TEMPORAL SUFFERINGS SHOULD BE BORNE PATIENTLY,
AFTER THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
MY CHILD, I came down from heaven for your salvation and took
upon Myself your miseries, not out of necessity but out of love, that
you might learn to be patient and bear the sufferings of this life
without repining. From the moment of My birth to My death on the
cross, suffering did not leave Me. I suffered great want of temporal
goods. Often I heard many complaints against Me. Disgrace and reviling
I bore with patience. For My blessings I received ingratitude, for My
miracles blasphemies, and for My teaching scorn.
THE DISCIPLE
O Lord, because You were patient in life, especially in
fulfilling the design of the Father, it is fitting that I, a most
miserable sinner, should live patiently according to Your will, and,
as long as You shall wish, bear the burden of this corruptible body
for the welfare of my soul. For though this present life seems
burdensome, yet by Your grace it becomes meritorious, and it is made
brighter and more endurable for the weak by Your example and the
pathways of the saints. But it has also more consolation than formerly
under the old law when the gates of heaven were closed, when the way
thereto seemed darker than now, and when so few cared to seek the
eternal kingdom. The just, the elect, could not enter heaven before
Your sufferings and sacred death had paid the debt.
Oh, what great thanks I owe You, Who have shown me and all the
faithful the good and right way to Your everlasting kingdom! Your life
is our way and in Your holy patience we come nearer to You Who are our
crown. Had You not gone before and taught us, who would have cared to
follow? Alas, how many would have remained far behind, had they not
before their eyes Your holy example! Behold, even we who have heard of
Your many miracles and teachings are still lukewarm; what would happen
if we did not have such light by which to follow You? |
That temporal miseries are to be borne patiently
after the example of Christ
"My Son! I came down from heaven for thy
salvation; I took upon Me thy miseries not of necessity, but drawn by
love that thou mightest learn patience and mightest bear temporal
miseries without murmuring. For from the hour of My birth, until My
death upon the Cross, I ceased not from bearing of sorrow; I had much
lack of temporal things; I oftentimes heard many reproaches against
Myself; I gently bore contradictions and hard words; I received
ingratitude for benefits, blasphemies for My miracles, rebukes for My
doctrine."
2. Lord, because Thou wast patient in Thy life,
herein most of all fulfilling the commandment of Thy Father, it is
well that I, miserable sinner, should patiently bear myself according
to Thy will, and as long as Thou wilt have it so, should bear about
with me for my salvation, the burden of this corruptible life. For
although the present life seemeth burdensome, it is nevertheless
already made very full of merit through Thy grace, and to those who
are weak it becometh easier and brighter through Thy example and the
footsteps of Thy saints; but it is also much more full of consolation
than it was of old, under the old Testament, when the gate of heaven
remained shut; and even the way to heaven seemed more obscure when so
few cared to seek after the heavenly kingdom. But not even those who
were then just and in the way of salvation were able, before Thy
Passion and the ransom of Thy holy Death, to enter the kingdom of
heaven.
3. Oh what great thanks am I bound to give Thee,
who hast vouchsafed to show me and all faithful people the good and
right way to Thine eternal kingdom, for Thy way is our way, and by
holy patience we walk to Thee who art our Crown. If Thou hadst not
gone before and taught us, who would care to follow? Oh, how far
would they have gone backward if they had not beheld Thy glorious
example! Behold we are still lukewarm, though we have heard of Thy
many signs and discourses; what would become of us if we had not such
a light to help us follow Thee? |