Bishop Challoner's Meditations ~ Thursday, Third Week in Lent

ON THE LOVE THAT CHRIST HAS SHOWN US IN HIS PASSION

Consider first, those words of our Saviour, St. John xxii. 13, 'Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends.' And indeed history scarce furnishes any instances of a friendship so perfect, as that one friend should be willing to lay down his life for another. But, O divine Saviour of our souls, how imperfect is all human friendship compared with thine. What love between man and man could ever bear the least resemblance to that divine charity which burned in thy sacred breast, and which obliged thee to offer up thyself in sacrifice, in the midst of all kinds of ignominies, and the very worst of torments, for thy very enemies; for those very wretches that crucified thee, for us miserable sinners, who were like to make no better return for all thy love, and for all thy sufferings, than sin and ingratitude; and this to such a degree as scarce ever to think of thy sufferings, or thank thee for them; but rather by repeated treasons, to be daily treading under foot thy precious blood. O blessed by all creatures for evermore be this infinite goodness and love of our dearest Redeemer! O my dear Saviour, I beseech thee, by all this love and by all this precious blood which thou hast so lovingly shed for me, that thou wouldst never more suffer me to be thus ungrateful to thee.

Consider 2ndly, what the world would think of a prince, the only son and heir of some great monarch, who should entertain such love and friendship for one of the meanest of his slaves, as to offer himself to die a cruel and ignominious death, to rescue his slave from the just punishment of his crimes. Would not all mankind stand amazed at such an extraordinary love? And much more, if the crime for which this slave was condemned to die, were no less than a treasonable conspiracy against this prince, by whom he was so tenderly beloved. All Christian souls, this is but a faint resemblance, a very imperfect image of that inconceivable and inexpressible love, which our Saviour has shown to us, in laying down his life upon a cross, to rescue us his ungrateful creatures - rebels and traitors to him and his Father - from the eternal torments of hell, which we have a thousand times deserved by our treasons against him. For as there is an infinite distance between the sovereign majesty of God and any of his creatures, how dignified soever; so there is between that love which our God has shown in dying for us worms of the earth and slaves of hell, and that love which would oblige one mortal to die for another. O dear Jesus, never suffer me to forget this love which thou hast shown me! O give me grace to return thee love for love.

Consider 3rdly, how truly sweet our Lord has shown himself to us in his passion, and how rich in mercy. For supposing it was his pleasure to deliver us from sin and hell, he could have brought this about with the same ease with which he created all things out of nothing; only one word, one act of his would have been sufficient; or if he must needs suffer and shed his blood for our redemption, one drop alone of his sacred blood, by reason of the infinite dignity of his divine person, would have been abundantly enough to atone for all the sins of ten thousand worlds. But this infinite love for us, and the desire he had to gain our hearts, and to oblige us to love him, would not be content with this, nor with any thing less than with pouring out the last drop of his most sacred blood by suffering for us the worst of torments, and the worst of deaths. O infinite goodness, how little art thou considered h us here! O how astonishing shalt thou appear to the Saints and Angels for all eternity!

Conclude with astonishment at the ingratitude and insensibility of Christians, who make professions of believing this infinite goodness, mercy, and love, and yet are so little touched with it, or restrained by the consideration of it, from going on, daily crucifying their Lord by their sins. O divine love, let me never be so unhappy! O let me never forget thee! O come and take full possession at least of my soul and let nothing in life or death ever separate me from thee.