Darts of Fire: OR PROOFS THAT JESUS CHRIST HAS GIVEN US OF HIS LOVE IN THE WORK OF REDEMPTION by St. Alphonsus Liguori IV. Benignitas et humanitas apparuit Salvatoris nostri Dei. "The goodness and kindness of God our Saviour appeared."-----Tit. iii. 4 God has loved man from all eternity. I have loved thee with an everlasting love. [Jer. xxxi. 3] "But," says St. Bernard, "before the Incarnation of the Word the Divine Power appeared in creating the world, and the Divine Wisdom in governing it; but when the Son of God became Man, then was made manifest the love which God had for men." [In Nat. Domini, s. 1] And, in fact, after seeing Jesus Christ go through so afflicted a life and so painful a death, we should be offering Him an insult if we doubted the great love which He bears us. Yes, He does surely love us; and because He loves us, He wishes to be loved by us. And Christ died for all, that they also who live may not now live to themselves, but for Him Who died for them and rose again. [2 Cor. v. 15]   Ah, my Saviour, when shall I begin to understand the love which Thou hast had for me? Hitherto, instead of loving Thee, I have repaid Thee with offences and contempt of Thy graces, but since Thou art infinite in goodness I will not lose confidence. Thou hast promised to pardon him who repents; for Thy mercy's sake fulfill Thy promise to me. I have dishonored Thee by putting Thee aside to follow my own pleasures; but now I grieve for it from the bottom of my soul, and there is no sorrow that afflicts me more than the remembrance of having offended Thee, my Sovereign Good; pardon me and unite me entirely to Thee by an eternal bond of love, that I may not leave Thee any more, and that I may only live to love Thee and to obey Thee. Yes, my Jesus, for Thee alone will I live, Thee only will I love. Once I left Thee for creatures, now I leave all to give myself wholly to Thee. I love Thee, O God of my soul, I love Thee more than myself. O Mary, Mother of God, obtain for me the grace to be faithful to God till death. The Back spray takes you to the previous page and the Forward to the next.  E-Mail HOME-----------------------CHILDREN--------------------CHRISTMAS www.catholictradition.org/Christmas/darts-fire4.htm