Albert A. Lings

“ O consolation of my soul, dear Infant Jesus, I beg of Thee to root out of my heart all the sins and vices to which I am so much inclined; spare me not in removing them, even though it may hurt, even though I may be unwilling. Piety, humility, sincerity, modesty, and love are necessary. Then plant these virtues in my soul, and give me grace to practise them.
11. The Bridegroom is coming! I hear this cry, and I am to go forth to meet Him. Am I prepared? Have I oil in my lamp? Bestir yourself then, O my soul: it is not an angel that is coming, or a great prophet. ”

“ Glory, praise, and adoration to the Most High, the one true God, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be for all eternity. Lord God, upon Thee I place all my trust. Save me from every danger, and keep me from every evil. The eyes of all are upon Thee, O Lord, and Thou givest them food; Thou fillest all that there is with Thy benediction. I praise thee, also, O Mary, Mother of God, and thank thee for all that I owe thee. Who is it Whom we adore in the Blessed Sacrament but Jesus, thy Son, Who took flesh and blood from thee! ”

“ My Jesus, when will that moment come, when having followed faithfully the path of crosses and tribulations, I shall hear Thee say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I shall place thee over many. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” Oh, the joy the soul will feel when, on reaching heaven, she shall find herself in the company of the angels and saints; of Mary, her good Mother, and shall recognize all her friends and relatives! What joy will it not be to find one's self safe in port, free from all danger, safe forever in the arms of God! ”

“ Thy voice, O Jesus, alone has the power to console and comfort the heart that loves Thee. They are blind indeed who go in search of consolation and happiness from creatures. Why did I not fly to Thee when I felt the first onset of this world? I turned hither and thither, seeking on all sides for aid and comfort, but I turned not my glance to Thee, Who alone canst rescue the soul from sin. Heart of Jesus, oh, what manner of love is Thine! Forgive my past foolishness, and now that I return again to Thee, give me grace never to leave Thee. Let my soul, like Magdalen, rest at Thy sacred feet. ”

“ God can only be worthy of receiving God; how, then, can a soul so sinful as mine merit so great a happiness! But Thou, O Lord, regardest not Thy greatness, but Thy mercy. Thou willest that I come to Thee, as one sick to a physician who can heal him; as one poor to his rich lord who can assist. O God of love, behold at Thy feet the poorest, the most infirm of Thy creatures. Unite me to Thyself, and I shall become rich and whole in Thy sight. Work, I beseech Thee, this miracle, worthy of Thy omnipotence and charity. ”

“ O Mary, my good Mother, I cast myself into thy arms: obtain for me from thy divine Son the virtues of humility and charity, great purity of heart, of body, and of soul, final perseverance in good, the gift of fervor in prayer, a pious life, and a happy death. Amen.
Thirteenth Day. Mary is present at our visit to Jesus, to receive the gifts that we are about to bring to the Infant at this sacred season, when we celebrate the feast of Epiphany. We are going to offer to Jesus, through Mary, a gift of gold. Gold is the most precious and the most sought after possession in the world. ”

“ Grant that by Thy holy grace, my heart may become a living sacrifice, desiring only to be offered up and to offer up all things for Thy greater glory. Amen.
Seventh Day. The Heart of Jesus My Helper in Trials. How few are there who love God alone for His own sake, and bless Him alike in sorrow and in joy! Why, O my God, do I fear to travel on the royal road of the cross—the only road that Thou hast travelled, and the shortest and surest way to heaven? Do I forget that Thy cross sanctified and redeemed the world, and formed the bliss of Thy elect in heaven? ”

“ Let us take courage, for the more holy and elevated Mary is, the more gentle and affable she shows herself to the sinner. Mary welcomes all mankind without exception; no one leaves her presence with a disconsolate or sorrowful heart. Let our confidence in Mary have no bounds, since we know that her power equals the extent of her mercy. That good Mother herself gave St. Bridget to understand as much when she told her, “I am the Queen of heaven, and the Mother of mercy. There is none on earth to whom I refuse my pity; not one who has not obtained some grace through my intercession.” ”

“ O almighty and everlasting God, Who hast granted Thy servants, in the confession of the true faith, to acknowledge the glory of an eternal Trinity, and in the power of majesty to adore a Unity: we beseech Thee that, by the strength of this faith, we may be defended from all adversity. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the union of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
Let Us Pray.
Preserve us, O Lord, we beseech Thee, from all dangers of body and soul; and by the intercession of the glorious and blessed Mary, ever virgin. ”

“ Yet every stain must be wiped away, every farthing of the debt paid, before the soul can leave the prison of purgatory. We have no time to lose, death may be at our doors. Why not now use the means of avoiding purgatory? Why do we count a suffering in the future which in the present we would be in no way ready to accept, but would employ every effort to escape? How soon must we leave this world never to return! How soon will day and night have no meaning for us! Our bodies, mouldered into dust, will come to life again only at the sound of the last trumpet, and then only for judgment. ”

“ Hail, to Thee, born in the desolate stable of Bethlehem, do we cry, poor children of Eve. To Thee do we sigh and bewail our misery from this valley of tears. Turn then, O incarnate love of God, Thine eyes of mercy upon us, Thou blessed fruit of the womb of the Virgin Mary. As Thou didst show poor humanity unbounded mercy from the manger, so also continue Thy kindness during our life, until after this miserable existence we arrive in the glory of heaven, where we shall meet Thee, to praise and glorify Thee for all eternity. O sweet, O pious, O merciful Infant Jesus! ”

