Lent with Bossuet – Meditations on the Gospel (5)

At this sad spectacle Jesus could not keep back His tears: “If you knew, oh soul! If you knew! He cannot stop. Sobs interrupt His discourse. His tongue cannot find words to express the blindness of this soul: If you knew! at least on this day which is again given you, and where God visits you through His grace. (Lk. 19:42)

When an interior light shows you your crimes, when you are invited to give glory to God, and all cries within you that you must give yourself to Him—just as on this day of the visit to Jerusalem, when everybody, even the children, cried out to the Son of David. If you do not listen, the moment will pass. This grace so strong and active will never return.

“All this is hidden from thy eyes” (Luke 19:42). Your heart is heavy; your eyes are closed, and grown dim; your passions blind you; a dark veil is drawn over your eyelids; and a frightful drowsiness weighs them down. Oh, soul! Jesus weeps over you, and yet you do not weep over yourself? Weep. Weep. Oh, spiritual Jerusalem! Weep over your loss, at least on this day when the Lord visits you in such an admirable manner. If until now you have been insensible to your own loss, weep today, and you will live. Do not lose one moment of grace, because you will never know whether this will not be the last that will be given to you.