FOURTEENTH MEDITATION FOR LENT"Sleep ye now and take your rest. It is enough. The hour is come: behold the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners." (Mark 14:41)
It is very painful for a person who loves much to see himself abandoned by his best friends when misfortune comes; but it is not almost as painful to see that the new friends that make profession of not abandoning him are in no way touched by his downfall and take no share in his affliction? Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament is outraged by the greater part of men; He is every day delivered into the hands of sinners. The greater part of those who make profession of loving Him are in no way touched by these outrages to Him. They do not ever think of showing regret at seeing Him treated in such an unworthy manner. You sleep, devout souls, religious persons, and you take your repose while Jesus Christ is despised and outraged on every side in the adorable Sacrament of the Eucharist. In this place, heretics profane the sacred vessels and trample the Consecrated Hosts underfoot; in that other place, sinners daily commit the most horrible sacrileges. Our Divine Lord is everywhere forgotten, everywhere despised, and you are not affected by this contempt; and you do nothing to show Him that you feel it. We have in our power to make reparation in some manner for these outrages; and we do not give ourselves the trouble to do so; we do not even think of it.
[From 'The Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus' by Fr. John Croiset, SJ]
It is very painful for a person who loves much to see himself abandoned by his best friends when misfortune comes; but it is not almost as painful to see that the new friends that make profession of not abandoning him are in no way touched by his downfall and take no share in his affliction? Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament is outraged by the greater part of men; He is every day delivered into the hands of sinners. The greater part of those who make profession of loving Him are in no way touched by these outrages to Him. They do not ever think of showing regret at seeing Him treated in such an unworthy manner. You sleep, devout souls, religious persons, and you take your repose while Jesus Christ is despised and outraged on every side in the adorable Sacrament of the Eucharist. In this place, heretics profane the sacred vessels and trample the Consecrated Hosts underfoot; in that other place, sinners daily commit the most horrible sacrileges. Our Divine Lord is everywhere forgotten, everywhere despised, and you are not affected by this contempt; and you do nothing to show Him that you feel it. We have in our power to make reparation in some manner for these outrages; and we do not give ourselves the trouble to do so; we do not even think of it.
[From 'The Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus' by Fr. John Croiset, SJ]
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