Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/403

 and join  together  the  active  and  the  contemplative  life, as He  did. " Let  nothing,"  says  Ecclesiasticus,  "  hinder thee  from  praying  always." (Ecclus. xviii.  22.)

" The  Lord  shall  bind  up  the  wounds  of  His  people,  and  shall  heal the  stroke  of  the  wound." (Is. xxx.  26.)

I. We  read  in  the  gospel  of  to-day,  that  a  traveller  fell among thieves;  that  they  wounded  him  and  left  him  half dead; and  that  a  Samaritan  passed  by  and  bound  up  his wounds. (Luke x.  30.)  By  this  man  our  first  parent Adam is  represented;  the  thieves  are  the  infernal  spirits, who, by  inducing  him  to  commit  original  sin,  despoiled him, and  in  him  all  mankind,  of  all  grace  and  other  free gifts, and  wounded  him,  as  divines  teach,  in  all  his  natural faculties. The four  wounds  of  our  nature  are,  according to  St.  Thomas,  ignorance  in  the  understanding, perversity in  the  will,  weakness  in  the  irascible  power, and unlawful  concupiscence  in  the  concupiscible  power. Such is  the  condition  of  all  the  descendants  of  Adam.

II. This pious  Samaritan  will  visit  you  to-day  in  the Holy Eucharist,  to  bind  up  your  wounds  and  to  heal you. He will  pour  into  them  "  wine  springing  forth  virgins," (Zac.  ix.  17)  and  the  oil  of  His  mercy  with  which He comforts  sinners. He will  apply  His  own  precious flesh to  your  wounds,  and  unless  you  impose  an  impediment, He  will  enlighten  your  understanding,  as  the  eyes of Jonathan  were  enlightened,  (1  Kings  xiv.  27)  with  the honey which  he  took. He will  rectify  your  will,  as  the