Tractatus Prior, Pars Altera, Cap. 12. De furibundo ludaeorum clamore :

Tractatus Prior, Pars Altera, Cap. 12. De furibundo ludaeorum clamore :

Crucify him, crucify him! I bless you and give thanks to you, Lord (O Jesus Christ, perpetual joy of the saints, for the great and insolent uproar of the furious Jews against you, crying out: "Take him, take him; crucify him.") Alas, what a fierce cruelty of the wretched Jews, what inhumane brutality from the priests and Pharisees, who are not deterred by any fear from your slaughter, nor held back by any reason from the innocent blood. The Gentile judge is swayed toward some sense of justice, but the Jews harden themselves to even greater malice. Pilate tries to excuse you, seeking a way to release you, claiming that he finds no cause for your death; but the Jews, forgetting all the good things, protest, saying, "If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar." Anyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar. Alas, how falsely they speak against your humility, those who sought neither honors in word nor deed, but rather, when the people, satisfied with a few loaves, decided to make you king, you quickly fled to the mountain's secret place, hiding there in prayer all alone. But these evils are not enough; they add worse things to the previous ones, which incite the judge's mind to carry out the murder of God. They say, "We have a law, and according to that law, he ought to die because he made himself the Son of God." The governor hears this, is troubled, asks where you are from, and inquires, "What is truth?" But he doesn't receive an answer, because the Jews insist too forcefully on the judgment of death. Finally, the wicked man, swayed by their most unjust demands and the favors of the rulers, gives in. Oh, how bitter and scandalous it was for the whole of Jerusalem to hear the word of malediction against the blessed Jesus being spread: "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" Who among lovers wouldn't have felt sorrow and wept if they had heard the dreadful cries of the cross raised against their most beloved Lord Jesus? O how mournful the voice, how sorrowful the rumor that filled the ears of the most blessed virgin mother at that time, when the cruel sentence of the people and the tumultuous demand for the cross were being raised by all to the heights! Sigh, devoted servant of Jesus, and draw forth the spirit from the hidden depths of your heart with compunction. Learn how the heart of the Mother of God is shaken with sorrow when her blessed Son is being sought for the vile hanging on the cross. He, who always hears the angelic voices resonating in heaven: "Holy, holy, holy," now hears the cursed tongues of the Jews shouting: "Take him away, take him away, crucify him." The one whom just a little while ago, on Palm Sunday, the children joyfully praised with their songs, is now being called for crucifixion by their deranged parents. They ask for his crucifixion and say, "Not this one, but Barabbas." Reflect seriously on this hour, lover of the Lord's passion, and firmly close the ears of your heart against the worst rumors of the world, and open them to the miserable clamor of Jesus' crucifixion. I tell you, Bdelis, your soul is better off focusing here than on the stars of heaven. If you truly love Jesus, you won't pass through this place without a bitter sigh. So when the world opposes you and throws many insults your way, don’t let yourself be broken by their harsh words or threats. Instead, remember the most patient Jesus and the insults he endured for you, and turn a deaf ear to the empty rumors that come your way. When your good deeds are turned into evil by others, and many oppose your intentions, unwilling to accept your words, bear all these things gently, because you are not more innocent than Christ, who was insulted: "Crucify him, crucify him." Therefore, be aware that on the path of God, you will encounter many opponents, and you won't be commended to God unless you have been tested in various ways for Him. He said to his beloved friends: "Blessed are you when people hate you and exclude you and insult you because of the Son of Man." Therefore, follow the innocent Jesus, who was rejected by wicked men on earth, but chosen by God the Father and crowned with glory and honor in heaven. May transient curses not overwhelm you, for the weight of eternal glory is prepared for you by God. So now I humbly ask your immense love, friendly Jesus Christ, to ignite my heart with the grace of your great compassion and make it burn with such love for you that I may joyfully endure all curses and the burdens of sin with a peaceful mind, not fearing the terrors and troubles of men, but longing with all my strength to imitate you through the shame of the cross. Equip me against the temptations of the flesh, and grant me the strength to crucify harmful impulses and wash away the sins I've already committed, so that I may not yield to any wicked attack or consent to it through deliberation. In every spiritual struggle and pressure of the heart, come to my aid and defend me from the enemy's deceit by the sign of the life-giving cross, which, although it was prepared for you as a source of insult, may it be a remedy for me, so that I may also offer you a pleasing sacrifice of praise through the victory of the holy cross.