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Meditation 19. The Public Life of Jesus Christ: His Admirable Charity and Meekness towards His Neighbor
Preparatory Prayer as on page x
Composition of Place — Imagine you see Jesus Christ in the company of His Apostles, journeying about Palestine, teaching His heavenly doctrine, arousing all to the practice of virtue.
Prayer of Petition — Grant me, my Jesus, light to understand Thy heavenly teaching and grace to imitate Thy example.
First Point
Before we have had to bear them, Jesus Christ had borne all those annoyances which make the practice of charity and meekness toward our neighbor so burdensome and bitter. My soul, let us try to consider a virtue which, just as it is most essential to holiness, is likewise the most subject to annoyances and difficulties. Reflect on the example which Jesus Christ gave us, and resolve to suffer what He suffered before you and for love of you.
The first annoyance is the necessity of dealing with people for whom one is wasting his efforts and all his toil. Ah, my soul! How much did Jesus not weary Himself in order to convert the Hebrews! For three years He journeyed from one city to another, one village to another; He preached to them; He was bountiful in bestowing benefits on them; He moved them with miracles; and like a loving Father He invited all to the bosom of His Mercy. And what fruit came of it? Some belittled Him, calling Him son of a Carpenter. Others ridiculed His heavenly doctrine. Pharisees mocked Him as a man who lived a bad life and broke the law. The high priests publicly condemned Him for false doctrine, and took every care that the people not let themselves be taught by His Words; and they went so far as to expel from the synagogue those who would follow Him.
Thus it came about that of the many who heard Him, only a few were converted, the others remaining obstinate and rendering His labors fruitless. Must it not have been rather a hard thing for the Heart of Jesus to love that kind of people? Not even the tenderest, most affectionate father can look upon his son with favorable eyes who, disregarding all his admonitions, continually offers him new occasions of displeasure.
The second annoyance is to have to deal with persons who, out of hatred and envy, interpret everything in an unfavorable way. During the whole time of His preaching Jesus met this harassment. Frequently on the Sabbath day He would cure some sick person out of compassion for his ailments, and people of ill will would attribute it to the devils, because Jesus (they said) was not keeping the Sabbath.
He sat at table with public sinners to draw them to repentance by sweetness and charity, and people criticized Him as being a glutton who wanted to satisfy His hunger at other people's expense. He worked miracles to lead men to a knowledge of His Divinity, and they said this came not from His power, but from that of the devil, who was working them through Him. In brief, there was nothing which they would not interpret unfairly and unfavorably.
The third annoyance is having to deal with persons who show no appreciation for acts of charity extended to them and return evil for good... Jesus went to Nazareth. He preached in the synagogue. He showed the most refined and sincere charity to His countrymen. What thanks did He receive from all this? Just what could be expected from a person who returns evil for good? They took Him to the edge of a cliff in order to throw Him over. "But Jesus," according to St. Luke (4:30), "passing through the midst of them, went His way."
He also preached in Jerusalem. He said that He was the Son of God and the promised Messiah Whom they had long awaited. But in return for the truth which He preached to them, they took Him to be a blasphemer. They took up rocks in order to stone Him on the spot.
The fourth annoyance is living in the midst of insincere, hypocritical people. Jesus knew what was in Judas' heart and all the bad will that he possessed, that he was the one who would sell Him one day for a few pieces of silver and deliver Him over to death.
The fifth annoyance is having to deal with persons whose extreme hatred is recognized. For quite some time in advance the high priests and scribes had condemned Jesus to death in a secret council. It had been publicly declared that all who adhered to His doctrine were cut off from the synagogue. It had been decreed that He was to be arrested as a seducer and put into their custody; and they had plotted other similar evils against Him.
See, then, my soul, the number and kind of harassments which Jesus' Charity had to outmatch to enable Him to love this kind of people, who deserved God's eternal hatred rather than His Fatherly love. But in the midst of such great provocation, how did Jesus conduct Himself? You will hear it shortly. For the present I will only tell you this: that with all these harassments, He loved them and loved them very tenderly.
