“In his sermons for Sundays Campadelli relates that a young nobleman addicted to sins of the flesh, was warned by God and by men to amend his life; but he despised all their admonitions. He afterwards fell into a severe illness, confessed his sins, and promised to change his life; but, after his recovery, he returned to the vomit. Behold the vengeance of God! Being one day in a field during the vintage, he took fever, went home, and feeling that the disease was far advanced, he sent in haste for a priest who lived near the house. The priest comes, enters the house, salutes the sick man, but sees a frightful spectacle, the eyes and mouth open, the face black as jet. He calls the sick man, but finds that he is dead. Dearly beloved brethren, take care that you, too, be not miserable examples of the justice of God. Give up sin; but give it up from this moment; for, if you continue to commit sin, the same vengeance which has fallen on so many others shall also fall on you. Let us come to the remedy.

SECOND POINT. THE REMEDY FOR THOSE WHO FIND THEMSELVES IN SIN, AND WISH TO SAVE THEIR SOULS.

Jesus Christ was one day asked, if the number of the elect is small. Lord, are they few that are saved? But he said to them: Strive to enter by the narrow gate, for many, l say to you, shall seek to enter, and they shall not be able.” (Luke 13:23, 24.) He says that many seek to enter heaven, but do not enter; and why? Because they wish to obtain eternal life without inconvenience, and without making strong efforts to abstain from forbidden pleasures. Therefore, he said: ‘strive to enter at the narrow gate.”

Saint Alphonsus de Liguori Collection

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee.

Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Consider how thy Jesus, after three hours’ Agony on the Cross, consumed at length with anguish, abandons Himself to the weight of His body, bows His head, and dies.

O my dying Jesus, I kiss devoutly the Cross on which Thou didst die for love of me. I have merited by my sins to die a miserable death; but Thy death is my hope. Ah, by the merits of Thy death, give me grace to die, embracing Thy feet, and burning with love for Thee. I yield my soul into Thy hands. I love Thee with my whole heart; I repent of ever having offended Thee. Never permit me to offend Thee again. Grant that I may love Thee always; and then do with me what Thou wilt.

Dear Jesus, Thou dost go to die For very love of me: Ah! let me bear Thee company; I wish to die with Thee.

Have mercy on us, O Lord.

Have mercy on us.

The Way of the Cross. Saint Alphonsus De Liguori.

Ah, Lord,
how many nights have I slept in enmity with Thee?
O God!
in what a miserable state was my soul during that time!
it was hated by Thee,
and wished to be hated by Thee.
I was condemned to hell;
there was nothing wanting
but the execution of the sentence.
But Thou, my God,
hast never ceased to seek after me,
and invite me to pardon.
But who can assure me
that Thou hast pardoned me?
Must I, O my Jesus!
live in this uncertainty
till Thou dost judge me?
But the sorrow which I feel
for having offended Thee,
my desire to love Thee,
and still more,
Thy Passion,
O my beloved Redeemer!
make me hope that Thy grace dwells in my soul.
I am sorry for having offended Thee,
O Sovereign Good!
and I love Thee above all things.
I resolve to forfeit everything
rather than lost Thy grace and Thy love.
Thou dost wish that the heart
which seeks Thee should be full of joy.
“Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.”
Lord, I detest all the injuries
I have offered to Thee.
Give me courage and confidence;
do not upbraid me with my ingratitude;
for I myself know and detest it.
Thou hast said that Thou willest not
the death of a sinner,
but that he be converted and live.
Yes, my God,
I leave all things and turn to Thee.
Give me Thy love;
I ask nothing else.
O Mary! thou, after Jesus, art my hope;
obtain for me holy perseverance.

By St. Alphonsus Liguori

“The Way of the Cross’ St Alphonsus Liguori

Jesus falls the first time

My beloved Jesus, it is not the weight of the Cross, but my sins, which have made Thee suffer so much pain. Ah, by the merits of this first fall, deliver me from the misfortune of falling into mortal sin. I love Thee, O my Jesus, with my whole heart; I repent of having offended Thee. Never permit me to separate myself from Thee again. Grant that I may love Thee always; and then do with me what Thou wilt.

Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

My most beloved Jesus, Thy face was beautiful before, but in this journey it has lost all its beauty, and wounds and blood have disfigured it. Alas, my soul also was once beautiful, when it received Thy grace in Baptism; but I have disfigured it since by my sins; Thou alone, my Redeemer, canst restore it to its former beauty. Do this by Thy Passion, O Jesus. I repent of having offended Thee. Never permit me to offend Thee again. Grant that I may love Thee always; and then do with me what Thou wilt.

Jesus falls a second time

My most gentle Jesus, how many times Thou hast pardoned me, and how many times have I fallen again, and begun again to offend Thee! Oh, by the merits of this new fall, give me the necessary help to persevere in Thy grace until death. Grant that in all temptations which assail me I may always commend myself to Thee. I love Thee, Jesus my love; I repent of having offended Thee. Never permit me to offend Thee again. Grant that I may love Thee always; and then do with me what Thou wilt.

Jesus falls a third time

Ah, my outraged Jesus, by the merits of the weakness Thou didst suffer in going to Calvary, give me strength sufficient to conquer all human respect, and all my wicked passions, which have led me to despise Thy friendship. I love Thee, Jesus my love, with my whole heart; I repent of having offended Thee. Never permit me to offend Thee again. Grant that I may love Thee always; and then do with me what Thou wilt.

the saints earnestly recommend…to discover our temptations (through counsel and fellowship), and it is for the same reason that the devil, who desires nothing more than to destroy us, hinders us as much as he can from understanding our temptations….nothing pleases the devil more than to meet with one that will not discover his temptations, for then, since he fights with him hand to hand, he is sure of victory, according to the words of scripture, ‘Woe to him who is alone; because if he comes to fall, there is no one to help him up.’ On the contrary, adds the saint, there is nothing the devil fears so much, and which gives him so much pain, as to see himself discovered, exposed to others. For then he loses all courage and hopes of gaining victory….Saint Ignatius…makes use of the following comparison: he says that when the devil tempts us, he deals with us as a man does who solicits to evil a young woman who has prudent parents, or a married woman who has an honest husband. The first thing the young man does is to hinder the young woman from saying anything to her father or mother, or the wife to her husband, and fears nothing more than to be discovered, because then all hope of effecting his wicked designs are lost; whereas, as long as they keep it secret, he thinks he has still ground to hope. It is thus, continues our holy founder, that when the devil would deceive anyone, the first thing he does is to hinder him from discovering his temptations through counsel, living alone in secret, as long as the temptations are concealed, the devil is sure to overcome and to obtain what he desires…On the contrary, the devil fears being exposed to a superior or confessor, ’whoever does ill hates the light’.   St Alphonsus Rodriguez ‘The Practice of Christian & Religious Perfection’

I posted this in regards to the dinner party last night and recent Hospice work.  Alone, or amongst spiritually unhealthy fellowship, we are abandoned to our own devices, fodder for the manipulative and clever Satan.  Extreme self-righteousness, the desperate need to be right, spiritual fanaticism are some of the ugliness willing to arise.  Subtly, the nuances of pride and brokenness allow us to pull the wool over our own eyes.  In darkness, a life lived in secret, or affirmed within a strangling crowd, trends severely toward delusion, self-deceit and thus a falling away from grace.  Counsel providing accountability does not have to be direct.  I do not have to pour myself out to everyone in order to receive enlightenment regarding faults and proclivities to temptation.  Remaining honest, open, and willing, the Holy Spirit will speak, an awareness for the wiles and ways of evil made apparent.  Words are not necessary for defining.  It is good to entertain myself amongst those seeking the refinement of their Christian life, having fun while staying attuned, unafraid and vulnerable to others while strong and independent in conviction and knowledge of myself.  Expectations held low, I listen to myself and others, allowing the Holy Spirit to speak loudest, all while enjoying life in simplicity and a lack of demand.

St Alphonsus Rodriguez