A golden treatise of mental prayer/A meditation for Monday: of the washing of the disciples' feet, and of the institution of the Blessed Sacrament
SEVEN OTHER MEDITATIONS.
A MEDITATION FOR MONDAY.
This day, after thou bast signed thyself with the sign of the cross, thou shalt meditate upon the washing of the disciples (eet, and institution of the blessed sacrament.
Consider, O my soul, at this supper, sweet Jesus himself to be present, contemplate that inestimable example of humility, which he there proposed unto thee for imitation; when rising from the table where he sat with his disciples, he would be pleased to wash their feet O sweet Jesus, what is it that thou dost? O sweet Jesus, why doth thy mighty Majesty thus diminish itself? O my soul, what wouldst thou have thought to see God kneeling at the feet of men, and prostrate before Judas? O barbarous and cruel man, could not so great humility mollify thy heart? Was not so great bounty and sweetness able to penetrate thy entrails, and to reclaim thee from thy intended mischief? can it be that thou determinest to sell this meek lamb for so small a price? nay, if it be so, how couldst thou yet endure to behold so rare an example? I wonder it did not wound thy guilty soul with compunction for thy grievous crime? O delicate hands, how could you touch so filthy, sordid, and with sin contaminated feet? O pure and unspotted hands, how could you endure to wash those feet, that were stained with going and coming to make a sale of your precious blood? O thrice happy Apostles, did you not tremble and stand amazed at the sight of so great humility? What dost thou do, Peter? canst thou permit the Lord of Majesty to wash thy feet? St. Peter, wholly astonished with the admiration of this spectacle, when he saw our blessed Saviour falling down at his feet, cried out, "Domine, tu mihi lavas pedes?" Lord, dost thou wash my feet? what, art not thou the son of the ever-living God? art not thou the creator of the whole world, the beauty of heaven, the paradise of angels, redeemer of mankind, splendor of thy father's glory, most deep fountain of the eternal wisdom? and dost thou wash my feet? how cometh it to pass, that thou Lord of so great majesty and glory, shouldst thus debase thyself to so vile a service?
Then, consider, how he washed all his disciples' feet, one by one, and after washing, wiped them with a linen cloth wherewith he was girded, open the eyes of thy mind to behold in these mysteries, a representation of our redemption. This linen cloth so wiped their feet, that all the dirt which was upon their feet did stick on the linen cloth, not without mystery.
For what more foul than man conceived in sin? What more pure than Christ conceived by the operation of the Holy Ghost? " Dilectus mens candidus et rubicunduSf electus ex milihus:"[1] "My beloved," saith the spouse in the canticles " is white, and ruddy chosen out of thousands;" yet, notwithstanding, most pure, most beautiful. Christ took unto himself all the spots of our souls; from which, that he might cleanse us, (as you may see him upon the cross,) he would be pleased to defile himself with the filth of our impurity. Consider, lastly, with what words our blessed Saviour closed up this humble action: " Exemplum enim dedi vobis ut quemadmodum ego feci vohis, ita, et vos facialis." "For I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so you do also."[2] Which words do not only pertain to this present action and example of humility, but likewise to all the actions of Christ throughout his whole life, which is a most absolute and perfect rule for us to square our actions by, especially of humility, which is here to life represented unto us.
OF THE INSTITUTION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT.
He that desireth to comprehend anything of this noble mystery, must certainly think, that no tongue is able to express that immense love and ardent affection, wherewith our blessed Saviour was inflamed towards his holy church and all faithful souls, in instituting this stupendous mystery. For when this bridegroom determined to depart out of this mortal life, and to leave the church his beloved spouse; lest this his departure should be any occasion to her of forgetting her redeemer; he gave her this sacrament wherein he himself is present, as a pledge and memorial of his perpetual love.
Then seeing he was to be long absent, lest his spouse should remain solitary alone, he, for his consolation, would leave himself for her companion in this holy sacrament.
When our blessed Saviour was to suffer death for the redemption of his spouse, to enrich her with his most precious blood, and to purge her from sins, lest she should be defrauded of so great a treasure; he would give her a key in this sacrament whereby she might at her pleasure enjoy these riches; for as St. Chrysostom saith, we must think as often as we come to this sacrament, we put our mouth to the bleeding side of Christ, and from thence drink his most precious blood, whose merits we participate. Moreover, this celestial bridegroom, did desire to be tenderly beloved of his spouse, and for this cause would leave her this mystical meat, consecrated with most efficacious words, and therein so great virtue, that whosoever receives it worthily shall presently be struck with the darts of love.
He would likewise bestow upon his spouse some pure pledge, thereby to make her secure of the certain succession of future glory, that in hope of so great a good, he might temper the laborious difficulty, and make the tedious bitterness of this present life to be more tolerable; wherefore, that the spouse might certainly believe that she shall at length attain to these unspeakable goods, he hath given her for a pawn, this inestimable treasure, which is as much worth as that which is expected hereafter; that she should not doubt but that God will give her himself in glory, where he liveth in spirit, that would be pleased to give her himself in this vale of tears, where he liveth in the flesh.
He would, moreover, when he died, make his last will and testament, wherein he left to his spouse a singular manna, to cure all her infirmities; a gift, than which nothing can be more sovereign, nothing more precious, seeing the Deity itself is therein contained.
Lastly, he desired to feed our souls with some heavenly food, seeing they need no less nourishment than they might live spiritually, than the body needeth corporal sustenance, that she might live corporally. Wherefore, this spiritual physician, when he had diligently examined and felt the pulse of our fragility, instituted this holy sacrament, which he exhibited unto us under the species or form of bread, that he might declare what effect it should work in us, that is to say, that it is as necessary for our souls as bread for the body.