Epilogus Dominicce Passionis, et de laude
The Lovability of the Passion
The author reflects on why the Passion of Christ makes Him uniquely lovable and worthy of our total devotion.
Consider now what the Lord suffered for the salvation of humanity at all times, and especially today, so that you might realize how much every Christian owes Him; for these things He suffered for us, above all else He has done, make Him deeply lovable to us and bind us more strongly to love Him. Hence Bernard says: "He is altogether worthy of my love, through whom I am, live, and have understanding." For these reasons, I am as loving toward You as I can be. But there is something that moves me more, urges me more, and inflames me more. Above all else, I say, the cup You drank—the work of our redemption—makes You lovable to me, good Jesus; this completely and easily claims our entire love for itself. This, I say, is what entices our devotion more gently, demands it more justly, binds it more tightly, and affects it more vehemently. The Savior truly labored much in this, nor did the Author of all things take on so much weariness in the entire creation of the world. To Him, finally, it is said: 'He spoke and they were made, He commanded and they were created'; but here, He endured those who contradicted Him in His words, those who watched Him in His deeds, those who mocked Him in His torments, and those who reviled Him in His death. And again: "Remember now, O human, that although you were made from nothing, you were not redeemed from nothing." In six days He created all things, and you among them. But for thirty whole years, He worked for your salvation in the midst of the earth. Oh, how much He labored in His endurance! So says Bernard. And Ambrose adds to this. Epilogue: "God has bestowed more upon me in redeeming me than in creating me." For in creating me, He gave me to myself; but in redeeming me, He gave Himself and restored me to myself.
The Universality of Christ's Suffering
A detailed meditation on how Christ suffered in every stage of life and every part of His body for our salvation.
If I owe Him my whole self for creating me, what more can I add for redeeming me? After all, I wasn't redeemed as easily as I was created. Regarding everything that was made, it is written: 'He spoke, and they were made.' But in redeeming me, He spoke many things, performed wonders, and endured hardships—not just hardships, but indignities as well. As Ambrose says, the Lord suffered in everything. We shouldn't think the pain of His Passion began only with His arrest and betrayal; rather, it lasted from the very moment of His conception until His death.✦ For since He most firmly foreknew His own most bitter death—which He willed to suffer for our salvation—and infallibly knew it was to come, it was necessary that He should naturally grieve for it at every hour, especially when He considered the great bitterness of that death and the great universality of the pain that had to spread through His whole body, all its members, and all the lower powers of His soul. The Lord suffered many things for us in these matters, as we can gather from the words of Augustine, who says: 'Attend and understand, my soul, the time of the most blessed Passion.' My Jesus—my love, my sweetness, my hope, my happiness, my consolation—suffered in every time, in His whole body, and in every one of His works. In the time of His infancy: the narrowness of the womb, poverty, harshness, the humility of the manger, the pursuit by His adversary, and the flight into Egypt. In the time of His adolescence: disputation and being cast out. In the time of His youth: the most bitter and most shameful Passion. You also suffered in your whole body: in your eyes, the shedding of tears; in your ears, the hearing of insults and blasphemies; on your cheeks, the sting of slaps; in your nostrils, the stench of spit; in your mouth, the bitterness of vinegar and gall; in your hands, the bonds and the affliction of lashes, just as in your feet; and in your whole body, the scourging. In your work, however, they disparaged your preaching, your way of life, and the performance of your miracles. The just and innocent one is handed over and bound, like a lamb for sacrifice and like a thief for the gallows; yet you seek no revenge, you show no impatience—in fact, you rebuke Peter for cutting off the ear, even though you could have obtained twelve legions of angels from the Father. You are bound like a thief, accused like a thief, condemned like a thief, cast out like a thief, and punished among thieves, as the prince of thieves. You are bound, Lord, so that you may loosen the bonds of our sins; so that you may dissolve the ties of wickedness and the heavy burdens. You are pierced, good Jesus, by thorns, nails, and a lance, so that there may be in us a right intention, a discreet way of acting, and a manifest love. You are scourged, so that you may drive away from me the scourges of your wrath. You were wounded, Lord Jesus, for our sins, and crushed for our wickedness, so that your wounds might be an effective medicine for our own wounds. Even time itself, sweet Jesus, adds weight to your Passion. For you suffered night and day, in the cold and in the heat. At Matins you were punished, in the morning accused, at Terce acclaimed, at Sext condemned, and at None you breathed your last with a cry and tears. Lament, then, and grieve, and be deeply troubled, my soul; let your eyes shed tears, and do not let your gaze remain silent over your brother, who is beautiful beyond measure and more lovely than the love of women, who clothed you in scarlet and provided ornaments for your worship. For you will grieve if you consider these tears. Look, soul, at the tears of the bystander, the tears of the unfeeling; if you see the sun darken to hide the limbs of the Lord, the earth quaking, the tombs opening, and the veil torn apart—see the tears of the one weeping, and the tears of the Mother of God. For the blessed Virgin Mother grieves over the betrayal, the capture, the condemnation, and the crucifixion, but most of all over the commendation and the laying in the tomb.
The Place and Time of the Passion
The author examines the locations and circumstances of the Passion, highlighting the injustice of the judgment and the bitterness of Christ's endurance.
The place and time highlight your Passion, sweet Jesus, for the Lord Jesus suffered in the manger, in the desert, in the temple, in the guest house, on the road, in the garden, in the city, in the praetorium, and at the place of crucifixion. In the manger, poverty; in the desert, hunger; in the temple, resistance; in the guest house, observation and rejection; on the road, fatigue and weariness; in the garden, sweat and agony, the word and kiss of the traitor, the taxing of his body, the arrest and binding of his person; in the courtyard, interrogation, the suffering of abuse, the triple denial, the spitting, the blows to his face, the striking with palms, the insults and mockery, and the calling him a prophet; in the praetorium, the injustice of witnesses and the accusation of the unfaithful, the most bitter scourging, the unjust judgment, the mockery of his persecutors—and see the excessive permission, the iniquity of the great, the judgment of the Jews, the derision of the guilty, and the torture of the Pontiff. Look at the unjust judgment: on the part of the witnesses, and on the part of the accused, for Pilate failed in this judgment in the uprightness of his soul, and the truth was betrayed through injustice; he failed also in the just cause, not by his own fault, but by another's; justice was lost because Pilate condemned the innocent to a cruel and shameful death. Blush, Pilate, and you unrighteous Jews! How you are conquered, how you are overcome. You subtle deceivers, who first tried to snatch him away by common law, by the custom of the place, and by the scourging of his body—blush, you unfaithful and treacherous Jews, who crucify and persecute the true Lord of your life. He is tortured at the place of crucifixion, with the women weeping, with the unfaithful Jews, with the blaspheming thief, with the shouting crowd, and with the mourning mother. Consider this also and understand it, my soul. A kind of suffering. For that kind of suffering is most shameful—stripped of clothes and cast out. Mocked by the soldiers. He is mocked in Herod's house, wearing a white robe. Struck in the face. Spit upon and struck; in the judge's hall, in a purple robe, in a crown of thorns, in the mockery, and in the kneeling of the soldiers; on the chair of the cross, in the insults, in the condemnation, and in the manifold reproach. Consider: his humility, his cruelty, his long-suffering, and his bitterness. The cause is not yours, but ours, good Lord Jesus, for you alone are without sin. This happened in a general way. To see the general nature of this, look at the bed of the Bridegroom: it isn't soft, and it isn't made of gold or silver. Instead, consider the linens, the coverings, and the pillows; look at the title, the insults, and the mockery from the leaders; consider his food and drink, his companions—the women and the thieves—the words and the blows, the nails and the scourges, the crown and the lance. He suffered in every part of his body so that he might sanctify it. He did this to remove the transgressions of our sin. Good Jesus, your Passion also holds bitterness: bitterness because of your innocence, bitterness because of the blindness and ingratitude of the people, bitterness because of the compassion of your Mother and your beloved disciples, and bitterness because of your physical constitution—for you suffered in a body capable of feeling pain, which was made worse by the tenderness of your flesh, the multitude of your bones, and the tension of your nerves. You suffered, therefore, my Lord and my God, my guide and my friend, in your head, your hands, and your feet, so that you might heal the original and actual sins of humanity. And you are the medicine for venial sin.
