XXXI About the Blood of Jesus taken in the third way, that is, as it is spiritually drunk by the faithful
XXXI
About the Blood of Jesus taken in the third way, that is, as it is spiritually drunk by the faithful
C. We have thought, in the last two Meditations, of the Blood of Jesus as it is drunk in the Holy Sacrament; now we consider it as spiritually drunk, apart from the Altar, by the saved. Speaking of the fathers of Israel, St. Augustin says, ‘They drank the same spiritual draught as we, though the bodily draught was different; for the water which flowed from the rock was a sign of the Blood of Christ, which we also spiritually drink.’ Now in this third way three things have to be considered here: (1) the place where this drink is found; (2) the end for which it is sought; (3) the sweetness of grace which comes from its use.
(1) To those who ask where this spiritual draught is found, we must say that there are as many places as there are Wounds of Jesus. As the Jews drank the water from the clefts of the rock, so the faithful drink the Blood of Jesus spiritually from His Wounds. With joy they draw the water of life from the smitten Rock, that is, from those Wounds of Jesus, which are ever-springing fountains. By loving thoughts about His Passion, they destroy in their souls all thirst for evil. But what is that wound in His side and in His Heart? That wound is there that His sons and daughters may rise up at His side. When the sharpness of the lance pierced the side of Jesus on the Cross there streamed forth the Blood of Redemption. His sons will ever come to Him from afar, because the elect will love Him and do penance for their sins. His daughters will rise up at His side, because devout souls will always drink the Blood of Jesus in a spiritual way by thinking lovingly of His Passion. Hence, in many places, there is painted on the right hand of the crucifix a crowned maiden, fair and glad-looking. She is reverently receiving the Blood of Jesus in the chalice. This is the Church. On the left is a maiden with head bowed down. Her eyes are bandaged with a cloth, and her crown is falling from her head. With contempt she is spilling the Blood. This is the Synagogue. She, like every soul that sins mortally, loses three great blessings of God, that is, the light of grace, the joy of the conscience, the crown of everlasting glory. The maiden on the right receives the Blood of Jesus in the chalice, because the faithful soul fastens itself with a clean heart to the Wounds of its Spouse, and drinks in His Blood spiritually with its uttermost devotion and love. Thus it gains a great light, that is, gladness in the heart here, and the crown of everlasting bliss hereafter.
(2) What is the profit for which we seek the Blood of Jesus? That Blood must be poured over the whole soul with its three powers, the understanding, the will, and the memory: or it must be drunk by all the powers of the soul. The door-posts and the lintel were sprinkled with the blood of the Paschal lamb. They sprinkled them with a bunch of hyssop. Now the hyssop signifies the perfection and integrity of the Faith; and the threshold of the house is Jesus, by whom we have an entrance to Heaven. To dip the bunch of hyssop in the blood of the threshold is by a pure faith to drink the Blood of Jesus, and to gain strength from it. But we must sprinkle not only the posts of the door, but the lintel also, that is, we must so steep the understanding, the affections, and the memory in the Blood of Jesus, and be so spiritually inebriated with it, that the understanding may clearly see the greatness of its might in the whole race of man; that the affections, aflame with love, may taste and see the greatness of its goodness in themselves; and that the memory may never forget, but always hold fast, the Sacrament of a love and a bounty so great as are this love and bountifulness of our Lord.
(3) What is the sweetness of the spirit and of grace which comes from the use or sprinkling of our Lord’s Blood? His Blood, by the sweetness of its grace, makes the soul, as it were, a Paradise of God. By it come to us grace and peace, as St. Peter says. By it, therefore, we have grace and all virtues, fruitfulness of soul, peace, gentleness of heart, and tranquillity. Thus the soul, watered by the Blood of Jesus, is likened to a Paradise of God, and its grace is like a Paradise in blessings. It is a garden, and a watered garden of God, with all kinds of delightful fruits. Being drenched in the sweetness of the Precious Blood, the soul has a threefold glory of grace. For, 1, in virtues there are lovely flowers; 2, in words there are leafy branches; 3, in works there are fruits of the ripeness of Heaven.
