Second Meditation Of Our Savior's Passion ~ Lucy Herbert

GADDI, Agnolo 

The Last Supper (detail) 

c. 1395

Meditation II

The time our Savior chose to prepare this delightful banquet was the night before his passion, when the greatest pains and sufferings in the world were preparing for him, when men were contriving his crucifixion and death; then he thought of bestowing himself entirely upon them with his Divinity, and all the treasures of his power, wisdom, and goodness; his love for us could not bear a long absence, and therefore he invented this admirable way of remaining with us, that to him we might fly for refuge, invoke him in our necessities, and speak to him face to face, when we are in distress; that his presence might stir up our devotion, increase our reverence, strengthen our hope, and inflame our love. What thanks do we owe to our dear Savior for all this? all we can say, or do for love of him, comes infinitely short of our debt: let us invite the Angels to bless, praise, and magnify his Divine Majesty for us and let us beg of his infinite goodness, through the bowels of his mercy and love, that when he shall enter our hearts, he will be pleased to unite them to himself, so that they may never more be separated from him.

Lucy Herbert