The Cross as Medicine and Shield
The Cross is presented as a source of healing, a spiritual shield, and a nourishment for the soul.
For you have given, Lord Jesus Christ, your blood as the price of our redemption, as a drink of intoxication for the faithful, as a washing for our cleansing, as an antidote for our healing, and as a shield against the present assault. Your bed, good Jesus, was most hard, your food and drink most bitter, your torture unique and most severe; yet the tender love of your Mother, the fear of a most shameful death, the shame of being stripped, the singular pain, or the deceit of the promise did not call you back or hold you off, because you were clothed in the wedding garment, instructed by the law, and armed with spiritual armor. Go out, therefore, daughter of Zion, and see the glory of Solomon: in his mount, in his branches, in his garments, and in his praises. How, then, did the flower of your glory and the shadow of your honor wither so quickly? Truly, they turn honor into disgrace and sweetness into wormwood. For you carry the cross on your shoulders, you are stripped of your garments, and you are tortured with scourges. You are filled with insults, and you are driven from the city. See the wisdom of Solomon in its timing: he suffered on the sixth day at the sixth hour, so that he might restore man—who had fallen at the sixth hour and on that day—through his own death, for the order of our salvation demanded this work. See also his patience; for he was led like a lamb to the sacrifice, and like a sheep to the slaughter. Look at his humility; he is condemned alongside thieves. . Look at his love; he forgives those who crucify him. Consider his poverty, too: he was poor and lived a life of labor. Your mother, your family, and your home reveal your poverty to me, poor Jesus; I mean the home of the manger, the upper room, the cross, and the tomb, as well as your ride on the donkey and its colt. Where are your insignia, King of kings, Prince of shepherds? Where is your mount, your purple robe, your palace, scepter, throne, and crown of the kingdom? Where are your ornaments, Priest forever and High Priest of the good things to come? Where are your precious things, your ring and gem, your staff and silk cape, your gloves and sandals? Where are your weapons of war, your strong armor, and your new soldier? In your glory, you didn't lack the slap, the white robe, or the purple one. The battle was not lacking: you overcame the thief and death, you stripped the one who strips all things, in the depths of the bonds, in the five stones of the wounds, in the staff of the cross. Where are your books, best Teacher? Your book is your body, written within and without, written with thorns and nails, illuminated by a wave of blood, bound with chains, and marked with nails. Pay attention to the duration of this death and the bitterness of its sufferings, and place it upon your head as a signet; keep it between your breasts as a bundle, as an antidote against every sickness. Climb the palm tree of the cross through compassion, meditation, and imitation, so that you may grasp its sweetest fruits. Go then, my soul, to the mountain of myrrh and consider the height of poverty, the breadth of charity, the length of bitterness, the sorrow and pain of death, and bring a branch of the green olive to the ark of your conscience. Accept also, my dove, the grain of wheat, sown in the Incarnation in the land of the glorious Virgin, cut in the Circumcision, threshed and scourged in the Passion, white in mind, red in body, divided in the side, multiplied in death, and stored in the granary in the Ascension. Let this be your food, your meal, and your provision for the journey. But if your appetite is weary, if your interior taste is flagging, take the immaculate Lamb and add to it the fish roasted on the grill of the cross. Truly, good Jesus, you are the Lamb, and for the sake of your medicine, your patience, your innocence, and your knowledge: you recognize your Mother on the cross, and you entrust the Virgin to the virgin, and the Evangelist to the evangelist. But if your taste desires more, or if your appetite isn't satisfied, prepare a meal of roasted fish so that you may eat. The roasted fish is Christ who suffered, nourished in the waters of tribulation, opened in his side, scaled in his stripping, salted in the multiplication of spittle, and roasted on the cross. Anoint your eyes with the gall of this fish, so that you may see if there is any sorrow like his sorrow.
The Spiritual Warfare of the Cross
The Cross is described as a weapon and banner for the believer in the ongoing battle against temptation and the world.
If you often find yourself standing on the front lines, take up the shield of spiritual warfare, the banner of victory, and the bow of glory. This shield, which a soldier must take up against the enemy—because of its form, its image, its power, and its substance—is the Cross of the Lord, the life-giving tree. The corners of this shield are in the hands of the Crucified. For your three corners overcome battles: the corner of poverty overcomes the battle of greed; the corner of humility, the fight against pride; and the corner of adversity, the lust of pleasure. This shield was reddened and painted with the blood of the true Lamb; it was pierced by the lance, the nails, and the thorns. If, however, you aren't yet strong enough to resist, look at the bow and bless the One who made it. This bow has a string made from His body and wood from the Cross. This bow struck down the thief, death itself, and wounded the enemy, the ancient serpent. But so you aren't unarmed and unprepared, let the King's banner—the cross—go before you; let the blood of Christ be shown to the soldiers so they may be sharpened for battle, and the strong man armed won't be feared. If the breath of pride, the wind of tribulation, or the shipwreck of temptation rises up, climb into the little boat of the holy cross, filled with every good thing, pierced in its right side, violently torn away by enemies, and bound by the chain of its bonds. In it you'll find the Son sleeping, commanding the winds, and completely driving away the shipwreck. Through it you will put danger to flight, and you will approach the best harbor. For the holy cross itself is the small wood through which the judgment of truth was made. If the gate of paradise is closed to you, apply the staff of the holy cross, knock, and it will be opened to you. But if the door is closed, the children are already sleeping in the bedroom, and you have nothing to set before your friend, approach the chest of the holy cross so you may receive three loaves from it to set before the guest who is resting: the bread of greatest humility, the bread of patience, and the bread of most abundant charity. If you can't open the treasure of wisdom for yourself, apply the key of David, which opens, and no one shuts. If the length of the journey weighs you down, and your face falls, and you despair of your own strength, take up the rod and staff of the holy cross, by which you may cross the Jordan of this world, and take the viaticum of the tree of life, so that you don't fail or grow sluggish on the way. If you are a traveler in the wilderness of this world and fiery serpents threaten you with their bite and with death, look upon the bronze serpent placed upon the pole so that the venom of the ancient serpent may not infect you or creep in. If an evil spirit takes hold of anyone, let them seize the harp of the holy cross, and they will be refreshed and find relief. If sickness or spiritual infirmity prevails, apply to yourself the medicine of this precious blood. If you despair because of your merits and see that your works are in no way enough for you, take from the scales of the cross the beauty that is the price of souls; and take upon the altar of the cross the immaculate host, which cleanses the conscience from dead works. Finally, the holy and blessed cross is dedicated in the body of Christ, and adorned with his members like pearls, decorated with the purple of the King, which deserved to touch the members of Christ, which alone was worthy to sustain the King of heaven and Lord: so says Augustine. Hence, blessed Andrew, led to the cross and seeing it, broke out in praise of the cross and greeted it, saying: 'Hail, O cross, dedicated in the body of Christ and adorned with his members like pearls; before the Lord ascended upon you, you held a worldly fear, but now you possess a heavenly love.' You are accepted according to your vow; therefore, secure and rejoicing, I come to you, so that you, too, may joyfully receive me as a disciple of him who hung upon you, because I have always been your lover and have longed to embrace you. O good cross, you who have received beauty and splendor from the members of the Lord, long desired, loved with solicitude, sought without ceasing, and now prepared for a longing soul! Take me from the hands of men and return me to my Master, so that He who redeemed me through you may receive me through you. Chrysostom says this regarding the praise of the Cross: "If you want to know the power of the Cross, my dear friend, and how great it is—as much as I am able to speak to its praise—then listen." The Cross is the cause of all our blessedness: it freed us from the blindness of error; it brought us back from darkness to light; it joined those who were defeated to peace; it united those who were alienated from God and presented those who were far off as neighbors; it showed strangers to be citizens; it is the cutting away of discord; it is the foundation of peace; it is the source of all good works. The Cross is the key to paradise, the hope of Christians, the resurrection of the dead, the guide of the blind, the way for those who wander, the staff of the lame, the consolation of the poor, the refreshment of the rich, the destruction of the proud, the punishment of those who live wickedly, the victory against demons, the defeat of the devil, the teacher of the young, the support of the needy, the hope of the desperate, the pilot of those who sail, the harbor of those in danger, the wall of the besieged, the father of orphans, the defender of widows, the counselor of the just, the rest of the troubled, the guardian of children, the head of men, the end of the elderly, the light in the darkness for those who sit in it, the magnificence of kings, the eternal shield, the wisdom of the foolish, the freedom of servants, the philosophy of the ignorant, the law of emperors, the proclamation of the Prophets, the announcement of the Apostles, the glory of martyrs, the abstinence of monks, the chastity of virgins, the joy of priests, the foundation of the Church, and the protection of the world. Hence it is also said: How many and what kind of fruits the wood of the holy Cross brings forth from its own growth. It is worth commemorating: its fruit is eternal and its root is everlasting; its fragrance fills the world, and its scent satisfies the faithful; its splendor surpasses the sun, and its brightness outshines the snow; its top reaches the heavens, and its base reaches the depths; its humility exalts, and its exalted power humbles. For the joy of all virtues is gathered through it and in this world, because in it the danger of all things is finished. In the Cross, redemption from death is suggested, and the acquisition of salvation is promised.
