De secundo Completorio, in Passione
The Burial of the Lord
The body of Jesus is prepared for burial by his Mother and friends, who mourn his death with profound sorrow.
At the hour of Compline, you should reflect with sorrow and sadness on how, as the hour grew late, John asked our Lady to allow the body of our Lord to be prepared and buried before the Sabbath began—a day on which such work was forbidden—and also because they feared the Jews might cause trouble if they delayed too long. Finally, our Lady, being gracious and discreet, and remembering that her Son had entrusted her to John, decided not to argue any further; she blessed and marked the body, and allowed them to prepare it as they wished. Then they anointed the body and wrapped it in the clean linen shroud that Joseph had bought. They also bound it with other cloths—specifically, the face cloth that had been used for his head, and the strips or bandages used to bind the whole body. All of these were made of linen and, it is believed, had been brought by Nicodemus. They also used spices, as was the Jewish custom for burying honorable people; for this was a practice they had received from their ancestors and elders. Yet our Lady always kept his head in her lap, which she had reserved for herself to prepare. As for the feet, at which Magdalene had found mercy, she finally and devotedly wiped them, now stained with tears, and embraced, kissed, wrapped, and prepared them as best she knew how. So then, once the rest of the body was prepared, they looked to our Lady to finish the task, and they all began their weeping again. They all wept so bitterly that hardly any of them could speak. They saw the Mother bereft of all consolation, and they wept more for her than for their dead Lord. You, too, should begin your weeping again, if by chance you had stopped. Then the Lady, seeing she couldn't delay any longer, pressed her face against her Son's. With a flood of tears, she washed his face even more thoroughly than Magdalene had washed his feet; she wiped it, kissed his mouth, wrapped him in a burial cloth, and carefully prepared him, then blessed him again and marked him with the sign of the cross. Then they all knelt to adore him and kiss his feet, before lifting him to carry him to the tomb, which was fifty paces from Mount Calvary: the Lady held his head, Magdalene his feet, and the others supported him in between. Hence Anselm says: 'Follow him, you too, the most precious treasure of heaven and earth; carry his feet or his hands, and support his arms; gather up the drops of his most precious blood as they fall to the earth, and lick the dust from his feet.' The sorrow Mary endured at her Son's funeral was prefigured long ago by David at the funeral of Abner. Abner had been treacherously killed by Joab; King David followed his bier and wept for his death. David didn't just weep for the funeral himself, but also urged others to weep; in the same way, the blessed Virgin and other devout followers mourned the funeral of Christ and tore their hearts with deep compassion.
The Tomb and the Mystery of Poverty
Christ is laid in a new, borrowed tomb, highlighting his voluntary poverty and the spiritual significance of his burial.
Now, there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in that garden was a new tomb belonging to Joseph himself, built at great expense and carved out of rock—that is, hollowed out of a single stone to the size of a man—in which no one had yet been laid. Because it was nearby and because of the Jewish Day of Preparation, they laid Jesus there and buried him, reverently and devoutly, with bended knees, great sobs, and heavy sighs; and so they gave the Lord of life to the burial of death. They buried him in a nearby place because they could not carry him far, due to the approaching solemnity of the Sabbath. Hence Chrysostom says: "Because they were pressed for time and evening was drawing near, they placed him in the nearest tomb." And Augustine: "He wants us to understand the burial was hurried, so that evening would not set in; for when the Day of Preparation was already upon them, it was not permitted to do such work." Then, as Augustine says, thousands upon thousands of angels sang at his funeral, all of whom had gathered at the tomb of their Lord. They sang praises, but Mary gave forth the groans and sighs of her heart. He was placed in a new tomb by divine dispensation, where no one had been laid, so that—according to Ambrose and Chrysostom—no one else who lay with him could be said by the faithless to have risen; or, according to Augustine, just as no one was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary before or after him, so in this tomb no one was buried before or after him. And according to Jerome, he was laid in a tomb carved out of rock so that, had it been built of many stones, it could not be said that the foundations of the tomb had been dug out and he had been stolen away by theft. And, as Augustine notes, if the tomb had even been in the ground, they could have said, "They dug up the earth and stole him." The fact that he is placed in someone else's tomb testifies to his poverty. Hence Theophilus says: "Consider also the abundance of the poverty he took on for our sake; for he had no home in life, and after death he is laid in another man's tomb, and being naked, he is covered by Joseph." And Anselm adds, "Christ was so poor that he was born not in his own house, but in another's; living in this world, he had nowhere to lay his head; nor did he have, when dying, anything to cover his nakedness; nor, when dead, anything to be wrapped in, nor a tomb or place where his body might be laid." Therefore, according to Ambrose and Augustine, the Savior is placed in another's tomb, because he was dying for the salvation of others. Why would he need his own tomb when he had no death of his own within himself? Likewise, according to Ambrose, it is to show that he was not meant to be held by death. For he who was seeking a triumph over death did not desire a tomb of death. According to Jerome and Bede, the Lord’s simple burial condemns the ambition of the rich, who can't let go of their wealth even when they're dead and in their graves. But, as Augustine says: 'The pomp of a funeral, the procession of mourners, the lavish care of a burial, and the building of opulent monuments are merely comforts for the living, not aids for the dead.' There was no gold, no jewels, and no silk in the Lord's burial; there was only a clean, bright linen cloth. The shroud is a linen fabric; the bands used to bind His body and the face cloth were made of this same material. According to Jerome, we can understand that the Lord's body was meant to be wrapped not in gold, jewels, or silk, but in clean linen. Because Jesus' body was wrapped in a simple shroud, Pope Sylvester decreed that the sacrifice of the altar should be consecrated and celebrated not on silk, dyed cloth, or gold-embroidered fabric, but on a clean, earthly linen cloth and a pure shroud. Peter Cantor says we can gather from this that altar palls, dalmatics, chasubles, and albs—just like the shroud itself—should not be made from garments previously used for common purposes, out of reverence for such a great Sacrament. Instead, they should be made from new material that hasn't been worn before; once consecrated to the Lord, they must not be used for common purposes. But isn't the Body of Christ often placed in golden vessels? Yes, but in new vessels: Peter Cantor says, 'A great stone was rolled to the sepulcher.' When the Lord was buried, His Mother embraced the sepulcher with all her heart and lamented her Son with whatever voice she could muster.
Mystical Burial in the Heart
The physical burial of Christ serves as a model for the interior life, where the believer must prepare their heart as a tomb for the Lord.
She reached out to touch the shroud, and as she kissed it, she wept for the Lord with bitter, heavy sobs. John approached, and as he himself wept deeply, he helped her up; then they all left the tomb and rolled the stone against the entrance, as if to seal it, so that the place would not be accessible to wild beasts. They used a large stone that could not be moved easily or without the help of many people, so that no one could come and steal the Body of Christ, for it was through that entrance that they had entered the tomb. In this, the power of the Risen One is clear, whom the great stone could not hold; and every suspicion is removed by His Resurrection, because no violence, theft, or deception could have been committed by anyone. Hence Augustine says: 'If a small stone had been placed there, they could have said: "While we were sleeping, they took Him away."' And Jerome says: 'The large stone that was placed there shows that the tomb could not have been opened without the help of many people.' The mystical burial of Christ in our heart. Mystically, the actions of Joseph and Nicodemus signify many things required of us if Christ is to be buried in our heart. For the one receiving Communion must be wrapped in linen cloths, through pure affection and the purity of conscience; for he who receives Jesus with a pure mind and a pure body wraps Him in a clean shroud. Indeed, it is fitting to receive the Body of Christ not only with a pure soul, but also with a pure body. It must be wrapped, because its mystery is hidden and secret. It must also be anointed with spices, through fervent devotion; for he who hides the Crucified in his heart with the bitterness of repentance and compassion wraps Jesus in myrrh and aloes. The newness of the tomb signifies that the heart must be renewed by grace and purity, and cleansed from all the oldness of sin, before it approaches the Body of Christ. One also places Him in this heart by thinking of Him constantly, for it is called a monument, as if to remind the mind. Therefore, one who is about to receive the Eucharist should see to it that his heart is like a new tomb in which He may be placed, and like a garden in which He may take delight, so that no one else is placed in his tomb, nor anything useless grows around it; this will happen if it has been well cleansed and renewed through repentance, otherwise it will not be able to bury Christ within it. The stone tomb, cut into the rock, signifies the stability of the heart, because it must be firm in good purpose, as well as the solidity of faith in which Christ was buried in the Church—that is, the faith of Christ, upon which rock the Church is built. But for the keeping of all these things, the long-suffering of perseverance must be applied, so that the mind, receiving the Body of Christ, may intend to persevere finally in these conditions; and this... is signified by the stone rolled against the door of the tomb. Anyone who has Christ buried in their heart also rolls a great stone against the door as a closure, which shuts itself so that sin cannot enter. They place a diligent obstacle against the recurrence of sin, so that Christ may not desert and leave them until He makes them rise from the dead. Hence Ambrose says: "To whom the stone was most beautifully moved, so that it might not lie open; for whoever has buried Christ within himself should guard him diligently, so that he does not lose him, and so that there may be no entrance for faithlessness." Hilary also says: "And because it is fitting that nothing except him should penetrate our hearts, the stone is rolled against the entrance, so that nothing may be brought in without him." Christ chose to be buried in the tomb of a just man—Joseph—to show that he rests only in the heart of the just, and that he no longer wanted the company of sinners, because he wasn't going to die for them again. Hence Ambrose: "Mystically, however, the just man buries the body of Christ; for such is the burial of Christ, who had no deceit or iniquity." The just man covers the body of Christ with a shroud; you, too, clothe the Body of the Lord with your glory, so that you yourself may be just. It is well shown in the tomb of the just, so that he may rest in the dwelling of justice: these are the words of Ambrose regarding the form and location of the Lord's Sepulcher. Regarding the Lord's tomb, it is said that the house or cave was round, carved out of the rock beneath it. There was a large stone or rock in the garden, in the side of which was a carved tomb or cave, eight feet long and eight feet wide, and of such height that a man standing inside, upright on its floor, could barely reach the ceiling with an outstretched hand; it had a wide entrance facing the East, to which that large stone was rolled and placed as a door. In the northern part of this tomb, the Sepulcher of the Lord—that is, the place of the Lord's body—is carved from the same rock, seven and a half feet long, rising three and a half palms higher than the rest of the floor, and having the same width as it has height.
