LIBRARY 'OF CONGRESS. JBT-SQI . h+w Chap. Copyright No, Shelf_4?-&- UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. A. likeness of our Lord, from a clay model found in the catacombs of Rome. LIKE OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST BY REV. J.'PUISEUX Honorary Canon and Former Student of the Carmelite School TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH BY RODERICK A. McEACHEN, A. B. D. H. McBRIDE & CO. PUBLISHERS NEW YORK AKRON, O. CHICAGO 3T$ 7331 JUN 16 1900 ORDER DIVISION JUN 29 1900 64458 Copyright, 1900, RODERICK A. McEACHEN. TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE Approbation of the Bishop of Chalons vii Preface « viii PART FIRST. BIRTH AND HIDDEN LIFE OF JESUS. Chap. I. The Precursor's Birth Foretold 1 II. The Annunciation and the Visitation 3 III. The Birth of John the Baptist 6 IV. The Birth of Christ and the Adoration of the Shepherds 7 V. The Name of Jesus — The Presentation in the Temple and the Purification s 11 VI. The Adoration of the Magi 13 VII. The Flight into Egypt — The Slaughter of the Holy Innocents — The Return to Nazareth .' 15 VIII. Jesus at Nazareth — Jesus in the Temple — Hidden Life of Jesus at Nazareth , , 17 PART SECOND. PUBLIC LIFE OF JESUS. I. Preparation for the Ministry op Jesus, from His Baptism to the First Pasch. Chap. I. The Mission of John the Baptist — The Baptism of Jesus 21 II. The Temptation in the Desert. . . . 25 III. The First Disciples 27 IV. The Wedding at Cana , 30 V. Capharnaum and the Lake of Genesareth......... 31 II. The First Year of Jesus' Ministry. Chap. I. The First Pasch at Jerusalem — The Sellers Driven from the Temple — Nicodemus 33 IV TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE Ch. II. Jesus in Judea — Last Testimony of John the Baptist — His Imprisonment 36 III. The Samaritan Woman . . , 38 IV. Jesus in the Synagogue at Nazareth — He is Driven from the City — Jesus at Cana — He Cures the Centurion's Son 41 V. Jesus in the Region of Genesareth — Definite Calling of the First Disciples — The Miraculous Draught of Fishes — Miracles at Capharnaum 44 VI. Jesus in Galilee and at Capharnaum — First Mission in Galilee — He Heals a Leper — Cure of a Paralytic at Capharnaum — The Question of the Remission of Sins — Calling of St. Matthew 47 III The Second Year of Jesus 1 Ministry. Chap. I. The Second Pasch at Jerusalem —The Draught of Fishes at Bethesda — The Question of the Sabbath . 51 II. Jesus Returns to Galilee — The Grain — The Man with a With- ered Hand 53 III. Jesus at Capharnaum and in Galilee — The Twelve Apostles 55 IV. The Sermon on the Mount — The Beatitudes — The " Our Father " — Trust in Providence — Reconciliation and Love of Ene- mies — Images and Sentences 56 V. Capharnaum and Nairn — The Servant of the Centurion of Capharnaum —The Widow's Son Raised to Life 63 VI. The Conversion of Mary Magdalen , . . 66 VII. Jesus in Galilee — Capharnaum — Second Mission in Galilee — Capharnaum — Teaching by Parables — The Sower — The Good Grain and the Cockle — Other Parables 68 VIII. The Tempest Appeased — The Possessed of Gerasa — Jairus 1 Daughter Raised to Life and the Infirm Man Cured ........ 74 IX. Jesus at Nazareth — Third Mission in Galilee — The Apostolic Preaching 78 X. Death of John the Baptist 81 XL The Multiplication of the Loaves — Jesus Walks on the W^ater — The Holy Eucharist Foretold 83 IV. Third Year of the Ministry of Jesus. Chap. I. Jesus in Syro-Phcenicia, in Decapolis, at Dalmanntha — Jesus and the Pharisees — Voluntary Exile — The Chananean - The Cure of a Deaf -Mute - The Sign of Jonas 89 II. Jesus North of the Lake, at Bethsaida and at Cesarea-Philippi — The Blind Man of Bethsaida — The Confession of Peter and His Recompense — The Passion Foretold 93 III. Thabor and the Transfiguration — The Transfiguration on Thabor — Cure of One Possessed , 96 TABLE OF CONTENTS. V PAGE Ch. IV. Jesus at Capharnaum — The Didrachma — The Child as the Model of Humility — Parable of the Merciful Master and the Hard-hearted Servant 100 V. Jesus at Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles — Jesus in the Temple — Discussions — The Sinful Woman Pardoned — Teaching in the Temple 102 VI. Jerusalem — Cure of a Man Born Blind — The Good Shepherd. . . 106 VII. New Stay in Galilee — The Seventy-two Disciples — The Wicked Cities 109 VIII. Jesus in Judea — The Parable of the Good Samaritan — Jesus at Bethany in the House of Martha and Mary Ill IX. Jesus on the Mt. of Olives — The Second Form of the Our Father — Instruction on Prayer 114 X. First Visit to Perea — A Repast with the Pharisees — The Rich Man who Died. 115 XI. Jesus at Jerusalem — The Feast of the Dedication 118 XII. Last Stay in Perea — The Repast with a Pharisee — The Parable of the Prodigal Son — The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus 119 XIII. Jesus at Bethany — The Resurrection of Lazarus 125 XIV. Farewell Visit to Samaria, Galilee, and Perea — Cure of the Ten Lepers — The Pharisee and the Publican — Divorce Con- demned — Jesus and the Little Children — The Rich Young Man 129 XV. Jesus at Jericho and at Bethany — Jesus Foretells His Passion — Ambition of the Sons of Zebedee — Lesson on Humility — Zacheus — Jesus at Bethany— The Repast with Simon the Leper , 134 V. Holy Week. Chap. I. Jesus Enters Jerusalem in Triumph — The Prophecy on Jeru- salem 139 II. Monday of Holy Week — The Fig Tree — Jesus in the Temple — The Greek Messengers — Jesus Glorified . . 143 III. Tuesday of Holy Week — The Enemies of Jesus — The Parable of the Faithless Husbandmen — Parable of the Wedding Feast — Caesar's Penny — Teaching on the Resurrection — The Pharisees Denounced — The Widow's Mite — The Fall of Jerusalem and the End of the World — Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins — The Last Judgment — Wednesday of Holy Week ...... 145 IV. Holy Thursday — The Pasch — The Cenacle — The Washing of the Feet — The Institution of the Holy Eucharist 154 V. The Last Discourses of Jesus — The Discourse in the Cenacle — Peter's Denial Foretold — Infallibility — The Discourse on the Way to Gethsemane — The Prayer of Jesus 158 VI TABLE OF CONTENTS. PART THIRD. OUR SAVIOUR'S PASSION AND RESURRECTION. PAGE Chap. I. Jesus Arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane — Gethsemane — The Agony of Jesus and His Bloody Sweat — The Betrayal of Judas 163 II. The Trial of Jesus — Jesus Before Annas, the High Priest — Jesus Before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin — Peter's Denial — Death of Judas— Jesus Before Pilate — Jesus Before Herod — Barabbas Preferred to Jesus — The Scourging and Crowning with Thorns — Ecce Homo ! — The Condemnation . 166 III. The Crucifixion— The Way of the Cross — The Nailing to the Cross —Jesus on the Cross — The Seven Words — The Death of Jesus , 177 IV. Jesus in the Tomb — Wonders at the Death of Jesus — The Taking Down from the Cross and the Burial — The Holy Sepulchre — Jesus Placed in the Tomb— The Tomb Sealed and Guarded 182 V. The Resurrection — The Apparitions — Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalen — Jesus Appears to the Holy Women — The Dis- ciples of Emmaus — Jesus in the Cenacle— Jesus Appears to Thomas — The Apparitions in Galilee — Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples on the Lake of Genesareth — Feed My Lambs, Feed My Sheep — Second Apparition in Galilee — 185 VI. The Ascension 194 MAPS AND ENGRAVINGS. Map of Palestine in the Time of Our Lord Just before chapter I, part 1 . Likeness of Our Saviour, after a clay model in the Catacombs Frontispiece . 2. View of Bethlehem Between pages 8 and 9. 3. View of Nazareth 4. The Lake of Genesareth, or Tiberias 5. View of Jerusalem 6. View of Bethany 7. Plan of Jerusalem in the Time of Our Lord . 8. General View of the Mount of Olives 9. The Title of the Cross at Holy-Cross-in-Jeru- salem Church, Rome A. M. D. G. 18 and 19. 31 and 32. 51 and 52. 112 and 113. 139 and 140. 150 and 151. 178 and 179. APPROBATION OF THE BISHOP OF CHALONS. Chalons, July 26, 1895. Rev. and Dear Sir. — The examination of your " Life of Our Lord, Jesus Christ/' has proved favorable in all points. I am happy to encourage you in this work, and to give you my hearty approbation. In your book, you have followed the method used by modern historians of our Saviour, with the recital of facts, you mingle the description of places and the ex- planation of customs, ceremonies and institutions which come within the study of the Gospels. 'Without departing from the precision and the style which history demands, you understand how to interpret the sacred text as well with discretion, which preserves the sense, as with a happy adaptation, which is an assurance that much fruit will come from it. Your book is complete in its kind and the style is really apropos. I think with the critics a that it bids fair to be ranked among the classics most useful and most to be recommended to our schools and colleges." The success of this book would be so much more agreeable to me because it would respond to my ardent desire to see the study of the Gospel spread and bear fruit in all ranks of society. May God grant my desire by blessing your work ! Believe me, Reverend Sir, Tours devotedly in Christ. MICHAEL-ANDRE, Bishop of Chalons, PREFACE. This " Life of Our Lord, Jesus Christ " is especially intended for the instruction of the young. Its aim is to initiate the Christian youth into a knowledge of the wonderful works of our Saviour, and of His divine teachings. This book is a compendium 1 which may be enlarged on, at will, by the teacher; 2 it is complete enough to satisfy the needs of students in our schools and colleges. Each paragraph comprises one important fact. It follows the chronological order so far as possible in using Abbe Fouard's beautiful book as a model. We have striven to relate events in historical and geographical order. Modern voyages and discov- eries have proved of great assistance to us. Late pil- grims too have aided us in giving the proper notes to the text and the actual state of places. It was easy to compile our brief foot-notes from the works of Victor Guerin and M. de Vogue and the many travellers of our day. We have treated controversial questions without entering into discussions; but we have always referred, in this, to discourses and special works on 1 An introduction to the study of the New Testament will be found in the Manuel biblique de M. M. Bacuez et Vigouroux, t. III. 2 Many books abound in which the professor can find these de- velopments. Lives of Our Lord, of the first rank, are: that de L. Veuillot, de Tabbe Fouard, de Tabbe Le Camus, de Tabbe Frette, du P. Didon, du Dr. Lepp; la Passion du P. Ollivier, not to speak of other such works, le Manuel biblique de MM. Bacuez et Vig- ouroux, et Texcellent Dictionnaire de la Bible; les Evangiles du Cardinal Meighan; le Grand cours d'Ecriture sainte de Migne. X PREFACE. the subject. On these grounds, this book, without being properly a book of erudition, will doubtless satisfy the needs of teaching as it is understood to-day, and will satisfy the lawful curiosity of young minds. We trust that we have not fallen altogether short of our end, and that we have contributed in some small degree to the spreading of the knowledge and love of Our Dear Lord among those children who love Him. J. PUISEUX. PART FIRST. THE BIRTH AND HIDDEN LIFE OF JESUS. FROM FIVE YEARS BEFORE THE COMMON ERA TO 27 A. D.i YEAR OF ROME, 749 TO 780. CHAPTEE I. The Precursor's Birth Foretold. ST. LUKE I.* Malachias was the last of the prophets. All the others had foretold the different circumstances of the Messiah's life and death, 3 but Malachias foretold the coming of the Precursor. Pour hundred years later the time was fulfilled and " he who was to prepare the way for the Saviour " was born into the world. 1 The common era (as used to-day) which counts the years from our Saviour's birth was instituted by Dennis the Little, early in the sixth century. He was mistaken about five years in saying that Christ was born in the year of Rome 754; it should be at least 749. — Didon's Life of Christ, II Appendix. 2 The text is generally referred to only one Gospel. The con- cordances marked in all Bibles will aid in finding the text in other Gospels. 3 Cardinal Meighan, Les Propheties messianiques. 2 LIFE OF CHRIST. Tradition tells us that the Levite Zachary and his barren wife Elizabeth dwelt piously together at this time, in the village of Kereni (Ain-Karim) 4 among the mountains of Judah. Zachary had come to Jerusalem to perform his yearly ministry in the Temple. One day, when he had entered the Holy of Holies to offer incense before the Altar of Perfumes an angel appeared and told him that he would beget a son, that the child should be called John, 5 and that he would bring back the faithless to God and " prepare for the Lord a perfect people. " Zachary was astonished; he hesitated to believe; he asked for a sign. Then the angel made himself known in these words : " I am Gabriel, one of those who stand in the presence of God." And as' a punishment for his doubting, he declared that Zachary should be dumb until these things came to pass. 4 To-day a village of 1,000 inhabitants called " St. John on Montana " by Christians. " It stands on the brow of a hill which rises in a narrow valley surrounded by a chain of higher moun- tains." — Landrieux, Aux pays du Christ. 5 Hebrew proper names always have a meaning. John means " Gift of God." LIFE OF CHRIST. 6 CHAPTER II. The Annunciation and Visitation. The Annunciation; St. Luke, I. — -Nazareth 6 was a village of Lower Galilee, north of the plain of Esdrelon. Here, in chaste union with the carpenter Joseph, dwelt a young virgin named Mary. This pious virgin was born at Jerusalem of Joachim and Anne, 7 and was a scion of David. The Church tells us that she was, by special mark of Divine Providence, free from sin at her very conception. From the age of three years she was brought up in the Temple and had consecrated herself to God by a vow of perpetual vir- ginity. 8 She had just left the Temple and become the spouse of Joseph, who also belonged to the house of David. Six months after the vision of Zachary, the angel appeared to Mary while she was praying in her house and said: " Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women." Seeing that she was troubled at these words, the angel added: " Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold, thou shalt conceive and shalt bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David, his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob forever; and of his 6 To-day " En-Nasirah." 7 The Hebrew Miriam (Mary) means "most high mistress." — Most reliable tradition holds that the Blessed Virgin was born at Jerusalem. To-day the Church of St. Anne, which belongs to France, stands on the site of the house in which Joachim and Anne dwelt. — Guerin, Jerusalem, 350. 8 Bacuez and Vigouroux, Manuel biblique, III, 207. 4 LIFE OF CHRIST. kingdom there shall be no end." " How can this be? " asked Mary, " for I have vowed to remain a virgin." Then the angel replied: " The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall over- shadow thee; and, therefore, also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." He also told her, as an assurance of his words, that God was to give a son to her aged cousin Elizabeth. The humble virgin then exclaimed: " I am the servant of the Lord; may your words be fulfilled." And the Word, says St. John, the Eternal Word, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, was made man and dwelt amongst us. 9 The Visitation; St. Luke, I, 39-56. — Some days later, Mary set out for her cousin Elizabeth's to con- gratulate her on the wonderful favor she had received from God. After a four days' journey she came to Kerem. When Elizabeth saw her approaching the house she cried out by divine inspiration: " Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb." 10 In reply to this greeting, Mary gave utterance to that sublime canticle, the Magnificat, the words and senti- 9 St. John, I, 1. On the 25th of March the Church celebrates the mystery of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin and the In- carnation of the Son of God. The holy house of Nazareth, in which these mysteries were accomplished, was transported miraculously by angels (1294) to Loretto in Italy, where it is venerated under the name of Santa Casa. The Church of the Annunciation stands on its site. The crj^pt of this church is none else than the very grotto which formed the retired part of the dwelling which Mary and Joseph occupied. A slab of marble, in the pavement of this crypt, bears theFe words. Hie Verbum caro factum est, which means: "Here the Word was made flesh." Guerin, Galilee I, 83. 10 The Angelical Salutation (the Hail Mary) originally con- lained only the words of the angel addressed to Mary and those LIFE OF CHEIST. 5 ments of which are taken from diverse parts of the Scriptures. 11 It is a beautiful hynm on the blessings of God towards her, on His judgments of the world, and on His mercies towards Israel. It runs thus: " My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Because He hath regarded the humility of his hand- maid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because He that is mighty hath done great things to me; and holy is His name. And His mercy is from generation unto generation to them that fear Him. He hath showed might in His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich He hath sent away empty. He hath received Israel his servant being mindful of His mercy. As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His seed forever." The Magnificat is held to-day, in the Liturgy of the Church, as the song of joy and gratitude. 12 After spending three months with her cousin, Mary returned to Nazareth. of Elizabeth. At the Council of Ephesus (431). the words "Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us," were added against the Nes- torian heresy. An unknown author in the sixth century added the word, " sinners." Finally in the sixteenth century another unknown author added the last words, " Now and at the hour of our death." Thus the Hail Mary was composed. 11 See especially the Canticle of Anne, mother of Samuel. — Kings, III, 1. 12 The Church preserves the remembrance of this scene in the 6 LIFE OF CHRIST. CHAPTER III. The Precursor is Born. ST. LUKE, I, 57-83. A few days after Mary's departure, Elizabeth brought forth the son of whom the angel had spoken. Eight days later, the relatives and neighbors assembled to cir- cumcise and name the child. They wished to call him after his father. But Elizabeth did not agree to this; then Zachary wrote these words on a tablet: " You shall call him John." Immediately his tongue was loosed, and, filled with the Holy Ghost, he proclaimed his joy and gratitude in a canticle on the workings of grace. He praised God who was about to giVe a Saviour to his people, and declared that his new-born son would be the prophet of the Most High and would prepare the way for the Lord. It is the Benedictus, which is re- cited in the Holy Office every day at Lauds. All present were filled with astonishment on behold- ing this strange scene, and the report thereof soon spread throughout the mountains of Judah. People were heard to say: " What do you think of this child whose birth is followed by so many wonders? Surely the hand of God is with him." 13 feast of the Visitation. A sanctuary called that of St. Elizabeth, or the Visitation, at Am-Karim, marks the place where the Magnificat was uttered for the first time. !3 A Hebrew idiom which means that God protects him. — The Church celebrates the nativity of John the Baptist on June the 24th. — A Franciscan convent stands to-day at A' n-Karim on the site of Zachary's house. The church of the convent is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. Tradition holds that the Pre- cusor was born in what is now the crypt of this church. — Guerin, Judea, I, 83. LIFE OF CHRIST. CHAPTER IV. Birth of Jesus at Bethlehem — The Adoration of the Shepherds. I, Birth of Jesus, St. Luke, II. — After her return to Nazareth, Mary awaited the fulfilment of the divine , promises. Yet it was not Nazareth but Bethlehem 14 of Judea that the prophets had marked out as the Mes- siah's birthplace. A recent edict of the emperor favored the issue of this prophecy. Augustus had ordered that a census of all the Romans and their al- lies should be taken. Herod I, called the Old or the Great/ 5 was then reigning in Judea. This enrollment was not finished until after Herod's death, under the reign of the Roman Quirinus. 16 It was customary for every Jew to be enrolled in the land of his forefathers, where his genealogy was kept. Joseph and Mary then, who both belonged to the house of David, 17 had to go to Bethlehem, the home of their illustrious ancestor.* This was to be the scene of our Saviour's birth. HMicheas, V, 2. 15 Three Herods reigned in Judea : Herod I, in whose reign our Saviour was born; Herod II, who put John the Baptist to death; Herod III, who imprisoned St. Peter. 10 Vigouroux, Le Nouveau Testament et les discouvertes archeo- logique modernes. Le Recensement de Quirinus, p. 81. 