A Litany of Praise and Petition
A devotional outpouring of praise for the Cross, acknowledging its role in the divine mystery of redemption.
O source of blessedness and hope! Who can rightly tell your whole story, or who can worthily praise you, who are the faithful revealer of heavenly mysteries, the sacred guardian of the secrets of God, and the fitting dispenser of the Sacraments of Christ? In you, the angels see their joys multiplied. They know the terrible laws of salvation in you, and in the depths they receive the just retribution for fraud. You are everything to everyone: you are good, you are just; you renew the past, you illuminate the present, you foreshadow the future; you seek the lost, you guard the inner self, and you direct those who have fallen. You are indeed the victory of the eternal King, the joy of the heavenly host, and the power of those born of the earth; you are the forgiveness of sins, the manifestation of piety, and the increase of merits. You are the remedy for the weak, the help for those who labor, the refreshment for the weary, the peace for the restless, and the serenity for the quiet. And the root of all happiness. You are the comfort of the lonely, the health of the suffering, the life-giving strength of those who believe, the firm support of those who work well, and the true happiness of those who persevere. Holy, faithful, good, just, kind, reasonable, praiseworthy, venerable, gentle, sweet, and mild. Wise, powerful, and mighty! Whatever, therefore, can be rightly said about our redemption, or whatever the tongue can properly speak, all of it can be adapted to your praise; for whatever is praised in you is attributed to Christ the King, crucified in you, and whatever honor is given to Christ is referred to the reverence of the almighty Father, whose only-begotten Son he is. And again: Great is the consolation of the faithful, the hope of the cross, and it bestows eternal praise. Because it is the Creator who knows us. The cross of Christ is the way of the just. It is the ascent to heaven, the wheel drawing us from the lowest to the highest, the door of heaven, and the gate of the kingdom. One part of this commends divine love, while the other commends brotherly love. Christ shows us the integrity of this love by His own example; He who laid down His own soul for His friends taught us to do the same. My God, may You always be praised. My God, may You always be praised. May carnal affections be far from me, so that the glory of the holy cross may be increased and multiplied in this promise, and I may persist in worthy praise; and may it be mine. May this epilogue of the Lord's Passion remain in my mouth in song and in the love of the Venerable One, and may His praise and exultation remain in my heart forever. I also beseech you, heavenly hosts of angels and souls of the just who truly exult in the sight of the divine majesty, that just as you sing 'Alleluia' and 'Amen' to God Christ without ceasing for all eternity, so too may you strive to help our lot with your prayers, that we may finally deserve to receive the true beatitude which you already possess perfectly, through the grace of Christ: so says Rabanus. Hence also Cassiodorus: The Cross is the invincible shield of the humble, the rejection of the proud, the victory of Christ, the ruin of the devil, the destruction of the infernal, the reformation of the heavenly, the death of the unfaithful, and the life of the just. And, as Jerome says, by this wood we are carried across the stormy sea to the land of the living.
Anselm's Prayer of Contemplation
The chapter concludes with a profound prayer of identification with the suffering Christ, seeking grace to imitate His Passion.
Reflecting on what the Lord suffered, Anselm concludes with this prayer and thanksgiving: "Wake up now, my soul; shake off the dust, and look more closely at this memorable man whom you see, as if he were right there, in the mirror of the Gospel." Know, my soul, know. This is the Lord Jesus Christ, your Creator and Savior, the only-begotten Son of God, true God and true man, who alone was found without stain under the sun. Look: because he was counted among the wicked, considered like a leper and the lowest of men, and like an aborted child cast out from the womb—and no one cares—so he was cast out from the womb of his Mother into the malice of the synagogue. This one, the most beautiful of the sons of men, was made as if deformed, beyond all the sons of men. For he was wounded for our iniquities, crushed for our sins, and made a burnt offering of the sweetest fragrance in your sight, O Father of eternal glory, so that he might turn your indignation away from us. And he made us sit with him in the heavens. Look down, holy Lord Father, from your sanctuary and from your high heavenly dwelling, and behold this most holy sacrifice which your great High Priest, your holy child the Lord Jesus, offers to you for the sins of his brothers, and be appeased by the multitude of our malice. Look, Lord, upon the face of your Christ, who was made obedient to you even to death, and may his scars never depart from your eyes forever, so that you may remember what a great satisfaction you have received from him for our sins. If only, Lord, you would weigh in the balance the sins by which we have earned your anger, and the calamity that your innocent Son suffered for us! Certainly, this will appear more serious and more worthy—so that for its sake you might pour out your mercy upon us—than those sins are, so that you might hold back your mercies in anger because of them. May every tongue offer thanks to you, Lord Father, for your ineffable abundance. —the abundance of your goodness, by which you did not spare your own Son, but handed him over to death for us, so that we might have such a faithful advocate in heaven before you. And to you, Lord Jesus, most zealous one, what thanks, what worthy repayment can I offer—I, who am dust and ashes and a vile creation? For what did you have to do for our salvation that you did not do? From the sole of the foot to the very top of the head, you plunged yourself entirely into the waters of the Passion, so that you might draw me out of them entirely. For you even lost your own soul to death, so that you might restore my lost soul to me. And look, you have bound me with a double debt: I am a debtor both for what you gave me and for what you lost on my account. And for my soul, which was given to me by you twice—once in creation, once in redemption—I have nothing more just to repay you with than that very soul itself. As for your precious soul, so deeply troubled, I find nothing a human being could worthily offer in return. For even if I could repay you with heaven and earth and all their beauty, I still wouldn't even come close to the measure of what I owe. And if I were to give back to you, Lord, the very thing I owe and that is within my power to give, it is all yours already, Lord. You must therefore be loved by me with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind, and I must follow in your footsteps, for you deigned to die for me. And how will this happen in me, if not through you? Let my soul cling to you, because all its strength depends on you. And now, Lord my Redeemer, I adore you as the true God, I believe in you, I hope in you, and I sigh for you with all the longing I can muster. Help my imperfection. I bow myself entirely before the glorious signs of your Passion, in which you worked out my salvation. In your name, Christ, I adore the royal banner of your victorious cross. I humbly adore and glorify your crown of thorns, your blood-reddened limbs, the lance plunged into your sacred side, your wounds, your blood, your death, your burial, and your victorious Resurrection and glorification, Christ. By the life-giving scent of these, revive my spirit from the death of sin; by their power, guard me from the snares of Satan and strengthen me, so that the yoke of your commandments may become sweet to me, and the burden of the cross that you command me to carry after you may be light and bearable on the shoulders of my soul. For what strength do I have to endure the many pressures of the world with an unconquered spirit, as you command? But I ask you, hear my voice and incline toward your servant, and