The Holy Sepulcher and the Sabbath
A description of the architecture of the Lord's tomb and the spiritual significance of the Sabbath rest.
As you can see, this place isn't open from above, but is entirely open on the south side. The body was brought in from there so that it would be like a sarcophagus placed upon a foundation and tilted over the opening, having an entrance from the side, not from above. The color of this monument and site is said to be a mix of red and white. The monument was therefore made in the manner of a small house, inside which the tomb of Christ was placed. This was the traditional way Jewish tombs were made in ancient times, especially for important people, so that their children could be buried there as well. Because of this, it is often said of the kings of Judah: “He was buried in the tomb of David,” and so on. Furthermore, out of reverence for the Lord's tomb, a great church of the Lord's Resurrection has been skillfully built in a round shape at that same site, with only one opening above. It contains Mount Calvary, the site of the tomb, and many holy places, where the Lord's tomb sits inside a small, round chamber built of beautiful stone. This church of the Lord's Sepulcher is, in fact, a patriarchal church, and it used to have regular canons and a prior living according to the habit and rule of Saint Augustine, over whom the Patriarch presided in place of an Abbot, and to whom alone they promised obedience. This church holds a place of honor among holy and venerable sites, and for good reason, as it was here that the Lord performed and revealed such great and wondrous things. It was the day of Preparation, that is, the day of getting ready; specifically, the sixth day of the week, on which they prepared the things that had to be eaten on the Sabbath. The Sabbath was dawning, because the evening belonging to the Sabbath was approaching, from which the solemnity of the Sabbath began. It’s worth noting that just as man was created on the sixth day and sinned, so Christ died for man on the sixth day and made satisfaction. That is why He said, "It is finished," referring to the work of recreation, just as the work of creation was finished on that same day. And just as He rested on the Sabbath from all His work, He rested on the Sabbath in the tomb, as a sign that in this sixth age we must work and suffer for Him, so that in the seventh we may rest with Him, until in the eighth, when the glory of the Resurrection comes, we may share in joy with Him. Hence Bede says: "Parasceve is interpreted from the Greek as 'preparation' in Latin, a name by which the Jews who lived among the Greeks called the sixth day of the week, which is now called 'Friday' by us; because on that day God rested from His work, and so He commanded that this be called the Sabbath, that is, the rest." Rightly did the Lord, having been crucified on that same sixth day, fulfill the mystery of human reparation; and by resting in the tomb on the Sabbath, He awaited the event of the Resurrection, which was to come on the eighth day. Thus, an example of our devotion and blessed reward shines forth, for in this sixth age of the world we must suffer for the Lord and, in a sense, be crucified to the world. In the seventh age, however—when one pays the debt of death—it is fitting that bodies remain in the tomb and souls in the secret of peace with the Lord, resting after their good works, until in the eighth age, when it finally arrives, the bodies themselves, glorified by the resurrection, may receive with the souls the incorruption of the eternal inheritance. Hence it is beautifully written in Genesis that the seventh day did not have an evening, because the rest of souls, which is now in that age, is not to be consumed by sorrow, but is to be increased by the fuller joy of the future resurrection. So says Bede. Note also that among the other mysteries the Church performs today, this is one: she prays for everyone. The reason for this is that Christ was very merciful today in forgiving, since He said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." He was very generous in giving, because at a modest request He gave the kingdom of heaven to the thief. He was very lavish in redeeming, because He gave not a drop, but His whole blood for our redemption. Hence it is in the Psalm: "For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption." Therefore, the Church, in imitation of Christ, is very generous today in praying and very merciful in forgiving. Today, the faithful also make it a custom to visit all the churches and altars for three reasons: first, because this visit represents the visitation of the Apostles and the holy women who frequently visited the tomb; second, because today Christ personally visited all the Saints who had existed from the beginning of the world until now, while He descended into the underworld; and third, because the Saints ought to be very generous today, since they were liberated from prison today and exalted into the heavenly kingdom. If someone were freed from prison and raised to a position of power, they would certainly cherish that day and be very generous on it; it is fitting, therefore, that the faithful visit the Saints today so that they might obtain favors from those who have been liberated from prison and exalted to power.
The Devotion of the Holy Women
The faithful women persevere in their devotion, providing an example of how the soul should remain steadfast in love for Christ.
The women devoted to Christ followed the funeral, carefully watching and noting how and where the Lord's body was laid, so that later, at a suitable time, they might offer the gift of their devotion, perform the funeral rites, and anoint His body. This signifies that devout souls ought to consider the mystery of Christ's Passion with care and imitate it as best they can. Hence Bede says: 'Even now, holy women on Good Friday—that is, the day of preparation—do the same; for humble souls, conscious of their own greater frailty and therefore burning with a greater love for the Savior, diligently follow the traces of His Passion in this life, where rest is yet to be earned. And if they are able to imitate Him, they examine with pious curiosity the order in which that same Passion was completed.' Once this is read, heard, and remembered, they soon set out to prepare the works of virtue. They turn themselves toward those things in which Christ delights, so that when the preparation of this present life is finished, they may wait in blessed rest for the time of the resurrection, to meet Christ with the spices of spiritual actions. Thus Bede; Joseph and Nicodemus, however, having honored the Lord and adored the tomb, departed, but Mary and others who loved more deeply remained, sitting opposite the tomb, lamenting the Lord, and awaiting His promise. In this, their constancy and the fervor of their love for the Lord are shown, because while the disciples and other acquaintances withdrew, they still remained near the tomb. Hence Jerome says: 'While others abandoned the Lord, the women persevered in their duty, awaiting what Jesus had promised; and therefore they deserved to see Him rising first, because they had persevered to the end.' Hence Rabanus also says: 'While other acquaintances of Jesus returned to their own affairs, only the women, who loved more ardently, performed their service.' They kept watch, waiting for what He had promised; that is why they were the first to see Christ after the Resurrection. Blessed are the women who served Him while He lived, stood by Him as He died, followed Him to the grave, and so rejoiced with Him when He rose. Chrysostom says: 'You have seen the courage of these women, you have seen their love, you have seen their greatness of heart, which lasted even unto death. Let us, as men, imitate these women, and not abandon Jesus in the time of temptation.' For the devotion of these women is shown in this: that devout souls, by dying to the world, must be buried with Christ through compassion, so that they may deserve to become partakers of His Resurrection. Wash His body, then, with your own tears, for it is sprinkled with His most sacred blood. Anoint Him with the ointments of holy prayer, wrap Him in the arms of charitable and humble works, and bury Him with the shroud of a good life, along with good teachings and examples, accompanied by many sighs, lamentations, and tears. Cover Him under the floor of your conscience with the shroud of purity of mind, and with the napkin and labor of penance; and you shall sit there by Him at the tomb until you see Him risen from the dead. I beg you, do not reject the One who died for you, but receive Him with all your heart's desire into the tomb of your soul. Bind Him with the most white linens of your thoughts and the most pure linens of your affections, and embrace His rose-colored, most beautiful, and most loving wounds, until He leads you into the joy of His Resurrection, adorned with wonderful gifts, and into the excellence of His Ascension, raised above all the orders of heaven. And note that although Christ suffered nothing in this burial, since He was dead, this act was in itself miserable and lamentable, for the reasons and causes discussed above regarding the Lord's deposition from the cross. Four documents on the burial. The burial of Christ, the act of conformity, the labor, and the prayer. Many lessons are drawn from this article on the burial. First, according to Theophilus, we should imitate Joseph in this: when we have received the body of Christ and wrapped it, we must place it in a new tomb hewn from rock—that is, in our own mind, which has been marked by the image of God, renewed, and strengthened in Christ, who is the Rock—so that we may say what is written in the Song of Songs: "I held him, and I will not let him go." Second, just as Christ was guarded in his tomb, so we must firmly guard him buried within our own mind, lest thieves—that is, demons—enter the tomb of our heart and steal Jesus from us. Third, since we who are spiritually dead to sin should also be buried with Christ, we must hide ourselves and rest from sin, so that the old self within us may no longer rise up. Hence the Apostle says: "We were buried with him by baptism into death." The Gloss says: "Christ, in the person of the old man, had his limbs fixed to the cross so they would not move toward their former acts; having died and been buried, he rested, withdrawn from human sight. By this, he demands that we keep our own limbs fixed with the nails of self-control and justice, so that we do not return to our former evils, and that we rest from them so perfectly that neither their sight nor their memory remains. And so, with the old man in us crucified, dead, and buried, we may rise to good things and walk in the newness of life." This is in the Gloss. To conform oneself to this article, a person should imagine that their heart is Christ's tomb, and there they should reverently lay him to rest, weep lamentably over him once he is laid there, and guard him diligently, lest they lose him. Let a person bury themselves in the same tomb with Jesus, and ruminate on the meaning of these teachings, or whatever else God may provide. Jesus, you who willed to be buried in a tomb, to be mourned, and to be guarded, grant that I may spiritually bury you, mourn you, and diligently guard you in my heart, so that I, too, having been buried with you, may deserve to arrive at the glory of the resurrection. And you who, placed in the tomb, are separated from the sight of men and sleeping in peace, hide me, your servant, for a time in the secret of your face, away from the disturbance of men, so that, dead to the world and living for you, I may sleep in you and rest sweetly in you, O Christ, who are to be buried.
