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THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT ~THE TRANSFIGURATION
(Read Matt. xvii, 1-9.)

CONSIDER FIRSTLY that it is the property of the divine goodness to console, and to give even in this life a foretaste of heaven to those who follow our Lord faithfully. Therefore Jesus willed to comfort those three disciples, St. Peter, St. James and St. John who were His most intimate companions, with a glimpse of paradise in His transfiguration upon Mount Thabor.

APPLICATION: You would wish to have consolation but not suffering; you would like to be Christ’s companion in His glory but not in the bitterness of His passion. But this cannot be. Consider a little how much more happy and how more favoured of God, even in this life, and much more so in the next, are those good Christians who are careful to deny themselves, rather than those who are ever and in all things seeking their own satisfaction.

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: Thou hast multiplied Thy greatness, and turning to me Thou hast comforted me. (Ps. lxx, 21.)

CONSIDER SECONDLY that this vision of the transfiguration was vouchsafed to the disciples upon a high and solitary mountain. He bringeth them up into a high mountain apart. By this we learn that the consolations and delights of the spirit are not to be tasted in the midst of the distractions and dissipation of worldly conversations. He only, whose heart is weaned from the things of this world, can raise in spirit to converse with God and to live alone with Him.

APPLICATION: You seek your consolation in those creatures which occupy your heart and your mind. You converse little with God in prayer, and you live besieged as it were by a thousand desires and earthly affections. What wonder then is it that you should be deprived of those spiritual consolations, which our Lord reserves for those who go up into a high mountain apart? If you would climb the mountain of perfection, withdraw into solitude, there to converse with God.

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: My soul refused to be comforted, I remembered God and was delighted. (Ps. lxxvi, 3.)

CONSIDER THIRDLY that the three disciples enjoyed this great privilege only for a short time, because the consolations which God vouchsafes His servants are meant to stimulate them to work and to labour and not to remain idle in the delights of the spirit. The present life is the time for gaining merit and for suffering, not for rest and enjoyment. Consequently even on Thabor, in the midst of that vision of heaven when Moses and Elias appeared visibly, they spoke only of the suffering and ignominy of
Calvary, they spoke of His decease. (Luke ix, 31.) St. Peter was reproved because he desired to make permanent their stay amidst these joys.

APPLICATION: When God favours you with some spiritual consolation, let it indeed serve you as an encouragement to labour and to work all the more for Him, but expect not that it will be more than passing. When it has gone let the company of Jesus crucified upon Calvary suffice you. There you can say with more reason even than Peter did:Lord, it is good for us to be here.

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: As for me I am poor and needy, but the Lord is careful for me. (Ps. xxxix, 18.)

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MONDAY AFTER THE SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT ~ THE HOUSE OF CAIAPHAS
The high priest asked him and said to him; Art thou the Christ, the Son of the blessed God? (Mark xvi, 61.)

CONSIDER FIRSTLY how Jesus was, with violent and cruel treatment, led from the house of Annas to the supreme tribunal of Caiaphas to be judged and condemned to death. There were brought likewise many false witnesses to accuse our Blessed Lord of various misdeeds. Jesus however answered not their shameless accusations, and by this His silence chose to prove His innocence better than by defence.

APPLICATION: O divine silence! What reproach to our pride which urges us wholly to excuse ourselves, not only when we are innocent but even when we are guilty. This is to act precisely contrary to the example given us by Jesus Christ, Who when calumniated beyond all measure was silent. But Jesus held his peace.

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: I was dumb and opened not my mouth, because thou hast done it. (Ps. xxxviii, 10.)

CONSIDER SECONDLY that when the high priest saw the inconsistency of the false witnesses, and the innocence of Christ proved by His very silence, he wickedly devised another way of condemning Him. Rising therefore from the seat Caiaphas conjured our Blessed Lord: I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us if thou be the Christ the Son of God. Jesus, Who hitherto had been silent, not defending Himself against calumny, now became eloquent in the defence of God’s honour and of those truths that touched the salvation of the world. He confessed openly that He is the Messias and the true Son of God, saying, I am He, well knowing the occasion they would take from this to condemn Him to death. Hereby He would first of all give an example to His followers how they must generously profess the truths of the faith and divine honour before the face of their enemies, even at the cost of their lives, and likewise take away all excuses from the Jews for not acknowledging the Messias. He then added: I say to you, hereafter you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming in the clouds of heaven. By these words He gave them to understand that, if in this His first coming to redeem them He appeared in the form of a malefactor, in His second coming He will appear in all the majesty of a judge.

