Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/69

 mother. Recommend yourself  earnestly  to  her,  "for/ as  St.  Bernard  says,  "  it  is  the  will  of  Christ  that  we should  have  all  through  Mary."

" I  will  look  towards  the  Lord:  I  will  wait  for  God  my  Saviour."— (Micheas vii.  7.)

I. Consider  what  is  read  in  this  day's  gospel:  "Art thou  he,  that  art  to  come,  or  do  we  look  for  another?" (Matt. xi.  3.)  Christ  was  the  expected  of  all  nations:  as it  is  said  in  Genesis,  "  he  shall  be  the  expectation  of  nations" (Gen.  xlix.  10),  and  by  the  prophet  Aggeus,  "  the desired  of  all  nations  shall  come." (Agg. ii.  8.)  Christ with good  reason  was  the  expectation  of  the  Gentiles, for He  came  to  enlighten  those  that  sat  in  darkness  and in the  shadow  of  death;  He  came  to  give  sight  to  the blind, hearing  to  the  deaf,  and  the  use  of  their  limbs  to the  lame;  He  came,  in  fine,  to  bring  salvation  to  all. " He shall  save  His  people  from  their  sins." (Matt. i.  21.)

II. This Messias,  this  expectation  of  the  Gentiles,  will visit you  to-day  in  the  Eucharist,  to  free  you  from  your iniquities, to  cure  your  infirmities,  to  bestow  on  you  the gifts of  His  grace,  in  a  wTord,  to  save  you. O, what  a benefit  is  this! " Behold  God  is  my  Saviour,"  says  Isaias, "I will  deal  confidently  and  will  not  fear." (Is. xii.  2.) Do you  also  act  confidently  with  Him  and  surrender yourself entirely  to  His  holy  will.

III. In order  to  prepare  for  His  coming,  you  must  exercise yourself  beforehand  in  fervent  desires  and  longing sighs for  Him. He is  hence  called  "  the  expectation  of nations  and  the  desire  of  the  everlasting  hills  (Gen xlix.  10.  26),  that  is,  of  the  holy  Patriarchs  and  Proph-