De Primo Completorio, in Passione Domini
The Agony in the Garden
Christ prays in agony, teaching his disciples the necessity of vigilance and submission to the Father's will.
The pressure is intense, and at times the spirit is overcome, which is why we must pray; for you have had a willing spirit. By promising to die even for me, the weakness of the flesh is made clear, in order to endure the coming temptation—for the very drowsiness of the body is a sign and a kind of announcement of this weakness, since you are not yet clothed with power from on high. This was said regarding the endurance of adversity, for whoever believes they can achieve anything on their own, thinks they can do so. Therefore, as much as we rely on the fervor of the mind, we should fear for the fragility of the flesh. As Jerome says: 'Lord, you who commanded that we watch and pray, give us the grace to do this; for although the spirit is very willing, the flesh is weak, and entirely sluggish and sleepy, and it cannot endure to watch with you and pray with you for even one hour, lest it fall into temptation.' Then he went away a second time and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done." As Chrysostom says, he shows here how perfectly he is in harmony with the will of God. And because we ought to follow and seek this will everywhere. He would indeed have liked the cup to pass, because he is human; yet he fulfills the dispensation, because he is obedient to the Father. This voice of the Head is the salvation of the whole body; it instructs all the faithful, inflames all confessors, and has crowned all the martyrs. For who could overcome the hatreds of the world, who could overcome the storms of temptation, or the terrors of persecutors, if Christ had not said to the Father for all and in all: "Your will be done"? Therefore, let all the children of the Church learn this voice, so that when the violence of any temptation bears down upon them, they may overcome the trembling of fear. Let them accept the patience of those who were sleeping out of sadness, for their eyes were heavy—their inner selves weighed down by the weariness of long vigils. For they could not overcome sleep by the magnitude of their devotion, fearing both for their Head and for themselves; but just as they were sleeping in mind, so they were in body, which is from the weakness of the soul, sometimes because of the weakness of the flesh, namely, when they are set in the midst of dangers, even when it is the time for watching because of the urgency of grace. The ways of temptation are looming over you. Rise up from the body of the mind; keep watch with the alertness of the soul; and pray, so that you don't fall into temptation—that is, so that temptation doesn't overcome you and hold you captive through your own consent. And, leaving them, he went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same prayer: 'My Father,' etc. Christ did this to show the frequency of prayer and to offer us a long-lasting hope. He repeated the prayer because prayer ought to be persistent; likewise, he repeated it for his disciples, because they ought to be joined to prayer through the help of love. And so he prayed. He teaches that one should attend to oneself and to the flock, sometimes with contemplation, sometimes with active life. This doesn't conflict with what is said in Ecclesiasticus; you must understand that you shouldn't be lazy, but diligent in offering the words of your prayer with integrity and devotion. It may be necessary to repeat it later, but it is good to repeat it for the sake of devotion. In the same way, it's sometimes good to repeat the same thing when preaching to different people.
The Angelic Consolation
An angel strengthens Christ in his suffering, and he experiences a miraculous sweat of blood.
When the Lord Jesus was praying and in anguish, the archangel Michael appeared and stood by him, strengthening in him that movement of the senses—the very movement that recoiled from death—according to which he was made a little lower than the angels. Immediately after Christ submitted himself to the Father's will, the angel strengthened him. This suggests that although what we ask for is sometimes not granted because it may not be expedient, a mental consolation is always given to the one who prays; and, according to Theophilus, it was done so that the power of prayer might be made known to us, that we might rely on it in times of adversity. The Lord is strengthened by an angel while praying, and the humble... He received this strengthening with humility and reverence, even from his own creature, considering that he was made a little lower than the angels while he was in this valley of tears; and just as he was saddened as a man, so he was strengthened as a man by the words of his angel. We shouldn't think that this angel, or any other, was assigned to his protection; that wouldn't have been fitting, and Christ had no need of it. According to Bede, it is said elsewhere that angels ministered to him, and here that an angel strengthened him, so that both natures might be signified. Angels minister to the divine nature, but they strengthen the human. The angel appeared to him in a bodily vision, in an assumed human form, comforting him like a servant: not for his own sake or because of any need of his own, but rather for the consolation of the disciples who were present, and to confirm in them that Christ is greater than the angels by reason of his divinity. It was also for our instruction, to show that angels stand by us when we pray, strengthening us in our prayer; and so that, through his consolation after sadness, we might know that divine consolation is not lacking to those who suffer for Christ, according to the words of the Psalmist: 'According to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, thy consolations have gladdened my soul.' For, according to Bede, the Creator did not need the help of a creature; but having become man, just as he was saddened for us and on our account, so he was strengthened for us and on our account. But the Lord himself also comforted himself with reason, saying to the Father: "Not as I will, but as you will." Some say that Michael stood by him as he prayed and told him that he had reported the tenor of his prayer to the Father, and that all the angels fell down and prayed for this very thing, and that the Father replied: "My beloved Son knows that the redemption of the human race, which we so desire, cannot fittingly be accomplished without the shedding of his blood." After this, the angel comforted him: perhaps by his presence, just as a friend comforts a friend by being there—meaning he comforted him by acting in the manner of one who comforts, namely by standing by him. Or perhaps he said some comforting words, such as these or similar ones: that Lucifer would be defeated here, just as he was defeated in heaven; that it was fitting for a magnanimous soul to endure great things; that the passion would soon pass, and its fruit would be eternal, namely the redemption of the human race and the restoration of the angelic ruin, or something similar. Or, according to some, as Theophilus says, this angelic comfort was the glorification of Christ, for the angel said, glorifying him: "Lord, yours is the power; you are able to free the human race against death and hell," and similar things. O Jesus, who, when placed in prayer, willed to be comforted by an angel, grant me through the power of your prayer that... ... ... ... Just as he had been in three places, so he prayed; not in the same place, but in those different places, separated from each other by a stone's throw. And so that... the traces of the good things done there still remain in those same places. It happened that he prayed in agony, teaching us that when we are in any need, we must take refuge in prayer. In times of great danger and need, we must pray even more urgently. This agony can be understood as the struggle of death, where the spirit anticipates the danger at hand; he is said to have been in an agony just as the dying are said to be in their death throes. Alternatively, it can be called a contest and struggle of the spirit, because in that struggle he was naturally shrinking from death, while his reason was obeying the divine will and desiring death itself for the sake of human salvation, since by divine power each part was permitted to act or suffer what was proper to it. Yet he was already overcoming death in his spirit, even while he was still naturally shrinking from it, before he conquered it in the act itself. But, alas! the struggle of the flesh against the spirit, or of the senses against reason. He casts aside the vanity of men and their mortality, so that those who sin mortally, and those who linger on the way with a certain sluggishness, might sin more lightly. Hence, in such a struggle, the spirit is more intense than the flesh, and reason obeys the divine will. But he says to the Father, "Not my will, but yours be done." In the state of death, the judgment is strict. Judgment, and those things which man never understands. Worldly. In the hour of his approaching death, he was made in agony. Hence Gregory says: "As death approaches..." Now it warns us, our own, in this struggle, that we who suffer such terror and fear, when we approach the eternal judgment through the resolution of our own end. And it is not without reason that the soul is then earthly. For after a little while, this thing passes, which cannot change into eternity. If we consider that we could never pass through the way of this present life without fault, and that we have done nothing praiseworthy without our own guilt, if the Lord were to bring forth the sweat of blood pouring out in this agony or struggle. It ran abundantly everywhere upon the earth. It is the fervor of those who feel the peril. And with the intense anxiety of the senses, it was permitted to seek and to suffer what is holy. His own heart, dwelling within Him. His body was red and bloody, so that you could see the sweat. This blood is real and miraculous. . As far as the truth of its sweetness is concerned. And from the most pure Christ, it is not a common thing, but miraculous and not natural, as it flows forth in that manner. Because, according to Bede, it is against nature to sweat blood. In that sweat. .
The Call to Compassion
The author exhorts the reader to meditate on Christ's suffering and to imitate his prayerful posture.
In this way, it is fitting to speak of the blood and water of Christ, which have already been shed. They flowed miraculously from his dead body. Hasten to this balm of his most sweet sweat for the sick; don't delay, so that you may deserve to be healed by it. Why do you stand there? Run to him, drink those most sweet drops, and kiss the dust of his feet; do not sleep with Peter, lest you deserve to hear: 'Could you not watch with me for one hour?' Anselm rises from the prayer where he stood, his knees bent to the ground, soaked and covered in blood. See him wiping his face, or perhaps washing it in the torrent, and reverently behold him in his affliction. Consider how great the anguish of his soul was then, to which the drops of blood falling to the ground are witnesses, and feel it deeply, for he could not have endured this without an immense weight of sorrow. For no mortal has ever shed a bloody sweat out of the horror of death; from this it is clear that his sorrow was unlike any other. In this it appears how great the bitterness of Christ's Passion was, the mere thought of which so changed his nature that, out of anguish, he sweated blood. His struggle, His anxiety, and the contests and agonies of the martyrs that He makes fruitful, greatly comfort and strengthen the faint-hearted and the weak, and stir the lukewarm and the slothful to love. As Anselm says: 'You also knelt on the ground, prostrating yourself in agony, and saying: "Abba, Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me."' That bloody sweat, which at the time of your prayer flowed from your most holy flesh, most certainly indicated the anguish of your most sweet heart. It ran down to the ground, drop by drop. Lord Jesus, why was your soul so deeply distressed? Why such a great anxiety of sweat, and such an anxious plea? Did you not offer a completely voluntary sacrifice to God the Father, and did you not offer yourself up without any reluctance? Certainly, Lord. We believe, however, that you took this upon yourself for the consolation of your weak members, so that no one might despair if their flesh murmurs, even when their spirit is ready for the passion. Indeed, so that we might have greater spurs of love and gratitude toward you, you expressed the natural infirmity of the flesh in yourself through such signs, by which we are taught that you truly bore our infirmities and passed through the sufferings of your passion not without a sense of pain. That voice seems to have been the voice of the flesh, not the spirit, because you added: 'The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak'—this is Anselm's view. The first reason, according to Augustine, is to signify that blood was to be shed from his entire body—which is the Church—and that the martyrdom of the saints was to flow from it. The second, according to Bede, is that by the earth being watered with blood, he might declare that earthly people were to be redeemed and cleansed by his blood. The third, according to the Gloss, is that he wanted his bloody sweat to run down to the earth so that he might raise the whole world, dead in its sins, to life. Also, according to Bernard, he seems to have wept not only with his eyes but, as it were, with all his members, so that his whole body, which is the Church, might be cleansed by the tears of the entire body. Furthermore, blood ran down to the earth to show that he was praying for the earth—that is, for the Church still militant on earth—and he was staining it with his blood and making it fruitful, watered by his own blood. In the sweat, fervor is noted; in the blood, the price is noted. In the flow, abundance is noted; in the drops, the fullness of the sacrifice. ... ... In the shedding of His bloody sweat, we find a life-giving lesson: that we, too, should be so focused and fervent in prayer that, through the intensity of our intention and the heat of our devotion, we might sweat as if it were blood, conforming ourselves to the Passion of Christ and the fire of love for God. For when someone is ignited in prayer with such a heat of devotion that, for the love of God, if it were necessary... ...they would not fear to shed their own blood; and they are so heated in spirit that all the blood in their body, as if playing along with the spirit, shows itself ready and prompt to be poured out. Yet, because the flesh in its weakness cannot endure such a heat of devotion, it evaporates sweat as if it were blood, or at least pours out burning tears through the eyes for the sake of that blood. And because we are unable to pour out such a vigorous prayer, let us join ourselves to Him who is our advocate before the Father, and who Himself intercedes for us; for that prayer is acceptable to God the Father, which is offered in the union of the prayer of Christ. How effective the tears of prayer are, especially those shed in the remembrance of the Passion of Christ, is clear from a certain revelation made to a person, of whom it is read that the Lord appeared and said: 'If anyone sheds tears with devotion in the remembrance of my Passion, I am willing to accept them as if they had suffered for me themselves.' In reflecting on this, in order to conform oneself to Christ, let a person fall face down upon the ground, praying with focus, and let them consider the angelic presence standing by them, and let them also reflect on His agony. Let him gather as many tears as he can from compassion and love for Christ; if he cannot shed them from his eyes, let him at least pour out the tears of his heart. And just as Christ, the Son of God, when the horrific Passion was imminent and he was pouring out drops of blood onto the ground from the anguish of the coming death, nonetheless freely committed his will to the will of the Father and devoutly finished what he had begun, so should every devout person do in every pressure of adversity and anguish of tribulation. Even if his nature resists, let him commit himself to the Father's will and devoutly accept whatever happens. O gentle Jesus, who in your agony miraculously sweated drops of blood, grant that, kindled by the remembrance of your Passion, I may deserve to sweat sweetly before you in place of blood, with the tears of my heart. And this in a threefold way. Consider now how the disciples were lying asleep, and how the Lord showed them the way to pray in the posture of the body, in pious words, and through the Angel appearing there. This is the way you also ought to follow: by prostrating yourself. Acknowledge your own defect and frailty, and fall on your face—not with your face hidden—so that you may keep what you ask for before you in your mind, rather than behind you. So that you do not say one thing with your mouth while thinking another in your heart; so that you show the humility of your mind through the posture of your body, for falling to the ground teaches us to be more humbled, if it could be achieved; so that the will of the Father always comes first, and so that you do not pray lightly, but with great fervor, just as the Lord did; and so that you do not pray in a hurried way, but at length and distinctly—not like those who, by finishing their hours in haste, say in deed, if not in word: 'Let us get this over with, because we have other more necessary things to do,' as if rushing toward things more useful and greater. See how an angel will immediately be there to help you, to comfort you, and to present your prayer to God; for it was for our example that that angel appeared to comfort the Lord. You shouldn't pray just once, but frequently, as He Himself showed us through His threefold prayer, teaching us not to give up but to persevere in prayer until we obtain what we have begun to ask for. And you, pray for the dead and for the living, for sinners as well as for the just. Or, He prayed three times so that we might ask God for forgiveness for past sins, amendment for present ones, and caution regarding future ones; or so that we might ask in prayer for these three things: forgiveness, grace, and glory; or so that we might be protected by the shield of prayer against the threefold temptation of concupiscence or desire; or so that we might direct our prayer to the Trinity—that is, to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Through this, He also taught us to pray perfectly, because perfection consists of three things: a beginning, a middle, and an end. Have compassion now for the Lord, and admire His profound humility; for although He is equal and coeternal with God the Father, He still prostrates Himself to pray to God, just like any humble person among the people. It is fitting for Christ to pray to the Father by reason of His humanity, in which He is less than the Father, but not by reason of His divinity, in which He is equal to the Father: as a man, He asks the Father, who as God is one with Him. Consider also His most perfect obedience, for because the Father wills that He should die, He reverently accepts and carries out this obedience.
The Betrayal and Arrest
Christ is betrayed by Judas with a kiss and voluntarily surrenders to the armed crowd.
