The Clock of the Passion 4 Invocation of Jesus and Mary 6 Fruits of Meditation on the Passion of Jesus Christ 9 Chapter I 18 Chapter II 30 Chapter III 42 Chapter IV 50 Chapter V 59 Chapter VI 73 Chapter VII 83 Chapter VIII 97 Chapter IX 111 Chapter X 119 Chapter XI 127 Chapter XII 140 Chapter XIII 154 Chapter XIV 168 Chapter XV 185 Chapter XVI 195 FRUITS OF MEDITATION ON THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST. 1. The Lover of souls, our most loving Redeemer, declared that He had no other motive in coming down upon earth to become man, than to enkindle in the hearts of men the fire of His holy love: "I am come to cast fire on earth; and what will I but that it be kindled" (St. Luke 12:49). And oh, what beautiful flames of love has He not enkindled in so many souls, especially by the pains that He chose to suffer in His death, in order to prove to us the immeasurable love which He still bears to us! Oh, how many souls, happy in the Wounds of Jesus, as in burning furnaces of love, have been so inflamed with His love, that they have not refused to consecrate to Him their goods, their lives and their whole selves, surmounting with great courage all the difficulties which they had to encounter in the observance of the Divine law, for the love of that Lord who, being God, chose to suffer so much for the love of them! This was just the counsel that the Apostle gave us, in order that we might not fail, but make great advances in the way of salvation: "Think diligently upon Him who endureth such opposition from sinners against Himself, that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds" (Heb. 12:3). 2. Wherefore St. Augustine, all inflamed with love at the sight of Jesus nailed on the Cross, prayed thus sweetly: Imprint, O Lord, Thy Wounds in my heart, that I may read therein suffering and love: suffering, that I may endure for Thee all suffering; love, that I may despise for Thee all love. Write, he said, my most loving Saviour, write on my heart Thy Wounds, in order that I may always therein behold Thy sufferings and Thy love. Yes, because, having before my eyes the great sufferings that Thou, my God, didst endure for me, I may bear in silence all the sufferings it may fall to my lot to endure; and at the sight of the love which Thou didst exhibit for me on the Cross, I may never love or be able to love any other than Thee. 3. And from what source did the saints draw courage and strength to suffer torments, martyrdom and death, if not from the sufferings of Jesus crucified? St. Joseph of Leonessa, a Capuchin, on seeing that they were going to bind him with cords for a painful incision that the surgeon was to make in his body, took into his hands his crucifix and said, 'Why these cords? Why these cords? Behold, these are my chains - my Saviour nailed to the Cross for love of me. He through His sufferings constrains me to bear every trial for His sake.' And thus he suffered the amputation without a complaint; looking upon Jesus, who, "as a lamb before his shearers, was dumb and did not open His mouth" (Isaias 53:7). Who, then, can ever complain that he suffers wrongfully, when he considers Jesus, who was "bruised for our sins"? (Is. 53:5.) Who can refuse to obey, on account of some inconvenience, when Jesus "became obedient unto death"? (Phil. 2:8.) Who can refuse ignominies, when they behold Jesus treated as a fool, as a mock king, as a disorderly person; struck, spit upon on His face and suspended upon an infamous gibbet?