Part 10
After the discourse at the Last Supper Jesus takes off His outer garments, girds Himself with a towel, pours water into a vessel, and approaches Peter to wash his feet. For this purpose the Lord kneels down and prepares to wash Peter’s feet. Peter is really shocked at this self‐abasement; he revolts at the thought that he should allow this to be done to him by his divine Master, Whom he had acknowledged, and Whom he knew to be God. Our Lord practised this out of humility, at this solemn moment just before parting from His disciples, to show how important this humility is, and to make a great impression on all of us. We, too, must be humble, and humiliate ourselves as did Our Lord. We cannot practise virtue without humility; we cannot enter heaven unless we possess this virtue. He washes the feet of the apostles just before the two great acts of His life: the institution of the Blessed Sacrament and the beginning of His sacred Passion.
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Twelfth Day.
Our Lord was determined to perform the ceremony of the washing of the feet of St. Peter and the apostles. He advised Peter to be obedient, and to allow the washing to take place, otherwise he would have no part with Him. When Peter heard this he became very much afraid, and with his usual ardor he cried out: “Lord, not only my feet, but my head, my whole body.” Our Lord answered: “He that has his feet washed is entirely cleansed. You are washed clean, still not all.” By this, reference was made to the condition of Judas. Why does the Lord make reference to the washing of the feet? Because it is the feet that are soiled when we come in contact with the world; but if our feet do not touch the world, if our hearts are above the things of this world, we may be sure that we have not contracted any filth on the soul.
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Thirteenth Day.
After the ceremony of the washing of the feet, Our Lord concludes His discourse by telling His apostles that now He will not say much more to them, for the prince of this world, Satan, is about to approach to claim a share in His sacred humanity: but in that He has no part. This He tells them, that the world may acknowledge that the Son loves His Father, and that He does all that is required of Him.—John xiv. 30. There are many who love to sit at the table of the Lord, to be filled with consolation, and to enjoy the spiritual luxury of His company. But few there are who would follow Christ to the cross. We must not only love the table of the Lord, but we must also be with Him in His Passion. We should suffer the trials sent to us, as good followers of the Lord Jesus. Remain then with the Lord under all circumstances, whether it be for consolation or bitterness of suffering. Some of the saints understood this so well that they prayed for afflictions.
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Fourteenth Day.
And now, after the Last Supper, the Lord goes forth with His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemani, where He is so overcome with fear and sorrow, that He seems to cling to the society of the apostles for consolation. Falling down on His face, He prays that the chalice might pass, yet not as He would, but as the Father willed it. The disciples slept as if they had lost all sympathy for the Lord. But why is Our Saviour so distressed? Why is He so downcast? The sins and the consequences of sin appear before Him so vividly, and He is so overwhelmed with them, that He feels His soul oppressed unto death. He sees all the misery of humanity, all the cruelty practised by man, all the ignorance and degradation of the world; and for this He must suffer, to bring God’s mercy again to man. He is to take upon Himself all the sins of mankind. He is to be degraded to the level of a slave, to die the same death, and all for us.
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Fifteenth Day.
In the terrible agony of Our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemani, the Lord saw all the sins of mankind. He sees the injustice of man in comparison to the eternal justice of God. He beholds their ingratitude to His everlasting love, their obduracy against the sweet mercy of God. This leprosy of sin has been laid on the Lord, so that, as the Psalmist says: “The confusion of my face hath covered me.”—Ps. xliii. 16. He is filled with the confusion of shame, because sin is so horrible. His soul is overwhelmed with bitterness, because sin is so full of malice and insult to God. Thus covered with our shame, He appears before His heavenly Father, prone on His face on the ground. The heavenly Father does not recognize His Son; Jesus prays, but is not heard. The justice of God casts Him away. He begs the Father for help, but He will not bend His ear to the supplication of His Son. Jesus waits for consolation, but instead receives His death sentence. He must drink the cup of sorrow to the very dregs.
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Sixteenth Day.
The Lord bade His disciples watch and pray, but hardly has He left them to themselves than they fall asleep. Judas is not asleep; he is actively engaged in getting his company together, giving them instructions how to proceed, so that they might elude the power of the Lord. But the disciples sleep, and are careless of the Lord’s interests. No wonder that the indifference of the disciples gave Him an additional pang. We, too, are the disciples of the Lord. Why do we sleep while the enemy is sowing the seed of error and irreligion? What effect has the instructions, the counsels of the divine Master, had upon us? They are all forgotten, and we look to our own comfort and to our pleasures; we go after the world, money and honors, but think little of God. Let us then watch and pray; the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak. The soul would act otherwise, if the body had not been allowed an almost limitless freedom while the soul is dying of spiritual starvation. Give your soul an opportunity to rise above the low necessities of the body, and the spirit will then be strong to compel the body to obey.
