Tractatus Prior, Pars Altera, Cap. 16. De baiulatione cracis lesu et eductione eius ad locum calvariae.

Tractatus Prior, Pars Altera, Cap. 16. De baiulatione cracis lesu et eductione eius ad locum calvariae.

I bless you and give thanks to you, Lord Jesus Christ, true vine, way of life, our salvation, for your most serious and shameful public humiliation, which you humbly endured and patiently bore for the redemption of all humanity, so that you might carry the long-lost sheep, sought for so long and found with great effort, on your own shoulders back to the heavenly court. I praise and honor you, renowned standard-bearer [REDACTED] the Christian army, for your sorrowful and shameful journey, when you were led outside the glorious city, burdened with the heavy wood of the cross, where you had previously shone with many signs and teachings, but now you are deemed a companion of thieves and the chief of robbers, suspended on the highest gallows, amidst the most wicked of the wicked. I praise and glorify you, O best Jesus, for that harsh and most burdensome journey and unusual pilgrimage you undertook for us, for each step of your feet fixed on the earth, for the excessive weariness from the sufferings your body endured beforehand, for the heavy descent and ascent of the indirect way with the burden of the cross, for the hurried agitation and wicked handling by the perverse companions, from whom you were commanded to go further and were driven austere, stimulated to turn back with dire force, and strongly attracted forward, agitated here and there many times. For you walked on, too deeply weighed down and bent over, while you were forced to carry the unbearable burden to the place of Calvary. Ah, you've never experienced such a journey, nor have you ever walked such a painful path, nor have you borne such a heavy yoke. I praise and exalt you for that great contempt shown by the most worthless people who lead you away, dragging you along and hurling many disgraceful accusations against you, for the criminal slanders against your innocence recited along the way in the most false manner, for the insolent rejoicing of your adversaries over your cruel and scandalous death and suspension, which brings them great delight. Amid all the evils that surrounded you, you walked like a gentle lamb, being led to the sacrifice, reflecting on our salvation, lamenting the blindness of the Jews and groaning for the wickedness of your followers. I praise and bless you for the affection of my heart, for the abundant tears of your friends shed for you with compassion, for the devoted company of women who mourn for you most bitterly, who reverently followed your path with downcast faces. You turned to them with a kind word, saying: "Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children." If they do this when the tree is green, what will happen when it’s dry? O how great was the sorrow of all your loved ones then, and how profound were the lamentations of the holy women who looked upon you with overwhelming compassion, yet they could neither approach you in any way nor free you from the grip of death. But oh, what an immeasurable pain did the internal maternal sorrow of the Virgin Mary feel and strike her, when she saw her only and most beloved Son being carried on the crossbeam and led to death! O how gladly would your blessed mother, the most holy Virgin Mary, have borne the greatest shame of the cross for you, if she could have, and how quickly would she have chosen to die for you, if she had known that this would please you. But what she could not bear in her body nor allow, she carried in her most perfect mind. For whoever loves more fervently suffers more, is afflicted more severely, and carries the cross with you more truly. No one among lovers felt your pain as deeply as the unique soul of your most excellent virgin mother. Without a doubt, your most ardent lover, Mary Magdalene, nearly overcome by the bitterness of her tears, would have willingly taken up your cross again with her mother, the Virgin, and been ready to carry it for you as quickly as possible. Thus, your inner pain grew in various ways, apart from those things that weighed on you externally, namely the distraction of the disciples and the deep sorrow of your mother, the serious scandal of many, and the doubt of those who despaired of your resurrection. For faith, which was solely upheld by the glorious Virgin, seemed either to waver or to be extinguished among others. O devoted disciple of Christ, hurry and become a bearer [REDACTED] the mystical cross; strive to follow in the footsteps of your Redeemer if you wish to attain eternal joys. Don't shy away from the brief labor of repentance, nor wish to lessen the rigor of discipline; instead, consider it small and light, whatever the rules of order require. Fulfill it gladly, whatever holy obedience demands. If you find it hard to obey every command, remember that Christ suffered death on the most despicable cross for you, under far more serious commands. Therefore, keep a strict rule, and don’t abandon the path that leads to the kingdom. Turn away from the softer side that usually leads the lazy into a foul end. You truly bore the holy cross when you entered; you still bound yourself more closely when you made your profession. To live in a holy and just way is to imitate the crucified one. Carry the cross joyfully, if you proceed fervently in order. If you invite and carry the burden with murmuring, you won't find joy. You'll receive the glory of Jesus, but you'll also bear the punishment of the wicked thief. If you bear everything kindly and cheerfully, you've largely overcome evil. So don't be afraid of the strictness of the order or worry about the length of days; the love of Christ and the sweetness of a good life will lighten the burden of your labors. You have a forerunner of a harsher life and a leader of the best example, Jesus, the Son of God, a great patron of the cross, who has well experienced the weight of the cross in himself. Therefore, follow the Savior through the cross, never abandoning your faith, nor relaxing your commitment like fervent monks, and you will be safe forever. If you had wanted to enjoy the pleasures of this world or to use your own possessions or desires, you would certainly have remained in this world. Now, having followed Christ, hold firmly to the standard of your religious life that you promised. Pray to Jesus, that He may help you with strength; for He who helped you begin well will also help you finish more happily. O most beloved Jesus, King of kings and Lord of angels, glorious banner-bearer [REDACTED] all Christians, who carried your cross on your own shoulders before the mocking faces of the Jews for the salvation and example of your servants, grant that I may follow you without delay in this procession; do not abandon me before the appointed end of death, but lead my wandering soul from this sinful body to the mountain of Calvary, the mountain of sorrow and of the cross, where you were crucified and died for me, so that there I may rest with you under the sign of the cross, fortified by its protection. Grant me to seize the beginning of a new fervor, and let me not pursue the lightness of the lukewarm, but always to behold your crucified image with the eyes of my heart and to avoid the varied curiosities of the unstable. Be my guide on this narrow journey and my companion on my pilgrimage, my helper in opportunities, my comforter in adversities, and my collaborator in the many labors I undertake for your name. Help me bear the weight of the day and the heat, so that I may be able to follow the gathering in all hours and in sacred observances. Help me to remember your great fatigue under the burden of the cross, even in my greatest pressures and anxieties, since the little burden I bear is hardly anything at all when I consider the weight of your heavy cross. So I will gladly and eagerly bear the burden of the religion I have accepted, always confident in your kind assistance; for although you allow me to be weighed down for a brief time to increase the merit of my humility, you will help me later at the appropriate time and in the right way, according to your mercy. Teach me to break my own will and to be content with little, not seeking freedom to wander. May my hands be engaged in labor; may my heart meditate on the holy Scriptures; may all my limbs serve you; may all my senses be disciplined; and may my smallness be marked among true bearers of the cross. Keep all worldly knowledge and every attachment far away from me. I won't take pleasure in worldly things or get caught up in empty stories, but I’ll strive to focus on the inner life and quietly bear the many sorrows that arise from various excesses and neglect. I will cast aside whatever holds me back from progressing in virtue. I will follow the path of your watchers, who know how to transcend all temporary things with a balanced mind. Lord, help me to recall your cross, which you carried for me with love, so that I may be kindled with a similar passion for the cross and dedicate myself to you daily through pure obedience. And I will patiently bear the burden imposed on me, not resisting it stubbornly, until I obtain the place of desired salvation and peace.