Religious Life as a Spiritual Tomb
The religious life is presented as a spiritual burial, where the soul dies to the world to live for Christ.
Now we must consider how we ought to be buried with Christ. This sepulcher in which we must be buried is the religious life itself, in which the religious person must spiritually die to the world and be buried. The religious person ought to be made like one who is dead and buried in several ways. First, regarding the ownership of things: just as one who is dead and buried has nothing of his own, so the religious person should have nothing of his own, but ought to share all things in common. Second, regarding the senses of the flesh and their impulses: just as one who is dead is deprived of sensation and takes no pleasure in sensible things, so the religious person ought to be dead to the delights that pertain to the senses of the flesh; and just as one who is dead does not resist the one moving him, so the religious person ought not to resist the superior who governs him, but should obey in all things. Third, regarding one's dwelling: just as someone dead is enclosed in a tomb, so a religious person ought to be enclosed in the cloister; and just as someone dead does not leave the monument except at God's command—namely, on the day of judgment—so a religious person ought not to leave the cloister without the superior's permission; and just as someone dead does not murmur when moved from one monument to another, so a religious person ought not to murmur when moved from one monastery to another. Fourth, he ought to be made like the death of Christ in the highest degree: in the death of Christ, the soul was separated from the flesh, yet both soul and flesh were united to the Divinity. So, in the true religious person, the soul ought to be separated from the flesh so that it does not consent to the flesh in any carnal love, yet both soul and flesh ought to be united to God: the soul through love, the flesh through compunction, so that he may say with the Prophet: 'My heart and my flesh have rejoiced in the living God'—a figure of the Lord's burial. The sons of Jacob once prefigured the burial of Christ when they cast their brother Joseph into a cistern. Jonah also prefigured this, having been swallowed by the whale after being thrown from the ship into the sea. Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days and nights; likewise, Christ was in the tomb for three days. A remembrance of the seven canonical hours. Now, reflect on how your Lord suffered for you during the seven hours mentioned above, and listen to Him as if He were warning you and saying: 'When you first rise in the night, out of reverence for that love by which I surrendered Myself, bound, into the hands of the wicked, and by which I became obedient even to death, resolve in your heart to be willing to obey in all things that are laid upon you.' At Prime, out of reverence for the humility with which I stood before an unworthy judge like a gentle lamb, submit yourself to every creature for my sake, and be ready for any menial task. At Terce, because of the love for which I was mocked, spat upon, and filled with insults, you should despise and belittle yourself, and endure insults. At Sext, crucify the world to yourself and yourself to the world, reflecting on how I, the Creator of all, was crucified for your love; therefore, let all the world's delights be to you like a bitter cross. At None, die to the world and to every creature, so that this bitter death may become so sweet in your heart that every creature loses its appeal. At Vespers, when I was taken down from the cross. Recall with joy how, after your death and all your labors, you'll rest in happy peace in my bosom. At Compline, be mindful of that union by which, having been made one spirit with me, you'll enjoy me in the highest experience; this union begins here on the way through the harmony of my will and yours in all things, whether adverse or prosperous, and it will be completed in the future through eternal glory in heaven. i3 B. The Virgin Mary, after she left the tomb. As night approached, John told our Lady that it was best for them to leave, because it wasn't fitting to stay there or to return to the city at night. Then our Lady, as best she could, rose, knelt at the tomb, and embraced and blessed it. For, tortured by groans, exhausted by sorrows, and afflicted by weeping, she couldn't stand on her feet. Nevertheless, as she was able, helped by the holy women and with everyone weeping along with her, she began to leave.
The Guarding of the Tomb
The enemies of Christ attempt to secure the tomb, inadvertently confirming the power of the coming Resurrection through their own diligence.
When they arrived at the cross, she knelt and adored it; everyone else did the same. You can reflect on the fact that she was the first to adore the cross, just as she was the first to adore her Son when he was born. After the Lord’s Passion and Resurrection, this holy cross had been hidden deep underground by the Jews, along with the crosses of the thieves, beneath Mount Calvary. It remained there for two hundred years or more, until the time of Constantine and Helena. Helena, digging into the rock more than twenty paces down, found those three crosses, and once they were removed, she tested and identified the Lord’s cross from the others by the sign of the dead man’s resurrection. The actual place where the cross was found is about ten feet from the site of Calvary, descending toward the East, where in the church that contains Mount Calvary there is a deep crypt, about forty steps below the floor; and there are four columns there that are said to have wept for the Lord’s death. Then they headed back toward the city, and along the way, the Lady often turned back, looking behind her out of compassion. As they entered the city, many who saw the Lady were moved by pity for her grief and began to weep bitterly. Good matrons and virgins from all around ran to join her, walking behind her, accompanying her along the way, comforting her, and even lamenting with her. Even the good men she passed by felt for her and were moved to tears. Great weeping and mourning broke out everywhere. For her grief made many others grieve. Anyone who saw her weeping could barely hold back their own tears. Mourning followed wherever Mary went: she wept, all those walking with her wept, and many who came to meet her wept as well. And so, she was led along by those who were weeping, while she herself wept, until they reached John’s house. When they arrived at the house, she turned toward those women, bowed, and thanked them. They, in turn, bowed to her, said their goodbyes, and left in tears. The Lady then entered the house, sat down, and stayed there; John kept her in his care and protection, and loved her with all his heart, more than his own mother. She wept and mourned deeply with John, Magdalene, and her sisters. She shed bitter tears of grief, recalling in her heart the death of her Son—a death so bitter—and turning over in her mind the places of his Passion and everything he had suffered. John, urging her to stop, comforted her. As much as he could. You, too, should test your own strength. If you knew how to be comforted and strengthened—so that you might eat bread and help others to eat, because... as they are fasting and in need of refreshment, and you could prepare and serve them food; and having received a blessing from her and others, you could depart. Here it is noted that today, specifically on Good Friday, the Host is not consecrated, because the true Host was offered today. The Host was offered today. On this same holy day, in which Christ suffered, many things were done at different times and in different ways. Regarding these events, there are these verses: 'Hail, holy day, which heals our wounds: the Angel was sent, Christ suffered and was placed on the cross; He was led to the court, and at the same time, He was struck.' By the merit of the tenth, Abel falls by his brother's hand. The offering of Melchizedek, Isaac, and the beheading of Christ's Baptist, which the Jews trust to hear and recite as blasphemies; for on the other day, which is after the Preparation, it had already begun, specifically when the sixth day had passed. And when evening had come. After the sun had set and the Sabbath had already begun, the priests and Pharisees gathered again before Pilate, saying: 'Lord, we remember that that deceiver said while he was still alive: After three days I will rise.' Envy, however, is what they impose. They do not hesitate to slander deceivers, even if they later tear apart his reputation; yet the seduction is twofold, namely good and evil: the first is a pretense of holiness, namely from a false appearance. Regarding this truth, Jeremiah said, 'You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived.' The other is a seduction of perversity, arising from malice and wickedness, and it was by this that they impelled Judas against Christ. When the chief priests committed an immense crime in the death of the Lord, they didn't conceive the virus of wickedness to use it against his reputation; rather, they knew he was innocent, even while they called him a deceiver. Just as Caiaphas had prophesied before, saying it is better for one man to die for the people, and he did not know what he was saying, and so it happened. For a deceiver is not one who leans on the truth, but one who leads from falsity and from vices to virtues, and from death