APPLICATION: When you feel yourself carried away by your passions to commit some offence against God, remember that Jesus Christ will soon be your Judge, and that without appeal, first at the hour of death and afterwards in the valley of Jehosaphat. This thought will make it easier for you to conquer your evil inclinations and to show due reverence to God.

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: God shall come manifestly; our God shall come, and shall not keep silence… He shall call the heaven from above and the earth to judge his people. (Ps. xlix, 3-4.)

CONSIDER THIRDLY that this public declaration of Christ, by which He openly declared Himself to be the Son of God, Who had come into the world in such lowliness in order to redeem it, and Who would one day return in glory to judge it, was in perfect agreement with the great works and miracles which had been wrought by Him. But He was at once proclaimed by the whole of that court worthy of death as a perjurer and a sacrilegious usurper of the divinity. Those proud Jews would not recognise in one so poor and so humble their Missias, whom they expected to come as a glorious king. And so it came to pass that, whereas the Son of God had come on earth to work out our salvation by means of such humiliations and such suffering, instead of winning greater love and service He was wickedly hated and condemned.

APPLICATION: How often is the same intense ingratitude renewed in the world by those who refuse to acknowledge Christ as their king and redeemer, because they see Him Humbled and crucified on Calvary! In order that you may not be of the number of those ungrateful people, confess and adore Jesus Crucified as your God and your redeemer and say from your heart: The lower Thou has made Thyself for me, the dearer art Thou become to me. (St. Bernard.)

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: Direct me in thy truth, and teach me; for thou art my God, my Saviour. (Ps. xxiv, 5.)

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TUESDAY AFTER THE SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT ~ THE NIGHT IN THE HOUSE OF CAIAPHAS
Then did they spit in His face, and buffeted him: and others struck his face with the palms of their hands. (Matt.
xxvi, 67.)

CONSIDER FIRSTLY how after Jesus had been declared worthy of death at the tribunal of the High Priest, the vile rabble of servants took occasion to offer him all manner of outrageous insults, making mock of Him all that night, utterly exhausted of all His strength as He was and weakened by His bitter agony and sweat of blood. Here pause to admire the exceeding patience of Jesus, Who has become the butt of a wicked rabble that had neither authority nor orders from the judges thus to ill-treat Him. Where is the tribunal to be found wherein licence is given to menials to outrage even a culprit at their caprice?

APPLICATION: You can hardly as it is support with patience the mortification which submission to lawful authority must necessarily subject you to. Far less will you bear with patience those annoyances and mortifications whether by word or by deed, which come from those who have neither authority nor reason to inflict them. In such a case you at once grow angry and seek to be revenged. And yet this is just the most precious and favourable time for you. When you bear with the just reprimands or mortifications of those who are over you, then you do but your duty; but when you bear those which you have not deserved, then you gain very much, you become rich in merit and in eternal reward.

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: For your sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face. (Ps. lxviii, 8.)

CONSIDER SECONDLY the nature of the insults offered that night to our Blessed Lord. They spat in His face. They defiled with spittle the face of Him on whom the angels desire to look. (1Peter I, 12.) They blindfolded Him and dealt Him blows and buffets, bidding Him in derision to prophesy who had stuck Him.

APPLICATION: To such a degree did the Son of God descend and abase Himself for you/ And are you not able for the love of Jesus to bear a slight jest, an offensive word, for His sake Who for you suffered these outrages and still worst? For the evangelists have left written: and blaspheming, many other things they said to him (Luke xxii, 65.) things too shameful to describe, as was revealed to St. Brigid, and which only the day of judgement will make known.

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me. (Ps. lxviii, 10.)

CONSIDER THIRDLY that these outrages offered to Jesus are at one and the same time a representation of, and the work of your sins, for the expiation of which He submitted Himself to such treatment. It is you who buffeted Him and struck Him; it is you who spat upon Him and blindfolded Him; it is you who insulted and injured Him with your tongue, your hands, your eyes, and your misdeeds.