lay upon me that sweet cross which is the tree of life to those who take hold of it; I say, lay this most divine cross upon my shoulders, whose breadth is love extending over every creature, whose length is eternity, whose height is omnipotence, and whose unfathomable depth is wisdom. Fasten my hands and feet to it, and imprint the whole form of your Passion upon your little servant. Grant, I beg you, that I may refrain from the works of the flesh that you hate, and do the justice that you have loved, and in both seek your glory; indeed, I consider my left hand fastened to that sublime cross by the nail of temperance, and my right by the nail of justice. Grant that my mind may constantly meditate on your law, and then cast all my thoughts upon you; and grant that my right foot may be nailed to that same tree of life by the nail of prudence. Grant that the unhappy happiness of this fleeting life may not weaken the servant of my spirit, nor the happy unhappiness that precedes eternal life disturb me; and let my left foot also be held fast to the cross by the nail of fortitude. But so that some likeness of the thorns of your head may appear in me, grant, I pray, to my mind the compunction of saving repentance, compassion for the misery of others, and the spur of a zeal that emulates what is right before you, so that I may be turned back to you in my distress while this triple thorn is fixed in me. I ask that you offer the sponge on a reed to my mouth and apply the bitterness of vinegar to my taste, so that through your Scriptures you may grant my reason to taste and see how this flourishing world is like an empty sponge, and all its desire is like bitter vinegar. So, Father, let it be done in me that this cup of the Babylonians may be the epilogue of the Lord's Passion and the praise of the cross. May it not seduce me with empty splendor, nor intoxicate me with false sweetness. Also, Lord, imprint the image of your life-giving death upon me, your servant, so that I may indeed die to sin according to the flesh, but live to justice according to the spirit. But so that I may glory in bearing the complete image of the Crucified, imprint also in me this likeness of what the insatiable malice of the wicked exercised against you after your death. May your living and effective word wound my heart—more piercing than any sharp spear, reaching even to the depths of my soul—and may it draw out from there, as if from my right side, in place of blood and water, your love, Lord, and the love of my brothers. Finally, wrap my spirit in the clean shroud of the first robe, in which I may rest as I enter into the place of your wonderful tabernacle, and hide me until your fury passes. On the third day, however, after the day of labor and the day of simple glory, at the first light of the Sabbath, raise me—unworthy as I am—to live forever among your children, so that in my flesh I may see your brightness and be filled with the joy of your face; these are the words of Anselm. Therefore, carry the image of the Crucified within you according to the method already mentioned; pray and strive so that your spirit may be wrapped in the clean shroud of purity and innocence, in which, hidden from the vanities of the world, you may be buried in the secret place of your mind, and there rest in meditation on the Lord's Passion, dead indeed to the world, but living to God. This is clearly signified where it is said that the potter's field was bought with the price of Christ's blood for the burial of strangers; where the Gloss says that Christ's burial is nothing other than the rest of the Christian, and then the heart must be sealed with the seal of Christ's Passion, and kept closed and guarded. Then, buried in this way in the secret place of your mind, away from all vanities, spend the glorious three days of Christ's death: the first day is for affliction and penance, so that you may voluntarily make satisfaction to God for all your sins of commission or omission; the second day is for quiet and grace, so that you may place the rest of your mind in God alone, because in Him alone is peace and tranquility found; the third day is for reward and glory, so that you may fervently and constantly desire His union and embrace. Once these are passed, in the morning of the first day of the Sabbath—that is, in the future life of eternity—may you be gloriously resurrected among the children and chosen ones of God. In your flesh, may you see the glorious humanity of Christ, while in spirit you blissfully contemplate the inestimable brightness of God, and through this be filled with the eternal joy of His face. PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, who for the redemption of the world willingly endured misery and anguish, insults and mockery, slander and injury, pain and affliction, Passion and death: through all these things that You suffered for our sins, deliver me from all sins and vices, from all the dangers of this age, from the pains of hell, and from sudden and eternal death. And I beg You, give me the grace not to forget all that You endured for me, but to keep it always before my eyes and to embrace it ardently, so that you may wish me to be a participant in Your rest and consolation, as I am a participant in Your labor and pain.
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Considera nunc quae pro salute hominis omni tempore, et specialiter hodie passus est Dominus, ut inde advertas quantum sibi debeat quilibet Christianus ; haec enim quae pro nobis passus est, super omnia quae operatus est, valde amabilem eum nobis reddunt, et nos ad eum amandum fortius astringunt. Unde Bernardus : (( Valde omnino mihi amandus est, per quem sum, vivo, et sapio. Pro his ergo ita sum amans te, quantum possum. Sed est quod me plus movet, plus urget, plus accendit. Super omnia, inquam, reddit amabilem te mihi, bone Jesu, calix quem bibisti, opus nostrae redemptionis; hoc omnino amorem nostrum facile vendicat totum sibi. Hoc, inquam, est quod nostram de votionem et blandius ailicit, et justius exigit, ct arctius * stringit, et afficit vehementius. Multum quippe laboravit in eo Salvator^ nec in omni mundi fabrica tantum fatigationis auctor assumpsit. IUic denique : Dixit et facta sttnt, ma«davit et creata sunt; hic vero : et in dictis suis sustinuit contradictores, et in factis observatores, et in tormentis illusores, et in morte exprobratores.
» £t iterum : « Memento jam homo, etsi de nihilo te factum, non tamen de nihilo te redemptum. Sex diebus condidit omnia, et te inter omnia. At vero per totos triginta annos operatus est salutem tuam in medio terrae. O quantum laboravit sustinens! » haec Bernardus. Unde et Ambro*. EPILOGUS DOMINICiE 63^ sius : « PIus itaque mihi contulit Deus redimendo, quam creando. Creando quippe me mihi dedit, redimendo autem, et seipsum dedit, et me mihi reddidit.
Itaque si me totum illi debeo pro me facto, quid jam addam pro me refecto^ Non enim tam faciie sum refectus, quam factus. Siquidem de omni quod factum est : Dixit et facta sunt; in me autem reficiendo, et dixit multa, et gessit mira, et pertulit dura, nec tantum dura, sed etiam indigna : » haec Ambrosius, 2 Passus est Dohinus OMNI £ — Non eSt autem aestimandum quod Passionis sus poena, in ejus solum captione et traditione fuerit inchoata; sed potius ab instanti suae conceptionis usque ad mortem ejus duravit. Cum enim mortem suam acerbissimam, quam pro salute nostra pati voluit firmissime praesciret, et eam futu> ram infallibiliter cognosceret, oportuit quod in qualibet hora pro ea naturaiiter doleret, prsesertim cum cogitaret tantam mortis acerbitatem, et tantam doloris generalitatem, quae per totum corpus et omnia membra corporis, et per omnes vires inferiores animse diffiindi debebat. Multa vero de his Dominus passus est pro nobis, quae colligi possunt ex verbis Augustini, dicentis ; tt Attende et intellige, anima mea, tempus beatissimae Passionis. Passus est Jesus meus, amor meus, dulcedo mea, spes mea, beatitudo mea, consolatio mea, et in omni tempore, in toto corpore, et in omni suo opere. In tempore infantiae : angustias uteri, paupertatem, asperitatem, et humilitatem praesepii, consecutionem adversarii , fugam iEgypti. In tempore adolescentiae : disputationem, praecipitationem. In tempore juventutis, amarissimam et turpissimam Passionem.
