Meditation On Thursday Have In Mind The Loving Kindness Of Christ
Madonna with Blessing Child
1475-80
First of all, beare in thy mind the marvelous love of Christ, that caused Him to rest in old Simeon his arms, and so to be presented in the Church, desire Him that he will take rest in the arm of thy soul, and giving thee delectation of heart, bestow upon thee such a kind of benignity, that thou ,mayst live among men, after a friendly and loving sort.
Secondly, remember that love of His which He shewed when He knelled on the ground, and did not only wash and wipe, but also kiss the very feet of His poor disciples, and also of the traitor Judas. By the which love, He also gave Himself in the Sacrament of the Altar to be a perpetual remembrance of His Passion to His Apostles and to us all, and a memory of His infinite love towards us: by which his graciousness he also comforted His said Apostles at His last supper, when they were stricken into great sadness, for His departure hence and His passion.
Endeavor thou also to show thy self courteous and gentle to all men, notwithstanding they be hard hearted and not so loving to thee again.
Thirdly, consider how willingly He took on Him the heavy burden of our sins and most benignly carried the weighty Cross that pressed him down to the earth, and how friendly he turned to the women, and spake unto them saying, ye daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but lament for yourselves. For this cause without all grudge take upon cheerfully and merely the yoke of our Lord and Saviour . And never find fault that a greater burden is laid on thy neck them thou hast deserved or art able to beare.
Furthermore, if any man require thy help, show thy self courteous and nothing churlish or wayward therein, neither be thou desirous that any man should pity thy case, yet oughtest thou to show pity , and help all other, so far as it lyeth in thee.
Fourthly, have in memory how gently He used Himself to those cruel tormentors, when at such time as he should be nailed on the cross they in most cruel sort put odd His clothes, that cleaved fast into His wounds.
In like sort show thou courtesy to all those that tell thee of thy faults and imperfections: and tarry not so long till very extremity or some one or other enforce thee to reveal them: but presently as soon as thou perceives, what fault another would reprove in thee, seek by all means to redress the same.
Fifthly, call to mind how gently thy Saviour (when they butcherly hurled Him on the Cross) stretched forth His arms which they afterward nailed on the Cross, with huge great nails, and how mildly He looked on those that put Him to so vile and cruel a death.
For this cause see thou give a friendly and amiable countenance to those which are thy greatest enemies: and with a cheerful heart take at our Lords hands, what miseries soever happen unto thee: And to conclude, willingly and cheerfully, let all thy might and power tend to the honor of God, and the commodity of thy brethren.
When those Meditations be ended use this Prayer
O Lord Jesu Christ our most gracious God, who at all times used marvelous love towards thy servants, as when thou being but an infant wast carried in the arms of Simeon, when thou bare the heavy Cross, and turning toward the women comforted them, at what time thy clothes were put ff, and at the time that thy hands were in most cruel manner bored through. I beseech thee to give me also such a loving mildness, that I behave myself to all men as I ought to do, that I unfeignedly show a loving and gentle heart to them, with bearing as a good will to those that are my enemies,a as others that are my friends: and yet show sincere love to all men. Who livest and reignest God, with the Father, and the holy Ghost, blessed for evermore. Amen.
Endeavor thou also to show thy self courteous and gentle to all men, notwithstanding they be hard hearted and not so loving to thee again.
Thirdly, consider how willingly He took on Him the heavy burden of our sins and most benignly carried the weighty Cross that pressed him down to the earth, and how friendly he turned to the women, and spake unto them saying, ye daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but lament for yourselves. For this cause without all grudge take upon cheerfully and merely the yoke of our Lord and Saviour . And never find fault that a greater burden is laid on thy neck them thou hast deserved or art able to beare.
Furthermore, if any man require thy help, show thy self courteous and nothing churlish or wayward therein, neither be thou desirous that any man should pity thy case, yet oughtest thou to show pity , and help all other, so far as it lyeth in thee.
Fourthly, have in memory how gently He used Himself to those cruel tormentors, when at such time as he should be nailed on the cross they in most cruel sort put odd His clothes, that cleaved fast into His wounds.
In like sort show thou courtesy to all those that tell thee of thy faults and imperfections: and tarry not so long till very extremity or some one or other enforce thee to reveal them: but presently as soon as thou perceives, what fault another would reprove in thee, seek by all means to redress the same.
Fifthly, call to mind how gently thy Saviour (when they butcherly hurled Him on the Cross) stretched forth His arms which they afterward nailed on the Cross, with huge great nails, and how mildly He looked on those that put Him to so vile and cruel a death.
For this cause see thou give a friendly and amiable countenance to those which are thy greatest enemies: and with a cheerful heart take at our Lords hands, what miseries soever happen unto thee: And to conclude, willingly and cheerfully, let all thy might and power tend to the honor of God, and the commodity of thy brethren.
When those Meditations be ended use this Prayer
O Lord Jesu Christ our most gracious God, who at all times used marvelous love towards thy servants, as when thou being but an infant wast carried in the arms of Simeon, when thou bare the heavy Cross, and turning toward the women comforted them, at what time thy clothes were put ff, and at the time that thy hands were in most cruel manner bored through. I beseech thee to give me also such a loving mildness, that I behave myself to all men as I ought to do, that I unfeignedly show a loving and gentle heart to them, with bearing as a good will to those that are my enemies,a as others that are my friends: and yet show sincere love to all men. Who livest and reignest God, with the Father, and the holy Ghost, blessed for evermore. Amen.
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