CHAPTER XXI Of the appearance of Christ to the eleven disciples on Mount Thabor in Galilee
CHAPTER XXI
Of the appearance of Christ to the eleven disciples on Mount Thabor in Galilee
I BLESS Thee, and give thanks to Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, King of Heaven and earth, Who weighest the mountains in a balance, and holdest the earth in the hollow of Thy Hand, Who sittest above the Cherubim and the Seraphim, looking down upon the depths beneath, Who walkest above the stars of Heaven, Who observest the ends of the earth, Who knowest all things before they have their being.
I bless, I praise, I glorify Thee for that joyful, glorious, and sublime appearance of Thine on Mount Thabor to Thy eleven disciples, even as before Thy Passion Thou didst openly and distinctly promise them, saying unto them: “I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be dispersed. But after I shall be risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.”
First, then, Thou didst forewarn them of two things, painful to the friends who were dear to Thee, and sad for them to hear, namely, the striking of the Shepherd, meaning thereby what Thou wert to suffer at the hands of the Jews, and the dispersion of the flock which would follow shortly after, namely, their own misery and flight in fear of punishment and death. But lest, sinking under the burden of their troubles, they should give way to despair, Thou didst straightway go on to speak of two very gladsome and consoling joys of good things to come, assuring them that on the third day Thou wouldst rise again in glory, and wouldst comfort them by appearing to them in a certain place which was well-known to them, that is to say on Mount Thabor in Galilee, the land in which Thou hadst formerly wrought many signs and wonders in the presence of Thy disciples and of all the people.
O Galilee, hallowed soil, fatherland of Christ, wherein lies Nazareth, the flowery City; that city which sheltered, and was made illustrious by the presence of Holy Mary the Virgin, of whom came forth to us those everlasting joys of our Salvation, which are recorded in the Holy Gospels.
I praise and glorify Thee, O Jesus, for Thy great goodness in having summoned Thy disciples to this holy and private spot, shut off from the noise of the world, a place fit to be chosen for the delivery of Thy Divine commands. On that spot Thou hadst already been transfigured—the other Apostles being absent—in the presence of three chosen witnesses, Peter, James and John; and as a voice from the Father came from Heaven, Thou wast clothed and adorned with an excellent brightness; and by a revelation, of which they alone were witnesses, Thy Majesty was, before Thy Passion, made known to Thy disciples for the confirmation of their faith.
In this more public appearance, however, after Thy most glorious Resurrection, Thou didst manifest Thyself to a larger number of Thy disciples, in order thereby to confirm the faith of those who believed; to convince the doubting ones; lovingly to instruct and rejoice the hearts of all by Thy Presence, and by manifesting to them the power over everything in Heaven and on earth given Thee by the Father. When, therefore, Thou hadst with Thy own Lips declared these things to them, those who were then present with Thee adored Thee as was meet, and glorified Thy Holy Name. Prostrating themselves at Thy feet, they rejoiced in singing with the deepest devotion a new hymn to Thee, our God; for mysteries concerning the Holy Trinity so deep and wondrous were then made known to them, that no one can fully give expression to them. How glorious and entrancing was that vision; how unfathomable and Divine that revelation; how great and unspeakable was the joy that filled the hearts of the holy Apostles!
I praise and glorify Thee, O most sweet and most gentle Jesus, for having conversed so graciously with Thy disciples on the Mount; for Thy revelation to them of the true faith of the Holy Trinity; and for Thy delivery to them of the right form of words for the baptism of the faithful, in water, for the remission of sins, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. In these words, as I believe, was I myself baptized by a faithful priest; and thereafter I was in the bosom of Holy Church, by faithful parents, educated and instructed in the right and Catholic faith.
For this I give thanks to Thee, O Christ; for it is from Thee that every good gift comes, and the hope of life eternal—to which hope, O Lord, when the hour of my departure shall come, mayest Thou vouchsafe to bring me, assisting me by the merits of the saints, and delivering me from the most grievous pains of purgatory. It is for me to pray; it is for Thee to help. I am weak and unstable, Thou art full of loving-kindness and mercy; Thou canst deliver me from distress of every kind; Thou canst bring me to the Mount of Thy Glory. O Jesus, saving health of my countenance, and my God, to Thee do I cry; for Thee do I long; to Thee do I pray by day and by night, till such time as, by the help of Thy grace alone, I shall be brought in safety to Thee, Who with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest, etc. Amen.