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Seventeenth Day.
When Our Lord had prayed and struggled in this mortal agony, He arose and assembled His disciples about Him, and awaited the coming of the traitor. And as He was yet speaking, behold, the crowd arrived, and Judas, one of the twelve, was with them; coming up to Jesus, he kissed Him, and the Lord said: “Judas, with a kiss you betray the Son of man.” Judas thus betrays the Lord with the sign of friendship. He comes up to Him as of old, when returning from a missionary tour, he was met by the Lord with open arms, and he, as well as the other disciples, would tell of their labors, their successes, and the good they had done. And now, as if to throw the Lord off His guard, he pretends to have the same spirit within his breast. O Lord Jesus! with what kindness didst Thou not even then receive Judas, that he might see that Thou didst still love him. In our frequent infidelities the Lord comes to us with the same sweetness and goodness. He would lead us back to our duties and the recognition of our faults. O that we would listen to the words of Our Lord!
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Eighteenth Day.
When Judas had given that traitorous sign, the kiss of peace, the disciples all fled. Our Lord had commanded, “If therefore you seek Me, let these go their way.” No sooner had the disciples seen that the Lord presented His hands to be tied, than they ran off in the greatest hurry. They had forgotten the assurance they had given that they would remain faithful. They whose feet had been washed in all humility by Our Lord, Who had fed them a short time before with His sacred body and blood. We are not far inferior in infidelity to the disciples. In the morning we have gone to communion, and before the day is over we have fallen into grievous sin. We had made many resolutions at our last confession, and at the approach of the first temptation we have fallen into the same sins again. We leave, without much concern, Jesus, the best friend we have in this world. Oh, let us remain faithful to the good Master of our souls, Who, after this life is over, promises us eternal rewards.
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Nineteenth Day.
Then the soldiers came up, and bound the Lord’s hands as He willingly offers them. He makes no opposition whatsoever. He might have continued the exhibition of His power by which they fell back three times, and He might have walked away. But the time of the Passion had come, and He allows the soldiers to have the mastery over Him. Christ has dissolved our bonds, and He is bound Himself; in fact, by that binding Christ has merited to loosen us from the slavery of Satan. But Christ was also bound that we, too, may bind ourselves in the law of God, and be faithful to its observance all the days of our life. Tie your will to the chains of the Lord Jesus; honor those chains, yes, even love them, as they are the bonds of the union between you and Him. Make up your mind to follow Christ, to be united to Him, and never desire to be freed from this close friendship.
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Twentieth Day.
The priests, the high priests and the Pharisees, the great enemies of the Lord, had held a meeting in expectation of bringing the prisoner for accusation and condemnation. This was the court to which the innocent Jesus was dragged; these were all His enemies. They all tried to destroy Him, and now the opportunity seems to present itself, and they are going to make the best of it. They are going to condemn Jesus; they encourage false witnesses, that they may make a show, at least, of the justice of the condemnation. It is considered necessary to put Jesus out of the way. “It is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.”—John xii. 50. In all this Our Lord is silent; not a word does Jesus utter in self‐defence. How easily could the divine wisdom confound human ingenuity, the skill of the lawyers, and the malice of the high priests. But Jesus held a mysterious silence, in which we must adore Him.
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Twenty‐first Day.
Peter, the great disciple of Jesus, he to whom the Lord had given so much, whom He had brought to Mount Thabor, for whom He paid taxes as for Himself; this Peter denied His Master. When Our Lord had been apprehended, Peter followed from afar, to see what would be the end of all this tragedy. He went on at some distance from Our Lord, until he reached the courtyard, where he could see all that was passing. There, among the soldiers, servants, and curiosity‐seekers, he stood, as if he had no interest in the affair except that which would bring any stranger there. They would not have known him, only for a woman who sat in such a way that the light fell on Peter’s face, and she immediately declared, “This man was with Him.” But Peter denied that fact; another and a third asserted that Peter was with Christ, for he was a Galilean—but Peter denied the accusation with an oath.
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Twenty‐second Day.
