The love of Jesus for us demands our love

My soul, consider thy God crucified and dying on Calvary. See how much He suffers, and say to Him: Why, O Jesus, why dost Thou love me so much, and why art Thou so much tormented and afflicted on the Cross? Oh, Thou wouldst be less afflicted didst Thou love me less!

I. My soul, consider thy God crucified and dying on Calvary. See how much He suffers, and say to Him: Why, O Jesus, why dost Thou love me so much, and why art Thou so much tormented and afflicted on the Cross? Oh, Thou wouldst be less afflicted, didst Thou love me less!

Ah, my dear Redeemer, what a multitude of sorrows, ignominies, and afflictions torment Thee upon the Cross! Thy most sacred body hangs from three nails and rests only on Thy Wounds; the people who surround Thee deride and blaspheme Thee; and Thy immaculate soul is much more afflicted than Thy body. Tell me, why dost Thou suffer so much? Thou answerest me: I suffer all for the love of thee; remember, then, the affection I have borne thee, and love Me.

Yes, my Jesus, I will love Thee. And whom shall I love, if not my God Who dies for me? Hitherto I have despised Thee, but now my greatest grief is the remembrance of my offences against Thee, and I desire nothing but to be entirely Thine. O my Jesus, pardon me, and draw my heart to Thee; pierce and inflame it through and through with Thy love.

Let us consider how loving were the sentiments with which Jesus Christ presented His hands and feet to be nailed to the Cross, offering at the same time His Divine life to His Eternal Father for our salvation. My beloved Saviour, when I think how much my soul cost Thee, I cannot despair of pardon. However great and numerous my sins, I will not despair of being saved, since Thou hast already superabundantly satisfied for me. My Jesus, my Hope, and my Love, as much as I have offended thee, so much will I love Thee: I have exceedingly offended Thee, I desire also to love Thee exceedingly. Thou Who givest me this desire, help me.

Eternal Father, look on the face of thy Christ (Ps. lxxxiii. 10). Behold Thy dying Son upon the Cross; look on that livid countenance, that head crowned with thorns, those hands pierced with nails, that body all bruised and wounded; behold the Victim sacrificed for me, Whom I now present to Thee, and have pity on me!

II. He hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood (Apoc. i. 5). Why should we fear that our sins will hinder us from becoming saints, when Jesus Christ has made for us a bath of His own Blood to wash our souls of every stain? It is sufficient that we repent of our sins and desire to amend.

Jesus, on the Cross, had us in His thoughts, and there prepared for us all those graces and mercies He now bestows upon us, with as much love as though He had to save only the soul of one of us in particular.

O my Saviour, Thou didst foresee upon the Cross the offences I should commit against Thee, and instead of punishments Thou didst prepare for me lights, loving calls, and pardon. O my Jesus, shall I ever again, after so many graces, offend Thee and separate myself from Thee? O my Lord, permit it not! Grant that I may die rather than cease to love Thee. I will say to Thee, with St. Francis de Sales: "Either to die, or to love! Either to love, or to die!"