Consider, thirdly, the unspeakable love of both the Father and the Son toward us; for this death is ordained and endured for our sake because of the immense love they have for us. During the vigil of Christ and the Apostles, there is sleep. After this, the Lord Jesus came to his disciples and, as if feeling compassion for them because of the temptation that was near, he spoke to them. Seeing the temptation was imminent, he said to them, "Sleep now and take your rest," as if to say, "There is little you can do." And there they slept for a little while. He bids them sleep to show his compassion for them, because they were burdened; to let them know their own weakness, because they could not stay awake with him; to let them be refreshed by sleep so they might escape the hands of those who were about to seize Christ; and to foreshadow that they would soon be weighed down by the sleep of faithlessness. Consider the gentle kindness in Christ; for the closer he draws to death, the more he reveals the sweetness of his heart. The good shepherd kept watch over the care of his little flock. Oh, what great love! Truly, this Shepherd is good and kind! He truly loved them to the end, for even in the midst of such great agony, He still provided for their rest during that brief time. Many pastors today do not act this way; they sleep soundly and rest while their subjects are vigilant and in agony. Therefore, when you see the disciples sleeping in such great danger while the Lord remains vigilant, if you are devout, you will be able to find much to say both to your Lord and to His disciples. He saw His adversaries coming from afar with torches and weapons, yet He didn't wake the disciples until they were close and almost right upon them. But then, waking the disciples, He said to them: 'It is enough; sleep now; there is little time left for sleeping.' Three times the disciples sleep, and three times the Lord is vigilant. This signifies that the Lord is the one who watches over us. And it is written: 'Rise, let us go; the Son of Man is in the hands of sinners.' But now, he is in the hands of sinners when those who seem to believe in Jesus hold him in their own hands, even though they are sinners; and this happens as often as a righteous person holds Jesus within themselves. By being in the power of sinners, Jesus is handed over into the hands of sinners; this is where it begins. That is how it is. He went to meet Judas the traitor and his companions, saying: 'Behold, he who betrays me is approaching, whom I do not wish to avoid.' How could they do this? It is as if he were saying: 'Let us not be found hiding, or acting as if we are afraid and drawing back; rather, let us go to meet them and proceed to death, so that they may see that we are ready to suffer and die, and that they may know we are completely willing to undergo the Passion.' He no longer wishes to avoid death, because Christ's desire for our redemption is revealed; he doesn't just wait for the crowd coming with the traitor, but he even goes out to meet them, teaching us that if we must be troubled, we should accept it with joy and a willing spirit. Morally, it also warns us of three things: first, to prepare ourselves for temptation, when it says, 'Rise up'; second, to persevere in good works, when it adds, 'Let us go'; third... To be ready for every temptation that is near, as it says: 'Behold, he is near who will betray me.' And with them... While he was still speaking to the disciples, he said, 'Behold, Judas, the worst of them.' One of the twelve—that is the number, not the merit—which was said to show the immense wickedness of him who had been a traitor from his apostolic dignity; having accepted from the governor a cohort of soldiers, whose duty it was to capture evildoers, along with the tribune who was in charge of them, and a crowd of the ministers of the Jews, having accepted them from the high priests and the leaders of the priests, in the cruel and most wicked company of the impious, as if to hold a criminal, he preceded them like a teacher of those who wanted to apprehend Jesus. And they came with lanterns and torches, so that they might not hide in the darkness, those who... And with swords, they hindered his capture. To those willing, he was resisted. He relied on the support of both the imperial and the priestly courts—acting as if by a lawful, established order—so that no one would dare to oppose him, and the soldiers would be at his command. These were the ministers of the Pharisees, who were under the Law. The judges saw that they couldn't find any fault in Him; or even if someone were to find one, it wouldn't hold up. They feared the crowd, lest He be handed over to be defended by them, so that He might be free of the charges that were frequently brought against Him due to their instruction. He would be found. Before Judas came to the garden with the crowd, where... Jesus was with the disciples, and he gave them a sign—a token of whomever he would kiss, that is, the Christ—so that they might seize Him; and he did this, specifically for the crowd, so that no one would be snatched away, for the crowd had great devotion to Him. Judas did this because of the Roman soldiers. He did this because he didn't know Christ, and for the sake of others, lest he be mistaken for Christ—since James was very similar to Christ in appearance, for which reason he was specifically called the brother of the Lord—and because he feared that He might be transformed, or that He might be mocked by them, since He had passed by them many times without them noticing; and so he wanted to kiss Him, so that by kissing Him, He might be held fast and not escape. When they reached the garden, Jesus—knowing everything that would happen to him by divine arrangement—stepped forward into their midst, ready for his Passion. This makes it clear that his capture and suffering were voluntary. His disciples followed him in fear, but he comforted them so they wouldn't be afraid. Anselm says of this: 'Good Jesus, you clearly showed how ready your heart was for the Passion when you stepped forward to meet those coming with your betrayer—men of blood, seeking your soul with lanterns, torches, and weapons in the night.' Offering himself to them, Jesus asked, 'Whom do you seek?' He didn't ask because he was ignorant of their intentions, but as one ready to die, he asked so they would know it was he whom they were seeking. They answered, 'Jesus of Nazareth.' They do not pray for death to the one they acknowledge as the author of salvation; he should not have been pursued, the one they call the source of honor and honesty. Jesus said to them, manifesting himself and offering himself: 'I am he, so let those whom you seek go.' It was as if he were saying, 'Why are you using a traitor's kiss as a sign?' Why are you looking for me with torches and lanterns, as if I were hiding? I am he. He didn't hide or sneak away; instead, he went out to meet those searching for him and revealed himself. Chrysostom says: 'Jesus did this to show that they couldn't just fail to seize him, but couldn't even see him standing right there unless he allowed it.' It was by divine power that those who came to capture him didn't recognize him at first—not even his own disciple who came to betray him—which is the greatest proof of his power. It happened a second time to show that he was being captured by his own will, because he could have left them without being recognized if he had wanted to. This is even more clearly shown by what follows: because when they heard the word of his power and divinity—which he shares with the Father and the Holy Spirit—they were terrified by the sound of this thunder, went backward, and fell to the ground on their backs, both Judas and the others, struck down by the power of his divinity. The words he spoke were unbearable to them. Furthermore, he did this to give the Jews an opportunity for conversion, by letting them see the miracle of his power; and because they were not converted immediately upon the display of his power, he voluntarily offered himself to be captured by them. They fell backward and on their backs, as the wicked fall; they didn't fall forward on their faces, as the just fall. For the one who falls forward sees where he is falling, but the one who falls backward doesn't see the danger of his fall. The wicked fall backward because they don't see the misery of their fall or what follows them. The just, however, who voluntarily humble themselves in these visible things so that they may be raised up in invisible things, are said to fall on their faces and forward, because they see their fall and, pierced by compunction, are humbled by fear. From this, therefore, we must consider how harsh that voice will be. They were angry, yet his words were gentle. They couldn't endure it, but there was a reason for this. It was by divine arrangement, so that the power of his divinity might be declared through it. Hence Augustine exclaims, 'Where is the cohort of soldiers now, and where is...' The princes and Pharisees—indeed, the crowd fierce with hatred and terrifying with weapons—he struck down without any weapon, repelled them, and laid them low by the power of his indwelling divinity, for God was hidden in the flesh. What will he do as Judge, who did this while being judged? What will he be able to do as King, who could do this while about to die! So says Augustine. Christ could have destroyed all his enemies if he had wanted to defend himself, but he only wanted to lay them low for a moment; he did this to show that he would voluntarily endure death, because if he had wanted to resist, they could not have captured or held him. This was once a victory over enemies! It was prefigured in Samson, Shamgar, and David. Samson struck down a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey; Shamgar killed men with a plowshare in a single strike. But God asked, 'Whom are you looking for?' He asked this so that the faithful might be freed from his Passion. They, still persisting in their malice, said, 'Jesus the Nazarene.' They couldn't recognize or seize him until he himself willed it. For this reason, it is added: Jesus answered them, 'I told you that I am he,' because I offer myself voluntarily. Then they had knowledge of him and the license to seize him, which is why it follows: 'If therefore you are looking for me,' that is, to seize me, 'do what you intend, but let these,' that is, my disciples, 'go away, because it is not yet the time for them to be taken from the world.' It is clear from this that he gave them the power to seize him; for if he saved his disciples by his own power, he could have saved himself even more. It was as if he were saying, "I am giving you the power to take me, but you must not harm my disciples." He said this because the disciples had to be saved so that the word of salvation could be spread through them; he showed his love for them right up to his final hour. This shows that superiors must faithfully help their subordinates and protect them from danger. They do what he commands, as Augustine says, by letting those go whom he does not want to perish; and what he said is fulfilled: "Of those whom you gave me, I have lost none." Then that wicked man approached. And greeting his Lord deceitfully, he said, "Hail, Rabbi," and kissed him. He approached like a member of the household, but he was a thief; he greeted him like a disciple, but he was a traitor; he kissed him. It is said that it was the custom of the Jews to kiss upon arriving to signify that they came in peace, and that the Lord Jesus would receive his disciples back with a kiss of peace when he sent them out. Therefore, the traitor used the kiss as a sign, returning with a pretense of friendship while he was actually moving toward evil. As if he were saying, "I am returning to you, Rabbi." Oh, truly a traitor! Many prelates are like him, who by word or deed lead others into scandal and, dragging them along behind them, move toward evil, and for that reason also move toward hell. Judas, abusing the kindness of Christ, returned evil for good; not that He teaches us to be deceptive, but so that He might not seem to flee from the traitor, and so that He might move the traitor more deeply, since He did not deny him the duty of love; at the same time, He was fulfilling that word of the Psalmist: 'I was peaceful with those who hated peace.' And having received the kiss, Jesus said to him: 'Friend, why have you come?' He calls him 'friend' in reference to his former status, for he was lovingly chosen by the Lord to be an Apostle. It is as if He were saying: 'To what wickedness have you fallen, that as a disciple you would betray the Master, and while you were an Apostle, you became a traitor?' See what you have done, and consider your evil end; or, 'friend' because I love you, but 'i-friend' because you betray me; or, He calls him friend ironically, reproaching his hypocrisy. As if, according to Augustine, He were saying: 'You kiss and you plot; I know why you have come. You pretend to be a friend while you are a traitor; you show friendship with a sign, and you commit betrayal in fact.' Traitors use signs of friendship so that their deceit may be carried out more secretly. Hence He said to him more openly: 'Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?' That is, in a sign of love, you commit the betrayal of murder. What a miserable sign, where peace is used to wage war, a kiss to commit murder, and a greeting to secure a condemnation! Ambrose says of this: "It is an even greater refutation of the ungrateful man that he betrayed the One who, though He was the Son of God, chose to become the Son of Man for our sake." It is as if He were saying: "It was for your sake, ungrateful one, that I took on the very thing you are now using to betray Me." Hypocrite. And, according to the same author, He rebuked the traitor with the affection of a lover; and that is why, as Chrysostom notes, He used his own name—a name that spoke more of sorrow and a desire to call him back than of one provoked to anger. Hence Anselm says: "By the sign you received from the leader of this crime, you have revealed yourself." For when that bloodthirsty beast approached to kiss Your most holy mouth, You did not turn away; instead, You gently pressed that mouth in which no deceit was found against a mouth that was overflowing with malice. O innocent Lamb of God, what do You have to do with that wolf? What agreement is there between Christ and Belial? But it was also a sign of your kindness, Lord, that you showed him everything that might have softened the stubbornness of his wicked heart. For you even reminded him of your old friendship, saying, "Friend, why have you come?" And you wanted to strike his impious heart with the horror of his own crime when you said: "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"—so says Anselm.
The Trial of the Priesthood
Christ is led before the high priests, enduring their malice and the desertion of his disciples.
The same thing can be said to those who receive the Body of Christ unworthily: "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" In a moral sense, the world is a Judas; when it offers wealth at will, it smiles; when it offers comfort and pleasure, it kisses; when it offers honors, it embraces. But in all these ways, it deceives us and hands us over to eternal death, as blessed Job testifies when he says: "They spend their days in prosperity, and in a moment they go down to hell." See here the Lord's supreme gentleness, for He gave a kiss to His betrayer and, speaking with the most gentle words, called him friend. Oh, how many there are today who seem to be friends of the Lord, yet aren't His friends! For He makes everything known to His friends: namely, to despise the world, to tame the flesh, and to overcome the devil with all his temptations. But many, turning back after their own desires, have gone away to punishment with Judas the betrayer. How many there are even today who seem to be friends among themselves, but are fake and worse than open enemies! For an open enemy is better than a fake friend; the former, while feared, is easily avoided; the latter prevails while he is not recognized. In this account of the betrayal and the kiss, three things are expressed which... One thing was done by his own servant. It was done by his disciple, one of the twelve, whom he chose from the whole world for the high dignity of the Apostolate. As Ambrose notes, the servant betrays the Lord, the disciple betrays the Master, and the creature betrays the Creator. The second thing is that it was a sign of peace and friendship. Specifically, he was betrayed with a kiss, in such a fraudulent and deceitful way. Hence, the same Ambrose says: 'By the pledge of love you inflict a wound, and by the office of charity you shed blood.' And with the instrument of peace, you inflict death. The third thing is that the very mouth of the traitor—whose heart was filled with filth and whose soul was corrupted—dared to touch the most holy and honey-sweet mouth of the Eternal Word. And as Chrysostom says, "The wolf gave the lamb to the slaughter." ... All who betray the truth, like Judas, say to Jesus, "Hail." Rabbi. Again, whoever greets Christ deceitfully and betrays him with a kiss—whether in a neighbor or even in himself. ... In a neighbor, this happens when someone claims to love them while plotting evil against them, which is the betrayal Christ suffered. ... You have done this to me, from my own people. In the same way, someone might greet Christ with the kiss of Judas, kissing him while acting deceitfully or offering fake flattery. ! Someone might greet God with their own mouth and yet betray him with a kiss. With their mouth they claim to know God and believe in him, but their actions prove otherwise. Likewise. Anyone who approaches the Lord's Sacrament while in a state of mortal sin greets the Lord and betrays him with a kiss. We should learn to bear the malice of those who act deceitfully, just as Christ patiently endured the treachery of his betrayer. We must not hate those who slander us or do us harm; instead, we should love them with affection, following the example of Christ. Let us correct them. By reflecting on the mystery of Judas's false kiss, a person may, in contrast, kiss the Crucified with sincere faith and devotion, judging themselves unworthy of the kiss of the mouth that the treacherous Judas dared to approach. If someone, while kissing the ground before the Crucified, reflects on this same thing, the Lord will inspire them in another way: 'O good Jesus, since you were betrayed by the kiss of Judas, grant that I may never betray you in my neighbor, nor in myself; and grant that I may never harbor hatred for my slanderers or those who plot against me.' That wicked greeting was once used by Joab and Amasa. Joab called Amasa 'brother' with a deceitful mind, and Judas called Christ 'Master' with a wicked intention. Joab held Amasa's chin as if to kiss him, while in his left hand he drew his sword to kill him; in the same way, Judas held Christ's hand as if to kiss him, saying 'Hail, Rabbi' with flattering words, and as if a friend, he drew his sword and hid his treacherous intent under those smooth words. Saul once encouraged the Jews to return evil for good, just as he returned evil for good to his son-in-law David. He gave the enemy of Saul, namely Goliath. He hoped for many things, but Saul acted toward him as an enemy during the Passion of the Lord. He prepared a trap and sought to bring death upon him. God often failed Pharaoh and the leaders of the Jews, and he profited them little; but now he prepares weapons for his death, and arms himself to kill him. Cain is similar, having envied his brother for no reason and killed him, even though he had done him no harm. Cain betrayed his brother with words and cruelly killed him after leading him out; likewise, Judas greeted Christ, our brother and Father, with smooth words and handed him over to his enemies to be killed. Woe to the person who is in such disobedience. Such is the one who is in Christ. When Peter, along with the others, was standing near the high priest—whose name was Malchus, who was trying to seize Christ and was acting quite fiercely—he cut off his right ear with a sword, intending to see him and wound him gravely. He could have cut off his head, but by divine disposition, he missed and fell back to the ground; the Lord restrained him from the injury of his adversaries, saying: 'Put your sword back into its sheath.' It was as if it were not a place for defense, but for patience, and the use of the sword was not permitted to him. As if he were saying: 'Do not use it for my defense, because it is not permitted for an apostle to use the sword.' Here it must be considered, according to Chrysostom, that Christ allowed Peter and the others... He had previously instructed his disciples, saying, 'If someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other to him as well,' in accordance with his own teaching. After the supper, Peter had such love for his Master that, acting on that command, he was eager to defend Him. From this, however, he learned to understand Christ's defense: the Lord teaches him that he should seek patience, not revenge. Hence Rabanus says: It was necessary for the Author of grace to teach the faithful by His own example, and to instruct them more strongly to endure adversity than to provoke them to seek revenge. The Lord therefore forbids the defense of arms, so that no one might presume to fight with worldly weapons; hence Ambrose says: 'My weapons are my tears and my prayers; in no other way can I, or should I, resist.' But today, prelates pay little attention to this, for they accept royal authority to wage war, when they ought instead to accept from them the hairshirt for repentance. And the Lord added: 'All who take up the sword'—that is, those who use it in their own cause, namely by their own authority and without any superior or legitimate power, whether by command or permission, or for the sake of cruel revenge rather than justice and the love of righteousness—'will perish by the sword.' This means that this very revenge will be the cause of their destruction, because they are worthy to be struck down. Whoever plots to harm another strikes himself with his own dart. And he falls into the pit he dug. And the Lord adds: 'Do you think that I cannot...' Do you think I cannot ask my Father, and he would provide me with more than twelve legions of angels? It's as if he were saying to himself: 'I could escape another way if I wanted to; I don't need the help of twelve legions of angels, even if I wished to have them.' . Since, therefore, he could have had legions, he refused to accept them, so that through his patience the Scriptures might be fulfilled, which prophesied about him, because it was necessary for him to suffer for our redemption; for even if another way of our liberation had been possible, none was so fitting. And therefore, it was not a place for defense or resistance. But rather for patience. However, not only... ... He held back his own; but he comforts him in another way, saying: 'The cup that my Father has given me, shall I not drink it?' As if to say: 'If you are wise in the right way, you must conform your will to the divine will; otherwise, you will be a Satan, not wise in the things of God.' According to Chrysostom, in calling his death a 'cup,' he explains how graceful and acceptable death is for the salvation of mortals, as it seems. He healed the servant, restoring his ear, to fulfill what he had commanded: 'Do good to those who hate you.' In this, the greatest charity and mercy of Christ the Savior appears, and his beneficial power is shown, which he displays to his enemy who had come to arrest him, by healing him; and through this, by admonishing those enemies who were persecuting him toward faith, and furthermore by confirming his disciples in faith; and by instructing us, because he did not want anyone to be harmed on his account, that we should do good to our enemies. In this, he also reveals his virtue and power, because he was not taken by necessity, but voluntarily. As Bede says: 'The Lord never forgets his mercy, even when he allows his own to be wounded.' They inflict the wound; he, the physician, heals it, mystically. Then, wounded, he turned to the crowd, not with impatience, but speaking to them reasonably: "..." And, as if provoking his listeners to lament, he said: "You come out as if against a thief, with swords and clubs to arrest me," as if to say, "You have done this without cause." He provides the reason for this, saying: "Daily I sat," that is, frequently and peacefully. I was among you in the temple without weapons, in the place where you have authority; you could have arrested me then without the violence of arms, because I was unwilling to resist. But you couldn't do it even now, unless I allowed it and submitted myself to your hands. Where Remigius says: 'Where I sat, and in the synagogue I taught daily.' Jerome also says: "It is foolishness." He says it is to seek with swords and clubs him who voluntarily surrendered himself into your hands; and to investigate by night, as if he were hiding and avoiding your eyes, him who taught daily in the temple. Therefore, as Chrysostom says, they didn't arrest him in the temple because they didn't dare to, on account of the crowds, for which reason also... The Lord went out so that, by the place and the time, he might provide an opportunity for them to capture him. Here, according to Anselm, we should note the Lord's patience; he spoke gently to those who were persecuting him and rebuked them with a gentle address, so that he might restrain their wickedness and lead us to imitate him. He invited them usefully by his kindness, and the Lord added, 'But this is your hour'—that is, the hour granted to you to capture me—'and the power of these shadows,' because the devil, the prince of these shadows, was inciting them to do this, and this power is given by the shadows. That is, for the devil and the Jews to rise up against Christ. And therefore, 'You gather against me in the shadows; and your power, by which you arm yourselves against the light, is in the shadows,' says Theophilus, 'the voluntary captivity of Christ.' After everything had been done that was sufficient to restrain the Jews, when they did not understand this at all, he allowed himself to be led. Hence it is said: 'The cohort of soldiers, the tribune who was in command of them, and the ministers of the Jews approached like wolves toward a lamb, unanimously and impetuously; they laid sacrilegious hands upon Jesus, the Savior of all, irreverently and improperly; and they held him, while he himself permitted it: for when he willed it, he was held, and not before, and thus he was captured by his own will.' For, as Remigius says, they frequently wanted to capture him, but they could not, just as they could not have done so now, unless he himself had willed it. For just as he struck them down with a single word, so he could have put them to flight or annihilated them with a single word, if he had willed it. From this, their stubbornness is clear, because even after seeing the aforementioned signs, they did not turn away from their evil, but rather attributed them to magic arts. Consider here that if it's painful for any person to be captured—because through captivity a person is stripped of their freedom, both in status (since they're reduced to the servitude of their captor according to civil law) and in action (since a captive cannot do what they want)—how much more painful it was for Christ, who is the Lord of heaven and earth, and whom heaven and earth could not contain, to be captured and held by the hands of violent men, as far as it was in their power to do so! We can draw a moral lesson here: just as Christ, for love of us, voluntarily surrendered himself as a captive to the Jews, we ought, for love of him, to take ourselves—that is, all our senses—and hold them captive in the service of Christ. Specifically, our eyes should be held captive from illicit sights, our ears from harmful hearing, our tongues from idle and damaging talk, our hands from evil deeds, and our feet from vain and aimless wandering, especially when it leads to sin. For just as Christ was captured so that he could not go where he might have wanted to, so a person ought to hold themselves captive, so they don't follow the desires of the flesh and the appetite of the senses, which pull them toward what is harmful. Let the heart also be held captive from evil thoughts, the intellect from erroneous ideas and false teachings, and the will from everything that deviates from the divine will. Hence the Apostle says, 'Taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,' where 'every thought' can be understood to include all the senses and the powers of the soul that serve the intellect's operation. Another lesson connected to this is that a person ought to willingly be a captive of Christ, so that they may escape eternal death. For just as a person in the danger of war willingly gives themselves as a captive to some noble and kind lord so they aren't killed by other fierce enemies, so we, placed in this life as if in a war—because the life of man upon earth is a military service—should surrender ourselves as captives to our kind Lord Christ, who is not the Lord of the dead but of the living, so that we aren't fiercely killed by our enemies with eternal death.