We ought, right here, to think of the reasons of the terrible treason of Peter. We may suppose that his crime was no smaller than was that of Judas. We know what was the fate of Judas—what will be the fate of Peter? The cause of Peter’s fall was his presumption. He imagined that he was strong enough to go to heaven, and to lead a good life without watching or praying—of course he would go to prison or death with Jesus. Instead of following the Lord closely, right among the soldiers who apprehended Him, he followed a long way off, giving as an excuse that he wished to see the outcome of the affair. He follows, and places himself in the very occasion of sin. He knew he could not be there long without being detected, but he resolved to deny, and even to take false oaths to secure himself.
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Twenty‐third Day.
When Peter had thus, with indescribable meanness, denied Our Lord, Jesus turned and gave him a look of compassion. Then Peter recollected the words of Jesus, that before the cock would crow he would have denied Him thrice. Great was the sorrow in the heart of Peter after this look; he remembered himself, and filled with shame walked out and wept bitterly. This look which the Lord gave Peter was merciful and kind; so loving that it drew him back again from the sin into which he had fallen; it encouraged him to look for forgiveness, and did not drive him to despair. Judas too acknowledged his sin, but he felt no repentance; he despaired of the great kindness of God. Instead of throwing himself at the feet of Jesus, he committed another crime—that of suicide. To Peter came a flood of tears. There is no doubt that his sorrow for this great offence lasted all his lifetime; he could not think of the circumstance but the picture of his infidelity arose before him.
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Twenty‐fourth Day.
The infidelity of Peter should lead us to think of our own condition. How often have we sinned? how often have we been unfaithful to Jesus Christ? how often have we betrayed Him? Did we ever feel the tears of sorrow gushing from our hearts? and if we did have sorrow and repentance in the Sacrament of Penance, did we not soon forget it all, as if our faults were less serious than they really are? Often the Lord looks at us when we are in sin, often have we felt that His eyes were on us, full of love, of mercy and goodness; but we were in sin, in the occasion of it, and we would not give it up even though we added more sorrow to that which Our Lord was already suffering. Set your hope, however, in the Lord; look up to Him with pleading eyes, that He may give you the strength, the will, and the grace to rise from your fall. Say to your sins, and your companions in sin, go away from me. Yes, our sins more than any other misfortune should make us despise the world, with all its sinful allurements.
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Twenty‐fifth Day.
Pilate put the question to the Lord, “Art Thou the King of the Jews?” He wanted to hear from Christ’s own lips whether He pretended to the earthly crown of a kingdom, over which the Roman power held sway. But Our Lord had no kingdom on this earth, and He answered, “For this was I born, and for this came I into the world, that I should give testimony to the truth.” Pilate did not want to be convinced of the truth, and he answered indifferently, “What is truth?” The Lord came into this world to spread the truth of the Gospel; He wished to teach us that truth which makes us truly free. The Lord wishes to show us the way in which we should walk in order to reach Him. But the world is not anxious for such enlightenment, any more than Pilate. For nineteen hundred years the Church of God has been teaching truth. But the world does not accept the teaching of Jesus as truth; the world is too proud to receive this humble teaching. And yet Our Lord’s voice rings clear, “Every one that is of the truth, heareth My voice.”
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Twenty‐sixth Day.
Pilate went out to consult with the Jews, the accusers of Christ, and he told them that he found no cause of death in Christ. He admitted that there might be some rebellion which ought to be punished, and that he would administer a severe punishment and then would set Him free. See Our Lord, humbly standing before this unjust judge; see the soldiers, as soon as the order was given, tear off His garments, drag Him over to the column of marble, and there bind Him. Then they take the stout cords, on the ends of which are leaden balls with spikes, and whirling them over their heads, they let them fall cruelly on Christ’s shoulders. The blood spurts from every wound, and soon the place about the column is covered with blood. The crime of that flagellation was so great that no human words can express it. In what a dreadful state Our Lord was left after it was over—how exhausted! From the soles of His feet to the crown of His head there was no sound spot in Him.
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Twenty‐seventh Day.
When the Lord had been scourged, the soldiers platted a crown of thorns and placed it on His head, pressing it down, striking the crown with sticks that they might save their hands from wounds, and then they put a purple garment on Him. All this was done to mock Him, because He said He was a king: the crown of royalty He bore on His head, and the purple garment which kings generally wore covered His body. They carried out their derision still farther; they bent their knees before Him, and having blindfolded Him, they struck Him in the face, asking Him to point out who was the one that had given Him the blow. O loving face of Jesus! upon which the angels desired to gaze; look with pity on poor humanity that dost treat Thee so cruelly; look with pity on our inordinate desires to satisfy the demands of our passions. Ah, Thou knowest who hast heaped these insults upon Thee! In Thy omnipresence Thou seest the sins which we commit. The Jews, indeed, treated Thee as a mock king, and like a fool, whilst poor mankind in its ignorance hast prepared all these torments for Thee.
