Quomodo Dominus fugit de templo, et abscondit se, quando Judaei voluerunt eum lapidare
A New Approach to the Passion
The author announces a shift in method, resolving to dwell on the Passion with fewer authorities and greater focus.
See, now the mysteries of the passion of Doraini are beginning. From here on I'll rarely cite authorities, so that I can linger more easily with the passion and its — — so that I can linger more easily.
Christ's Words Provoke a Storm
Jesus preaches in the temple, declares his divine pre-existence, and escapes stoning by hiding himself.
On one occasion, when the Lord Jesus was preaching in the temple, he said among other things, 'If anyone has kept my word, he will not taste death forever' —✦ And they replied to him: 'So then, you are greater than our father Abraham, who has died?'✦ The Lord Jesus said: 'Before Abraham came into being, I am.'✦ Taking occasion from this word, as if he were speaking something impossible or a lie, they picked up stones in order to stone him.✦ But he hid himself and went out of the temple, for the hour of his passion had not yet come.✦
Behold the Suffering Lord
The reader is invited to contemplate Christ hiding in the temple and the grieving disciples leaving in sorrow.
So look closely at him here, with intense grief — how the Lord of all was treated with such contempt by those most wicked servants, and how, willing to yield to their fury, he hid himself in some place in the temple, behind some column, or among some people.1 Look at him, and at the disciples too — sad, heads bowed, leaving as if they were weak and helpless.
Read the original Latin
Ecce modo incipiunt mysteria passionis Doraini. Unde raro amodo auctoritates adducam, ut circa passionem et ejus pr? eambula possim commodius immorari. Dum crgo quadam vice Dominus Jesus prredicaret in templo, ct diceret inter alia ': Si quis sermonem meum servaverit, mortem non gustabit in cetcrnum. Et illis respondentibus: Ergo tu es major patrenostro Abraham, qui mortuus est? ddxit Dominus Jesus: Antequam Abraham fieret, ego sum. Ex quo verbo sumentes occasionem, quasi impossibile vel mendacium loqueretur, tulcrunt lapides, ut lapidarent eum. Ipsevero abscondit se, et exivit de templo: nondum enim venerat hora passionis suse.
Conspice ergo bene hic eum cum dolore vehementi, quomodo Dominus omnium sic vihpendebatur ab ilhs nequissimis servis, et quomodo volens eorum furori cedere, abscondit se in aUquo loco templi, post ahquam columnam, vel inter aliquas personas. Intuere ipsum, et discipulos moeste et inclinato capite, tanquam imbecilles et debiles, recedentes
Scripture echoes
- ↩John.8.51 — Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death forever.
- ↩John.8.53 — Surely you are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died too. Who do you make yourself out to be?
- ↩John.8.58 — Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.'
- ↩John.8.59 — So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
- ↩John.8.59;John.7.30 — So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. John.7.30 — So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.
Notes
- 1 ↩vihpendebatur is normalized as vilependebatur ('was treated with contempt'); aUquo/ahquam are normalized as aliquo/aliquam ('some').
Meditationes Vitae Christi (Pseudo-Bonaventure), Castilian court context companion
A scene a day, for life
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