Passus est etiam in toto corpore : in oculis, effiisionem lacrymarum ; in auribus, auditum contumeliarum et blasphemiarum ; in genis, molestiam alaparum; in naribus, foetorem sputi ; in ore, amaritudinem aceti et feliis; in manibus, vincula et affliciionem plagarum, sicut in pedibus ; in toto corpore flagellationem. In opere vero detraxerunt praedicationi, conversationi, miraculorum operationi. Traditur et ligatur justus et innocens^ sicut agnus ad sacrificium, et sicut latro ad suspendium; et tamen non quaerit vindictam, non ostendit impatientiam, imo arguit Petrum amputantem auriculam , cum posset obtinere a Patre legionem angelicam duodenam. Ligatur ergo sicut iatro, accusatur ut latro, condemnatur ut latro, expellitur ut latro, plectitur inter latrones, ut princeps latronum. Ligaris, Domine, ut solvas vincula peccatorum ; ut dissolvas colligationem impietatis et fasciculos deprimentes. Pungeris , bone Jesu, spinis, clavis et lancea, ut sit in nobis recta intentio, discreta operatio, manifesta dilectio. Flagellaris, ut a me flagella tuae iracundiae propulsares. Vulneratus es, Domine Jesu, propter peccita nostra, actritus propter scelera nostra; ut sint plagae tuae nostrorum vulnerum eflicax medicina.
Tempus etiam, dulcis Jesu, tuam aggravat Passionem. Passus enim es tempore nocturno, diurno, frigido, aestivo. In Matutinis castigatus, in mane accusatus, in Tertia acclamatus, in Sexta condemnatus, in Nona cum clamore et lacrymis expirasti. Plange igitur et dole, et satage, anima mea, et deducant oculi tui lacrymas, et non taceat pupilla oculi tui super fratrem tuum decorum nimis, et amabilem super amorem mulierum, qui vcstivit te coccino, et praebuit tuo cultui ornamenta. Dolebis enim si consideras lacryiuas SECUND. E I, kcryma» ptstatoris, iairymas insensibiliuin ; si vtdeas obtenebralionem aolis, ut celsret mcmbra Domini parientia, terra; <;oFporum, apertiovtem ntonumentuTum , el vdum drssolutum ; lacrymSB plticntis, et lacrymaa Genilricis. Dolet enim beats Virgo Mater de pniditione cc caprionc, tte condemnatione, tie cnicilixione, potissime in commcndatione et Aeposi[ione.
Locus etTflm tuam, botte Jesu, agpraTat I^ssianem, Paaaus est enim Dorainus JeBus:in prEcsepio, in deserto, in lempla, in ttospitio, rn itincre, in horto, in miio, in pratorio, in loco orucifixionis. In prassepio, indigeniiam; in deaerio, pugiKtm; in cemplo, reustentiam ; in hospitio, obscrvationtin dcKntoliain; in iiinere, fatigationem ct molciliam ; in iitirto, sudorem »angiiiim, verbum et osculum proditoris, Texationam corporis, coraprehcnsionem et ligaiionem coiionis; in atrio, intcrrogationem, alaparunt afltretionem , trinara negationeirt, spuunt, colaphis aBiunl, in faciem pahnis percutiiint, insultando et illudendo Profrfietain eum dicunt; in pratotio iniquilatem testium, et accnaalionem intideHum, amarissimtim Bagellura, iniquum iudicium, illusiooem peisequentiuni, El vide permsiiaiem nimiam, iniquitatetB majLiraaro : judicitur Judei, deri' deiUT Rei, cruciatur Pontifcx. Vide ifliqBum judicium : ei parte testium, quia parte rei, qti Defecit etiam Pilatus in isto judiCM) rectitndo antmi, scietat tniia ^voif peF inriJiam IradidiijtMt <tm; ifcfuit eliam jusca coirsa, quia nOD culpa propria, led atietra; justiis orjo, quia Pilatus falsa m , conilemnxt I cruda ignoDuniMO. Lirubesce, Piiate, judeiinique! Quomodo 7inceris, superaris. subTclteril, seduceds, qui prius eum eripCK conaberis jurc coramuni, consuet»dine loci, fiagdla corpoiisV Erubb~ 3dle, iiiiideles, et per&di Judwi, qui Mtgialnim vcMrum, Doiniamll vestrvua crucifigilis et perciuitis. Plectilar in loco crucifijorio, p«imulieribus plaiit[entibus, in Juda^s intidelibus, in latrone blaspheniaib> le, in popuki acclamanle, in MlUre Ixcrynunte. Allende eliam et intelli^ , anima mea .
genus moElis SSK. lltud enim genus moiitB fiiit tarpisaimum, Tillssjraum, vestibus, expelli . latroiutiai, iMuuinu a mtlitibus. Illuditur in dooM Herodis^ in vestc candida; in. daoia priocips colaptiis. sputts, et >la^; >n pTiElorio judicis, in veste purpnrea, in cortma spinea, in saiatatione, ia genutkjiionie inisorifl; in cMbedra crucls, in iLtuJo, in coasartio, in multiptici opprobTio. sidcies : ciusdlitatem , gcaitrRUtalem, diutumilatem, et acerbicatein. Cauca enlm non e« lua, sed nicB, DoBiine Jesu, tu enim solus ruiui abaqne macuJa.
Passu9 esl generaliler. Ut videas igttur aaiina met generalitatem tunc , vide lectnm spoosi, QOn eat tiiwidus, nan est anreos vel argenteus. sed dDriutciikilra, linteamina, CQopenorift, pulvinaria ; vrdif titulum faincisain, iripBciler a Prlata canstripniin ; conaidera cibuoi «jus et ponim, eomitarum ejus, sciiicei mulierum ct laironum, vetba ei verbera, vinEPILOGUS DOMINICiE 641 cttla et flftgella, coronam et lanceam. Passns eat etiam in omnibus partibus corporis , ut ntify. fficcwrfia Redemptori» amoveret tranagresrsua prsvaricattonJs. Acerbitatem etiam habet, bone Jesu^ PasAio tna : et propter innocentiam, ex parte tui ^ et propter excecationem et ingratitudinem, ex parte populi ; et propter compassionem, ex parte Matris, et tui dilecti coUegii; et propter complexionem, ex corporis, quia pateris in parmagia passibilibus et seoaitlvis, quod accidit propter raritatem ct teneritudinem camium, multitudinem ossium, et coUectionem ner▼ornm. Pateris igitur, Domiae Deiis meus, dux mens, et notus meus, in hrteoe, manibus, et pedrbus : ut acceleiares homini originalis, actuaEs,. et Yenialis criminis medicinam.
Dedisti etenini,, Domine Jesu Chrite, sanguinem tuum in pretium r^demptionis , et in potum iaebriationis fidelibus, in lavacrum coiaquinationis, in antidotum curationis, in scutum praesentis impugnationis. Fuit igicur, bone Jesu, lectus tuus durissimus, cibus et potus amacissimus, cruciatus singularis et acerbissimus ; nec revocat te, nec retrahit tenerrimus amor Matris, aut timor turpissimae mortis, non pudor spoUali corporis^ non dolor singularisy aut faUacia sponsianis, quia indutus es ▼este nuptiaii, insuuctus iege legali, armatus armatura spiritualL 4 ViaLTUT:^ CUAISTI PATIENTIS. — Egredere igitur, hlia Sion, et vide gUu^iam Salomonis : in equitatura, in ramis, in vestibus et laudibus. Quomodo igitur emarcuit tam cito flos gloriae tuae, umbra honoris tui i Nimirum convertunt honorem in opprobrium» dulcedinem in absinthium. Portas etenim crucem ia humerts, spoliaris vestibus tuis, cruciaris flagellis. , satiaris opprobriift, de urbe expelleris. Vide nostii sapientiam Salomonia, a pacte temporis : passus est etenim sexta feria hora sexta, ut hominem lapsam sexta hora et die, per mortem suam repararet a parte medii ; hoc enim opus nostrs salutis ordo depoposcerat. Vide et patientiam, ipse etenim tanquam agnus, qui portatur ad victimam, et sicut ovis ad occisionem ductus est.