APPLICATION: Turn then the indignation which rises in your heart, at the thought of those audacious men who so outraged the
Son of God, against yourself and your own sins. These are far more offensive and painful to our Lord than were the insults
offered to him on that night by His enemies the Jews.

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: The wicked have wrought upon my back; they have prolonged their iniquity. (Ps. cxxviii, 3.)

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WEDNESDAY AFTER THE SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT ~ HOUSE OF PILATE
Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the governor’s hall. (John xviii, 28.)

CONSIDER FIRSTLY that the Jews, impatient to see Jesus condemned to the death of the cross, led Him to the tribunal of Pilate amid a great tumult and a large concourse of the priests and people. They themselves however would not enter the hall for fear of incurring legal impurity, and of being thus excluded from celebrating the Pasch. Behold how they pretend fear of contracting the slightest stain whilst at the same time, filled with jealousy and envy as they are, they scruple not to procure the death of the Son of God: -- they strain out a gnat and swallow a camel. (Matt. xxiii, 24.)

APPLICATION: Those who place all their religion in exterior observances only, but interiorly have their hearts full of worldly affections and sullied with feelings of hatred and revenge, resemble these Jews. Examine then awhile your interior disposition and see if they correspond with your outward profession, because it is according to the former that God sees and judges.

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: Shall not God search out these things; for he knoweth the secrets of the heart. (Ps. xliii, 22.)

CONSIDER SECONDLY how when Pilate asked the Jews, What accusation bring you against this man? They with their pharisaic pride made answer: If he were not a malefactor we would not have delivered him to your. They imagined in their blindness that their mere word should be sufficient reason for His condemnation. Such then was the return that Jesus received for all His benefits and for all the miraculous cures worked in favour of this people, to be rejected by them and then to be accused of being a malefactor.

APPLICATION: Learn then from our Lord to suffer with patience if your actions be sometimes unkindly interpreted, and if moreover you are unjustly punished for them. Bear in mind the grievous accusations they brought against our Blessed Lord. They accused Him of being a seducer of the people, He Who had exhorted all to the observance of the divine commands; of refusing tribute to Ceasar, He Who had publicly bidden men to Render to Ceasar the things that are Ceasar’s : and to God the things that are God’s (Matt. xxii, 21.), and Who in fact paid the tax through the hands of St. Peter: and of making Himself King, He Who hid Himself so that the people might not crown Him King. What little account then ought you to make of the sinister judgement of men!

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: Thou art just, O Lord, and thy judgment is right. (Ps. cxviii, 137.)

CONSIDER THIRDLY that Pilate perceiving in these accusations the malice of the Jews, gave order that the case should be carried before their own tribunal:--Judge Him according to your law. (John xviii, 31.) The Jews replied: --It is not lawful for us to put any man to death. They possessed, indeed, the power to stone but not to crucify, and they wished that Jesus should be condemned to the death of the cross by the Roman Judge, so that He might die a more painful and ignominious death, and also in order to hide their own injustice.

APPLICATION: In like manner do those persons act who, full of rancour against their neighbour, contrive by accusations and
detractions to cast discredit on him, so that he may be mortified and crushed and their own malignity may meanwhile pass
unnoticed. But God is not mocked. (Gal.vi, 7.) He sees to the very bottom of all hearts, and knows how in His own good time
to reveal and punish this subtle malice.

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: The Lord shall laugh at the sinner, for he foreseeth that his day shall come. (Ps. xxxvi, 13.)

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THURSDAY AFTER THE SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT ~ DESPAIR OF JUDAS
I have sinned in betraying innocent blood. (Matt. xxvii, 4.)

CONSIDER FIRSTLY that Judas when through avarice he had betrayed hid divine Master into the hands of the Jews, hoped that then He might perhaps free Himself from them as He had done before, when the people would have stoned Him or precipitated Him from the brow of the hill. When however he saw that his Master was condemned to death by the council, he recognised the enormity of his treachery and fell into utter despair.

