examination of the heart 304 Him, He will much more quickly care for your salvation if you place yourself in His presence. Go, therefore, lay bare your wounds, reveal your illness, and you will be healed. 2. “When he heard” (Jn 4:47). Note the great care with which the royal official treated his bedridden son. Having received the news that Jesus drives away all illnesses, he hurried to Him without delay and asked Him to heal his son. But you do the opposite. Although you should take care of the health of your soul above all, you entangle yourself in other things, while neglecting what is most important. O how very lightly you take illness of your soul! Indeed, if you cherished your salvation, as loving parents usually care for their children, you would visit a physician daily, keeping him very near you in order to receive a remedy against everyday relapses. From now on, learn better what means you should use to combat your illnesses. [f.86v] 3. “for he was at the point of death” (Jn 4:47). Consider how useless medicine is when given too late to those who are already dying. And if penance is the most potent medicine for a soul, believe that it is not at all beneficial if applied too late. For that reason, as corporal medicine will not benefit those who are nearing death, because, having abandoned all hope for living, they are full of sadness and are not well prepared to take it; so the medicine of the soul, penance, does not help men already on the verge of spiritual death. This happens for the following reason: recognizing the multitude and gravity of their evil deeds, they frequently tend to fall into despair. They seem to be unprepared to apply that medicine, compelled to grief by the most acute stings of conscience, which by no means can be driven away. Therefore rise, rise Jerusalem, my soul, and clothe yourself in fortitude! (cf. Is 51:9, 17; 52:1). Do not delay your penance, but earnestly approaching the heavenly physician and exposing to His view the illnesses of your soul, with the hope of regaining health, say to Him: “Lord, come down before my son dies” (Jn 4:49).
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