Vide ejua humilitatem, quia damnatur cum latronibus. . Vide caritatem, quia indulget crucifigentibu&. Vide et paupertatem : pauper enim fuit et in laboi^ibus. Paupertatem tuam ostendit mihi, pauper Jesu, mater tua, familia tua, domus tua ; domus, inquam, praesepii, coenaculi, patibuli , et tumuli , nec non equitatura asins et puUi. Ubi sunt in^gnia tua, Rex regum, princeps pastorum r Ubi est equitatura tua, vestis purpurea „ palatium , sceptrum, solium, et diadema regni i Ubi sunt ornamenta tua, Sacerdos iA {eternum et Pontifex futurorum bonorum? Ubi sunt praedosa, annulus et gemma, baculus et cappa serica, chirothecs et sandalia l Ubi sunt arma belUca, fortis armate;^ et miles nove? Non defuit tibi in gioria alapa, yestis alba» et purpurea.
Non defuit pugna : superasti latronem et mortem, spoliasti infemura omnia spoliantem, in fimda vinculorum, in lapidibus quinque vulnerum, in baculo crucis. Ubi suist codices tui, Magister optimef Liber tuus, corpus tuum, scriptus intus et foris, scriptus spinis et clayis, illuminatus unda sanguinis, ligatus vinculis, signatus clavis. Attende et hujus mortis diutumitatem, et praepositiones acerbitatum, et pone super caput tuum, sicut signaculum ; inter ubera tua, sicut fasciculum, sicut antidcrtum contra omnem morbum. Ascende super palmam crucls, per compassionem, meditaG42 tionem, imitationem, ut apprehendas dulcissimos fructus ejus. Vade ergo, o anima, ad montem myrrhiee et considera altitudinem paupertatis, latitudinem caritatis, longitudihem acerbitatis, amaritudinem et dolorem mortis, et a£Fer ramum virentis olivae ad arcam tuae conscieniiae. Accipe etiam columba mea granum frumenti, seminatum in Incarnatione, in terra Virginis gloriosae, praecisum in circumcisione, excussum et flagellatum in Passione, candidum in mente, rubicundum in corpore, divisum in latere, multiplicatum in morte, reconditum in horreo in Ascensione. Hoc sit tuum edulium, pulmentum, et viaticum. Si autem fastidit appetitus, si lacescat interior gustus, adhibe agnum immaculatum, adjunge et piscem assatum in craticula crucis.
Revera, bone Jesu, agnus es, et propter medicinam tuam, patientiam, et innocentiam atque notitiam : agnoscis quippe Matrem tuam in patibulo, Virginem virgini, Evangelistam Evangelistae commendas. Si autem amplius desideret gustus tuus ; si non quiescit appetitus, fac pulmentum de pisce assato, ut comedas. Piscis assatus Christus passus est, nutritus in aquis tribulationis, apertus in latere, exsquamatus in exspoliatione sallitus in sputorum multiplicatione, assatus in cruce. Hujus felle piscis inunge oculos tuos, ut videas si est dolor sicut dolor ejus.
Si contingat plerumque stare in acie, accipe scutum militiae, vexillum victoriae, arcum gloriae. Scutum hoc, quod miles contra hostes debet accipere, propter fi^ram, picturam, efficaciam et materiam, crux Domini arbor salutifera est. Hujus scuti cornua, in manibus crucifixi. Tria enim cornua tua exsuperant praelia : cornu enim paupertatis, superat avaritiae praelium; cornu humilitatis, pugnam superbiae; sed cornu adversitatis, lasciviam voluptatis. Istud scutum fuit rubricatum et picturatum sanguine veri agni ; istud scutum fuit perforatum lancea, clavis, et spina. Si autem nondum bene vales resistere, vide arcum, et benedic qui fecit illum. Iste arcus habet chordam ex corpore, lignum ex cruce. Iste arcus percussit latronem, mortem ; et vulneravit hostem, serpentem antiquum.
Sed ne inermis et imparatus appareas, praecedat vexil lum Regis, crux; ostendatur sanguis Christi militibus, ut in praelium acuantur, et non formidabitur fortis armatus. Si insurgat flatus elationis, ventus tribulationis, naufragium suggestionis ; ascende in naviculam sanctae crucis, bonis omnibus refertam, in dextro latere perforatam, ab hostibus violenter detractam, catena vinculorum ligar tam. In hac invenies Filium dormientem, ventis imperantem, et omnino naufragium propulsantem. Per hanc fugabis periculum, ct appropinquabis ad portum optimum. Ipsa enim crux sancta, est lignum exiguum, per quod factum est judicium veritatis. Si sit tibi clausa janua paradisi, adhibe tibi baculum sanctae crucis, et pulsa, et aperietur tibi. Si autem ostium clausumest,et jam dormiunt pueri in cubili, et non habes quod ponas ante amicum tuum; accede ad arcam sanctae crucis, ut inde tres panesaccipias, quosapponas hospiti recumbenti : panem humilitatis maximae, panem patientiae, caritatis aflluentissimae. Si non potes tibi thesaurum sapientiae aperire, adhi be clavem David, quae aperit, et nemo claudit.
Si gravat longitudo itineris, et concidit vultus tuus, et CiE 643 desperas de viribus ; accipe virgam et baculum sanctae crucis, quo Jordanem transeas hujus mundi, et viaticum ligni vitae, ne in via deficias aut torpescas. Si viator es in solitudine hujus mundi, et serpentes igniti contra te morsum et mortem intentant; aspice serpentem aeneum positum supra palum, ne antiqui serpentis virus inficiat aut irrepat. Si spiritus malus quemquam accipiat, arripiat citharam sanctae crucis, et refocillabitur , leviusque habebit. Si invaluerit aegritudo, aut infirmitas spirituaiis , adhibe tibi hujus pretiosi sanguinis medicinam. Si desperas ex merilis, et videas tua opera nequaquam tibi sufficere; de statera crucis accipe decorem pretium animarum ; et accipe in ara crucis hostiam immaculatam, conscientiam ab operibus mortuis emundantem. Denique crux sancta et benedicta est in Christi corpore dedicata, et ex membris ejus tanquam margaritis ornata , decorata Regis purpura , quae meruit Christi membra tangere, quae sola digna fuit Regem coelorum et Dominum sustinere : » haec Augustinus, Unde beatus Andreas ductus ad crucem, et videns eam, prorupit in laudem crucis, et salutavit, dicens : Salve crux, quae in corpore Christi, dedicata es, et ex membris ejus tanquam margaritis ornata; antequam in te ascenderet Donflinus, timorem terrenum habuisti, modo vero amorem coelestem obtines. Pro voto susciperis ; securus ergo et gaudens venio ad te, ita ut et tu exsultans suscipias me discipulum ejus, qui pependit in te, quia amator tuus semper fui, et desideravi amplecti te. O bona cnix, quae decorem et pulchritudinem de membris Domini suscepisti, diu desiderata, soUicitudine amata, sine intermissione quaesita et jam concupiscenti animo praeparata !
