Advent Meditation~By St. Alphonsus de Liguori (December 6)

[Dawn Marie]

THE MYSTERIES OF THE FAITH

THE INCARNATION

Discourse by Saint Alphonsus de Liguori

December 6, 2014

 

Discourse 7

 

And for love of Jesus Christ, we ought to love our neighbors, even those who have offended us.  The Messiah is called by Isaiah, Father of the world to come. Now, in order to be the sons of this Father, Jesus admonishes us that we must love our enemies, and do good to those who injure us:  “Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, . . .  that you may be the children of your Father who is in Heaven.”  And of this He Himself set us the example of the Cross, praying His Eternal Father to forgive those who were crucifying Him.

 

“He who pardons his enemy,” says St. John Chrysostom, “cannot but obtain God’s pardon for himself;” and we have the divine assurance of it: “Forgive and you shall be forgiven.”

There was a certain religious, who otherwise had not led a very exemplary life, at the hour of death bewailed his sins, not without great confidence and joy, because, said he, “I have never avenged an injury done me;” as much as to say: It is true that I have offended the Lord, but He has engaged to pardon him who pardons his enemies; I have pardoned all who offended me, so then I am confident God will likewise pardon me.

 

But to speak with reference to all persons in general; how can we, sinners as we are, despair of pardon, when we think of Jesus Christ? For this very object the Eternal Word humbled Himself so far as to take human flesh that we might procure our pardon form God: I am come, not to call the just, but sinners.”  Hence we may address him in the words of St. Bernard: “Where Thou didst empty Thyself, there Thy mercy, there Thy charity, shone forth the more.”  And St. Thomas of Villanova gives us an excellent encouragement, saying:  “What art thou afraid of, O poor sinner? How shall He condemn thee if thou be penitent, who died expressly that thou mightiest not be condemned? How shall He reject thee, if thou desirest to retain him who came down from Heaven to seek thee?”

 

Let not, then, the sinner be afraid, provided he will be no more a sinner, but will love Jesus Christ: let him not be dismayed, but have a full trust; if he abhor sin, and seek after God, let him not be sad, but full of joy:  “Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.”  The Lord has sworn to forget all injuries done to Him, if the sinner is sorry for them:  “If the wicked do penance . . . I will not remember all his iniquities.”  And that we might have every motive for confidence, our Saviour became an infant:  “Who is afraid to approach a child? asks the same St. Thomas of Villanova.

 

“Children do not inspire terror or aversion, but attachment and love,” says St. Peter Chrysologus. It seems that children know not how to be angry; and if perchance at odd times they should be irritated, they are easily soothed; one has only to give them a fruit, a flower, or bestow on them a caress, or utter a kind word to them, and they have already forgiven and forgotten every offence.

 

A tear of repentance, one act of heart-felt contrition, is enough to appease the Infant Jesus.  “You know the tempers of children,” pursues St. Thomas of Villanova;  “a single tear pacifies them, the offence is forgotten. Approach, then, to Him while He is a little one, while He would seem to have forgotten His majesty.” He has put off His divine majesty, and appears a child to inspire us with more courage to approach His feet.

[bernadette szczepkowski]

Amen+