to life; this is what Jerome says. They ordered, therefore, that the tomb be guarded, lest the disciples steal him away, and they said to the people, 'He has been taken from the tomb.' They sought a guard, as if he could be held in a tomb—he who is everywhere and contains all things. Where is the ambition? What malice of the priests, what silence! They slander the Master, but they also slander the disciples; yet this error is worse than the first. Rabanus says: In this, the later error was worse than the first, for it was a contempt of repentance. If you ask, what a great error of ignorance. Barbarous was the infidelity, and great was the cruelty of the Passion. Therefore, consider what error was in the death of the Lord. Chrysostom also says: 'See how even those who are unwilling contend to demonstrate the truth; for an irrefutable demonstration of the Resurrection was made through the very things they pretended.' Because the tomb was guarded, no fraud was committed. If, however, no trickery occurred, then the Lord clearly and undeniably rose again—so says Chrysostom. Pilate, already annoyed, told them, "You have a guard; that is, I'm giving you permission to post guards, and I agree that you may take soldiers to guard him as you see fit; go and guard him as you know how." It was as if he were saying, "If he is meant to rise again, you'll have a hard time guarding him." How wicked and foolish Pilate was; just as he allowed Christ to be killed, he also allowed him to be guarded. He sentenced him to death and even provided the guards. They go, and upon arriving, they first inspect his body, and realizing that he—the Author of life—had been held in the dungeons of the underworld, they secure the tomb and post armed soldiers as guards; they seal the stone that was at the entrance of the monument, where the access to the tomb was, with the Governor's seal and also with their own seals, so that no one could enter without their knowledge; and they do everything diligently. Their malice is apparent in this, because they didn't even trust the guards, but added seals as well. The Lord, however, willed for all this to happen for the sake of greater certainty regarding his Resurrection, so that even they, however unwillingly, might nonetheless be witnesses that the Lord had risen, and that he could not have been stolen while placed in such a way. For there is no counsel, no wisdom, and no strength against the Lord. The Lord rightly chose such a place for His burial, where there was no possibility of digging, so that He might remove any occasion for the Jews to slander Him; otherwise, if He had been enclosed in a grave in the earth or in some other place, they might have said that His disciples had stolen Him. Hence Jerome says: 'It was not enough for the chief priests, the scribes, and the Pharisees to have crucified the Lord and Savior; they had to guard the tomb, accept a guard, seal the stone, and, as far as they were able, oppose His rising. But their diligence served our faith, for the more diligently He is guarded, the more clearly the power of the Risen One is shown.' Hence Chrysostom also says: 'The tomb was carved into the hardest stone, a great stone was placed at the entrance, and a guard of soldiers was set all around; so that the more securely it was guarded against being robbed, the more clearly the power of God would appear when He rose.' For if the tomb had been in the earth, they could have said: 'They dug up the ground and stole Him.' If a small stone had been placed there, they could have said, "It was a small stone, and while we were sleeping, they took Him away." And again: "The diligence of the scribes serves our faith." Guard it, Pharisees, guard it. God cannot be enclosed; God cannot be held in a tomb—He who made heaven and earth, in whose palm the earth and the heavens rest, who holds the world in His fingers. He who holds the world cannot be contained by a single tomb. And so, as Hilary says: "The fear that the body might be stolen, along with the guarding and sealing of the tomb, is a testament to their foolishness and lack of faith, since they had already seen, by the Lord's own command, a dead man raised from the grave." This Pilate was later accused by the Jews before Tiberius Caesar on many counts and was sent into exile in Vienne, his place of origin. Herod, however, who agreed with Pilate, was also sent into exile and died there because of the Lord's death. PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, who at the hour of Compline willed to be anointed and prepared with spices, to be wrapped in a linen shroud and other cloths, and to be bound; and who willed to be carried to your burial and laid in the tomb while your Mother and other friends lamented: I ask you, grant that I may anoint you with the spices of fervent devotion and a good life; that I may wrap you in the shroud and linens of pure affection and a clean conscience; that I may lament you with tears of repentance and compassion; that I may carry you in the arms of charitable and humble works; and that I may bury you in my heart through constant remembrance and reflection, so that I, too, being buried with you, may deserve to arrive with you at the glory of the resurrection. Amen.
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Hora completorii cogitabis dolorosus et tristis, qualiter, tardante hora, rogat Joannes Dominam, ut permittat aptari et sepeliri corpus Domini nostri, antequam intret sabbatum , in quo non licet talia operari, et eo quod propter nimiam moram possent a Judaeis pati calumniam. Tandem Domina tanquam grata et discreta, et cogitans quod ipsi Joanni esset per Filium commissa, amplius contendere noluit, ac signans et benedicens corpus, ut voiebant aptari permisit. Tunc unxerunt corpus, et involverunt illud in sindone mimda, quam Joseph emerat; et ligaverunt illud linteis etiam aliis, scilicet : sudario quod capiti adhibebatur, et institis seu fasciis, quibus totum corpus alligabatur; quse omnia etiam de lino erant, et, ut creditur, Nicodemus attulerat; ac etiam cum aromaiibus, sicut mos est Judceis sepelire scilicet personas venerabiles : hoc enim acceperunt a patribus suis et senioribus. Domina tamen semper tenebat caput ipsius in gremio suo , quod sibi reservavit aptandum ; et Magdalena pedes apud quos misericordiam est consecuta, tandem vero Magdalena pedes lacrymis rigatos devote abstergit, amplexatur, osculatur, et involvit, et aptat fideliter, quam melius novit. Sic ergo, aptato reliquo corpore, respiciunt ad Dominam, ut ipsa compleat; et omnes planctum reincipiunt. Omnes enim sic amarissime flebant, ut vix quisquam eorum loqui posset. Videbant Matrem omni solatio destitutam; et super illam dabant potius planctum , quam super exstinctum Dominum suum. Reincipe etiam et tu planctum, si forte dimiseras eum.
Tunc Domina videns quod amplius differre non possit, ponit vultum super faciem Filii. et ex inundantia lacrymarum muho magis lavit faciem , quam Magdalena pedes ; abstergit autem et deosculans os ejus, in quodam sudario ipsum involvit, et diligenter aptat, iterumque benedicit eum, et signat. Et tunc omnes adorantes, flexis genibus, et pedes ejus osculantes, accipiunt et portant eum ad monumentum, quod a monte Calvariae distat passibus quinquaginta : Domina tenebat caput, et Magdalena pedes ; reliqui vero erant in medio. Unde Anselmus : a Sequere ct tu pretiosissimum coeli terraequc thesaurum; et porta vel pedes vel manus, brachiaque sustenta; terrae defluentes minutatim pretiosissimi sanguinis guttas curiosiiis collige ; et pulverem pedum ejus linge. » Dolorem quem Maria in exsequiis Filii sui toleravit, olim David in exsequiis Abner praefiguravit. Abner a Joab fraudulenter interfectus erat; cujus interfectioncxn rex David, feretrum sequens, deflebat. David non solum ipse super exsequias ejus plorabat, sed etiam alios ad plorandum incitabat; ita beata Virgo et alii devoti exsequias Christi deplanxerunt, et corda sua intima compassione sciderunt.
Erat autem in loco, ubi crucifixus est, horius, et in horto monumentum novum, ipsius Joseph, sumptuose factum; et in petra excisum, id est in uno lapide, secundum quantitatem hominis concavatum ; in quo nondum quis^ quam posiius erat, Ibi ergo, quia juxta erat, propter Parasceven Judceorum, posuerunt et sepelierunt Jesum, reverenter et devote, flexis genibus, magnis singultibus, et suspiriis validis; et sic Dominum vitae dederunt sepulturae mortis. Sepelierunt eum in loco propinquo, quia non poterant longe ; portare, propter solemnitatem sabbali imminentem. Unde Chrysostomus : « Quia vero brevitale temporis urgebantur, et vespera imminebat, ideo ponunt eum in proximum monumentum. » Et Au- , gustinus : a Acceleratam vult intelligi sepulturam , ne advesperasceret; quando jam propter Parasceven facere aliquid tale non licebat. » Tunc, ut ait Augusiinus, illius exsequias Angelorum miliia millium decantabant, qui omnes convenerant ad sepulchrum Domini sui. IUi cantabant iaudes, sed Maria dahat gemitus et suspiria cordis. Dispensative autem in novo ponitur monumento, ubi nulius positus erat : ut , secundum Ambrosium et Chrysostomum, non alius qui cum eo jacefet,surrexisse a perfidis diceretur ; vel, secundum ^mgustinum, sicut in Mariae virginis utero nemo ante illum, nemo post illum conceptus est, ita in hoc monumento remo ante ilium nemo post illum sepuitus est. Et secundum Hieronymum, in monumento exciso de petra conditus est, ne si ex multls lapidibus fuisset aedificatum , suffossis tumuli fundamentis, ablatus furto diceretur.
