193 part i: sunday meditations for the entire year will suffer none of those ailments and weaknesses. Yet, God’s teaching must be observed with even greater attention, because it brings eternal and immortal life to our soul. So that you can more easily attain it, beg the Lord to guard you from all deeds contrary to His law and His words. For you say, O Lord, that You are a Samaritan, which means guardian. You did not refute this name pinned on You as a slander by impious men, and thus You acknowledge yourself as the Guardian of all humankind. Therefore, guard me, O Lord, as the apple of Your eye (cf. Ps 17:8), from every evil lapse. Protect me under the shadow of Your wings from the passion and the assault of infernal enemies. Bring it about that, in turn, I may keep Your words, and by keeping them, may attain and acquire everlasting life. Amen. PALM SUNDAY Before Holy Communion 1. “As they drew near to Jerusalem … Jesus sent two disciples” (cf. Mt 21:1). [f.39r] Consider that whenever Christ the Lord draws near to souls who are pious and devoted to Him, He always sends ahead two disciples, like envoys: that is, an affliction or a cross that would exercise us in patience; and a mortification that would make our will submissive to His. Then, after these two messengers, He himself comes and bestows upon us spiritual delights, and a precious sweetness. This happened (as you learn from the Gospel story) to the disciples, whom the Lord of death was about to fortify by His Resurrection; He taught and wished that they first suffer sadness because of His Passion and death, and that they make their will resemble His own, so that, when He died, they could endure His death with equanimity. 2. “untie them and bring them to [M]e” (Mt 21:2). Consider that the donkey from today’s Gospel can represent simple, honest, and obedient people, whom the Lord orders to be
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