The Captivity of the Soul
Christ is bound as a criminal, and the author reflects on the spiritual meaning of being bound for the sake of love.
As you reflect on this passage, let a person consider themselves as if trapped on a battlefield with enemies, unable to escape the power of their adversaries—that is, the demons—unless they surrender themselves as a captive into the service of Christ, the most kind Lord. And so, with some gesture of the body, let them surrender themselves entirely to Christ as a captive, crying out and saying to him: "Jesus, who willingly chose to be captured and held by the Jews, grant that I may constantly hold all my senses and powers captive in your service, so that by your goodness I may deserve to be preserved from eternal death." 2. 3. Did he choose this? Holding Jesus, they bound those sweet hands of his with chains and tied him up ignominiously like a thief—a man worthy of death, from whom they should rather have sought to be set free, for he had come to set everyone free from the chains of sin, death, and hell. And perhaps among them were those who would later gladly say to him: "You have broken my chains, O Lord." Behold, Joseph is sold by his brothers; and Samson is bound by Delilah—that is, by the synagogue. Hence Anselm says: "But look, a crowd of wicked men now pursues the traitor; and as Judas offers a kiss, they lay hands on Jesus." They hold their Lord bound, and they bind those sweet hands with chains. What had he done? I know that devotion now fills your heart, and zeal inflames your entire being. I beg you, let him suffer who suffers for you. Why do you reach for a sword? Why are you so angry? If you cut off someone's ear like Peter did, if you strike with a blade, or chop off a foot, he himself will restore everything; he who, if you killed someone, would undoubtedly bring them back to life—so says Anselm. They bound him for three reasons: first, so he wouldn't escape their hands, for Judas had told them to hold him and lead him away carefully; second, to show he was worthy of death, because it was the custom of the Jews to hand over to the Governor anyone they judged worthy of death in chains; third, for a deeper mystery—though they themselves were unaware of it—because Christ had to set us free, who were bound by the chains of sin and held in the underworld, and so it was necessary for him to be bound for us, since we are set free by his bonds. Christ truly wanted to be seized and bound like a thief. For when Adam committed theft through his robbery by reaching for the forbidden fruit, theft was defined as taking another's property against the owner's will. Because of this, the entire human race was held captive and bound by the devil; for the sake of our satisfaction, Jesus wanted to be seized and bound like a thief—he who is incomprehensible—so that he might set free those who were bound and break their chains. And note that Christ, the Son of God, was seized like a thief alongside a thief—namely, Barabbas—crucified with thieves, and killed by the wicked, suffering for the sake of others and paying back what he did not steal. The Lord is recorded as having been bound in these ways: first, immediately upon being captured and led to Annas; second, when he was led from Annas to Caiaphas; third, when he was led to Pilate—for, according to Bede, it could have happened that he was unbound for a time to be questioned, and then, after being questioned, was bound again. Fourth, it may be added that he was also bound to the pillar when he was scourged, although this is not explicitly stated in the Gospel. Furthermore, he was bound with nails on the cross, and in that way, too, he was bound.1 There are five lessons we can draw from this.2 From this point, several healthy lessons are drawn. The first is that, as has been said, the Lord willed to be bound so that He might loosen the chains of our sins; therefore, we ought to be grateful for our release and take care not to bind Him again with our sins, which happens whenever we sin mortally. Even the hands of Christ seem to be tied with the ropes of sin by those who don't believe God can provide what they need. The second lesson is that Christ chose to be bound so He could draw us to Himself with the bond of love. Therefore, we should strive to be held so fast by such a strong love that we can't easily be separated from Him, for love itself is the bond that ties the soul to God. The third lesson is that we should bind all our members, and even our tongue, with the ropes of God's commandments, so they aren't loosened toward anything contrary to divine precepts or the divine will. Or that we should not speak of things by which we fear God might be offended. The fourth lesson is that we should be bound to our neighbors by the bond of brotherly love, striving to share with them whatever grace we've received from God, just as the Apostles held all the faithful bound to themselves by this bond and desired to be partners in their joy. The fifth lesson is that those of us who wish to follow Christ must bind ourselves with the bond of the promise of obedience, for the sake of Him who chose to be bound for us, so that we can no longer move according to our own will. In this way, bound like Isaac and placed upon the altar of sacrifice, we may be offered daily to God as a living burnt offering. To this end: To conform himself to this, a man should reflect on how the Lord was bound to loosen the chains of our sins and to bind us to Himself with the bond of love. In return, he will be able to bind himself to God by a good purpose, or even by a vow. Where he is already bound in his religious state, or otherwise, let him desire to be helped by God to fulfill such an obligation to His praise. O Jesus, who allowed yourself to be bound by the hands of the wicked, I beg you, set me free from the bonds of my sins; and bind me instead with the bond of your love and the cords of your commandments, so that the members of my body or the desires of my soul may never be loosened toward anything contrary to your will. From Mary, who stood by. Once the Lord was captured and bound, all the disciples were terrified and fled, abandoning him and leaving their Master to be led away like a criminal to be sacrificed, just as he had predicted they would be scandalized in him. Strike the shepherd, and the sheep are scattered; the Master is captured, and the disciples flee. Hence Bede says: 'The word of the Lord was fulfilled, where he had said that all the disciples would be scandalized in him that very night.' And Jerome: 'Then it was fulfilled: You have put my friends and neighbors far from me.' As Theophilus says, it is permitted for the righteous to fall, so that they may not be overconfident. Hence Remigius: [text unclear]. This event demonstrates the fragility of the Apostles. Those who had promised with such fervor of faith to die with Him fled in fear, forgetting their promise. We see this fulfilled even in those who promise great things for the love of God but later fail to follow through; yet they shouldn't despair, but rather rise again with the Apostles and return to their senses through compunction. Rabanus says: 'Mystically, just as Peter, who washed away the guilt of his denial with tears of compunction, shows the recovery of those who fall in martyrdom, so the other disciples, who avoided the moment of arrest, teach caution to those who feel themselves less fit to endure suffering, for whom it is safer to hide than to expose themselves to the danger of the struggle.' But why didn't they arrest the Apostles, especially Peter, who had struck with a sword? It must be said that nothing held them back except divine power, which even struck them to the ground. At that time all the disciples sinned and their faith was extinguished throughout those three days, except for the blessed Virgin, in whom alone the faith of the Church remained unshaken; in representation of this, all the candles are extinguished at the matins of those three days, except for one alone, which remains lit. For this reason, the altars are also stripped, because Christ, signified by the altar, was abandoned by the Apostles, who are signified by the ornaments. During those three days, the night office is sung in a low voice, signifying the prophecies concerning Christ; the daytime hours are said in silence because the Apostles didn't dare to preach at that time, and for this reason the bells aren't rung, because the sound of preaching had ceased. Descending from the side of Mount Sion into the valley of Josaphat, there are the caves of the Apostles, where they hid during the time of the Passion, having abandoned Christ. A young man was following Jesus, wrapped only in a linen cloth—a garment signifying innocence—over his bare body; he had no other clothing on besides that single piece of linen. This person is said to have been John; as Bede notes, "Nothing prevents us from understanding this young man to have been John, whose long life in the flesh after these events is evidence of this." When he was seized by the wicked, he cast off his garment, slipped from their hands, and fled naked—effectively detesting both their presence and their deeds. Yet he did not flee from the Lord, whose love he kept fixed in his mind even while absent in body. Perfect love, which casts out fear, was not yet in him; but he seems to have had more love than the others, because he followed the Master more than the rest did. According to Bede, his actions signify those who, to become more secure against the assaults of enemies, cast away whatever they seem to possess in this world. They have learned to serve God naked rather than provide their adversaries with material to tempt them or pull them away from God through attachment to worldly things. This follows the example of blessed Joseph, who left his cloak in the hands of the adulteress and fled, preferring to serve God naked rather than be clothed in the desires of a harlot. Thus Paul, the first hermit, seeing others failing under exquisite torments, fled and withdrew into solitude. And you, too, fly naked to the banner of the cross, rather than be enticed by riches and held back by the world from imitating Christ. Hence Jerome says: "Whoever wishes to escape the hands of the wicked, leaving behind in his mind the things that are of the world, let him flee after Jesus." John, however, quickly recovered, put his garment back on, returned, and followed the Lord just as he had before. It's possible that, in the dim light of night, he mingled with the crowd leading Jesus as if he were one of them, until he reached the high priest's courtyard, where he was known. John was covered only by a simple, thin linen cloth; yet today we spread our clothes out on racks, fold them away in chests, and keep pack animals, wagons, and carriages to transport them—we even drag their tails behind us or have others carry them. Four lessons from the flight of the Apostles: action, conformity, and prayer. From this point—the flight of the disciples—four lessons are drawn. The first is that we must be careful never to flee from Christ ourselves. But anyone who abandons justice or truth because of human fear, diabolical temptation, or any other passion or corrupt attachment, flees from Christ; for Christ is justice and truth. And in every mortal sin, a person universally flees from God. The second point is that if we ever drift away from Christ for a time due to our own weakness and fall into sin, we shouldn't give up hope; instead, we should rise again with the Apostles and come to our senses through repentance. The third point is that, as mentioned above, the flight of the other disciples teaches us to be cautious about fleeing when we aren't strong enough to endure suffering and adversity, just as the restoration of those who fell in martyrdom is shown through the repentance of Peter. The fourth point is that if those who seem to be our friends and neighbors ever abandon us in a time of need or adversity, we should bear it calmly, remembering that the Apostles themselves abandoned Christ when they were under pressure. As you reflect on this, consider how far you've drifted from God by sinning, and ponder the words of the Psalmist: 'For look, those who drift away from you will perish; you have destroyed all who are unfaithful to you. But for me, it is good to be near God.' Then, pray to God: 'Jesus, you who allowed all your chosen disciples to flee from you, take in your runaway servant, and hold your own by the power of your omnipotence, and don't let me wander away from you, following the whims of my own will.' Pay close attention now, and see how the Lord Jesus allows himself to be captured and bound, and to be led off to the punishment of death, abandoned by his disciples, as if he were a criminal and completely powerless to defend himself. With what shouting do you think they laid hands on him, how cruelly they bound him, how harshly they tightened the ropes, and how disrespectfully they dragged him away! . Consider also how he suffers with his disciples as they flee and wander, and what pain those most beloved disciples felt when they had to be separated from their most beloved Master. Oh, how unwillingly, how sadly, how desolate they were! How they wept, what voices and cries, what groans and sighs they gave, as they retreated like orphans, terrified by fear! You can imagine what they were saying as they left: "O good Master, O sweet Father, O kind Lord, how are we being separated from you? How, holy Father, can your children flee from you?" "Where shall we go, Lord?" They could have said this and many other things. Oh, how often they even looked back, seeing how their Lord was bound and dragged away without honor! Oh, how often they threw themselves on the ground and cried out to heaven! For their pain grew more and more because they saw their Master and Lord being dragged away so vilely, and those worst of dogs biting at him and pulling him toward his sacrifice, while he followed like a most gentle lamb without a cry or resistance. For what sting of sorrow pierced the hearts of the disciples when they saw their most beloved Master and Lord being led to death like a criminal, when even that most wicked Judas, moved by repentance, was later so filled with bitterness from this that he preferred to die rather than live? You can imagine what his Lady Mother would have done if she had been there. O my Lady, how painful and bitter tomorrow will be for you when you hear and see such a cruel spectacle! O Lord Jesus, what soul, thinking on this, can bear it without breaking from grief?
The Way of the Passion
Christ is led through the city to his trial, while the disciples follow from a distance in fear.
