Day 14
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. (Ephesians 2:13-16)
From the “Revelations” of St. Gertrude the Great (+1302)
After her Communion, as she recollected herself interiorly, our Lord appeared to her under the form of a pelican, as it is usually represented, piercing its heart with its beak. Marveling at this, she said : "My Lord, what would you teach me by this vision?" "I wish," replied our Lord, "that you would consider the excess of love which obliges Me to present you with such a gift; for after having thus given Myself, I would rather remain dead in the tomb, so to speak, than deprive a soul who loves Me of the fruit of My liberality. Consider also, that even as the blood which comes from the heart of the pelican gives life to its little ones, so also the soul whom I nourish with the Divine Food which I present to it, receives a life which will never end." As Gertrude examined her conscience one day, she discovered some faults which she was extremely anxious to confess; but as she could not have recourse to her confessor at the time, she began as usual to discover her grief to our Lord, who consoled her thus: "Why," He inquired, "are you troubled, My beloved, since I am the sovereign Priest and true Pontiff, to whom you can have recourse ; and I can renew in your soul with greater efficacy the grace of the seven sacraments, by a single operation, than either priest or Bishop could by conferring each separately? For I will baptize you in My precious Blood; I will confirm you in My victorious strength; I will espouse you in My faithful love; I will consecrate you in the perfection of My holy life; I will absolve you from all your sins by the charity of My heart; I will feed you Myself by My overflowing tenderness, and I will feed Myself also on you; I will purify you inwardly by so powerful an anointing of the sweetness of My spirit, that all your senses and your actions will breathe the most fervent piety, which, pouring down on you like holy oil, will sanctify you more and more unto life eternal." “Oh that all the waters of the sea were changed into blood, that I might pass them over my head and thus wash away my exceeding vileness.” “You did utter with such amazing fervor when sweating blood in agony.” “O most merciful Lord, engrave you wounds upon my heart with your most Precious Blood, that I may read in them both your grief and your love.”