£t, secundum Augustinum, si etiam sepulchrum fuisset in terra, dicere poterant : Suffodenint terram, et furati sunt eum. Quod vor tem in alieno sepulchro ponitur, paupertatem ejus testatur. Unde Theophilus : « Attende etiam abundantiam pro nobis suscept» paupertatis; namque domum in vita non habuit, post mortem quoque in alieno sepulchro reconditur, ct nudus existens a Joseph operitur. » Unde et Anselmus : a Pauper ita fuit Christus ut non in sua, sed in aliena domo nasceretur; et vivens in hoc mundo, non haberet ubi caput suum reciinaret; nec moriens, unde nuditatem suam tegeret; nec mortuus, unde involveretur, nec sepulchrum aut locum, ubi corpus suum poneretur. » Ideo etiam , secundum Ambrosium et Augustinum, Salvator in aliena sepultura ponitur, qui pro atiena moriebatur salute. Utquid illi pro* pria sepultura, qui in se mortem propriam non habebat ? Item , secundum Ambrosium, ad ostenden* dum quod non debuit detineri a morte. Non enim ille sepulchnnn mortis desiderabat, qui de morte triumphum quaerebat.
Secundum Hieronymum autem «t Bedam, ez simpiici sepultura Domini, ambv 629 tio diyitum condemnatur , qui nec mortui et in tumulis possunt carere divitiis. Sed, ut ait Augustinus : tt Pompa funeris, agmina exsequiarum, sumptuosa diligentia sepulturae, monumentorum opulenta constructio, vivorum sunt qualiacunque solatia , non adjutoria mortuorum : » h^ec Augustinus.
Non fiiit in sepultura Domini aurum^ non gemmae , non sericum ; sed linteamen purum et nitidum. Sindon enim pannus, seu tela de lino est ; de quo etiam erant institae, quibus corpus est alligatum ; et similiter capitis sudarium. Unde, secundum Hieronymum , possumus intelligere quod corpus Domini, non auro, non gemmis, non serico, sed linteam'ine puro obvolvendum sit. Unde etiam quia in simplici sindone involutum est corpus Jesu; ideo Sylvester Papa instituit, ut sacrificium altaris, non in panno serico, vel tincto, vel auro texto , sed puro linteo terreno et sindone munda consecretur et celebretur. a Ex eo autem, ait Petrus Canior, quod dicitur, in sindone namda et in monumento novo, colligi potest pailas aitaris, dalmaticas, casulas, albas, sicut nec sindonem, fieri debere de aliqua veste prius in communes usus assumpta, propter reverentiam tanti sacramenti ; sed ex nova, prius non induta, quae Domino consecrata, non debet ad communes usus assumi. Sed nonne corpus Christi ponitur saepe in aureis scypbis? Ita, sed niediantibus pixidibus novis : » bjBC P^trus Cantor, 4 Magnus lapis sepulchro advolTiTUE. — Sepuito autem Domino, Mater ejus omni corde «mplexabatur sepulchrum et qua poterat voce, facnedicebat Fiiium suum.
Ad sepnkhnim ledens inniza ilH manus extendebat; et desuper illud exosculans , amaro nimis Dominum singultu depiorabat. Accessit Joannes, et lugens ipse multum levavit eam lugentem; et exeuntes omnes de monumento, advolverunt lapidem, quasi pro clausura ad ostium monumenti, ne ipse locus bestiis esset pervius, lapidem silicet magnum, qui non posset de facili et sine multorum auxilio amoveri; ne aliquis veniens posset rapere Christi corpus, quia per illud ostium erat ad sepulchrum ingressus. In quo patet virtus Resurgentis, quem non potuit retinere magnus lapis; et tollitur omnis in Resurrectione ejus suspicio , quia nec ab aliquo fieri potuit violentia, aut furtum, aut fictio. Unde Augustinus : « Si fuisset lapis parvulus suppositus, dicere poterant : dormientibus nobis tiilerunt eum. » Et Hieronymus : « Saxum enim magnum appositum ostendit non absque auxilio plurimorum sepulchrum potuisse reserari. » 5 Mystica Curisti sepultura in coRDE NOSTRO. — Mystice, in actibus Joseph et Nicodemi signantur plura requisita in nobis, si Christus in corde nostro debeat sepeliri. Nam debet communicans esse involutus linteaminibus, per mundam affectionem , et conscientiae puritatem; in sindone enim munda Jesum involvit, qui eum pura mente et puro corpore suscipit, decet namque non solum pura anima, sed et corpore puro, Corpus Christi suscipere.
Involvere autem oportet , quia mysterium ejus dausum et occultum est. Debet etiam unctus esse aromatibus, per ferventem devotionem; cum myrrfaa enim et aloe Jesum involvit, qui cructfixum in corde cum amaritudine poenitentiae et compassione recondit. In novitate vero noonumenti designatur, quod cor debet esse per gratiam et puritatem innovatum, et ab omni vetustate peccati purgatum, priusquam ad Corpus Christi accedat, in quo corde etiam ponit cum quando de ipso jugiter cogitat, quia monumentum dicitur, quasi monens mentem. Sumpturus igitur Eucharistiam , videat ut cor suum sit quasi monumeritum novum, in quo locetur; et quasi hortus in quo delectetur ; ne in monumento suo alius positus sit, vel circa hoc quidquam inutile excfeverit, quod erit, si bene per poenitentiam mundatum fuerit et innovatum, aiioquin non poterit, in eo cftgne sepelire Christum. Per monumentum autem lapideum, in petra excisum , designatur cordis stabiiitas, quia debet in bono proposito esse firmum ; et fidei soliditas, in qua apud Ecclesiam sepultus est Christus, hoc est fides Christi, supra quam petram aedificata est Ecclesia. Sed pro custodia omnium praedictorum, debet adhiberi longanimitas perseverantiae, ut mens Corpus Christi recipiens, in praedictis conditionibus intendat finaliter perseverare ; et hoc . designatur per saxum ostio monumenti advolutum. Ille etiam, sepulto Christo in corde suo, advolvit pro clausura lapidem magnum ad ostium, qui se claudit ne possit ingredi peccatum; et ponit diligens obstaculum contra peccati recidivum, ne Christus eum deserat et relinquat, donec ipsum a mortuis resurgere faciat.
Unde Ambrosius : « Cui pulcherrime lapis admotus est, ne pateret ; quicunque enim in se humaverit Christum, diiigenter custodiat ne eum perdat, ne perfidiae sit ingressus. » Unde et Hilarius : » Et quia nihil praeter eum oporteat in pectora nostra penetrare, lapis ostio advolvitur, ut nihil absque eo inferatur. » Voluit autem Christus in monumento justi , scilicet Joscph, sepeliri, ad ostendendum quod non requiescit nisi in corde justi, et quod non amplius peccatorum consortia volebat, quia amplius pro ipsis non moriturus erat. Unde Ambrosius : a Mystice autem justus Christi corpus sepelit; talis enim est Christi sepultura, qui fraudem iniquitatemque non habebat. Justus autem corpus Christi operit sindone; vesti et tu Domini Corpus gloria sua, ut ct ipse sis justus. Bene autem in monumento ^onditur justi , ut justitis habitatione requiescat : » haec Ambrosius, 6 Sepulchri Dominici forka et siTus. — De monumento Domini fertur, quod domus seu spelunca fuerit rotunda, de subjacente rupe excisa; erat enim lapis seu rupes grandis in horto, in cujus latere erat monumentum excisum seu spelunca, habens octo pedes longitudinis, et totidem latitudinis, et tantae altitudinis , ut homo intro consistens , et in ejus pavimento rectus stans, vix posset manu extensa culmen attingere ; introitum patulum habens ad Orientem, cui lapis ille magnus advolutus atque appositus erat pro ostio. In cujus monumenti parte Aquilonari sepulchrum Domini, hoc est locus Dominici corporis, de eadem petra est excisus , septem pedes et medium habens longitudinis, et a cetero pavimento altius eminens; tres palmos et medium habens altitudinis, ejusdemque existens latitudinis cujus est altitudinis.
