De Resurreccio
The Burial and Humility of Christ
The author recounts the burial of Jesus by Joseph of Arimathea as a foundational lesson in humility.
You must believe, son, that on Friday, when our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified and died to save us, Joseph of Arimathea then asked Pontius Pilate for the body of Jesus Christ, so that he might bury it in a very beautiful tomb he had made for his own use. So when the body of Jesus Christ was given to Joseph of Arimathea—and it was the greatest gift he could receive—and when that most precious body was humbled so far as to be laid under the earth, remember, son, these words I tell you, if you want to have humility.
Witnesses to the Risen Lord
Christ appears to the Magdalene and the apostles to demonstrate his mercy, charity, and the reality of his glorified body.
Know that He rose on the third day; and to make plain the great mercy of our Lord God, He chose to appear first to the Magdalene, who had been a very sinful woman. Because she loved Jesus Christ with great charity, and because charity is the greatest virtue a person can have, the Son of God appeared to the Magdalene to show that charity is very pleasing to Him. While the apostles were in a room with the doors locked, our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to them to show that he had risen with a glorified body that nothing could keep from passing through any place; and to show that he was truly man, he asked for something to eat.✦✦
The Faith of Saint Thomas
Jesus addresses the doubt of Saint Thomas, allowing him to touch his wounds to confirm the truth of the resurrection.
No one could tell the great joy there was among the apostles when they saw their Lord risen. And so, when Jesus Christ had left them, Saint Thomas came—who was one of the apostles—and they told him that Jesus Christ was risen. But Saint Thomas answered that he would not believe it until he put his fingers in Jesus Christ's wounds and had that as his reason to believe.1 And because Saint Thomas would not believe, our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to Saint Thomas, saying: "Put your fingers in my wounds, Thomas, and know—since you will not believe it." So then, so that it might be shown that the understanding which raises itself to know the truth is pleasing to our Lord God, for that reason He allowed Saint Thomas to put his hands in His side, saying: "You are my Lord and my God."2
The Promise of Our Own Resurrection
The resurrection of Christ serves as a sign and promise of the future resurrection of all people at the final judgment.
Dear son, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ represented and signified our own resurrection—the one that will come on the day of judgment, when we will be raised and judged by the Son of God.
Read the original Latin
A creure te cové, fill, que lo divendres con nostro Senyor Jhesu Christ fo crucificat e mort per nosaltres a salvar, adoncs Joseph ab Arimatia qués lo cors de Jhesu Christ a Pons Pilat, per so quel soterrás en un moniment molt bell, lo qual avia fet a sos obs.
On, con lo cors de Jhesu Christ fos donat a Joseph ab Arimatia e fos lo major don qu ell pogués reebre, e com aquell cors tan precios fos humiliat a esser sots mes en la térra; remembra, fill, en estes paraules que yot dich, si vols aver humilitat.
Sapies quel ters jorn resuscitá; e per manifestar la gran misericordia de nostro Senyor Deu, volch primerament aparer a la Magdalena, qui era estada molt peccadora fembra; e car amava Jhesu Christ ab gran caritat, e car caritat es la major vertut que hom pot aver, a demostrar que caritat es al Fill de Deu molt agradable, lo Fill de Deu aparech a la Magdalena.
Dementra quels apóstols estaven en una cambra e les portes eren tancades, nostro Senyor Jhesu Christ aparech a aquells, per demostrar que ell era resuscitat ab cors glorificat qui no ha empatxament de passar per tot loch; e a demostrar que ell era vertaderament home, demaná a menjar.
Lo gran alegre qui fo entréis apóstols con veeren lur Senyor resuscitat, no es qui ho pogués recomtar; e per assó con Jhesu Christ fo partit d ells, vench Sent Thomas, qui era un dels apóstols, al qual dixeren que Jhesu Christ era resuscitat; mas Sent Thomas respós que nou creeya entró que ell mesés los seus dits en les naifes de Jhesu Christ e fos occasio a creure.
E car Sent Thomas no volch creure, nostro Senyor Jhesu Christ apparech a Sent Thomas, dient: — Mit, Thomas, tos dits en mes nafres, e sapies, pus no u vols creure. On, per so que fos demostrat que a nostro Senyor Deu es agradable lenteniment qui sexalsa per saber veritat, per assó sofri que Sent Thomas li mesés les mans en lo costat, dient: — Tu est Senyor meu e Deu meu.
Amable fill, en la resurreccio de nostro Senyor Jhesu Christ fo representada e significada la nostra resurreccio, la qual será al jorn del judici, con serem resuscitats e jutjats per lo Fill de Deu.
Scripture echoes
- ↩John.20.19 — On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."
- ↩Luke.24.41-Luke.24.43 — And while they still disbelieved for joy, and were marveling, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" Luke.24.42 — And they gave him a piece of broiled fish. Luke.24.43 — And taking it before their eyes, he ate.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source surface naifes is treated as nafres (wounds), the regular Old Catalan form in this Passion/Resurrection lexicon and the required sense in context.
- 2 ↩"dient" ("saying") most naturally belongs with Thomas after he places his hands in Christ's side, matching John 20:28; the Catalan does not restate the speaker, so the clause could be misread as Christ's speech.
Doctrine for Children — Opening companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit