463 part ii: meditations for more solemn feasts fectly; teach you to know, love, and worship God and endeavor, having forsaken the world, to reach Heaven and aim for it, and finally, to arrive there at some time. Do not dare, therefore, to kill these envoys of God, that is, do not treat them with disregard and neglect them by not following them to the end; but welcome themwillingly, and submit to them in the smallest things. Yes, behold, the God-Man Himself in His own Person comes to you and is already at the door. Go, hasten, invite and receive Him, but not with the resolve of killing nor with the intention of crucifying Him. 2. “that upon you may come all the righteous blood” (Mt 23:35). Take into consideration what kind of action you undertake, for what kind of work you make yourself ready. Do you want to receive the Body of the Lord and to drink His Blood at the same time? Examine what you are like and put yourself in order, lest the righteous Blood fall on you, and lest it contribute, like for Judas, to your punishment in hell, instead of salvation. Thus, prepare yourself for receiving Jesus, so that you gain enormous benefit from His Communion, namely: the benefit of improvement, of progress, and of eternal life. Be on your guard, lest an accusation, similar to that with which Christ complained about the Jews that they had deprived of life many of the just, apply to you; lest you be tormented with a punishment similar to that which fell on those who took His Blood upon themselves and upon their children (cf. Mt 27:25). Instead, work hard so that you may belong to the number of people about whom it was said: “They go from strength to strength; the God of gods will be seen in Zion” (Ps 84:7). 3. “whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar” (Mt 23:35). Oh, how often the innocent Lamb Jesus is slain and crucified again between the temple and the altar, and not only between the drinking-bouts and revelries of those who receive [f.149r] Holy Communion unworthily! As for you, be on your guard; beware, lest you commit anything of this kind. The impious Joash, King of Judah, commanded that Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, be killed
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