Meditating on the Passion of Christ

First Monday of Lent

Meditating on the Passion of Christ

Fix your mind and your heart in Christ nailed to the cross. Look at him, contémplale, love him! Falls to his knees before him, prostrate at his feet with great reverence, humility and deep respect, love and faith. Ask! Suplícales from the depths of your heart! Grant you the grace to dive into the ocean smooth and scorching of his Passion and death.Desire to participate in the Cross of Christ"I am crucified with Christ. I live but not I, but Christ lives in me! (Gal 2.20)"I only know Christ Crucified and that is enough" (St. Francis of Assisi)It is necessary to ask God for the sublime action and loving, attentive and close of his Holy Spirit to inspire in us the desire and the need to meet and taste the mystery of the cross of Christ, are needed now more than ever crucified souls by love for the salvation of mankind, the conversion of sinners and to relieve pain and suffering in the world. Also to participate actively in the love God has for humanity and that it does this through the Passion of her Son. Also needed are crucified souls, lovers suffer and who can penetrate into the heart of Jesus Christ in supreme moments, highlights in his Passion and Death.We have a large repertoire of men and women who have looked deeply and lived the Passion of Christ and today we call them saints, for the clavario is the place of the saints. The cross is the headquarters of the martyrs. Therefore, the saints more like the Divine Model crucified spent their whole life or kneeling at the foot of the cross both spiritually and physically or suspended in the cross of Jesus together with HimContemplating the divine mysteries of the Passion of our Redeemer, we moved to his loving heart to let God and only Him consume us, embrace us and make us a living image of "Christ the poor, humble and crucified."You approach the cross of Jesus and Jesus Christ himself with forward eagerly to share their distress to relieve and make him find the desired and longed for consolation in Thee. Participating therefore of the Passion of Christ, their sorrows, love your cross, Christ is to love our God and Savior as He wants to be loved, to love freely and sacrificed in deep union and sincere friendship towards him and towards the brothers.Christ only model of virtue"To contemplate and you will be radiant. Your face will not be ashamed "(Psalm 33.2-23)It is necessary to reach the cross to meditate its mysteries with great desire to see Christ crucified, not only our Savior, but the model of all virtues and inexhaustible source of all graces.That desire to right the Lord will concedérnoslo, making us see the infinite riches, not only of pain but of purest consolations that are enclosed in the cross of Christ, which participate in the cross of Christ looking around. Jesus Christ on the cross is immensely generous because the cross is the throne of his graces. The more grace we receive from Him from the cross is salvation and the glory of God, so those who come to the cross from this world already enjoy such deep thanks to generosity of God.If you want to be more humble contemplation of Christ Jesus that despite Divine status did not count equality with God something of his, contrary emptied Himself and became the slave of all, it must inspire in you a contempt of world and you will die in pride.Want to achieve chastity: The wealth of their pain will make you overcome temptation and the taste of earthly pleasures, and his precious blood, falling drop by drop upon thee, extinguish the fire of lust that threatens abrasarte. So you do: look at the Cross of Christ to overcome all the vices and sins and achieve a high degree of virtue, because they all are in poor and crucified Christ, and He wants to share with us.Come to me Lord Jesus!"As the servant seeks to streams, so my soul longs for you My God""Lord have mercy on me a sinner"What should be the attitude with which I have to submit to Jesus Christ? As the hungry who come to the food that gives eternal life. As the thirsty servant goes to the source of fresh water that flows from the open side of Christ. As the miser to his treasure and his unbridled desire to possess more and more. With a huge sigh of the soul desire and wish and sigh as Saints by the presence of Jesus Christ in his life, screaming, begging, pleading with all my heart: "Come to me Lord Jesus Christ" Come to me! And then the "Lover" solicitous attend the wishes of the beloved, because we must not forget that the "Lover" is Jesus and I'm loving "I". He loves me more than anyone because he alone has given his life for me.Fe line and live! Vivid faith in the mystery of the cross!Fruitfully to meditate on the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ is necessary for accurate and eyes of body and soul behold, as if we had this before us, the divine scene of Calvary stand at the foot of the cross, collecting the divine blood of the immaculate Lamb without spot or wrinkle it gushes and falls about You and me, on the whole world to purify, to hermosearnos for beautifying, to save us. This you must always bring your mind and heart as something past but as the most current and contemporary, as this is what happens every day in every Eucharist. This is present in your eyes and your faith today. Contemplating this scene must lead to a deep appreciation and intense pain of your guilt to see Christ suffer and die for you before your eyes.You need to have in mind that although Christ died for each and every one of the men and women of all time, you will apropies this redemption personally. Just as the love of God is unique to you, for me and for every human being, that the redemption is for everyone, personally, so you have to look at the Passion as if Jesus Christ did not suffer more than you. "Christ loved me and gave himself to death for me," says Paul.Enter and dive through the eyes of faith into the heart of Jesus to discover in it the excess of love with which he has suffered for you, to feel the torments of his passion as if You're living. There will discover and understand how they burned in a zeal so ardent about health and your soul, if it had been necessary had he stayed until the end of the world on the cross.Be humble because God resists the proud!"Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord and He will exalt you." (St 4.10)To meditate on the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ is needed most profound humility. Christ, the Son of God gives us a clear example of this, he never prayed to His Father God with such humility, submission and reverence as in Gethsemane, done by his agony and sweat drops of blood from there the bloody sacrifice of the cross. The Holy of Holies humbled himself to ask God for forgiveness for our faults and sins and was heard, so God granted the grace to make all things new.Humiliation is necessary, not because God likes us humble, but because it is a sign of humility and submission to God, we discover that the greatness and majesty of God revealed in the Passion of her Son to resuscitate him after such an atrocious suffering and death so terrible, so full of glory and majesty in the eyes of the universe and everything in it, to the extent that the name of Jesus every knee should bend in heaven on earth into the abyss and all we can say that Christ is Seño for the glory of God the Father. (Cf. Phil 2.10). Amen