Affective Acts
(1) Shame — O my Jesus, how ardent, how solid is Thy love! And how weak and cold mine is! Thou had to deal with persons who outraged Thee and vomited out injury and insult into Thy Face; persons who, using a veil of friendship, sought a way to deliver Thee over into the hands of Thy enemies; persons who, in effect, had resolutely determined not to rest until they had put Thee on the Cross. Oh, the intolerable outrages! But all this could not extinguish Thy love. Thou didst love them even to the Cross, even to death.
Alas! How little of the meekness and charity of Jesus Christ there is in me! An unfriendly look from someone, a slighting word, a refusal, a trivial offense, is enough to extinguish my love and change my meekness into anger and indignation... This is as far as I have advanced, O my Jesus, after so many graces that Thou hast granted me; and after Thou hast supplied me with so many means of advancement, this is the progress that I have made. What a showing I will make one day before Thy divine tribunal, with my scarcity of virtue!
(2) Resolution — Will it always be this way, O my Jesus? Will this heart of mine always remain so hard and cold? Will I always surrender myself to a pampered life? Will a time not come when I will have the consolation of possessing true love and true meekness? Oh, what ruin it would be for me if that time were never to come! Thou hast called me, O my Jesus, to Thy school, and as my teacher Thou tell me that I should learn from Thee, that Thou art meek and humble of Heart. How will I appear before Thy Judgment, when I find myself so poor in this virtue? What account shall I render Thee for all the graces I have received and used so poorly? Ah! My Jesus! I turn to Thee with my whole heart...
Second Point
Consider the admirable qualities of the love with which Jesus loved men — Endeavor now, my soul, to penetrate the interior of Jesus' Heart and learn how to love.
(1) First Property — The charity and meekness of Jesus' Heart was always affectionate and ardent. Jesus, with His Infinite Powers, daily saw thousands of persons who hated Him, who considered Him to be a seducer, a blasphemer, and a sorcerer. He saw many others who were tearing His reputation apart with lies against Him, with insulting and over-critical remarks, and who would mock Him. He saw thousands of others who were anxiously seeking to crucify Him. All this was quite evident to Him; for nothing could be hidden from Him. But yet He was never resentful nor did He hold back in His supremely earnest love for all. How would your heart be disposed if there were a hundred persons who considered you a villain, who defamed you everywhere with calumnies and false charges and even endeavored to put you to death?
(2) Second Property — The charity and meekness of Jesus Christ showed itself always to be affable, sweet and resourceful, in His words as well as in His manners and actions, in spite of all the outrages. Recall again the case of Judas, my soul. Jesus knew his soul well, and knew that in the end Judas would betray Him... Yet this was not enough to hinder His charity toward the man. For three full years He always had him at His side. He treated Judas with the same affection as He did the other Apostles.
He bestowed on Judas along with the others the gift of performing miracles; also He washed Judas' feet along with the feet of the others. Thus even at the Last Supper the Apostles were not able to learn Judas' wicked design. And when Judas delivered Jesus into the hands of His enemies Jesus called him His friend and gave him a kiss. Is it possible that Jesus treated His beloved Apostle John more affectionately?
(3) Third Property — The charity and meekness of Jesus Christ was always generous and benevolent, returning good for evil to those who treated Him the worst. Every day among the ungrateful Jews, a fury and rage against Jesus was growing; and a magnanimity on Jesus' part toward them would appear the most liberal at every turn. Each day He directed ardent sighs to His Eternal Father for their salvation.
Every day He multiplied more His miracles so that they would recognize His Divinity. Daily He loaded them with new favors to soften their stony hearts. Not content with that, He showed them a favor the very moment they outrageously wronged Him. Was not Malchus a very perverse man? He was one of those who went to seize Jesus in the garden; and in the instant in which He is carrying this out, Jesus stretches out His Divine hand, and restoring the man's ear, cures it perfectly.
Affective Acts
(1) Repentance — Now I know what it is to love, O my Jesus. To love those by whom we are loved, those who are very fond of us and who do good to us — that is, to love in the way the Jews and pagans do. To love those who do not love us, who murmur against us and wrong us — is to love in the way Thou hast loved. How, then, have I loved until now? Alas! My heart has within it so much corruption! How defective is my love! I have generally loved as the Jews loved.