APPLICATION: Such is the ordinary device of the devil. He blinds our eyes when in the heat of passion so that we may not fully realise the enormity of the sin, but when it is once committed he reopens them only that his victim may despair. This he attempts particularly at the hour of death, when he parades before the eyes of the dying man the multitude and heinousness of his sins and so makes him despair. Whenever you are therefore tempted by some passion to fall into sin, reflect on the remorse
and regret that is sure to follow once the heat of passion is over, but think still more of what will happen at the hour of death. In this way you will be more careful and watchful against the deceits of the devil.

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: If armies in camp should stand together against me, my heart shall not fear. (Ps. xxvi, 3.)

CONSIDER SECONDLY how Judas recognized his sin, repented indeed of his treason and publicly acknowledged it before the priests: I have sinned in betraying innocent blood, and therewith restore the sacrilegious money. But why had he not recourse to the feet of Jesus, Who would certainly have welcomed him as a prodigal son? Instead of this he betook himself to the priests, who proudly scorned and insulted him for his crime. What is that to us? Look thou to it. Then despairing of
obtaining pardon, he said even as Cain, My iniquity is greater than that I may deserve pardon. (Gen. iv, 13.) By this despair in the divine goodness he sinned more grievously still for, as St. Gregory says, by betraying his Master he sinned against the Son of Man, but by yielding to despair he sinned against the Holy Spirit.

APPLICATION: If ever you should fall into grave sin fail not to run to the feet of Jesus, and say to Him with a truly contrite heart: O my Jesus, I have indeed done You great wrong, but I will never do what would be worse. I will never mistrust your infinite goodness and despair of your mercy.

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded. (Ps. xxx, 1.)

CONSIDER THIRDLY the most miserable end of Judas. Horrified at his crime he deemed himself unworthy to live any longer, as he had become hateful to God, to men and to himself. He departed and went and hang himself with a halter. (Matt. xxvii, 5.) Behold here an apostle, one who had worked miracles! But because from the very beginning he had not checked that passion of avarice which made him steal from the common alms, to what an extremity was he not brought! He came to lose the
apostolate which he himself had renounced, the paltry sum of money for which he had betrayed his Master, the life of his body which he himself cut short, along with his soul, and finally God for all eternity.

APPLICATION: Will not this example suffice to make you vigilant in repressing the small beginnings of irregular passions, for
you cannot tell where they will end in leading you?

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: I have sworn and I am steadfastly purposed to keep the judgments of thy justice. (Ps. cxviii, 106.)

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FRIDAY AFTER THE SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT ~BEFORE PILATE
I find no cause ion this man. (Luke xxiii, 14.)

CONSIDER FIRSTLY that when Pilate heard among the accusations brought against Jesus by the Jews, that He made Himself King of the Jews, he examined Him only on this point as on one proper to his tribunal; Art thou King of the Jews? Jesus openly confessed that He was a king, but of a kingdom other than that over which earthly sovereigns reign: My kingdom is not of this world. (John xviii, 36.) The rule of men in this world consists in lording it over their subjects, in commanding them, in exacting tribute and homage from them; but that of Jesus Christ, the King of glory, lies wholly in attracting to Himself the hearts of men by love, in receiving the tribute of their affections and in making them sharers of His Kingdom. Oh what a great king, what a truly worthy monarch is Jesus Christ!

APPLICATION: Merely as a Christian you are a vassal of Jesus Christ. Vow therefore fidelity to Him and say, Thou art my King and my Lord. (Ps. v, 2.) If in the pass you have been remiss in your duty, begin now to obey and to serve no other but Him. Should you be tempted to serve any other than Christ, say: Jesus alone is the true King Whom I serve, nor care I for any other possessions but those He promises me in His own great kingdom.

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: Thou art thyself my king and my God. (Ps. xliii, 5.)

CONSIDER SECONDLY how when Pilate repeated the question: Art thou king then? Jesus replied: I am a King as thou sayest, but My kingdom is not of this world, where unto indeed I came in order to teach men the way of release from slavery of sin and of meriting the kingdom of heaven. To this Pilate made no reply, but turning, went away.

APPLICATION: How many also are there today who turn their back on the teaching of Christ that they may give ear to the pernicious maxims of the world. To which class do you belong? To those who hearken to the doctrine of Christ, and conform their actions to His precepts, or to those who conform themselves to the teachings and maxims of the world?

