"The Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King
He will save us." (Is. XXXIII. 22).
He is our King, therefore He has a right to make laws for us. And who
could be a better Judge of how the laws are kept than He Who made them?
Am I afraid at the sterner aspect which things seem to have taken? There
is no need, for He is still our _Emmanuel_, but He can only be thus our
Friend and Companion by being also the One Who has an absolute right to
make laws for us and to expect our obedience. "You are My _friends_, if
you do the things I command you" (St. John XV. 14). The reason for _all_
His titles is that He wills to _save_ us. He is first of all the Saviour
and then, in order that our salvation may be accomplished, He makes
Himself our King, our Lawgiver and finally our Judge. "If you love Me,
keep My commandments." Such is our Lawgiver's appeal. Surely His
commandments are not grievous. He Who did always the things which
pleased His Father, asks us to try to do the same.
O my little Lawgiver, accomplishing so silently and so perfectly the
Will of Thy Father, command me and I will obey, give Thy orders through
whom Thou wilt; be they hard or easy, be they in accordance with my will
or contrary to my whole nature! I will think of Thy perfect submission
to Thy Father's Will during those nine months for me and will say: I,
too, will do always the things which please Him no matter what they
cost.