Considerations on the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ - 29

It is consummated!

I. St. John writes: Jesus, therefore, when he had taken the vinegar, said, It is consummated (Jo. xix. 30). At this moment Jesus, before breathing out His soul, placed before His eyes all the sacrifices of the Old Law (which were all figures of the Sacrifice upon the Cross), all the prayers of the Patriarchs, and all the prophecies which had been uttered respecting His life and His death, all the injuries and insults which it was predicted He would suffer; and, seeing that all was now accomplished, He said: It is consummated.

St. Paul encourages us to run generously and face with patience the struggle which awaits us in this life with our enemies, in order to obtain salvation: Let us run by patience to the fight proposed to us: looking on Jesus, the author and finisher of Faith, who, having joy set before him, endured the Cross (Heb. xii. 1, 2). The Apostle thus exhorts us to resist temptations with patience unto the end, after the example of Jesus Christ, Who would not come down from the Cross while life remained. On this St. Augustine says: "What did He teach thee, Who, when He hung upon the Cross, would not come down, but that thou shouldst be strong in thy God?" Jesus thought fit to complete His sacrifice even to death, in order to convince us that the reward of glory is not given by God except to those who persevere to the end, as He teaches us in St. Matthew: He that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved (Matt. x. 22).

Therefore, when, through our own passions, or the temptations of the devil, or the persecutions of men, we feel ourselves disturbed and excited to lose our patience, and to abandon ourselves to displeasing God, let us cast our eyes on Jesus crucified, Who poured forth all His Blood for our salvation, and let us reflect that we have not yet poured forth one drop of blood for love of Him: Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin (Heb. xii. 4). When, therefore, we are called to yield up any point of honour, to abstain from any resentful feeling; to deprive ourselves of any satisfaction, or of anything we are curious to see, or to do anything which is not to our taste, let us be ashamed to deny this gift to Jesus Christ. He has treated us without holding anything back; He has given His own life and all His Blood; let us, then, be ashamed to treat Him with reserve.

II. Let us oppose to our enemies all the resistance we are bound to make, and hope for victory from the merits of Jesus Christ alone, by means of which alone the Saints, and especially the holy Martyrs, have overcome torments and death: In all these things we overcome, because of him that hath loved us (Rom. viii. 37). Therefore, when the devil pictures to us obstacles which, through our weakness, seem extremely difficult to overcome, let us turn our eyes to Jesus crucified, and, wholly trusting in His help and merits, let us say, with the Apostle: I can do all things in him who strengthens me (Phil. iv. 13). By myself I can do nothing, but by the help of Jesus I can do everything.

Thus let us animate ourselves to endure the tribulations of the present life, by the sight of the pains of Jesus on the Cross. Behold, says the Lord from this Cross — behold the great multitude of pains and of wrongs I suffer for thee upon this tree. My body hangs by three nails, and rests alone upon My very Wounds. The people who surround Me blaspheme Me and afflict Me, and My spirit within Me is more afflicted than My body. I suffer all for love of thee; behold the affection I bear thee, and love Me; and be not wearied at suffering anything for Me, Who, for thee, have lived a life so afflicted, and now am dying so bitter a death.

O my Jesus, Thou hast placed me in the world that I might serve Thee and love Thee; Thou hast given me so many lights and graces that I might be faithful to Thee; but, in my ingratitude, how often, in order that I might not deprive myself of my own satisfaction — how often have I been willing to lose Thy grace and turn my back upon Thee! Oh, through Thy desolate death, which Thou didst accept for my sake, give me strength to be grateful to Thee during what remains to me of life, while from this day forth I intend to drive from my heart every affection which is not for Thee, my God, my Love, and my All.

Mary, my Mother, help me to be faithful to thy Son, Who has loved me so much.