Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/273



I. We  are  told  in  the  Gospel  of  the  present  Sunday,  that Christ said  to  His  disciples,  "  I  go  to  Him  that  sent  Me, and  it  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go." (John xvi.  5,  7.) Our Lord  went  to  His  eternal  Father  to  plead  for  us,  in the  supreme  consistory  of  heaven,  as  our  patron,  advocate, and  intercessor. "We have  an  advocate  with  the Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  just,"  says  St. John (1  Ep.  ii.  1); and St.  Paul  writes,  "There  is  one  mediator  of  God  and man,  the  man  Christ  Jesus." (1 Tim.  ii.  5.)  It  is,  therefore, truly  expedient  that  He  should  go  to  the  Father to intercede  for  us,  for  we  have  been  guilty  of  many crimes.

II. What an  advantage  it  would  be  to  a  criminal  to have  in  an  earthly  court  the  king's  own  and  only  son  for his advocate,  willing  and  desirous  of  promoting  his  pardon. Such a  one  in  your  regard  is  Jesus  Christ,  "  who hath  loved  us  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  His  own blood." (Apoc. i.  5.)  He  is  infinitely  powerful,  and consequently well  able  to  obtain  for  you  every  favor  and grace of  which  you  stand  in  need,  for  He  says,  "  All things  are  delivered  to  Me  by  My  Father." (Luke x.

III. You ought  to  wish  for  the  happy  hour,  in  which your Advocate  will  enter  your  soul  in  the  holy  Eucharist. Then you  can  unfold  all  your  miseries,  necessities,  and distress, and  induce  him  to  plead  for  your  efficacious redress. Take care,  then,  that  your  soul  be  pure  from sin and  divested  of  every  affection  to  it;  "for  wisdom,"