Look, then, at how he is led by those most wicked men from the stream, up toward Jerusalem, in haste and with force, his hands tied behind his back, and, as they say, with a chain placed around his neck; stripped of his cloak, not neatly dressed, his head uncovered, and bent over from exhaustion, walking with a violent, hurried pace—look at how the innocent lamb went among biting wolves. Oh, how violently they pushed him through the middle of the Valley of Josaphat and up the mountain path! How exhausted and afflicted by troubles he was as he crossed the Kidron stream, so that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: 'He will drink from the stream by the way'—meaning the bitter stream of his Passion—and so, with force, like a thief, they struck him and led him through the Golden Gate. These are the gates he had entered on Palm Sunday. They are closed now. And they led him away. They led him, bound as one worthy of death. First to Annas—that is, to the beginning. They led him to Annas first for several reasons. One reason is that Annas’s house was the first one they encountered on the way, and it would have seemed shameful and disrespectful to pass by his house, which was situated before the others; or perhaps they turned in there to avoid causing a commotion among the people on the longer route; or the ministers did this by the will of Caiaphas, who wanted to honor his father-in-law, Annas. They did this so that those who were related by blood might be joined in the crime; furthermore, because Annas was older than Caiaphas, and judgment was first referred to the elders so that it might appear more just to the people, he had him presented to Annas first, so that it would be more excusable if he were condemned by Annas. . Also, since these two bought the priesthood in turns from the Gentiles and succeeded each other year by year, they had a mutual interest in it, which is why he had him presented there. They presented him to Annas as a co-judge, to whom the judgment properly belonged, so that Christ might appear more deserving of death. As a result, Caiaphas himself would seem less guilty if Christ were condemned by the judgment of his fellow priest as well, and in the presence of more judges. . And although these Jewish high priests didn't have the power of life and death, they still held it. They had the power of examination, because they examined cases involving Jewish law themselves, and afterwards sent the prepared cases to the Roman governor. Under the Law, one high priest would hold the office of the priesthood for his entire life, and after his death, his son would succeed him, so that the lineage of the priesthood would be preserved. In this way, the succession was maintained. Later, as greed and ambition grew, not only did the son no longer succeed the father, but no one held the office of the high priesthood for even a year, and they even bought the office itself from the Romans with money. These two men were such people. Specifically, Annas and... Caiaphas, the chief priests, bought the office, even though they weren't of the tribe of Levi, and they held it by turns. They took turns performing their annual duties. They bought these offices from Herod every year, and it was during the year that Caiaphas was high priest that the Lord suffered, because... He was the high priest for that year—meaning he held the administration for that time—even though the judgment and authority were shared. J. The judgment was shared by both. It is no wonder, therefore, if these wicked high priests judged unjustly, and if they obtained the office of the priesthood so wickedly, they performed such a nefarious thing. For often, whoever approaches the priesthood and dignity through greed or ambition is kept in injustice, and it is a wicked thing. A beginning made in wickedness ends in a disastrous conclusion. Look at how the priesthood of the synagogue was ruined by simony, ambition, and schism; may the Church be on guard, so that a similar fate doesn't befall her. Regarding this point—specifically, the leading of Christ—it should be considered that Christ was led nine times today during the procession of His Passion: first, as soon as He was captured and bound. Second, they led Him to Annas; then from Annas to Caiaphas; third, from Caiaphas. To Pilate. Fourth, from Pilate to Herod; fifth, after being brought back from Herod, He was taken to Pilate; sixth, the soldiers led Him into the atrium. Seventh, to the praetorium, where they mocked Him; eighth, Pilate brought Him out wearing the crown and the purple robe; ninth, he led Him out of the praetorium to the place where he sat on the judgment seat; tenth, they led Him to the cross's beam. In each of these leadings, He suffered unique pains and insults, as will be shown in their respective places. These nine leadings, completed by midday, are represented by the faithful who today, until the ninth hour, go around visiting nine churches in memory of the fact that Christ, after He was captured, was led to nine places. And the faithful rightly visit the churches of the Saints today, so that they may be able to obtain benefits from them; for today the Saints ought to be very generous, because today they were freed from prison and exalted into the heavenly kingdom. For if someone were freed from prison and exalted to a kingdom, he would greatly love that day, and he would be very generous on that day; so it is also to be believed regarding the Saints. Christ’s being led away was violent, because it was done by an armed force and with a mob; it was also shameful, because he was led away in chains like a criminal worthy of death; and it was painful, because even though he went with them willingly, they still dragged him along with a rope, shoved him, and overwhelmed him with pressure, so that he could say that line from Chronicles: “Distress presses me in on every side.” The first point is that the faithful should visit nine churches on Good Friday. In the first church, they should remember what Christ suffered before Annas; in the second, what he suffered before Caiaphas; in the third, what he suffered before Pilate, and so on, following the order mentioned above. The second point is that if we are ever led to suffer for God’s sake, we should endure it with patience, out of love and following the example of him who was led away for us, innocent as a sheep to the slaughter. The third point is that although we may sometimes be led into the evil of suffering, we must never allow ourselves to be led into the evil of sin, because we must never consent to such things. Indeed, we shouldn't even be dragged or led into such things against our will; so, if we are ever tempted, we must not be led into temptation by consenting to sin. The fourth point is that we should be easily led toward the way of justice, just as Christ was led toward his Passion very easily—or rather, eagerly—not resisting, not fighting back, not complaining, but like a sheep that does not open its mouth. In conforming himself to this point, let a person consider how shamefully Christ was led away like a thief or a robber, and he will be able to visit the nine churches mentally as well. Furthermore, let a person resolve to be led by the grace of God toward everything that is pleasing to Him, and let him pray, saying: “Jesus, who were willing to be led shamefully from place to place in chains like a criminal, give me the strength so that I may not be led into sin by any evil spirit or wicked person, but may be led by your good Spirit toward everything that is pleasing to your will.” Simon Peter and another disciple, John, followed Jesus, but they kept their distance out of fear. Although they had initially fled like the others out of fear, they later followed Jesus out of devotion. They were more fervent than the rest, loved Christ more deeply, and were united by a stronger bond of mutual love. The fact that John and Peter followed the Lord as He went to His Passion signifies that the Church, from the Jews and the Gentiles, would follow the Lord's Passion—that is, would imitate it, though from a distance and in a different way: for the Church suffers for itself, but He suffered for the Church, and the suffering of the saints imitates the Passion of Christ only from afar, because no pain is like His pain. Mystically, these two disciples represent two lives that follow Christ: the active life, signified by Peter, and the contemplative life, signified by John; the active life follows Christ by obeying, while the contemplative life follows by knowing and contemplating. Because John was known to the high priest, he entered the courtyard with Jesus, as his acquaintance allowed him to enter along with the others. The reason for his acquaintance could be that he had perhaps been sent by his father to deliver many fish to the high priest's house, or perhaps because one of his relatives served there, or, according to some, he was a descendant of David, whose lineage the priests held in high regard. And John spoke to the gatekeeper and had Peter brought in, who out of fear had been standing outside at the door, as if anticipating the act of his future denial. Hence the Psalm says, 'Those who saw me fled from me.' Mystically, however, John entered with Jesus because the contemplative life is familiar to Him, while Peter stood outside because the active life is occupied with external things. By the fact that John had Peter brought in, it is mystically given to be understood that through the contemplative life, the active life is brought to Christ; for just as the lower reason is directed by the higher, so the active life is directed by the contemplative. Follow him yourself, even to the high priest's courtyard, and go inside with him if you can, so that you may be worthy to see everything that happens. The courtyard was an open space between the first and second gates, where the high priest's servants were standing around a fire; Peter was warming himself among them. Inside, however, were the high priest's council, the scribes, and the elders, and the Lord was with them, like a lamb among wolves. Peter's threefold denial began here, but it was completed later inside the house; because these events are so closely connected, all three are grouped together below. Since the Lord Jesus remains there in such a hard and bitter conflict, will you sleep and rest even a little without compassion and groaning, if you are able to do otherwise? PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, who sweated blood in your agony, grant me in the final hours of this pilgrimage to watch with you, so that I do not wither in idle rest; but in the sweat of my face, may I be fed by you, the living bread, and may the balm of your blood wash me, a sick man, and represent me cleansed by heavenly care. And you who permitted yourself to be betrayed into the hands of the wicked by a treacherous kiss, and to be led bound to Annas, and who took away the chains of eternal death for us, do not allow me to be betrayed into the hands of the cruel, but break the chains of my conscience, so that I may sing securely: 'You have broken my chains; I will offer you a sacrifice of praise.' Amen.
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lieprimit, et aliquando vincil spiitan), et ideo est orandum- Nam promptum habuisti spiritum. promittendo raori etiam pro me; patet carnis inlirniitaB, ai sustinendum imminenlem lentalioB«m, quU ip9a dormiiio corporalis iodioium csl et quasi prKnuntia «eevtx infirmitati», nondum enim Tirtute ex olto Jnduti esiis, Ubi Htennymia :a Hoc Butem adverMia teoierarLoa dictum est, qui quidquid credidurioi, putani se consequi posse. Icaque quantum de ardore menlis conlidimui, tanlum de fragiUtate carnia timeamua : n ha^c Hieronxmus : Tu, Domine, qui mandasli quod vigilemui et oranus, da nobis gratiam ad hoc faciendum; qida licet spiritus promptissimus sit, caro tamen infirma tsl, et tola pigra et tola sommlenta, nec po~ test suslinere ut vix per unam boram perfecte tecum vigHet, et tecam oret, ne cadat in tentalionem.
Deinde iterum secundo abiit et oravit, dicens : Pater mi, si non polesi hic calix transire nisi biBam illum, fiat voluntas tua. Ostendit hic, ut ait Chrysostomus, quoniam valde concordac volunlaii Dei. et quoniam ublque hanc sequi oportel et hanc inquirere. Vellet quiilen transire calicem, quia homo cst; ied perficit dispensalionem , quia Palri obediens est, Unda Leu Papa : . ■ Htec vox capiiis salus est totius corporis ; hiec voi omnes fideles instruil, omnes Confessores accendit, omnes Martyres coronavit. Nam quis mundi odia, quis tentatioiium turbines, quia posset persecutorum superare terrores, nisi Christus in omnlbus, et pro omnibus Patri diceret : Fiat voluntas tH09 B Discani igiiur hanc vocem omnes Ecclesiie lilii, ut cum adver sitaa violentse alioijus tenlatioiui incumbit, superalo tremore formidinis . accipiant lolerantiam paieos dormienles prx tristiiia, erani enim oeuli eorum gravati, et depressi : interiores quidem languorc vigiliarum longiliidine. Nam alitix magniludine somnum poierant vincere, limcntes tum capite, tum pro se; sed sicut dormiebant mente, ila et corpore, quifl ex lorpore animce, quandoque proQiiid iormitis, scilicel in tBottl conscituti periculis, cum sit lempui vigilandi, proptec instantiam gia.
viasims tenlalionis vobis imminear. tist Surgitc, a lorpore mentis; vigilale, animi vigilaniia; et orate, ne intretis in tentationem, scilicet per eonsensum, id est ne tentatio vos superet, el inlra teneat. Et, relictis illis, iterum nMfC et oravit lertio, dicens eumdem monem oralionis, scilicet : Pater mi, etc. Tenio Chrisius idem vit, ul oraiionis frequentiam* o derel, et nobis spei longai eshiberel. Iierai oration dens quod oratio debet nua; aimiliier iteral v discipulorum suorum, quia opi caritatis debent orationi esse c( juncla. Ec sic pra:! aium insiniil sibi et gregi intendere, ct nunc ci templativam, nunc aaivam viti Huic non obstat, quod Ecclesiastico ; Non '" i Ula , iclligenda est, )io)i ' iteres, lo esc iia sis diligens ia j proferendo integre et devoie verba ' orationis tuK . ut postea proptet oporteat iterare; scd tamen iterare propter devotionein, vel ii bonum esi.
Sic ec eumdem s 476 nem, in praedicando diversis, bonum est quandoque iterare.
Cum autem oraret et anxiaretur Dominus Jesus, ecce Angelus princeps Michael astitit confortans in eo motum sensualitatis, secundum quam minoratus est paulo minus ab Angelis, iilum scilicet motum qui mortem exhorrebat. Statim postquam Christus se Toluntati Patris submisit, Angelus eum confortavit, in quo innuitur : quod licet quandoque non fiat quod petitur, quia forte non expedit, semper tamen oranti mentalis consolatio confertur; et, secundum TheophiIm, ut nobis innotesceret orationis virtus, quatenus eam in adversis pneponamus. Orans Dominus ab Angelo confortatur, et humilis Do-. minus reverenter et humiliter susdpit hanc confortationem, etiam a sua creatura, considerans se essc minoratum paulo minus ab Ange^ Us, dum est in hac lacrymarum valle ; et sicut contristabatur ut homo, sic ex verbis Angeii sui fiiit confortatus ut homo. Nec putandum quod hic Angelus, vel alius, fuerit in ejus custodiam deputatus ; quia hoc non decuit, et Christus non indiguit. Secundum Bedam, alibi quod Angeli ei ministraverint, hic quod Angelus eum confortaverit didtur; ut utraque natura designetur. Nam divinae naturae Angeli ministrant, humanam vero confortant. Apparuit aiftem ei Angelus, visione corporali in assumpto corpore humano, consolans eum per modum servientis : non propter se et sui indigentiam, sed magis propter discipulorum assistentium consolationem, et ad confirmandum iidem in eis, quod Christus sit major Angelis, ratione deitatis; ac propter no> stram instructionem, ad ostendendum scilicet quod Angeli assistunt Bobis orantibus, confortantes nos in oratione ; et ut ex sua post tristitiam consolatione, sciremus quod tribulatis pro Christo non deest divina consoiatio, juxta illud Psalmistae : Secundum multitudi^ nem dolorum meorum in corde meo, consolationes tuas lcetificaverunt animam meam, Nam, secundum Bedam, Creator non indigebat creaturse subsidio ; sed homo factus , sicut nobis et propter nos est contristatus, sic nobis et propter nos est confortatus.
Sed ipse Dominus et ratione se confortabat, dicens ad Patrem : Non sicut ego volo, sed /Sicut tu. Aiunt autem quidam Michaei astitisse oranti et dixisse se Patri orationis tenorem retulisse , omnesque procidentes Angelos pro hoc ipso orasse , et respondisse Patrem : No^it dilectus Filius meus quod humani generis redemptio, quod sic optamus, sine sui sanguinis effusione decenter fieri non potest. Angelus autem post haec confortavit eum : vel, de sui praesentia, sicut amicus de sua praesentia confortat amicum, unde confortavit, id est ad modum confortantis se habuit, scilicet ei assistendo; vel, forte aliqua verba consolatoria dicendo, ut forent haec aut his similia : quia scilicet hic vincetur Lucifer, sicut victus est in coelo, quia magnanimum magna sustinere deceret, quia passio cito transiret, et ejus fructus esset perpetuus, scilicet redemptio humani generis, et restauratio angelicae ruinae, aut aliquid simile ; vel, secundum quosdam, ut dicit Theophilus, ista angelica confortatio fuit Christi giorificatio , dicebat enim Angelus glorificans eum : Domine, tua est virtus, tu potes contra mortem et infernum genus liberare humanum, et similia. O Jesu , qui in oratione positus ab Angelo confortari voluisti , da mihi per virtutem orationis tuce, ut SECUNlfljE PARTiS CAPUT LtX. ■«•anti mild Mfmpsr atsistal Angelus Ivtts me conftn^ant^Acoflift iKCKHisTa. — Mic&niiB' idwerle 'Contra impaliciiliaiii nosonin. qtiifl Etominui Jtsus pJoribuB viinbus oravil, anliciqumi a PjOte nccipenx responBioncm et canfortaiioncm. Sicut aotem ter Euerat tcruaiu» in wibus locis, sic t^ oravit; ntm in codem 1oc«, sed iBWibui diverBiB Itieis, distantibuE sb invjccm per iictum lapidis.
Et, ut iJdtur. adbuc in ipsisiociB vcstifia cccleaiaruia Buni, quEE ibi tacig fucrunt. £t factui in agfttda prolLxiiis urabat, uueadciiB ei dooena quod rog in aj^nia, vot quaciinque ne::esEatale coastituti, debcmus ad orationem confugcrc, ei in. magnis pericult» ac mt\cai neCMsitate, magis et instamiua orationi insiMore. Agonia isca potest ilicd cettBinen canita mortefni, vtJ nvartie tmxietaB, quAm quaBi prxseatem prceridebjt, et ideo dicitur tUDc fiiisse va agonift, sicut infirmi in exircmi» Jabprantes dtcuntur tisse in agone; vei, paiesi dici certamen et reluctuio EcnsiuiitniE ac is, qmiia agoniuibai bat ii li pugna s natuistiter mortem horrens : ratio voluntati divinic obtemperans, et ipsam morteni pro saluie humana zelins; guia virtute dlvina quielibeT pars pcrmiticbatur agore veJ pati quod proprinm eral sibi. Jam tamon vincebai mortem animo dum etiam muri n"olebat , quara poat vicit actu JpBO, Bcilicei reGurgcni,Io. Sed, iieu! cailucwio carni» ad spiritum, siuc sensualilatiB ad rationera .
quosdato homiiiiim iacit relFoiTC vel umrtatare, ut illoB qia peccaot [Qortaliter; et quoadam lcnte inceildrc, Eiivc in via morari, ut illos ifin peccanl venilililer. Unde in liujnsinodi pugna proiixius est oranlOnsualrtas x tiani, et ratio divinte roluntaci aa» obeistat. scd ictbediat, cl ipsi dica^ mtiB : Noa mea, sed tua tolimlas fial. [n Btatu mortiB, idistrictnin ji>. dicium, ei ea qus homo mjnquaim. mun. In cujuB iii^ura Chrismi propinijuarne morte, factus t agonia. llnde ail Gregoriua : a A|V propinquante cj.
iam mone, noGtra; ineniiE in sc certamen expressii , qui YJm quamdLim terroris et foi^ midinis ipaiimur, cnm fer solutionom ctrnis leterno judicio af^sropinquarauE. Nec immerito tunc Hntma terrenir. quoniam poit pusillum hoc iorenit quod in Bsternum mutare non ^cresit. Si eniim coasideremus quud viam vitK prssentis nequaquani sine culpa tranaire potuimus, el quod nec hoc ipstna sine reato nusiro csl qiUKl laudabilller gessimus , si lemoita 1 «gD(NGUCNIB KJUagtlE »Acum Dominus prolinierim eudor ferven-« 1 modum sanguiais erumpens in hac agomia sive certamine. UBqoe in terrara abundanler currehai. Eil fervora eiiini nentiB pcricijli. ac vchemfnti anxietale scniualilaiis, (Juh; pennittebatiir qgcre et pati quDd icrHl. pmprium sibi, inHaminsbainT' cor.
ei corpus, ut aperiis povis efflnerctsudor Tubicundui et sanguineus. Iste sanguisifmt verus ct itzlurBlis. . qoanlum ad verilateni suaKtisConlis. et de pun-ssima CltriBti caDuc* sed miraculosus et non aattilali&, qudmum ad moduiB profluuntJce,. quia, secuiiiilnm Bedetn, uontra na— turam est, Baiigu. inem sudaro. .
