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  The Hope Which We Have in the Death of Jesus Christ
by St. Alphonsus Liguori

Taken from THE PASSION AND DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST, Redemptorist Fathers, 1927
with Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur.
 

I.
Jesus is the only hope of our salvation: There is no salvation in any other but Him. [Acts 4: 12] I am the only door, says He; and he that shall enter in through Me shall assuredly find life eternal: I am the door; if anyone enter by Me, he shall be saved. [John 10: 9] And what sinner would ever have been able to hope for pardon if Jesus had not, by His Blood and by His death, made satisfaction to the Divine justice for us? He shall bear their iniquities. [Isaiah 53: 11] It is by this that the Apostle encourages us, saying, If the blood of goats and of oxen sanctify such as are defiled to the cleansing of the flesh, how much more shall the Blood of Christ, Who through the Holy Ghost, offered Himself up to God, cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living God! [Hebrews 9: 13] If the blood of goats and of bulls offered up in sacrifice removed from the Jews the outward defilements of the body, that so they could be admitted to the worship of the sanctuary, how much more shall the Blood of Jesus Christ, Who for love offered Himself up as a satisfaction for us, remove the sins from our souls to enable us to serve our God Most High!

Our loving Redeemer, having come into the world for no other end but that of saving sinners, and beholding the sentence of condemnation already recorded against us for our sins, what was it that He did? He by His Own death paid the penalty that was due to ourselves; and with His Own Blood canceling the sentence of condemnation, in order that the Divine justice might no more seek from us the satisfaction due, He nailed it to the same Cross whereon He died: Blotting out the handwriting of the decree that was against us, which was contrary to us. And the same He took out of the way, fastening it to the Cross. [Col. 2: 14] Christ entered once into the holy place, having found for us eternal redemption. [Hebrews 9: 12]

Ah, my Jesus, hadst Thou not found this mode of obtaining pardon for us, who would ever have been able to find it? It was with reason that David cried out, Declare His ways [Psalm 9: 12] Make known, O ye blessed, the loving contrivances which our God has employed in order to save us. Since, then, O my sweet Savior, Thou hast had such a love for me, cease not from exercising mercy towards me. Thou, by Thy death, hast rescued me from the hands of Lucifer: Into Thy hands do I consign my soul; it is for Thee to save it: Into Thy hands I commend my spirit; Thou hast redeemed me, O God of truth. [Psalm 30: 6]

II.
Little children, these things I write to you, that you may not Sin: but if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Just, and He is the propitiation for our sins. [1 John 2: 1] Jesus Christ did not, with His death, bring to an end His intercession for us with the Eternal Father: even at the present moment He is acting as our advocate; and it seems as if He knew not what else to do in Heaven, as St. Paul writes, but be moving the Father to exercise mercy towards us: ever living to make intercession for us.  [Hebrews 7: 25] And the Apostle adds that this is the end for which our Savior is ascended into Heaven: that He may now appear in the presence of God for us. [Hebrews 9: 24] As rebels are driven away from the presence of their king, so should we sinners have nevermore been deemed worthy of admission into the presence of our God, even so much as to ask His pardon; but Jesus, as our Redeemer, makes appearance for us in the Divine presence, and, through His merits, obtains for us the grace that we had lost.

You are come to Jesus the Mediator, and to the sprinkling of Blood, which speaketh better than Abel. [Hebrews 12: 22, 24] Oh, with how much greater effect does the Blood of the Redeemer implore for us the Divine mercy than did the blood of Abel plead for chastisement on Cain! My justice [said God to St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi] is transformed into mercy by the vengeance taken on the innocent flesh of Jesus Christ. The blood of this My Son pleads not with Me for vengeance, like the blood of Abel, but pleads only for mercy and pity; and at the sound of this voice my justice cannot but rest appeased. This Blood so binds its hands, that, so to speak, it cannot stir to take that vengeance upon sins which it used to take before.