“ He who loves perfectly makes no resistance. My Jesus, take unto Thee my heart; I give myself wholly to Thee. May I ever be scrupulously faithful and unflinchingly constant in loving Thee, this day and every day of my whole life.
Prayer.
O beloved One of my soul, would that I had always loved Thee! Alas, there was a time when I not only did not love Thee, but despised Thy grace and Thy love. I am consoled by the sorrow which I feel for it, and I hope for pardon through Thy promise to forgive him that repents of his sins. To Thee, O my Saviour, do I turn all my affections ”

“ Dear Infant Jesus, Thy love has conquered my heart! I know now that Thou givest Thyself to me as my food, and as a ransom to free me from the slavery of Satan. My servitude to the devil, the flesh, and the world has been hard, but being once liberated from these chains, I hate my former cruel masters, and wish to belong entirely to Thee. There is no joy or happiness in anything in this world, but in Thee, my God, Who callest to me: “Come to Me all you that labor, and are burdened, and I will refresh you. ”

“ Surely if our hearts are human, if there is one fibre of pity or gratitude in our souls, the memory of Thy agony would never be obliterated. By Thy presence on the altar, Thou has made me acknowledge the enormity of my sins. Thou hast compelled me to own that my sins have, as far as they could, reacted every scene in Thy Passion. And yet do I linger under the shadow of Thy tabernacle? Do I weep over the wounds I have made in Thy body? Oh, no, dear Jesus! I have forgotten Thee, and like the Jews, with Thy blood on my hands, I have eaten and made merry. ”

“ The ark of the Lord has arisen, and is journeying with the God that is in her to the place of rest. “How beautiful are thy steps, O thou daughter of the Prince,” now that thou art bringing to the cities of Juda their salvation! The angels escort thee, heaven delights in thee, and earth thrills with joy to bear thus upon itself, its Creator and its Queen. Blessed is the womb of the Virgin Mary, which bore the invisible God; there did He deign to dwell, Whom even thrones cannot hold, and she bore Him as a light weight. Our hearts, O Mary, are with thee. ”

“ The Heart of Jesus at the Hour of Death. The life of man passes away as a shadow. Time passes by as a swift flowing river, bearing on its bosom, onward to the grave, old and young, rich and poor, without any distinction. Oh, how happy is he who has laid up treasures in heaven, who has gathered for himself a hoard of merit before God. Happy, a thousand times happy, is he who in that dread hour can turn to God with all confidence, and feel God present in his heart. O my sweet Jesus, I will cling to the hope that Thou wilt forget all my past iniquities, and remember only Thy love. ”

“ O Key of David and Sceptre of the house of Israel! Who openest and no man shutteth; Who shuttest and no man openeth; come and lead the captive from prison, sitting in darkness, and in the shadow of death. O Gabriel! blest messenger of heaven, thou camest through closed doors, and didst announce the word “Thou shalt conceive and bear a Son, and He shall be called Emmanuel”! O Jesus, Son of David, heir to his throne and his power, Thou art now passing over, on Thy way to Bethlehem, the land that once was the kingdom of Thy ancestors, but now is tributary to the Gentiles. ”

“ His whole aim in life was that He should die on the cross, so now He stretches out His arms to receive that precious burden, the seat of His love, the instrument of His mercy, and the sign of triumph. Dear cross! no longer are you the wood of disgrace on which malefactors are to die; you are now the sign of glory. No longer are you the accursed wood, but the glory of the elect. Cross and altar are now the same thing to us; the altar is our joy and happiness, so also is the cross. The Christian who has no love for the cross is to be pitied. ”

“ O peerless mercy of my Jesus' Heart, how can I ever repay Thee? Heart of my Jesus, I shall endeavor to prove my love for Thee by atoning as far as is in my power for the many insults offered Thee. I shall adore and love Thee to the utmost of my power, I shall visit Thee, hidden as Thou art in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, and delight in holding sweet converse with Thee. Thy side is open wide: for whom, if not for poor sinners? O my sweet Jesus, I can enter therein at will. In Thy Sacred Heart I can find true sorrow, and contrition for all my ingratitude and thanklessness. ”

“ Mary longs for that happy day when her eyes will look upon Him, and yet she fears that moment, too. How will she be able to serve her God in His human life? How will she dare to raise Him up in her arms—the King of nations, and she but a humble Virgin? When she reflects that the hour is approaching in which she is to see the Light of the world, her heart almost fails her, for on the one hand she knows that she bears her God, and on the other she is full of love because she is His Mother. Come, then, speedily we beseech Thee, come and save us! ”

“ Thy rewards are always far greater than our merits. For a very slight service, Thou givest so amply that the greatness and depth of Thy rewards will be equal to their duration. Jesus, light of my life, shine on my poor, wretched soul, and plant in it the precious fruits of hatred of sin, deep contrition, and a firm, lasting resolution of amendment. Make this poor heart of mine gladly embrace and bear all the crosses that Thou mayest send me as aids to the attainment of my only end—that of abiding safe in Thy bright home forever, sweet Jesus, with Thee. ”

“ O Mary, great Mother of Our God, and merciful intercessor for us poor sinners! we throw ourselves humbly at thy feet, and we beg thee by the sacred blood of Thy divine Son, which He has shed for us, and by the prayers of St. Catharine of Bologna, that thou wilt infuse into our hearts the true spirit of devotion in this little exercise and give us the grace to imitate the virtues of that saint, under whose protection we say this prayer. Think not of our unworthiness and our ingratitude, but let us feel the depth of thy great love for us ”

“ Everything is in readiness; the earth groans for need of the Lord, the holy people pray that they may see the great day; we, too, on this feast, will pray for the coming of the Lord. We wish with all our hearts that the Messias would come. Most just indeed it is, O holy Mother of God, that we should unite in that ardent desire thou hadst to see Him, Who had been concealed for nine months in thy chaste womb; to know the features of the Son of the heavenly Father; to come to that blissful hour of His birth, which will give glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to men of good-will. ”