If God has given us everything and even Himself, how can we outrage him by using his benefits to crucify him by sin?
4 min • Digitized on March 10, 2022
From The Sinner’s Guide, page 53
By Venerable Louis of Granada
If, therefore, the son of Jacob felt such gratitude for perishable benefits, what should be ours for the immortal blessings God has bestowed upon us? Joseph’s master entrusted him with all his possessions. God has given us not only His possessions but Himself.
What is there on earth that He has not made for us? Earth, sky, sun, moon, stars, tides, birds, beasts, fishes—in short, all things under heaven are ours, and even the riches of heaven itself, the glory and happiness of eternity.
“All things are yours,” says the Apostle, “whether it be Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; for all are yours,” [1 cor. iii. 22.] for all these contribute to your salvation.
And we not only possess the riches of heaven, but the Lord of heaven. He has given Himself to us in a thousand ways: as our Father, our Teacher, our Saviour, our Master, our Physician, our Example, our Food, our Reward. In brief, the Father has given us the Son, and the Son has made us worthy to receive the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Ghost has united us to the Father and the Son, the Source of every grace and blessing.
Again, since God has given you all the benefits you enjoy, how can you use these benefits to outrage so magnificent a Benefactor? If you are unmindful of the crime of your ingratitude, you are more ungrateful than the savage beasts, colder and more hardened than senseless objects.
St. Ambrose, after Pliny, relates the story of a dog that had witnessed the murder of his master. All night the faithful animal remained by the body, howling most piteously, and on the following day, when a concourse of people visited the scene, the dog noticed the murderer among them, and falling upon him with rage, thus led to the discovery of his crime.
If poor animals testify so much love and fidelity for a morsel of bread, will you return offences for divine benefits? If a dog will manifest such indignation against his master’s murderer, how can you look with indifference on the murderers of your sovereign Lord?
And who are these murderers? None other than your sins. Yes, your sins apprehended Him and bound Him with ignominious fetters, loaded Him with infamy, overwhelmed Him with outrages, bruised Him with blows, and nailed Him to the cross. His executioners could never have accomplished this without the fatal aid of your sins.
Will you, then, feel no hatred for the barbarous enemies who put your Saviour to death? Can you look upon this Victim immolated for you, without feeling an increase of love for Him?
All that He did and suffered upon earth was intended to produce in our hearts a horror and detestation of sin. His hands and feet were nailed to the cross in order to bind sin. Will you render all His sufferings and labors fruitless to you? Will you remain in the slavery of sin when He purchased your freedom at the price of His Blood?
Will you not tremble at the name of sin, which God has wrought such wonders to efface? What more could God have done to turn men from sin than to place Himself nailed to the cross between them and this terrible evil?
What man would dare to offend God, were heaven and hell open before him? Yet a God nailed to a cross is a still more terrible and appalling sight. I know not what can move one who is insensible to such a spectacle.