Rarely have I loved as Jesus loved... I have gone astray then. I have erred in that virtue which makes up the essence of Christianity, which is the substance of a true disciple of Jesus Christ, which is the core of holiness and perfection... I recognize my mistake and I repent. O my Jesus, I detest with all my heart all that I have done contrary to this virtue which is so pleasing to Thee. By the merits of Thy Precious Blood I humbly beg forgiveness.
(2) Act of Love — Henceforth my greatest endeavor, my most conscientious concern, will be to love God with my whole heart and above all things, and my neighbor as myself for the love of God. These are the two chief Commandments which Thou hast taught us in Thy discourse and have shown us by example. I humbly submit myself to both. From this very moment my will is to carry them out.
I love Thee; I embrace Thee, O my Jesus, with all my heart, preferring Thee above all creatures of Heaven and earth. With so much love and earnestness do I love Thee that I stand ready now to give my life and shed my blood for Thee. And as I love Thee for Thyself, so do I love all men, because Thou command me to love them all. Therefore I love them and love them as myself. I beseech Thee, O my Jesus, to have pity on them all, granting each one all the temporal and eternal benefits that I desire for myself.
(3) Resolution — This affection I have expressed is indeed holy. To prevent it from remaining within the limits of my heart, it must show itself; for love must operate and cannot be idle. Otherwise it would not be love. How, then, shall I deal with my neighbor? I will do for him what I wish done for me. I want everyone to have a good opinion of me. Therefore I will never admit into my mind a suspicion or judgment which could mean disesteem or contempt for my neighbor. I want everyone to be kind and agreeable with me.
I, too, will be that way with everyone and will endeavor not to say or do anything that can cause my neighbor unhappiness or bitterness. I want everyone to patiently bear with my defects and weaknesses, and I desire that no one speak ill of me. I will do this, too; I will pleasantly bear with the faults of others. I will never talk about another's defects¹... I want others to do me favors according to charity; I will do the same for them.
O Jesus, Who art True Love in its Essence, grant me so much grace that henceforth I may love Thee as Thou hast loved me...
Now pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary and the Concluding Prayers as on page xi.
Footnote
¹Note — Unless this law of God requests it for the common good.
Preparatory Prayer as on page x
Composition of Place — Imagine you see Jesus Christ in the company of His Apostles, journeying about Palestine, teaching His heavenly doctrine, arousing all to the practice of virtue.
Prayer of Petition — Grant me, my Jesus, light to understand Thy heavenly teaching and grace to imitate Thy example.
First Point
Before we have had to bear them, Jesus Christ had borne all those annoyances which make the practice of charity and meekness toward our neighbor so burdensome and bitter. My soul, let us try to consider a virtue which, just as it is most essential to holiness, is likewise the most subject to annoyances and difficulties. Reflect on the example which Jesus Christ gave us, and resolve to suffer what He suffered before you and for love of you.
The first annoyance is the necessity of dealing with people for whom one is wasting his efforts and all his toil. Ah, my soul! How much did Jesus not weary Himself in order to convert the Hebrews! For three years He journeyed from one city to another, one village to another; He preached to them; He was bountiful in bestowing benefits on them; He moved them with miracles; and like a loving Father He invited all to the bosom of His Mercy. And what fruit came of it? Some belittled Him, calling Him son of a Carpenter. Others ridiculed His heavenly doctrine. Pharisees mocked Him as a man who lived a bad life and broke the law. The high priests publicly condemned Him for false doctrine, and took every care that the people not let themselves be taught by His Words; and they went so far as to expel from the synagogue those who would follow Him.
Thus it came about that of the many who heard Him, only a few were converted, the others remaining obstinate and rendering His labors fruitless. Must it not have been rather a hard thing for the Heart of Jesus to love that kind of people? Not even the tenderest, most affectionate father can look upon his son with favorable eyes who, disregarding all his admonitions, continually offers him new occasions of displeasure.
The second annoyance is to have to deal with persons who, out of hatred and envy, interpret everything in an unfavorable way. During the whole time of His preaching Jesus met this harassment. Frequently on the Sabbath day He would cure some sick person out of compassion for his ailments, and people of ill will would attribute it to the devils, because Jesus (they said) was not keeping the Sabbath.
