Brothers! This day is the day of surrender to the suffering and death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You faithful souls, who know how to appreciate and feel the greatest self-sacrifice for our salvation made by the Lord and friend common to all of us!
From this day on, mainly guard your heart in the most careful way for Him alone, and do not let anything worldly, corruptible, or any passion take possession of you.
Prove that you also know how to respond to love with love, that you are true Christians, and out of love for Christ you stay awake with Him, that is, watch over your heart, even though for several hours He alone drank the cup of heavenly wrath for us.
Enter by faith into your hearts together with Him who is suffering for us. He suffers there, in your heart. Bring to mind your sins, be contrite, and if you can, weep for them. Weep for yourselves (Luke 23:28), says the Lord.
Raise your sighs and tears to Christ, and this will be the most pleasant sacrifice to the Lord who is suffering for us. For your heartfelt gift, you will soon feel in your heart His favor towards you: peace in your soul, surpassing all understanding (cf. Phil. 4:7), and heavenly quiet joy will announce to you that your sacrifice of a contrite and humble heart is not put to shame, but accepted by the Lord into His spiritual and noetical altar.
Having been cleansed of sins in the sacrament of repentance this evening, if someone has not yet been cleansed before, tomorrow you will be worthy to partake of His body and blood: may this supper of love unite you with the One Who ordered it to be performed in His memory; may it always remind you of His boundless love for us, and may it give you the strength to spend the coming great days in a holy manner, in the spirit of fervent love for the Lord, who laid down His soul for us. Amen.
