Oh, how sweet is the repose that is found by souls who
love God in the midst of the tumult of this world, and in the temptations of
hell, and even in fears of the Divine justice, when they contemplate in
solitude and silence our loving Redeemer as He hangs in agony upon the Cross,
His Divine Blood flowing forth in drops from all His limbs, stricken and laid
open with stripes, and thorns, and nails!
Oh, how the desires of worldly honours, of earthly riches, of sensual pleasures, depart from our minds at the sight of Jesus crucified! Then does there breathe from that Cross a heavenly unction which sweetly detaches us from earthly things, and lights up in us a holy desire to suffer and die for love of Him Who has been willing to suffer and die for love of us.
~ St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori,
CONSIDERATIONS ON THE PASSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
"St Peter says: 'Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under Heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4.12)'. Thus, there is no hope of salvation for us except through the merits of Jesus Christ; from which St Thomas and all the Theologians conclude that, since the promulgation of the Gospel, we are bound to believe explicitly, of necessity, not only by precept, but by the necessity of the truth, that it is only through the merits of our Redeemer that we can be saved."
ReplyDeleteO my God, if I have not hitherto loved Thee, I now give myself entirely to Thee. I wish to renounce all things to love only Thee, my Saviour, Who art worthy of infinite love. I have sinned enough against Thee. The remainder of my life I wish to spend in loving Thy Heart, which is so enamoured of me. Tell me all Thou willest. I wish to do it. Give me strength to execute Thy will. I love Thee, O infinite Goodness, I love Thee with my whole heart; and for Thy sake I accept all the pains Thou shalt be pleased to send me. (St Alphonsus)
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