Continuation of The Magnificat

 
MEDITATION FOR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18

“He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away” (Luke I, 53).

First Prelude: In spirit, remain with your holy Mother in the house of Zachary, and hear the continuation of her canticle.

Second Prelude: O holy Virgin, obtain for me a great desire for heavenly goods and grace to be generously satiated with them.

FIRST POINT

“HE HATH FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS”

With what a holy eagerness did the soul of Mary long for the advent of the Saviour, and how richly was she, in turn, replenished with every good! In His infinite goodness God will satiate all who ardently long for His graces. This is manifest in the lives of the saints. They hungered and thirsted for an increase of love, of grace, and of all virtues, with a truly fiery ardor, and God, with the utmost liberality, dispensed to them the plenitude of His gifts. Oh, that all souls were gifted with such hunger, so indispensable to perfection! Alas, there are countless lukewarm souls whose desire for perfection is weak and who shirk every exertion. Of these St. Alphonsus said: “They are ever wishing to advance but because they hesitate to apply the proper means they make no progress. Their desire is ineffective and, consequently, they have but little to hope for.”

Oh, that the intensity of our desire may exercise violence over the Heart of our Divine Saviour! We will endeavor to elicit holy desires in our souls, especially when Jesus comes to us in the Sacrament of His Love, for He gladly fills the hungry with good things. What infinite wealth is at our disposal when we receive the author of all grace in Holy Communion! All who approach His holy Tabernacle with intense hunger for this heavenly Bread shall be overwhelmed with graces; those, on the contrary, whose desire is faint shall go away empty.

Why do we not advance in love of God and of neighbor, in humility, patience, and mortification? How do we account for our coldness and indifference when approaching the holy Table? We will heed the words of the Blessed Virgin; “He hath filled the hungry with good things.” If our desire for Jesus were more ardent, it would not be so with us. What will we do in the future?

SECOND POINT

“THE RICH HE HATH SENT EMPTY AWAY”

Who are these rich whom the Lord sends away empty? Are they not primarily those who attach their hearts to temporal things, and seek only the contemptible pleasures of the world? They are, also, the proud, who, puffed up with their imaginary virtues and good qualities, are sufficient unto themselves and have no need of God and His grace. There are not a few even among those consecrated to God in the religious life who still take delight in temporal goods, sensible enjoyments and idle conversations. No spiritual joys can fall to their lot, because they seek consolation not in God but in creatures. They are earthly minded, consequently God must needs send them away empty. Attachment to external, sensible consolations is one of the greatest obstacles to true progress in virtue. It debars love of prayer and spiritual joy. Are not souls thus attached to be pitied? They seek consolation where it is not to be found. They suffer Jesus laden with His graces and heavenly consolations to knock in vain at the door of their heart and refuse Him admittance.

Much more pitiable is the condition of those who in their pride imagine themselves rich enough in virtue. Not seldom their work done with great pains, is as so much dust scattered to the winds. They have not labored for Him; therefore, God cannot reward them, He must send them away empty. To them the words of St. John in the Apocalypse apply; “Thou sayest, ‘I am rich and made wealthy, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable, and poor and blind and naked’ ” (Apoc. 3, 17).

Let us fear being numbered among those who have no share in the treasures of God’s gifts. Let us scrutinize our heart to the very depth, to see whether there is not concealed therein a dangerous tendency or self-complacency, which we dare not even admit to ourselves.

Affections: O holy Virgin, great as thy love of God was thy longing for the heavenly treasures. Therefore, in Thee we see thy promise most wonderfully and gloriously fulfilled. Obtain for us an ardent desire for humility and love, for patience and meekness, that possessing these virtues we may be pleasing to God. Obtain for us great hunger for the Bread of Angels that Jesus may be able to satiate us with His infinite treasures. How gloriously does thy canticle continuously resound in the Church through all the centuries! Let us share thy ardent devotion, O Mary, when we pronounce thy inspired words to praise and thank God for His benefits.

Resolution: I will often excite in my heart a longing for the grace and love of God.

Spiritual Bouquet: “He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich He hath sent empty away.”

Prayer: O Jesus living in Mary . . .