Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

127

TUESDAYS IN EPIPHANY.

"That at the Name of JESUs every knee should bow."-Philip. ii. 10.

It is an ancient law and custom of the Church, that all the faithful testify their veneration for the Holy Name of JESUS, by bowing their head whenever they pronounce or hear it. And every grateful lover and adorer of our Crucified Redeemer must be distressed to hear or see that Name treated with indifference or spoken of irreverently. And the reason of our devotion to this Name is not because we call upon JESUS alone. We do not separate Him from the FATHER and the HOLY GHOST. But the Divine Nature of the Blessed TRINITY being one, whatever honour is paid to One Person is paid to all Three. Thus the whole TRINITY is glorified by adoration to the Name of JESUS. But inasmuch as the SON became man for us, and is the Mediator between GOD and man, it is by His Humanity that we pray to GOD, and the Name of JESUS pleases GOD and deserves His love.

Whenever we religiously pronounce this Name, and call JESUS to mind by it, we re

present to ourselves the humblest, the tenderest, the meekest, the most spotless, holy, and perfect of men; a Divine Man endowed with all sanctity, all grace, and all virtues. But at the same time we represent to ourselves also This Man as the Almighty GoD, Who while He sets before us, on one side, the example of His holy life to imitate, gives us, on the other, light, strength, and grace to conform ourselves to it. And hence we can never repeat the holy Name without feelings of love and adoration, and the earnest desire to resemble Him, Who is the Holy of Holies, and the pattern Man.

And if we have Him thus before our eyes, we shall cheerfully embrace all trials for His sake. His Name will be a tower of strength into which we shall run and be safe. And they that know His Name will trust in Him.

O JESU, my LORD and my GOD, I am Thy servant. Own Thou me, O JESU, my

King.

O JESU, Who shalt come to judge the quick and the dead; enter not into judgment with Thy servant.

O GOD, Who hast made the most sweet Name of JESUS a source of joy to Thy faithful people, and a cause of terror to evil spirits; grant that we who venerate this Holy Name, may in this life obtain comfort,

and in the life to come everlasting happiness; through the Same Thy SON our LORD JESUS CHRIST, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the HOLY GHOST, ever one GOD, world without end. Amen.

Our FATHER, &c.

PSALM CVI. 1. Confitemini Domino.

O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is gracious and His mercy endureth for ever. Who can express the noble acts of the LORD or shew forth all His praise?

Blessed are they that alway keep judgment and do righteousness.

Glory be to the FATHER, &c.
As it was in the beginning, &c.

WEDNESDAYS IN EPIPHANY.

"Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the LORD JESUS."-Col. iii. 17.

What Christian but acknowledges that JESUS is his SAVIOUR, his King, his GOD, his Spouse, his Advocate? What believer

K

but desires to unite himself to JESUS under all these characters, to consecrate himself to His service, and to depend upon His aid? But to realise all this, JESUS should be in our heart and in our mouth. He should be the beginning, the midst, and the end of all our undertakings. We should put Him as a seal upon our heart, and as a signet upon our arm, and engrave His Name in characters of love upon all our affections. And oh that I could thus bring JESUS into all my actions. "O Divine JESUS!" cries out a devout servant of GOD, "whatever I do shall be done under Thy patronage, and in Thy Name: if I watch, JESUS shall be before my eyes: if I sleep, I will close my eyes breathing His pure love if I walk, it shall be in the sweet company of JESUS: if I sit, JESUS shall be at my side: if I study, JESUS shall be my Master: if I write, JESUS shall guide my hand and pen; it shall be my highest pleasure to write His holy Name: if I pray, JESUS shall form and animate my prayers: if I am fatigued, JESUS shall be my rest: if I am sick, JESUS shall be my Physician: if I die, it is in the bosom of JESUS, Who is my life, that I hope to die. JESUS shall be my tomb, and His Name and Cross my epitaph."

My soul, take a lesson from this holy

man, and love JESUS as he loved Him. Then thou shalt have no tediousness in His service, no weariness in thy well-doing, no bitterness in thy conversation. If thou art in sorrow, this Name will be thy comfort. If thou art in dulness, this Name will scatter all clouds, and be a light to thee. It will be honey in thy mouth, music in thy ear, joy in thy heart. It will mark thee for election in the sight of holy angels, and thou shalt wear this Name on thy forehead in glory, as the new name given thee by JESUS.

O CHRIST JESU, in union with that love whereby Thou didst finish the work of our redemption, I offer to Thee all my works and actions, to the greater glory of Thy Name, and my neighbour's salvation and my own.

O good JESU, SON of the Virgin Mary, full of love and mercy; I implore Thee, by that precious Blood which it was Thy will to shed for sinners, wash away my sins, and look Thou upon me in my misery and unworthiness, while I humbly beg forgiveness in this holy Name of JESUS.

O Name of JESUS, precious and instrengthening Name. For what is JESUS, but SAVIOUR? Wherefore, O JESUS, for Thy holy Name's sake, be JESUS to me and

save me.

« EdellinenJatka »