SicL eliain oporlat dicure tk sanguinci et aqua iaierts Chrisii, iam iQDrtiii,. > 477 aqua; sed miisaculose effluxerunt de mortuo corpone. Ad hunc suavdssimi sudorts balsatnum egrotis pra6cuinn festina , ne tardavem, ut inide sanari merearis. Unde AiiMelmMS ^ tt Quid stas ? Accurre, et suavissimas iUas guttas iambe, et pixlverem pedum illiusJinge; noli dornijre cum Petro, ne merearis audire : Sic non potuisH una kora iigilare mecum? » haec AnsetmuSm Surgit igitur tertio ab oratione ia qna stabat, ftexis in terram genibtts, lotus sanguine madefactus; quetn conspice tergentem sibi vultum, ¥el forte etiam in torrente lawatem, totumque adlictum reveranter ceme, et constdera quanta tunc fuerit animae suc angustia, a^uA testes sunt guitce sanguinis deGurremiis in terram, et ei intime compotere, quta non sine ingenti aoedNtate doloris hoc sibi potuit contifi^re. N-unquam enim aliqois inortalium, ob mortis harroremauditur sudorem fudisae sanguineom; unde patet ejus nunquam similem fuisse dolorem. In hoc qakfeoi apparet quanta fuerit amalitado Passionis ■Christi, cujus sola cogiCBtio tantum naturam immutalii, quod prae angustia sanguinem sndaretx>egtt.
Haec pugna ejus etanxietas Mart)rrum certamina etagones ^gaificans, plurimum consolatur et omfortat pusUlanimes et infirmos, et ad amor^n incitat tepidos et in^stos. Unde Anselmus : u Positis quoque genibus io terra, procidisti iniaciem tuam adorans in agonia, et dicens : Abba Pater mi, si possi'' bile eU, iranseat a me calix iste, Ct angustias quidem cordis tui dul«isiimi certissime indicabat «udor iile sanguineus, qui orationis temp»re de sanctissima carne tua. guttatim decurrebat ih terram. DomiBttor J>omine Jesu , uiide aaims tB£ txm vehemens tristitia? ^ Unde t«Dta sudoris anxietas,, et tam anxia supplicatio? Nonne -voiuntarium omnino sacrificium Deo Patri obtulisti , ct nihil inyitus pentulisti r Utique,Domine. Arbitramur autem quod et hoc quoque ad consolationem infirmorum membrorum tuo» rum assumpsisti, ne forte desperet quis, si caro in^rma remurmuret, ubi ad passionem promptus est spiritus. Nimirum et ut majores erga te amoris et gratitudinis stimutos haberemus, naturalem camis inhrmitatem hujuscemodi indiciis in te ezpressisti, quibus docemur , quia vere languores nostros portasti , et non absque sensu doloris passionum «entes percurristi.
Vox enim iila^ox carnts fuisse videtur, non spiritus, eo quod subjunxisti : Spiritus quidem promptus est, caro autem tnfirma : » haec Ansehnus^ Voluit autem Dominus sanguinem sudare, plurlbus rationibus. Prima est, secundum Augustinum, ad figurandum quod de corpore suo toto , quod lest Ecclesia, sangurs effundendus, et emanatura erant Sanctorum martyria. Secunda est, secundum Bedam, ut per terram sanguine irrigatam, declararet terrenos homines sanguine suo Tedimendos et mundandos. Tertia «st, secundum Glosaam , ut totum mundum peccatis mortuum ad vi;tam resuscitaret , ideo sudorem suum -sanguineum ad terram decurrere volebat. Item , secundum Bemardum, non soium oculis, sed quasi membris omntbus flevissevidetur; ut totam corpus ejus, qwod est Ecdesia, totius corporis lacrymis purgaretur. Insuper etiazn , sanguis decurrebat in terram, ad ofitendendum quod pro terra, id est EUxlesia adhuc militante in tetra orabat, et sanguinem suum £ttnctebat, et ipsam suo irrigatam sanguine fucundabat. iu sudore aateBn notatur fervor; in sangurne,. prctium; in decursu, abundantia ; in gullii.
parlik:ula. ris efficacia, quamvis esiel univcrBalis sutlicienlia. lo, qui est sudoris sanguinei deSuxio, habetur documentum salutiferum, quod et nos in oratione debemus ila esse inlenti et fervidi, ut ex veheraentia intentionis, el fervore devolionis, sudcmus quasi sanguinem per configurationcm Passiuuis Christi, ei ardorem dileccionis ad Deum. Quod Gt, dum quis orans in tanto ardore devotionis accenditur, quod pro amore Dei, si oportet. sanguinem suum funderc non vcretur; et lalis sic incalcEcii spiriiu, ut tolus sanguis iu corpore, quasi spiritui alludens pronum et prompium se exhibeat ad exsudandum : quia vero caro ex iniirmate sua lam vehcmcniem ardorcm devotionis sufTerre non prtevalel, ideo sudorem quasi smguinem evaporat, vel saltem pro sanguine ardentcs lacrymas per oculos eifundat. Et quoniam nos lam vigorosam orationem effundere non valemus , adjungamus sti, qui est advocatus noster apud Patrem et ipse inlerpellat pro El ilio esi efiicacisEi Deo Patri accepta , quie scilicel in unione oralionis Christi offertur. Quam efficaces etiam sint lacrymx orationis, et maxime illse quEe in rccordatione Pas^ionis Chrisii funduntur, patct ei quadam fiivelaiione facta cuidam personte, de qua legitur quod appa:i Don : Si quis in recordatione mea; Passionis lacrymas cura devolione fuderit, suscipere volo ac si ipse pra me passus sit. In recolendn islum articulum, ad sc Chrialo couformandum, procidat homo in facicm Siiper terrant, orando inlente, ct cogitel angelicam precsentiam sibi tunc sdesse, recogitct etiam agonem suum.
et conctur quantura potesi habere lacryraas ei corapassione et amore Chrisli, quas si habcre non potest per oculos, fundst salteR] lacrymas cordis. Et sicut Christus Dei Filius, imminenle sibi Passione horrenda, cum prx angustiis supervenlura: mortis guitas sanguineas in lerram funderet, niliilominus tamen libere volunlatem suam voluntali Palris commisit, et quod cceperal dcvote perfecit; sic quilibct devoius in omni adversilatis pressura et tribulatiouis angustia. licel fortc nnturam reluctantcm habeat, sc paternK volunlati commitlal, el hoc quod occurrit, devoie suscipial ; O pte Jeju, qui facius in agonia guUas sanguinis miratHiter desudasti , da miki ut recordalione lux Pas~ sionis accensas, lacrjrmarum gui^ taa, pra sanguine in conspeciu tua merear dulciter desudare. ET Moc raiPLici vicE? — Respice nunc qualiter jacebant diacipuli dormientcs , et qualiter Domiuus ostcndit eis modum orandi in gestu corporis , ct in verbo pio, et per Angclum ibi apparentem. Qucm modum et lu tenere dcbes, scilicet te prosterncndo . ac proprium defectum et fragililatem recognosccndo, ei cadendo in faciem tuam, non post faciem ; ul ea qua rogas coram lc habcas, et in mcnte leneas, non rctru. ut unum ore dicendo , et aliud corde cogiiando; ct ul humilitateni mentis ostenda* hdbitu corporis, casus enim in terram docel nos magis humiliari, si poBset licri ; et quod voluntas Pairis semper pra:ccdat et quod non lepidc, scd cum magno fervore orcs, slcut Domiiius fecit; ct quod non 479 panim, sed prolixe et distincte, non sicut illi qui festinanter horas solvendo, etsi non verbo, facto tamen dicunt : Expediamus nos de istis, quia habemus facere alia magis necessaria , quasi festinantes ad utiliora et majora.
Et vide quomodo statim aderit tibi Angelus qui te adjuvet et te confortet, et orationem tuam Deo pr^esentet, propter exemplum enim nostrum ille Angelus apparuit confortans Dominum. Et non semel, sed frequenter est orandum, sicut ipse ostendit nobis per trinam orationem suam, doccns ut non deficiamus, sed in oratione permaneamus, donec impetremus ea quae postulare jam coepimus. Et tu ora pro mortuis , pro vivis, tam peccatoribus quam justis. Vel, oravit ter, ut et nos de peccatis prseteritis veniam, de praesentibus emendationem, et de futuris cautelam a Deo postulemus ; vel, ut haec tria, scilicet : veniam, gratiam et gloriam, in oratione petamus; vel, ut contra trinam concupiscentiae, seu cupiditatis tentationem orationis clypeo tueamur ; vel, ut ad Trinitatem, scilicet Patren , et Filium, et Spiritum Sanctum orationem dirigamus. Per hoc etiam docuit nos orare perfecte; quia perfectio consistit in tribus, scilicet : in principio , medio et fine. Compatere nunc Domino, et admirare profundissimam humilitatem suam; quia cum sit Deo Patri suo coaequalis et coaeternus, prostratus tamen Deum orat, et tanquam quilibet de populo homunculus. Orare quidem Patrem convenit Christo ratione humanitatis, in qua est minor Patre; non autem ratione deitatis, in qua est xqualis Patri : homo rogat Patrem, qui ut Deus est unus cum Patre. Considera etiam perfectissimam ejus obedientiam, quia enim Pater vult quod moriatur, ipse hanc obedientiam reverenter suscipit et exsequitur.
Vide tertio indicibilem ad nos caritatem, tam Patris, quam Filii; pro nobis enim haec mors indicitur et sustinetur, propter nimiam ipsorum caritatem quam ad nos habent. i3 ViGiLiA Christi et ApostoloRUM DORMiTio. — Venit auiem, post haec Dominus Jesus, ad discipulos suos, et quasi compatiens eis, propter tentationem de proximo. eis imminentem , dixit eis : Dormite jam ei requiesciie, Quasi diceret : Parum potestis facere. Qui ibidem , aliquantulum dormierunt. Jubet «os dormire : ut ostendat suam ad eos compassionem , quia gravati erant; et ut cognoscant suam infirmitatem, quia cum ipso vigilare non poterant; et ut somno recreati fugere possent de manibus eorum qui statim Christum erant capturi; et in figura quod in proximo infidelitatis somno erant gravandi. Considera in Christo mansi^etudinem piam, quanto enim magis appropinquat ad mortem, tanto magis ostendit cordis sui dulcedinem. Bonus pastor vigilabat super custodia pusilli gregis sui.
O grandis amor! Vere bonus et pius est hic pastor! Vere in flnem dilexit eos, cum in tanta agonia positus, illo modico tempore quietem eorum procurat ! Non sic hodie multi pastores faciunt, qui subditis vigilantibus et in agonia positis, dormiunt suaviter et quiescunu Dum ergo videbis discipulos dormientes in tanto periculo, et Dominum vigilantem , si devotus es , multa invenire poteris quae dicas tam Domino tuo, quam discipulis suis. Videbat tandem a longe adversarios suos venientes cum facibus et armis, nec tamen discipulos excitavit, nisi cum prope et quasi juxta eos fuerunt. Tunc autem evigilans discipulos, dixit eis : Sufficit, 1 qoiei Jormistil; ei^o parum eat dorniiendum; unde qui>iam Patrcs, aon aisi snadoTcl sedsadu somnum capere caoswviiruni psrmodicuio. Ter disdfiQli domiunl , ter Dominus i;[ GBSciutio. irea monuot quog DoniinuB suacilavit sigHiticat.'
Et i^u^tMxil : Kctiji kora, et Filius liominii Ira4etar in mamis peceatoi-nm. Ubi Oigeaes ; « Scd ct nunc lasuG tn manus peccaiorum uaStWir, qwndo hi qui videnlur in Je9UBI credere, babeni eum in manibm miis, cum sinl peccatorcs; Bdi jt quotiescunquc justus habens in seJesutn. in potesiate fsctns faeril psccatoriim, JesuE esl trsJitus in inftBus peccatorum : n hsec Orige~ iiM. siir^rt." cdtfiNS, acilkei obviam Juda: prsditori, et suis compHcibus : Ecce appropiitqual qni me iraiet, quem nolo declinBte. -quainlis posseni hoc facere. Ac si dietrct : N«ii nos inveniani latentes, ac quasi timentBS et relrahentea; uitro ^:amus eis ot>i/iltin, ct pergainus ail :nortem, ut passuri confidcBiism et ;3miium videant, et Paswoncm omiiino voluBt&TiaEn sciani. Ultra ae^ liebcinus oBirrH, quando non cipoiKt iTjortem cffugere; ubi OBlonditur Chnsii desiderium >d nostram redamptionem, quia non solum proiilorem cum turba venieniem exspet^ttnit, scd etiam eis occurrit; ubi titisun docel, ul si Iribulari nus opoTtel, cum gaodio et con&Jentifl suMiaeamu*.
Moralilcr quoque, monel nos ad tria : primo, ad tentatioaes nos pncparare, cum didtur : Surgile; siicundo, in bcrnis operibus prolijere , cum subditur Epma; tertia. omni liiira quaai lentatianem proiimam e^spcclare, ,:Bni Bddiuii' : Ecce Ofpropiitquiit, Td prope fst, (ic, 14 AOTKKrUS JUO. C ET CUUOBTtS vn»iT«. — Ei adiaic eo ioqiiente dixiputis sttig, eeae JMbis,pessimus. mnu» de dKOdecim, scilicet numero, nonmerita: quod djctum esi ad astendenidiMB immane l^ciniis illius, qui dc apostcriicB dignitate proditor fuerat fiittus ; accepta a Prareide cohorie militum Gcniiiium, quorum iniererat capcre maleJaciorcs , cum iriboiw qui prKaral eis; ac lurba plurirat JudiBorutn ministrorum, accepta a poMifidbus et princjpibus «aeerd«tum, CTudeli uiique et pessima t»cierale impiorum, tanquam ad tenendum reutn, antecedebat eoa vetuti doctor eoTum, qui volebant com-' prchcndere Jesora. Et venerunt ii— ' lue, cum laternis et facibus, ut b' in tonebris laiere vellei, his qiiw»-! reiurjnecnon, CM« gtadi\s, futtiha'^ elannrSjijt caplionem ejus impedite. volennibua his resisieretor.
SeCtt*-' dura HieronYmum, incumbifvirtafi' sGcuii,qui desperat dBadjutorio&H;' habcbat itaque fulcimentum ^lcf utraque curia, sciiicBi Imperatolia, ct 'Ponlitjcis, quasi servaio ordiBe, legicime poteslHlis, ut nema tenaiilibu» audcrei obsisierc, eum hinc' niilites l\iesidis. imie minisffli Pkarisieon*ni, qui jn Legesiunml! et iudices videbantm', vllum Imm^ rent; vel, etiara si q jis saderet, cftwira tut non possel, limebamt enim pledicm, ne per hanc defcnderaw traditur, ut sine luriMs, quae indie' frtiquenter propter instroctionen»" aJerani. invenirelur. Aniequani astem Judas cum lurba venrret ad hortum, ubi . lesus cum discifsitJB< crat, ^dit eii sigttum, dioma Qusmcunque ascMi<Uits fuero , ipt»est, scillcci Ciiriscus, ieneie eunx,— (3 djcUe eaute, scilicet ctwtaAo «■ populo, ne eura de i erjpiai , populus cn devotiisnieai ad eum habebst. Hoc auteiB fecit Judas, ei propcer Rom»* norum miJites. q^ Christiim nonr ), 4*1 cogaosoebaht ; et prQpter alios, ne Iqgo Chmti ca^reiit iaaobum aiinQfeaB» qoi iu facie Christo simillimiia «rat, pcx>pter quod speoaliter fraier Dooiini dicebatur; et quia timebat ne se tiaosfoniiaret, et de namiMis eoram cflabeTetur, quia phiiies decentus ab ipsis pertransiit, nesdentibus eis; et ideo osculari e«n voluit, ut ia osculando teoeretur ttfi evaderet.
Et cum veniissent ad hortnm, tuoc Jesus scient omniA qum, ex dispositione divina, veifUira erwt super eum, processii, ukro ia OiXiinum«illarum, sicut paratus ad Passionem. Ex quo patet, voiuntstfieeum captura fuisse et passum; disctpuii quoque sequebantur eum tiiiieate&, sed ipse confortabat eos ne timerent. Unde Anselmui ; « Quam promptus, bone Jesu, 6pi-> ritUB tuus ad PAssioaem fuerit, evi«keater ostendisti, quando v<enienti-> bus uoa cum proditore tuo viria sanguinum» et quaerentibus animam uiam cum iatemis, et facibus, et iSnms, per noctem uitro occurristi. n Et dixit lesus occurrentibus, o£ferens se voiuAtarie eis : Quem quce^ titis 9 tion interrogat, quasi ignarus ^oluntatis eorum; sed mori panUus interrogat, ut sciant esse euA quem quereiaant. Responde-' rjmta : Jesitm Njj^arenum. Non orat quaereaulus ad mortem, quem pnkitentur esse salutis auctorem; necerat persequendus, quem dicunt esse ilurem honoriset honestatis. DixU eis Jesus, semetipsum manitiestans et o£Ec:rens : Eg<i snm, sd> lioet qu«n qucritis. Quasi dicerel : Qoid pro signo sumttis osculum imditorisf.
