examination of the heart 254 THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Before Holy Communion 1. “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear [H]im” (Lk 15:1). As the sun draws up harmful moisture from the earth, and sometimes makes the reptiles come out, so Jesus, the Sun of Justice, was attracting, and continued to attract to Himself the tax collectors, [f.64v] the sinners, and other wicked people. He did it to such great extent that if you consider His whole life, you discover that it was spent on deeds of mercy and compassion. Still in His cradle, He attracted the pagan Kings; when He was teaching, He attracted Zacchaeus, Matthew, Magdalene, and numerous others; when dying, He attracted a thief, a centurion, and Longinus, who pierced His side. What is more: as the head of His Church He set up none other than a sinner. And so you, a sinner, come near this Magnet; that is to say, the uncreated Sun, who often and with such great clemency draws sinners to Himself by the bonds of charity. And when you see that you have been drawn to Him, having already attained some improvement, try to edify other sinners by your example. 2. “to hear [H]im” (Lk 15:1). Consider how very blessed were those sinners and tax collectors who gathered for the sole purpose of hearing Jesus. Indeed, they did not have the same intention for listening to His discourses as the Pharisees had, who were only watching for what He would say. But these sinners wanted to hear Him, because the words of eternal life, for which they had a very great longing, flowed out from His mellifluous mouth like the dew. You are miserable indeed if you hear and read the words of God with any other intention than obtaining from them saving fruit. Moreover, you are even more appalling if you do not prepare nor open your heart to the inspirations of the most eloquent Jesus in this Holy Communion.
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