Roger Baxter

“ Above all, reverence and pray to the Queen of angels and saints, who, as St. Epiphanius styles her, " is the mother of the living." She surpasses all the citizens of heaven, both in her affection for us, and in power with her divine Son. Thank your Saviour for having committed your cause to so potent an advocate, and recommend yourself with all earnestness to her care, "for she never denies help to those, who petition for it, nor does she ever intercede in vain with her Son." ”

“ If the Redeemer did not wish His Apostles to be too forward in preaching and in doing works for the universal good of mankind, but wished them first to receive power from on high, how proper is it that those who have not been trained up in Christ's school as they were, should first prepare themselves in private, by prayer and the practice of virtue, for the works of the ministry, and for appearing before their neighbors. Every feeling of zeal is not to be trusted. True zeal is the last consequence of the pure love of God, and embraces within itself the emanations of every virtue. ”

“ III. God has endowed this soul with many noble faculties, chiefly the memory, the understanding, and the will. Your free-will renders you supreme master of your own actions. Reflect what returns you can make to the great Creator for such favors. At least, return Him these faculties without spot or blemish, and beware lest you suffer the reproach, "Thou hast forsaken the God who begot thee, and hast forgotten the Lord who created thee." ”

“ Free in like manner, O Lord! my soul from " the lion's mouth" and from " the deep lake," and suffer not my enemies, the devil, the world, and the flesh, to domineer over me.
II. What were the feelings of the holy Fathers, when, leaving Limbo, they saw the dead body of Christ! How their affections glowed for the being who suffered so much for them! When our Lord immediately afterwards reunited this body to His soul, the oracle of David was fulfilled: " The Lord hath reigned, He is clothed with beauty; the Lord is clothed with strength, and hath girded Himself." ”

“ III. God does not merely preserve your life, but guards it from innumerable evils and miseries which others suffer. Thus the miseries of others constitute your benefit. Ask yourself why you are not, like many others, blind, deaf, dumb, lame, or oppressed with a thousand diseases and infirmities? Why have you not, like so many others, been slain or met with accidental death? ”

“ II. That God has given you a rational soul, is a second benefit. Ponder the excellences of this soul of yours. It is a pure spirit, like the angels and God Himself. Learn, then, that the nature of your soul requires that you should seek spiritual things, and not attach yourself so miserably as you do to corporal pleasures and transitory goods. This soul of yours is by its own nature immortal, and cannot be destroyed by any created power, and will not be destroyed by the Creator. As you are immortal by nature, take care that you be so by grace; for sin is the death of the soul. ”

“ I. Your heavenly Father is not simply content to have adopted you for His son, but He has employed various means, in order to make you persevere in the grace of that adoption. The chief of these means are the seven sacraments, through which, as through so many channels, He wishes His favorite graces to flow, and render your soul fertile in good works. In these you can find an antidote against every disease, and assistance in every distress. Hence, the Church may say to you with the Prophet: "You shall draw waters with joy, out of the Saviour's fountain." ”

“ The gates of the soul are its interior powers, by which .intercourse is kept up between the soul and exterior objects. They enter through these, and through the same she passes to them. Lift up, therefore, these gates on high: raise them to such subjects only as are heavenly and eternal, and then the King of glory will enter, and make you a partaker of His majesty and greatness. ”

“ If earthly children naturally love their parents, from whom they have received only what is temporal, with how much greater ardor ought you to love your God, " who is your Father, that hath possessed you, and made you, and created you?" ”

“ II. What an advantage it would be to a criminal to have in an earthly court the king's own and only son for his advocate, willing and desirous of promoting his pardon. Such a one in your regard is Jesus Christ, " who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood." (Apoc. i. 5.) He is infinitely powerful, and consequently well able to obtain for you every favor and grace of which you stand in need, for He says, " All things are delivered to Me by My Father." ”

“ II. The infinite wisdom of God has adapted the sacraments to all our spiritual wants and necessities. By Baptism we are regenerated, freed from original sin, and admitted into the Church. This regenerated life is increased and strengthened by Confirmation. The Eucharist is its solid and substantial support. If it be attacked by any spiritual disease, or even if it be vitally injured, we have a remedy in Penance, and Extreme Unction arms it for the last and most dangerous combat. ”

“ III. The eternal Father, joined by all His angels and the liberated saints of Limbo, congratulates the glorious Saviour of mankind, and they exclaim, " Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and divinity, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and benediction." ”

“ Peter the kind of death which he was to suffer for His sake, as a certain pledge of their mutual love. Learn then to consider sufferings, and even death itself, as marks of God's affection for you, as they really are. He chastises those whom He loves. Jesus Christ chose sufferings for His mortal portion: He chose what was best; He performed the will of His Father; consequently, the man who has sufferings to endure, imitates his Saviour, and is specially favored by his Creator. ”

“ Heavenly Glory, in Regard to the Soul.
I. The soul will be completely penetrated with God, in a more perfect degree than heated iron is with fire. The memory will be constantly employed in the recollection of most delightful objects. The mind cannot be diverted from the present happiness which it enjoys. ”

“ II. Our Saviour is ready to raise us from the state of tepidity and sin, if we consent on our part, and therefore He says of Himself, " I am the resurrection and the life." (John xi. 25.) He is the cause and author of both, as well in regard to the soul as the body. What a benefit it is to be raised from the death of sin or tepidity, and to be placed in the bright light of the children of God, and to be enabled to pursue the road of virtue with fervor. This benefit Christ will bestow upon you to-day in the Eucharist if you approach Him with fervor. Hence He is called the bread of life ”