Be not unmindful of the kindness of thy Surety. [Ecclus. 29: 19] Ah, my Jesus, I was already incapable, after my sins, of making satisfaction to the Divine justice, when Thou, by Thy death, wert willing to make satisfaction for me. Oh, what ingratitude would mine be now, were I to be unmindful of this Thy so great mercy! No, my Redeemer, never will I be unmindful of it; I desire to be ever thanking Thee for it, and to show forth my thankfulness by loving Thee, and doing all that I can to please Thee. Do Thou aid me by that grace which Thou hast, by so many sufferings, merited for me. I love Thee, my Jesus, my love, my hope!

III.
Come, O my dove, into the clefts of the rock. [Cant. 2: 14] Oh, what a safe place of refuge shall we ever find in the sacred clefts of the rock, in the wounds, that is to say, of Jesus Christ! "The clefts of the rock," says St. Peter Damian, "are the Redeemer's Wounds; in these has our soul placed its hope." There shall we be set free from that feeling of distrust which the sight of the sins that we have committed may produce; there shall we find weapons wherewith to defend ourselves when we shall be tempted to sin anew: Have confidence, my children, I have overcome the world. [John 16: 33] If you have not sufficient strength [our Savior exhorts us] to resist the assaults of the world, that offers you its pleasures, place your confidence in Me, for I have overcome it; and thus shall you likewise overcome. Pray the Eternal Father, said He, for the sake of My merits, to give you strength, and I promise you that He will grant you whatever you ask of Him in My name: Amen, amen, I say unto you, if you ask anything of the Father in My name, He will give it you. [John 16: 23] And elsewhere He confirms to us the promise, saying that whatsoever grace we shall, for His love, ask of God, He Himself, Who is one with the Father, will give it us: Whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in My name, that I will do: that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [Ibid. 14: 13]

Ah, Father Eternal, trusting to the merits and to these promises of Jesus Christ, I ask not of Thee the good things of earth, but Thy grace alone. True it is that, after the wrongs I have done Thee, I should not deserve either pardon or grace; yet, if I deserve them not, Thy Son hath merited them for me, by offering up His Blood and His life for me. For the love, then, of this Thy Son, grant me Thy pardon. Give me a great sorrow for my sins, and a great love towards Thee. Enlighten me to know how lovely is Thy goodness, and how great is the love which Thou hast borne me from all eternity. Make known to me Thy will, and give me strength to fulfill it perfectly. O Lord, I love Thee, and desire to do all that Thou dost desire of me.

IV.
Oh, how great is the hope of salvation which the death of Jesus Christ imparts to us: Who is He that shall condemn? Christ Jesus Who died, Who also maketh intercession for us. [Romans 8: 34] Who is it, asks the Apostle, that has to condemn us? It is that same Redeemer Who, in order not to condemn us to eternal death, condemned Himself to a cruel death upon a Cross. From this St. Thomas of Villanova encourages us, saying, What dost thou fear, sinner, if thou art willing to leave off thy sin? How should that Lord condemn thee, Who died in order not to condemn thee? How should He drive thee away when thou returnest to His feet, He Who came from Heaven to seek thee when thou wert fleeing from Him? " What art thou afraid of, sinner? How shall He condemn thee penitent, Who dies that thou mayst not be condemned? How shall He cast thee off returning, Who came from Heaven seeking thee?"  But greater still is the encouragement given us by this same Savior of ours, when, speaking by Isaiah, He says, Behold, I have graven thee upon My hands; thy walls are always before My eyes. [ Isaiah 49: 16] Be not distrustful, My sheep; see how much thou didst cost Me. I keep thee engraven upon My hands, in these Wounds which I have suffered for thee; these are ever reminding Me to help thee, and to defend thee from thine enemies; love Me and have confidence.

Yes, my Jesus, I love Thee, and feel confidence in Thee. To rescue me, yea, this has cost Thee dear; to save me will cost Thee nothing. It is Thy will that all should be saved, and that none should perish. If my sins cause me to dread, Thy goodness reassures me, more desirous as Thou art to do me good than I am to receive it. Ah, my beloved Redeemer, I will say to Thee with Job; Even though Thou shouldst kill me, yet I will hope in Thee, and Thou wilt be my Savior. [Job 13: 15] Wert Thou
even to drive me away from Thy presence, O my love, yet would I not leave off from hoping in Thee, who art my Savior. Too much do these Wounds of Thine and this Blood encourage me to hope for every good from Thy mercy. I love Thee, O dear Jesus: I love Thee, and I hope.

