Tractatus Alter, Pars Prior, Cap. 13. De apparitione Christi coram discipulis lo in lerusalem sero facto et clausis ianuis.

Tractatus Alter, Pars Prior, Cap. 13. De apparitione Christi coram discipulis lo in lerusalem sero facto et clausis ianuis.

I bless you and give thanks to you, Lord Jesus Christ, true peace of the righteous, expectation of the just, joy of the devout gathered together as one, comforter of the contrite and visitor of the imprisoned, for your glorious and miraculous appearance before your apostles in the room where they were gathered late at night, with no one opening or knocking, but for the protection of the house out of fear of the Jews, with the doors and windows firmly shut, so that your appearance and entrance might truly and certainly be made known solely by divine power, not by human strength or wickedness or the diabolical illusion deceitfully fabricated there. For you are the true God, who does not deceive, but you hate and punish those who are deceitful. You are omnipotent, and therefore, whatever you will, happens immediately. You visited, illuminated, strengthened, and kindly greeted the simple and devoted ones, like the apostles and other disciples gathered there in the locked room at that hour, saying: 'Peace be with you; I am, do not be afraid.'^✦ I praise and honor you for such a sweet and peaceful greeting after such great tribulation, and I clap my hands for such a joyful vision after such a heavy turmoil and fear, so that they might rightly be visited, consoled, strengthened, and greeted anew, those who had fallen into such great tribulations and temptations, which they had never before experienced so strongly, so that like sheep of a flock with their shepherd captured and killed, all fled and were scattered here and there, weeping and fearful, and finally, barely after it was late, gathered together and rested. I praise and glorify your sweet name, most loving Jesus, above all in heaven and on earth, because today you have deigned to come to your frightened and timid apostles, who were feeling miserable, sad, uncertain, and doubtful about your words that you had often foretold to them; you have joyfully comforted them by speaking to them in a friendly manner; and immediately you showed them the clear signs of your passion in your hands and feet and your sacred side, taking away all their fear and doubt. You tasted the honeycomb and a piece of broiled fish in their presence, and you offered them the leftovers so they could eat and rejoice with you. With your glorious hand, you presented them with sacred words from the Scriptures during the meals of your body, resolving their doubts, clarifying the obscure, illuminating their understanding, igniting their hearts, and teaching them whatever was necessary and wholesome, revealing it to them. Moreover, they rejoiced greatly at the sight of their Lord God, having received peace twice with heavenly blessing, just as the three Magi once saw the star in the sky, with all fear and doubt completely cast aside. Then I breathed upon them to strengthen them against all their infidel adversaries and their own excesses that needed to be removed, saying: "Receive the Holy Spirit within you as a great gift, for you have left behind all that is in the world for my name's sake." If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone's sins, they are retained. O how great a grace was given to the apostles through the breathing of the Holy Spirit from the mouth of Christ, who rose from the dead by the glory of the Father, so that they would not only be secure in themselves and freed from all sins, but also have full power to absolve others from sins and to reject the unworthy and bind the guilty. O how glorious the day, how blessed the evening hour, when Jesus came to the apostles with such great glory and joy, filling them with heavenly goods while they remained in the discipline of God behind closed doors. O holy and beloved Thomas, if only you had been here now and had stayed with your fellow apostles when Jesus came and said: "Peace be with you." But perhaps some necessity compelled you to go out. Oh, if only you had returned in time and heard all the words and deeds of Jesus with the others, how well it would have gone for you, and you would have believed. But who knows your thoughts, Lord, or who was your counselor, that you would come so suddenly when Thomas was not present and perhaps left a little late? Why, good Jesus, did you do this and not wait a little until Thomas returned? Why, dear Jesus, didn't you say: Where is Thomas, who spoke so fervently to his companions: Let us go and die with him? O holy God, why didn't you send for him so that he could come quickly and see you? If I had been there and it had pleased you, I would have gladly gone for him. Did not the prophet Samuel send to call David from the sheepfolds, so that he would come and be anointed king before his brothers? But now I truly know and believe, Lord, that you have allowed all these things to happen according to true and right judgment, you who created heaven and earth in your wisdom. Nothing happens on earth without a reason, but many of your works go unrecognized. So this didn't happen by chance, that Thomas was absent when you came and appeared to the apostles; rather, it was a deliberate act of your certain providence, so that many good things would follow from it. One person doubted, so that many might be strengthened in faith. One person went astray, but once instructed, he corrected himself, so that countless others, through his conversion and preaching, might reach a greater knowledge of the truth. Whoever doubts makes progress by asking questions, as long as they don't remain in doubt but instead accept the teachings of the saints. There are many things that are beyond human understanding. Because of the height of divine understanding, it is not easy for humans to grasp. No one should despair when tempted in faith, but should firmly rely on the words of sacred Scripture. For God has left us many examples of the saints and great teachers, who, even when they doubted in many things, corrected themselves and faithfully turned back to Christ, and they were greatly benefited by this. The Lord Jesus is kind; He doesn't reject anyone and turns away no one. Whoever comes to Him with a simple heart is taught the truth by Him and is not deceived. But the things that are high must be entrusted to Him, who clearly knows all hidden things and rightly and well arranges what is unknown to humanity. So let not the ignorant be troubled about the deeds of Jesus with his disciples, nor let the holy apostle, who believed late, be indignant, because what happened to him, with God's permission, could have happened to anyone else. So I beg you now, most merciful Jesus Christ, visitor of the imprisoned and comforter of the fearful, teacher of the little and the great, visit me too while I remain in my solitary cell, studying and writing, or with others singing and praying in the choir. Open for me the door to eternal life, illuminate the darkness of my mind, drive away the demons that tempt me, cast out the various phantoms that rush in, come to me secretly with the doors of my body closed, and from your presence pour peace and joy into my heart. Show me in spirit your sacred wounds, which you suffered for me on the cross and by which you redeemed me from eternal death through pure love, dying and rising again. Who with the Father, etc.