May, month of Mary: meditation on day twenty six
DEATH OF JESUS
26 DAY
Holy Mary.
Invocation. - Mary, Mother of mercy, pray for us!
Fifth pain:
DEATH OF JESUS
Painful feelings are felt to witness the death of someone, even a stranger. And what does a mother feel when she is at the bed of her dying son? He would like to be able to alleviate all the pains of agony and would give his life to provide comfort to the dying son.
We contemplate the Madonna at the foot of the Cross, where Jesus was in agony! The pitiful Mother had witnessed the barbaric crucifixion scene; he had targeted the soldiers who took the robe off of Jesus; he had seen the jar of gall and myrrh approaching his lips; he had seen the nails penetrate the hands and feet of his beloved; and here she is now at the foot of the Cross and witness the last hours of agony!
An innocent son, who agonizes in a sea of torments ... the nearby Mother and is forbidden to give him the least relief. The terrible burning made Jesus say: I am thirsty! - Anyone running to find a sip of water for a dying person; Our Lady was forbidden to do this. San Vincenzo Ferreri commented: Maria could have said: I have nothing to give you but tears! -
Our Lady of Sorrows kept her gaze fixed on the Son hanging from the Cross and followed her movements. See the pierced and bleeding hands, contemplate those feet of the Son of God widely wounded, observe the tiredness of the limbs,
without being able to help him. Oh what a sword to the Heart of Our Lady! And in so much pain she was forced to hear the ridicule and blasphemies that soldiers and Jews threw at the Crucifix. O woman, great is your pain! The sword that pierces your Heart is very acute!
Jesus suffered beyond belief; the presence of his Mother, so immersed in pain, increased the pain of her delicate Heart. The end is approaching. Jesus exclaimed: Everything is done! A tremor pervaded his body, lowered his head and expired.
Maria noticed it; she did not say a word, but dismayed to the extreme, united her holocaust with that of the Son.
Let us consider pitiful souls the reason for the sufferings of Jesus and Mary: Divine Justice, outraged by sin, to be repaired.
Only sin was the cause of so many pains. O sinners, who so easily commit grave guilt, remember the evil you do by trampling on the law of God! That hatred that you have in your heart, those bad satisfactions that you grant to the body, those serious injustices that you do to your neighbor ... they return to crucify in your soul the Son of God and pass, as a sword, the Immaculate Heart of Mary!
How can you, sinful soul, after having committed a mortal sin, remain indifferent and joke and rest as if you had done nothing? ... Cry your sins at the foot of the Cross; beg the Virgin to wash away your impurities with her tears. Promise, if Satan comes to tempt you, to bring to mind the torment of Our Lady on Calvary. When passions would like to drag you to evil, think: If I give in to temptation, I am unworthy son of Mary and make all her pains unnecessary for me! .. Death, but not sins! -
EXAMPLE
Father Roviglione of the Society of Jesus narrates that a young man had contracted the good habit of visiting an image of Mary of Sorrows every day. He did not content himself with praying, but contemplated with compunction the Virgin, depicted with seven swords in the Heart.
It happened that one night, not resisting the assaults of passion, he fell into mortal sin. He realized he had hurt and promised himself to go later to confession.
The following morning, as usual, he went to visit the image of Our Lady of Sorrows. To his surprise he saw that eight swords were stuck in the Madonna's breast.
- How come, he thought, this news? Until yesterday there were seven swords. - Then she heard a voice, which certainly came from Our Lady: The grave sin you committed tonight has added a new sword to this Mother's Heart. -
The young man was moved, understood his miserable state and without putting time in between he went to confession. By intercession
of the Virgin of Sorrows regained the friendship of God.
Foil. - To often ask God for forgiveness of sins, especially the most serious.
Ejaculation. - O Virgin of Sorrows, offer my sins to Jesus, whom I detest heartily!