The Virtues

February 27

Virtues are like someone who has a treasure, which, if it is not hidden from the eyes of the envious, I steal. The devil is always watching, and he, the worst of all the envious looks seize this treasure, which are the virtues, as soon as it finds, and makes assaulting us with that enemy so powerful that it is vainglorious.
Our Lord, always attentive to our good, to preserve us from this great enemy, warns us in various parts of the gospel. Do not tell us that if we want to pray, we retire to our room, shut the door and pray one on one with God, that our prayer is not known by others?, What, when fasting, we wash our face so that we discover our fasting to others in the dirt and the pallor of the face?, what, in giving alms, let not your right hand what the left?
(August 2, 1913, Father Agustin de San Marcos in Lamis - Letters. I, p. 396)

The pride

February 25

 St. Jerome was right, when comparing the pride with shadow. In fact, the shadow follows the body everywhere until you count your steps. Withdraws the body, she also walks away, walks slowly, she also does the same, feel, and then she also takes the same position.
So does the pride, followed everywhere to virtue. In vain attempt to flee his body shadow it always and everywhere followed and walks beside him. The same thing happens to those who are devoted to virtue, to perfection, the more escapes from vainglory, more is assaulted by her. All be afraid, dear father, to this our great enemy. I fear even more those two chosen souls, because the enemy has some impregnable.
Always be alert, do not let this enemy as powerful inside the mind and heart, for, if he gets in, deflowers virtues, holiness corrodes, corrupts everything of beauty and goodness.
Try to continually ask God's grace be preserved from this pestilent vice, because "Every perfect gift comes from above, the Father of lights." Open your hearts to trust in God. Always remember that everything that is good in them is pure gift of great kindness of the heavenly Bridegroom.
(August 2, 1913, Father Agustin de San Marcos in Lamis - Ep. I, p. 396)

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The vainglory

February 24

 St. Chrysostom, speaking of the vainglory , says: "The more work you do, seeking to crush the pride both stimulate more." And what is the cause of this? Let us say the same holy Doctor: "For all the evil is evil, only the pride from good, and, therefore, is not extinguished with the good but more inflated."
The devil, dear father, is well aware that a lecher, a thief, a miser, a sinner, have more reason to be ashamed and blush for glory, and, therefore, is careful to tempt them in that direction, and I save this battle. But it is not good saves, especially when striving to strive for perfection. All other vices that stand only on the left to win and dominate them, but the pride rears its head in those very people who fight and overcome. Is emboldened to attack his enemies, using the same victories that have made against it. It is an enemy that never stops, is an enemy that comes into battle in all our works and if you are not vigilant, it makes us victims.
Indeed, we, to escape the adulation of others, we prefer the fasts hidden secrets to the visible, the silence, speaking eloquently, to be despised, to be taken into account, the scorns, honors.Oh, my God. Here too, the pride you will, as they say, put the nose, acometiéndonos with vain complacency.
(August 2, 1913, Father Agustin de San Marcos in Lamis - Letters. I, p. 396)

