“Convince yourself firmly that great and numerous graces are granted to all those who care for their neighbor, so that they may be able to attain not only their own salvation, but also that of others, and to gain the souls of many."
By Fr. Thaddaeus Lancton, MIC
A gaze of the heart. Examining the depth of one’s heart.
There is no one way to translate the Latin title Inspectio Cordis, given to the collection of meditations for Sundays by the Founder of the Marians, St. Stanislaus Papczyński (1631-1701).
These meditations, published weekly on Fridays in preparation for the Sunday Mass, follow the style and purpose of our holy Father Founder. While his original text is worth reading, his examples and style can feel outdated to the modern reader. As his spiritual son, I will attempt my best to imitate his style and imitate his ministry of preaching to hearts.
The goal is to allow Jesus to gaze into your heart and teach you self-examination, leading you to a more fruitful reception of Holy Communion, where there is a true encounter of our hearts with His Sacred Heart – especially fitting during this period of National Eucharistic Revival.
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle B
July 28, 2024
This Sunday’s meditation derives from the original text of Inspectio Cordis of St. Stanislaus Papczyński.
Before Holy Communion
1. “Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee…”
“My soul, you learned from experience that the cause of such a great sadness, nay, of so many evil deeds and imperfections, was your neglect or withdrawal from the Divine Presence. For as long as the heavenly Light is in you, you see most clearly what you should do or what you should shun. Then you endure all bitter things with sweetness, you possess all agreeable things with a readiness to renounce them…
“On the contrary, when you do not have God’s presence before your eyes, when Jesus departs from your mind, you become sad, you suffer from dryness, you are shattered, you fall, you stagger, you sink into even the worst offenses, and it seems to you that you are in hell, or close to it.
“Quite right was the one who said: ‘To be without Jesus is a grievous hell; and indeed, to be with Jesus is a sweet paradise.’ Therefore, you can see how much you should value God’s presence and with what great diligence you should preserve it after receiving the Lord at the sacred table!”
How do you preserve the presence of Jesus after receiving Him in Holy Communion? How do you recognize the difference in daily life between when you neglect His presence and when you remain in His presence?
2. “A large crowd followed him…”
“Consider that those faithful people, those pious souls, that holy flock who were refreshed and nourished by His most ardent, most delightful, and salutary sermons, did not leave Jesus when He departed across the Sea of Tiberias (cf. Jn 6:1-2). Rather, they followed Him through many dangers, through places exposed to various perils and to harsh climate conditions such as summer heat, among others.
“You should imitate their actions with a constant and devout spirit. When the Lord prepares to depart overseas, when He is getting ready to leave without you, that is, when He wants to withdraw from you spiritual consolations and feelings of devotion, you are to follow Him nonetheless, though greatly troubled, through the waves of desolation by the Way of the Cross. Indeed, He wishes [you] to remain and abide on the hill of Golgotha where the Cross is, rather than on the summit of Tabor where His light and glory are seen.”
How do you follow Jesus to Golgotha in daily life? How can you persevere in loving Him even when He withdraws consolation and devotion?
3. “Because they saw the signs…”
“For anyone can easily persevere in divine services if sustained by continuous bonds of love and favor. On the other hand, the one who is burdened with constant crosses, always exposed to countless misfortunes and calamities and harassed as a useless and forsaken slave, and yet who continues to serve the omnipotent King with all his might, is the one who attains the merits and the laurel crown of the greatest heroes. For the servants and lovers who follow the Crucified One because they have seen signs are not stable, but they are stable rather, who not having seen any signs, have hearts in which a strong love for God reigns. They are those who do not long for extraordinary favors and graces, but who bear the yoke of divine service with the utmost holy determination. They are not concerned with what the Lord owes them, but with what they owe Him. They never tire of striving on the road of perfection, of practicing charity or doing their daily toil. Such servants will be praised in the end, such soldiers of Christ will be honored, and such [Christians] will obtain an everlasting reward.
“You should desire to be among their number, and you should ask the Lord, dwelling in the Most Holy Eucharist, to make you fit not for seeking consolations, but for bearing crosses and for enduring countless labors.”
For what crosses and labors do you need Jesus to strengthen you through Holy Communion? How can you resolve to follow Him with “strong love” and “utmost determination” in daily life?
After Holy Communion
1. “What good are these for so many?”
“Just as St. Andrew exclaimed, looking at the multitude and not knowing the omnipotence of Christ, that those five loaves would not be sufficient for such a great gathering of people, thus also you would most rightly exclaim, on account of your mind, distracted and distant from all feeling of devotion: ‘What are they among so many?’
"What are the divinity and humanity of my Lord accomplishing among so many and so various idle, useless, even sinful thoughts? What kind of connection, association, or dealings does this great mass of worldly thoughts have with the great Lord, dwelling most lovingly in my heart today? …
“What do these trifles have to do with the Sovereign of infinite majesty? What do the clouds have in common with the unreachable Light? … Therefore, go away from here and completely vacate the space of my heart, leaving it to the truly serene, majestic, and gracious heavenly Host.”
What trifles or idle thoughts do you need Jesus to silence in your heart? How can you surrender to Him your concerns and worries, to “vacate the space of your heart” and so be present to Him?
2. “When they had had their fill…”
“The Lord showed there such a great concern about food for the body; He sought the food for the accompanying crowds with such an attentive tenderness; He fed them with such a magnanimous liberality, that none of these people went away suffering from hunger or longing for food.
“He cares for our souls with the same attentiveness and goodness. With what clemency and zeal He provides spiritual food for those who follow Him; with what prodigal liberality He refreshes, nurtures, educates them, and strengthens their steps on the paths of holiness! How magnificently and sumptuously He is used to treating them, lest they fall while running to the summit of perfection. How many resources and graces He generously lavishes on them so that they may complete the work of their salvation!
“… how often did He revive and strengthen you, the weary one, with the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist? When you were dispirited, sad, and nearly falling into the abyss of despair, how many times did He refresh you, cheer you up, and restore your best hope with the consolations that this Sacrament provides?”
How does the Lord reveal His attentive tenderness both for your body and your soul? How do you experience Him refreshing, restoring, and cheering you up?
3. “Gather the fragments left over…”
“Convince yourself firmly that great and numerous graces are granted to all those who care for their neighbor, so that they may be able to attain not only their own salvation, but also that of others, and to gain the souls of many.
“Why, therefore, are you so sluggish that no concern or love for your neighbor can touch, move, or trouble you? You say that you are busy with your own salvation. But you, who look so well after your own salvation, should know that by caring for your neighbor you also care for yourself. In fact, if you give great attention to yourself alone, it is to be feared that you may fail in saving yourself. For the more you exhaust yourself working in the vineyard of the Lord, the more assured you may be of your eternal salvation and of an everlasting reward.
“Therefore, always gather up the fragments left for you; use whatever remaining time you have for the salvation of your neighbor; apply and dedicate the strengths and supernatural graces that super-abound in you to the care of the same neighbor, lest you have to render an exact account … about wasting gifts and talents, if you have indeed wasted them, in the strict judgment of the awesome Judge, Christ, the author of the salvation of us all.
“For He is ready, if need be, to pour forth His Blood again for even just one soul.”
How do you labor in the Lord’s vineyard for the salvation of others? What talents and gifts do you use for their salvation? How does today’s Holy Communion give you graces to help Jesus in caring for their souls?
Next week: 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 4.
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