17 St. Matthew, I, 1-18, has given the genealogy of St. Joseph; he shows that he is a descendant of David and Abraham. St. Luke, III, 23-28, gives that of the Blessed Virgin; this also goes back to David and to Abraham and even to Adam and to God. For the agreement of the two genealogies, see Jaugey, Dictionaire apolegetique de le foi catholique, article Evangiles, lo. — Fouard, in his Life of Christ, I, 432, gives another explanation. * See "Outlines of New Testament History" (p. 41), by F. E. Gigot. — [Note by Translator. 8 ( LIFE OF CHRIST. Bethlehem (house of bread) was a village lying about five miles south of Jerusalem, in the mountains of Judea. It was built on two hills, one of which, that to the east, was much higher and larger than the other. The sides of these hills were covered with fig trees, almond trees, and vines. Deep, fertile valleys lay to the north, south, and east of the village. The place abounds in biblical remembrances; near here Rachel died; 18 Ruth gleaned in its fields; 19 David was born and anointed within its walls. At the northeast side of the eastern hill was the only inn of the neighborhood. This was the stopping place for strangers, and near it was a cave-like stable 20 hollowed out in the mountain side. Every place was crowded; Joseph and Mary could find no lodging in the village or the inn, so they betook themselves to this stable, open at the time where the beasts had entered. Soon the Blessed Virgin brought forth our Saviour, wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger. This was the ever memorable night, December 25th, the year of Rome 749, the thirtieth year of the reign of Augustus, five years before the common era. The Church cherishes the memory of this great event in the feast of Christmas. A temple built by St. Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, stands to-day over the grotto in which our Saviour was born. The grotto is garnished with precious marble and is 18 The tomb of Rachel was about a mile from Bethlehem on the way to Jerusalem. 19 Tradition says that the field of Booz was in the fertile valley east of Bethlehem. 20 The words, " the inn " which St. Luke, II, uses, show that there was but one inn or khan, with its stable, at Bethlehem. "'"iflilli :!;:!!,;,, it'll III: II: W i , ill ill 11 ft W: - /C'^M ''mm LIFE OF CHKIST. 9 lighted by thirty-two silver lamps, the gift of Catholic nations. A silver star, fastened in the pavement under the altar, marks the spot. On it these words are written: " Hie de Virgine Maria Jesus Christus natus est." Which means: "Here Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary." The holy crib, or rather the cradle, in which the Divine Infant slept, is now at Rome in the Church of St. Mary Major. II, The Adoration of the Shepherds; St. Luke, II, 8-20. — That night some shepherds, tradition says three, were watching their flocks in the plain east of Beth- lehem. 21 Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood before them; a bright light shone around them, and they were filled with fear. " Tear not," said the angel, " for I bring you tidings of great joy, w T hich will make the whole world rejoice. To-day is born to you a Saviour, Christ, the Lord, in the city of David. You will find Him as a little child wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger." At that moment, a host of heavenly spirits was heard singing and praising God: " Glory be to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will." 22 21 At about three-quarters of a mile east of Bethlehem stands Beit-Sahour, the " Village of the Shepherds," and about a half a mile east of this village, in the " field of Booz," is the Convent of the Shepherds. A little underground chapel, much venerated in that country, is in the place where the shepherds held their watch. — GuSrin, Judea, I, 212 and 214. ** Some translate : " to men beloved of God." — These words have become the opening words for a canticle of praise to our 10 LIFE OF CHRIST. The angels were gone. The shepherds said one to another: " Let ns go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has made known to us." They hurried thither and found the Child lying in a manger and Mary and Joseph by His side. They saw the truth of what the angel had said and went back praising and glorifying God. All Bethlehem was aroused on hearing this from the shepherds, and all began to think of the long- promised Saviour. "And Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart," says St. Luke in his touching narration of what took place at Bethlehem. So Jesus was born of poor parents in a place which was not even a house, and He called the poor around Him. This He did throughout His whole earthly life to teach us the vanity of riches and the goods of this world. 23 Saviour, the Gloria in Excelsis, which the Church sings at the beginning of Holy Mass. It dates back to the first ages of Christianity. 23 See Bossuet, elevations sur les mysteres, XVIe Semaine. LIFE OF CHRIST. 11 CHAPTEE V. The Name of Jesus — The Presentation in the Temple — The Purification. I, The Name of Jesus; St. Luke, II, 21.— On the eighth day after His birth, the Child was circumcised according to law and received the name of Jesus, which had been revealed to Mary and Joseph. Jesus means Saviour, as the angel explained to Joseph: " You shall call Him Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. 24 "And to do this," says Bossuet, " He forgave the sins which had been committed. He strengthened us against future sins, and He opened the way to that life into which sin can never enter. 25 II, The Presentation in the Temple and the Puri- fication; St. Luke, II, 22-38. — Forty days after the birth of Jesus, Mary went to Jerusalem to fulfil the ceremonies of Purification and to present Jesus in the Temple. Mary, in her humility, wished to undergo the ceremony of Purification as other mothers did. She offered two turtle-doves, as was the custom of the poor, and thus freed her Child from the service of the Temple. 26 ■ 24 St. Matthew, I, 21. 25 The Church has consecrated the second Sunday after Epiphany as a special feast to the Holy name of Jesus. Jesus conies from two Hebrew words which mean Jehova Salvator, " God Saviour." The word Christ, the name given to Jesus in the Gospels, signifies anointed or sacred, which is the transla- tion of the Hebrew word Messiah, " anointed with oil," the Lord expresses His greatness and His sovereignty. 26 In memory of the fact that He had spared the first-born of the Jews, on the night before their departure from Egypt, God 12 LIFE OF CHRIST. There, even, in spite of the obscurity in which He hid Himself, Jesus was recognized and glorified. An old man named Simeon, a just man, who is believed to have been an illustrious scribe, moved by the Holy Spirit, 27 came to the Temple just at this time. He had been assured by divine revelation that he would not die till he had seen Christ, our Saviour. Taking the Child in his arms he gave thanks to God in that touching canticle, "Nunc dimittis" which the Church repeats every evening at the end of her prayers. Then Simeon saw, by prophetic light, the destiny of the Infant God and the sufferings which His mother would undergo. "A sword shall pierce thy soul," said he to Mary. 28 A widow and prophetess, 29 named Anne, who served God day and night in prayer and passed her whole life in the Temple, also recognized the Child. She praised the Lord who had made known this mystery to her and spoke of our Saviour to all who were looking for the Redemption of Israel. wished that all the first-born should be consecrated to Him. They were generally redeemed by five sides or shekels of silver. The shekel is worth about seventy-five cents. 27 About three miles south of Jerusalem, on the road to Bethle- hem, are found the ruins of a dwelling said to be the country- house of the aged Simeon. 28 The Church remembers these words by the devotion which her faithful always show to Our Lady of Pity or Compassion. At the end of the fifteenth century this devotion became the devotion to Our Lady of Seven Sorrows. — A writer of the middle ages enumerates the seven sorrows of the Blessed Virgin thus : The Prophecy of Simeon, — the Flight into Egypt, — the Losing of Jesus (in Jerusalem), — the Way of the Cross, — her Standing at the Foot of the Cross, — the Receiv- ing of the Lifeless Body of Jesus, — the Placing in the Tomb. 29 With the Jews, prophet or prophetess, means not only one who foretells the future, but, in a wide sense, anyone who speaks under the action of the Holy Spirit to instruct and edify. LIFE OF CHRIST. 13 CHAPTEE VI. The Adoration of the Magi. I ? The Magi; St. Matthew, II. — "At the coming of Christ," says Bossuet, " the world was stirred up in seeking to know the true God who, for so many cen- turies, had been forgotten." 30 It was the great move- ment begun by the Magi. The Holy Family, on their return from Jerusalem, took up their abode at Beth- lehem. Here the Magi came and found them. The Magi seem to have been priests from the prov- inces of Persia. 31 In these lands where the Jews had lived during their captivity, the prophecies relating to the Messiah were preserved, especially that of Dan- iel, which gave the time of His coming, 32 and that of Balaam, announcing that a star would set out from Jacob. 33 God permitted a star, no doubt miraculous, to shine brilliantly on the borders of Judea. Three of the Magi made up their mind to seek Him whom they ex- pected and whose coming was shown by the star. 34 II, The Magi at Jerusalem. — On their arrival at 30 Elevations sur les mysteres, XVITe Semaine, 4e Elevation. 31 Martingy, Dictionaire des Antiquites Chretiennes, Article Mages. 32 Daniel, IX, 24. 33 Numbers, XXIV, 17, — Suetonius and Tacitus have recorded the belief which then prevailed in the Orient. " It was the firm and long standing belief that the prophets said the princes of the land should set out in Judea." — Suetonius. Vespasians IV. " Many believed that, as it was written in the sacerdotal books, the East would be great at this time and the princes of the land would set out in Judea." — Tacitus, Histories. V. XIII. 34 On the nature of the star, see Fouard, I App. IV. 14 LIFE OF CHRIST. Jerusalem, they went to Herod, asking where they might find the King of the Jews, who was just born, and whose star they had seen. Herod was not a Jew, but an Idumean, by birth, and was not schooled in the hopes of the nation. So he assembled the Sanhedrin 35 and questioned the learned men. They told him that the prophet Micheas had said our Saviour w 7 ould be born at Bethlehem. 36 The cruel and suspicious Herod at once conceived the project of using the Magi to find the Child whom he already feared as a rival. Then he would put Him to death. " Go," said he, " seek dili- gently for the Child, and when you have found Him tell me, for I also wish to adore Him." Ill, The Magi at Bethlehem. — The Magi set out under the guidance of the star, reached Bethlehem, and went to the house where they found the Child and His mother. 37 Falling down, they adored Him, offering gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, symbols of His royalty, His divinity, and His humanity. Whilst they were returning, God thwarted Herod's design; an angel appeared to them in sleep and told them to go back to their country without passing through Jerusalem. 38 35 Sanhedrin, a Greek word meaning to sit together. The Sanhedrin seems to have been instituted by the Machabees. It comprised seventy-two members. 36 Micheas, V, 2. 37 St. Matthew uses the word "house," and not "stable" (St. Luke, II, 7). After quitting the grotto of the Nativity, the Blessed Virgin took up her abode in the house, the inn proper. 38 Tradition holds that the Magi were converted later on by St. Thomas. They were regarded as saints after their death. Their remains, which were brought to Jerusalem, were after- wards taken to Milan in Italy. When that city was destroyed by Frederick Barbarossa in the twelfth century, they were given to Cologne, where they repose in a chapel in the apsis of the LIFE OF CHRIST. 15 CHAPTEK VII. The Flight i>tto Egypt — The Slaughter of the Innocents — The Return to Nazareth. The Flight into Egypt; St. Matthew, II, 13-23.— Herod, in Iiie disappointment, resolved not to be out- done by that King of the Jews, of whose birth he had learned. In the meantime an angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him that the tyrant sought the Child's death. "Arise," said the angel, " take the Child and His mother and flee into Egypt. Remain there until I tell you to leave." The Holy Family was soon on its way. That country was four or five days' journey from Bethlehem. The Gospel does not say as to what place they went. 39 II, The Slaughter of the Holy Innocents. — Scarcely had the Holy Family left Judea, when Herod put to death all the male children under two years of age in Bethlehem and its neighborhood. He thought to include Jesus in this wholesale mur- der, but Providence had willed otherwise. This odious and barbarous deed was not out of keeping with the cathedral. Two Latin verses tell us that the bodies are here entire : " Corpora sanctorum recumbant hie terna magorum Quorum sublatum nihil est alibive locatum." which means : " Here lie the bodies of the holy Magi from which nothing has been taken away or placed elsewhere." On the feast of Epiphany the Church "celebrates the manifestation of our Saviour to the Magi, and in the person of these, to the Gentiles, that is to the pagans, to the whole human race. 39 See the poetical and legendary account of the journey, ac- cording to the Apocryphal Gospels, in Fretti: Noire- Seigneur, Jesus-Christ, I, XIV — As to the abode of the Holy Family in Egypt, a tradition places it at Old-Cairo and at Matarieb. 16 LIFE OF CHRIST. customs of the times, and the character of Herod. His wife, Miriamne, who was a descendant of the an- cient kings, all her relatives, and even his own two sons by her, fell beneath the hand of this proud and cruel tyrant. 40 It is supposed, as the people of Bethlehem after- wards said, that sixty infants, at most, perished in this awful massacre. The Church honors these young vic- tims offered up by the enemy of Jesus. She sings of them as the " flowers of martyrs, cut down in the morning of life by the hand of butchers like budding roses torn from the stem by the fury of the storm. 41 Soon after this, Herod was seized with a hideous disease. 42 He then brought death upon his own son, Antipater, and upon forty-two distinguished Jews. He even ordered that the heads of the chief families, whom he held in prison, should be slain; thus forcing the Jews to mourn his death. Luckily this inhuman decree was never carried out. He died in the most horrible agony (April, 750, A. IT. C). His eldest son, Archelaus, succeeded him in Judea, while his son, Herod Antiphas, was made tetrarch of Galilee. As soon as the persecutor was dead, the angel came and told Joseph to return to the Land of Israel. The Holy Family at once left Egypt after a sojourn of * 40 Augustus is described as saying that he would rather be fterod's pig than his son, alluding to the fact that the Jews were forbidden to eat pork. — Macrobius, Saturn, II, 4. On Herod I, see Cardinal Meighan, Les Evangiles, 9 rue leson. 41 Lovely flowers of Martyrs, hail! Smitten by the tyrant foe On life's threshold — as the gale Strews the roses ere they blow. — Hymn of the Holy Innocents. 42 Frette, I, 130, quotes the text of Josephus. LIFE OF CHRIST. IT scarcely three months. Once more in Judea, Joseph learned the troubles which had taken place as Archelaus was going into power. 48 Fearing for his dear ones, he decided to make his home in Galilee under Herod An- tiphas. So he went to Nazareth, where he had dwelt before our Saviour's birth. CHAPTER VIII. Jesus at Nazareth. I, The Infancy of Jesus; St. Luke, II, 39-40. — Nazareth, 44 where Jesus was to pass thirty years of His life, was a small village built on a table-land, to the south and west of which rose high crags. Even to-day, olive trees, fig trees, nopals, with their ever- green leaves, pomegranate and almond trees, justify the name of "flower" and that of Paradise, which the Jews have given to this place. It was indeed a delightful solitude in the midst of sweet and peaceful nature. In this blessed place, as St. Luke says, "Jesus grew and waxed strong, full of wisdom; and the grace of God was in Him." It is evident from these words that Jesus willingly underwent the natural growth of mind and body, though His soul, through its divine union, enjoyed the beatific vision and possessed* knowledge far above any human science. " That wis- dom with which He was filled," says Bossuet, " showed 43 Three thousand Jews had been killed in a sedition. — Frette. I, 132. 44 To-day called Nasra or Nazara. It has about 4,000 in- habitants. 2 18 LIFE OF CHRIST. itself only by degrees ■ — according as the Child grew and began to act of Himself, he shone in his whole ex- terior as one, I know not why, who caused man to en- ter into himself, as one who drew souls to God; yet all was simple, moderate and ordinary in His words and actions." 45 II, Jesus among the learned men; St. Luke, II, 42-58. — The Jews considered the age of twelve years as the end of childhood. At this age, Jesus went, for the first time, with his parents on their yearly pil- grimage to Jerusalem for the Pasch. This feast lasted seven days. At the end of this time, the caravan from Galilee left the city. Joseph and Mary, thinking that Jesus was in the band with their friends, travelled on without disquietude until they reached the first halting place. 46 Then they noted the Child's absence. They hastened back to Jerusalem, and after two days they found Him in the Temple with the Doctors. It was customary for these men to assemble on cer- tain days, in a room of the Temple, to solve all diffi- culties as to the meaning of the laws. During the Passover, especially, a large crowd always gathered around to hear their instructions; to this place Jesus had betaken Himself. An old tradition says that the aged Simeon was there, as were also ^Ticodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, future disciples of our Saviour. The Holy Child listened to the Doctors, and asked them questions as all had a right to do. "All that heard Him were astonished at His wisdom and His 45 Elevations sur les mysteres, XXe Semaine, Ire Elevation. 46 Doubtless at Beeroth "the wells" (El-Bireh) about ten miles from Jerusalem. A church built during the Crusades, now in ruins, marked the place where Mary and Joseph noted the ab- sence of Jesus. LIFE OF CHRIST. ■ 19 answers." Divinity shows itself no matter how it may be disguised. " Those answers which astonished the Doctors/' says Bossuet, " were those of a modest, sweet, and well-taught child; it is nevertheless clear that, though it was proper, something from Above al- lowed Him to take His place among the masters." 47 Mary, surprised and much affected, said to Jesus: " My Son, why have You done this; your father 48 and I have been looking for You in great distress? — Why did you seek Me, mother," answered the Child, " did you not know that I must see to My Father's affairs ? " For the first time, Jesus mentioned His heavenly origin and His divine parentage. He went with Mary and Joseph to Nazareth. II, Hidden Life of Jesus at Nazareth. — Jesus spent the next eighteen years at Nazareth. The Gospels are silent about this long period of His life; St. Luke simply tells us that " He was subject to Mary and Joseph, showing us thereby that the virtue most be- coming to children and young folk, that which Jesus wished to practice and point out in a special manner, is obedience and respect. Tradition has supplied a little for this shortcoming of the Scriptures. It says that Jesus, like every Jewish youth, had a trade, that of carpenter. He saw no better w r ay than by example to add dignity to manual labor, so much despised by the pagans, who left it to slaves and the servants of the , people. " Let those/' says Bossuet, " who live by the labor of their hands be consoled and rejoice; for Jesus is of their number." The Christian study in all ages, 47 Elevations, XXe Semaine, 4e Elevation. 48 " Father not only by adoption, but truly father by his ten- derness, his care, and his sorrow." — Bossuet, Elevations, XX® Semaine, 5© Elevation. 20 LIFE OF CHRIST. and especially in ours, has always been to draw marks of nobility from the workshop of Nazareth beside the Jesus-worker. During this period occurred the death of St. Joseph, the virgin spouse of Mary, the guardian and protector of Jesus. In memory of his duties in the midst of the Holy Family, soon after the Vatican Council, the Pope pro- claimed him patron of the Universal Church. He quietly breathed his last in the arms of Jesus and Mary. This divine privilege has made all ages look upon him as the patron of a happy death. 