The Greatest Sorrow of Jesus
EXTRACT
FROM The
Incarnation, Birth and Infancy
of Jesus, St. Alphonsus Liguori
with
Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur
Quæ
utilitas in sanguine meo, dum descendo in
corruptionem?
"What
profit is
there in My Blood, whilst I go down to
corruption?"-----Ps.
29:10
This sorrow was the bitter chalice which Jesus begged the Eternal Father to remove from Him, saying: Let this chalice pass from Me. [Matt. 26:39] What chalice? The sight of the contempt with which His love was treated. This made Him exclaim again on the Cross: My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? Our Lord revealed to St. Catherine of Sienna, that this was the abandonment of which He complained-----the knowledge, namely, that His Father would have to suffer that His Passion and His love should be despised by so many men for whom He died.
And this same sorrow tormented the Infant Jesus in the womb of Mary, the foresight of such a prodigality of sorrows, of ignominy, of blood-shedding, and of so cruel and ignominious a death, and all to so little purpose. The holy Child saw, even there, what the Apostle says, that many [indeed the greater number] should trample under foot His Blood, and despise His grace, which this Blood would obtain for them: Treading under foot the Son of God, and offering an affront to the Spirit of grace. [Heb. 10:29] But if we have been of the number of these ungrateful men, let us not despair; Jesus, at His birth, came to offer peace to men of good will, as He made the Angels sing: And on earth peace to men of good will. [Luke 2:14] Let us, then, change our will, repent of our sins, and resolve to love this good God, and we shall find peace, that is, the Divine friendship.
Affections
and
Prayers
O my
most amiable Jesus, how much have I too
caused Thee to suffer during Thy lifetime! Thou hast shed Thy blood for
me with so much sorrow and love, and what fruit hast Thou hitherto
drawn
from me but contempt, offenses, and insults? But, my Redeemer, I will
no
longer afflict Thee; I hope that in the future Thy Passion will produce
fruit in me by Thy grace, which I feel is already assisting me. I will
love Thee above every other good; and to please Thee, I am ready to
give
my life a thousand times. Eternal Father, I should not have the
boldness
to appear before Thee to implore either pardon or graces, but Thy Son
has
told me, that whatever grace I ask of Thee in His name Thou wilt grant
it to me:
If ye shall ask
anything of the Father in My name, He will
give it to ye. [John
16:23] I offer Thee, therefore, the merits of
Jesus Christ, and in His name I ask of Thee first a general pardon of
all
my sins; I ask holy perseverance even unto death; I ask of Thee, above
all, the gift of Thy holy love. that it may make me always live
according
to Thy Divine will. As to my own will, I am resolved to choose a
thousand
deaths sooner than offend Thee, and to love Thee with my whole heart,
and
to do everything that I possibly can to please Thee. But in order to do
all this, I beg of Thee, and hope to receive from Thee, grace to
execute
what I purpose. My Mother Mary, if thou wilt pray for me, I am safe.
Oh,
pray for me, pray; aGod wishes me to be.