Today is Monday of Holy Week. Yesterday, after the Palm Sunday Mass in Pittsburgh, I spotted the following quote from St. Francis de Sales (b. 1567- d. 1622) in the bulletin of St. John XXIII Parish; it is on point for Holy Week, so I thought I would share it today.
From the pen of the bishop and Doctor of the Church, St. Francis de Sales:
O contemplate how Jesus Christ our Savior, at the moment of His incarnation, took us all without exception on His shoulders, because from that moment He accepted the task of redeeming us by His death on the cross!
The Redeemer’s soul knew all of us by name, above all on the day of His passion, when He offered His tears, His prayers, His blood and His life for all, and addressed His Eternal Father on our behalf with this loving aspiration: “Father, I take upon myself all the sins of poor Theotimus.* I am ready to undergo torment and death so that he may be freed.”
O supreme love of the heart of Jesus! What heart can ever bless You as devoutly as it ought?
* “Theotimus” is a literary name used by St. Francis de Sales to indicate the person whom he is addressing. Another literay name he uses is “Philothea”.
The Redeemer knows us all by name, especially on the day of His passion. (paraphrase, St. Francis de Sales)
That is the Good News of the Gospel in a simplified form; very beautiful!
May you have a good day in this holy week.
~SCF
~Image: the loving heart of Jesus Christ.