V.
The glorious St. Bernard one day, in sickness, saw himself before the judgment-seat of God, where the devil was accusing him of his sins, and telling him that he did not deserve Paradise: "It is true that I deserve not paradise," the Saint replied; "but Jesus has a two-fold title to this kingdom,------in the first place, as being by nature Son of God; in the next place, as having purchased it by His death. He contents Himself with the first of these, and the second He makes over to me; and therefore it is that I ask and hope for Paradise." We, too, can say the same; for St. Paul tells us that the will of Jesus Christ to die, consumed by sufferings, had for its end the obtaining of Paradise for all sinners that are penitent, and resolved to amend: And, being perfected, He was made the cause of eternal salvation to all that obey Him. [Hebrews 5: 9] And hence the Apostle subjoins: Let us run to the fight proposed unto us, looking on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of faith, Who, having joy proposed unto Him, underwent the Cross, despising the shame. [Hebrews 12: 1] Let us go forth with courage to fight against our enemies, fixing our eyes on Jesus Christ, Who, together with the merits of His Passion, offers us the victory and the crown.

He has told us that He is gone to Heaven to prepare a place for us: Let not your heart be troubled . . . for I go to prepare a place for you. [John 14: 1-2] He has told, and is continually telling His Father that, since He has consigned us to Him, He wishes us to be with Him in Paradise: Father, those whom Thou hast given Me, I will that where I am they also may be with Me. [John 17: 24] And what greater mercy could we have hoped for from the Lord, says St. Anselm, than for the Eternal Father to have said to a sinner, already for crimes condemned to Hell, and with no means of delivering himself from its punishments, "Take thou My Son, and offer Him in thy stead?" And for the same Son to have said, "Take Me, and deliver thyself from Hell? "What greater mercy can we imagine than that to one who, being a sinner, cannot redeem himself, God the Father should say, Accept of My only-begotten Son, and deliver Him over to be punished in thy stead; and that the Son should say, Take Me and redeem thyself?"

Ah, my loving Father, I thank Thee for having given me this Thy Son for my Savior; I offer to Thee His death; and, for the sake of His merits, I pray Thee for mercy. And ever do I return thanks to Thee, O my Redeemer, for having given Thy blood and Thy life to deliver me from eternal death. "We pray Thee, therefore, help Thy servants, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood." Help, then, us, Thy rebellious servants, since Thou hast redeemed us at so great a cost. O Jesus, my one and only hope! Thou dost love me.

Thou hast power to do all things: make me a Saint. If I am weak, do Thou give me strength; if I am sick, in consequence of the sins I have committed, do Thou apply to my soul one drop of Thy Blood, and heal me. Give me the love of Thee, and final perseverance, making me die in Thy grace. Give me Paradise; through Thy merits do I ask it of Thee, and hope to obtain it. I love Thee, O my most lovely God, with all my soul; and I hope to love Thee always. Oh, help a miserable sinner, who is wishing to love Thee.

VI.
Having, therefore, a great High-Priest, Who hath penetrated the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high-priest Who cannot have compassion on our infirmities, but one tempted in all things like as we are, yet without sin. [Hebrews 4: 14] Since, says the Apostle, we have this Savior, Who has opened to us Paradise, which was at one time closed to us by sin, let us always have confidence in His merits; because, from having of His goodness willed to suffer in Himself also our miseries, He well knows how to compassionate us: Let us, therefore, go with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid. [Ibid., 14: 16] Let us, then, go with confidence to the throne of the Divine mercy, to which we have access by means of Jesus Christ, that so we may there find all the graces that we need. And how can we doubt, subjoins St. Paul, but that God, having given us His Son, has given us together with that Son all His goods: He delivered Him up for us all; how hath He not, with Him, given us all things? [Romans 8: 32] Cardinal Hugo comments on this: "He will give the lesser, that is to say eternal life, Who hath given the greater, that is to say His Own Son." That Lord will not deny us the lesser, which is eternal life, Who has gone so far as to give us the greater, which is His Own Son Himself.