Qukd quasi iatentem me quditis cum facibus et iaternis t Ego SKiM. Non se occultavtt, nec ae afasGondit; acd magis quaerentibtts obvi&m fuit, et se ostendit. Ubi CbrysQstomus : « Fecit autem hoc Jestts, OBtendens quoniam non so* lum comprehendere eum non possent; sed nec videre in medio existetitem, nisi ipse concederet : v» hasc Chrysostomus. Virtute ehim divina factum est, ut venientes ad capien-dum eum, primo non cognoscerent, etiam suus discipulus qui venerat ad tradendum, ^uod majdme est potentiae ejus ostensivum; ut per hoc secundo ostenderetur' quod de voluntate sua caperetur, quia incognitus ab eis recedere poterat, si voluisset. Sed et raanifestius patet per hoc quod subdicur, quia audito verbo virtutis et divinitatis, quod est ei cum Patre et Spiritu Sancto commune, a voce tonitrui hujus fbrmidantes, abierunt retrorsunt, et ceciderunt in terram resupini, tam Judas quam alii, potentia divinitatis ipsius dejecti : ita erat eis importabile quod dicebatur; item ideo, ut etiam quantum in se est, daret ludaeis materiam conversionis, viso potentiae suae miraculo ; et ideo cum statim ad ostensionem suae potentiae conversi non fuerunt, se eis capiendum sponte obtulit. Ceciderunt reirorsttm, et resupiiri, sicut cadunt iniqui ; non ante et in faciem, sicut cadunt justi : qiri autem ante se cadit, videt quo cadat ; qui autem retro cadit, non videt sui casus pericuium. Iniqui ei^ retro cadunt, quia non yident sui casus miseriam, tt quo eos stfquatur ; justi vero qui in istis visibilibus semetipsos sponte dejiciunt, ut in invisibilibus erigantur, in Faciem suam, et ante cadere dicuntor, quia casum vident, et timore compuncti humiliantur. Hinc ergo pensandum est, quam aspera erit vox .
irati, cujus verba dulcia. pati non potuerunt; hoc autem factum est ex. divina ordinatione, ut per hoc dedararetur virtus suae divinitatis. Unde Augusiinus exciamans aiti Ub> i nunc militum cohors, el mi. prineipum ac Pharisffiorum ( Ncmpe u : Bgo iiim, 1 turbam odiis ferocem, armisquB lErribilem, sine telo ullo percussit, repulii, stravitque virlute divimiaiis iBCentis : Deus enim laiebat in carne. Quid iudicaturus fadel, qui judicanduE hoc fecii : Quid regnaiurus poterit, qui moriturus hoc potait! n haec Augustinus. Poieral Christus omnes hostes 8UOS destruere, si veltet se defendere, scd noluit nisi ad modicum eos praslernere ; hcc ideu fecit, ut ostenderec s: mortem volunlarie Eustinere, quia si vellet reniti, non posECnt eum capere, vel tenere.
Hsec hostium Clinsli victoria fuil olim ! n Samsone, et Samgar, et David prKligurata. Samsoncummandibula asini siravit mille viros; et Samgar cum vomere interfscitvirosseicenDnvid uno impelu occidi . Sed : :i Dei Et c ierragavit : Quem quaritis? Qua:Itionem ileral, ut hdeles sua Pas»oneliberand(iEOEIendat. //fii]uIent, adhuc in malitia aua perseverantea, dixerunl : Jesum Najarenum. Non enim cognoscere, vel capere poterant eum donec ipse vellcl, propter hoc subditur : Ri-spondit eis Jesus : Dixi vobis, quia ego sum, qui voluniarie me oflero; et tunc habueruni ipsius notitiam, etcapiendi licenliam, prnpler quod seqiiitur : Si ergo me quceritis, scilicet comprehcndere, faciatis id quod incenditis, sedtamen sinitehos, scilicetdi' scipulos meos, abire; qitia non est tempus modo , quod lollantur dc mundo. In quo palet quod ipse dcdit cis polcstil^m capiendi eum; :ut ex sua polenlia discipulos suoB servavil, ila et inulto magis seipsum servare poluisset.
Quasi diceret : Sic do vobis potestatem inc capiendi, ut camen meis discipuiiE non faciailE altquid mali. Hocdizit, quia servandi erant discipuli, ut verbum salutis per eos divulgarelur; usque ad ullimam horam ejus, quara ad eoshabuiidileciionisconservanliam demonstravit : per hoc ostendilur quod superiores debent Buus subdiioE fideliter adjuvare; ct periculo exponere. Faciunt, ul ait Auguslinus, quod jubet, sinunteos abirequos non vult periie; et irapletur quod diierat ; Quia quos dedislintiki, nonperdidiex eis quemiG OscuLUX Junai. — Tunc, accedens , ille ncquam. et Dominura suum subdole salutans, dixit : A*e, Rabbi ; et oscuiatusest cum. Accessit tanquam domesticus, sed fur erat ; salutavit tanquam discipulus, sed insidiator erat ; osculaius est Diciiur quod crai consueiudo Judicorum, in adventu suo osculari, ad significandum quod ingressus eral pacificus, ei quod t Domini Jesu discipulos, quos emitlebal, in osculo pacis recipere redeuntes ; et propcerea prodi tor illis osculum in signum > tanquam dui eiiercit ad inalum priecedens ficto rediit. Quasi i rediei L cgo 1 aed :ulor , Rabbi. O vere proditor!
Huic similes sunlmulti prxlati, qui verbo vcl Eacto alios scandaliiando ec post se crahemio aniccedunt ad malum, ec ideo etiam anlecedunt ad infernum. Judas bene6ciis Chrisli abutens, mala pro bonis reddebat; nitcs nilia 483 non quod simulationem nos doceat, sed ne proditorem fugere videretur, et plus afficeret proditorem , cum amoris officium non negaret ; simul et illud Psalmistae complens : Cum his qui oderunt pacem eram pacificus, Ety suscepto osculo, dixit illi Jesus : Amice , ad quid venisti? Vocat eum amicum, secundum statum pristinum , amicabiiiter enim iiiit electus a Domino in Apostolum. Ac si diceret : Ad quod scelus dilapsus es, ut discipulus traderes Magistrum, et dum esses Apostolus, factus es traditor ? vide quid feceris, et considera finem tuum malum; vel, amice, quia diligo te, sed iDimice, quia me tradis; vel, vocat eum amicum ironice improperans simuiationes. Tanquam, secundum Augustinum, diceret : Oscularis et iasidiaris, novi quare veneris ; amicum fingis , cum proditor sis ; ostendis amicitiam signo , et agis proditionem de facto. Amicitise signis proditores utuntur, ut eorum dolus latentius peragatur. Unde apertius ei dixit : Juday osculo Fi~ liumhominis tradis, id est in signo caritatis, proditionem homicidii facis.
Infelix signum, ubi per pacem bellum, per osculum homicidium, per salutationem condemnatio procuratur! Ubi Ambrosius : « Illud plus confutat ingratum , quod eum tradiderit, qui cum esset Dei Filius, propter nos Filius hominis esse voluisset. Quasi diceret : Propter te suscepi ingrate, quod tradis. hypocrita. » Et , secundum eumdem , quasi amantis affectu corripuitproditorem : etideoetiam, secundum Chrysostomum , proprium nomen posuit, quod magis dolentis erat et revocantis, quam provocati ad iram. Un4e Anselmus : «Signo quod acceperaht a duce flagitii, teipsum manifestasti. Nam accedentem ad osculum sanctissimi oris tui cruentam bestiam aversatus non es, sed os in quo dolus inventus non est, ori quod abundavit malitia dulciterapplicuisti. O innocens Agne Dei, quid tibi et lupo illi ?
Quce conventio Christi ad Belial ? Sed et hoc benignitatis tuae erat, Domine, ut omnia illi exhiberes, quae pravi cordis sui pertinaciam emollire potuissent. Nam et veteris amicitiae illum commonuisti, dicens : Amice, ad quid venisti ? Et horrore sceleris sui cor impium ferire voluisti, cum dicebas : Juda^ osculo Filium hominis tradis : » haec Anselmus.
Hoc idem potest dici indigne sumentibus Corpus Christi, scilicet : Juda, osculo Filium hominis tradis. Moraliter, Judas est mundus, qui quando ad libitum dat divitias, tunc ridet ; quando dat solatia, et delicias, tunc osculatur; quando dat honores, tunc amplexatur ; sed omnibus istis modis nos decipit, et morti aetemae nos tradit, teste beato Job qui dicit : Ducunt in bonis dies suos, et in puncto ad infernum de~ scendunt, Vide hic maximam mansuetudinem Domini, quia osculum proditori suo dedit, et verbis blandissimis alloquens amicum ipsum vocavit. O quot sunt hodie tales, qui videntur amici esse Domini, et non sunt ejus amici ! Amicis enim suis omnia nota facit, scilicet : mundum contemnere, carnem domare, et diabolum cum suis tentationibus vincere. Sed multi abeuntes retro, post concupiscentias suas, cum Juda proditore abierunt ad poenas. Quot sunt etiam hodie, qui inter se videntur amici, sed sunt ficti et pejores quam inimlci aperti ! Inimicus enim manifestus melior est quam amicus fictus ; ille dum timetur , facile vitatur; iste praelavet dum non cognoscitur. In isto autem articulo traditionis et osculi exprimuntur tria , qiiae apedalitcc iraiiiUoiiein istaiQ rcddebant Cbnsto lauitum Atilariaiai, et faclum Judae KfiipTtvabHnt »aido.
Unum csl , qunil fiebat a sno' scrvo. a suo itiscipuki, «t UQO ex duodecim, il£ toio mundo ad tamara dignitatera Apoitol»tus spectaliti;r eletlus ab eo. Ubi, secumlum AMbrosium, servus Dominum, discipulus MagLstrum, e\eiitua aucturem prodit. ^cundum est, qtwd ligna paci& et amicitiiEC. sdlicet osculo, tam fraudulenier et dolose tradcbatur. Undc idem Ambrvltus : <> Amoris pignore vulnus iDfligii, et caritatis oliicio sangiiioein fundis. et pads inslrumento mortem irrogas. » Teitiuoi est, quDil lilud fadum os proditoris, utpote CU)US cor SatBDaa, et oimu spurcilia eum ceplevaral, tam »100rosBiit et mellifluum 01 Vcibi Kterni contingcrc audcbat.
Et Uinc, ut ait Chrysosiontus : « Agno lellii bBsla lupus dedit Ten. enosa. n I& luDX pftO:ulo ti I hagrnts, omnes proditores veriiacis, signo uIuDturj omnes eiiam hieretici, sicut iudas, Jesu dicunt : Aae. Rabbi. Itcm, Cbristum qais doiose aaluiat, ei tcsdit osculo : in proiimo, vel eliam iti aci. pso. Inproximo quldem, dum quia prollmum diligsre ae aim^at, et malum contra «um mflchinBtur, quam tradiiionem si^i Chiletus laGumiC, j. tiittai ilLud.
: Haod imi ex ninimis meis frcistii, mihi Jeeistis. Item, Christuia doloBe cum Juda G^utat, et osculatur, Diui wm; vel, fraudulenier adulatur. ! c seipsa etiam Deum saluiat , et «Hculo trailil, qui. ore dicit se nasse Deum et credere in eum, faclis auteiii itegsl. Itein. cum JuJi Dominum salulat, ec osculo iractit, qui cuiu mortali peccato ad Carpm Domini accedit. — Secundum eal^ ut diacamus palientec Eerre maloniM huoliiium fraudulenliss, sicut Cbr^ atua patieDter sustinuit prDditoraa sui fallacias.
— Teniiun est, ut ca> lumniaiores nobis malum imjve» cantes non odiamua; sed amaMis affectu, exemplo Cliristi. eoa coirirpiamus. la recolendo hunc arcicii>lum de £al9o osculo Judse, potcisi ttomo pcT coDtrarium cum sinccfl &de ct devotione oBculari psiu Cruci£xi , tndignum se rcputoci osculo oris, ad quod illa infafis Judas accedcre prKsumpsit. QMod si LniagiQem CrucilixL auCe se i>«o habeu, oeculetur terram, repissei»' tando hoc idem, et tliter ptailt Deua iospirabit : O OoHiw* JttMi qia a Juda osculo Iradi perluiiali, da mihi iiunquam in praximo, wri iN tnemetipso, le Iradere; et caim»nialoribus meis, el iusidialaribm fraUmi aBtaris ojidum non nssaie.
• Ula lniqua saluiatiu Cluisla fictk olim fuit in Joab et Amasa pi:at&gural*. Joab Amaaant saluiaTis, dD> losa mente Eratrem vocabat ; ct Judas Cbristum salutBna, iniqua i aten tione Magistru m appellabat. Joab dexlera mentum JUnass quaii deosculans tenebat, ct in sinistni giadium educens ipsuni perinubttj sic Judaa , quasi deitra maiinm Christi tenuit : Avc, Rabbi, hlandc sibi dicens, et quasi ainiatrx gla— diuto eduxil, et Ipstim peiifi " insidias sub verbis blandis oocultans. Judim et Judsos, malum bono reddenies, olim SauL pncArguravit , qni genero suo OovM malum pro bono reddidil. Da,ii4 hostem Saulis, sciiiciit Goliam. s»peravit, et iu multis ci utiHa fiaic; sed Saut sibi tanquam hosti in^ m PASSIONE DOMINI. 485 •ditSi paravkl, ct ei xnortem infetrre i£GKtavit. S^c Deus Pharaoaem et iftimu:Q& Judcorum saepe dewfcit, tt icsipef eis profiiit ; nunc autem ift morten> ejua arma paiaAt; et ad occidbsdusn eum se armaat.
Similea etiam sunt Cain, qui fratri 8U0 sime causa invidit^ et ipsvm qoi ntbil raali aihi fieceral occidit. Caia edaixtt firatrem suum verbts UaAdia et eductum crudeiiter irtterfecit; aic et Judas verbia blandis ChfiatmB, fratrem nostrtnn, ei patrem salutavll» et hostibus ad in^ teKfictcadwxL nequlter praesentavit. Vh FBavoa Fbtki in ▲ggrbdieniio llAX. C3iQ A CHaiSTO KCPaiHEMDl^ T<». -^ £t cum Petrus ceteris ar^atiair, semto Pontificis, cu> nomen erax Malchiis, qui ad Christum capie»diiBi Mflgi&de prepe se in9ef&bat, et ferocius imtabat, auricubim dextram ob aelum amputasset, pu* tu» euKi magis Uedere et grariter Tulnerare,. vel ei caput amputare et kiteHlcerc, aed divina disposit&one ictiis dedinavit et relapsua cst ad turem, Dominus eum a kesione adreraaEriorum compescuit, diceos : GeMyerlr gladiMm tuum ik hcum nnm , aeu vaginam ; veluti non «ael locua defensionis, sed petientiCr MC ei licitua uaus gladii* matte' rtaUs» Quaai diceret i Moli ca uti id dafenaioneai meam, quia non icet wis apostotida utl giadto nia> tetiaU. Ubii considerandum, secuisiam Chrysoaiomum , quocl' licet Chriatus Petro et aliis. cUtscipulis priua praGepkt, diceaa : Si qm& tt ptrcuaMerii m detxievam maxillam:, jfmh$ ei et akeram, ex sermoite tuaca Ghriatir , quem.
feeit post coenam, Petrus in tantum amorem CMnerat, quod dc iile prccepto BML rQcelens aoiam Magiatri sui dcfensiooena intcadebat. bx h<oc autua, ^aadr ChriatiM- defiBasionem Pf<ihi)aMtU aatandittti: pDoasptitudo ci», quioi a^ ptdendum hiUntit; recondi gUdium prscipit uc paticfitiam, aon viadictam doceat. Uude Rahanms : a Oportoit ut auctor grati8& fideles patientiam sao doceret exempio; et potius ad suatinendum adiversa fortiter instrueret, quasn ad vindicaadum provecaret. » Prohibet ergo Domiiius defensioncm armorum, ae clcciois armis pugnare praesumaL Uade AmbrosJMs : u Arma mca suat lacrymae et orationes ; aliter oon possum» aee debeo» resistere. » Sed hoc hodie piraelati parum attendunt, qui regalia a regibua ad pugnandum accipiunt» cum potius reges ab eis cillcia ad pCBnitcndum accipere dcbcFent. Et ad>ecit I>ominus : Omnes enhn qui acc€p0rmt gladium, id est usi iueriiU gksdie, scilicet propria auctoritate et nulla superiori aut legitima potestatc \iel jubente» vel conccdente, seu tajusle et pro crudelitatc vindictas , aon juste ct amorc )ustitias ; giadio peribuni, id est ipsa ^indicta erit cis causa perditknis, <|uia digni sunt gladiari. Quicunque molitur l«edcre alium, seipsum proprio jaculo percujtit :. Et incidit in /dveam q$mn fodiL Et subdit Dominua : An putas, quia non.
possum rogare Patrtm meum^ et exkibekU miki plus quam duodecim legionea Angelorum? Tanquam sibi dicat : Per aliam viam possum evaderc» si vellem ; non indigeo auzilio duodecim Apoatolorum, qui possem ei vellem habere dtiodedoEi kgioaes Aa^lorum. . Cun» ergo posaet aod* pere legiones, noUbat accipere;, ut per patientiarai ejjua implercatw: Scripturae, prophetantes de ipso, quoniam ita eum pati coaveikiebat ad noatraiB rcdemptionem : qoia etsi noatpfle: kberatioinis aNms ma^ dus faisset posstbilts, nulhie taacken ita oonveniena,. et tdeo aoit erait I0CU8 dcfcnaionia ct jecsiatcnti«». 8ed magis paticntioe. Non solum autein 4! i.