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Is an enemy that lurks on all the souls

February 23



 The conceit is an enemy that lurks on all the souls that are consecrated to the Lord and who have given to the spiritual life, and, therefore, can be called, rightly, ringworm of the soul that strives for perfection . It has been rightly called by the holy rottenness of holiness.
Our Lord, to show how greatly the pride is contrary to perfection, he does with that rebuke the apostles did, when he saw them full of complacency and pride, because the demons obeyed the orders they were given "However, do not rejoice because the spirits are subjected. "
And to eradicate from their minds all the sad effects of this wretched vice, which usually get insinuate themselves into the hearts, the scary putting before his eyes the example of Lucifer, precipitated from the heights by the vain complacency in losing to the greatness to which God had exalted: "I ​​saw satan fall from heaven like lightning."
This vice is to be feared even more because there is no opposite virtue to fight it. Indeed, each service has its remedy, and the opposite virtue; banishes anger with gentleness, the jealousy with charity, the arrogance with humility, and so on. Only pride has no opposite virtue to be fought. She creeps into the holiest acts, and even in the same humility, if you are not careful, she proudly puts his shop.

 (August 2, 1913, Father Agustin de San Marcos in Lamis - Letters. I, p. 396)

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Dictionary

Ponder the fiat of Jesus in the garden

February 21

 Ponder the fiat of Jesus in the garden, how heavy would have to make you sweat and sweat blood! Pronounce you too this fiat, both things prosperous and in adverse, and do not worry or break your head thinking about how you pronounce it. It is known that the difficult issues flees nature of the cross, but no one can say that the soul is not subject to the will of God, when we see it, despite the force felt against, put in practice.
Want to have concrete evidence of how the will pronounce his fiat? Virtue is known by its opposite. Posted by Lord on a test, whether difficult or easy, tell me do you feel driven to rebel against God? Or, better, say for example the impossible: trying to rebel. Or, tell me, do not you horrified at the mere fact of hearing these phrases blasphemous? Well, between yes and no, there can not be, nothing in between.
If your will run from the rebellion, be sure that it is subject, tacitly or explicitly, to the will of God, and therefore also in their own way she utters her fiat.
(January 30, 1915, to Raffaelina Cerase - Ep. II, p. 321)

Jesus also gave me this cup to me

February 20
 
Jesus, the man of sorrows, that all Christians would imitate him. But Jesus also gave me this cup to me, and I accepted it, and that is why it does not prevent me. My poor suffering is useless, but Jesus is pleased him because he loved him so intensely here on earth. Therefore, in certain special days, in which he suffered more intensely on this earth, I feel the pain even harder.
Should not this alone enough for me to humiliate and to seek to live hidden from the eyes of men, because I've been made worthy to suffer with Jesus and like Jesus?
Oh, my father, I feel my ingratitude to the majesty of God is too big.

 (1 February 1913, Father Agustin de San Marco in Lamis - Letters. I, p. 334)

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Is because man was created for the happiness

February 16

Cheer up, because your suffering is in God. If nature complaint and claim their rights, because this is the condition of man is coming. Yes, secretly or quietly experiencing the pain of suffering and of course would run from them, is because man was created for the happiness and the crosses were a consequence of sin. While in this world, we have always felt natural aversion to suffering. Is this a string that will accompany us everywhere.
Be assured that, with the top of the spirit we want the cross and finally embrace it and we submit to it for the love of God, so we will feel on the inside of the claim that nature does not suffer . In fact, who loved the cross over the Divine Master? Well, also his sacred humanity, in his agony voluntarily accepted, asked that the cup away from him, if that were possible.
May 13, 1915, to Raffaelina Cerase - Ep. II, p. 417)

Yes, I love the cross

February 15

 Jesus tells me, in love, is he who delights me me at pains, however, who would delight me to it. Therefore, health would be desirable to seek happiness for me and not seek relief for Jesus. Yes, I love the cross, the cross alone, the master because I always see on the shoulders of Jesus. But Jesus sees very well that all my life and my heart are entirely devoted to him and his suffering.
Oh, Father, forgive me if I use this language, only Jesus can understand how great is my grief when deployed before me the painful scene of Calvary. It is equally incomprehensible relief given to Jesus, not only to share their pain, but when he finds a soul, for his sake, do not ask consolation, but rather take part in their own suffering.
When Jesus wants me to know that I love, I feel like it, of His sorrowful Passion, the wounds, the thorns, anxieties ... When you want to cheer, fills my heart of that spirit which is all fire, he speaks of his delight , but when is he who wants to be loved, I speak of their sorrows, invites me, with the voice of supplication and command at a time, to offer my body to lighten their suffering.
Who will resist? I realize that I have made ​​you suffer too much with my miseries that I have made too mourn with my ingratitude that I have offended too. I do not want to others but only to Jesus do not want anything else (which is the same desire of Jesus) that their sufferings.
(1 February 1913, Father Agustin de San Marcos in Lamis - Letters. I, p. 334).

