Tractatus Prior, Pars Altera, Cap. 6. Praesentatio Domini lesu coram Anna

Tractatus Prior, Pars Altera, Cap. 6. Praesentatio Domini lesu coram Anna

You were questioned by the priest. I bless you and give thanks to you, Lord Jesus Christ, leader of life and author of our salvation, for your first presentation before the priest Anna, where you were questioned about many things and were struck on the jaw for your humble and truthful response. I praise and honor you, glorious King Christ, for that dishonor and contemptuous slap inflicted on you by the hand of an impudent servant, when it struck your face in response to your most powerful words, saying: "Is this how you answer the high priest?" To whom you, most gracious Jesus, did not fail to give a calm response with an untroubled mind and peaceful mouth, saying: "If I spoke wrongly, bear witness to the wrong; but if I spoke rightly, why do you strike me?" O most wicked and worthless servant, who did not fear to strike the face of your most loving Creator with your harmful hands! O how ineffable is the virtue of gentleness that shines forth in you, O venerable Jesus, who did not avenge such an injurious blow with sudden punishment, but rather corrected the mind of the one striking with deliberate reason. Look now, faithful follower of Christ, and see if you can bear the blow to your cheek for the love of Jesus. Look, if you can't endure a harsh word without being shaken, how will you handle a blow to the jaw? You grieve over the unjust injury to your Lord, but what's even more troubling is that you feel so weak when it comes to bearing small offenses for the honor of Christ. You propose bold things and contemplate lofty ideals, but at the first voice of reproach, you find yourself disturbed and weaker than you thought. So turn to Jesus and pray with great urgency for the strength of patience. O good Jesus, strength and power of the troubled soul, teach me to accept arguments and accusations with a calm heart, and not to defend against unjust complaints raised against me with an angry mouth, but to overcome them with gentle silence, or, if I must speak, to respond to my adversaries with gracious words of appeasement. Grant me a right and devout speech in my mouth in the presence of all my adversaries, and while the wicked hand rages against me, give me, most gracious Jesus, a humble and untroubled constancy of mind.