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: I have hated the unjust and thy law have I loved. (Ps. cxviii, 113.)

CONSIDER THIRDLY that although Pilate declared Jesus altogether innocent, I find no cause in this man in those things wherein you accuse Him, (Luke xxiii, 14.)the Jews ceased not from crying out and protesting louder than ever against His innocence. But still Jesus is silent and will not defend Himself. He knows that before the tribunal of heaven He stands as one guilty, for He has taken our sins upon Himself and made Himself surety to the divine justice for our debts.

APPLICATION: Behold then your innocent Jesus most unjustly accused before the tribunal of Pilate, but justly indeed condemned before the tribunal of God. For Divine Justice could not be appeased for our sins except by the death of a man, who was entirely innocent and who at the same time was God. Realise then once and for all the gravity of your sins which constrained the divine Father to condemn to death His own most innocent Son?

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: Exact ye the Lord our God, and adore at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy. (Ps. xcviii, 9.)

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SATURDAY AFTER THE SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT ~ HOUSE OF HEROD
And Herod with his army set him at nought and mocked him. (Luke xxiii, 11.)

CONSIDER FIRSTLY how Pilate seeing the innocence of Jesus and the jealousy of the Jews, took the step of referring the case to the tribunal of Herod so as not to be compelled to condemn a guiltless man, or by acquitting Him to draw down upon himself the hatred of all the people. But in this Pilate did grievous wrong, for it suffices not that a judge should not condemn one who is innocent. But he is bound in addition to defend him.

APPLICATION: He who is wedded to his own interests rather than solicitous for those of God and of justice acts in the same manner. He attempts to satisfy partly God and partly man, to conciliate the maxims of the Gospel and of the world. But he will never succeed. It is not enough to abstain from doing evil, but we must also not omit to do good, to which each one is obliged according to his duty and state in life. How many there are who are condemned for sins of omission, because they failed to do
good or to prevent the evil which according to their and degree it was their duty to have done. Reflect then seriously upon the obligations of your state in life, and understand that sins of omission are rocks beneath the surface, which are frequently cause of shipwrecks because they are less noticeable.

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: Trust in the Lord and do good. (Ps. xxxvi, 3.)

CONSIDER SECONDLY that Herod who had long been desirous to see Jesus, received Him with courtesy, making Him large promises if only He would work some miracle in his presence. But our Lord would not work miracles to gratify the curiosity and pleasure of this impious king, nor would He deign even reply to his request. Moreover He would not defend Himself from the accusations of His enemies who were seeking His death.

APPLICATION: Learn from this that if Jesus Christ would not work miracles nor give any answer to him who so besought Him, not indeed that he might thereby gain profit or amend his life, but merely to satisfy his curiosity, still less will He cause you to hear His interior voice or communicate His gifts to you, if you make your prayer or your other spiritual duties, not for devotion and your profit but principally for your own satisfaction. Observe moreover that although our Lord would not work any miracle
to satisfy the curiosity of Herod, yet he wrought a still greater miracle, and that was the miracle of meekness and invincible patience, of silence under all the accusations of the Jews and the mockeries of the whole court of Herod who spurned Him as a fool. Do you also for the love of Jesus try to bear patiently and in silence whatever unjust accusations or slights it may be given you to bear.

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: I was dumb, and I opened not my mouth. (Ps. xxxviii, 10.)

CONSIDER THIRDLY how Jesus being derided by Herod and his court as a fool, was sent back to Pilate clothed in a white garment in mockery and scorn. Behold the innocence and the wisdom of the Lord set at nought and counted as foolishness. So always is the innocence and simplicity of the just and object of ridicule to the world: the simplicity of the just man is laughed to scorn. (Job xii, 4.) In heaven the wisdom of the world is reckoned foolishness with God. (1 Cor. Iii, 19) even as the
world esteems the wisdom of heaven foolishness.

APPLICATION: If then you wear the white robe of innocence abhor the foolish wisdom of the world. Prefer rather to be reputed foolish by the wise ones of the world, that so you may conform yourself to the example of Jesus Christ, eternal Wisdom itself.

AFFECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS: I had rather be despised in the house of my God, than to dwell in the house of sinners. (Ps. lxxxiii, 11.)

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