1. From the spiritual pouring forth of this Divine Blood there spring up in the soul, as in God’s Paradise, many very lovely flowers. The blood of man has three colours: when healthy, it is red; when much changed, as in milk, it is white; and when still more changed, it is blackish. So the spiritual might of our Lord’s Blood makes in the soul many-coloured flowers of virtues, as in a garden of God: a, roses of love; b, lilies of chastity; c, violets of humility.
a. Scripture compares the just to spring roses; because, by the strength of their love, they have a ruddy colour like the Blood of Jesus. It is said of our Lord that His hair is like the purple of the king; and this is dyed by the blood of some animal. Now the hair of the head of Jesus is the faithful who honour Him by good lives. They are like the purple of the king, because, being drenched in the Blood of Jesus, they are ruddy as a rose by the strength of their love.
b. Scripture compares the just to lilies by the running waters; for they have the whiteness of love, and are well prepared in the heart by the sprinkling of the Precious Blood of our Lord. His eyes are said to be like the eyes of doves, washed in milk. Now His eyes are faithful souls looking onward, and waiting for Him. They are said to be washed in milk because these single-hearted ones are washed and made white and chaste in the Blood of the Lamb, well prepared in the hidden places of the heart. If Israel grow like a lily, it is because the Blood of Jesus is as dew.
c. When the winter is past the flowers are seen on the hedge-banks and in the meadows. Then quickly after the cold come violets with their dusky gleam, very beautiful, very fragrant, and hardly seen for their nearness to the earth. They tell us of humble souls that are made, as it were, of dusky hue by thinking of the Blood of Jesus and the anguish of His Passion. Such souls are vile in their own eyes, and despised by the proud. When God says that He will make the stars of Heaven grow dark, it may mean mystically that souls on fire with the Spirit of love, and gleaming with His word of truth, will be dimmed by the Passion of our Lord, so as to become violets with loveliness of dusky sheen by reason of their humility. This dimness of love and sorrow is comeliness of soul. The Bride of Jesus is black, but beautiful.
N. In the Lamentations these there kinds of flowers and their colours are spoken of. The Nazarites, that is, flowering ones, are whiter than milk and whiter than snow, for in their purity they are like lilies. They are ruddier than old ivory, for in their love they are like roses. They are lovelier than sapphires, for in their humility they are like violets.
2. From spiritual overpouring, or from the draught of Blood, there open out in the soul, as in a garden of God, leafy branches of holy words and sweet discourses. We have to flourish with flowers, and our branches have to grow in grace, because the elect, by drinking the Blood of Jesus, bring forth not only the flowers of virtues, but the leafy branches of good words; and this for a threefold grace: a, for the conversion of sinners; b, for the reconciliation of enemies; c, for the consolation of the sorrowful. Hence these watered trees bear three kinds of leaves: a, medicinal: b, very beautiful; c, green.
a. The leaves of the tree of life in the Paradise of God are for the healing of the nations, that is, for the conversion of sinners, because the waters ever go forth from the sanctuary. Now the water of the sanctuary—the spiritual drinking of the Blood of Jesus—gives strength to the words of holy preachers for the saving of souls.
b. Daniel tells us of the tree with lovely leaves, in whose shadow lay the beasts of the field, and in whose branches the birds of the air rested. He means to say that, under those lovely leaves, animals hostile to each other—as the wolf and the lamb, the dove and the eagle—dwell in peace together; for the words of the wise reconcile enemies. The melody of pipe and psalter, making a concord of sweet sounds, is far less than the melody of the tongue which makes peace between enemies. A gracious tongue is a tongue filled with much grace.
c. The Psalmist says that he who has trust in God is like a water-side tree whose leaves are green. Now the green colour which we see in grass and leaves refreshes the weary eye and strengthens it. Hence by leaves of this kind the words of the good are signified, for they comfort the sad and the sorrowful.
3. From the spiritual overpouring and draught of the Precious Blood ripen, as in the garden of God, the fruits of good works. When God says that He will water the garden of His plants, and water abundantly the fruits of His meadow, He means that He will water the garden of the soul with the Blood of the Spouse, and inebriate it with the sweetness of Heaven by the fruit of good works. Thus the souls that have been watered with Blood bring forth the sweet fruit of good works to the benefit of their neighbour; but they themselves also eat these fruits in the heavenly reward. They make their gardens and eat the fruit thereof.
