"Sweet as the dew from Heaven and bitter as the waters of the ocean, tears are equally a sign of joy or of sadness, and because both these feelings come from the heart, it follows that tears are but the words of the heart, the exterior manifestation of what it feels within.
The love of Jesus for His Father, the love of Jesus for men, was then the cause of His tears - tears of joy because of the glory He was about to procure for His Father and the salvation He was bringing to the world by His sacrifice, tears of sadness on account of the insults continually offered to that well-beloved Father and because of the ingratitude of which mankind was guilty."
"What our Savior suffered on the Cross not even an Angel of Heaven could adequately describe, for his sufferings were immeasurable. …
The most painful tortures imaginable were inflicted upon the holy Body of Christ; it was submerged in an ocean of suffering. Through the inhuman scourging, His sacred Body was all torn and wounded. Through the brutal Crowning with Thorns, His adorable head was pierced with numberless wounds. When Jesus was nailed to the Cross, His sacred limbs were violently extended. …
While lovingly contemplating the image of the Crucified, St. Gertrude understood that „When anyone, with tender devotion, looks upon this image, Our Lord in turn looks upon him with such merciful compassion that his soul receives a most consoling impression from Divine Love, so that the whole Heavenly Court is filled with joy. The oftener he does this on earth with reverence and love, the greater will be his reward in Heaven."
"The Love of the Sacred Heart" by St. Mechtilde, p. 22-23
"Devotion to the Precious Blood", p. 23-27
