MEDITATIO

On the solid rock of faith in you, strengthen my resolve and strengthen, Lord, wisdom, since in you, Most Good, I have a refuge and a fortress. Grant me to return now from my error on the right path, and extend your hand to me, blessed Precursor, to me continually tossed on the ocean of evils. I live in carelessness, and the ax is near: grant me, by your entreaties, to rise up again, Praiseworthy Precursor, that I may not be, like a tree without fruit, sent to the unquenchable fire. The terrible Day is at the gates, and I am laden with overwhelming burdens: remove this weight from me, you who baptized the Lord, by your most pure supplications. Mother of God, you have shown yourself the throne of God, on which he sat in the flesh to raise from the original fall the men who celebrate you with words of thanksgiving. I have heard, O Lord, what you have spoken, and I have feared; I have considered your works, and I have been amazed: glory to your power, O Lord! Heal, I beg you, O Precursor, my heart wounded by the attacks of the bandits, with the energetic remedy of your divine intercession. Cast down, O Precursor, the sin still alive in my soul, and give me now to straighten myself, while I slide towards pleasures. Show yourself a port for us, tossed as we are on the ocean of life, and change into tranquility, oh thrice Blessed, all the agitation of the waves. Do not judge me, I beg you, Lord, according to my works, but be lenient towards me, she who gave birth to you begs you with the Baptist

Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team

Brethren, you know who it is who is coming, now consider whence he comes and where he is going. He comes from the Father’s heart into the womb of the Virgin Mary. He comes from the heights of heaven into the lowest regions of the earth. What, then? Don’t we have to live on this earth? Yes indeed, provided he is dwelling there himself, for where will we be at ease without him? “Whom else have I in heaven but you, what can I desire on earth if not you, God of my heart and my portion forever?” (Ps 73[72],25-26). Some great benefit must have been at stake for so high a majesty to condescend to come down from so far away into a resting place so unworthy of it. Indeed there was a great benefit at stake in that mercy, goodness and charity were revealed there in great and abundant measure. For why did Jesus Christ come?… His words and deeds show us clearly. He came with great speed from the mountains to search for the hundredth sheep who was lost, to make his mercy towards the children of men shine forth. He came for us. O wonderful condescension of the God who seeks! O wonderful dignity of the man thus sought! Recklessly can we take pride in this: not because we are something of ourselves but because he who has done it has valued us at so great a price! By comparison with this glory, all the riches and glory of the world and all we could possibly aim to achieve are worthless. What is man, O Lord, that you thus raise him up, that you set your heart on him? It was for us to make our way towards Jesus Christ… Yet a double obstacle stood in our way: our eyes were so feeble and God dwells in inaccessible light (1Tm 6,16). Cripples lying on our stretchers, we were unable to reach a dwelling place so high as that of God. That is why our good Savior and sweet physician of our souls came down from on high where he dwells. He softened the brightness of his light for the sake of our eyes’ feebleness.
Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team

«Our God will come openly and will not keep silent» (Ps 50[49],3 Vg). The first coming of Christ the Lord, God’s Son and our God, was in obscurity; the second will be in sight of the whole world. When he came in obscurity no one recognized him but his own servants; when he comes openly he will be known by both good people and bad. When he came in obscurity, it was to be judged; when he comes openly it will be to judge. He was silent at his trial, as the prophet foretold: «He was like a sheep led to the slaughter, like a lamb before his shearers. He did not open his mouth» (Is 53,7). But, «Our God will come openly; our God will come and will not keep silence»… Nowadays, good people and bad enjoy this world’s so-called happiness; good people and bad suffer from what are deemed this world’s misfortunes. Those whose lives are geared to the present rather than the future are impressed by the fact that this world’s blessings and sufferings fall to the lot of good and bad without distinction. If wealth is their ambition, they see it being enjoyed not only by decent folk, but also by people of the worst kind. If they are in dread of poverty and all the other miseries of this world, they also see that the good and the bad both suffer from them. Therefore they say to themselves, “God does not see» (Ps 94[93],7); he does not care about human affairs, he exercises no control over them. On the contrary; he has sent us into the abyss of this world, and simply abandoned us to its sufferings. He shows no sign of his providence. Consequently, seeing no evidence of anyone being called to account, such people hold God’s commands in derision… If God always gave sentence here and now, there would be nothing reserved for the Day of Judgment. That is why much is kept for that day. But in order to put the fear of God into those whose cases are deferred, and so convert them, some judgments are made here and now. For it is clear that God takes no pleasure in condemning. His desire is to save, and he bears patiently with evil people in order to make them good.

Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team