Thoughts from St. Alphonsus De Ligouri from The Meditations on the Passion of Our Lord:
St. Leo tells us that he who looks with confidence on Jesus dead on the Cross is healed of the wounds inflicted by his
sins: "Those who with faith look on Jesus dead on the Cross are healed from the wounds of sin." This is why every
Christian should constantly keep before his eyes Jesus crucified, and say with St. Paul: I judged not myself to know anything among you, but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. (1 Cor. ii. 2.) From which words it is clear that the Apostle did
not desire any other knowledge in this world than that of knowing how to love Jesus crucified.
My beloved Saviour, to obtain for me a good death Thou hast chosen one so full of suffering and desolation! I cast
myself unreservedly into the arms of Thy mercy. Thou hast called me to penance, and, I hope, hast pardoned me; but if,
through my own fault, Thou hast not yet pardoned. ah! pardon me now. I repent, O my Jesus! of having ever turned my
back upon Thee, and of having driven Thee out of my soul. Give me Thy grace; but this is not enough, give me as well
strength to love Thee with my whole soul during the remainder of my life; and when I come to die, grant me the grace to
expire burning with love for Thee, and saying: My Jesus, I love Thee, I love Thee, in order to continue to love Thee for all
eternity. From this moment I unite my death to Thy holy death, through which I hope to be saved: In Thee, O Lord, have I
hoped; let me never be confounded. (Psalm xxx. 2.) O great Mother of God! thou art, after Jesus, my hope. In thee, O
Lady, have I hoped; I shall not be confounded for ever
St. Paul, speaking of the love which the Eternal Father bore us, when He saw us dead through sin and willed to restore
us to life by sending His own Son to die for us, calls this too great a love: But God (who is rich in mercy), for His
exceeding charity wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together in Christ. (Eph. ii.
4. 5.) In like manner we ought to call the love wherewith Jesus willed to die for us too great a love. Hence, the same
Apostle writes: We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews indeed a stumbling- block, and unto the Gentiles foolishness. (1
Cor. i. 23.) The death of Jesus on the Cross, according to St. Paul, appeared a stumbling- block to the Jews, because they
expected Him to appear on earth full of worldly majesty, and not as one condemned to die as a criminal on the Cross. On
the other hand, it seemed to the Gentiles folly that God should be willing to die, and such a death, for His creatures.
Hence, St. Laurence Justinian has daringly explained: " We have seen wisdom itself infatuated through excessive love! "
And in truth, does it not seem folly that God who is Almighty and infinitely happy in Himself should be willing of His
own accord to be scourged, treated as a mock king, buffeted, spat upon in the face, condemned as a malefactor, abandoned
by all and left to die on a Cross of shame to save miserable worms He Himself had created? Considering these things, the
enamoured St. Francis, as he went through the country, wept and exclaimed, " Love is not loved! Love is not loved! "
Hence St. Bonaventure said that he who wishes to persevere in loving Jesus Christ should ever represent to himself his
divine Lord hanging on the Cross and dying for him: "Let him ever have before the eyes of his heart Christ dying on the
Cross."