49 49 Several churches or chapels at Nazareth commemorate the long sojourn of the Holy Family in this place. Besides the Church of the Annunciation, which we have already mentioned, the Franciscans have a chapel built on the (traditional) site of St. Joseph's workshop, and the United Greeks have a church on the site of the ancient synagogue used during the time of Our Lord. — A public fountain here bears the name of " Fountain of Mary." PART SECOND. PUBLIC LIFE OF JESUS, A. D. 27-30 (YEAR OF ROME, 780-783). I. THE PREPARATION OF JESUS FOR HIS MINISTRY FROM HIS BAPTISM TO THE FIRST PASSOVER, JANUARY-APRIL 27. CHAPTEE I. The Mission of John the Baptist — The Baptism of Jesus. I, The Mission of John the Baptist; St. Matthew, III. — John, son of Zachary, dwelt until his thirtieth year in the desert, west of Ain-Karim, which to-day is called the Desert of St. John. In this place he pre- pared himself, by the practice of the most austere vir- tue and by the most rigorous abstinence, for the part he was to play as Precursor. He was clothed in a tunic of camel's hair, and wore a leathern girdle around his waist. His food was lo- custs and wild honey. 1 1 Locusts are used as food by the poor in Judea. It was the same with the Orientals in general. The Bedouins still eat them, 21 22 LIFE OF CHRIST. The voice of God resounded in the wilderness, tell- ing him that the hour was come for the fulfilment of his mission. St. Luke, in his historical sketch, has taken care to note the precise time and place of John's preaching, and also the beginning of the ministry of Jesus. " It was," says he, " the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar's reign; Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea; Herod was tetrach of Galilee; Philip, his brother, was tetrarch of Itrurea and the country of Trachonitis; and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilina, un- der the high priests Annas and Caiaphas." These dates correspond to the year of Rome, 779. 2 In the autumn of that year, which was the beginning of the Sabbatical year, 3 John came into the desert of Judea along the Dead Sea and the Jordan, 4 then he Some translate it not as locusts but as carob-beans, the fruit of the bread tree. Whatever be the meaning of the passage, the Greek word used by St. Matthew and St. Mark can only be translated " locusts." 2 The fifteenth year of Tiberius should be counted not from the death of Augustus, but from the accession of Tiberius to the imperial crown, as was the custom in the East. — Pontius Pilate had been sent to Judea as governor to succeed Valerius Gratus, A. D. 26. This Herod is Herod II, Antiphas, son of Herod the Great tetrarch, that is to say, placed over a tetrarchate or quarter of a kingdom after the death of his father. Philip was another son of Herod the Great. — The existence of a certain Lysanias, tetrarch of Abilina, in the time of Our Lord, is posi- tively fixed by inscriptions. For this last point, see Vigouroux : Le Nouveau Testament et les discouvertes archeologiques modernes. Chap. II, Lysanias, tetraque d' Abilina. 3 Every seventh year the Jews kept the Sabbatical year, or that of repose. The land was not tilled during this year: and whatever it yielded spontaneously was given to the poor, to strangers and to the animals. Slaves could recover their liberty. Debts between Jew and Jew were forgiven. — Exodus, XXIII. 10-11; Deutronomy, XV. This year of universal rest was most favorable for the preaching of St. John. The Sabbatical year was counted from September to September. 4 Read a beautiful description of the Wilderness of Judea, in Didon, 7, 11, see map, Guerin, Judea, III. LIFE OF CHEIST. 23 went down on the bank of the river. There, at the ford of Bethany, 5 in front of Jericho, he began his mission and baptized 6 large crowds that came to him. He reminded them that this water which washed the body was but a symbol of the cleansing of their hearts. At the same time, he preached penance, telling them that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. He rebuked the Pharisees and the Sadducees for their hardness of heart, 7 for their hypocrisy and their pride. He began thus: " Ye brood of vipers * * - * bring forth fruits worthy of penance, * "- * * for now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree that brings not forth good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire." To the simple and faithful he was content to recommend the practice of almsgiving and fraternal charity: " He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none ; and he who has meat, let him do in like manner." To the Publicans 8 he recommended justice in the exercise of their office; to the soldiers, self-control and respect for the rights of others. In a word, he urged all to do their duty and practice the virtues suited to their state. Apart from this, he 5 Bethany of the Jordan must not be confounded with Bethany near Jerusalem, the home of Lazarus. On modern maps, it bears the name of Bethbara or Bethabara, " house of the passage." 6 Whence the name of Baptist or baptizer. 7 The Pharisees (Separated) were a sect much taken up with legal observances. They had added a great many of these observ- ances to the law, and called them tradition; they rigorously avoided all intercourse with strangers. Many of them were proud and hypocritical. The Sadducees (Just) rejected all tra- dition and held to the letter of the law. They were rather indif- ferent in religious matters, conversing freely with strangers, and denying the resurrection of the body. These two sects will often be brought into question in the Life of Our Lord. To-day, most Jews belong to the Pharisees. 8 Tax-gatherers. 24: LIFE OF CHRIST. spoke of the Messiah, who was now at hand. As Isaias had said, he was the voice of one crying in the wilder- ness: " Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight His paths. Every valley shall be filled; and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough ways plain. " The people, struck by the singularity of his life and the eloquence of his words, mistook him for the Mes- siah. But he stoutly assured them that he was not. " I, indeed^, baptize you with water," said he, " but there shall come One mightier than I, the latchet of Whose shoes I am not worthy to loose; He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire; that is to say, in charity." One day, some Pharisees, sent by their sect, came to question him: "Art thou Elias? Art thou a prophet as we have heard ? " When he had told them that he was neither, they added : " Who art thou then ? What do you say of yourself ? " John simply renewed his profession of faith: "I am the voice of one crying 'in the wilderness; make straight the way of the Lord." II, The Baptism of Jesus. — About three months after John came to the Jordan, January 6th, according to tradition, Jesus came with the Galilean crowd to be baptized. John recognized Him by divine light and refused to enter the water, saying: " I ought to be baptized by Thee, and comest Thou to be baptized by me ? " " Let it be so now," answered Jesus, " for we must fulfil all justice." When Jesus came out of the water, He prayed, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Ghost came down upon Him in the form of a dove. At the same time, a LIFE OF CHRIST. 25 voice was heard from Above, saying: " This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." The Divine Trinity thus showed itself for the first time ; the Father in the heavenly voice, the Son in Jesus, and the Holy Ghost in the dove. Jesus, called the Son of God, had just sanctified the waters by His touch and gave them the power of cleansing souls in the Baptism which He was soon to institute. 9 CHAPTEE II. The Temptation in the Desert. st. matthew iv. When Jesus set out from the river Jordan, He was led by the Holy Spirit into the desert. The Gospel so calls the wild and mountainous country to the north of the Dead Sea, on the right bank of the river, which is called the Wilderness of Judea. Tradition says the site of our Saviour's retreat was the steep cliff of the Quarantania, to the west of Jericho. 10 Here He passed forty days in densest solitude, " with the wild beasts," says St. Mark, " in the dead of winter, without food or drink." Certain passages of the Scriptures seem to say that He was tempted throughout the whole time of His retreat. The temptations of the Man-God *In remembrance of this scene the Christians have built con- vents and churches in this place, which are now in ruins. The Greeks have just rebuilt a convent called that of St. John the Baptist. Even yet, at the time of the Pasch, many thousands of pilgrims belonging to the separated churches go to Jerusalem, to the Jordan, under the guidance of the Pascha, and bathe in the river at the place where John baptized Jesus. 10 See Didon's description of the desert of Judea and the Mount of Quarantania, Life of Christ, I, III, and Duray, la Terre Sainte illustree, 171. 26 LIFE OF CHEIST. appealed to His humanity alone; they were not tempta- tions of the flesh or of the lower passions; they could not have been else than exterior suggestions of the devil. 11 However, after His long fast, He was hungry. The devil, who wished to know whether the promised Messiah was really hidden within that mortal form, came and said to Him: " If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." Jesus refused to make Himself known to the demon; nor would He work His first miracle to alleviate His own wants. " Man lives not by bread alone," answered He, " but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Then the devil took Him to Jerusalem upon the roof of one of the porticoes of the Temple, and said: " If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down, for it is written that He hath given His angels charge over Thee and in their hands shall they bear Thee up lest perhaps Thou dash Thy foot* against a stone." He pointed out to Jesus the court where the people were crowding into the Temple. But Jesus did not wish to shine before the people in such vain proceedings, and simply answered : " It is written again, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." The devil now made a last trial. He took Jesus to a neighboring mountain of the Quarantania, which to-day is called the Mount of the Temptation. Thence he showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory: "All this will I give Thee," exclaimed Satan, " if Thou wilt fall do^n and adore me." At sight of this bold pride, Jesus, so calm throughout, cried out sternly: " Begone, Satan, for it is written the Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and Him only shalt thou serve." 11 St. Thomas, Summa Theologise, 3© p. Quest. XLI. LIFE OF CHRIST. 27 The conquered demon went away, and angels came and cared for the wants of Jesus. Our Saviour wished to teach us that none, even among the holiest, is free from temptation, and to show us that the strongest temptation is weak in the presence of prayer and fasting. 12 CHAPTEE III. The First Disciples. I, Andrew and John; St. John, I, 29-51. — The long fast in the desert was in the immediate preparation which Jesus made for His public ministry. He was thirty years of age, the age of manhood, the age marked out by the Jews as the time when one was fitted to enter upon any great duty, whether civil or religious. 13 Jesus came down from Mount Quarantania and stopped on the bank of the Jordan not far from where John was baptizing. It was about the middle of February. 14 When John saw Him in the distance, he cried out to his followers : " Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who taketh away the sins of the world. " 15 John then testified, in a touching manner, that Jesus was the Chosen One of the Holy Ghost and the Son of God. 12 The Church, inspired by the example of our Saviour, has. from apostolic times, established the fast of the forty days of Lent. A convent of Greek monks, hewn out in the rock, marks the place to which our Saviour retired on Mount Quarantania. 13 Ollivier, Les Amities de Jesus, 19. 14 As we have seen, tradition fixes the baptism of Jesus on January 6th: His arrival at the Jordan then was about Febru- ary 16th or 17th. 15 The Church uses these words at the Communion of the Mass. 28 LIFE OF CHRIST. As Jesus was passing the next day, he repeated those words to two of His disciples: " Behold the Lamb oi God." It was, says the Gospel, about four o'clock 16 in the afternoon/ 7 the hour in which the symbolic lamb was slain and offered in the Temple, and to this John doubtless referred. The two went to Jesus at once and followed Him. Seeing them draw near, He asked: "What seek you?" And they replied: "Master, where dwellest Thou ? " " Come and see," replied Jesus. He showed them the shelter under which He had spent two days. They remained with Him that evening, which was enough to attach them to Him for- ever. They were Andrew and John (the Evangelist), both Galilean fishermen,' from Bethsaida on the borders of Genesareth. II, Simon Peter. — - Andrew had a brother named Simon, a fisherman like himself. He also came to hear the preaching of John the Baptist, who said to him: " We have found the Messiah." Afterwards he took him to Jesus. When Jesus saw him, He said thou art Simon, the son of Jona, then added that henceforth he should be called Cephas, that is Peter, a rock. Our Saviour was preparing for the future by giv- ing the name of Peter to that disciple on whom, as on a foundation, He would build the spiritual edifice of His Church. 18 II, Philip and Bartholomew. — To these first three 16 " It was about the tenth hour."— St. John, I. 39. St. John counts from the sixth hour in the morning, as the Jews often did after the captivity of Babylon. — Fouard. I, 156. 17 *If the Evangelist reckoned the hour according to the Roman style, the tenth hour was 10 o'clock in the morning. According to the Hebrew style it would be 4 o'clock in the afternoon. — Spen- cer's New Trans.)' Translator. 18 For the sense of these words, see the Confession of Peter later on. LIFE OF CHRIST. 29 disciples, Jesus added a fourth on the next day. Jesus found him by the wayside and simply said : " Follow me." Philip at once took his place behind his Lord. The little group again took the road from Galilee which passes through Samaria. They were probably in the fields of Bethel when Philip met Nathaniel, son of Tolmai. 19 " We have found Him of whom Moses and the prophets wrote/' said Philip — " Jesus, the Son of Joseph, the Nazarene." " Can any good come from Nazareth ? " asked Nathaniel. " Come and see," an- swered the other. Nathaniel went with him to Jesus. " Behold an Israelite, indeed," exclaimed Jesus looking upon him, " an Israelite in whom there is no guile." " How knowest thou me ? " asked the newcomer. " Be- fore Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig- tree, I saw thee," replied Jesus. Then Nathaniel cried out: " Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God, Thou art the King of Israel." In the very place which saw the vision of Jacob, our Saviour said to His new disciples: "Amen, amen, I say to you, you shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." 20 Such was the beginning of the Church. Jesus called a few simple men of good will around Him. Poor Him- self, He always turned to the poor as at Bethlehem. 21 However, the Spirit of God would one day come down and enter the hearts of these weak, unlearned men and make them the means of converting the world. 19 Bar-Tolmai, son of Tolmai. whence we have Bartholomew. — He was from Cana. where the site of his dwelling is still pointed out. 20 Vision of Jacob.— Genesis, XXVIII, 12. 21 Nathanael (Bartholomew) alone was educated and of easy 30 LIFE OF CHRIST. CHAPTER IV. The Wedding at Cana. st. john, ii. Three days after His departure from the Jordan, 22 Jesus, with His disciples, came to Cana, 23 a small village not far from Nazareth. They had been invited to a marriage-feast. The Blessed Virgin was also there. Whilst they were at table the wine ran short. Mary remarked this to her son. Jesus alone knew the hour in which He would show forth His di- vine power. Yet His answer made Mary feel that something great was preparing. " Why do you ask Me, mother," 24 said He, " My hour is not yet come." Mary then told the waiters to do whatever He should command. After some minutes, Jesus ordered them to fill with water six large vessels which were generally used for washing. Then He bade them draw out and carry to the chief 25 steward. This man was astounded to find that it was wine, and of the finest quality. Great too was the surprise of those who had filled the water-pots, and their wonder soon spread throughout the whole assem- circumstances. Artists of the middle ages generally represent him with a rich mantle adorned with precious stones. 22 The die tertia of St. John is even translated as " the third dav of the week." 23 About three miles northeast of Nazareth. To-day called Kefr-Kenna, of 600 inhabitants — Guerin. Galilee. T - l^S. 24 This is the sense of the Hebrew idiom : " Mulier" a term of respect and tenderness, can be translated " Mother." 25 Arcliitrichlinus , a kind of guest-master or chief servant, who superintends the details of the banquet; or, perhaps, an invited pruest who took unon himself th^ rare of thpse things. — Diction- naire de la Bible de Vigouroux, Vo Architriclinus. m ! ; ©.i;. *■■ ^ ;■,!! ill 1 ! 03 ■W _^_ : i ■' : ii' ^'^'ry /fs LIFE OF CHRIST. 31 bly. " This was the first miracle of Jesus/' says St. John; " He thus showed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him." Tradition holds that the husband of this marriage followed Jesus and became Simon (the Cananean), and that the wife became a companion of the Blessed Virgin. 26 CHAPTER V. Capharnaum axd the Lake of Gexesaketh. After the miracle of Cana, St. John tells us that Jesus went down to Capharnaum with His mother, His brethern, 27 and His disciples; He remained here some time, probably six or seven weeks, preaching and work- ing miracles. Capharnaum rises on the western shore of Lake Gen- esareth, a little towards the north. Henceforth this is to be the chosen city of Jesus. He often made long sojourns in this place, doubtless in the house of St. Peter, and worked a great number of miracles ; He here healed the servant of the centurion, St. Peter's mother- in-law, a paralytic, one possessed of the devil, and raised Jairus' daughter to life. He often preached in the synagogue at Capharnaum. 26 The Church of the Franciscans is supposed to be built on the site of the wedding-house. Recent researches have discov- ered, on this spot, the remains of a great church built by St. Helena. — A relic of the wedding-feast at Cana has just been found in Phocis. It is the marble stone which served as a table for our Lord. — See Bacnez, Manuel biblique, 337. 27 By "brethren," the Gospels, following the genius of the Hebrew language, mean his cousins-german, James, Jude, Joseph, and Simon, sons of Cleophas (Alpheus) and of Mary, sister of the Blessed Virgin. — ■ Fouard, I, Appendix, V, and Ollivier, Les Amities de Jesus, Chap. III. 32 LIFE OF CHRIST. The whole surrounding country too saw the presence of its Saviour. A short distance to the northwest was Chorozain; and to the south lay Bethsaida, the birth- place of Andrew, of Peter, of Philip, and of John. Then the rich plain of Grenesareth stretched out to the south of Bethsaida; and lower down was Magdala, the birthplace of Mary Magdalen, and Tiberias, a city built by Herod in honor of Tiberius. 28 The Lake of Genesareth, also called the Sea of Tibe- rias, is about sixteen miles long and eight miles wide. It is formed by the Jordan in the crater of an extinct volcano, and is about 575 feet below the level of the Mediterranean Sea. Many a time has the boat of Jesus traversed this lake. Here -He stilled the tempest, and here caused the two miraculous draughts of fishes to be taken. He was wont to retire into the solitudes of its eastern shore to pray. The fertility of its neighbor- hood and its pleasing appearance have drawn upon it the name of Terrestrial Paradise. To-day instead of rich cities, smouldering ruins deck the borders of this lake; only a few fishermen's boats may be seen on its waters; turmoil and bustle have given place to solitude and silence. This is the desola- tion foretold by Jesus. 29 28 Tiberias still exists and is called Thabarieh, The other . cities along the borders of the lake have so completely disap- peared that travellers are not agreed upon their sites. — Guerin, Galilee, I, 226. He identifies Capharnaum with Tell-Houm; Corozai'n with Kharbet-Kerazeh ; Bethsai'de with Kharbet Khan- el-Minieh; Magdala with El-Medjdel. 29 St. Matthew, XI, 21-24. II. THE FIRST YEAR OF THE MINISTRY OF JESUS, APRIL 27 — APRIL 28 (YEAR OF ROME* 780, 781.) CHAPTER I. The First Passover at Jerusalem. I, The Pasch; the Sellers Driven from the Temple; St. John, II, 12-25. — After His first stay at Caphar- naum, Jesus joined the pilgrims from Galilee and went with them to Jerusalem. On His arrival in the Holy City, he went up into the Temple to pray. It was an old custom for merchants to enter the hall of the Temple where they sold oxen, sheep, and doves to those who wished to offer sacrifice; likewise the money-changers who supplied foreign Jews w T ith na- tional money; for none other would be taken as offer- ings. This caused great disorder and, indeed, pro- faned the sacred edifice. 1 At sight of this, Jesus was angry. Plaiting a scourge with small cords, He drove out the sellers with their oxen and their sheep. In like manner, He cast out the changers, overturning their tables and pouring their bags of money on the floor. To those who sold doves, the offerings of the 'poor, He simply i Fretti, I, 326. 