Roger Baxter

“ II. The soil of your soul is in itself fruitless and barren, and produces nothing but the weeds of vice and passion. Sometimes, like the field in the Gospel, it is covered with cockle, that is, with vices bearing the resemblance of virtue; and these fill the mind with vain hopes of future fruit: but when the harvest-time arrives, that is, at the last judgment, they will be cast into the fire. Purify your soul by mortification from these weeds of vice ”

“ Oh, what glory should we purchase in heaven, were we always intent on our spiritual profit, and careful to seize every occasion of exercising virtue! Observe what care worldly men take to amass wealth and increase their fortunes, which, however, they are soon to leave; and blush at your own neglect in amassing everlasting treasures which God freely offers you. ”

“ Since that period it has been the ruling passion of mankind. No vice is more opposite to the end of our creation. To destroy this passion, then, was one of the most important objects of Christ's Incarnation. Hence, on every occasion he gives us perfect examples of the opposite virtue. He is born of a poor virgin, in a wretched stable; He is abandoned by those whom He came to save; and His first visitors were poor, humble shepherds. In a word, His whole life was one grand and divine act of humility. Conceive, then, the importance of this virtue: and learn from Christ to practise it. ”

“ I. Consider the interior acts of virtue, which this holy woman exercised when she beheld the divine Infant. They were those of faith, hope, and love, then of joy and self-congratulation, together with perfect resignation to the will of God. Take care to imitate her when you appear in the presence of the same God at the Eucharistic table. If you have faith, where is your humility reverence and devotion? If you hope in Him, where is your resignation to the will of God in crosses and adversities? If you love Him, why do you fix your heart and affections on creatures? ”

“ Observe with what reverence His divine mother pronounces His name, at the utterance of which " every knee should bow of those who are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth: and every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father." ”

“ His love of God, and charity towards His neighbor, were infinite. He directed all His sufferings to the glory of the former and the advantage of the latter. His tears and blood were shed, at His circumcision, to atone for our sins. He assumed to Himself our infirmities and miseries, not by constraint, but by His own choice, to satisfy for them, and to give us examples of every virtue. Return Him, therefore, love for love. Learn to contemn the world, to be humble and obedient. Suffer want and hardships with patience ”

“ III. The divine Infant did not suffer the Wise Men to go away without being rewarded for their pains and devotion. He bestowed upon them supernatural gifts, in return for theirs. For their gold, He gave them the rich treasures of wisdom and charity; for their frankincense, the gifts of prayer and devotion; for their myrrh, His divine grace, which is a sovereign antidote against the corruptions of sinful nature. You can give nothing to God which He will not return with immense profit to yourself. The more you give, therefore, the more you will receive. ”

“ He was made man, in order that He might the better be known by man; He was born in poverty and want, in order that He might the more endear Himself to us; He made His first appearance in an open stable, that He might the more easily be found; He lies in a manger, to encourage the poor; He conceals His power, to relieve your mind from the fear of approaching Him; He assumes all the characters of the most perfect meekness, in order to win your heart.
II. Consider the extreme poverty and love of that virtue, which Christ displayed in this mystery. ”

“ Love, then, to be unknown and inconsiderable. " Believe me, He has lived well who has concealed himself." Be not too forward in displaying your knowledge, although you may know more than others do. "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, and let not the strongman glory in his strength, and let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him who glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me" (Jer. ix. 23) , says the Lord. ”

“ Reflect on the heavenly beauty of your divine Spouse, and say to Him: "Thou are beautiful above the sons of men." (Ps. xliv. 3.) Meditate on His dignity, glory, riches, wisdom, and power; and inflame your heart with an ardent love for your holy Spouse.
III. Since you are to be espoused to Christ, you must surrender to Him everything which you have in this world, and never forsake Him by sin, on any consideration. Adorn your soul, then, with every virtue, or you never will be pleasing in the eyes of your divine Spouse. ”

“ Learn from the example of Christ a respect for the law of God; to do virtuous works of supererogation; to despise human respect; and, by mortifying yourself, to prove your love of your suffering Saviour. ”

“ Be convinced, that without it all is lost, and that it is the best test of real piety, devotion, and religion.
DECEMBER 30.
The Message to the Shepherds.— II.
I. Consider the words of the angel: "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings — for this day is born to you a Saviour." (Luke ii. 10, 11.) The joys of the world are either vain or base, or worse. The only true and solid satisfaction for a Christian is to be found in God, and in things belonging to our salvation: and this joy, as Christ Himself says, " no man shall take from you." ”

“ Learn from this example to conceal your own good qualities, and not to condemn others from outward appearances. Learn, also, that of all those who approach the holy Eucharist, those only discover the hidden God and relish His heavenly sweetness who appear at the sacred table with the spirit of true and genuine devotion. ”

“ III. You must prepare a throne in your heart, on which to receive and adore your Lord when He comes. Offer Him the three powers of your soul: your memory, understanding, and will. Your memory cannot be pleasing to God if your imagination be not corrected and chastened according to the law of God. Your understanding cannot be acceptable to Him, unless you bend it implicitly to the obedience of faith. God will reject the offering of your will, unless it be conformable to His own. Offer Him, besides, the "gold" of charity and love; the "frankincense" of prayer, and the " myrrh" of mortification. ”

“ She acknowledged Him to be the long-expected Messias; she admired His humility, extolled His mercy; and she invited all to acknowledge Him, to reverence and love Him as their Lord and Saviour. Oh how true is it that " out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh"! (Matt. xii. 34.) The reason why you are so dumb in the praises of God is because your affections are so cold or tepid. Learn from this holy woman to speak freely of God and heavenly things in your conversation with others. Be not satisfied with enjoying God alone, but endeavor to lead others to Him by word and example. ”