O my chief and only good! what shall I render Thee, miserable as I am, in return for so great a gift as that which Thou hast given me of Thy Son? To Thee will I, with David, say, The Lord shall repay for me. [Psalm 137: 8] Lord, I have not wherewith to recompense Thee. That same Son of Thine can alone render Thee worthy thanks; let Him thank Thee in my stead. O my most merciful Father! by the wounds of Jesus, I pray Thee to save me. I love Thee, O infinite goodness; and because I love Thee, I repent of having offended Thee. My God, my God, I wish to be all Thine own; accept of me for the sake of the love of Jesus Christ. Ah, my sweet Creator, is it possible that Thou, after having given me Thy Son, shouldst deny me the good things that belong to Thee,------Thy grace, Thy love, Thy Paradise?

VII.
St. Leo declares that Jesus Christ, by His death, has brought us more good than the devil brought us evil in the sin of Adam: "We have gained greater things through the grace of Christ than we had lost through the envy of the devil." And this the Apostle distinctly says, when writing to the Romans: Not as the offense so also is the gift. Where the offense abounded, grace did superabound. [Romans 5: 15-20] Cardinal Hugo explains it: "The grace of Christ is of greater efficacy than is the offense."
There is no comparison, says the Apostle, between the sins of man and the gift which God has made us in giving us Jesus Christ; great as was the sin of Adam, much greater by far was the grace which Jesus Christ, by His Passion, merited for us: I have come that they may have life, and that
they may have it more abundantly. [John 10: 10] I am come into the world, the Savior protests, to the end that mankind, who were dead through sin, may receive through Me not only the life of grace, but a life yet more abundant than that which they had lost by sin. Wherefore it is that Holy Church calls the sin happy which has merited to have such a Redeemer: "O happy fault, which deserved such and so great a Redeemer."

Behold, God is my Savior, I will deal confidently, and will not fear. [Isaiah 12: 2] If, then, O my Jesus, Thou, Who art an omnipotent God, art also my Savior, what fear shall I have of being damned? If, in time past, I have offended Thee, I repent of it with all my heart. From this time forth I wish to serve Thee, to obey Thee, and to love Thee. I firmly hope that Thou, my Redeemer, Who hast done and suffered so much for my salvation, wilt not deny me any grace that I shall need in order to be saved: "I will act with confidence, firmly hoping that nothing necessary to salvation will be denied me by Him Who has done and suffered so much for my salvation."

You shall draw water from the fountains of the Savior, and you shall say in that day, Praise ye the Lord, and call upon His name. [Isaiah 12: 3] The wounds of Jesus Christ are now the blessed fountains from which we can draw forth all graces, if we pray unto Him with faith: And a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord, and shall water the torrent of thorns. [Joel 3: 8] The death of Jesus, says Isaiah, is precisely this promised fountain, which has bathed our souls in the water of grace, and, from being thorns of sins, has, by its merits, transformed them into flowers and fruits of life eternal. He, the loving Redeemer, made Himself, as St. Paul tells us, poor in this world, in order that we, through the merit of His poverty, might become rich: For your sakes He became poor, that, through His poverty, you might be rich. [2 Cor. 8: 9] By reason of sin we were ignorant, unjust, wicked, slaves of Hell; but Jesus Christ, says the Apostle, by dying and making satisfaction for us, is by God made for us Wisdom, Justice, Sanctification, and Redemption. [1 Cor. 1: 30] That is to say, as St. Bernard explains it, "Wisdom, in His preaching, justice in His absolving, sanctification in His conduct, redemption in His Passion. He has made Himself our wisdom by instructing us, our justice by pardoning us, our sanctity by His example, and our redemption by His Passion, delivering us from the hands of Lucifer. In short, as St. Paul says, the merits of Jesus Christ have enriched us with all good things, so that we no more want for anything in order to be able to receive all graces: In all things you are made rich; so that nothing is wanting to you in any grace. [1 Cor. 1: 5]

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