CHAPTER XXII Of the revilings of the Jews, and the strong perseverance of Jesus on the Cross
CHAPTER XXII
Of the revilings of the Jews, and the strong perseverance of Jesus on the Cross
I BLESS Thee, and give thanks to Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, Who art the Glory and the Crown of Rejoicing of the Citizens of Heaven, for all the reproaches and blasphemies hurled at Thee by the perfidious Jews, as Thou hangedst on Thy Cross. From the least of them to the greatest they took part against Thee, and came running together like mad dogs to devour Thy innocency. Like dogs they barked at Thee with their mouths, like lions they gnashed upon Thee with their teeth, like snakes they hissed at Thee with their tongues. With their lips they cursed Thee, with their faces they mocked Thee; they clapped with their hands, they danced with their feet, they rejoiced in their hearts; because they had before them, hanging on the Cross, Thee, Whom they would not willingly let die without being harassed and insulted. Those, therefore, who passed by shook their heads, like frantic and drunken men, full of the gall of bitterness and the poison of ill-will, crying out: “Wah! There is the man that destroys the temple of God, and in three days builds it up again!”
Moreover the Chief Priests with the Elders and the Scribes, who were by way of being the rulers of the people, and ought to have restrained their malice, were worse than the others in deriding Thee; for, with glaring eyes, and stretched out necks, they stood over against the Cross, casting up at Thee impudent glances; and, jesting one with another, poured forth their shameful blasphemies, saying: “He saved others; Himself He cannot save.” Thus did they strive to misrepresent and to disparage the wonders which Thou hadst divinely wrought, and the gifts of healing, which Thou hadst so mercifully dispensed, but of which they were known to be envious. They suggest therefore that Thou shouldst come down from the Cross, falsely pretending that they, who had so often shown themselves the enemies of true believers, would then believe in Thee. When Thou didst work yet greater miracles than this, they piled up false accusations against Thee, instead of believing in them: clearly, therefore, what they now wanted was, not to believe, nor to seek for Salvation, but to provoke Thee by their malice. And so, at length, brimming over with presumptuous insolence, they flung at Thy Divine Nature impious words; and, addressing Thee as the Son of God, they said: “He trusted in God: let Him now deliver Him, if He will have Him: for He said: I am the Son of God.”
O most cruel and most savage persecutors of the Son of God, why were ye not content with perpetrating the horrible crime of the Crucifixion? Why must ye add to your sins that of blaspheming and deriding the Son of God? Alas! Alas! what do ye? Why sharpen your venomous tongues upon One so loving and so spotless? Wherein has He sinned; or in what has Christ at any time done you harm? Has He not done all things well, Who hath made both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak? Has He not made your whole land famous by many excellent miracles, and by His doctrine full of sweetness and grace? Did He not pray even for His enemies? What evil recompense did He deserve for all these things? Why do ye return evil for good, and hatred for love? Fitter were it that, by way of expiating so great wickedness, ye should have shed tears, than that ye should laugh in the face of the Crucified. But alas, ye know not, neither do ye care. In stubborn hearts there is found no place for compassion, nor for contrition, nor for thought of benefits received; nay rather a devilish madness, breaking out in yet more bitter taunts and insults, ever urges such men on to more atrocious crimes. Being no longer able to wreak their vengeance by means of swords and clubs, they set to work to use the even sharper weapons of their tongues.
And now, in the same way, the soldiers, to whom was committed the execution of the cruel sentence, proud of the work assigned them, knowing nothing of the Law of God, and made worse by the attentions and the encouragement of the Rulers of the people, go nearer to the Cross, and in mockery offer vinegar to the Crucified, saying: “If Thou be the King of the Jews, save Thyself!” Ye stupid soldiers, base in your manners and in your deeds, who has taught you so to fight that ye should war against God? It is not the work of gallant men to persecute One Who is holy, One Who is poor; to leave naked One Who has been robbed, to tear His garments in pieces, to mock the Crucified, to offer vinegar (which no man likes to drink) to God Who is about to die. Nevertheless ye cannot harm Christ: for wisdom overcomes malice, and the patience of Jesus no insults can exhaust.
The thief, too, who hung on the left hand, and remained impenitent in his sin, joined in these reproaches, saying: “If Thou be Christ, save Thyself, and us.” That unhappy man, alas, treats Thee with contempt, and plunges into an abyss of horrors. Instead of praying, as he should, for forgiveness of his evil deeds, he insulted Thee, the Bestower of pardon. And so, the wretched man met his death in despair, and perished miserably.
I praise and glorify Thee for Thy unflinching steadfastness in clinging to the Cross to which Thou hadst submitted Thyself, and from which no revilings, no specious suggestions, could move Thee to descend—not even for one short moment wouldst Thou leave that Cross upon which, of Thy Own free will, Thou hadst been raised on high It was Thy will there to abide to the end, where of Thy exceeding love Thou hadst placed Thyself; there to remain and to die, and there to consummate, in a way fitted to accomplish Thy purpose, the work which for our sakes Thou hadst begun. Thou Who didst teach men to persevere in every good work, didst Thyself upon the Cross first make profession of obedience, and didst affirm Thy precept by leaving to Thy followers Thy own example.
Come near now to the Tree of the Crucified, thou who art a despiser of the world, a lover of the Holy Cross, and professed in Religion. Play the man, and hold fast to the holy purpose thou hast laid down for thyself. To hold fast thy rule, to live under obedience, and to persevere in discipline is work for Christ, and the perfecting of thy salvation. Therefore let no one prevail on thee to give up life in religion (the way of perfection), to cease to love the religious life, to be false to the vow made at thy Profession. Remember always the Apostle’s words: “Christ became for us obedient unto death, even to the death of the Cross.” Whatever therefore the world may promise, however the flesh may allure thee, however sorely the devil may tempt thee, however much thy friends may seek to dissuade thee, however much men of the world may laugh at thee, turn not thou aside, take no heed, throw scorn upon it all. Stand fast in Christ, look upwards, raise thy eyes to the Crucified, Who invites thee with outstretched arms, and promises thee in return for thy brief toil an everlasting reward. “If,” He says, “thou wilt suffer with Me, thou shalt reign with Me; and if thou wilt die with Me, with Me shalt thou be glorified.”
O Jesus Christ, most brave and most powerful Champion, most fervent Lover, and Consecrator of the Holy Cross, grant, I pray Thee, that I, who have taken upon me life in Religion, may ever serve Thee with cheerful steadfastness, and may never allow the irksomeness of duties assigned to me to quench the fervour of my loving zeal; but may always press onwards to the things that are before, and may bravely resist the temptations of the flesh, and the assaults of the enemy of my soul. Grant that I may ever be patient in adversity, and may not fear the taunts of men, nor seek to win their praise; that I may turn away my eyes from the things of this life, and may look for all my comfort to Thee, my only Saviour. Grant that I may never shun the embrace of the Blessed Cross on account of any man’s favour or displeasure; but under its protection, and with it for my banner and device, may bring to a happy end a life of willing obedience.