Father, and to open to them the gates of heaven. He suffered in every manner, because in every manner men had offended their God, and because His object was to apply a remedy to every vice. To correct our covetousness, He chose to die naked; to reform our pride, He willingly suffered reproaches; he opposed his torments to our luxury, and He drank vinegar and gall to atone for our intemperance.
II. He suffered in a most peculiar manner for His enemies, that is, for all sinners; for "God commendeth His charity towards us, because, when as yet we were sinners, according to the time, Christ died for us and when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God; by the death of His Son." (Rom. v. 8, 10.) And what is more, when He was in the act of expiring on the cross, He prayed for His executioners, that He might teach us " to overcome evil by good." (Rom. xii. 21.)
III. Christ suffered for all mankind in general, and for each of us in particular. Apply, then. His sufferings to yourself, and make them your own. Render yourself capable of saying with St. Paul, " I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and delivered Himself for me." (Gal. ii. 20.) Reflect what return you can make for so much love: "What shall I render to the Lord for all the things that He hath rendered to me? I will take the chalice of salvation." (Ps. cxv. 3.) Take, therefore, the chalice of His passion, and drink it up, at least spiritually by contemplation: this is the return which your Saviour expects, and of which He will most cordially accept.