“ Observe the conduct of the king: "Then Herod, privately calling the wise men, inquired of them diligently the time of the star's appearing to them." (Matt. ii. 7.) He was more anxious to find Christ, in order to destroy Him, than you are to love Him and serve Him. Reflect on the wonderful providence of God, which, drawing good from evil, makes even the wicked concur to its divine designs, and to our good. The evil intentions of Herod manifested Christ to the sages, and by them to the Gentile world, whilst he was doing all in his power to conceal Him and to destroy Him. ”

“ I. All the disciples of Jesus Christ ought to make continual progress in virtue. Not to advance in the way of virtue is to recede, as all the saints teach us. As a boat in the swift current of a river will infallibly be carried down the stream unless continually propelled by oars, so, unless you continually struggle against the impetuous current of a vitiated nature, you will certainly be carried along with it. ”

“ I. This spiritual circumcision ought not only to extend itself to the inward man; but, also, to the external senses! Reflect how many souls have lost the end of their creation by a single glance of the eye. How many others have perished by the indulgence of the other senses! Restrain your eyes, therefore, from all improper or dangerous objects; your ears from everything that savors of vanity or curiosity, and much more of immodesty, murmuring, and detraction. Regulate your taste, by refraining from excess in eating and drinking; "for the kingdom of God is not meat and drink." ”

“ God is appeased with victims and sacrifice, as the chief acts of religious worship; but He assures us Himself that obedience is still more acceptable to Him. " Obedience is better than sacrifice, and to hearken rather than to offer the fat of rams." ”

“ Reflect on the imminent danger in which these spiritual diseases continually place you; for they expose you to eternal death. Consider, also, the difficulty with which they are cured; for they are not like diseases of the body, that show themselves by outward symptoms: they are often concealed even from the patient himself, and are, in a certain manner, engrafted on the constitution of the soul. What a happiness it is to be able whenever you choose to apply to a physician who knows your spiritual complaints most intimately, and who is able and willing to apply sovereign remedies to them! ”

“ This adoration was accompanied with an entire oblation of themselves and all their possessions, united with sincere expressions of gratitude, as well for their own particular favor as for the general benefits resulting from His incarnation, and the vocation of the Gentiles. To these they added the most ardent affections of love and desire, that all the world might know and serve their new-born King. Observe what admirable effects a lively faith produces in the soul; and learn with what affections you ought to approach the same Lord in the Eucharist. ”

“ III. In the virtue of obedience all other virtues are included, and therefore by holy Fathers it is called the mother and guardian of them all. He who is obedient cannot fail to be humble, patient, meek, charitable, and master of himself; for, as the Wise Man says, " An obedient man shall speak of victory." ”

“ Examine your own conduct with fear and trembling, and see if you do not abuse the favors of God and the means of salvation which your state of life affords you.
II. "And for a sign, which shall be contradicted." Wonder at the folly of mankind. Christ is the uncreated Wisdom of God, " in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Coloss. ii. 3) ; and yet men have contradicted, and still contradict, His divine doctrine. ”

“ Although you have frequently been faithless to your heavenly Spouse, by entertaining inordinate affections, and cherishing undue attachment to creatures, He is nevertheless ready to pardon you, and He even invites a renewal of your affection by His prophet: "Thou hast prostituted thyself to many lovers: nevertheless, return to Me, saith the Lord, and I will receive thee." ”

“ Such are the desires of possessing wealth, of enjoying the conveniences of life, of being honored and esteemed by men, of being preferred before others; again, the desire of vain and unprofitable knowledge, and the love of vanity and pleasures. ”

“ Detest this obstinacy, therefore, as the bane of all virtue. Learn to submit your judgment, therefore, to the Church, your superiors and directors, who hold the place of God. " Lean not upon thy own judgment, and be not wise in thy own conceit. (Prov. iii. 5, 7.)
III. This circumcision must extend itself particularly to self-love, which is the greatest enemy of salvation. It blinds the understanding, and inflames the mind with " many unprofitable and hurtful desires, which drown men in destruction and perdition." ”

“ Miserable wretches, they perish near the fountain of life, which they have shown to others. This is the case with all those who instruct others in the ways of justice, and will not follow them themselves. " They are like those who built the ark of Noe," says St. Augustine: "they built that in which others might escape the deluge, and they themselves perished in the waters. " Remark, that Christ is not to be found in the chief city or at the palace; but in Bethlehem, and in a manger. " He is not found in the land of those who live in delights." ”

“ I. In the Gospel of to-day, Christ is recorded to have appeased the tempest on the sea. We are on a tempestuous sea as long as we exist in this world; we are continually harassed by storms: the winds of temptation blow, and raise the waves of our passions and concupiscences. If we suffer these waves to increase, we cannot subdue them, and we shall infallibly perish. "The wicked," says the Prophet, " are like the raging sea, which cannot rest." ”

“ Some, after they have begun well, fail in constancy, and resume their former course of life. These our Lord condemns when he says, " No man putting his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke ix. 62.) He tells us to remember Lot's wife who was turned into a pillar of salt, as a warning to others not to cast a lingering look back again on the sinful object which they have left.
III. Others in the progress of virtue grow remiss and tepid in the use of those means which are calculated to increase their fervor, and are therefore in danger of falling. ”

“ Excite yourself, therefore, to persevere in the way of virtue with cheerfulness. Examine upon what occasions you are accustomed to lose courage, and resolve to go forward with renovated spirit. Christ is your commander, and your reward " exceeding great." ”