3 33 . > ' 34 LIFE OF CHRIST. said: " Take these things hence and make not the house of my Father a house of traffic." His disciples, sur- prised at first, soon remembered the words of the Psalm: "Zeal for Thy house hath devoured Me." 2 They applied them to Jesus, and their faith in Him was strengthened. When the first moment of stupor had passed, the Scribes 3 and priests asked Jesus to show them a sign that He had a right to act thus. The day will come, Jesus answered, when you w T ill destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up." He spoke thus, in a hidden manner, of His own body, the true Holy of Holies, and of His Resurrection. The Jews grew angry at these words, for they did not understand their true meaning. " It took forty- six years of labor to build this Temple," 4 cried they, " and will you raise it up in three days ? " They de- spised Him for this answer, and, a little later, they brought it forth in another form as a crime against Him. Even the disciples did not grasp its meaning until after the Resurrection. II, Nicodemus; St. John, III, 1-21. — During the feast of the Pasch, Jesus wrought several miracles, and many believed in Him. Among those who were moved 2 Psalms, LVIII, 10. 3 The Scribes were originally appointed to transcribe the sacred text. After the captivity of Babylon, simple copyists as they were, they became doctors of the law, whose duty it was to inter- pret and teach the law. At the time of our Lord, they possessed much authority and generally much pride. 4 These words are of capital importance in fixing the chro- nology of the Scripture. Herod the Great began to rebuild the Temple in the eighteenth year of his reign ( Josephus, Antiquities, XV, II, 1), the year of Rome 734. It then is 780 that the Jews uttered these words, and this date is that on which Jesus first attended the Pasch. Jesus was at this time " about thirty years of age," 749-780. LIFE OF CHRIST. 35 by his words and his actions was a Sanhedrite called Nicodemus, a man rich and learned, but timid. He came to our Saviour by night, and had a long talk with Him. Jesus spoke to him of being born again by water and the Holy Ghost, that is, of Baptism, without which he could not enter the kingdom of God; and spoke of the mysterious workings of the Holy Spirit who enlightens whomsoever He will. He granted him a glimpse of His Passion, and revealed to him the in- finite goodness of God. " As Moses lifted up the brazen serpent in the desert," said Jesus to him, " so must the Son of Man " 5 be lifted up that those who be- lieve in Him may not perish, but may have life ever- lasting. God so loved the world as to give it His only begotten Son — that the world might be saved by Him." He wished to draw Nicodemus to an open con- fession of faith. In ending their conversation, Jesus said: " He who acts according to the truth, comes to light." Notwithstanding all this, the small-souled jSTicodemus did not accept the faith as yet. However, three years later we find him speaking in favor of Jesus in the Sanhedrin. We see him also on Calvary seek- ing the lifeless body of his Master and his God. 5 [Son of Man.] For this name and the names of our Saviour used in the Gospels, see Bacnez et Vigouroux, Manuel biblique, III, 656. 36 LIFE OF CHRIST. CHAPTER II. Jesus in Judea — The Last Testimony of John the Baptist — His Imprisonment. I, Jesus in Judea; St. John, III, 23. — After the Pass- over, Jesus left Jerusalem and, together with His dis- ciples, travelled over the " land of Judea." By this name is meant the whole country which lies to the north of Jerusalem as far as Samaria and south as far as Idumea. Jesus spent eight months in this region (April-December),* preaching penance and announcing the coming of the kingdom of God. The people came to Him in crowds; and He had them baptized by His disciples. Nothing further is known of this long period. It was doubtless during these journeyings that Judas " Iscariot "* (man of Kerioth), 6 who was to be- come the traitor, took his place among the followers of Jesus as His disciple. II, The Last Testimony of John the Baptist. — Meanwhile, John the Baptist had departed from Beth- any on the Jordan and had gone to Oenon (the sources), near the village of Salina. He was still preaching and baptizing. Some were displeased to see the people, who came to Jesus, receive Baptism at the hands of His disciples. They complained of the mat- ter to John. But he, instead of heeding their com- plaints, took occasion to render a last testimony to Jesus: "I am not Christ,"" said he, "but am sent before Him. * * * He must increase but I must decrease.*" He compared Jesus to a bridegroom whose 6TCeriotTi. n village of Judea, west of the Dead Sea; to-day called Keritei'n. LIFE OF CHRIST. 37 bride is the Nation of Israel and all humanity; he him- self being only a friend of the bridegroom in whose glory he is happy. " He who believes in the Son," he adds, " has life everlasting; but he who does not be- lieve in the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." Ill, The Precursor in Prison. — The Messiah has re- vealed Himself by his works; the Precursor may now disappear. John learned that Herod (Antiphas), te- trarch of Galilee, had put away his lawful wife, the daughter of Aretas, king of Petra, 7 and was living in sin with Herodias, his niece and sister-in-law, the wife of his brother Philip, who was still living. 7 8 He went to Herod's palace at Tiberias, and chid him sternly for his conduct, telling him that it was not lawful for him to marry his brother's wife. Herod was seized with rage and presently had his sol- diers drag John as a prisoner to the fortress of Mach- eronta, east of the Dead Sea. He passed a year in this dungeon; then died a victim to the vengeance of Hero- dias. 7 Dictionnaire de la Bible, V<> Aretas IV Philoderne. 8 On the family of Herod the Great, and the marriage of Anti- phas, see Fouard, I, 211. 38 LIFE OF CHRIST. CHAPTER III. The Samaeitan Woman. The Pharisees began to grow uneasy at the success which followed the preaching of Jesns in Judea. They heard that He baptized greater numbers and made more converts than had John. Jesus, knowing these rumors and the onset which was brewing, thought it best to retire from Judea. So He went back to Gal- ilee. He took the shortest route, which was by Sa- maria. It was now the month of December. 9 The people of Samaria, made up of both Jews and foreigners, had mingled idolatry with the worship of the true God, and had built a temple of their own on Mount Gerizim, and no longer went to Jerusalem for sacrifice. 10 Samaritans and Jews despised each other. Jesus wished to announce the good news to these divided brothers and prepare to rekindle their friendship. At noon He came within sight of Sichar. He was weary; He sat down near JacoVs well while His disciples went into the town to buy bread. This was the well which the patriarch, Jacob, had dug and be- queathed to his son Joseph. Near by Abraham had pitched his tent and raised the first altar to Jehovah. This place recalls many biblical incidents. 9 Soon Jesus will say to His apostles : " It is yet four months to the harvest." The sowing-time of Judea is the month of No- vember and the harvest is in April. Jesus passed " Jacob's well," on his return from Judea in December. 10 The ancient sichem or roll of parchment, containing the five books of Moses and dating back to the fourth century B. C, is still preserved in the synagogue at Naplouse. It is known as the Samaritan Pentateuch. LIFE OF CHRIST. 39 While Jesus' thoughts were dwelling on these things of the past, a Samaritan woman from Sichar came to the well for water. Jesus wished to make this woman the means of converting her people, sinner though she was, and thus addressed her: " Give me to drink." But she replied in surprise : " How can you, a Jew, ask a Samaritan for a drink? You well know that Jews will have nothing to do with Samaritans." " If you knew the grace which God gives you," an- swered Jesus, " and who asks a drink of you, you would perhaps have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." — " But, sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep; 11 where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and who, together with his children and his cattle, drank therefrom ? " Jesus, knowing her thoughts, made answer: " Whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again; but he who drinks of the water which I will give him shall never thirst again." " Sir, give me this water," said she, " that I may not thirst nor need to come here for water." She took His words in a material sense. But Jesus, wishing to set her aright, gave her light to see that He could read her inmost soul and that He knew her past life. The woman then knew that she was speaking to some one from God; so she brought forth the religious question which divided her people and the Jews. " Our fathers have adored on this mountain," said she, pointing to Gerizim, " and you Jews say that men must adore at Jerusalem." 11 " Jacob's well " is to-day about seventy-five feet deep. It was formerly much deeper. — Guerin, La Samarie, I. 376. ' 40 LIFE OF CHRIST. " Woman, believe me, answered Jesus," the hour is come in which you shall no longer adore the Father on this mountain nor in Jerusalem — the hour comes, it is come, in which the true adorers shall adore the Father in spirit and in truth. Such are the adorers whom the Father seeks. God is a spirit ; and they who adore Him must adore Him in spirit and in truth." This high teaching, this glorious news, touched the woman's heart and turned her thoughts to the Messiah, whom the Samaritans as well as the Jews expected as the one who would scatter all their doubts. " I know," said she, " that Christ, the Messiah, is to come; and when He comes He will teach us all things." Then Jesus said to her: "I, who speak to you, am the Mes- siah." The arrival of the disciples put an end to this mar- vellous speech. The Samaritan woman left her water- pot and ran to Sichar, crying out: " Come and see a man who has told me all that I have done. Is He not Christ? " Great crowds immediately set out for the well. Meanwhile, the disciples besought their Master to partake of some food; but Jesus answered that He had nourishment of which they knew nothing. The disci- ples turned about, asking one another if anyone had brought Him provisions. Jesus saw their mistake, and added: " My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me; and to fulfil His work." Then to make them shares in His labors and in His merits, He continued: " Do you not say it is yet four months to the harvest ? But I say to you, lift up your eyes and see the countries already white for the harvest." He meant the harvest of LIFE OF CHRIST. 41 souls, for He pointed to the people of Sichar who were drawing near. They came and begged Him to stay with them. He spent two days in their midst. Many had already believed in Him through the word of the woman whom He had converted; but a far greatei number soon believed through His own words. Then they said to the woman: "We no longer believe on your word; for we ourselves have heard Him, and we know r that He is Christ, the Saviour of the world." 12 CHAPTER IV. Jesus at Nazareth and at Cana. I, Jesus in the Synagogue at Nazareth. He is Driven from the City; St. Luke, IV, 16. — On leaving Sichar, Jesus continued His journey to Galilee. He preached in the synagogue and His fame spread throughout the whole country. He came to Nazareth, the home of His youth. The citizens, who had heard of the miracles He had worked at Capharnaum, re- ceived Him with eager curiosity. On the Sabbath, Jesus went to the synagogue. 13 12 Over the well of Jacob now stand the ruins of an old Christian church. Sichar is probably a small hamlet situated some hundreds of yards from there. As to the Samaritan woman, tradition holds that she carried the Faith of Christ into Carthage, where her two sons were martyred. She herself died in prison at Rome. Her remains are kept in the basilica of " St. Paul- outside-the-walls." She is honored in this place on the 20th of March, under the name of St. Photina. 13 The Jewish synagogue, of which the rites and arrangement served as a model for the first Christian churches, was a long hall opening towards Jerusalem. It had neither altar nor images. 42 LIFE OF CHRIST. Here he was given the honor of reading and explaining the lessons from the prophets. Unfolding the roll/ 4 He read the passage marked out. It was from Isaias: " The spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He hath anointed Me; He has sent Me to preach to the poor, to heal afflicted hearts, to announce a deliverance to captives, to give sight to the blind, to free those who groan in chains, to proclaim the pardon of the Lord and the day of His justice." 15 Jesus stopped, folded the scroll, handed it to the ser- vant, and sat down. All eyes were riveted upon Him. He began by telling them that the passage of Scripture which they had just heard was, at that very moment, fulfilled. He spoke of the miracles which He had wrought, of the sight given to the blind, of the deaf who were made to hear, and of the good news spread broadcast. 16 They sat and listened in raptures; then began to ask one another: " Is not this Joseph's son? " They besought Him to work miracles for them as He had done at Capharnaum; but Jesus did not wish to satisfy vain curiosity; He showed them that He with- held His wonders for befitting times. Their admiration was quickly changed to anger. They drove Him from the synagogue and led Him to a neighboring cliff, whence they would hurl him head- At the end of the room, a wooden chest inclosed the sacred books. A lamp was kept continually burning before this chest. The part nearest this chest, or ark, as it was called, formed the sanctuary, where the first places were and the tribune of the lectors. The people occupied the nave. At first a passage was read from the Pentateuch, then the Prophecies were read. 14 The Museum of Cluny, at Paris, is intended exclusively for Jewish productions. Here the " role " or volumen is found and most other articles used in religious worship. 15 Isaias, LXI, 1, 2. 16 This passage gave Ary Sheffer the inspiration for his beau- tiful painting, Christus Consolator. LIFE OF CHRIST. 43 long. But His hour was not yet come; so He passed through their midst and went His way. 17 II, Jesus at Cana. He heals the son of the king's officer; St. John, IV, 46. — Jesus went from Nazareth to Cana. Here he met one of Herod's officers from Capharnaum, who begged Him to come and heal his son, then lying at the point of death. " Unless you see signs and wonders/' said Jesus, " you do not be- lieve." " Lord, come down before my poor child dies," replied the ruler. Jesus was touched by his sor- row and said: " Go, your child lives." The officer de- parted with firm faith, and as he drew near the city, he met his servants who told him that his son was well. He found that the boy had begun to grow better at the very time in which he spoke to Jesus. He and his whole family believed in Jesus. 18 17 At about a mile and a quarter south of ancient Nazareth, almost opposite Thabor, is a stony peak elevated about 1,380 feet above the plain. It is called the " Rock of Precipitation." Ac- cording to tradition, the Jews conducted Jesus to this place. 18 Tradition says that the officer of Capharnaum was Chusa, a servant of Herod (a descendant of the famous Aman). His wife, Johanna, soon after became a companion of the Blessed Virgin and the other holy women who followed Jesus. 44 LIFE OF CHRIST. CHAPTEE V. Jesus in the Region of Genesaeeth. I, Definite Calling of the First Disciples; St. Mark, I, 16. — From Cana Jesus went to the borders of Lake Genesareth, and took up His abode at Capharnaum. The disciples whom He had called at Bethany before had not followed Him constantly since that time. Jesus wished to attach them to Himself in a positive manner. Going then to Bethsaida, where they were, he met Simon Peter and Andrew, both busily casting their nets in the lake. " Come with me," said Jesus, " and I will make you fishers of men." They left their nets and followed Him without a moment's delay. Then Jesus saw James and John in another boat, with their father, Zebedee, mending their nets. At the call of their Master, they too left all things and followed him. II, The Miraculous Draught of Fishes; St. Luke, V, 1. — Some days later, Jesus happened to be on the shore of the lake; Peter and the other disciples had been working with their nets the whole night and had caught nothing. They had just rowed their boats to shore. The crowd pressed about Jesus, eager to hear Him. Entering the boat with Peter He told him to draw back a little from the shore; thence he taught the people. When He had ceased speaking, He said to Peter: " Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught." They cast out and caught so great a number of fish that their nets were breaking; and the two ships were filled. At this Peter threw himself at LIFE OF CHRIST. 45 his Master's feet and exclaimed: " Depart from me, O, Lord, for I am a sinful man ! " The other disciples were equally affected. " Fear not/' answered Jesus, " henceforth thou shalt catch men." Fishers of men ! Such was the ministry Jesus had marked out for His disciples. Their first labor was a type of the noble mission which was in store for them. The lake is a symbol of the world. The great number of fish which they caught in their nets typified the great number of souls they would convert by their words. Jesus thus unveiled the future to them as a glorious and laborious time which awaited them. Indeed, on the day of Pentecost, the first casting of the net, Peter gathered in 3,000 souls, and at the second casting, he took 5,000. Souls always entered Peter's net. The other fishers were only his helpers. Of all the bishops, the successor of Peter alone seals his letters with the fisherman's ring. 19 Ill, Miracles at Capharnaum; St. Mark, I. — In the meantime, our Lord had spent a Sabbath at Ca- pharnaum. A chapter of St. Mark shows us how much our Saviour generally did in one day. He attended the morning office in the synagogue. When the prayers were ended, He spoke ; and " they were aston- ished at His doctrine, for He taught as one having power and not as the Scribes were wont to do." Among them He found a man possessed of a devil. 20 19 Frette, I, 407. Le carton de Raphael ; la peche miraculeuse. 20 Possession among the ancient pagans and even the Jews was as common as it is to-day among infidels. It showed certain symptoms which would not permit it to be confounded with any natural malady, for instance, to speak and to understand un- known languages, to reveal secrets, to perform actions contrary to physical law. The Church combats it by prayer and exor- cisms. See Jaugey. Diet ionn aire apologetiqae de la foi catholique. Article Possession Diabolique. 46 LIFE OF CHRIST. " Leave us," cried the man, or rather the demon from his mouth, " what do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are; the Holy One of God." " Speak no more," commanded Jesus, " and go out of the man." The devil obeyed. The man was lying down writhing in convulsions, but soon he arose free and unhurt. Those who saw this prodigy were astonished, and asked what was this power which even the evil spirits obeyed. Many of them believed in Jesus and praised His name in their own neighborhood. Jesus went from the synagogue to the house of Simon Peter, whose mother-in-law he then cured of a dangerous fever. " He took her by the hand," says St. Mark, " and at once the fever left her and she began to serve them." The sun had just set and the rest ordered by law was at an end. The inhabitants brought their sick to Jesus; and He, laying His hands upon them, healed them. By a single word, He delivered those pos- sessed. Jesus spent the whole night in bestowing favors of this kind, and when the dawn appeared, He went to a desert place to pray. There His disciples found Him later. " Everybody is seeking for you," said they to Him. " Come then," answered Jesus, who wished to escape the expression of public gratitude, " let us go into the neighboring towns and cities. I must preach there also; for I am come to preach." 21 21 The Synagogue of Capharnaum was discovered in I860 by Captain Wilson. Its ruins give evidence of a magnificent edifice. See Guerin les a visitees et decrites. Galilee, I, 228, et Let Terr e Sainte, 327. On these ruins, are those of an old church sup- posed to have been built on the site of St. Peter's house. LIFE OF CHRIST. 