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Twenty‐eighth Day.
Pilate must have witnessed much of this cruelty, as it was inflicted right in his court, with his consent, perhaps even by his orders. What a frightful spectacle it was to look upon this figure of a man, scourged almost beyond recognition, with a crown of thorns on His head, bound, and a cloak thrown over His shoulders. Pilate thought that this spectacle would render the Jews merciful, that the punishment had been sufficient. So he led Our Lord over an archway and placed Him in full view of the assembled multitude, saying: “Behold the man!” Yes, O Christian heart, look at the Lord exhausted after the scourging, the crown of thorns on His head, clotted blood in His face, burning with a fever heat, ready to die from loss of blood. O my Jesus, what sufferings didst Thou not endure to satisfy the cruelty of man! Thou hast become a spectacle before God and the world. But the Jews were hardened. The sight of Christ in this condition did not move them. They cried, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him.”
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Twenty‐ninth Day.
When the Jews demanded the death of Christ so vehemently, Pilate had water brought to him, in which he washed his hands, as a sign that he was innocent of the great crime of condemning Our Lord to the death of the cross. Still he condemned Him, and wrote the inscription of the cross himself. The Lord was led out to be crucified. St. Catharine of Emmerich saw in a vision the rapture with which Jesus received the cross. That He knelt down and addressed the wood with loving words. It was the consummation of the Lord’s desires. His whole aim in life was that He should die on the cross, so now He stretches out His arms to receive that precious burden, the seat of His love, the instrument of His mercy, and the sign of triumph. Dear cross! no longer are you the wood of disgrace on which malefactors are to die; you are now the sign of glory. No longer are you the accursed wood, but the glory of the elect. Cross and altar are now the same thing to us; the altar is our joy and happiness, so also is the cross. The Christian who has no love for the cross is to be pitied.
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Thirtieth Day.
The Lord takes the holy cross on His shoulders, at the foot of Calvary, and carries it up to the summit. What a journey that was, full of sorrow and pain! He falls several times; He meets His holy Mother on the way and exchanges some words of consolation with her. He meets the weeping women of Jerusalem, and bids them weep over themselves and over their children. Simon the Cyrenean is compelled to help carry the heavy weight of the cross. Veronica, a devout woman, offers a handkerchief, that the Lord may wipe His sacred countenance. Two malefactors are also to be crucified with the Saviour. He does not despise their company: He wished to be numbered among the most abject of sinners, for He carries in His cross all the sins of mankind. He has to make reparation to the heavenly Father for them all. At this sight let us no longer grumble at our crosses, but let us bear them lovingly and cheerfully.
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Thirty‐first Day.
After terrible exertion in consequence of His exhaustion, loss of blood, want of food and rest, Our Lord arrives at the summit of Mount Calvary, called Golgotha, the place of execution, the mount of skulls. Our Lord would have died in consequence of the terrible punishment He had received, only the power of His heavenly Father kept Him alive. Arriving on the spot, His clothes are cruelly torn off His sacred body, the wounds are reopened and bleed afresh. He kneels down, and at the command of His executioners He extends His arms and feet to the places to which they were to be attached. The soldiers take nails and hammers, and drive nails into the palms of His hands, fixing them to the cross; then His feet are nailed also. When all this has been done they raise the cross to an erect position and set it in the ground. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is present; she hears the strokes of the hammer—every sound pierces her heart. O Mother of sorrows! make me feel the dreadful crucifixion in my soul; divide thy sorrows with me. Mary Magdalen, the penitent woman, hastens to the foot of the cross. St. John, the beloved disciple, is there also.
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Thirty‐second Day.
The executioners then sat down before the cross, and watched Our Lord. They played dice for His garments; it was their sinful perquisite to take possession of anything that a dying criminal left. Our Lord was poor and had nothing but His garments, and these were accordingly distributed. Our Lord hung on the cross; not a word had so far passed His lips; uncomplaining, sunk in deep prayer, the sacrifice of the cross was going on for our sins, the Lamb of God was on the slaughter bench, pouring forth His blood without giving a sign of pain. He hangs between two murderers. He is not distinguished from them in misery, except that He prays and they blaspheme. The Jews now celebrate their triumph; they are gathered about in knots, mocking and laughing. They invite Him to descend from the cross: that then they would believe in Him. Jesus still wears the crown of thorns, and over His head, attached to the wood, are the words: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”
Prayer.
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, etc., etc.
Thirty‐third Day.