Page:PassionDeathOfJesusChristV5.djvu/38

 you and  your  family  had  been  slaves,  and  some  one  came to rescue  you  alone,  how  would  you  not  entreat  of  him to save  your  parents  and  brothers  together  with  yourself! And how  much  would  you  thank  him  if  he  did this to  please  you! Say, therefore,  to  Jesus:

O my sweetest  Redeemer! Thou hast  done  this  for me without  my  having  asked  Thee; Thou  hast  not  only saved me  from  death  at  the  price  of  Thy  blood,  but  also my parents  and  friends,  so  that  I may  have  a good  hope that we  may  all  together  enjoy  Thy  presence  forever  in paradise. O Lord! I thank Thee,  and  I love  Thee,  and  I hope  to  thank  Thee  for  it,  and  to  love  Thee  forever  in that  blessed  country.

Who could  ever,  says  St.  Laurence  Justinian,  explain the love  which  the  divine  Word  bears  to  each  one  of  us, since it  surpasses  the  love  of  every  son  towards  his mother, and  of  every  mother  for  her  son? “The intense charity of  the  Word  of  God  surpasses  all  maternal  and filial love; neither  can  human  words  express  how  great his love  is  to  each  one  of  us!” So  much  so,  that  our  Lord revealed to  St.  Gertrude  that  he  would  be  ready  to  die as many  times  as  there  were  souls  damned,  if  they  were yet capable  of  redemption: “ I would  die  as  many  deaths as there  are  souls  in  hell."

O Jesus, O treasure  more  worthy  of  love  than  all others! why is  it  that  men  love  Thee  so  little? Oh! do Thou make  known  what  Thou  hast  suffered  for  each  of them,  the  love  that  Thou  bearest  them,  the  desire  Thou hast to  be  loved  by  them,  and  how  worthy  Thou  art  of