47 CHAPTEE VI. Jesus at Galilee and at Capharnaum. I, First Mission in Galilee. The Healing of a Leper; St. Mark, I, 38. — Jesus spent the remainder of this first year, to the Pasch, going about Galilee teaching in the synagogues, preaching the Gospel, and healing the sick and infirm. We know but one deed of this mission, the healing of a leper. Lepers were banished from society and kept beyond the gates of the city. 22 They wore a special garment and were obliged to warn passers-by of their presence. One of these unfortu- nates came and threw himself at Jesus' feet, crying: " Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." Jesus touched him and said: " I will. Be thou made clean." He then ordered him to do as the law bade them to do on becoming clean; and He also forbade him to tell anyone of the cure. But the leper blazoned it abroad as a mark of thanks to his benefactor; and the crowd grew larger and larger in the footsteps of Jesus. II, A paralytic cured at Capharnaum. Question as to the forgiveness of sins; St. Luke, Y. 17. — -Again at Capharnaum, Jesus continued to teach the people. One day as He was speaking, some Scribes and Phari- sees came to spy upon His actions. Certain men who carried a paralytic, not being able to make their way into the house through the crowd, went upon the roof, made an opening, and let down the sick man at Jesus' 22 It is the same in Palestine to-day. — Laudrieux, Aux pays du Christ, 180, 321. In the middle ages, the lepers were also ban- ished. At the present time lepers are excluded from society wherever they are found. 48 LIFE OF CHRIST. feet. Jesus saw the paralytic's heart and was touched by his great faith. " Son," said He, " thy sins are for- given thee." God alone could forgive sins; this was the first time man had taken that power upon himself, The Phari- sees were scandalized, and murmured within them- selves that He blasphemed. But Jesus knew their thoughts, and by working a great miracle, proved that He had divine power. " Which is easier to say," asked He, " thy sins are forgiven, or arise, take up thy bed, and walk ? " They were silent. Then Jesus turned to the sick man and said: " To show you that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins, I say to thee, arise, take up thy bed and go into thy house." Immediately the para- lytic arose, took up his couch and went home glorifying God. Thus, our Divine Lord clearly showed that He had power to forgive sins. Later on we find Him bestow- ing this self-same power on His apostles. To this, the Sacrament of Penance traces its origin. Ill, Matthew called; St. Luke, V, 27. — Jesus adds a publican to the six disciples already chosen. The publicans were Jewish officers whose duty it was to collect taxes for the Romans. They were hated by their fellow countrymen because the tribute which they gathered was unlawful and always reminded them of bygone servitude. They were looked upon as trait- ors to their country, as ungodly men and apostates. They were scorned like criminals or pagans. Jesus went among these outcasts to select one of His apostles. The publican Levi had his office on the lake shore, LIFE OF CHRIST. 49 where he gathered tax on all kinds of merchandise that passed by in caravans. Jesus saw him and simply uttered the words: " Follow me." Levi left all things and followed the Lord, who changed his name to Mat- thew, which means " gift of God." Doubtless the publican had already heard the preach- ing of Jesus; his prompt obedience is, indeed, a beauti- ful example of the true way to answer the call of Grace. St. Matthew was also to receive the glorious title of Evangelist. 4 k ] B, VLtf V-:---- 11,11 A «- - - jiiw ill I ' III. THE SECOND YEAR OF JESUS 1 MINISTRY, APRIL 28-29, A. D. (YEAR OF ROME, 781-782). CHAPTER I. The Second Pasch at Jerusalem. I, The Second Pasch. — Jesus was just entering upon the second year of his public life. As He had done the year before, He now joined a band of pilgrims and went to the Holy City for the feast of the Pass- over. This stay at Jerusalem is marked by the cure of the infirm man at the pool of Bethesda. II, The Pool of Bethesda; St. John, V, 2.— There was, near the Sheep gate/ a pool called Bethesda which in Hebrew means " house of mercy." It had five porches; 2 upon these lay a great number of sick, blind, lame, and withered, waiting for the mov- ing of the water. An angel of the Lord came down 1 The Sheep Gate is east of Jerusalem near the Temple. Some translate according to the Greek that there " was near the pool of Prqbatica (or of sheep) a pool called Bethesda." The pool of Probatiea is identical with the Birket-Israil, or ancient pool. 2 The pool of Bethesda was northwest of St. Anne's Church. It was found by M. Mauss in 1875; the architect of St. Anne's. — See Baron Lud. de Vaux. La piscine de Bethesda. 51 52 LIFE OF CHKIST. at certain times and stirred the waters. He that went into the water first after the angel's coming was cnred of his infirmity, whatever it might be. A poor man was lying there who had been afflicted for thirty-eight years. Having no one to help him into the water at the favorable moment, he waited hope- lessly. " Wilt thou be made whole ? " asked Jesus, moved with pity. " Sir," said the unhappy man, " I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is troubled; and when I try to go alone, another goes before me." " Arise, take up thy bed and walk," said Jesus. The sick man took his bed and went away en- tirely cured. Jesus had already hid himself in the midst of the crowd. Ill, The Question of The Sabbath. — This was the Sabbath-day. The law had always been strict, but the Pharisees had added many things and had drawn up the most ridiculous rules; as for instance, not to carry the least burden, even to a fan, not to write two letters of the alphabet at one time, not to gather any fruit or vegetables, not to kill an insect. 8 The jealous-hearted 3 The Pharisees had drawn up as many as 1,279 rules which it was necessary to observe to sanctify the Sabbath day properly. Behold some of the prohibitions imposed by them; they srive some idea of the rigor in which they interpreted the law : " The blind were forbidden to use their cane on the Sabbath; every Jew was forbidden to carry the least burden, even a fan, a false tooth, a ribbon not sewed on the clothing. They were forbidden to write two letters of the alphabet in succession; to kill an insect that bothered you; to rub a rheumatic member; to bathe an aching tooth with vinegar, much less to swallow the liquid. They were forbidden to throw more grain to the poultry than they could consume, lest the remainder should grow and would seem to have been sown on that day. If Friday evening came upon them whilst making a journey, though they were in the woods or in the fields, exposed to wind or rain, or attacked by robbers, they were forbidden to pursue their way. * * * Shammai passed LIFE OF CHRIST. 53 Scribes and Pharisees accused Jesus of violating the Sabbath by ordering the man to carry his bed. Our Saviour turned their murmurs into a clear proof of His •Divinity. He declared that He was the Son of God and equal to Him; He cited His miracles as a mark of His Divinity and referred His opposers to the Scrip- tures, which gave testimony of Him. So, if He was God, did He not have command over the Sabbath? These words served only to enrage the Jews; and they sought to put Him to death. CHAPTEE II. Jesus Returns to Galilee. I, Plucking the Wheat; St. Luke, VI, 1.— After the Pasch, Jesus went back to Galilee. The next Sab- bath He was with His disciples a short distance from Cana. Being hungry, the disciples plucked some wheat, which they ate after rubbing it in their hands and blow- ing out the chaff. Some Scribes and Pharisees were mingled in the crowd that followed Jesus. They watched His every action and tried to turn it to a fault. They now declared that this deed was unlawful on the Sabbath. Jesus took the part of His disciples thus unjustly accused. He told these rigid critics that He preferred all his time meditating by what practices he could observe the sacred repose most rigorously." Fouard, I, 275, note. — It is known that the Pharisees pressed the rigor so far as to allow themselves to drown rather than save their l\fe on the Sabbath dav. 54 LIFE OF CHRIST. mercy to sacrifice, that is, goodness of heart rather than too much strict observance. He told them that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath, and that He, the Son of Man, was Lord of the Sabbath. II, He did not condemn the Sabbath, but merely the foolish prohibitions men had added to the command- ment of the Lord. 3 III, The Man With a Withered Hand; St, Luke, VI, 6. — Some time afterwards, also on the Sabbath, Jesus went into a synagogue. Among those present was a man with a withered hand. The Scribes and Pharisees were again present, perhaps the same that were in the fields near Cana; they wondered whether He dared heal a sick man on the Sabbath. Jesus knew their thoughts; so He said to the man: " Arise and stand forth in the midst of the crowd. " Then turning to His enemies: " I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath-day, or is it not ? May we save a creature of God or must he perish ? " As they made no answer, He answered for them: " What man is there among you if he own but one sheep, and that sheep falls into a pit on the Sabbath-day, will he not think it lawful to draw him out at once ? But how much better is a man than a sheep ! It is then lawful to do good on the Sabbath." " Stretch forth your hand," said He to the man. He did so, and it became as sound as the other. The Phari- sees, angry at their defeat, left the synagogue and plotted to do away with Jesus. 3 A field, northeast of Cana, near the hamlet of Touran, is called " Field of the Ears." LIFE OF CHRIST. 55 CHAPTEE III. Jesus at Capharnaum and Galilee — The Twelve Apostles. The Twelve Apostles Chosen; St. Luke, VI, 12. — To avoid the wicked Pharisees, Jesus went to Caphar- naum, His usual dwelling-place on the border of Gen- esareth. People came to Him from all the neighbor- ing regions, from Galilee, from Judea, from Jerusalem, from Idumea, and from beyond the Jordan. He spent several days preaching to these multitudes, healing their sick, and delivering the possessed. Then He sought the solitude of a neighboring mountain, where He passed the night in prayer. He thus prepared Him- self for the most important actions of His ministry. Tradition points out a hill with a double summit, the Horns of Hattin (Koroun-Hattin), as the place where Jesus prayed this night. It is about five miles west of the Lake of Tiberias. Christians have called it the Mount of Beatitudes, in memory of the sermon which our Lord preached thereon. The next morning, Jesus called His disciples, who slept at some distance from Him, and chose twelve of them whom He named apostles. Of the twelve, seven have already been mentioned; Simon-Peter and Andrew, sons of Jonah, James and John, sons of Zebedee; and Philip; these five were all from Bethsaida; Bartholomew, of Cana; Matthew, the publican, of Capharnaum. The five others are James, the Minor, and Jude, cousins of our Saviour; Thomas and Simon, of Cana; Judas, the man of Kerioth 56 LIFE OF CHRIST. (Iscariot), the only one who came from Judea; all the others were from Galilee. 4 AH, except Bartholomew, were from the laboring class of people, fishermen, unlearned and unknown. Such were the men whom Jesus took for his daily com- panions, and in whom He was to confide the great work of founding His Church. Yet He would make them new men by sending the Holy Ghost upon them. CHAPTER IV. The Sermon on the Mount. 5 I, The Beatitudes; St. Matthew, V.— The Hill of Hattin, on which Jesus prayed, is about 750 feet high on the north side, towards the valley of Oued-el-Hamam, Between its two peaks, which are about 400 paces apart, is an uneven plateau. When Jesus came down from the cliff, He found a great crowd awaiting Him in this place. 6 First of all, He healed the sick and 4 The Evangelists always group the apostles in three series : lo Simon-Peter, 2<> Philip, 3° James ( son of Al- pheus or the Minor Andrew, Bartholomew, Simon (of Cana), James (son Thomas,, Jude, of Zebedee)^ John, Matthew, Judas. 5 Boussuet, in his Meditations sur FEvangile, has given an admirable commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, and especi- ally on the Beautitudes and the Our Father. 6 This description (Guerin, Galilee, I, 193) reconciles the ac- counts of St. Matthew and St. Luke, the former of whom places the Sermon on a Mountain, while the latter places it on the plain in loco compestri. This plain was the plateau between the two summits. LIFE OF CHRIST. 57 delivered the possessed, then He sat down to teach. The Gospels have kept the sweet words wilich fell from His lips on this occasion. They form the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus began by giving out the eight Beatitudes; the first time the world had ever heard them. Blessed are the pure in spirit, for theirs is the King- dom of Heaven. Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the land. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be com- forted. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall have their fill. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy, Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. To this recital Jesus added this terrible anathema, as if to make His meaning clearer : " Woe to you who are rich, for you have your consolation. Woe to you who are filled, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when men shall praise you, for your fathers gave praise to the false prophets. " This was a complete overthrow of worldly, and even Jewish sentiments on this subject. Jesus brought forth a new doctrine and, as it were, a new theory of good which men would find henceforth in self-denial, in trials, and in patient suffering for right and justice. II, The Our Father; St. Matthew, VI, 9.— As yet man had no fixed form of prayer. The Jews them- 58 LIFE OF CHRIST. selves went much amiss in prayer; it often became mere show; the Eabbis wanted long prayers and a multitude of words. " When you pray," said Jesus, " be not as the hypocrites who love to stand and pray in the syna- gogues and on the street-corners before the eyes of men. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But you; when you pray, enter your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. When you pray, do not speak at great length as the heathens do; they think that they will be heard on account of the abundance of their words. Be not like them for your Father knows, before you ask, what is needful for you. But pray after this manner: " Our Father, who art in Heaven; hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven; give us this day our daily bread; 7 and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive also those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil." Amen. This new prayer was simple, but complete. For the first time, man called God his Father. He must forget himself to think first of God and His glory. He ends by naming a few of his true needs. The true form of prayer has been given; it suffices for all; and man, whatever be his condition, can never ask for more. Ill, Trust in Providence; St. Matthew, VI, 25. — After this, Jesus, in the simplest terms, and with the most familiar comparisons, urged them to trust firmly in Divine Providence : " Do not worry for your life 7 An allusion to the custom in Palestine of preparing only suf- ficient bread for one day. None of it is kept for the morrow. LIFE OF CHRIST. 59 as to what you shall eat, or for your body as to what you shall wear. * * * See the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap, yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they? And which of you, howsoever he may try, can add one moment to the length of his life ? 8 . And why are you bothered about raiment? Con- sider how the lilies of the field grow; s they neither labor nor spin. And yet, I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed as one of these. If, then, God so clothes the grass of the field which blooms to-day and to-morrow is cast into the fire, how much more will he do for you, O you of little faith ! * * * Seek first the Kingdom of God and His justice, and all these things will be added unto you. Be not worried for the morrow; the morrow will worry for it- self. Each day's trouble is enough for that day." a IV, Reconciliation; the Love of Enemies. — Jesus gave a new teaching about reconciliation and the man- ner of acting towards enemies, one which had never be- fore been heard. " If, when you take your offering to the altar," said He, you remember that your brother has anything against you, leave your offering before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. You have heard it said: An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. 10 But I 8 The Greek text (St. Matthew, VI, 27), gives this translation. See Fouard, I, 315 a note I. 9 " By lilies of the field is not meant what we call lilies, but anemones (wind-flowers) and tulips, which cover the fields of Judea in the spring." — Fouard, I, 315. (a)" Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof." — Douay edition. 10 " Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, wound for wound." — Exodus, XXI, 24. " As he hath done, so shall it be done unto him," — Leviticus, XXIV, 19, and also Deuteronomy, XIX, 21. 60 LIFE OF CHRIST. say, do not resist evil. If one strike you on the right cheek, turn the left to him also. If a man call you to court to take your coat, let him have your cloak also. If a third force you to go a mile with him, go with him two more. Give to him who begs, and lend to him who borrows. You know that it was said: Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 11 But I say: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; pray for those who persecute you and calumniate you. Thus you will be children of your Father in Heaven, who makes the sun rise on both the good and the wicked, and makes the rain fall on both the just man and the sinner." In fine, He concluded: "Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect." V, Comparisons and Expressions; St. Matthew, Y, VI, VII. — Our Lord used many comparisons and ex- pressions in His teachings which have found place in the language of every Christian nation. " You are the salt of the earth," said He to His disciples, " but if the salt lose its savor, how shall it be salted ? It is good for nothing more than to be cast out and to be trodden on by men. You are the light of the world. When men light a candle, they do not put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, 12 to give* light to all those who are in the house." He also spoke of plucking out the eye and cutting off the hand rather than let the whole body perish; of not letting the left hand know what the 11 Our Lord here alludes to the order which God gave to the Israelites to destroy the Amalekites. — Deuteronomy, XXV, 19. 12 The candlestick ( or candelabrum ) was a pedestal on which the lamp was placed. With the poor it was of wood; but with the rich it was of precious metal richly adorned.— See Gubl et Koner, La vie antique, Rome, 257. LIFE OF CHRIST. 61 right hand does; of seeing the mote in another's eye and not the beam in our own; 13 of the blind leading the blind and both falling into the ditch. Then, He added: " Enter in at the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter there. How narrow is the gate and how straight is the way that leads to life, and how few find it ! A good tree brings forth good fruit, and an evil tree brings forth evil fruit. Every tree that does not bring forth good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire. Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they train- pie them under foot, and turn upon you and tear you. Judge not (rashly) and you shall not be judged. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Finally, He said that He had come to fulfil the law and guard not only the act but even the thought which brought it forth. He declared that marriage cannot be broken; and that those alone who do the will of God below can enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Such is the sermon on the Mount. It is a summary of all the moral teachings of Christ. Pagan wisdom and Jewish moral precepts are poor indeed when viewed beside this high doctrine. Jesus brought to clearest light what the former had seen only in a faint glimmering; he finished what the latter had only roughly sketched out. " Consider the teaching of Christ," says Bossuet, " It is so beautiful, so sound that it is the admiration of all nations. For who does not admire purity, sublimity, and power ! It has converted the world; it has peopled the deserts; it 13 " Why do you see a straw ? There is a beam in your own eye and you do not see it." — Bossuet, Med. Sur Y Ev. 28^ journee. 62 LIFE OF CHRIST. has worked wonders to millions of martyrs of all ages, and conditions, so as to make them give up their very life's blood. It has made riches and pleasures despic- able; and through it the honors of the world have lost their splendor." 14 " We bow low/' says Pere Didon, " before this monument of divine power and harmony which towers over all, and which raises Jesus above all other masters. Each century adds to the height of this monument; as the crowd of Galileans admired it, so men of to-day gaze upon it in unmistaken admiration. They look upon it and gain new strength; it shows them the be- ginning of the way; it is a towering pyramid in the midst of the dusty desert of humanity." 15 14 Meditations sur P Evangele, 47 e journee. 15 Didon' s Life of Christ, I, 338. LIFE OF CHKIST. 