Tractatus Alter, Pars Prior, Cap. 2. De devota visitatione sancti sepulchri Domini nostri lesu Christi, 20

Tractatus Alter, Pars Prior, Cap. 2. De devota visitatione sancti sepulchri Domini nostri lesu Christi, 20

I bless you and give thanks to you, Lord Jesus Christ, Consoler of all who are sad and grieving, for that devoted visit of the holy women who came very early in the morning to your tomb, as the sun was rising, so that they could clearly see all that had happened on that most sacred night among all the blessed nights. I praise and commend the holy fervor of those noble women seeking once again to anoint your most sacred body, for they rose early in the morning while it was still dark, perhaps with others still sleeping, and hurriedly went together, as honorably and secretly as they could, toward the tomb carrying the spices they had prepared for anointing. O how great was the pain in their hearts, how much sorrow filled their eyes, as they passed along the way near the place of the skull and saw the cross, or when they noticed the traces of your passion and reflected on all your wounds. Oh, how great was the anxiety that pressed upon them and made them weep, when they saw the tomb and spoke to one another, saying: "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?" It's no wonder they were weeping. They knew very well that they couldn't remove such a large stone from the tomb by their own strength. Fear compelled them to retreat, but love urged them to go further, not fearing the guard of soldiers. Oh, if Peter and John were here, we could surely hope that they would gladly help us. Indeed, that stone was very large, which ten strong men could hardly move. But it’s better, good women, that the apostles stay home and hide and pray for you in the meantime, so that God may protect you and fulfill your desire, than for them to come here and risk their lives, only to be killed by soldiers. For from this, a greater sorrow would come upon you and weigh you down if, after our Lord's death, even His disciples were to be killed. So what will you do, and where will you go? I ask you, stand together and pray, don’t be afraid, but proceed confidently. Trust in the Lord, for help will soon come to you from heaven, and a good answer will come from the angel who knows what has happened to the Lord, who was buried the day before. God knows your heart, who you are, where you came from, whom you seek, what you carry in your hands, and what you hide under your garments. A sweet fragrance rises from your offerings before God in the heavenly choirs, and the holy angels delight in the sweetness of your holy prayers and in the fervent love you have for Jesus, which you now show through your good works. Love certainly conquers all and fears no one. Love never stops until it reaches the vision of the Beloved. So hurry, proceed, and be silent; consider the tomb carefully, and if it is open, enter confidently. If you don't dare to enter, wait a little and pray; look up to heaven, and knock at the door with groans and tears until the angel of the Lord descends from heaven and tells you: "Don't be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who was crucified." Come and see the place where the Lord was laid. He’s not here, as you see, but he has risen, just as he told you. If you truly hold onto his words, you shouldn't doubt anything about his resurrection. The love of Jesus has drawn you away from the world, and now His love has brought you to His tomb. The love of Jesus has saddened you in His passion, but His love will bring you joy in His resurrection. Wait a moment, and you will see him without a doubt. Don't seek him any longer lying in the tomb, but living with the angels in heaven; not in Bethany with Martha while she eats, but at the right hand of the Father, seated in the highest glory; not in the boat with Peter while he sails, but reigning above all the choirs of angels; not on the mountain preaching, but ruling over all creation in heaven and on earth. Remember how He foretold that the Son of Man must be crucified and rise again on the third day. So now, go away from the angel, comforted and strengthened. Go quickly and tell the good news to your friends, and announce the great joy to the grieving disciples; and don’t let them despair, because they left Jesus and all fled. But especially say to Peter, who denied him three times and for this reason does not cease to weep bitterly, do not let him lose hope, but let him trust in the great and usual mercy of Jesus, often shown to him, because today he will certainly see him and will rejoice deeply. Tell him everything you heard and saw, because our Lord Jesus Christ truly rose from the dead this night. O holy Peter, stop weeping now; rise quickly and come, run with holy John, enter the tomb securely, and see there the linen cloths and the shroud of Jesus lying. Believe the words of the angels, who say, 'I am risen and alive, and I wish to go to Galilee and appear to my disciples.' Rejoice and be glad in Christ, Saint Peter, chief shepherd of the Church, because the good shepherd has risen, who deemed it worthy to die on the cross for you and for his sheep. O sweet response from the angel's mouth to comfort the hearts of the troubled and to give hope of forgiveness to sinners, following the example of blessed Peter and many other saints who rose stronger after their fall. Blessed is God, who does not abandon those who are troubled in heart and saves and comforts the humble in spirit through faith, who seek no one but Him alone and desire to see nothing else. O holy women, who have heard many good things about Jesus, if Jesus meets you on the way and says: "Greetings, sisters, hold firmly to His feet and do not let Him go until He blesses you," Worship Him on your knees on the ground and greet Him with friendly, peaceful words, humbly asking for forgiveness as a sinner. Oh, if I could have such