Qui videlicet locus non desuper, sed a latere meridiano per totum est patulus. Unde inde inferabatur corpus, ut esset quasi sarcophagus superpositus fundamento et inclinatus super iatus, aperturam habens a latere, et non superius. Color autem ejusdem monumenti ac locuii rubicundo et albo dicitur esse perDE 63 1 mixtus. Monutnentum ergo erat ad modum domunculae factum, intra quod erat sepulchrum Christi positum. Sic enim sepulchra Judaeorum antiquitus, et maxime magnarum personarum solebant fieri, ut eorum fiiii possent ibi etiam sepeliri. Propter hoc dicitur frequenter de regibus Juda *. Sepultus est in sepulchro David, etc. Est autem ibi in eodem loco, ob reverentiam Dominici sepulchri , artificioso opere, forma rotunda uno tantum foramine superius aperto , Dominicae Resurrectionis ecclesia maxima constructa, continens montem Calvarias, ac locum sepulchri, et mnlta loca sacra ; in qua sepulchrum Domini est intra quamdam cellam rotundam puichris iapidibus constructam.
Haec siquidem ecclesia Dominici sepulchri est Patriarchalis, et habebat canonicos regulares et priorem, secundum habitum et regulam sancti Augustini viventes, quibus loco Abbatis Patriarcha praeerat, cui soli obedientiam promittebant. Haec ecclesia inter sancta et venerabilia loca, non immerito obtinet principatum, in cujus loco tam magna et mira per Dominum sunt facta et ostensa.
Et dies erat Parasceves, id est praeparationis; scilicet sexta feria, in qua praeparabantur illa quae in sabbato comedi debebant; et sabbatum illucescebat, quia vespera ad sabbatum pertinens instabat, a qua solemnitas sabbati incipiebat. Ubi sciendum, quod sicut homo sexta feria creatus est, et peccavit; sic Christus sexta feria pro homine mortuus est, et satisfecit. Unde et dixit : Consummatum est , opus scilicet recreationis , sicut eadem die consummatum fuit opus creationis; et sicut sabbato requievit ab omni opere suo; sic sabbato quievit in sepulchro, in signum quod in hac sexta aetate pro eo operari, et pati debemus, ut in septima cum ipso quiescamus ; donec in octava, venienle gloria Resurrectionis, cum ipso simul gaudio perfruamur. Unde Beda : « Parasceve Graece, Latine praeparatio interpretatur, quo nomine Judaei, qui inter Graecos conversabantur , sextam sabbati, quae nunc a nobis sexta feria vocatur, appellabant; eo quod in illo ab opere suo requievit Deus, unde et hanc sabbatum^ id est requiem vocari praecepit. Recte Dominus eadem die sexta crucifixus, humanae reparationis implevit arcanum ; sabbato autem in sepulchro requiescens , Resurrectionis , quae octava die ventura erat, exspectabat eventum. Unde nostrae simul devotionis ac beatae retributionis praelucet exemplum, quos in hac quidem sexta mundi aetate pro Domino pati, et velut mundo crucifigi necesse est; in septima vero aetate, id est cum leti quis debitum solvit , corpora quidem in tumulis, animas autem secreta in pace, cum Domino manere^ et post bona oportet opera quiescere; donec octava tandem veniente aetate, etiam corpora ipsa resurrectione glorificata, cum animabus simul incorruptionem aeternae hereditatis accipiant. Unde pulchre septima dies in Genesi vesperam habuisse non legitur; quia requies animarum, quae in illo seculo nunc est, non consiimenda mcerore; sed pleniori gaudio futurae est resurrectionis adaugenda : » haec Beda, Ubi etiam nota, quod inter cetera mysteria, quae hodie Ecclesia facit, hoc unum est, quia hodie pro omnibus orat. Cujus ratio est : quia Christus fuit hodie valde pius, in parcendo, quoniam dixit : Pater, dimitte illis, non enim sciunt quid faciunt; fuit valde liberalis, in largiendo, quia ad modicam petitionem dedit latroni regnum ccelorum; luit valde largus, in redimendo, quia non guttam, sed totum sanguinem pro nostra redemptione dedit, unde in Psalmo : Quia apud Dominum misericordia, et copiosa apud eum redemptio, Ideo Ecclesia, ad similitudinem Christi, est hodie multum liberalis in orando, et multum pia in parcendo.
Hodie etiam fideles ecclesias omnes, et altaria visitare consueverunt, cujus triplex ratio est : prima est, quod illa visitatio repraesentat • visitalionem Apostolorum et sanctarum mulierum, quae crebro visitabant sepulchrum; secunda est, quia Christus hodie omnes Sanctos, qui fuerunt a principio mundi usque nunc, praesentialiter visitavit, dum ad limbum descendit; tertla ratio est, quia Sancti hodie debent valde liberales esse, fuerunt enim hodie de carcere iiberati, et in cceleste regnum sublimati : si quis enim de carcere liberaretur, et in imperium sublimaretur, illam diem utique multum diligeret, et in illa die multum liberalis esset; merito igitur hodie fideles Sanctos visitant, ut ab ipsis de carcere liberatis, et in imperium sublimatis, beneficia valeant obtinere.
Mulieres autem, quae erant Christo devotae, funus subsecutce, quomodo et in quo loco corpus Domini poneretur, diligenter curaverunt respicere etnotare, ut postea ei tempore congruo munus suae devotionis possent offerre, et ofiGicium funeri impendere,ac corpus ejus inungere. Per hoc significatur, quia animae devotae debent mysterium Passionis Christi sollicite considerare, et eam pro posse imitari. Unde Beda : a Sed et hactenus sanctae mulieres die Parasceves, id est prKparatioms, I idem faciunt, cum animuae humilcs et quo majoris sibi consciae fragUi* tatis, eo majori Salvaioris amore ferventes, Passionis ejus vesti^is i& hoc seculo, quo requies est prcptranda futura, diligenter obseqauntur; et si forte valeant imitari, pia curiositate quo ordine sit eadem Passio completa* perpendunt. Qua lecta, audita, recordata, mox ad parandum opera virtutum. quibus Christus delectetur, se convertunt; ut finita praesentis vitae Parasceve, in requie beata exspectent tempore resurrectionis , occurrere Christo cum aromatibus spiritualium actionum : )> haec Beda, Joseph autem et Nicodemus indinantes Domino, et adorantes sepulchrum, recesserunt ; Maria vero et alii, qui arctius amabant , remanserunt , sedentes contra sepulchrum, et lamentantes Dominum , et exspectantes ejus promissum. In quo ostenditur earum constantia, et fervor dilectionis erga Dominum, quia , recedentibus discipulis ac aliis notis , adhuc remanebant circa sepulchrum. Unde Hieronymm : « Ceteris relinquentibus Domiaum, mulieres in officio perseverant, exspectantes quod promiserat Jesus; et ideo meruerunt primo yidcre resurgentem, quia perseveravenint usque in finem. » Unde et Raba" nus : tt Aliis notis Jesu ad sua redeuntibus , solae mulieres , qua^ ardentius amabant , obsequium fii- .
neris Inspiciebant , exspectantes quod promiserat ; et ideo post Resurrectionem primo Christum vident. Beatae mulieres, quae ministraverunt viventi , acGstiterunt morienti , obsecutae sunt sepulto^ et sic congavisae sunt resurgentil » Unde etiam Chrysostomus : « Vidisti mulierum fortitudinem, vidisti dilectionem, vidisti magnanimitatem, quae usque ad mortem fuiL Imitemur kas mulieres nos Tiri; DE SECUNDO € 633 neqae derdinquamTis in tentationifaiits lesum : -» h«c CMrysoslorTms, Pfcr devotioiicm quippe hanim mufierum ostenditur, quia devotse persoBae izrando mortus debent cum Chmto per compassionem sepeliri, ut mereantur Resurrectionis ejus ptr^dpes fieri. Lava ergo et tu tecrymis corpus ejus sacratissrmo san^ine aspersum; et unge ipsum naguentis saflctae orationis ; et piMta brachiis caritativae et humifis operationts; et sepeli crnn aFGPmaidbus bonae- conversattonis , ac bonis doctrinis et exemplis, ciim multis gemitibvss ac planctibus et lameiKss ; et cooperi sub amoris et de^iFOtioais pavimento conscientiae tam^ rn sindone et castitate mentis, ac sadario et iabore pcenitentiae ; et sedebis ibi juxta eum ad monumcBtum , donec videas ipsum a mortuift resurgentem. Quaeso, ne mortuum pro te dilectum rejicias, sed totis desideriis in sepulchro coidtft recipias; stringas candidissiHUS cogit^tionum et purissimis affiectionum linteaminibus , roseas spedosissimas, amorosissimas ejus ptagas; donec te ducat in ResurrecdoDts Mue laetitiam mirabilibus dotibus decoratam, et in Ascensionift suae excellentiam super omnes ctBli ordineselevatam. Et nota, quod licet in hac sepultura Christus uhil passus fuerit, q^ua mortuus ; tunen hoc factum in se miserabile fmt et lamentabile, propter rationes et causas supra, circa depositionem Domtni de cruce tractatas. 9 QUATUOR ]»OCUXENTA E SEPUt. TORA ChRISTI, ACTU5 CONFORMATIO-* lOB ET ORATio. — Ex Isto articulo ftcpulturae trahuntur plura docuraenta.
