sign that ,his work has begun and is already being opposed4 ,mary shares ,his joy2 she is absorbed by one thought--soon she will look upon ,his ,face--and that thought is so great that there is scarcely room for any other in her heart4 ,and ,joseph8 ,can we imagine him anxious and disturbed and worried8 ,no1 it is impossible--he is with ,,jesus and ,mary1 he has lived his life close to them for nine months1 he has imbibed their spirit4 ,if his joy is not as intense as theirs1 his peace is unruffled2 he has brought the ,mother with her ,child to ,bethlehem as he was told to do1 and he knows that ,god will take care of ,his own4 ,my first lessons1 then1 for to-day are apparent4 ,in the morning ,i shall see ,his glory2 the point of ,advent is reached1 my preparation is nearly over4 ,i was told to get ready for ,him1 ,i was told to come to ,bethlehem1 ,i have been trying to do so1 trying to keep up with ,mary and ,joseph on their journey2 often1 ,i am obliged to admit it1 it has been a following afar off1 but still by ,god's grace1 ,i am following and ,i know that to-day ,he is coming to save us and that to-morrow ,i shall see ,his glory for ,he will come to me in ,holy ,communion4 ,he will be born again in my heart and make me understand once more that ,he is incarnate for me4 ,are my joy and my peace so great that nothing has the power to touch them8 ,there are many occupations that must of necessity claim my time and my attention to-day1 as there were many coming and going on the roads that led to ,bethlehem2 there are many things to be thought about in my last preparations for ,christmas--it was so with ,mary and ,joseph too4 ,almost certainly ,i shall have to-day1 as they had1 things that try and weary me1 perhaps suffering1 temptation1 slights and even insults4 ,shall ,i receive them as last and most precious opportunities for adding the finishing touches to my preparation1 for gaining a victory where ,i have perhaps so recently lost one1 for making reparation to my ,king and for uniting myself more closely to ,him and ,his ,mother8 ,will the thought that ,he is coming be so absorbing that the difficulties of the way are hardly noticed or are welcome as a reminder that ,i too am journeying to ,bethlehem8 ,if ,i cannot aspire to the joy of ,,jesus and ,mary1 ,i can at least aim at the peace of ,st4 ,joseph4 ,,point ,,ii4 ,,his ,,preparation4 ,his preparation is coming to an end too4 ,let me go over in my mind once again all that ,he had to plan and to do by way of preparation before ,he could come to me in ,holy ,communion4 ,it was for this that the ,incarnation was a preparation4 ,in order to feed me with ,his ,flesh and ,blood1 ,he had to become incarnate4 ,this is the point of ,christmas1 and it is the point of contact between ,,jesus and my soul4 ,to-morrow ,mary in an ecstasy of joy will look upon ,his ,face and press ,him to her heart2 to-morrow ,joseph1 full of awe and wonder1 will take ,him in his arms2 to-morrow the ,angels will sing their ,glorias as they gaze upon their ,god incarnate2 to-morrow the shepherds will adore and offer ,him their gifts2 and to-morrow ,i too shall touch ,him very closely for ,i shall receive into my body and into my heart ,his ,body and ,blood1 ,his ,soul and ,his ,divinity4 ,he will be with me and ,i with ,him4 ,it is for this that ,i have been making my preparations and it is for this that ,he has been making ,his4 ,how long has ,he been preparing8 ,not only during ,advent1 not only during the nine months1 not only since the great promise was given in ,eden1 not only since the time when there was war among the ,angels because of the ,incarnation--,i am getting beyond time already and farther back than that ,i cannot go for my mind is finite2 but ,his is infinite and just because it is infinite there never was a time when the ,incarnation was not in ,his mind1 and there never was a time when ,i1 ,his child1 was not in ,his mind1 and also there never was a time when ,he did not see the blest moments when ,he should bring the two into contact and make me understand personally what the point of the ,incarnation is4 ,these blest moments are my ,communions and surely one of the most blest must be my ,christmas ,communion when ,he ,who comes to me and ,who feeds me with ,himself is the ,child ,who was born at ,bethlehem1 ,he ,who had been so long expected1 the ,seed of the ,woman1 the ,orient from on high1 the ,star of the ,east1 the ,desired ,one of the nations1 the ,root of ,jesse1 the ,king of the ,gentiles with ,his ,key and ,his ,sceptre1 ,emmanuel1 ,god with us4 ,colloquy4 ,i kneel at the door of the empty stable and offer ,thee my heart1 ,o my little ,,jesus6 ,i have tried to make room for ,thee2 ,i have made my poor little preparations with ,thy blessed ,mother2 ,i have taken long journeys to get to ,thee2 but my body is not fit to be ,thy temple and my heart is treacherous and faithless4 ,i am ashamed to have so poor a shelter to offer ,thee4 ,if it were not that ,thou didst ask for it1 ,i dare not offer it4 ,oh6 ,thou ,who didst not refuse the manger-bed1 come to my heart1 look at the contrition and the humiliation and the reparation and the aching longing to be what ,thou dost want1 and forget the faithlessness and the failures and the weakness4 ,come1 my little ,king1 incarnate for me1 come and save me1 if ,i were not a sinner ,i should not need a ,saviour4 ,resolution4 ,to keep very near to ,mary and ,joseph to-day4 ,spiritual ,bouquet4 ,in the morning you shall see ,his glory4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,bokstel--,,holland ,,electrische ,,drukkerij ,,wilhelm ,,van ,,eupen 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,obvious spelling and punctuation errors were repaired1 but unusual period spellings and grammatical usages were retained4 ,headings and scripture references were inconsistently formatted and have been standardized1 but variations in book titles and abbreviations were retained4 ,where punctuation in contents page entries and chapter headings in original did not agree1 the contents page entries were corrected4 ,he1 ,him1 ,his1 etc4 when referring to ,jesus and ,god are capitalized throughout the original1 and ,jesus placed in small caps4 ,the few exceptions have been changed to conform to the majority4 ,contents page--ditto marks were used in the original4 ,the marks were replaced by actual repeated words as follows3 chapters #h-aa1 ,st4 ,john the ,baptist2 chapters #af-bj1 ,the ,interior ,life2 chapters #bb-bd and #bf-bh1 ,december4 ,also1 under ,prayers1 ,sancta ,dei ,genitrix1 for each line after the first1 ora pro nobis replaces ditto marks4 ,p4 #e3 few streaks of ,thy ,divine ,light--original shows ,th ,divine ,light with a gap after ,th4 ,p4 #bj3 7#c7 ,the ,sentences4 ,the original labels the subheadings within 7#c7 as 7#a7 and 7#b74 ,this format was retained4 ,also ,there are only two1 original shows ,the are only two4 ,p4 #fa3 come to do ,thy ,will1 original reads come do ,thy ,will4 ,p4 #fd-fe3 example which you set4 ,teach me1 too2 original reads example which you set page break teach me1 too4