a grace of devotion with tears as you had in your vision of Him! I hope that He will gladly hear you because of the holiness of your merits and the service you have often rendered to Him. I praise and honor you, most gracious Jesus, for your great mercy and for the kind words and joyful greeting with which you welcomed the holy and devoted women who came to meet you, allowing them to hold your sacred feet, fixed to the cross, brighter than the sun, whiter than snow, more beautiful than a ruby, more precious than gold, and more fragrant than any ointment or balm. O renowned Jesus, I give you thanks, most high, because you sent your holy angel from heaven to roll away the great stone from the tomb, to terrify the wicked guards from your holy place, where you rested securely, like a strong lion in its den, to prepare for men and women a free access to the monument, to comfort all who mourn you as dead and buried, to strengthen the weak souls wavering in faith about your resurrection, and to rejoice with you in all the good things of your prosperous return from the underworld and the joyful opening of the heavenly gate. Such great sorrow had invaded their minds during your crucifixion that they lost all faith and hope in your future resurrection, which you had often foretold to them. Therefore, they could not receive any consolation from a mortal man unless they visited your tomb in the morning and heard from the angel that you had truly risen and saw with their own eyes and held with their hands your glorious feet as a sign of the truth. After you had accomplished this, you graciously bestowed the comfort of your holy greeting, a message worthy of all acceptance and honor, consoling them with kindness and speaking to them sweetly, saying: "Do not be afraid; go, tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."^✦ Oh, how delightful are those words to hear, how sweet to think about, how useful to ponder, and how necessary to extinguish worldly tales. O how bright the eyes that saw the Lord, how pure the hands that touched Jesus, how holy the lips that kissed Him. How swift the feet became to walk, how eager to run, how ready the hearts to obey, how joyful the mouths to announce to the disciples, because the Lord has risen! According to the multitude of sorrows on the day of preparation, the shameful cross of Jesus grew the greatness of joy on the feast of Passover, heard gloriously in His resurrection. The shame of the Jews is the greatest joy of the apostles, and the scandal of the cross is the remedy for eternal salvation. The tears of the saints have turned into a song of the angels, and the wounds of the scourging and the nails bring about the forgiveness of our sins. O sweetest Jesus Christ, awaken my heart to love your holy and blessed name above all the saints in heaven and on earth, to remember and seek you every morning at dawn with Mary Magdalene and her companions in the tomb of my heart, to die perfectly to this world and to cling to you devotedly in silence and the secret of prayer. Remove from me the hardness of heart, the laziness of the body, and the sleepiness of the eyes. Pour out the grace of compunction, increase the joy of devotion for the glory of your holy name in this sacred celebration, so that it may be honored more worthily. Receive the first fruits of my lips as a perpetual sacrifice of praise through the hands of the holy angels who guard your tomb, with great reverence and honor, so that they may faithfully keep me safe day and night from all dangers to body and soul. And you, Lord, especially during prayer, help me not to wander off by looking around and getting caught up in empty fantasies, neglecting you while I’m in this holy place. Wherever I am, I must approach your glory with great reverence and attentiveness, like a humble supplicant drawn to heaven, forgetting everything that exists in the world. I am completely united to you, with a pure heart, for your sake. What good is everything under heaven except for vanity of vanities? Truly, in comparison to the joys of heaven, every celebration of the world is like nothing before you. So give me, my God, the honor and glory of the angels, to reflect on each word and the meaning of the psalms and other songs and hymns that are sung and read in the church, as much as I am able to grasp and understand in my state of weakness, until I reach you, the true light that illuminates my darkness and brings joy to all the citizens of heavenly Jerusalem. Receive also on this great feast day, for the fragrant oils made from myrrh and incense, the frequent and bitter sighs from my secret heart for all my sins and neglects committed in word, deed, and thought, so that now, as a new man reborn in spirit and clothed in white, I may appear among your devoted ones, pure and joyful, with a humble confession of my sins. Then, too, I offer you, for the precious perfumes made from balsam and honey, all the pure desires of my heart and the holy exercises of all your devoted ones, in praise of the holy Trinity and in honor of your joyful resurrection, with the song of angels and the jubilation of all the saints in the heavenly choirs. Amen. A prayer to the holy angels, guardians of our life. I beg you, O holy angels and archangels, ministers of the heavenly King, clothed in shining garments and filled with eternal goodness, have mercy on me, a weak sinner, now and at all times, and help me with God's aid as I wander in this world's exile. Bring aid to the needy beggar and strengthen the weak against the snares of demons and the passions of vice. Clothe me in white garments; teach me holy ways, faith, hope, and the love of God; strengthen me within, so that I may grow in true virtues, weeping with the sorrowful and rejoicing with the joyful, and giving thanks always for all good things done for the honor of God, so that God may be blessed, praised, and exalted in all things forever. Amen.