He sat at table with public sinners to draw them to repentance by sweetness and charity, and people criticized Him as being a glutton who wanted to satisfy His hunger at other people's expense. He worked miracles to lead men to a knowledge of His Divinity, and they said this came not from His power, but from that of the devil, who was working them through Him. In brief, there was nothing which they would not interpret unfairly and unfavorably.
The third annoyance is having to deal with persons who show no appreciation for acts of charity extended to them and return evil for good... Jesus went to Nazareth. He preached in the synagogue. He showed the most refined and sincere charity to His countrymen. What thanks did He receive from all this? Just what could be expected from a person who returns evil for good? They took Him to the edge of a cliff in order to throw Him over. "But Jesus," according to St. Luke (4:30), "passing through the midst of them, went His way."
He also preached in Jerusalem. He said that He was the Son of God and the promised Messiah Whom they had long awaited. But in return for the truth which He preached to them, they took Him to be a blasphemer. They took up rocks in order to stone Him on the spot.
The fourth annoyance is living in the midst of insincere, hypocritical people. Jesus knew what was in Judas' heart and all the bad will that he possessed, that he was the one who would sell Him one day for a few pieces of silver and deliver Him over to death.
The fifth annoyance is having to deal with persons whose extreme hatred is recognized. For quite some time in advance the high priests and scribes had condemned Jesus to death in a secret council. It had been publicly declared that all who adhered to His doctrine were cut off from the synagogue. It had been decreed that He was to be arrested as a seducer and put into their custody; and they had plotted other similar evils against Him.
See, then, my soul, the number and kind of harassments which Jesus' Charity had to outmatch to enable Him to love this kind of people, who deserved God's eternal hatred rather than His Fatherly love. But in the midst of such great provocation, how did Jesus conduct Himself? You will hear it shortly. For the present I will only tell you this: that with all these harassments, He loved them and loved them very tenderly.
Affective Acts
(1) Shame — O my Jesus, how ardent, how solid is Thy love! And how weak and cold mine is! Thou had to deal with persons who outraged Thee and vomited out injury and insult into Thy Face; persons who, using a veil of friendship, sought a way to deliver Thee over into the hands of Thy enemies; persons who, in effect, had resolutely determined not to rest until they had put Thee on the Cross. Oh, the intolerable outrages! But all this could not extinguish Thy love. Thou didst love them even to the Cross, even to death.
Alas! How little of the meekness and charity of Jesus Christ there is in me! An unfriendly look from someone, a slighting word, a refusal, a trivial offense, is enough to extinguish my love and change my meekness into anger and indignation... This is as far as I have advanced, O my Jesus, after so many graces that Thou hast granted me; and after Thou hast supplied me with so many means of advancement, this is the progress that I have made. What a showing I will make one day before Thy divine tribunal, with my scarcity of virtue!
(2) Resolution — Will it always be this way, O my Jesus? Will this heart of mine always remain so hard and cold? Will I always surrender myself to a pampered life? Will a time not come when I will have the consolation of possessing true love and true meekness? Oh, what ruin it would be for me if that time were never to come! Thou hast called me, O my Jesus, to Thy school, and as my teacher Thou tell me that I should learn from Thee, that Thou art meek and humble of Heart. How will I appear before Thy Judgment, when I find myself so poor in this virtue? What account shall I render Thee for all the graces I have received and used so poorly? Ah! My Jesus! I turn to Thee with my whole heart...
Second Point
Consider the admirable qualities of the love with which Jesus loved men — Endeavor now, my soul, to penetrate the interior of Jesus' Heart and learn how to love.
(1) First Property — The charity and meekness of Jesus' Heart was always affectionate and ardent. Jesus, with His Infinite Powers, daily saw thousands of persons who hated Him, who considered Him to be a seducer, a blasphemer, and a sorcerer. He saw many others who were tearing His reputation apart with lies against Him, with insulting and over-critical remarks, and who would mock Him. He saw thousands of others who were anxiously seeking to crucify Him. All this was quite evident to Him; for nothing could be hidden from Him. But yet He was never resentful nor did He hold back in His supremely earnest love for all. How would your heart be disposed if there were a hundred persons who considered you a villain, who defamed you everywhere with calumnies and false charges and even endeavored to put you to death?
