Those of you who have read this blog know that I have in hundreds of posts, tried to unpack Garrigou-Lagrange's book on the way to perfection.
This great Dominican is also known for his excellent commentary on the Summa. I do not know if I shall have time to cover his examination on this blog in the near future, but I do want to highlight today the commentary of St. Thomas Aquinas on the Passion of Christ.
I am quoting a selection here and will unpack this a bit, as we are going into a new era of persecution. Those Catholics in the past, who endured suffering, isolation, marginalization, exile and even death, came to understand the Passion of Christ in their own minds, spirits and bodies.
Unless we can join with Christ in His Passion, we shall not be able to withstand the winds of hatred which have begun to blow across the entire world.
I shall put the sections I want to highlight in boldface type. From this site--http://www.thesumma.info/saviour/saviour59.php
Third Article: Whether There Was Any More Suitable Way Of Delivering The Human Race Than By Christ's Passion
Reply. The answer is that there was no other way more suitable; (1) because by Christ's passion man knows how much God loves him and is thereby incited to love Him in return;[1769] (2) because thereby Christ gave us an example of obedience, humility, constancy, justice, and the other virtues;[1770] (3) because Christ by His passion not only delivered man from sin, but also merited grace and glory for him; (4) because thereby man is all the more bound to refrain from sin;[1771] (5) because in this way, it was in Christ that as man by dying, He conquered the devil and vanquished death.[1772]Suitable is a wonderful word for the acceptance of suffering which Christ endured for our sake. For something to be suitable, it must be appropriate, for a particular purpose.
The Passion of Christ absolutely fulfills this definition-and only God could have arranged the perfect means of salvation for us.
Look at this passage above-Christ's Passion freed us from sin, merited grace and merited glory. His Passion completely conquered the legions of hell, and, in addition, Christ overcame death. We can look forward to life everlasting because of this Passion.
What has this to do with the times? We are all heading for a new Passion of the Church. We shall be part of this, and, indeed, some are already experiencing this Passion.
We have been warned for over 100 years of this coming time of trial. We should be surprised or taken unaware.
Christ prepared for His Passion, and if we are to face the suitable passion which God will allow us to experience, we must prepare.
To be continued....on Saturday