Friday, December 22 : Blessed Jan van Ruusbroec

The first of sign of love teaches us that Christ gave his flesh to be our soul’s food and his blood to be our soul’s drink. Such a marvel of love had never been heard of in previous times. Now it is the nature of love always to give and to take, to love and to be loved; these two aspects are found in everyone who loves. Christ’s love is both avid and generous. He gives us all that he has and all that he is, he also takes from us all that we have and all that we are… His hunger is incomparably great… The more willingly we grant it, the more does he savor us. No matter how much of us he consumes, he cannot be satisfied, for he… has an unquenchable appetite. Even though we are poor, that does not matter to him, for he does not wish to leave us. First of all, he prepares his food by burning all our sins and transgressions. Then, when we have been purified and roasted in the fire of love, he opens his mouth wide… for by consuming our sinful life he wishes to transform it into his own life, which is full of the grace and glory which he keeps always ready for us if only we are willing to deny ourselves and renounce our sinful ways (cf. Mt 16,24)… Although these words of mine sound strange, those who love know what I mean… He gives us himself in return, together with a spiritual hunger and thirst which make us want to savor him eternally. To satisfy our spiritual hunger and heartfelt affection, he gives us his body as our food, and when we eat and consume it with fervent devotion, his glorious, warm blood flows from his body into our human nature and into all our veins. In this way we become inflamed with love and heartfelt affection for him, and our body and soul become thoroughly flooded with longing and spiritual savor. He thus gives us his life full of wisdom, truth, and instruction, so that we might follow him in all the virtues. He then lives in us and we in him.
maronite readings – rosary,team