9781644135945

The Light of the World
the grace of our having become children of God, of the indwelling of God in our souls, of
having been destined to become heirs of heaven.
A day of thanksgiving for blessings of the spiritual and supernatural harvest which God has
given us. An impressive picture of these blessings is given us by the prophet Amos in the first
lesson: “Behold, the days come when the ploughman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of
grapes him that soweth seed, and the mountains shall drop sweetness and every hill shall be filled.”
Looking back over the past months since Pentecost, we think of the rich temporal blessings which
God has given us; but even more precious are the spiritual blessings which we have received. We
have been blessed in the daily fulfillment of our holy calling, either in the world or in the religious
life: in our daily prayers and meditations, in the daily Mass and Communion, in the many inspirations
of grace. We have received many graces through exterior and interior tribulations, through
our purification and redemption from the spirit of the world and from pride and egoism.
Ember Wednesday is a day of recollection. We follow the intentions of the Church by abstaining
from bodily food and also by abstaining from sin (second Collect). Strengthened anew,
we leave the Ember days as the young man of the Gospel, fortified through the power of the
Eucharistic Lord.
“I will meditate on Thy commandments, which I have loved exceedingly; and lift up my
hands to Thy commandments, which I have loved” (Offertory). I am resigned to Thy holy will
in all things. When we receive Holy Communion, the Church prays: “Eat fat meats and drink
sweet wine, and send portions to them that have not prepared for themselves.” The fruit of Holy
Communion is that charity which spends itself by helping others and giving to others. “Be not
sad, for the joy of the Lord is our strength” (Communion). “Blessed is the nation whose God
is the Lord, the people whom the Lord hath chosen for His inheritance” (Gradual).
Prayer
O Lord, may the remedies of Thy mercy uphold our weakness, we beseech Thee; and in pity
renew our strength, which by its nature is ever failing. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Thursday
A doctor of the law approached our Lord to tempt Him, asking: “Master, which is the great
commandment of the law?” Jesus answered Him: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy
whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and the first
commandment. And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself ” (Gospel).
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God.” Not all love of God is perfect. Sometimes we love God
because we have received some good from Him or hope to receive some good from Him.
We love Him that we may escape eternal damnation and may be eternally happy with Him.
Such love is imperfect because we love God first of all for our own sake and for the sake of our
eternal salvation. Such love is naturally good and supernaturally effective, but it is not perfect
love. Perfect love seeks God for His own sake without thinking of self. Through perfect love
the soul is so attached to God that he who is joined to the Lord, is one spirit with Him (1
Cor 6:17). With perfect love God and the soul are so united that they become as it were one.
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