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Be imitators of Jesus Christ

February 13

 To propose, My dear little children, always respond generously to your call, making them worthy of Jesus, like him in the adorable perfections already covered in sacred scripture and the holy gospel and I learned from you. But, my little children, for there to be an imitation, it is necessary to daily meditation and reflection on his life of meditation and reflection springs esteem for his actions and esteem, desire and the force of imitation .
Yes, little children, imitate Jesus in obedience prompt and without discussion; imitate Jesus in patience, because patience possess ye your souls imitate Jesus in humility, both internally and externally, but more internal than external, heartfelt shown that, deeper than visible.
(January 7, 1919, the novices - Letters IV, p. 380)

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God is infinitely good

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February 10

It is now time to admit it: we are miserable, because there is little we can practice well. But God in his goodness has compassion on us, it also indulge in that little, and accepts the preparation of our hearts. But what this preparation of our hearts? According to the word of God, God is infinitely greater than our heart, and it outperforms all other realities when, apart from worrying about himself, sets the service to be offered to God, that is, when you accept the commitment to serve God, to love, to love our neighbor, to observe the mortification of the senses external and internal, and other good purposes.During that time, our hearts are prepared and have their works to an eminent degree of Christian perfection. All this, my dear daughter, is not in any way commensurate with the greatness of God who is infinitely greater than all the universe, our capabilities, our external actions. An intelligence consider this greatness of God, his goodness and immense dignity, can not fail to offer great preparations.That this preparation to submit a mortified body without any rebellion, a focus on voluntary prayer without distraction, a very great sweetness to speak without bitterness, a humility without any sense of vanity. Behold, my dear, good preparations. It is true that some people do not see much larger preparations would be needed to serve God, but we must also find out who can perform them, because, as we prepare to implement them, it's easy to stop, seeing that in us these perfections can not be neither so high nor so absolute.You can mortify the flesh, but not quite, because there will always be a rebellion. Our attention is often interrupted by distractions. But above all this, do agree restless, troubled, worried and grieving? Not at all.

March 3, 1917, Herminia Gargani - Letters. III, p. 678)

Who grants us our perfection is certainly the virtue of patience, and if this virtue is to practice it with others

February 9
Beware, my dear daughter, of all those desires which, according to the common judgment of the people who possess the spirit of the Lord, can not reach their goal. Such, in fact, those desires of some Christian perfection can admire and imagine but not practiced, and those perfections of which many speak without turning them into works.
Rest assured, my dear daughter, who grants us our perfection is certainly the virtue of patience, and if this virtue is to practice it with others, should exercise it above all with ourselves. One who aspires to the pure love of God, do not need to be patient with others as it should have it himself. It must resign yourself, my dear daughter, to bear our imperfections to reach perfection. I say support our imperfections with patience, and do not say love and caress, because humility is strengthened in this suffering.
(March 3, 1917, Herminia Gargani - Letters. III, p. 678)

Tengámonos so we really are

February 8

Tengámonos so we really are: nothing, misery, weakness, a source of evil without limits or mitigating able to turn good into evil, leaving good for evil, to attribute the good we do not have or that good that we have borrowed, and justify in evil and evil for the sake of it, despise the Supreme Good.
With this conviction recorded in the mind, you:
1, no you never can please yourself for some good that can accommodate you, because everything comes from God and you must give him honor and glory;
2 º do not ever regret the offense, you come from where you vinieren;
3 º forgive all with Christian charity, keeping in mind the example of the Redeemer, which was even before his Father excuse those who crucified him;
4 º poor always groan before God;
5 ° not you amazed by no means your weaknesses and imperfections, but reconociéndote for who you are, be ashamed of your inconsistency and your infidelity to God, and by offering your purpose and trust him, you abandon peacefully in the arms of father in heaven, like a tender child in his mother.
(August 19, 1918, to Brother Gerardo de Deliceto - Letters. IV, p. 25)

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Internal and external humility, more internal than external, more vivid than shown; deeper than visible.