Primum est , secundum Theophihtm, quod nos simus imilaCDres Joseph in hoc, quod, quando coq;nis Christi susceptum fuerit a nobift, et involutum, tunc debemus ipftum ponere in monumento novo exciso in petra , id cat in mente nostra Dei rmagine insignita, renovata et firmata in Christo, qui est Peira ; ut dicat illud Canticorum: Tenui eam, nec dimitttsem, — Secundum est, quod sicut Dominus passus, mortuus, et sepuitns, lamentatus fait; sic et nos lamentari eum det)emus, per compassionem et veram compunctionem. — Tertlum est, quod sicut Christus sepuhus custoditus fuit , sic et nos eum in mente nostra sepultum fir miter custodire debemus, ne latrunculi, id est daemones sepulchrum cordis nostri subintrent, et furentur nobis Jesum. — Quartum est, quod et nos qui spiritualiter mortui snmus peccatis, consepeliamur etiam cum Christo ; ita ut abscondamur et quiescamus a peccatis, sic quod vetus homo in nobi& amplius non rcsuTgat. Unde Apostolus : Consepulti, inquit, sumus cirni Christo per Baptismum in mortem. Ubi Glossa : « Christus in persona veteris hominis habebat membra confixa in cruce, ne ad priores actus moverentur, a quibus etiam mortuus et sepultus quievit humanis subtractus aspectibus, per hoc exigens a nobis, ut membra nostra conlinentiae et justitiae clavis confixa habeamus, ne ad priora mala redeamus, a quibus etiam ita perfecte quiescamus, ut nec eorum visio, nec memoria habeatur ; et sic veteri homine in nobis crucifixo, mortuo^ et sepulto, ad bona resurgentes, in novitate vitce ambu^ lemus : » haec in Glossa, Ad conformandum se huic articulo , imaginetur homo quasi cor suum sit Christi sepulchrum , et inibi ijjsum venerabiiiter recondat, reconditum lamentabiliter defleat, et diligenter custodiat , ne ipsum amittat. Consepeliat seipsum in eodem sepulchro cum Jesu, el ruminet sensuin documentorum , vel alias sicut Deus ministrabit. Jesu, qui in monumento sepeliri, lamentari, et custodiri voluisti, da mihi, te in corde meo spiritualiter sepelire, lamentari, et diligenter custodire ; ut et ego tibi consepultus tecum merear ad resurrectionis gloriam pervenire. Et qui positus in sepulchro a visu hominum es segregaius, in pace dormiens , absconde interim me servum tuum in abscondito faciei tuce, a conturbatione hominum, ut, mundo mortuus, tibi vivens in te dormiam, et suaviter in te requiescam, lO Christo sepeliendi.
— Hic nunc videndum est , qualiter debemus cum Christo sepeliri. Sepulchrum autem istud in quo debemus sepeliri, est ipsa religio, in qua ipse religiosus spiritualiter debet mundo mori et sepeliri. Assimilari autem debet religiosus mortuo et sepultd, quantum ad plura. Primo, quantum ad censum rerum, quia sicut mortuus et sepuhus nihil proprium ha« bet ; sic et religiosus nihil proprium habere , sed omnia in communi dividere debet, — Secundo, quantum ad sensum carnis et motuum, quia sicut mortuus privatur sensu, nec sensibilibus gaudet, sic et religiosus debet esse mortuus quantum ad delectationes, quse ad sensum carnis pertinent ; et sicut mortuus, moventi se non contradicit, sic et religiosus praeiato se regenti non debet contradicere, sed in omnibus obedire. — Tertio , quantum ad domicilium, quia sicut mortuus clauditur in sepulchro , sic et religiosus debet esse clausus in claustro ; et sicut mortuus de monumento non exit, nisi ad jussionem Dei scilicet die judicii, sic nec religiosus debet exire claustrum sine jussione praelati ; et sicut mortuus non murmurat quando transfertur de monumento in monumentum, sic nec religiosus debet murmurare quando transfertur de monasterio ad monasterium. — Quarto, debet assimilari maxime morti Christi : in morte cnim Christi anima fuit a carne separata, anima tamen et caro fuerunt divinitati unitae ; sic in vero religioso anima debet esse separata a carne, ut scilicet carni non consentiat in aliquo carnali amore, anima tamen et caro Deo debent esse unitae : anima per amorem, caro per incomiptionem, ut possit dicere cum Propheta : Cor meum et caro mea esxultaverunt in Deum vivum, 1 I FlGUR^ SEPULTURiE DOMINI. — Sepulturam Christi olim filii Jacob praefiguraverunt, qui fratrem suum Joseph in cisternam misenint. Hanc etiam Jonas praefiguravit , quem projectum de navi in mare cetus devoravit.
Jonas fuit per tres dies et noctes in ceto, ita Christus fuit usque ad triduum in monumento. 1 2 Memoria septem horarum DoMiNiCARUM. — Nunc recogita qualiter Dominus tuus septem horis predictis pro te passus sit, et ausculta eum quasi te moneret et diceret : Cum primo nocte surrexeris, ob reverentiam illius amoris, quo me vinctum tradidi in manus malorum et quo factus sum obediens usque ad mortem ; disponas in corde tuo obedire velle ad omnia quae tibi injunguntur. Circa Primam, ob reverentiam humilitatis qua coram indigno judice velut agnus mansuetus steti ; subjicias te omni creaturae propter me, et ad quaeque vilia opera sis paratus. Ad Tertiam, ob amorem, quo ego contemptus, consputus, et opprobrio saturatus fui, teipsum contemnas et viiipendas, et opprobria sustineas. Ad Sextam , crucifigas tibi mundum, teque mundo, cogitans qualiter ego, omnium Creator, pro amore tuo crucifixus sum, et ideo 635 omnia delectabilia mundi sint tibi quasi crux amara. Ad Nonam, moriaris mundo et omni creaturae, sciHcet ut amara mors in tantum corde tuo duicescat, ut omnis creatura desipiat. Circa Vesperam, qua de cruce depositus sum .
recolas in gaudio qualiter, post mortem et omnes labores tuos, felici requie pausabis in sinu meo. Ad Completorium, memor sis unionis illius, qua spiritus unus mecum eftectus, meipso in summa experientia perfrueris ; quae unio hic in via incipit per voluntatis meae et tuas concordiam in omnibus , tam adversis quam prosperis, et in futuro complebitur per aeternam gloriam in ccelis. i3 B. Maria Virgo, postquam A MONUMENTo. — Appropinquantc autem nocte, dicit Joannes Dominae quod eis expedit recedere, quia non est conveniens ibi morari, vel de nocte ad civitatem redire. Tunc Domina prout potest surgit, et ad monumentum genuflectit , et ipsum amplectitur ac benedicit. Nam cruciata gemitibus, fatigata doloribus, afflicta ploratibus, nequibat stare pedibus. Tamen, sicut poterat, mulieribus sanctis adjuta, cunctis plorantibus simul cum ea, coepit recedere.
Cum autem venerunt ad crucem, ibi ipsa genuflexit, et crucem adoravit; similiter et omnes fecerunt. Cogitare namque potes, quod ipsa fuit prima quae crucem adoravit, sicut et prima quae Filium natum adoravit. Haec autem sancta cruXy post Passionem et Resurrectionem Domini per Judaeos, cum crucibus latronum, sub monte Calvariae profunde sub terra abscondita fuit, ubi ducentis annis et amplius, usque ad tempora Constantini et Helenae latuit; sed Helena in lapide plus quam viginti passibus fodiens , ipsas tres cruces invenit , quibus sublatis, crucem Domini ab aliis , signo resurrectionis mortui probavit et discrevit. Ipse autem locus in quo crux inventa est, distat a loco Calvariae decem pedibus, versus Orientem descendendo, ubi in ecclesia quae continet montem Calvariae, est crypta profunda, inferior pavimento quadraginta gradibus, vel circa; et sunt ibi quatuor columnae , quae dicuntur mortem Domini flevisse. Deinde recedunt versus civitatem, et per viam saepe Domina se vertebat retro, aspiciens per compassionem. Intrantibus autem illis civitatem, multi videntes Dominam, moti pietate super illius dolore, ad luctum convertebantur amarum ; et concurrunt undique bonae matronae, et virgines ambulantes post ipsam , et associantes eam per viam, et consolantes, ac etiam lamentantes eam. Sed et boni homines , per quos transibat , compatiebantur eidem et movebantur ad fletum. Undique fit ploratus magnus et luctus.