(2) Second Property — The charity and meekness of Jesus Christ showed itself always to be affable, sweet and resourceful, in His words as well as in His manners and actions, in spite of all the outrages. Recall again the case of Judas, my soul. Jesus knew his soul well, and knew that in the end Judas would betray Him... Yet this was not enough to hinder His charity toward the man. For three full years He always had him at His side. He treated Judas with the same affection as He did the other Apostles.
He bestowed on Judas along with the others the gift of performing miracles; also He washed Judas' feet along with the feet of the others. Thus even at the Last Supper the Apostles were not able to learn Judas' wicked design. And when Judas delivered Jesus into the hands of His enemies Jesus called him His friend and gave him a kiss. Is it possible that Jesus treated His beloved Apostle John more affectionately?
(3) Third Property — The charity and meekness of Jesus Christ was always generous and benevolent, returning good for evil to those who treated Him the worst. Every day among the ungrateful Jews, a fury and rage against Jesus was growing; and a magnanimity on Jesus' part toward them would appear the most liberal at every turn. Each day He directed ardent sighs to His Eternal Father for their salvation.
Every day He multiplied more His miracles so that they would recognize His Divinity. Daily He loaded them with new favors to soften their stony hearts. Not content with that, He showed them a favor the very moment they outrageously wronged Him. Was not Malchus a very perverse man? He was one of those who went to seize Jesus in the garden; and in the instant in which He is carrying this out, Jesus stretches out His Divine hand, and restoring the man's ear, cures it perfectly.
Affective Acts
(1) Repentance — Now I know what it is to love, O my Jesus. To love those by whom we are loved, those who are very fond of us and who do good to us — that is, to love in the way the Jews and pagans do. To love those who do not love us, who murmur against us and wrong us — is to love in the way Thou hast loved. How, then, have I loved until now? Alas! My heart has within it so much corruption! How defective is my love! I have generally loved as the Jews loved.
Rarely have I loved as Jesus loved... I have gone astray then. I have erred in that virtue which makes up the essence of Christianity, which is the substance of a true disciple of Jesus Christ, which is the core of holiness and perfection... I recognize my mistake and I repent. O my Jesus, I detest with all my heart all that I have done contrary to this virtue which is so pleasing to Thee. By the merits of Thy Precious Blood I humbly beg forgiveness.
(2) Act of Love — Henceforth my greatest endeavor, my most conscientious concern, will be to love God with my whole heart and above all things, and my neighbor as myself for the love of God. These are the two chief Commandments which Thou hast taught us in Thy discourse and have shown us by example. I humbly submit myself to both. From this very moment my will is to carry them out.
I love Thee; I embrace Thee, O my Jesus, with all my heart, preferring Thee above all creatures of Heaven and earth. With so much love and earnestness do I love Thee that I stand ready now to give my life and shed my blood for Thee. And as I love Thee for Thyself, so do I love all men, because Thou command me to love them all. Therefore I love them and love them as myself. I beseech Thee, O my Jesus, to have pity on them all, granting each one all the temporal and eternal benefits that I desire for myself.
(3) Resolution — This affection I have expressed is indeed holy. To prevent it from remaining within the limits of my heart, it must show itself; for love must operate and cannot be idle. Otherwise it would not be love. How, then, shall I deal with my neighbor? I will do for him what I wish done for me. I want everyone to have a good opinion of me. Therefore I will never admit into my mind a suspicion or judgment which could mean disesteem or contempt for my neighbor. I want everyone to be kind and agreeable with me.
I, too, will be that way with everyone and will endeavor not to say or do anything that can cause my neighbor unhappiness or bitterness. I want everyone to patiently bear with my defects and weaknesses, and I desire that no one speak ill of me. I will do this, too; I will pleasantly bear with the faults of others. I will never talk about another's defects¹... I want others to do me favors according to charity; I will do the same for them.
O Jesus, Who art True Love in its Essence, grant me so much grace that henceforth I may love Thee as Thou hast loved me...
Now pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary and the Concluding Prayers as on page xi.
Footnote
¹Note — Unless this law of God requests it for the common good.
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre