The Love Of Souls Or Reflections And Affections On The Passion Of Jesus Christ

FRUITS OF MEDITATION ON THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST. 1. The Lover of souls, our most loving Redeemer, declared that He had no other motive in coming down upon earth to become man, than to enkindle in the hearts of men the fire of His holy love: “I am come to cast fire on earth; and what will I but that it be kindled” (St. Luke 12:49). And oh, what beautiful flames of love has He not enkindled in so many souls, especially by the pains that He chose to suffer in His death, in order to prove to us the immeasurable love which He still bears to us! Oh, how many souls, happy in the Wounds of Jesus, as in burning furnaces of love, have been so inflamed with His love, that they have not refused to consecrate to Him their goods, their lives and their whole selves, surmounting with great courage all the difficulties which they had to encounter in the observance of the Divine law, for the love of that Lord who, being God, chose to suffer so much for the love of them! This was just the counsel that the Apostle gave us, in order that we might not fail, but make great advances in the way of salvation: “Think diligently upon Him who endureth such opposition from sinners against Himself, that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds” (Heb. 12:3).Another Rare Catholic Classic by St Alphonsus Liguori!

The Clock of the Passion 4 Invocation of Jesus and Mary 6 Fruits of Meditation on the Passion of Jesus Christ 9 Chapter I 18 Chapter II 30 Chapter III 42 Chapter IV 50 Chapter V 59 Chapter VI 73 Chapter VII 83 Chapter VIII 97 Chapter IX 111 Chapter X 119 Chapter XI 127 Chapter XII 140 Chapter XIII 154 Chapter XIV 168 Chapter XV 185 Chapter XVI 195 FRUITS OF MEDITATION ON THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST. 1. The Lover of souls, our most loving Redeemer, declared that He had no other motive in coming down upon earth to become man, than to enkindle in the hearts of men the fire of His holy love: "I am come to cast fire on earth; and what will I but that it be kindled" (St. Luke 12:49). And oh, what beautiful flames of love has He not enkindled in so many souls, especially by the pains that He chose to suffer in His death, in order to prove to us the immeasurable love which He still bears to us! Oh, how many souls, happy in the Wounds of Jesus, as in burning furnaces of love, have been so inflamed with His love, that they have not refused to consecrate to Him their goods, their lives and their whole selves, surmounting with great courage all the difficulties which they had to encounter in the observance of the Divine law, for the love of that Lord who, being God, chose to suffer so much for the love of them! This was just the counsel that the Apostle gave us, in order that we might not fail, but make great advances in the way of salvation: "Think diligently upon Him who endureth such opposition from sinners against Himself, that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds" (Heb. 12:3). 2. Wherefore St. Augustine, all inflamed with love at the sight of Jesus nailed on the Cross, prayed thus sweetly: Imprint, O Lord, Thy Wounds in my heart, that I may read therein suffering and love: suffering, that I may endure for Thee all suffering; love, that I may despise for Thee all love. Write, he said, my most loving Saviour, write on my heart Thy Wounds, in order that I may always therein behold Thy sufferings and Thy love. Yes, because, having before my eyes the great sufferings that Thou, my God, didst endure for me, I may bear in silence all the sufferings it may fall to my lot to endure; and at the sight of the love which Thou didst exhibit for me on the Cross, I may never love or be able to love any other than Thee. 3. And from what source did the saints draw courage and strength to suffer torments, martyrdom and death, if not from the sufferings of Jesus crucified? St. Joseph of Leonessa, a Capuchin, on seeing that they were going to bind him with cords for a painful incision that the surgeon was to make in his body, took into his hands his crucifix and said, 'Why these cords? Why these cords? Behold, these are my chains - my Saviour nailed to the Cross for love of me. He through His sufferings constrains me to bear every trial for His sake.' And thus he suffered the amputation without a complaint; looking upon Jesus, who, "as a lamb before his shearers, was dumb and did not open His mouth" (Isaias 53:7). Who, then, can ever complain that he suffers wrongfully, when he considers Jesus, who was "bruised for our sins"? (Is. 53:5.) Who can refuse to obey, on account of some inconvenience, when Jesus "became obedient unto death"? (Phil. 2:8.) Who can refuse ignominies, when they behold Jesus treated as a fool, as a mock king, as a disorderly person; struck, spit upon on His face and suspended upon an infamous gibbet?

Alphonsus Liguori CSsR (1696-1787) was an Italian Catholic bishop and spiritual writer. He founded the order of the Redemptorists, in November 1732. In 1762 he was appointed Bishop of Sant'Agata dei Goti. He was a prolific writer and still much beloved in Italy. In this classic work he writes about the historical events surrounding the passion and the death of Jesus Christ. This work is taken from, "The passion and the death of Jesus Christ, New York: Benziger, [1886], by St. Alfonso Maria de' Liguori (1696-1787) and Eugene Grimm (1835-1891)." Also included is artwork from the events of the passion of Jesus Christ.

In 1914, Luisa writes in a letter to the now Saint, Annibale M. di Francia: “I am finally sending you this handwritten copy of The Hours of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. May it all be for His greater Glory. I have also enclosed a few pages where I describe the effects and the beautiful promises that Jesus makes to everyone who meditates these Hours of the Passion. I believe that if whoever meditates on them is a sinner, he will convert; if he is imperfect, he will become perfect; if he is holy, he will become holier; if he is tempted, he will find victory; if suffering, he will find strength, medicine, and comfort in these Hours; if weak and poor, he will find a spiritual food and a mirror in which to look at himself continually and so become beautiful and similar to Jesus, our model”.

THE whole sanctity and perfection of a soul consists in loving Jesus Christ, our God, our sovereign good, and our Redeemer. Whoever loves me, says Jesus Christ himself, shall be loved by my Eternal Father: My Father loves you because you have loved Me. Some, says St. Francis de Sales, make perfection consist in an austere life; others in prayer; others in frequenting the Sacraments; others in alms-deeds. But they deceive themselves: perfection consists in loving God with our whole heart. The Apostle wrote: Above all things, . . . have love, which is the bond of perfection. It is love which keeps united and preserves all the virtues that render a man perfect. Hence St. Augustine said: “Love God, and do whatever you please;” because a soul that loves God is taught by that same love never to do anything that will displease him, and to leave nothing undone that may please him.