February 7

 Aim, therefore, responded generously [to God's special love for you], making it worth it, that is, like him in the adorable perfections already mentioned in the Scriptures and the Gospel, and that you have learned and . But, my brother: in order to give this imitation, it is necessary to continued reflection and meditation on the life of reflection and meditation comes the esteem of his acts, and esteem, desire and commitment of imitation. All this is provided by our laws. Keep us steadfast in exact compliance therewith and be perfect.
Above all you have to insist on what is the basis of Christian holiness and the foundation of goodness: in virtue of which our Divine Master and our Seraphic Father there are proposed as models I am referring to humility. Internal and external humility, more internal than external, more vivid than shown; deeper than visible.

 (August 19, 1918, to Brother Gerardo de Deliceto - Letters. IV, p. 25)

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¡I will always be faithful!

February 6

 May the Lord, source of all life, not deny me this water so sweet and so precious, that he, in the exuberance of his love to men who promised her thirst. I, my father, I long for this water, it is ask Jesus to lamentations and groans continued. Have you also that I do not hide it, say, father, he knows the great need I have of this water, which alone can heal a wounded soul of love.
Comfort the most tender husband of the Song of Songs to a soul which thirsts for it, and to comfort her with that same kiss the sacred wife asked. Tell that to a soul that has not even received the kiss, can never sign a pact with him in these terms: "I'm all for my beloved and my beloved is everything to me."
May the Lord not to leave only one who has put their trust in him!Oh, my hope that this will never not be disappointed, and I will always be faithful ...
(October 10, 1915, Father Augustine of San Marco in Lamis - Letters. I, p. 666)

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Will spend the winter and the endless spring, the richer the more harsh beauties were the storms.

February 3

 The tests that pierced the soul feel, be assured that they are signs of divine love and jewels for the soul. Everything that happens in you, is the work of Jesus, and you must believe that it is. To you does not touch you judge the work of the Lord, but you must submit yourself humbly to those divine performances. Get full freedom to grace at work in you and remember you should never fret to the adverse situations that may arise will, in the belief that doing so would be an impediment to the action of the divine Spirit.
So, as you feel some sense of concern will inspire in you, turn to God and abandon yourself into it with full and filial confidence, for it is written that those who trust in him will never be never disappointed. Courage always, and always on. Will spend the winter and the endless spring, the richer the more harsh beauties were the storms.
The aridity of spirit, in which you feel immersed and lost, is a painful test but lovable by the fruit it comes to mind. God wills you to end in a superficial devotion, that sanctifies the soul and that is and can be harmful. It is also beloved by God to lead the soul to acquire true devotion, which is a determined will to implement leading the service of God, without any satisfaction. In short, does good because it is well and that glorifies and pleases God.
The soul that is in this state in any way should not lose heart, not to stop doing anything I used to do in times of spiritual consolation, on the contrary, should seek to multiply their devotional practices and always be attentive and vigilant about itself.
(August 26, 1916, Mary Gargani - Letters. II, p. 236)

Purgatory is sweet, when suffering for God's sake.

February 2

 The picture of life, if it is made ​​up of representatives of the sins committed, it is wrong and, therefore, comes from the devil. You are loved by Jesus, and [and gives thanks to Jesus because] thy sins already forgiven, and therefore can no longer be room for the folding of the spirit. Wanting to persuade you otherwise is a waste of time, an offense that is the Heart of our most tender lover. If, however, the picture of life is the representation of what could or could you be, then it comes from God.
A desire to be at peace of the cloister is holy, but you must temper it. It is best to do the will of God, waiting a bit longer outside the holy place not to miss to charity than to enjoy the cool shade of the sacred cloister. Suffering and death was the saying of St. Teresa and St. Francis de Sales: "Living to suffer forever." Purgatory is sweet, when suffering for God's sake.
(August 26, 1916, Mary Gargani - Letters. II, p. 236)

Humble always before our God's mercy

February 1



Humble always before God's mercy and offer our thanks always for all the favors he has bestowed, and this will be the best of the new provisions for receiving favors that the heavenly Father, in the depths of his love for you, I will grant, logically, does not deserve new graces which does not respond to that has received constant gratitude and thanksgiving, tirelessly. Yes, trust in God and always welcome and all, and thus challenge and conquer all the wrath of hell.



(April 20, 1915, at Raffaelina Cerase - Letters. II, p. 403)

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