63 CHAPTEE V. Capharnaum and Naim, I, The Servant of the Centurion from Capharnaum; St. Luke, VII. — Jesus eame down from the mountain and went to Capharnaum with a great train of follow- ers. A touching miracle marks the progress of the journey. The Roman centurion who guarded the post of Capharnaum had a slave who was sick and suffering bitter agony. Contrary to the manner of the Romans, this man was much attached to his slaves, and treated them with much kindness. He besought the Ancients of the city to intercede for him with Jesus. They will- ingly agreed to do all in their power for this generous man; for he, though a pagan, had built a grand syna- gogue for them. 16 " I will come and heal him," said Jesus to these men when they came to him. But, as He drew near the house, the humble centurion cast himself at His feet and exclaimed: " Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof; but only say the word and my servant shall be healed." He added other words which served also to show his firm faith; that faith which called forth from the Mas- ter, these beautiful words of praise: " Amen, I say to you, I have not found such great faith in Israel." As some of the Jews present were scandalized at these words, Jesus told them plainly that the time had come when pagans would replace the ungrateful chil- dren of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob ; and that the latter would be shut out from the banquet and cast 16 See above, page 46 (note), on the Synagogue of Capharnaum. 64 LIFE OF CHRIST. into exterior darkness. 17 He thus referred to Hell, the abode of darkness, in contrast with the brightness of Heaven. Then turning to the centurion, he said: " Go, and as you have believed so let it be done to you." The servant was healed at the same hour. This centurion, who deserved praise from Jesus, has the honor of showing the highest example of faith and humility to Christians of all ages. His words are re- peated by the priest every day at the Communion of the Holy Mass. The faithful Christian who receives his God in his breast, at Holy Communion, could not use sweeter words than those of the man at Capharnaum: " Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter into my breast, but say only the word and my soul shall be healed." 18 II, The Widow's Son at Nairn; St. Luke, VII, 11.— The next day Jesus went to Nairn, 19 about twenty-two miles from Capharnaum. His disciples and a large crowd followed Him. When He reached the gate of the city, He met a funeral train; it bore the only son of a widowed mother. This poor mother walked sadly along before her lifeless son. Jesus was touched with pity at sight of her sorrow. " Weep not," said He, as He drew near and laid His hand upon the litter. He uncovered the young man's face. The pall-bearers stood still. The flute-players and hired mourners, who 17 The Jews sent out invitations for the evening meal. To drive anyone from the feast was to make him go from a bril- liantly lighted hall to utter darkness without. 18 See Mgr. Gaume, Biographies evangglique, he gives a curious treatise on the centurion of Capharnaum. 19 Northeast of the plain of Esdrelon, or southwest of the lake, on the Djebel-Dahy. LIFE OF CHRIST. 65 always went with funerals, became silent. Then were heard the solemn words of our Saviour: " Young man, I say to you, arise. " At once the dead sat up and began to speak. Jesus then gave him to his mother. This miracle was worked before many witnesses. All were seized with fear. Fear always accompanied the sight of anything supernatural, with the Jews. Then they gave glory to God, saying: "A great prophet has risen amongst us; and God has visited His people/' Jesus had just made manifest, for the first time, His power over death. The circumstances which attended this miracle have caused its recital to be inserted in the office of St. Monica — that mother whose child was also brought back from death, not indeed from the death of the body, but from that death a thousand times more terrible, the death of the soul through sin. 20 20 Nairn (Nam) is to-day but a miserable hamlet built on the ruins. A very ancient church, of which some remains are still to be seen, marks the place of the miracle, according to tradi- tion. — See Guerin, Galilee, I, 115. 66 LIFE OF CHEIST. CHAPTER VI. The Conversion of Mary Magdalen. The city of Nairn, which had just seen a body re- stored to life, was now to behold a miracle of far greater splendor; a soul was to be brought back from the horrible death of sin to the glorious life of grace. A rich Pharisee named Simon asked Jesus to dine with him. It was customary, in such cases, for the master of the house to have his servants wash the feet of his guest, whilst he himself kissed his cheek. 21 A box of scented oil was also poured on the visitor's head and feet. 22 Simon, through pride or through fear of the other Pharisees, neglected these duties of hospi- tality. Our Saviour, however, took His place at table. There was, at this time in Nairn, a young woman, Mary of Magdala, 22 sister of Lazarus and Martha. She was rich and beautiful, yet notorious for her bad life. Some days before, Jesus had delivered her from a devil with which she was possessed. 23 Learning now that Jesus was at Simon's house, she went thither and brought a box of perfumes 24 with her. For some mo- ments she stood aloof behind our Saviour's couch, then casting herself at His feet, she bathed them with 21 The kiss, with the Orientals, has always been a mark of respect as well as of tenderness, and a mode of salutation. — Vigouroux, Dictionnaire de la Bible. 22 Mary Magdalen, — Magdala: El Medjdel, on the eastern shore of Lake Genesareth, formerly a fortified city, is to-day a poor hamlet. 23 Ollivier, Les Amities de Jesus, p. 224. 24 The Jews gave free access to their dining-halls. — On the vase of perfumes, see page 137, note 55. LIFE OF CHRIST. 67 her tears, dried them with her long hair, and poured upon them the oils which she had brought. 25 Those present began to be scandalized. Simon es- pecially wondered how his guest could allow such a sinner to come near him. But Jesus read his thoughts : " Simon, I have something to say to you." Speak, Master," added Simon. " A certain creditor had two debtors," began Jesus; " the one owed 500 pence, the other 50. And, as they were unable to pay the debt, he forgave them both. Which of the two loved him more ? " " Without doubt he to whom he forgave more," replied the Pharisee. " You have judged rightly," said Jesus. He then pointed out to Simon the difference between his conduct and that of the sin- ner Mary. He recalled the wilful neglect which he had shown Him, saying: " I came to your house, you gave me no water for my feet; but she has washed my feet with her tears and has wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss; but she has been kissing my feet since she came. You poured no ointment on my head, but she has anointed my feet. Wherefore, I say to you; many sins are forgiven her because she has loved much. But he, to whom less has been forgiven, loves less." Then turning to the humble sinner : " Your faith has brought you salvation ;• go in peace." Mary Magdalen is the model of penitents. Her ex- ample teaches us never to despair of heavenly mercy. Once restored to grace, she never again fell into her past errors. She was henceforth one of those who, 25 The Jews reclined on couches while eating: they derived this custom from the Romans. The shoes were taken off before going to table, and the feet naturally extended outward from the couch. These details explain Mary Magdalen's action. 68 LIFE OF CHRIST. with the Blessed Virgin, followed the footsteps of Jesus. We see her at Bethany, on Calvary, and at the Holy Sepulchre. Throughout she showed the purest affection for her Saviour by an ardent faith and devo- tion. CHAPTER VII. Second Mission in Galilee — Capharnaum. I, Second Mission in Galilee; St. Luke, VIII, 1. — Jesus set out from ISTaim and went towards Galilee, preaching in the towns and villages and to the crowds along the wayside. The twelve apostles were with Him. Some Galilean women — Mary Magdalen the convert, Johanna, wife of Herod's steward Chusa, Susanna of w T hom nothing is known, and several others — followed the little band and helped them by their money and their care. II, Capharnaum; St. Matthew, XII. — After this mission, Jesus went again to Capharnaum. In a house of this city, He cured a deaf-mute who was possessed. As the people were wrapped in admiration and hailed Jesus as the Son of David, the Scribes gratified their selfish pride by saying that He was possessed of a devil and that He cast out devils by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of devils. 26 In a few words, Jesus easily put them to naught: " Every kingdom divided against itself shall fall; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand. If Satan cast out Satan, he is 26 Baal-Zebub, Phoenician god (Etymology: fly-god) sun-god. — The Jews called it the "prince of demons." Vigouroux, Diction- naire de la Bible. LIFE OF CHRIST. 69 divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand ? " Out of revenge they then accused Him of having an unclean spirit. At this, our Saviour was wroth and threatened them with eternal death. He declared they had sinned against the Holy Ghost, 27 which sin would neither be forgiven in this world nor in the next. It was clear they blasphemed the Son of God when they ignored his divinity after seeing His miracles. Their crime was, of its nature, unpardonable, and nothing less than a miracle of grace could save them. "Whilst Jesus was still speaking, word was brought that His mother and His brethren 28 stood without seek- ing Him. But He only asked: " Who is my mother, and who are my brethren ? " Then pointing to His dis- ciples around about, He added: "Behold my mother and my brethren; for he who does the will of my Father in Heaven is my brother, and my sister, and my mother." He did not deny His mother according to the flesh, for she indeed was one of those who did the will of the Father in Heaven. He wanted them to know that He had come to found a great spiritual family, and to build up anew the teaching of human brotherhood. Ill, Teaching of Parables. — Jesus now went to the shore of the lake. A great crowd joined Him later on. He entered a boat which was moored on the bank and sat down. Here He uttered His first parables. 28 27 " Blasphemv against the Spirit. * * * Speaks against the Holy Spirit."— St. Matthew, XII, 31-32. 28 For explanation of "brethren," see page 31, note 27. 29 The parable is an allegory, a species of figurative language, with the most simple and well-known images to represent truths far removed from the common mind; it is a striking manner of teaching which arouses the spirits by something pleasing and makes the mind dwell on one thing by saying another. 70 LIFE OF CHRIST. Henceforth, He would often use this manner of speak- ing, so familiar to the Orientals, who loved the lan- guage of images and figures. Our Lord now thought it well to use this means of spreading His teachings; otherwise He might arouse the lurking hatred of His enemies. Of the parables which He used, doubtless a very great number, the Gospels give twenty-four. Viewed from a literary standpoint, they are graceful composition, equalled by none other. 30 They teem with diverse lessons and food for thought. IV, The Parable of the Sower; St. Matthew, XIII, 8. — Before our Saviour's eyes, lay the rich plain which spread along, from the shores of the lake to the slopes of the neighboring hills, between Capharnaum and Bethsaida. 31 Doubtless some farmer was scattering his grain over the field at that moment. " Behold, the sower went forth to sow," said Jesus, stretching out His hands towards the plain, " and whilst he was sow- 30 The Old Testament, except the riddles of Samson (Judges, XIV, 12) and the parables of Solomon (Kings, III, iv, 32 and; x, i) contains but two parables properly so called: that of Nathan to David, II Kings, xii, 1 ; and that the woman of Thecua, II Kings, xiv, 5. 31 Stanley in his Sinai and Palestine, has thus described it : "A slight sinking of the hill unfolded the great parable to me in all its details and particulars with a perfect exactitude such as I do not remember to have found in any other place of Pales- tine. There was the way without hedge and without ditch, continually being trodden upon by horses, mules or men. The grain might fall on this way, either to the right or to the left. There also was the rich and fertile soil which produced abundant harvest, and which distinguished this plain and its neighborhood from the slopes going down toward the lake. There also was the stony ground appearing in places across the fertile plain. There, finally, were the high bushes and thorns, called nabk, from which tradition says the Holy Crown was plaited." Stanley places this landscape a little below Tell-Houm. LIFE OF CHRIST. 7l ing, some fell by the wayside, and the birds of the air coming, ate it up. Some fell upon stony ground, where it had not much earth; it sprung up quickly be- cause it had no depth of earth. 32 But when the sun rose up, it was burned and withered away because it had no root. Some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it. Some fell upon good ground; it >brought forth fruit, some a hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, and some thirty-fold." The apostles did not see the hidden meaning, and asked an explanation. In pity for their weakness, Jesus granted their request: The Church is a field in which Jesus sows broadcast. The seed falls everwhere, but not all are equally pre- pared to receive it and to bear fruit. There are hearts, hard like the beaten way, which will not open. There are fickle souls into which grace may readily enter, but never to any depth. There are worldly spirits in whom grace is smothered by the pursuits of the age. But those who hear the word, who receive it, who apply it to their souls, are blessed with grace and yield abundant fruits of salvation. V, The Parable of the Good Grain and the Cockle; St. Matthew, XIII, 24. — From that day forth, Jesus used parables and similitudes in speaking of the King- dom of God, and of His future Church. " The Kingdom of Heaven," said He, " is like a field in which the owner sowed good seed. But while that man's servants were asleep, his enemy came and 32 The plant which has not enough soil for its root grows quickly, but does not last long. 72 LIFE OF CHRIST. sowed cockle 33 among the wheat, and went away. "When the blade had sprung up and bore fruit, then they saw the cockle. And the servants said to the master: " Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where did the cockle come from?" " An enemy sowed it there," answered he. They wished to go and gather it up, but the master said: "No; lest in gathering up the cockle you root up the wheat with it. Wait until the harvest; then I will say to the reapers: Gather up the cockle first, and bind into bundles to burn; then gather the wheat into my barn." Again the disciples did not see His meaning. That evening, when they had returned to their place of abode with Jesus, they asked Him what this parable meant. " The Son of Man sows the good seed," said Jesus. " The field is the world. The children of the King- dom are the good seed. The devil is the enemy who sow t s the cockle. The wicked are the cockle. The end of the world is the harvest. The angels are the reap- ers. As cockle is gathered up to be burned, so shall the wicked be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send His angels; and they will take scandal-givers and sinners and cast them into the fiery furnace. And in that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the just will shine as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear." VI, Other Parables; St. Matthew, XIII. — Jesus 33 Cockle belongs to the gramineous family. There are three kinds of cockle, two of which are useful, but the third is the plague of fields. Its stem resembles that of wheat before the grain is formed. LIFE OF CHEIST. 73 had told how He would form His Church and what hardships 'it would meet with in its course. He com- pared it to a grain of mustard seed, which, though it is one of the smallest seeds, yet it becomes a tree 34 in which the birds of the air may build their nests. Again, He compared it to the leaven which made all leaven. To show them the value of Heaven, He com- pared it to a treasure: " The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, which a man found, put it back in its hiding place; then went, sold all his goods and bought the field." And again: " The Kingdom of Heaven is like the precious pearl which the merchant isaw on his travels. He went back and sold all that he had and bought it." Then Jesus drew a likeness from the fishing-net, with which most of His hearers were very familiar. He spoke of the different kinds of fish which fill the net. The fisher sits on the shore and chooses the good for his vessels, but casts away the bad. So will it be at the end of the world. The angels will go out and sep- arate the wicked from the just and cast them into the fiery furnace. These images, so simple and familiar to the crowds that heard them, to-day are meditated on and studied by the most learned men. " Most of them are known by memory; the whole human race knows and admires them; the child lisps over them; the man dwells on them in thought; the unlearned understand them; the philosopher finds in them resplendent light. 85 34 The mustard plant grows to a height of ten feet on the banks of the River Jordan. 35 Didon's Life of Christ, I, 365. 74 LIFE OF CHRIST. \ CHAPTEK VIII. The Tempest Stilled — The Possessed of Gerasa — - Jairtts' Daughter Raised to Life (at Caphar- naum), and the Infirm Man Cured. I, The Tempest Stilled; St. Mark, IV, 35.— We have already seen the power of Jesus exercised in diverse ways, but always either to cure the afflicted or to re- call sinners to God. Now it is about to show itself upon the elements to prove that Jesus is indeed the Sovereign Master over all nature. 36 Wishing to escape the rude curiosity of the crowd, Jesus asked His disci- ples one evening to take Him across the lake to the quiet of Perea. They set sail at once. Several other boats followed them. Jesus was weary and slept in the stern of the boat, resting His head on the pilot's cushion. Suddenly, as they drew near land, 37 a storm arose. The waves grew high and dangerous and splashed into the boat. Jesus slept on. Their peril was fright- ful; the boat was tossed roughly about by the angry wind and waves. At last the trembling disciples cried out: " Lord, save us; we perish." Jesus, awaking, heeded not the danger at first. " Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith," He said. 36 Of the twenty-eight miracles related in the Gospels, and which are but a small portion of all that our Lord wrought, ten are in behalf of nature, fifteen for the sick, and three for the dead. Besides these, our Lord seven times delivered the possessed. Manuel biblique, 330 et 336. 37 See, for example, Les recits due pelerin, by l'Abbe Letremble, II, 295. LIFE OF CHRIST. 75 Then turning to the furious sea: " Peace, be still." Immediately the wind ceased, and there came a great calm. The disciples were filled with fear. " Who is this man ? " said they, one to another, " He commands the wind and the sea, and they obey Him." This glorious miracle was the symbol of a scene which would often take place in the future. The Church was destined to be tempest-tossed by wicked passions; yet her Divine Founder would always save her from shipwreck. Pere Didon has put this thought into beautiful words: " The Church is Peter's boat which bears Christ and His people. It goes, in the evening of time, to the eternal shore, passing over this tempestuous world. Unseen Jesus seems to sleep. We pray to Him; we call on Him. He awakes. He chides us for our fear. His sweet presence is the soul of peace. He commands our sufferings and our trials as He did the sea; and one powerful word from His lips, makes all peaceful and quiet. A cry of love and adoration rises from the sea which he has just re- stored to quietude. In this great calm, the boat, filled with joyous cries, glides steadily on its way. Jesus is God. He rules over the wickedness of men and thwarts their base designs against His holy Church." 88 II, Cure of the Possessed at Gerasa; St. Mark, V; St. Matthew, YIII, 28. — The time was rife with great miracles. Jesus landed on the eastern shore of the lake near Gerasa. 39 Here he met two men who were possessed of devils. They dwelt in caves along the 38Didoirs Life of Christ, I, 381. 39 To-day Kharbet (ruined), Kersa. — See Guerin, Galilee, I, 322. 76 LIFE OF CHRIST. water's edge. One of them was terrible in his fury. He broke all fetters and chains, and no one dared go near him. Running out before Jesus, he fell down at His feet. " What have I to do with you, Jesus, the Son of the Most High ? " cried the demon from his mouth; " Have you come to torment us before the time ? " " What is thy name ? " asked Jesus. " My name is Legion; for we are many/' came the response. Forced to leave the man, the devils asked Jesus to send them into a herd of swine near by. He did so. At once the demons seized upon the swine and they, in their fury, rushed headlong into the lake and were drowned — a number of about 2,000. 