; minis euni cobibuii; sed el aliter consolalur eum, dicens ; CiiUcem quem dcdit miht Paler, mn bibam itlum ? Quasi dicat : Si recte sapis, debes voluntaiem tuam diviniE vo[untati confotmare ; aiiter enim eris Saianas, non sapiens qux Dei sunt. Secundum Chiysostomum, in eo quod ipsam moriem calicem dicit, quam sit grala et acceptabiiis pro salute raortaliuiD mors, ut videtur, edisserit. autem setvum sanavit, auriculam cjus langenJn ct ei reslituendo, ut «dimpleret quod prceceperat : Benefacite his qui odermit vos. In quo maiima Christi Salvatoris caritas ct pieias apparet, ct bcnefica virtus ejua ostenditur, quam eihibel hostem suum,qui ad ipsum comprehendendum venerat, sBnaniio ; el per hoc inimicDS eum persequcntcs ad fidem admonendo, et insuper discipulos in fide confirmando ; et nos, quia noluit quemquam propler se Ixdi, ut inimicis nostris beneficiamus instruendo. In hoc ctiam suam virtuiem et poiestaiero revelat, quod nun de necessilate, sed voluntarie captus estet. Ubi Bgda : " Nunquam enira pieiatis suie Dnminus obliviscitur, qui etiam holon palilur vuinerari. Illi em inferunt; isle persevulnerx sanal, mysticc I, qui I !
vulnerati, n Tunc e ad turbam, non impatientcr, sed rationabililer eam alloquendo, dicens lamcr. tabilitcr, ct quasi ad lamenlum auditores provocando : Tanquam ad latronem exislis, cum gladiU et fustibus eomprehendire me, Quasi diceretiSine causa fecistis hoc. Cujus rationem assignat, dicens ; Q)ioti~ Aie, id est frequemer, pacifice. cl sine armis, apud voa eram doeent in templo, in loco ubi potcstatem habetis; et lunc sine violentia armorura me comprehcndcre potuicepistii, quia nolebam; sed nec nunc pOBsetis, nisi permitterem, et me spoDle veslris manibus subjicerem. Ubi Remigius : u Ae sl dised plures sansvi, et in synagogii seroper docui. n Ubi et Hierony~ mus : a Stuitura est. inquit, eum cum gladiis ei fustibus quzrere, qui ultro se tradebat vestris manibus ; et nocte quasi lacitantem, et vestros oculos dedinantem, per pro ditorero investigare, qui quolidie ia tcmplo docebat. n Ideo autem, ut dicli Chrysostomus, eum in templo non tenuerunl, quia ron ausi erant propter turbaro, propier quod et.
Dominus foras exivit, ut ex loco et tempore daret apiiludinem se cspiendi. Hic, secundum Anselmum, ido Domini notanda est, dulciter persecutorcs luos allQoita eat, [am dulcl allacutiond redarguit : ut ipsorum nequitiaia compesccret, ci nos ad Imiiationera. sua: benignilatis utiliter invitaret, Et aubdidit Dominus : Sed hcec est hora vestra, id esi vobis concessa ad nie comprehendzndum, et poteslaa tenebrarum harum; quia diabolut princeps lenebraruro incitabat eo« ad hoc faciendum, el hsc potestaB cst icncbris data. id est diabolo et Judseis iasurgcndi in Christum. Et ideo advetsum me in tenebris congregamini; et potesias vcslra, qua contra lucem armamini, in lenebris 22 VOLUNTAHIA ChBISTI CAPTIVIaulem ait Theophilus, peractis cunciis qute suflicienier se habebantad prohibcndum Juda;os, cum iili hoe 487 nequaquam discernerent, tunc duci se permisit. Unde dicitur, cohors ergo, militum, et tribunuSy qui eis praeerat, et ministri Judceorum, accesserunt, sicut lupi ad agnum, unanimiter et impetuose; et manus sacrilegas injecerunt in Jesum omnium Salvatorem, irreverenter et indebite; et tenuerunt eum, ipso permittente : quando enim voluit tentus est, et non ante, et sic fuit captivatus propria voluntate. Nam, ut dicit Remigius, frequenter eum comprehendere voluerunt, sed non potuerunt, sicut nec nunc potuissent, nisi ipse voluisset. Sicut enim eos solo verbo prostravit; sic solo verbo eos fugare , vel annihilare potuisset, si voluisset.
Ex quo patet obstinatio eorum, quia non fuemnt aversi a suo malo, visis praedictis signis ; sed magis attribuebant artibus magicis. Cogita hic quod si pcenale estcuilibet homini capi, pro co quod per captivitatem adimitur homini libertas : tam conditionis, quia redigitur in servitutem captivatoris , secundum leges civiles , quam actionis, quia captus non potest facere quod vult; quanto magis paenaie fuit Christo, qui est Dominus cceli et terrae, et quem coeli et terra capere non poterant, violentorum quantum ex parte ipsorum erat, manibus capi et teneri ! Ex hoc articulo habemus morale documentum , quod sicut Christus amore nostri semetipsum voluntarie tradidit captivum Judaeis ; sic et iK» pro ejus amore nosipsos, id est omnes sensus nostros debemus captivare in obsequium Christi, vidcHcet : ut oculi captiventur -ab iUicito visu, aures a noxio auditu, Hpgua ab otiosis et nocivis locutionibus, manus a malis operibus, pedes a vano et vago incessu, maxime ad peccandum. Sicut enim Christus fuit captivatus, ne quo vellet posset abire; sic homo seipsum debet captivare, ne sequatur concupiscentias carnis, et sensualitatis appetitum ad nociva trahentem. Cor etiam captivetur a malis cogitationibus ; inteliectus ab erroneis sensibus et falsis dogmatibus; voluntas ab omnibus a divina voluntate discrepantibus. Unde Apostolus : In captivitaiem redigentes omnem intellectum, in obsequium Christi; ubi per omnem intellectum possunt omnes sensus, et vires animae ad operationem intellectus deservientes accipi. — Aliud documentum est huic connexum, quod homo libenter debet esse captivus Christi, ut mortem evadet seternam. Sicut enim homo in belli periculo constitutus, libenter dat se alicui nobili et benigno domino captivum, ne ab aiiis ferocibus occidatur; sic nos in hac vita sicut in bello constituti, quia militia est vita homi^ nis super terram , tradamus nos benigno Domino Christo captivos, qui non est Dominus mortuorum, sed vivorum ; ne ab hostibus aeterna morte ferociter occidamur.
In recolendo hunc articulum recogitet homo, se quasi in campo beilico cum hostibus conclusum, nec posse evadere potentiam adversariorum, id est daemonum, nisi se tradat Christo benignissimo Domino in servitutem captivum; et sic aliquo gestu corporis tradat se totum Christo captivutn, clamans, et dicens ad eum : Jesu, qui a Judceis sponte capi et teneri voluisti, da mihi omnes sensus viresque in obsequium tuum jugiter captivare, ut a morte perpetua bonitate tua merear prceservari. 2. 3 voLuiT ? — Tenentes autem Jesum, dulces illas manus suas vinculis strinxerunt , et ligaverunt eum ignominiose quasi latronem , et morte dignum, a quo potius solvi velle debuerunt, quia omnium vencrat Abftolvere vineubi Uifirinitauim et peccadoruni , ac motti» ct inferni. £t erant fbrte in eis qui postea libentti ab eo dixe* runt : Dirupisti, Domine, vincula inea. Ecce «dest Jcmeph ligatut venditufi a fratribus ; et Samftoa vinrtua a Dalila, id eat a synagoga. Unde Anselmus : « Sed ecce jam prodttorem prseeuatem impiorum turba prosequitur ; et osculum preebente Juda, manus injiciunt in Jesum. Dominum suum tenent Hgatum, et illas duices manus vincuiis stringunt.
Quid fecerat? Scio, occupat nunc cor tuum pietas, omnia viscera tua zelus inflammat. Sine, rogo, patiatur, qui pro te patitur. Quid optas gladium i Quid iiiasceria}' Quid indignaris? Bi instar Petri cujuslibet auriculam abscideris, si ferro brachium tuleris, ai pedem truncaveris ; ipse restituet omnia, qui etiam, si quem occideris absque dubio suscitabit : i> heec Ansehnus. Ligaveruni autem eum propter tria : primo, ne manus eorum efiugeret, dixerat enim eis Judas, quod eum tenerent, et caute ducerent; aecundo, ut eum morte dignum ostenderent, quia mos erat Judae», ut quem morte dignum judicarent, vinctum Prseaidi trade* rent ; tertio, propter mjrsterium, llcet ipsi hoc ignorarent, quia enim Christus nos peccatis ligatoe, et in limbo vinculatos solvere debebat, ideo ipsum pro no^Ms Itgari oportebat, cujus vinculie liisefati sumus. Voluit quippe Christus, taaquam latro comprehendi, at ligarL Adam enim cum iatrocinio furtum commisit, quando pomum sibi vetitum attrcctavit, nam furtum est «mtpcctatio rei alienae, invito Domino; ct hujus rei causa, totum geaus humanum a diabolo com(>rehensum tenebatur ligatum, pro cujus satisfactione Jesus tanquam latro voluit coroprehendi, qui incompreT henBibilis «st, et ligari, qui ligato&^ ventt solvere et vincula eonun dirumper^e. £t nota quod Christus Filius Dei, tanquam lairo cum latrone, sciiicet Barraba est captus,, iatfir latrones crucifixus, a 2aicx>nvbus occisus, propter Utrones passus, solvena quae non rapuit.
Legitur autem J)ominus tar ligatus : primo, stfltim cum captus esset, et duceretur ad Aooam ; secuuLdo, cum de Anna duceretur ad Caipham; tertio, cum duoeretur ad Pilatum, nam, secundum Bedam, potuit tieri^ ut ad horam solveretur^ quatenus discuteretur, et post h«c di&cussus iterum ligaretur; quarto, potest addi, quod etiam ligatus fuit ad columnam cum flagellareiur, licet hoc in Evangelio non exprimatur; in--^ supar in cruce ciavis fuit vinctus, et sic etiam ligatus. 24 QUINQOS DOCUftlENTA ISi.
Ex hoc articulo trahuntur plum documenta salubria* Primum est, quia sicut dictooi est, Dofninufi ligari voluit, ut ipse peccatorum noslrorum vincula soiveret; ideo nos debemus esae grati de sohitione nostra, et cavere ne rursus eum nostris peccatis ligemus, quod fit quotiescunque morta* liter peccamus. Manus etiam Christi videntur cum funibus peccatorum colligare, qui non cre^unt Deo, quod possit eis nece&saria sua 4are, «^ Secundum est, qiiod Christus^ ligari voluit, ^t no6 sibi alli^et vinculo caritatis, unde studeamo» et nos sitn tam fortiier caritate astringi, ne leviter ab ipso posaimus separari; ipsa enim caritasest vinculum, in quo anima Deo aliigao tur. ^ Tertium documentwn e6t» ut nos ligemus omnia membra nostra, et ipsam linguam funibua prsceptorum Dei, ne laxentur ad aliqua contraria divinis prau:epti«« vel divinfls voluntati, et oihil opeDE Nl. 469 rcmor, out loquamur, qtio DeuB fA piDximus oifFendatur. — Quartvm est, urt smms vincu^lo frarterna: carhaflis prozimis colligati, ita ut omfltem 'gratiam divinitiK acoeptam stodeamus eis impartiri, «icut ApostoUis omnes fideles hoc -vinculo sibi CDl{igBrt0ft habuit, eofiqDe so> cios «ui gaudii esse cupiviL — Qohitinn est, quod nos volentes soqui Christum, defbemus noBractipsos iigare Tinculo proiisssionis obedientis, propter eum qui pro Dobis wofiuit ligari, ita iit amplius pro nostro veUe nos movere noa posflimus ; et sic cum -Isaac coliigati, 0t ia altari mactationis prepriffi 'W>hintatis positi, quotidie in holocaufitum Tivum Deo immolemur. Ad . coBifonnandum se huic artiotflo, recogitot homo qualiter OwBinus ligatus £uit, ^rapter vinCQla peccatorum nostropum solvenda, ct ut vinculo cariftatis nos si^bi tfligaret; et poterit in recormpensam miiquflan seipsum Deo Jigar<: a^qm ibono proposito, vel ertiam vcPto. 'Quo fii 7am Jigatus ^it in reRgione, vel alias, desideret a Deo adjuvari ad ^erficiendum hujiismodi obligationem ad laodem «uam.
O Jestt, qui itiiquorum ^anibus liS^ari poluisSi, iibsolve, quasso, tios t r o r um vincida peccatorum ; atque rta carihitis •jnncuio, ■prceceptorumque tuorum fmnibus me censtringe, ne mnquam -membra cerporis^ aut vhts ammm mcce laxentur ad qutpvis eontraria tum voluntaii, "25 ItoCIPtJLORUM rUGA, TIDE IN 9QS. A Maria heka^nte. — Capto antem et ligato DonErino discipitfi omnes perterriii, reficto ee, fugerutit, et Magistrum suum sicut iatronem ad victimam deduci dimiserunt; sicut pnedixerat eos scanddaiB in •se passuros. Comprehen80 pastore , disperguntur oves ; capto Magisftro, fugiunt discipuli. Cnde Beda : « Impletxis est sermo Domini, qno dixerat, quod omnes discipuH •scandalizareirtur rn iHo in ipsa nocte. » Et HvetH>nymus ^ « Tunc adimpletum est : ElotigaBti n me amicum et proximum ; ci notos meos a miserieL » Ut «ul«m dicit Tkeophilus, pennitfit cf»^ Domrmis cadcre, ut non m sei]^- ; confidant. Unde Renngitrs : u k. i hoc facto demonstratra' fragilitas ApoBiokjrum.
Qui enim tte -ardore fidei promiserant se mori cum eo ; thnore fugiunt, immemores suc promissionis. w Quod etiam vidt*mus impleri in his, qui pro amore Dei -roagna se promittunt fecturos, et postmodum non implent; non tamen desperare dcbent, sed cum Apostolis resurgerc, et per poenitcntiam resiprscere. Ubi ■Rabanus-z « Mystice autem, sicot Petrus, qui culpam nega^onts poenitentiae lacr^tnis abluit, racuperationem eorum ostcndit qui in martyrio labuntur; ita ceteri disripuli, qui articulum comprehensionis fiflgiendo pwevenerunt, caut«lam fogiendl docent eos qui se minus idoneos ad toleranda supplicia sentiunt, quibus tutius laterc, quam se discrimini certaminum exponere. » Sed quare non comprehenderunt Apostolos, et maxime Petrum, qi;i percusserat cum gladio t Dicendum quod nihil eos detimiit, nisi virtus divina, quffi-etiam prostravit eos resnpanas. Tunc ormnes discipuTi peccaverunt, ct in -fide per illud triduumexstincti fuerunt, praetCT beatam Virginem, in qna •sofla fidcs Ecdesiae inconcnssa permansit; ob cojus repreesentationem in matutinis illius tridiii omnes candelae ckstinguuntur, excepta una sola, qnse remanct accensa. In hunas signum etiam denudantur altaria, quia Christus per altare designaius r©lictus furt ab Apostelis signotis pcr omamenta. In illo etiam triduo officium nocturnum fflte cantatur, per quod prophetiae de Christo signantur; diurnae vero horae sub silentio dicuntur, quia Apostoli tunc praedicare non audebant, unde et campanae non pulsantur, quia tunc sonus praedicationis cessavit. A parte moatis Sion in vallem Josaphat descendendo, sunt cavernae Apostolorum, ubi iatuerunt tempore Passionis, Christo relicto.
AdoUscens aU" tem quidam sequebaiur Jesum, amictus sindone, id est lintea veste, quae innocentiam significat, super nudo, scilicet corpore ; quia non habebat aliud indumentum supra tunicam et ab extra, quam solam sindonem. Hic autem dicitur fuisse Joannes ; unde Beda : « Juvenem istum nil vetat intelligi fuisse Joannem, cujus longa post haec in carne vita indicio est. » Hic cum teneretur ab impiis, rejecto vestimento, elapsus manibus tenentium, nudus profugit ab eis, quorum scilicet et praesentiam detestabatur et facta; non a Domino cujus amorem etiam absens corpore fixum servavit in mente. Nondum quidem infuit in eo perfecta 'caritas, quae foras mittit timorem ; sed pro tanto plus aliis de amore habuisse videtur, quia plus ceteris Magistrum sequebatur. In facto autem suo, secundum Bedam, designat illos qui ut securiores ab incursibus hostium fiant, quidquid in hoc mundo possidere videntur abjiciunt, ac nudi potius Deo famuiari, quam adhaerendo mundi rebus materiam tentandi et a Deo revocandi adyersariis dare didicerunt; juxta exemplum beati Joseph, qui, relicto in manibus adulterae pallio, foras exilivit, malens nudus Deo, quam indutus cupiditatibus meretricis servire. Sic Paulus primus eremita, videns alios deficere in exquisitis tormentis fugit, et ad solitudinem se transtulit. Et tu nudus evola ad vexillum crucis, potius quam divitiis alliciaris, et detinearis a mundo, quominus Christum imiteris. Unde Hieronymus : a Qui vult efifugere manus iniquorum, relinquens mente quae mundi sunt, fugiat post Jesum.
