“We adore you, O Jesus, and we bless you and thank you,
because by your Cross and Resurrection you have redeemed us.”
Saint George Preca
It is a part of life that sometimes we do not conduct ourselves as God wishes us to do, and we should not wait for Lent to reconcile ourselves to God, as we do in Confession. Every person is unique, and his actions are not tied to any particular time of the year, like when we move from one amusement to another, but then during Lent we take a short break.
‘The Great Book’
Saint George Preca, therefore, proposed a few helps to do penance as part of life all the year round, at any time of life. For him, Christ, redeeming us from sin, was ‘The Great Book’. In 50 reflections he tells us to ‘stay on Calvary before Christ Jesus Crucified, beside the Blessed Virgin Mary His Mother, and take from Him teachings of eternal life.’ Included among the meditations of ‘The Great Book’ there are those on the horror of sin, on the necessity of penance, on hope from the blood of Christ, on the mercy of God, on God being the refuge of sinners, , and on other subjects related to penance.
‘The Sanctuary of the Spirit of Christ’
A beautiful book full of inspiration from the last weeks in the life of Christ is ‘The Sanctuary of the Spirit of Christ’. It includes 50 episodes of one or two verses each about what Jesus did throughout his life. For each episode he asks: “What spirit do you observe in this circumstance?’
The book also includes 50 questions about what Jesus taught, asking: ‘What comes to your mind with these words?’ One statement he gives is: ‘Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also’ (Mt 6,21). And the answer he gives is: ‘“A man’s mind is directed to what he loves; one who loves God seeks God in all things.’”
‘The Sanctuary of the Spirit of Christ’ also includes 50 questions: ‘What did Jesus suffer for?’ for each of which he asks: ‘What do you notice here?’ That is, for whom and for what reason did Jesus suffer so much? This is one example: “Christ suffered when blindfolded during the Passion.” For which the answer given is: “Here Jesus suffered for sins committed with our eyes to see what is not appropriate.
“The book also contains 50 sentences about what the Spirit of Christ is not, such as when we are envious of the good others have done.
Another interesting exercise in this book is named ‘What does this remind you of?’, where Saint George Preca mentions an object or an action we encounter in life to reflect on what it reminds us of in the life of Jesus, like: “Do you remember when someone corrected you?” The answer is: “When Jesus looked at Peter to correct him.”
In ‘The Sanctuary of the Spirit of Christ’, Saint George Preca also opens dialogues with Jesus reminding him of 55 episodes in his life, such as: ‘Lord Jesus, do you remember when you wept over Jerusalem because Jews did not accept you?’ and expresses himself thus: ‘With how much love do you wish us to pursue good!’
Prayers of a Contrite Heart
Saint George Preca left us also 12 prayers of a contrite heart, short paragraphs with excerpts from the Bible mentioning the repentance of Biblical persons. Included in the ‘Prayers of a Contrite Heart’ are repentant sinners, such as King David, the apostle Peter, Mary Magdalene, the ‘good’ thief on the cross, and others, following wrongs they had committed. While showing the horror of sin, Saint George Preca still puts his trust in the great mercy of God towards the sinner.
These are like some refrains we repeat in the Ash Wednesday Mass, where we pray: “O God, have mercy on, us for we have sinned.” Saint George Preca gives a particular way to these Psalms, like the first one which is this: “How sorry am I, O lord, that I have tread against you! Peace has forsaken me, your benefits rebuke me, and fear overcomes me. Do not despise me, humiliated and confused as I am before you. I am ashamed to lift my eyes to you. Keep me as one of the least of your servants.”
“Look here and be calm.”
Among Saint George Preca’s writings about the Crucifix, and the way to look at it, there is this very beautiful one taken from the book Talks to Children.
“Tell me, who may look at the Crucifix and not rest in perfect peace?” Do your sins frighten you? Imagine Christ crucified telling you: Look here and keep calm for I have paid for you.
“Has someone treated you badly? Imagine Christ crucified telling you: Look here and keep calm for I have done good and have been paid with evil.”
“Are you hurt or saddened? Imagine Christ crucified telling you: Look here and keep calm for though innocent, I am in a sea of pain, of sorrow. ”
“Are you missing something? Imagine Christ crucified telling you: Look here and be still as I am nailed naked to the cross. ”
“Are you being ridiculed? Listen to Christ crucified telling you: Look here and be still for I who am God, am an object of ridicule, mockery and laughter.”
In a word, in whatever spiritual state you find yourself in. You always could find comfort to draw from Christ crucified, telling anyone who looks at him that all ends in death: both pleasures and tears.
Never think of yourself as spiritual if you should turn your gaze anywhere else but on the Crucifix. Christ alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and no one reaches the eternal kingdom of peace except through him alone. Do you seek temporary pleasures? Know that you would not be a true disciple of Christ who suffered for us and left us an example to follow him, who committed no sin. See therefore that in the face of suffering you may sincerely say: “O Holy Cross, I salute you!”
Joe Galea
SDC Member
