Tuesday After Trinity Sunday

The Divine Adoption

Preparation. - "Behold," says St. John, "what manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called, and should be the sons of God" (1 John 3. 1). We shall consider tomorrow, first, in what the divine adoption consists, and secondly, its precious effects in us. Thence we may derive powerful motives of shunning whatever displeases God, our Father, and of submitting entirely to His every will, as is befitting docile and obedient children. "That we should be called and should be the children of God."

I. In What The Divine Adoption Consists.

Adoption, according to St. Thomas, is the gratuitous acceptation of a stranger as a child and heir. When a man adopts some one, he does not form him after his image, but takes him as he is with his qualities and defects. But God acts quite otherwise; He renders those He chooses fit for His adoption. Hence He purifies them of the leprosy of sin, clothes them with sanctifying grace, imparts His wisdom, His holiness and even His nature to them, so as to elevate them to Himself and make them worthy of Himself. Thus they become brethren of Jesus, animated with the same spirit, and may then in all security and with sincere love call Him, "Our Father who art in heaven." O How great and sublime is the elevation of the soul possessed of the divine adoption!

The world looks upon it as a great honor and glory to be the son, the daughter of a sovereign, of some great personage; but how worthy of far greater esteem is the dignity of a child of the Lord of the universe! "He who knows how to appreciate it," says St. Cyprian, "will no longer admire any thing here below." When our flesh allures us to evil, we should reply: I am the child of God, and am born to great things, and not to gratify my corrupt senses. When the world tempts us by its pleasures, riches or honors, let us say to it: I, as the child of the Most High, am called to the joys, riches and honors of the kingdom of heaven. If the devil seeks to seduce us, let us repel him, saying: Begone, Satan, be it far from me that I should have the misfortune of ever becoming thy slave, for I am the child of the King of kings.

O Lord, whom I may call by the sweet name of Father, permit me not to offend Thee grievously, and thus lose the august privilege of being Thy child. I repent of having so often incurred Thy disgrace by my sins. I was then unworthy to be called Thy child. Deign now to forgive me repentant, and receive my soul as Thy own child. Enable me faithfully to keep the resolutions, first, always to watch over myself, in order to avoid even the slightest faults, and secondly, to pray without ceasing that I may perfectly perform my duties towards Thee and persevere to the end.

II. Precious Effects Of The Divine Adoption.

God the Father, says St. Paul, "hath predestinated us unto the adoption of children through Jesus Christ unto Himself" (Eph. 1. 5). Hence He sent us His beloved Son, in whom it behooves us to believe, that we may become the children of the heavenly Father, and therefore the Spirit of the Father and the Son has been given to us. "The Spirit Himself giveth testimony, that we are the sons of God ... You have received the spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry Abba, Father" (Rom. 8. 16, 15). How infinitely precious is this grace!

It produces in us three great effects. First, it enables us to participate in the grandeur, wisdom, holiness and nature of the Father who adopts us. Secondly, it gives us the Holy Ghost, who, living in us, communicates to us Christ's thoughts, desires and sentiments, inspires all our supernatural acts, directs, continues and completes them in us and with us, so that they become, as it were, divine and worthy of the richest rewards. This admirable prerogative procures us the inestimable advantage of multiplying our merits without ceasing, beyond all expression, until our last breath.

The third effect is thus indicated by St. Paul: "If sons, heirs also; heirs indeed of God, and joint heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8. 17). Heirs of God, because He is our Father, and children inherit their parents' possessions; joint heirs with Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Brother, the first-born among His brethren, that is, men redeemed by Him. These three precious fruits of our divine adoption raise to the most sublime greatness our soul and our life, and secure for us a happy death and promise us an eternity of delights. These are motives well calculated to inspire us towards God our Father with the sentiments of gratitude, confidence and love, which animated Jesus, our adorable Model.

My God, Father of my soul, through the merits of Jesus and Mary, deign to look down upon me and grant me the childlike love, which will induce me to offer Thee my most humble homages. I am resolved, first, punctually to keep Thy commandments and simply to submit to Thy every will; and secondly, often to thank Thee for Thy benefits, and to refer to Thy glory every thing that is good in me, since it is the fruit of Thy grace, without which I can do nothing for my salvation.