This fruit of good works is threefold: 1, a good life; 2, great devotion; 3, joyful godliness. These three fruits will be dwelt on in the next Meditation, near the end.
The Voice of the Holy Ghost
About drinking the Blood of Jesus spiritually; Our fathers … all drank the same spiritual drink: and they drank of the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. 1 Cor. 10:1, 4.
(1) It is found in the Wounds of Jesus; He struck the rock and the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed. Ps. 77:20.
Who are these that fly as clouds and as doves to their windows? Is. 60:8.
They shall say to Him, What are these wounds in the midst of Thy hands? And He will say, With these I was wounded in the house of them that love Me. Zach. 13:6.
The Lord is my strength and my praise, and He is become my salvation. You shall draw waters with joy out of the Saviour’s fountains. Is. 12:2, 3.
Lift up Thine eyes round about and see: all these are gathered together; they are come to Thee; Thy sons shall come from afar, and Thy daughters shall rise up at Thy side. Is. 60:4.
The crown is fallen from our head; woe to us because we have sinned. Therefore are our hearts sorrowful; therefore are our eyes dim. Lam. 5:16, 17.
(2) The profit of this Blood; Dip a bunch of hyssop in the blood that is at the door, and sprinkle the transom of the door therewith and both the door-posts. Ex. 12:22.
(3) The spiritual sweetness of this Blood; Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers dispersed … elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, to sanctification of the Spirit, to obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ: grace be unto you and peace be multiplied. 1 St. Pet. 1:1, 2.
Grace is like a Paradise in blessings. Ecclus. 40:17.
Their soul shall be as a watered garden. Jerem. 31:12.
The Lord will give thee rest continually, and will fill thy soul with brightness; … and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a fountain of water whose waters shall not fail. Is. 58:11.
1. Flowers; a. Roses of love; He shone as the flower of roses in the days of the spring. Ecclus. 1:6, 8.
Bud forth as the rose, planted by the brooks of waters. Ecclus. 39:17.
Thy head is like Carmel, and the hairs of Thy head as the purple of the king. Cantic. 7:5.
b. Lilies of chastity; He shone … as the lilies that are on the brink of the water. Ecclus. 1:6, 8.
Send forth flowers as the lily. Ecclus. 39:19.
These are they who are come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. Apoc. 7:14.
His eyes are as doves upon brooks of waters, which are washed with milk, and sit beside the plentiful streams. Cantic. 5:12.
I will be as the dew; Israel shall spring as the lily. Osee 14:6.
c. The violets of humility; Winter is now past, and the rain is over and gone. The flowers have appeared in our land. Cantic. 2:11, 12.
I will cover the heavens … and I will make the stars thereof dark. Ezech. 32:7.
I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem. Cantic. 1:4.
N. All these flowers of the garden of God; Her Nazarites were whiter than snow, purer than milk, more ruddy than the old ivory, fairer than the sapphire. Lam. 4:7.
2. The leafy branches; A tree hath hope; if it be cut it groweth green again, and the boughs thereof sprout. If its root be old in the earth, and its stock be dead in the dust, at the scent of water it shall spring and bring forth leaves as when it was first planted. Job 14:7–9.
Bring forth leaves in grace. Ecclus. 39:19.
a. Medicinal leaves; In the midst of the street thereof, and on both sides of the river, was the tree of life bearing twelve fruits, yielding its fruits every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Apoc. 22:2.
The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips; he walked with Me in peace and in equity, and turned many away from sin. Mal. 2:6.
b. Very beautiful leaves; This was the vision of my head in my bed: I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was exceedingly great. The tree was great and strong, and the height thereof reached to Heaven; and the sight thereof was even to the ends of the whole earth. Its leaves were most beautiful, and its fruit very plentiful; and in it was food for all. Under it dwelt cattle and beasts, and in the branches thereof the fowls of the air had their abode; and all flesh did eat of it. Dan. 4:7–9.
The flute and the psaltery make a sweet melody; but a pleasant tongue is above them both. Ecclus. 40:21.