“ II. Not content with having provided all these things for you, God' condescends to concur with creatures for your advantage. In the fire He warms you; He enlightens you in the sun; in the air He refreshes you ”

“ The Benefit of Prayer.— II.
I. Consider more in particular the benefits and efficacy of this holy exercise. St. Jerome says of it, "it overcomes the invincible, and bindeth down the Almighty;" that is, it interests His mercy in our behalf, and ties down the hands of His justice from punishing us. " Let Me alone," said God to Moses, when he was praying for the people, "that My wrath may be kindled against them." (Exod. xxxii. 10.) Prayer is a general resource against all difficulties and temptations, and as St. Prosper says, " is a scourge, to the devil." ”

“ The incredulity and obstinacy of the Apostles and disciples on this subject, observes one of the holy Fathers, have increased our faith. Who can disbelieve in the resurrection, when such incredulous and obstinate men were at last convinced of it, and shed their blood in its defence? The resurrection of Christ, however, will be of no advantage to you, unless you rise with Him to a newness of life. ”

“ Thus we frequently imagine many difficulties to exist in the way of virtue and perfection; but when we begin to walk resolutely in that way, we find them either entirely removed by the grace of God, or greatly diminished. ”

“ Your Saints, O Lord," exclaims a pious and learned theologian, " will flourish as the lily, and shall be with you as the odor of balm." The taste will be delighted with something far more exquisite than material food: " The Lord will make them drink of the torrent of pleasure." ”

“ Be slow to prefer your own judgment in spiritual things to that of others. Meditate on the goodness of your God, who, as He permitted St. Peter to fall, during His passion, in order to show us the weakness of human nature and to teach us humility, so permits St. Thomas to remain so long incredulous, to teach us the necessity of " believing what we have not seen," and what reason cannot fathom, provided we have sufficient motives to be convinced that God's veracity is pledged for the certainty of the tenet.
II. Like a good shepherd Christ seeks His lost sheep. ”

“ This favor is greater in proportion to the meanness of the person adopted, the dignity of God who adopts you, and the sublime condition to which He elevates you. What is more vile or base than man, and what more exalted than God? As to his body, man is nothing but a composition of the dust of the earth, subject to a thousand infirmities, and destined to become ultimately the food of loathsome worms. As to His soul He is constantly subject to sin, an abyss of ignorance, and a model of inconstancy. ”

“ II. In consequence of the miseries of this mortal life, and its continual dangers, prayer is essentially necessary for us. The life of our soul is in constant peril from the devil, who is "as a roaring lion, going about, seeking whom he may devour," (i. Peter v. 8.) , and from the allurements of pleasure, which continually assail us. Our mortal life is never exempt from dangers, arising from war, famine and pestilence, from sickness, loss of goods, from the death of our friends, and from innumerable other crosses and afflictions. ”

“ The faithful are the flock of Jesus Christ, and the Apostles and their successors are commissioned to feed this flock, by teaching, preaching, and administering the sacraments, and by giving good example. Those who have embraced this calling have an important duty to perform. Let them remember with fear and trembling the prophetic description of the bad pastor of Israel: "Woe to the shepherds of Israel, that fed themselves: you ate the milk, and you clothed yourselves with the wool, and you killed that which was fat, but my flock you did not feed." ”

“ As there is no hour or moment, O Lord, in which I do not enjoy your benefits, so ought there to be no moment in which you are not present before my eyes by remembrance, and in which I do not love you with all my strength. ”

“ To the angels, who are His most noble creatures, who are pure spirits, immortal by nature, " full of wisdom and perfect in beauty." (Exod. xxviii. 12.) They are more powerful than the most numerous and best disciplined army; they are adorned with every kind of grace and glory, and they continually enjoy the beatific vision. To the care of these superior beings, weak, frail and imperfect man is committed. ”

“ Prayer increases sanctifying grace, and procures us more frequent supplies of actual grace. It strengthens our virtues, and every supernatural gift. Our faith, besides, in this holy exercise is enlivened, our hopes are invigorated, and our charity inflamed. For in prayer we acknowledge God to be the author of our faith, the foundation of our hope, and the object of our affections. ”

“ He first, however, repeats the words "Peace be to you," to show them how necessary peace and unity are in the sacred ministry. " As My Father has sent Me," He continues, "I also send you." (John xx. 21.) He communicates the same authority to them which the Father had given .to Him; and as the Father had sent Him, not to seek His ease, but the salvation of mankind, through pains and affliction; in the same manner, to gain the same object by the same means, did He send His Apostles, Hence, apostolical men ought to love sufferings when the glory of God can be promoted by them. ”

“ Thus He increased the desire of His disciples for the favor of His personal presence. In the same manner He visits His faithful souls. Hence, St. Bernard observes: "Joy and content may be found in this world in the presence of the spouse, but not satiety." Do not, therefore, expect, that your soul will be fully satisfied with spiritual joy in this world, but be content to taste only the sweetness of the divine presence. If you love your God, as you ought, you may justly Say with holy David: "I shall be satisfied when thy glory shall appear." ”

“ III. You ought to wish for the happy hour, in which your Advocate will enter your soul in the holy Eucharist. Then you can unfold all your miseries, necessities, and distress, and induce him to plead for your efficacious redress. Take care, then, that your soul be pure from sin and divested of every affection to it; "for wisdom," says the Wise Man, " will not enter into a malicious soul, nor dwell in a body subject to sin." ”

“ III. God has bestowed other benefits on you that belong to the mind. Such are good education, parental care, the counsel and example of the virtuous, the endowments of knowledge, the conveniences of life, perhaps with little labor of yours, which others have to obtain with the sweat of their brow, and sometimes at the imminent danger of losing their souls. ”