Accipe me ab hominibus, et redde me Magistro meo, ut per te me recipiat, qui per te me redemit. De laude etiam crucis sic dicit Chrysostomus : « Si nosse desideras, carissime, virtutem crucis, et quanta sit, ut possum ad ejus laudem dicere, audi. Crux nobis totius beatitudinis causa est : haec nos a caecitate liberavit erroris ; haec e tenebris reddidit luci; haec debellatos quieti sociavit; haec alienatos Deo conjunxit, et longe constitutos proximos praesentavit ; haec peregrinos cives ostendit; haec discordiae amputatio est; haec pacis firmamentum ; haec omnium bonorum operum largitio. Crux est clavis paradisi, crux spes Christianorum, crux resurrectio mortuorum, crux caecorum dux, crux errantium via, crux claudorum baculus, crux (;onsolatio pauperum, crux refrertatio divitum, crux destructio superborum, crux male viventium p^cna^ crux adversus daemones victoria, crux devictio diaboli, crux adolescentium paedadogus, crux sustentatio inopum, crux spes desperatorum, crux navigantium gubernator, crux periclitantium portus , crux obsessorum murus, crux pater orphanorum , crux defensor viduarum , crux justorum consiliariuS , crux tribulatorum requies , crux parvulorum custos, crux virorum caput, crux senum finis, crux lumen in tenebris sedentium, crux regum magnificentia, crux scutum perpetuum, crux insensatorum sapientia, crux libertas servorum, crux imperitorum philosophia, crux Imperatorum lex, crux Prophetarum pcaeconizatio, crux annuntiatio Apostolorum, crux Martyrum gloriatio, crux monachorum abstinentia, crux virginum castitas, crux gaudium sacerdotum, crux Eccle* siae fundamentum, crux orbis terrae tutela, crux templorum destruidoloruro repulsio, crux icanJalum JadiEomtn, crui perdiipiomni , cruK inialidorum vinus, cras segrotantium medieus, pSTalyticonim requies , crui eaurientium panis , ctuk sitienlium Ifons, crui roundorum proteclio : u htcc Ckrysostomus. Unde et Raiami3 ; • Quanlos ct qualcs fructus ligntim sanct^ crucis germiDe sao proferat. dignum est commemorare ; cujus fructus xiernus est, et radix perpetua ; cujus odor munI dara replei, et aapor fideics satiat; Icujus Bolcm splcnJor superat, et candor nivera obfuscat; cujus cacumen poluin eiccdit, el cujus infimum iiifen>a penelrali cujus infixiniiaa humillima enaltat, et cujus potentia eialtata humiliat. Omnium cnim virtutum jucunditas per ipsum et in ipao mundo collala est, I quia in ipso rcrum perieclio completa est. In cruce insinuatur a morlc redEmptio , demonslratur promittilur ad ratur odcptio , acquiaiiio.
O ■ bestitudinis spcbona, et Tere ! Quis te riie totam enarrare potest, aui qurs condigne digne laudarefQux cielestiuro arcanorum pia es revelairix , qum mjsteriorura Dei sacra us coQservairix, quasque SBcramentonim Chrisii idonea es dispensatrii. [n le Angeli gaudia sua accumulata conspiciunt. io le horaiiles jura saliitis suss cognoscunt, in le infcri justam retribalionem fraudis siue recipiunl. Omnibus es squa, omnibus bona, omnibus jusia; pweteriw renovaa, prfesentia illusiras, futura pnemonstras; perdila requiris, quffis''» ;■>"•";= inwmo cuslodis; lapsa cis dirigia. Tu quidem astemi Regis cs vicloria, ct cmlestis militiE lEetitia, terrigenHrumque potenti»; tu peccatorum cs rcmtssio, pietatis eihibiiio, et meritorum augmcntatio. Tu infirmorum Femediuin, laborantlum auxihum, el lassOTuni refrigerium, lu inaanorum incoiumilaa, quietonim serenitas. et fbrfelic raedici i.
Tu c udium mocclOE isolana, tu saniias doleutea lasiificans, ni status credeniium rectc, lu firmitaa opcrantium benc, tu beatitudo perseveranlium rlte. Saucta, pia, bona, juata, bcnigna, rationabilia, laudabilis, TEnerabilis, Ibrtis, suavis, mitis. sapiens, palieos, potens ! Quidquid ergo ctirde digne de redemplione nostra polest C(^lari, vel qoidquid rite liugua loqui, omnia ad laudem mam dccenliS' sime poaaunl aptari : quia quidquid in te laudatur, crucifixo in te Cbristo Regi depotatur; el qiudquid Chrisio hoaoris datur, ed reverentiam summi Patris, cujua ipse unigenitus Filius est, refercur. « Et iterum : h Grandis consolalio fideiium est spes aancias crucis, etns»teriam tribuil laudis. quia bnnira^ tem nos ^cii scirc Creatoris. Cmx Christi via cst justorum. ascensus ad co^um, rota de inlimis ad etiperiora nos irahens, dui cceli, ec janua regni.
Hujus pars ereaa divinum , ei irausversa commendat amorem fralemum. Cnjus amarta integritalem Christus nobis oateadit, Bc suo exemplo, noa inslnixi^ qui delictam animam suam in ctb'ens pro amicis suis posuit, idem facerc docuit. MuBC ;. o DeuE scmper laudabi. atque carnalia affecius proul recedani a mc, ut gloria santx crucis Bucta el multiplicata ia era promisaione, dignaque lauda I persisiai ; ipsaque mi. lis, EPILOGUS DOMINlGiE PASSIONiS hi carmine et amore venerabilis, semper laus ejus in <ure meo^ et in corde exsultatio &etDpiterna pennaneat. Vos quoque precor, coelestes plebes Angelorum, animasque iustorum, qui in conspectu divins ma^estatis veraciter exsultatis, ut sicut adlelma sine cessatione« et Ames Deo Ghristo in aKernum cantatis; ica quoque nostram sor~ tem precibus adjuvare studeatis, quatenus beatitudinem veram quam tenetis jam perfecte, tandem et nos per gratiam Ghristi mereamur «ccipere : » hsec Rabanus. Unde et Cassiodorus : Grux est humilium invicta luitio, superborum abjectio, victoria Ghristi, perditio diaboli , infemorum destructio , coolestium neformatio , mors infidelium , vita justorum.
n £t, ut ait Hieronjrmus, ligno hoc vehimur per mare undosum, ad terram viventium.
De his etiam quae passus est Domlnus, quasi conciudendo cum gratiarum actione et oratione sic dicit Ausel^ mus, : tt Expergiscere nunc, anima mea, excutere de poitlvere, et contemplaie attentius virum huoc memorabilem, quem ecce ia specuio Evangelici sermonis, quasi pjraefientem intueris. Gognosce , anima mea, cognosce. Hic est Dominus Jesus Ghristus, Greator et Salvator tuus, unigenitus, Dei Filius, verus Deus, verus homo, qui solus sub sole sine macula inventus est; et ecce quoniam cum sceleratis reputatus est, et quasi vir leprosus et novissimus virorum aestimatus, et tanquam abortivum quod projicitur ab utero, et memo curat, sic projectUiS est ab utero Matris suae in&iicis synagogae. Iste formosus pnjeflliis hominum, quasi defbrmis pne filiis hominum factus. Siquidem vulneratus est propter iniqui^ tates nostras, attriius esi propter scdera nostra, et lactus est fajolocaustum suavissimi odoris Ln con-» spectu tuo, Pater seternae gloritt, ut averteret indignationem tuam a. nobis et consedere sibi nos faceret in ooeLestibus. Respioe, Domine sancte Pater, de sanctuario tuo, et de excelso coehrum kabitacuio, et intuere hanc sacrosanctam hostiamy quam tibi offert magnus Pontifex nost^j sanctus puer tuus Dominus Jesus pro peccatis fratrum suorum, et esto placabilis super multitudinem maJitiae nostrae. Respioe, Domine, in /adem Christi tui, qui tibi usque ad mortem obediens factus est, nec recedant ab oculis tuis citatrices ejus in perpetuum,ut memineris quantam pro peccatis nostris satislactionem ab eo susceperis.
Utinam, Domine, apf>endas in statera peccala, quibus iram tuam meruimus, et calamitatem quam passus est pro nobis innocens Filius tuus ! Gerte haec gravior apparebit et magis digna, lit propter ipsam efhindas misericordiam tuam super nos, quam sint ista peccata, ut pro illis contincas in ira misericordias tuas. Gratias tibi, Domine Pater^ referat omnis lingua, super enenarrabili abun. dantia pietatis tuae, qua luiico Falio tuo non pepercisti, sed pro nobis iUum tradidisti in mortem, ut tantum tanquam fidelem advocatum haberemus in caelo coram te. £t tibi, Domine Jesu, zelotes fortissimie, quid gratiarum, quid retributionis dignae tribuam ego pulvis, et cinis, et vile figmentumi Quid enim pro nostra salute facere debuisti, et non fecistiV Ab imo pedis, u&que ad summum verticiste totum in aquis Passionis de mersisti, ut me totum de illis ex traberes. Nam et aniiham tuam tn mortem perdidisti, ut meam perditam mihi redderes. £t ecce me duplici debito obligavisti : nam et pro eo, quod mihi dedisti; et pn> eo quod mei causa perdidisti, debitor sum. Et pro anima mea quidem bis mihi a te data, semel in creatione, semel in redemptione, quid magis tibi juste reddam quam ipsam, non habeo.