Nam dolor ejus multos faciebat dolentes. Vix lacrymas continere poterant, quicunque eam plorantem videbant. Fiebat luctus quocunque transibat Maria : plorabat ipsa, plorabant et omnes ambulantes cum ea, plorabant et multi venientes obviam ei. Sic utique deducitur a plorantibus plorans, quousque perventum est ad domum Joannis. Cum autem venerunt ad domum, tunc ipsa vertens se versus dominas illas, inclinavit se agens gratias. lilae vero incli» nantes se eidem valedixerunt , et cum iacrymis recesserunt. Intravit ergo Domina domum, ibi resedit, ibi permansit; et eam Joannes in sua cura et custodia retinuit, ac super propriam matrem omni corde amavit. Flebaf et plangebat valde cum Joanne et Magdalena et sororibus suis.
Solvebat dolore amaras lacrymas, Filii sui mortem nimis amaram in corde suo recolens, ac Passionis loca, et cuiicta i^ux passus fuiiral in animo volvcos. Taadttm Jaannes bortandu quod desisteret, consolalus cst eam. ul poterat. Tu ijuuque cxperiaris vires tuas. si scires eaoi consolflri el confortare, qpod panmi comederet, et alios comederE faceret, quia adh. uc ieiuni siuit, et refettionc indigent, ac eis parare , et ministrare cooeriB ; et [losiea, bi:nediciioiiK ab ea el aliis aiogulis accepta, recedere polaris.
Hic aota, quod bodie, scilicet dic Pata&ceves, non consecratur hostia; quia vera. hostia hodic cst oblata. In bac cliam seita ieria, iu qua {lasius est Ciiristus, mulla sunl faOa diversis aniiis ei viclbus. de quibua sunt isii versus : Salve, feila dies, qme vulnera no[stra coerces : Aitgelus eat missus, est passus el [in cruce Chrislus; Eat Aian\ /actus, et eodem lem[pore lapstis. 0& meritum decimx , cadit Abel \fratvis ab e«se. Offtxt Melcbisededi, Isaac suppsiEst decollatus Cliristi Baptista i5 JuiweoHua CUHI-Tffidet jam audire, et recitare Judieorum blasphemias : Aliera enim die, qax est post Parasceven )ain incepta, scilicet cuni jain seita feria cransisset. et sero facto. post sotis occBsum sabbatum jam intrssset, comrenerunt iierum sacerdotes el Pkariscei ad Pilatum, dicentes : Domine, recordati sumus quia seduttor ille dixit adktic vivens : Post 1 dicuni Uli .
ividia ml, Don , hoc quod ipumei *mponunt. Noa luiticit seductoribus si et post lacerent famam ejus, Ete aulem seductio duplei, scilicet boDS et mala : prima eu aedaaio sanctitatis, scilicet a falMUle ift. veritatem, de qtia seductioiie didtj Jeremias : Seduxisti me, Domin^, el seduclus sum; alia est «eduOie ' perveTsitaiis, scilicet a «eriiaie st talutBlem, a hanc impatiuet Jltda:i Chrisio. Unde Hkronjrimit > u Principes autem sacerdonun, IkS: immensuni fxcinus in nccc DamiMiL _ perpelravcrint, tamen non wffid concepix nequiLia: virus exercenai famam ejus Ucerantes mnocentemsciebanl, seducioremvW' cant. Sicut aatem Caiphu ig rans ante proplictaverat, diceu expedit unum homiitein morj populo, et aott toia getit pereati et modo. Seductor enim enl Cfai^ sms non a vcritate lens, sed a falsilatc ai a vitiis ad vlnutes, a morte oA « ducens : n hEEC Hieronjfmta. lO CUSTODUK C Jube ergo custodiri sepnlnhrmm, discipuli fureatur eum, el dicA plebi : Sunejcit a tnartuu. Su custodiam pelunt, quasi ia Mp« ciiro leneri valeat, Q,ui ubique b et omnia continet.
Ubi Ambran» a. Quanta maiicia saccrdolum, q □on taiitu. m Ma^stro, sed edi discipulis detrabuntl EterUttav simus error pejor priore. » Uht Rabanus : u [n hoc auiem igD ranier i-erum dkunl, pcioi eai fuit conlemptus pa:nitenliz u. S dicis, quam error ignoiaatice. Ba]ar crat in5delitas Resurr quant crudelitns Passioius. teiilur ergo pbnc quod pi 6^7 «rror in nece Domini. v Ubi etiam Klhrysostomus : « Vide autem quaJiter etiam nolentes concertant ad demonstrandam veritatem, Irrefragabilis enim demonstratio Resarrectionis facta est per ea quae praetenderunt.
Quia enlm custoditum cst aepulchrum, nuUa fraus £acta est. Si autem fintus facta non est, manifeate et irrefragabiliter Domijius surrexit : » I^c CkiysostO' muM. Pilatus vero jam £itigatus ait , iiUs : Habetis custodiam, id e&t do vobift licentiam ponendi custodes, €t coBoedo quod accipiatis milites ad custodiendum eum pro vestra voluntate ; ite et custodite sicut scitis. Quasi diceret : Si debet resurgere, male poteritis custodire. Quam impius et fatuus erat Pilatus, qui sicut Christum permisit occidi, ita et custodiri; eum morti adjudicaTit, eis etiam custodes dedit. Vadunt illi, et venientes iiluc primo corpus ejus inspiciunt, et eum, qui Auctor vitee cUruerat, in infernis claustris retentum se, deprehendisse Istantes, sepulchrum muniunt, mililcs^ armatos custodes ponunt; Aandc lapidem qui erat in ostio monomeQti, uade accessus in sefulclirum crat sigillo Pracsidis, ac etiam sigillis suis signant, ne aliqjuis siae scitu eorum ingredi possit; et diiigenter omnia faciunt. Et •in hoc sf^paret maiitia eorum, quia -ctiam ia custodibus non confidunt, sed inauper sigilla apponunt. Hoc autem totum Dorainus voluit fieri, propter majorem certitudinem Returrectionis suae» ut et ipsi, quamW nolentes,, sibi tamen testes sint DooEiinum resurrexisse, et nuUo mo)do sic positum furari potuisse.
Non tMt enim consilium, nec sapientia, mec /ortitudio contra Dominum. £t recte in tali loco Dominus sepulturam suam elegit, ubi nuUa possiiMlitas fodiendi esset, quatenus omnem occasionem caiumniandi Judaeis aaferref , ne forte si in nMceria circumclusus esset, vel quolibet parier te, dicerent ipsi discipulos iliius furatos eum fuisse. Unde Hieronymus : « Non sufiPecerat principibus sacerdotum et Scribis et Pharisaeis crucifixisse Dominum Salvatorem, nisi sepulchrum custodirei^t , cohortem acciperent, et signarent lapidem, et quantum in illis est, manum opponerent resurgenti ; sed ut diligentia eorum nostrae fidei proficeret, quanto enim diiigentius servatur^tanto magis Resurgentis virtus ostenditur. » Unde et ChrysostO" mus : a Et in durissimo lapide monumentum, fuerat excisum, et grandis lapis positus est ad ostium, et custodia ponitiir militum in circuitu; ut quanto fortius servatur ne furari posset, tanto magis virtus Dei appareat cum resurrexerit. Si enim scpulchrum fuisSet in terra, dicere poterant : Suffoderunt terram, et furati sunt eum. Si fuisset lapis parvulus positus, dicere poterant : Parsrulus lapis fiiit, et dormientibus nobis, tulerunt eum, » Et iterum : «■ Diligentia Scribarum prodest fidet nostrae. Servate, Pharisaei, senrate. Deus includi non potest, Deus in sepukhro teneri non potest, qui fedt ccelum et terram, cujus in pugillo terra est et coelum, qui aypendit mundum in iribus digitis, Qui «rgo appendit mundum, uno sepulchro non po- * tcst contineri.
» Unde etiam Hilarius : « Metus furandi corporis, et sepulchri custodia atque obsignatio, stuititise atque infidelitatis testimonium est, cum prius prascepto Dotnini conspexissent de sepulchro mortuum suscitatum.
Pilatua autem praedictus, postmodum in multis apud Tiberium Ca:sarem a Judaeis accusatus, deportatus est in exsilium Lugdunum, unde erat oriundus. He rodes vero, qui consensit Pilato in | lium Viennam, et mortuus ibi est* nece Domini, deportatus est in exsi- | ORATIO Dominc Jesu Christe, qui hora Completorii aromatibus ungi et condiri, ac sindone et aliis linteis involvi, et ligari; Matre quoque tua et aliis amicis tuis lamentantibus ad sepeiiendum portari et sepeliri voiuisti , da mi, quaeso, ut te aromatibus inungam per ferventem devotionem, et bonam conversationem ; sindone et linteaminibus te involvam, per mundam affectionem, et conscientiae puritatem; iamenter te lacrymis poenitentiae et compassionis , portemque brachiis caritativae et humilis operationis; et sepeliam te in corde meo, per jugem recordationem, et memoriam; ut et ego tibi consepultus pervenire tecum merear ad resurrectionis gloriam. Amen.
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