A sweet word multiplieth friends and appeaseth enemies, and a gracious tongue in a good man aboundeth. Ecclus. 6:5.
c. Green leaves; Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and the Lord shall be his confidence. He shall be as a tree that is planted by the waters, that spreadeth out its root towards moisture; and it shall not fear when the heat cometh; and the leaf thereof shall be green. Jerem. 17:7, 8.
They eye desireth favour and beauty; but more than these it desireth green-sown fields. Ecclus. 40:22.
Ointment and perfumes rejoice the heart; and the good counsels of a friend are sweet to the soul. Prov. 27:9.
With a great spirit he (Ezechias) saw the things that are to come to pass at the last, and comforted the mourners in Sion. Ecclus. 48:27.
When I sat as a king with his army standing about him, yet I was a comforter of them that mourned. Job 29:25.
3. The fruits in the garden of God; I said, I will water my garden of plants, and I will water abundantly the fruits of my meadow: and behold my brook became a great river, and my river came near to the sea. Ecclus. 24:42, 43.
They shall plant vineyards and drink the wine of them; and they shall make gardens and eat the fruits of them. Amos 9:14.
Prayer
O Wounds of my Jesus; filling my heart with love and sorrow. Jesus, I love Thee, and I sorrow for the greatness of Thy pain. Jesus, Thou art the smitten Rock, and from Thee the water of life is ever flowing in this desert. Thy people drink and are refreshed, and lift up their heads in the redemption that is drawing nigh. O Giver of living water, let me drink at Thy fountains, for Thou art my Saviour, and I come to Thee. Thirsty with a great thirst I come to Thee, for I have learnt of Thee who Thou art, and I ask of Thee the living water of which Thou didst tell me. Let this gift of Thine be in me a well of water springing up to everlasting life. I come to Thee in this thirst of death, O Thou who once wast dead, and now art alive for evermore. I trust Thee with the most utter trust, and I long to love Thee more. Thou art worthy of all love, far more than men and Angels can give. Let me drink, O my Saviour, of the streams from Thy hands and feet; let me drink, O my God and Spouse, of the streams from Thy side. Let my soul be steeped in the Blood of Thy Passion, and in the water that flowed from Thy stricken Heart. Blind me by Thy light to the glare of the world, that I may see Thee more clearly. Let the sweetness of Thy voice so sink into my ears, that I may hear Thee always among the waterfalls of the world. Deaden my taste for all pleasant things, that I may taste Thee better, my Jesus, my Love. Then will I always have a greater hunger for the corn of the elect, which has in it all deliciousness of Heaven and earth. Then will I have always a greater thirst for the wine of virgins, the wine of the Spirit, the new wine which even here Thou givest to me, my Jesus, veiled and hidden, in this beginning of the kingdom of Thy Father. O Wounds of my Jesus: O Precious Blood of my Jesus: O Heart of my Jesus. My Lord and my Love, Thou art Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Now Thou art going to give me all this in the Sacrament of Thy love. Help me in my poverty and blindness and wretchedness, that I may come to Thee.
O Holy Ghost, help me to pray on this threshold of the Temple of God, according to the words of Jesus.
Prayer
O Holy Soul of my Saviour, give me more love, more faith, more hope. Give me joy and peace, humility and cleanness of heart. Make me pleasing to God in word and deed. Keep me beneath the tree of life, that I may ever feed on its fruits, and be ever healed by its leaves.
Jesus, let me love Thee and keep Thy words in my heart. Then Thy Father will love me and come to me, and make His abode with me. Thy words are not Thine, but the words of Thy Father who sent Thee. Grant that the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, whom the Father ever sends in Thy name, may teach me all things, and bring to my mind, when I need it most, all that Thou hast said. O Jesus, give me Thy peace, for Thou dost not give as the world giveth. I cannot fear nor can my heart be troubled when I am with Thee. I rejoice greatly because Thou hast gone to the Father. O, give me grace to follow in Thy steps, that I, Thy little one, may love the Father, and may strive with all my heart and soul to keep the commandment which Thy Father has given me, and to do His work. Thou hast said Thyself, ‘I go to My Father and to your Father, to My God and your God.’ Give me grace, O King and Spouse, to listen always to Thee, and see Thy light and follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest.