The practice of the love of Jesus Christ - 015

XV.-ON THE GREAT CONFIDENCE WE OUGHT TO HAVE IN THE LOVE JESUS CHRIST HAS SHOWN US AND IN ALL HE HAS DONE FOR US.

I. The Blessed John of Avila has left us many beautiful thoughts on the great confidence we should have in the merits of Jesus Christ. “Do not forget,” he says “that Jesus Christ is the Mediator between the Eternal Father and ourselves; and that we are beloved by Him, and united to Him by such strong bonds of love that nothing can break them, so long as a man does not himself dissolve them by some mortal sin. The Blood of Jesus cries out and asks mercy for us; and cries out so loudly that the noise of our sins is not heard. The death of Jesus Christ hath put to death our sins: o death, I will be thy death!-(Osee xiii. 14). Those who are lost are not lost for want of means of satisfaction, but, because they do not avail themselves of the Sacraments as the means of profiting by the satisfaction made by Jesus Christ.”

Jesus has taken upon Himself the affair of remedying our evils, as if it had been personally His own affair. So that He has called our sins His own, although He did not commit them, and has sought pardon for them; and with the most tender love has prayed, as if He were praying for Himself, that all who should have recourse to Him might become objects of love. And as He sought, so He found, because God has so ordained that Jesus and ourselves should be so united in one, that either He and we should be loved or He and we hated: and since Jesus is not and cannot be hated, in the same way, if we remain united by love to Jesus, we also shall be loved. By His being loved by God, we are also loved, seeing that Jesus Christ can do more to make us loved that we can do to make ourselves hated; since the Eternal Father loves Jesus Christ far more than He hates sinners.”

My God, I love Thee; and because I love Thee I repent above all things for having offended Thee. In order not to lose a passing satisfaction, I have been willing, wretch that I am, to lose Thee so often, O Infinite Good! This thought torments me more than any pain: but it is a consolation to me to think that I have to do with infinite goodness, that knows not how to despise a heart that truly loves. Oh, that I could die for Thee, Who didst die for me! My dear Redeemer, I confidently hope for eternal salvation in the life to come, and in this life I hope for holy perseverance in Thy love; and therefore I propose always to ask it of Thee. And do Thou, by the merits of Thy Death, give me perseverance in praying to Thee. This, too, I ask and hope of you, O Mary my Queen!

II. Jesus said to His Father: Father, I will that where I am, they also whom thou hast given me may be with me-(John xvii. 24). Love has conquered hatred; and thus we have been pardoned and loved, and are secure of never being abandoned, so strong is the tie of love that binds us. The Lord said by Isaias: Can a woman forget her infant? And if she should forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee in my hands-(Is. xlix. 15, 16). He has graven us in His hands with His own Blood. Thus we should not trouble ourselves about anything since everything is ordained by those hands which were nailed to the Cross in testimony of the love He bears us.”

“Nothing can trouble us on which Jesus Christ cannot reassure us. Let the sins I have committed surround me, let devils lay snares for me, let fears for the future accuse me; by demanding mercy of the most tender Jesus Christ, Who has loved me even until death, I cannot possibly lose confidence; for I see myself so highly valued that God gave Himself for me. O my Jesus, sure haven for those who seek Thee in time of peril! O most watchful Pastor, he deceives himself who does not trust in Thee, if only he has the will to amend his life! Therefore Thou hast said: “I am here, fear not; I am He Who afflicts and Who consoles. Some from time to time I place in desolations which seem equal to hell itself; but after a while I bring them out and console them. I am thine Advocate, Who have made thy cause My own. I am thy Surety, Who am come to pay thy debts. I am thy Lord, Who redeemed thee with My Blood, not in order to abandon thee but to enrich thee, having bought thee at a great price. How shall I fly from him who seeks Me, when I went forth to meet those who sought to outrage Me? I did not turn away My face from him who struck Me; and shall I from him who would adore Me?

How can My children doubt that I love them, seeing that out of love for them I placed Myself in the hands of My enemies? Whom have I ever despised that loved Me? Whom have I ever abandoned that sought My aid? Even I go seeking those that do not seek Me. If you believe that the Eternal Father has given you His Son, believe also that He will give you everything else which is infinitely less than His Son. Do not think that Jesus Christ is forgetful of you, since He has left you, as the greatest memorial and pledge of His love, Himself in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

O my Jesus, my Love, what joyful hope does Thy Passion give me! How can I possibly fear I may not receive from an Almighty God Who has given me all His Blood, the pardon of my sins, Paradise, and all other graces that I require! Ah, my Jesus, my Hope and my Love, Thou, in order that I might not perish, didst give Thy life; I love Thee above every good, my Redeemer and my God. Thou gavest Thyself entirely to me; I give Thee my whole will, and with it I repeat that I love ‘Thee, and I will always’ say I love Thee, I love Thee! So I always desire to say in this life, so I wish to die, breathing forth my last sigh with this dear word on my lips: My God, I love Thee! that from that moment I may commence a love towards Thee which shall last without cessation for all eternity.