» Joannes vero mox, recuperato et resumpto vestimento, rediit et Dominum ut prius sequebatur. Potuit enim fieri, ut sub dubia noctis luce sese turbis ducentium Jesum, quasi unus ex ipsis immiscuerit, donec ad atrium pontificis, cui notus erat, perveniret. Joannes sudario simplici, et tenui erat supervestitus ; sed nunc vestes extendimus in particis, et plicamus in capsis, ac vestium deportandarum habemus summarios, quadrigas et currus ; et etiam earum caudas post nos trahimus, vel portare facimus. 27 quatuor documenta e fuga Apostolorum, actus ccnformatioNis ET oratio. — Ex hoc articulo, scilicet fuga discipulorum, trahuntur quatuor documenta. Primum est, quod nos caveamus, ne et nos unquam a Christo fugiamus. Fugit autem a Christo, qui propter timorem humanum, vel ex tentatione diabolica, vel alias propter quacunque passionem, seu affectionem corruptam relinquit justitiam aut veritatem; nam Christus est justitia et veritas. Et universaliter in omni peccato mortali fugit homo a Deo.
— Secundum est, quod si nos aliquando ex fragilitate ad horam a Christo recedamus peccando, non ideo debemus desperare, sed cum Apostolis resurgere, et per poenitentiam resipiscere. — Tertium est, quia, ut supra dictum est, ex fuga ceterorum discipulorum docetur cautela fugiendi minus idoneis ad toleranda supplicia et adversa, sicut ex poenitentia PeDE 491 tri ostenditur reparatio lapsorum in martyrio propter illa. — Quartum est, si interdum hi qui videntur amici nostri, et proximi recedant a nobis tempore necessitatis, vel adversitatis, squanimiter hoc feramus, memores quod Apostoli recesserunt a Christo, his incumbentibus. In conformando se isti articulo recogitet homo, quantum se elongaverit a Deo peccando, et ruminet illud Psalmistae : Quia ecce qui elongant se a ie, peribuni ; perdidisti omnes qui fornicaniur abs ie; mihi autem adhcerere Deo bonum est; ac oret Deum dicendo : Jesu, qui electos discipulos tuos omnes a te fugere permisisti, suscipe fugitivum servum iuum, et tene virtute omnipotentice tuos, nec sine me abs te proprioe voluniaiis arbitrio evagari. Attende nunc diligenter, et vide quomodo Domi> nus Jesus patitur se capi et ligari, et a discipulis derelictum duci ad mortis supplicium, ac si esset malefactor et omnino impotens ad se defendendum. Cum quanto clamore putas manus in eum injecerunt, quam crudeliter eum ligaverunt, quam dire strinxerunt , et quam irreverenter traxerunt ! . Considera etiam quomodo disciputis suis fu> gientibus et errantibus compatitur, et quis fuit dolor quem discipuli amantissimi habuerunt , quando oportuit quod a Magistro suo dilectissimo separarentur.
O quam inviti, o quam tristes, o quam desolati, o qualiter plorantes, o quales voces et clamores, gemitus et suspiria dantes, sicut orphani et timore perterriti recedebant! Et perpendere potes, quod recedentes dicebant : O Magister bone, o dulcis Pater, o benigne Domine, quomodo ita separamur a te 'i Quomodo, Pater sancte, filii tui fugiunt a te? Quo ibimus, Domine if Haec et multa alia dicere poterant. O quoties etiam retro respiciebant, videntes qualiter Dominus suus ligatus et sine honore trahebatur ! O quoties se in terram projiciebant, et ad ccelum damabant! Ex hoc enim magis, et magis eorum dolor augebatur, quia videbant Magistrum et Dominum suum sic viliter trahi, et canes illos pessimos mordentes, et ad victimam eum trahentes, quasi agnum mansuetissimum sine clamore et resistentia sequi. Quis enim tunc doloris aculeus discipulorum corda penetravit, quando videbant dilectissimum Magistrum et Dominum suum tanquam malefactorem duci ad mortem, cum et ille impiissimus Judas poenitentia ductus, tanta postmodum fuerit ex hoc repietus amaritudine, ut maluerit mori quam vivere? Cogitare potes, si Domina Mater sua ibi fuisset, quid fecisset ?
O Domina mea, quam mala, et quam amara erit tibi dies crastina, quando audies, et quando videbis tam crudele spectaculum ? O Domine Jesu, quae anima haec cogitans potest sustinere, quod non rumpatur prae dolore ?
Conspice igitur eum quomodo ducitur ab illis nequissimis de torrente sursum versus Jerusalem festinanter, et cum impetu, manibus retro e regione dorsi ligatis, et, ut dicitur, catena collo suo imposita, exchlamydatus tunica, non curiose succinctus, capite discoopertus, et curvus ex fatigatione, et vehementi acceleratione incedens, et quomodo agnus innocens inter lupos ibat mordaces. O quam violenter eum impellebant per vallis Josaphat medium, et ad montis ascensum ! Quam fatigatus, et molestiis afHictus, transiit per torrentem Cedron, ut adimpleretur Scriptura quae dicit : De torrente, amarae scilicet Passionis, in via Mbttt £t slc cum Impetu tanquam contra: latroDem stridentesi» et eum ycrcutientes duxerunt eum per ]|urtas aureaa, per. quas in die Palmamm intraverat ;. qua: modo clauSSL sunt. Et adduxerunt. eum Hgatum tanqjoam mcrte dig;num,. adi Armam ptnmum, id est primo.
PlUfribus autcm de causis- ducebant eum pcimo ad Annam. Quarum una est, quia domus Annse prior eis in via occurrebat, et idea turpe el esset, et contemptus videretur, si domum suam antepositam praeterissenty vel, forte illuc divertebant, ne in via longiori tumultus in populo fieret; veL, ministri f«ciebant hoc de voluntate Caiphae, volens Annam socerum suum honorare ,. ut divino judiciQv qui eraat afi&nes sanguine, sociarentur in scelere ; item, quia Annas senior fuit quam Caiphas, judielum autem primo relierebatur ad senioces, ut magis justum appareret cocam hominibus, ideo fecit eum Annae prima pra^entari, ut excu'isiiior esset, si ab Anna condem. . itum ipse postmodum condemnaiw't; item, quia hi duo sacerdotium vicissim a Gentibus emebant , et sibi per annos vicisaim succedcbant, ei utilitatem in communi habebanC, et ideo fecit eum prssen. tari Axuias tanquam cofijudici, ad quem scice de judicio pertinebat, ct ut Christus magis dignus morte, ct. per consequens ipae Caiphas minoris culpae videretur, si alterius quoque consacerdotis sui sententia, ct coram judicibus piuribus Christus condemnafetur. .
Et licet isti pontiEces Judjeorum non habcrent jjidicium sanguinis, hahebant tamen. judicium examinis, quia ipsi examinabant causasad citus Judaex^rum spectantes, et postea mittebant ad Praisldem Cuesaris causaa iastructas. Secundani Legcm unus summus sacerdos per totam suam vitam officia pontificii fungebatur, cui post mortem filius succedebat^ ut generatioHis in sacerdotibus. se* cies texeretur. Postmodum \Qim invLdta et ambitione principiun crcsceote, non solum patri noa soccedebat filius, sed nec uium annum quis officio fungfsbatur pontificatus , et hoc fpsum* pe» cunia procurabat a Romanii. ^nrde hi duo,. scilicet Annas et. Catphas, principes socerdotum emiut, licet de tritiu Levi non essent^ et per vices.
annuas alternalim aacex^ dotium ministrabant,. quod qjuolibct anno pro suis VLcibu& ab Herod^ emebanr> et erat tunc annus Cai^ phae , cum passus eat Dominua , quia. erat pontifex anni ilUus^ id est administrationem anni iUius habebat, quamvis judicium et uliIktas. j. udicii communiter ambamm esset. Non ergo mtrum si iniqjiii poQtifices inique judicaverunt,, et officium pontiiicatus, tam nequiter adepti, rem sic nefariam. gesserunt* Saepe enim qui per avaritiam nel ambitionem ad sacerdotium et dignitatcm accedit, pec injustitiam in eis servatur, ct sceleratum. Ihitium funesto fine consumnuttur.
Vide simonia, ambitione, et schlsmate sacerdotium synagogae depe^ risse ; caveat hxc Ecclesia» oe sibi contimgat simile.
Circa hunc artsculum, sciiicct ductionem Christi, eat considerandum, quod Christus io procesfiioae Passionis suae navies hodie ductus fuit : primo cnin^ mox ut captus fuit et ligatus,. duxerunt eum ad Annam ; secundo,, ah Aona ad Caipham; tertio, a Caipba. ad Pilatuna;. quarto, a Pilato ad Herodem; q;uinto, ab Herode reductoB est ad Pilatum ; sexto, milites duxerunt eum intro iii atriuna.' praatorri, ubi iiluserunt ei ; septimov 4$3 Pilatus duMt etnn fons db pr»toTk> portantem coronam, et vestem purpuream; octavo» duxit cum foras prsetorium, ad locum ubi sedit ^ro tribunali ; noQO, duzerunt eum ad crucis patibulum : et in qualibct istarum ductionum aemper singulare» p<»nas ct contumelias passus cst, sicut de singulis in suis locis pafiebit. , Has novem ductiones usque ad meridiem factas, repraes&ntant tideies, qui hodie usque ad nonam circumeuntes visitant novem eccLssias, in memoriam quod Christus, postquam captus fuit» ductus est ad novem loca. Et merito ftdeles hodie Sanctorum ecclesias visitant, ut ab ipsis beneficia obtinere valeant; nam bodie Sancti valde liberales esse debeftt; quia hodie de carcere fuerunt liberati, et in coeteste imperium sublimati. Si qun enim de carcefe liberaretur, et in imperium subHmaietur^ illam» diem muitum dili^et, ei in iUa die muixum liberaiis essct; stc et de Sanctis «credeodum est.
Fuit autem ductio Christi violenta, quia manu armata, et cum turba; fuit et ignominiosa, quia ducebatur vinctus, sicut malefactorf et morte dignus; fuit etiam dolorosa, quia quantumcunque ipse voluntarie cum eis iret, tamen in fune eurn trahebant ac impellebant, et pressuris obruebant, ita ut dicere posset illud •Paralipomenorum : Ex omni parte me premunt angustice, 3o TioNS Christi, ACTUS CONFORMATK»' jiis ET OBATXO^ — Ex hoc srticulo habentur quatuor documenta. Primum est^ quod ddeles in die Parasceves visitare debent novem. ecclesias, secundum novem ductiones : ia priraa ecclesia rememorari debent, quid Christus pa»« sus fuit coram Anna ; in secunda, quid coram Caipha ; in tertia, quid coram Piiato, et sic deinceps, ut videre potes in ordine supradictOb^ *>Secundum est^ quod si quando forsiun causa Dei ducamur ad pceiiaili, cum patientia toleremus, amore et exemplo efus, qui pro nobis ductUs est iimocens, sicut ovis ad occisionem. — Tertium est, quod licet nos aliquando ducamur ad malum poenaB, nunquam tamen patiamur nos dud ad malum culpae, quia talibus ductionibus nullatenus c6nscntire. debemus* imo nec ad hujuamodi inviti trahi, vel dtici possumus-; et ideo si quando inducamur ad tentationem, nequaqusnn tamen ducamur in tentationem, ptr pecoali consensum. — Quartum est, ut nos simus de facili ducibiles ad viam justitiae, sicut Christus valdc faciliter, imo desideranter ducebttur ad Passionem, non repugiUEiis nec renitens, nec remurmurans, sed sicut ovis os suum non aperiens. In conformaado se isti articulo^iscogitet homo qnam exprobrabilitcr, ■ aicut fur vel latro Christus ductns fuit, et poterit etiam mentaiiter visitare novem ecclesias, sicut devado dabit. Item, formet sibi homo propositum se velle cum gratia Dei ducibiiem esse ad omne divitttim beneplacitum, et oret, dicens : Jesu, qui vinctus velut malefactor ah ini~ quis dt loco ad locum exprobrabiliter duci voluisti, da mihi virtutem, ut ad nullum a spiritu maligno, vcl homine malo seducar peccatum ; sed spiritu tuo bono, ducar ad omnia tuce beneplacita voluntati, 3 1 Petrus Jbsum «squens a lonoe im atrium pomtificis intttoduciTUR.
-^ Stquebatur autem Jesum Simon Petrus, et aliua discipulus, scilicet Joannes,- sed a longe ex timore. Licet enim isti sicut et alii primo ex timore fugissent, postea tamen ex devotioae Jesum seauti sunt, qui ferventiores aliis erant, et prae ceteris Christum diligebant, et quui major eot a4 inyicem vit dilectionif unicbat. QuoJ Joannei et Petrui Dominum ad PaMionem cuntem tequuntur, •ignificAt Kccletiam de Jud«a et Ocntibuf Domini i'af•ionem «ecuturam, id eat imitaturam, «cd a longe ct diffcrefitcr : Kccicftia cnim pro ae patitur, acd ille pro Kcclcfia, ct paftiio SancUirum a longe imitatur PaMioncm Ctiristi, quia non cftt dolor ftimilift dolori cjuft, Myfttice, pcr hoft du/>ft diftcipuloft du« vit« intelliguntur, qui Chrifttum ftcquuntur, ftcilicct : activa, qu» pcr Pctrum, ct contcmplativa, qu« pcr Joanncm ftigniltcatur; activa (luidem aequitur Chrifttum , obcdtendo ; c^>ntemplativa vero cognr>ftccndo et ajntemplando. Kt quiu Joanncft erat notua Pontl' ficif introivit cum Jeau in atrium PontiflciM, quia propter notittam permiftftuft cftt intrare cum aliift. Caufta autcm ftu» notiti» liasc cftfte potcrat, quia forte miftftuft a patre ftuo piftccft ad doinum Pontiiicift pluricft portavcrat : vel, fortc quia aliquift dc c/>gnationc ejuft ibidcm •ervicbat; vcl\ aecundum aliquoft, de David dcftccndcrat, quaa gcncaU>' S;iaft ftaccrdr4cft liabcbant. Kt dixtt oanncft ofttiariflB ct fccit introduci Pctrum, qui cx timore atabat foria •d ofttium, quafti prieftagienft futurse negationift factum. Undc in Pftalmo : QmI videbant me, fora$ fugerunt a me, Myfttice autem, Joannca intravit cum Jcftu, quia vita contemplativa eftt ci familiaria; aed Pctruft fori^ •ubat, quia activa vita circa exteriora occupatur. Pcr hoc autcm qu<xl Joannea fccit introduci Petrum, myftticc intelligi datur, quoil pcr contcmplativam introducitur ad Chrifttum vita activa ; aicut cnim ratio infcrior dirigitur pcr auperiorem, ita vita activa per contemplativam.
Hcouere et tu eum uaque a^i atrium principift, et intra cum eo, fti potcrift, ut ftingula qu« fiunt vidcrc mcrearift. Atrium vocabatur platca ftub dio, intcr primam portam ct ftccundam, ubi erant minifttri principift ctrcumftcdcnteft ad ignem ; inter qur»» utahat Petrus calefacicnM »e, Intuft autem erant in concilio principca ftacerdotum et Scrib», et ftcniorcft; et Dominua cum ei^, •icut agnua inter lupoa. llic trina ncgatio i^etri fuit inch<^Hita, ftcd pofttea in domo (^iphflB conftummata, ct idco propter continuationem matcriw, aimul omnea trcft infra aunt poftitfle. Ibidem ergo Domino Jcftu in bcllo et conflictu duro ct aftpcro pcrmanente, tu aiiquantulum non ftine compaftftione et gemitu dormitabift et quieftcea, %\ tamcn potcria hoc facere* OIIATIO Dominc Jcftu Chriftte, qui In agonia aanguinem ftudaatf, da mihi in fln^umna |>ercgrinationift hujuft, tecum audare, ut otioaa non marceacam requic; aed in ftudore vultuft mci vcftcar tc pane vivo, tuique audorift ftanguinci balftamum me fl^grotum aaneti et cflelcftti curiflB lotum reprfleftcntet; et qui Judfld riftculo te tradi in manua impiorum, et ligatum adduci ad Annam pcrmiftifttii ac vincula mortia flrtern» nobia ab«tuliati| non permittaft me tradi in manua crudelium, et rumpe vincula conacientifle mefle mate, ut ftecuruft decantem : Dirupiitl vincula mea, tibi Macrificabo hottiam laudiM, Amen.
Notes
- 1 ↩The source text contains several orthographic errors (e.g., 'J)ominus', 'stfltim', 'Aooam', 'duoeretur', 'tieri', 'supar', 'ciavis'). These have been corrected to 'Dominus', 'statim', 'Annam', 'duceretur', 'fieri', 'super', and 'clavis' for the purpose of translation.
- 2 ↩The source text '24 QUINQOS DOCUftlENTA ISi' is corrupted. It is rendered here as 'Quinque documenta inde' (Five lessons from this) based on the context of the following section.
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