Pro tua autem pretiosa anima ita tribulata, quid ab homine digne rependi possit, non invenio. Nam si coelum et terram, et omnem ornatum eorum possem rependere, certe nec sic usque ad mensuram debiti uUatenus attingerem. Et si idipsum quod et debeo, et possibiie mihi est, tibi, Domine, retribuam, tuum, Domine, totum est. Diligendus igitur mihi ex toto corde, tota anima, tota mente, et tua mihi sequenda vestigia, qui mori dignatus es pro me. Et quomodo fiet hoc in me, nisi per te? Adhaereat anima mea post te, quia tota virtus ejus pendet ex te. Et nunc, Domine Redemptor meus, ut te verum Deum adoro, in te credo, in te spero, et quibus possum desideriis ad te suspiro. Adjuva imperfectionem meam.
Ad tuae Passionis gloriosa insignia, in quibus salutem meam operatus es, me totum inclino. Tuae victoriosas crucis regale vexillum in nomine tuo Christe, adoro. Tuum spineum diadema, tuos rubentes sanguine davos , tuo sacro lateri immersam lanceam, tua vulnera, tuum sanguinem , tuam mortem , tuam sepulturam, tuam victoriosam Resurrectionem , et glorificationem , Christe, adoro supplex et glorifico. Horum vivifico odore spiritum meum a peccati morte resuscita, horum virtute ab astutiis Satanae me custodi, meque conforta, ut et jugum mandatorum tuorum suave mihi fiat, et onus crucis quod bajulare me jubes post te, humeris animae meae leve sit atque portabile. Quae enim fortitudo mea, ut juxta praeceptum tuum , mundi pressuras tam multiplices invicto animo sustineam ? Sed audi, quaeso, Tocem meam, et inclina super servum tuum suavem crucem illam, quae lignum vitae est his qui apprehenderint illam; istam, inquam, divinissimam crucem humeris meis impone, cujus latitudo est caritas super omnem creaturam se extendens, cujus longitudo aeternitas, cujus sublimitas omnipotentia, cujus profundum inscrutabile est sapientia. Confige illi manus meas, et pedes meos, et totam Passionis tuae formam servulo tuo imprime. Da, obsecro, mihi continere ab operibus carnis quae odisti, et facere justitiam quae dilexisti, et in utroque tuam quaerere gloriam : ct sinistram quidem meam, clavo temperantiae ; dexteram vero, clavo justitiae in illa sublimi cruce affixam arbitror.
Da menti meae jugiter meditari in lege tua, et deinde cogitatum jactare in te; et dexterum pedem meum eidem ligno vitae clavis prudentiae affigi. Da ut ministram spiritus mei sensualitatem non enervet labentis vitas infelix felicitas, nec conturbet perennis vitae praevia felix infelicitas : et sinister quoque pes meus clavo fortitudinis in cruce tenebitur. Ut autem et spinarum tui capitis aliqua in me'simiIitudo appareat, detur, obsecro, menti meae, et saluti poenitentiae compunctio, et alienae miseriae compassio , et stimulus zeli aemulantis illud quod rectum est coram te, et ad te reconvertar in aerumna mea, dum triplex miht configitur spina. Libet ut et spongiam per arundinem ori meo porrigas, et aceti amtritudinem gustui meo adhibeas, ut per Scripturas tuas rationi meae conferas gustare et videre , quoniam florens hic mundus tanquam spongia inanis est, et omnis concupiscentia ejus aceto amarioi:. Ita, Pater, in me fiat ut calix iste aui^us Babylonis ineEPILOGUS DOMINICiE PASSIONIS Et LAUS CRUCIS. 647 brians omnem terram, nec inani splendore seducat; nec falsa dulcedine inebriet. Tuae quoque vivificae mortis, Domine , effigiem facies in me scrvum tuum , ut moriar quidem peccato secundum carnem , vivam autem justitiae secundum spiritum. Ut autem integram Crucifixi imaginem portare me glorier , illius quoque quod post mortem tuam insatiabilis malitia impiorum in te exercuit, hanc in me similitudinem exprime.
Vulneret cor meum vivus et efficax sermo tuus, penetrabilior omni lancea acutissima, et pertingens usque ad interiora animae meae ; producat ex ea tanquam a dextro latere meo vice sanguinis et aquae, amorem tuum, Domine, et fratrum meorum. Postremo munda sindone primae stO|lae spiritum meum involve, in qua requiescam ingrediens ad te in locum tabernaculi admirabilis ,„„ et abscondas me donec pertranseat furor tuus. Die autem tertio post diem laboris, post diem simplicis gloriae, mane prima sabbati, perpetuo inter filios tuos me indignissimum resuscita; ut in carne mea videam claritatem tuam, et adimplear laetitia vuitus tui : » haec Anselmus.
Imaginem itaque Grucifixi secundum modum praemissum, portans in te, ora et conare ut spiritus tuus involvatur munda sindone puritatis et innocentiae, in qua absconsus mundi vanitatibus sepeliaris in secreto mentis tuae, et ibi requiescas in meditatione Passionis Dominicae; mortuus quidem mundo , et vivcns Deo. Et hoc aperte signatum est, ubi dicitur, quod pretio sanguinis Ghristi emptus est ager figuli, in sepulturam peregrinorum ; ubi dicit Glossa, quod sepuitura Ghristi nihil est aliud quam requies Ghristiani , et tunc cor debet sigillari sigillo Passionis Ghristi, et clausum teneri ac custodiri. Deinde sic sepultus in secreto mentis tuae ab omnibus vanitatibus, gloriosum triduum mortis Ghristi peragas : quorum primus dies, afflictionis et poenitentiae, ut pro omnibus commissis vel omissis Deo voluntarie satisfacias ; secundus dies est quietionis ct gratiae, ut in solo Deo requiem mentis ponas , quia in eo solo pax invenitur et tranquillitas ; tertius dies est praemiationis et gloriae, ut ejus conjunctionem et amplexum, fervente desiderio, jugiter concupiscas. Quibus transactis, in mane prima sabbati, hoc est in futura vita perpetua, inter filios et electos Dei gloriose resusciteris : et in carne tua videas gloriosam humanitatem Ghristi, in spiritu autem bcatifice contempleris inaestimabilem claritatem Dei, et per hoc adimplearis pcrpetua laetitia vultus ejus. ORATIO Domine Jesu Christe, qui pro redemptione mundi miscrias et angustias, opprobria et convitia, calumnias « injurias, poenas et afflictiones, Passionem et mortem patienter ferre voluisti, tu per haec omnia quae propter peccata nostra pertulisti, a peccatis omnibus et vitiis, ab omnibus hujus seculi periculis, et infcrnaiibus poenis, a subitanea et aetcrna morte, ine liberfl ; et da mihi, obaecro te, omnia cjua; pro me tolerasti r gere Tel oblivisci, sed pra: oculis seraper habere, et ardcnter amplecli, ut laboris et doloris pirticipem, etiam rcquiei ct consolationis tux me velis
Scripture echoes
- ↩Ps.32.9 — Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle — or it will not come near you.
The Life of Christ (Vita Christi) companion
A prayer for every moment, already on your phone
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Chosen Portion is the digital descendant of the carried prayer book: the short daily prayers this collection preserves, delivered one a day to your pocket.
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