40 The terrified Gerasens besought Jesus to remain with them. He left them, leaving the two demoniacs, whom he had cured, to bear witness of Him. Ill, Jarius' Daughter Raised to Life, and the Infirm Woman Healed; St. Matthew, IX, 8; St. Mark, V, 30. — Jesus stayed but a short time on the eastern border of the lake. On his return to Capharnaum, He dined with His Apostle Levi, together with several publicans. Some Pharisees, who chanced to see Him, reproved Him for His familiarity with such despised and un- worthy men. Jesus answered: "I am not come to call the just, but sinners." Consoling words which will ever arouse our waning courage. During the repast, a certain ruler of Capharnaum entered. 40 Eusebius, bishop of Cesarea, who visited these places in 295, says that the inhabitants pointed out to him the heights from which the swine were precipitated into the lake. The tradition of the miracle is still preserved there. LIFE OF CHRIST. 77 It was Jairus, the chief of the synagogue. Falling down before Jesus, he besought Him thus: " Lord, my only daughter is dying; but come, lay your hand upon her and she shall live." Jesus arose immediately and followed the sorrowing father. A woman, who had been troubled with a disease for twelve years, was in the crowd. In her humility, she thought within herself: " If I but touch His garment, I shall be healed." She drew near to Jesus and touched the hem of His cloak. Jesus turned and asked who had touched Him. The poor woman, all trem- bling, cast herself at His feet and confessed that she had done so. " My daughter/' came the sweet tones of Jesus/' thy faith has saved thee: go in peace." 41 As Jesus was speaking, the servants of Jairus came and said to Him: "Tour daughter is dead. Why trouble the Master further." Then Jesus said to the weeping father: " Fear not; only have confidence." When they reached the house, they found the child wrapped in linens and already laid out. There was great weeping and mourning on all sides. Jesus sent all from the room, except the father and mother, and three of his disciples, Peter, James and John. Then, as they gazed at Him, He took the girl by the hand, and said: " Talitha, koumi," 42 that is, "young woman, 41 Tradition calls this woman Veronica without confounding her with Veronica of the Way of the Cross. On her return home, to Ceserea Philippi, she had a groupe in bronze made, which represented her prostrated at the feet of Jesus. According to Theophanus (Chronographie, p. 41), a plant which grew around the statue had the power of healing all mal- adies since its stem had touched the hem of Jesus' garment. This statue stood in place for four centuries. Julian the Apostate caused it to be destroyed. Eusebius. Glycas and Theophanus speak of it. — See Guerin, Galilee, II, 318. 42 These two words, used by our Lord and the apostles, belong to the Armenian language which the Jews spoke. 78 LIFE OF CHEIST. arise. " Immediately the girl stood up and walked about. She was about twelve years of age. This was the second resurrection brought about by Jesus. He thus prepared the minds of the people for the miracle of His own Resurrection. His power over death was made manifest to all. CHAPTEE IX. Jesus in Galilee — The Apostolate. I, Jesus at Nazareth. Third Mission in Galilee; St. Mark, VI; St. Matthew, IX. — Jesus now undertakes His third and last mission in Galilee. He went first to Xazareth. On the Sabbath, He taught in the syna- gogue, but, as in the preceding year, His words did not move His countrymen. They thought only of His ob- scure birth, His parentage, and His early labors as a carpenter. They could not realize His present posi- tion and were scandalized at the whole proceeding. Our Saviour, in the sadness of His heart, repeated His former words: " A prophet is honored everywhere ex- cept in his own country, in his own house, and among his own kindred. " So, after healing some of their sick, He went from their midst. A better welcome awaited Him in Galilee. Seeing their great desire to hear and learn, He exclaimed: " The harvest is great, but the laborers are few: Pray then the Lord to send forth laborers into his har- vest." This He said to show that His apostles were preparing to be His future missionaries. LIFE OF CHRIST. 79 II, The Apostolic Preaching; St. Matthew, X. — Our Saviour, in sending forth His apostles to preach, mapped out for them not only their own duties, but He also laid down rules for all Christian preaching of all future agds. They should first preach to ;the Jews; they should announce the coming of God's Kingdom; they should confirm the truth of their words by all kinds of miracles, casting out devils, healing the sick, and rais- ing the dead; they should set out without baggage, without gold or silver, without provisions, without a change of clothing, with only sandals on their feet; they should bring peace to all, being at the same time prudent and simple, imitating both the serpent and the dove. Jesus told them of the obstacles and persecutions which awaited them and those who, following their example, would become apostles of the truth: " I send you as sheep into the midst of wolves." Then He ex- horted them not to fear those who kill the body and have no power over the soul. But rather fear him who can send bodv and soul into (Hell) Gehenna. 43 Our Saviour describes more minutely the persecu- tions which those who believe in Him will suffer. He said that His apostles would be delivered up to justice, would be beaten with rods in the synagogue, and would shed their blood for Him. Yet during these trials the Holy Spirit would be in them and would answer for them. "At the proper moment you will be inspired as to what to say," said He, " and it will no longer 43 There is a valley southwest of Jerusalem called Ge-Hinnom or Hinnom, where dead bodies are left without burial. These are the fires consecrated to Moloch. The Gospels call it Gehenna, Gehenna ignis. 80 LIFE OF CHRIST. be you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you." How often has this promise been ful- filled ! How often have martyrs astonished the judge and the executioner by the firmness of their speech and the sublimity of their answers ! He did not urge them to run into dangers ; far other- wise. He told them to flee from one city to another and use every just means to save their lives. To banish from their minds all idea of an earthly kingdom and temporal happiness, He told them that He had come to bring the sword, not peace; that families would be divided; that the son would rise against the father, the daughter against the mother; and that men would be the enemies of their own household. " He who loves father or mother more than Me, and he who loves son or daughter more than Me, is not worthy of Me," said He. "And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me, is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life shall lose it; and he who loses his life for Me saves it." Such were the instructions of Jesus to the future teachers of His Gospel. After eighteen hundred years, the apostles, who began in the school of Jesus, are spread over the whole world. Their only care is to teach light and truth. After eighteen hundred years, persecution so long perfidious and lurking, so long ' violent and bold, still labors in vain to destroy the good work of Christ's apostles. Dragged before courts, they spoke the words of the Holy Spirit, and died. But their death is fruitful. As Tertullian beautifully says: " The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians." When they had heard all this, the apostles went, two by two, on their first mission. The Christian Aposto- late was begun. LIFE OF CHRIST. 81. CHAPTEE X. Death of John the Baptist. st. matthew, xiv. John the Baptist, as Ave have seen, was thrown into prison by Herod because he spoke publicly against the tetrarchs' vile union with Herodias. Through fear of the people, Herod did not dare put John to death. Herodias, however, did not so easily pardon the Precur- sor's boldness; she only awaited an opportunity to avenge herself. This opportunity came. John had been in prison just a year when Herodias, on the anniversary of her birth, gave a feast to the Roman tribunes and rulers in Galilee. Herodias' daughter, Salome, came to dance before the feast-makers. All were much delighted with her performance; and Herod was so much pleased that he promised, with an oath, to give whatever she should ask of him: " Whatsoever you ask," said he, "I will give it to you, though it be the half of my kingdom." The young girl w x ent to her mother to know what she should ask. " The head of John the Baptist," answered Herodias. Salome then took a plate from the table, and running to the king, she exclaimed: "I want you to give me John the Baptist's head on this plate." Herod was confused. He had sworn. A false shame kept him from breaking his rash promise. ISTot wishing to keep his step-daughter longer in suspense, he gave the fatal order. The executioner who always stood near him, according to the Oriental custom, went to the prison and soon returned with the head of the Man of God. He gave it to Salome, and she, putting it on 6 82 LIFE OF CHRIST. the plate she had taken from the table, carried it to her mother. It is said 44 that Herodias in her anger drew a golden pin from her hair and pierced the tongue that had re- proved her. She also had the body thrown into the swamps of Macheronta to be the food of dogs and birds of prey. But John's disciples were at hand. They took the body, laid it reverently in a grave, and went to tell the sad news to Jesus. Such was the tragic end of John the Baptist, of him whom Jesus had raised above all the prophets and just men of the Old Testament. 45 He preceded Jesus in death as he had so faithfully done as Precursor. " Such men," says Pere Didon, " could not end their career in peace and long life as did the prophets. A violent death agrees well with the role of prophets, the heroes of truth and justice, of right and virtue. They have fought gloriously for this triumph; they have beaten down vices; from their very helplessness, they have upbraided the powerful for their wickedness; with their blood and their lives they desire to seal their words, their courage, their love, and their mission. The world hates them, kills them; it thinks to drown their voice with justice, and thus bestows on them im- mortality. " To shed one's blood for God is the high- est eloquence." 46 44 St. Jerome, Contra Rufinum, III, 42. — Mcephorus, I, 19. 45 St. Luke, VII, 28, " There is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist." St. Matthew, XI, 11, "There hath not risen among them that are born of woman a greater than John the Baptist; yet he that is the lesser in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he." Each of these texts completes the other. The " Kingdom of Heaven " is the Church. — See Manuel biblique, 272. 46 A tradition of Midian says that a rich lady of Gaul, who LIFE OF CHRIST. 83 CHAPTEE XI. The Multiplication of the Loaves. — Jesus Walks ox the Water. — The Holy Eucharist Foretold. The Multiplication of the Loaves; St. Luke, IX, 12. — The apostles returned from their first mission, weary of their long journeys and sorrowful for the- death of John the Baptist. Their Master wished them to rest a little; so entering with them into a boat, they went to the solitudes on the northern borders of the lake, east of Bethsaida Julias. 47 The crowd that followed was then in Palestine, made her way into the prison at the moment of the execution and took the martyr's blood in a silver vessel. She carried it to Bazor where it was venerated until the Revolution, when it disappeared with so many other precious relics. The saint's body was at first taken to Sebastia (ancient Samaria) where a church, now destroyed, was built to receive it. From Sebastia it was taken to Jerusalem, then to Alexandria. Several churches of Italy and France (Amicus), now possess some fragment of it. (The stone on which he was beheaded is shown at St. Mark's of Venice, and the plate on which his head was carried to Herodias is to be seen at Genes.) As to the per- sons who caused the death of the first martyr, they were speedily visited with divine vengeance. Herod thought our Saviour was John the Baptist returned to life: his victim was constantly be- fore him. Having offended Caligula, Herod was banished to the frontiers of Spain (probably at Saint Bertrand de Comminges), Herodias followed him thither and both ended their days in dis- grace and oblivion. Salome, if we may believe Nieephorus the historian, met a still more deplorable fate. " while crossing a frozen stream the ice gave away under her feet and she remained there submerged to her neck without being able to escape. The cold soon benumbed her limbs and the pieces of ice striking against her head severed it from her body. — Fouard, traditions of Xicephorus. 47 Bethsaida raised to the dignity of a city by Philip, son of Herod the Great, was called Julias by him, in honor of Julia, daughter of Augustus and wife of Tiberius. To-day it is but a wretched village, built on the ruins. El-Tell ( the' heights ) . V. Guerin, Galilee, 1, 3, 29. — Bethsaida Julias must not be con- founded with Bethsaida of Galilee, on the eastern shore of the lake. 84 LIFE OF CHRIST. Jesus had grown larger from the towns and villages through which He passed along the lake; pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem also swelled their numbers, These latter walked around the lake and arrived in the desert place at the same time as Jesus and the apostles. Jesus sought repose; yet he would not send them away. He spoke to them of God's Kingdom and healed their sick. The sun was setting. The apostles were restless: mi Master, this is a desert place," said they, " the hour is growing late ; send away these people and let them go to the neighboring farms and villages to seek food and lodging." Jesus answered: " They need not go; you yourselves give them something to eat." And when the apostles asked in surprise what they could do, Andrew, Simon's brother, came forth and said: "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fishes; but what are these among so many ? " Jesus ordered the bread and the fishes to be brought to Him. He told the disciples to make the men sit down in groups of fifty. Then raising His eyes to Heaven, He gave thanks to His Father, He blessed the bread, broke it and gave to His disciples to deal out among the people; and the same with the fishes. As He handed them out the pieces were multiplied again and again until all had eaten their fill. Then Jesus told His disciples to gather up the frag- ments that remained, lest they should be lost. Each of the apostles took his basket, which a Jew always car- ries when journeying among pagans, 48 and the twelve 48 The Jews considered whatever a pagan touched unclean, hence they carried the wicker-baskets which contained their sus- tenance. These precautions were almost as necessary in Galilee with its Gentiles as in a foreign country. — Fouard, I, 394, note. LIFE OF CHRIST. 85 baskets were filled. Jesus had fed five thousand men, besides women and children. Isow when the men saw what a miracle had been performed, they cried out: " Truly this is the prophet that is to come into the world." 49 II, Jesus Walks on the Water; St. John, VI, 16 — After the miracle of the loaves, Jesus ordered His apostles to sail over to Capharnaum, where he would meet them later. He now hid Himself from the crowd for they wished to make Him their king. When it was dark, He went into the solitudes to pray. Meanwhile a tempest arose on the lake, and the wind was against the apostles. At three o'clock in the morning, 50 they had not made more than three or four miles, and the boat was in great danger of sinking. Suddenly the apostles saw a human form walking towards them on the water. Thinking it was a ghost, they raised a cry of fear. Then they heard the gentle words of their Master: " It is I; be not afraid." But Peter, always impetuous, cried out: "Lord, if it is You, bid me come to You upon the waters." " Come," answered Jesus. Peter got down from the boat and started toward his Master. But fear soon 49 Tradition says that the boy who gave the five loaves and the ,two fishes was called Martial, a relative of Stephen the deacon and of Peter: he followed the latter to Rome. Thence he was sent to Gaul, where he became the first bishop of Limoges. — Gaume, Biog. Evang. The apostolate of St. Martial has been disputed in our day. The miracle of multiplying loaves and other nourishments has been repeated in the lives of several saints: St. Francis of Paul, St. Peter of Tarentius, St. Thomas of Villanova, St. Isadore, the laborer, St. Germain Cousin. 50 "In the fourth watch of the night."— St. Matthew, XIV, 25. The night was divided into four watches of three hours each, the first began at six in the evening. The fourth was from three to six in the morning. 86 LIFE OF CHRIST. began to grow upon him and he began to sink. Then he cried out: "Master, save me." Jesus stretching forth His hand, upheld him, and chid him thus: u O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt ? " When Jesus entered the boat the wind ceased and soon they landed on the shore of Capharnaum. The apostles cast themselves at Jesus' feet, exclaiming: "Indeed, Thou art the Son of God." 51 Ill, The Holy Eucharist Foretold; St. John, VI.— The multiplication of the loaves was intended to pre- pare their minds and hearts for the great mystery of the Holy Eucharist, the true bread of life which Jesus was to give to the world. On the following day, He found an opportunity to announce this great mystery. Those who had eaten the miraculous bread now came again to Jesus at Capharnaum. He sat teaching in the synagogue. Engraved above the door was a vase, filled with manna, leaves of the vine, and bunches of grapes, on which were these words: " Our fathers ate manna in the desert, as it is written; He gave them bread from Heaven to eat." 52 Jesus made use of these emblems to speak of the Holy Sacrament of which they were the figure. At first He reproached the crowd with seeking Him because He had given them bread: " Seek not the food which perishes, but that which lasts forever, which the Son of Man will give to you." Then they asked Him if He could do more than Moses who gave them bread from Heaven. Jesus answered: "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall never 51 The miracle of walking on the water has been repeated by several saints, St. Raymond of Pennafort, St. Maur, St. Albert, St. Hyacinthe. 52 This head-piece of the door has been discovered. — Frette, II, 80, or Sketches of Jewish Life, p. 257. LIFE OF CHRIST. 87 hunger; and he who believes in Me shall never again thirst." " I came down from Heaven. * * * And this is the will of My Father who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have life everlasting; and I will raise him up in the last day." The Jews murmered at these words, and said: " Is not this Jesus the Son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know ? How can He say He came down from Heaven ? " Behold the response of Jesus: "I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate manna in the desert and are dead. This bread from Heaven, of which I speak, is such that he who eats it shall never die. I am the living bread which came down from Heaven. He who eats this bread shall live forever. The bread which I will give you is my flesh for the life of the world." Their murmurings grew thicker. They questioned one another thus: " How can this man give us His flesh to eat ? " Jesus then added : "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood you shall not have life in you. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has life ever- lasting, and I will raise him up in the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. * * * This is the bread which came down from Heaven. ISTot as your fathers ate manna and are dead; he who eats this bread shall live forever." He could not have spoken more clearly. He could not have told them more clearly that His flesh was to be eaten really and not figuratively. Jesus made 88 LIFE OF CHRIST. known to them, later on, how He would bring this mystery about. For the time being. He was content to tell them of the great gift He would bring to earth, and make them understand to what heights He would raise humanity. Those from Capharnaum and even many of His disciples were scandalized at this new doctrine: " This saying is hard," whispered they, " and who can hear it ? " Many of them went away. Then Jesus turned to the twelve and asked: " Will you also go away? " Simon Peter answered for them : " Lord, to whom shall we go ? You have the words of eternal life. We be- lieve, we know that you are Christ, the Son of God." To these words, Jesus replied: " Have I not chosen you twelve? And one of you is a devil." He referred to Judas, who would betray him. IV. THIRD YEAR OF THE MINISTRY OF JESUS, APRIL 29-30, A. D. (OF ROME, 782-783.) CHAPTEE I. Jesus in Syro-Phoenicia, in Decapolts, at Dal- MANUTHA. I, Jesus and the Pharisees, Voluntary Exile; St. Mark, VII. — Two years have glided by since Jesus began to preach and work miracles. He now began that which was to be His last year on earth. Already the hatred of His enemies had grown so violent that He could no longer remain in His beloved country of Galilee; much less could he think of going to Jerus- alem where the sect of the Pharisees was very strong. He did not go to the Pasch this year, but remained at Capharnaum. Some Scribes and Pharisees, on their return from Jerusalem, resolved to overthrow the Exile's teachings by their cunning and daily attacks. They held that all perfection consisted in exterior practices of which ablutions were the most important, the disciples, after the example of their Master, had given up these minute ceremonies. The Jews asked Jesus, in angry tones : " Why do not Your disciples walk according to the tradition of the Ancients; and 89 90 LIFE OF CHRIST. why do they eat with unwashed hands ? " Jesus took the part of His own, then added: " Well did Isaias prophesy of your hypocrites, as it is written: This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. In vain do they worship one teaching doctrines and precepts of men. For, leaving the com- mandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, the washing of pots and of cups; and you do many other such like things." The anger of the Pharisees knew no bounds. Jesus prudently decided to leave the country. He crossed over into Tyre and Syro- Phoenicia. His exile, with the exception of a few short visits to the lake of Genesareth, lasted six months (April to December). The Gospels give very few details about this period of our Saviour's life. They relate some miracles, but are silent on His teach- ings. It is believed that, in these pagan regions, He merely taught His apostles, whence future ages have drawn their store of tradition which goes hand in hand with the Scriptures. II, The Chananean; St. Mark, VII, 24. — - Jesus was passing in the neighborhood of Tyre. A woman, 1 who had heard of Him, came and begged Him to free her daughter from a devil with which she was possessed. This woman belonged to the Chananean race. Our Saviour, who had limited His teachings to the Jews, made no reply. A second and a third time she be- sought Him, but He heeded not. He wished to try her faith, and, at the same time, to teach us to persevere in prayer. Again she entreated Him, then Jesus an- swered: " It is not good to take the bread of children i She was called Justa, according to tradition. LIFE OF CHRIST. . 91 and cast it to the dogs." 2 " Yea, Lord," cried the woman, " for the whelps, under the table, eat the crumbs that fall from the children." What faith! Jesus was satisfied, and exclaimed: " O, woman, great is your faith; your wish is granted." She went home and found her child cured; the demon had departed and the maiden was at rest. 3 Ill, A Deaf-mute Cured; St. Mark, VII, 31.— Jesus had gone from Phoenicia to Decapolis, near the sources of the Jordan. A deaf and dumb man was brought to him. They asked our Lord to lay His hand upon him. Jesus took him by the hand and led him away from the crowd. Then, putting His finger into the deaf man's ears and touching the silent tongue with spittle, He raised His eyes to Heaven and said: " Ephpheta," which means, "be thou opened." 4 Im- mediately his ears were opened, the string of his tongue was loosed and he began to speak. Jesus forbade the bystanders to speak of this miracle, but they published it all the more, and thus drew the admiration of the whole surrounding country on Him. On all sides might be heard such sayings: "He has done all things well; He has made the deaf hear and the dumb speak." A great crowd was soon gathered around Him. In vain He sought quiet in the desert places east of Genes- 2 In the East, the dog is considered an unclean animal. Whence the expression, " Christian dog," which the Mussulmans still use. 3 On the exact spot where Jesus met the Chananean, the Christians built a chapel, which the Mussulmans have changed into a mosque. 4 In baptizing, the priest thus touches the ears and nose of the one being baptized, and says : Ephpheta, " be opened " ears, be open to hear the voice of God, nostrils be open to breathe in the perfume of Jesus Christ. 92 LIFE OF CHEIST. areth; for the neighboring people came to Him. They brought the dumb, the blind, the lame, the sick, and many others, firmly believing that He would heal them. Jesus, touched by the faith of these pagans, granted their requests, " so that the multitudes mar- velled seeing the dumb speak, the lame walk, the blind see; and they glorified the God of Israel/' 5 V, The Sign of Jonas; St. Matthew, XV, 39 and XVI, 1.— Entering a boat with His apostles, Jesus crossed to Magdala, 6 and went at once to Dalmanutha. Modern travellers have located the exact spot to the southwest of the lake, doubtless between Magdala and Tiberias. This was truly a desert place. Yet the Pharisees and Saducees came and asked Him for a sign from Heaven. Jesus, however, was not to be moved by this vain and scornful curiosity of His enemies. " Have you not sufficient signs before your eyes ? " said He, " and what miracle from Heaven can equal the favors which have been heaped upon suffering humanity ! A wicked and adulterous race seeks a sign; and no sign shall be given it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas." Jesus thus referred to his own Resurrection. Troubles began to appear. Jesus now left this place where He was no longer welcome and went to the northern borders of the lake. 5 St. Matthew, XV, and St. Mark, VII and VIII, give a second multiplication of loaves, little different from the first, It has been omitted to avoid confusion in the narration of this chapter. 6 The text of St. Matthew has "Magadan." This unknown country is generally considered to be Magdala. LIFE OF CHRIST. CHAPTEE II. Jesus North of the Lake, at Bethsaida and Cesarea-Philippi. I, The Blind Man of Bethsaida; St. Mark, VII, 22.— Jesus went up the Jordan as far as Bethsaida-Julias. Here the people brought forth a blind man and asked Jesus to touch him. Taking the man by the hand, Jesus led him out of the village. There, touching the man's eyes with saliva, He asked what he saw. " I see men walking that look like trees/' said the blind man. Again Jesus touched his eyes; then he saw all things clearly. Jesus bade him tell no one of the miracle, and sent him to his home. II, Jesus at Cesarea-Philippi ; Peter's Confession; St. Matthew, XVI, 13. — Jesus went still further north, with His disciples, and came to Cesarea-Philippi. 7 Just without the city, to the right of one of the Jordan's sources, tradition points out the spot in which Peter made his ever-memorable confession. After He had prayed alone, Jesus called His disciples about Him and asked: " Who do men say that I am ? " Not even those who had heard His teaching and seen His miracles took Him for the Messiah. So the disciples answered that some took Him to be John the Baptist risen to life, others thought He w r as Elias, others Jeremias or one of the prophets. " But who do you say I am ? " added Jesus. Simon Peter, the mouth and head of the apostles, as St. John Chrysostom calls him, 7 The tetrareh Philip rebuilt Panoas with much magnificence and called it Cesarea, in honor of Tiberius. To-day it is known as Banias, a hamlet of 600 inhabitants. 94 LIFE OF CHRIST. spoke in the name of all: " Thou art Christy the Son of God." This grand profession of faith, which came from Peter, not as from man but as an inspiration from God, gained a speedy reward in the response of Jesus: "And I say to thee ; thou art Peter, . and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, it shall be bound also in Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in Heaven." For the first time, Jesus spoke of His Church, the great work for which He had come. He would have it rests upon His apostles as a house resting firmly upon a lasting foundation of stone. Thus we see why Simon received the name of Peter. 8 The Church will stand so firmly, that the gates of Hell, that is, according to a figure well known in the East, the power of Hell, perse- cutions, heresies, sin and death will never destroy her. 9 And all her firmness will come from the rock on which she stands, from her Christ-given foundation, Peter, and from his successors of all ages; for in them Peter as the head of the Church still lives. These famous words: " Thou art Peter * * *," are written in large letters of gold below the dome of St. Peter's at Rome, above the tomb of the Prince of the Apostles. 8 See page 28. 9 The gates of cities and palaces are of great magnificence in the East, and serve as a place of meeting, not only for the multi- tude, but also for tribunes and public councils. Thence, the word " gate " in the eastern language, has become the synonym of supreme power (the highest gate, the Ottoman gate). — Fouard, II, 26. LIFE OF CHRIST. 95 As to the symbolic keys they are nothing less than the supreme authority to make laws, to judge without appeal, to declare dogmas, to bind and to loose con- sciences, in a word to open and close the Kingdom of Heaven. Peter's successors will hold these almost divine powers to the end of time. 10 II, The Passion Foretold; St. Matthew, XVI, 23.— Now that He had founded His Church and had strengthened the faith of His .apostles, Jesus began to speak of His approaching death. " The Son of Man must go to Jerusalem to suffer many things/' said He, " to be rejected by the Ancients and the chief priests and Scribes, to be killed, and to rise again the third day." Then making a sign for the people to draw near He added: "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me. * * * He who prefers to save his life rather than follow Me, shall lose it; and he who will not fear one day to lose his life for sake of Me and the Gospel, shall save his soul and shall live with Me in the life which will never end." The disciples were startled to learn that their Master was to die. Soon afterwards He quieted their minds by His glorious Transfiguration before them. 10 The celebrated statue of St. Peter, in the Vatican basilica, holds the keys in the right hand. The " power of the keys " is used to express the power of the Pope, the successor of St. Peter. 96 LIFE OF CHRIST. CHAPTEK III. The Transfiguration on Mt. Thabor. I, The Transfiguration; St. Matthew, XVII. — Eight days have passed since Peter made his profession. Jesus and His disciples have returned to Galilee, and are now at the foot of Mt. Thabor. It was early in August. 11 Thabor/ 2 which is about 1250 feet in height, stands alone upon the plain of Esdrelon, southwest of Genes- areth. The sides of this mountain are covered with beautiful evergreens; it resembles a grand bouquet. Jesus chose this mountain as the place where one of the most astonishing wonders of His earthly life should be enacted. When evening was come, Jesus left His disciples at Daborich, at the foot of the mountain, and climbed up the heights of Thabor, taking with Him, Peter, James and John. There He betook Himself to prayer, and as He prayed the three disciples fell asleep. When they awoke, a wonderful sight filled their eyes, Jesus was transfigured. His face shone like the sun; His garments were white as snow. Two men stood by Him; they were resplendent with glory and spoke of His departure from this world. As they faded from view, Peter cried out in ecstasy : " Lord, it is good for 11 August 6th, is the feast of our Lord's Transfiguration ; this date agrees perfectly with the course of Evangelical history; for our Lord went from Thabor to Capharnaum, passed a certain time there, and went to Jerusalem, about the middle of Septem- ber, for the feast of the Tabernacles. 12 The Mussulmans call it Djebel Thour, " the mountain by excellence," and Djebel Nour, "the mountain of splendor." LIFE OF CHRIST. 97 us to be here; if Thou wilt, let us make three taber- nacles, one for Thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias." At that moment, a cloud overshadowed the disciples and a voice was heard to say: " This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; hear you Him." The three fell trembling to the ground, and, when they raised their eyes, they saw Jesus standing alone before them. The glorious vision was gone. Jesus came, touched them with His finger, and told them to " arise and fear not." It was morning. As they w r ere going down the mountain, Jesus forbade them to tell what they had just seen, till the Son of Man should be risen from the dead. Then only, when they were enlightened from on High, should they relate what they had seen and heard — Jesus glorified, resplendent, and transfigured; and the voice of the Father bearing witness to the Son. 13 Thus they would lead men to accept both the ignominy of His death, and the miracle of His Resurrection. By this revelation, Jesus wished to make known to all humanity the glorious end He would attain by His sufferings, and also to give them some idea of the glory that surrounds those who are admitted to the Kingdom of God. " His snow-white garments were a symbol of matter in its renewed state in Heaven; His luminous body showed what we ourselves will be one day; His soul, where infinity dwelt, revealed the destiny of all souls called to live forever with God. The cloud represented the heavenly home into which all the elect !3 St. Peter, in his second epistle, mentions the Transfiguration, of which he was a witness, to prove the divinity of Christ. 7 98 LIFE OF CHRIST. will be gathered, rejoicing forever in the joy and glory of the Son of God." 14 Cure of One Possessed; St. Matthew, XVII, 14.— When Jesus came to the foot of the mountain He saw a great crowd around His disciples. They had tried, but in vain, to cure a young man possessed of a demon. The young man's father hailed Jesus thus: " Master, I have brought my son who has a dumb spirit. Wherever the spirit seizes him, it casts him to the ground, the child foams, gnashes his teeth and wastes away. # * - * J b e g y 0U? cas t a look upon him, for he is my only son." And he fell down at Jesus' feet. Jesus ordered the child to be brought forth. " If you can believe," said He to the afflicted father, " all things are possible to him who believes." Then the poor man cried out: " I do believe, Lord, help me to believe." Such simplicity touched Jesus. He turned to the child writhing on the ground. Then came His firm words of command: " Deaf and dumb spirit, I command thee, go out of him and enter no more into him." With a loud cry the demon left him, shaking him violently as he went. The boy lay motionless on the ground as if dead. Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up. He was healed. 14 Didon's Life of Christ, I, 462. In remembrance of this scene, St. Helena had a large church built on the summit of Thabor, which she called St. Saviour. Two other smaller churches were built later in honor of Moses and Elias. St. Peter's wish was realized. There were also several monasteries in this place. All disappeared in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, under the ravages of the Mussulmans. To-day the summit of Thabor presents but a mass of ruins, in the midst of which the schismatic Greeks and the Franciscan Fathers have built a monastery and a convent. These latter have carried on research^ which have discovered the ancient church of St. Saviouf) m\(z its crypt on the extreme summit of Thabor. See Guerin, Galilee, I, 143. LIFE OF CHRIST. 99 The apostles were smitten by the failure of their efforts. When they found themselves alone with Jesus, they asked why the demon had not obeyed them. "Because of your lack of faith," said He; "if your faith were as great as a grain of mustard seed, you might say to this tree: be uprooted and transport your- self into the sea, and it would obey you. Yes, truly, if you have faith as great as a grain of mustard seed you might say to this mountain: remove hence, and it would remove, 10 and nothing would be impossible for you. But this kind of demons cannot be cast out but by prayer and fasting." 15 See the realization of this in the life of St. Gregory Thaumaturgiis (Roman Breviary, November 17th). Raphael, the great painter, represents the two-fold scene of the Transfiguration and of the one possessed in a famous picture. While Jesus in the upper part of the painting shines with resplendent light, the possessed, lower down, struggles under the embrace of the demon. It seems that the artist wished to show the two ex- treme conditions which human nature may reach, glorification with God and abasement under the slavery of Satan; and each of the artist's illustrations is better understood because of the other. — The Transfiguration, by Raphael, in the Vatican. i~»i 100 LIFE OF CHRIST. CHAPTEK IV. Jesus at Capharnatjm. I, The Didrachma; St. Matthew, XIII, 23.— Jesus went back to Capharnaum. When the tax-gatherers saw the little band coming, they asked Peter if his Master did not pay the didrachma. This was an an- cient impost which served to defray the expenses of the Temple. It can be traced back to the precepts of Exodus. 16 Our Saviour could have refused to pay it, not having any sin to be redeemed, but He did not wish to scandalize the Jews. " Go to the lake," said He to Peter, " cast in a hook, take the first fish you catch, open its mouth, and you will find a stater 17 therein. Take it and give it for Me and for you." The Child as the Model of Humility. Do not Scan- dalize Children; St. Matthew, XVII, 1. — In a certain house of the city, Jesus praised the purity and sim- plicity of childhood. Knowing that His disciples had disputed, on the way, as to which was the greatest among them, He called a little child to Him, caressed it, and gave it to them as a model. " He who humbles himself as this child," said He, " is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And he who shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in Me it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck and that he should be cast into the sea." Ill, Parable of the Merciful Master and the Hard- Hearted Servant; St. Matthew, XVIII, 23.— It was 16 Exodus, XXX. 12. The didrachma (two drachmas) was worth about thirty-two cents. 17 The stater was worth two didrachmas. LIFE OF CHRIST. 101 in the same city that Jesus laid down the loving pre- cept of never refusing pardon. He supported it with a parable. The parable ran thus: "A king called his servants to account. One of them who owed him ten thousand talents/ 8 by begging pity, escaped being sold together with his wife, his children, and his property. But scarcely had he left the palace when he met a fellow servant who owed him a hundred pence. 19 Seiz- ing him, he throttled him and said : " Pay what thou owest," and in spite of his cries for mercy, he cast him into prison till he should pay all. Hearing this the king sent for the merciless servant. " Wicked ser- vant," said he, " I forgave you your debt because you besought me; should you not have pitied your fellow servant as I pitied you ? " And, in his anger, the king delivered him to the executioners. " Thus will my Heavenly Father treat you," concluded Jesus, " if each of you does not forgive his brother from the bottom of his heart." 18 A talent was worth $1,987. Ten thousand talents then made about $20,000,000. This great sum shows that our Lord alluded to the Oriental courts where the ministers, called satraps, had the administration of great provinces. 19 The penny was worth about sixteen and one-half cents of our money. 102 LIFE OF CHRIST. CHAPTEE V. Jesus at Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. I, Jesus Goes to Jerusalem; St. John, VII; St. Luke, IX, 51. — It was the beginning of autumn, the time for the feast of Tabernacles. 20 This feast lasted seven days in memory of the Jews' crossing the desert. Dur- ing this time, the people dwelt under tents made of leaves, set up in the streets, in public places, and on the porches of houses. Jesus went to Jerusalem for this feast. As He passed through Samaria, probably at En-Gannim, the people closed their doors against Him. The old Samaritan hatred for the Jews was still rife. The disciples spoke of calling down 'fire from Heaven on these ungrateful people. " You know not of what spirit you are," answered Jesus; " the Son of Man came not to destroy but to save souls." So they contin- ued their journey without further complaint. They met many persons on the way; one of these, a Scribe, said to Jesus : " Master, I will follow you wherever you go." But Jesus, seeing that he was one who loved ease and comfort, said to him: " The foxes have holes and the birds of the air nests, but the Son of Man has not whereon to lay His head." The Scribe went away. Later on, Jesus came upon a young man and said to him: " follow Me." The young man, full of good 20 It was celebrated from the 15th to the 22d of Thishri (September), and marked the end of the civil year, which began with October. Since it fell at the end of harvest it was also called the " Feast of the Harvest." English Protestants cele- brate the feast of the harvest every year. LIFE OF CHRIST. 103 will, only asked time to bury his father who had just died. " Let the dead bury their dead/' answered our Saviour, " but go thou and preach the Kingdom of God." Thus He taught us to obey the Call of God even to the omission of pious works and to leave the care of less perfect works to those who are not called. Another answered His call thus : " I will follow You, Lord, but let me first take leave of those at home." 21 But Jesus would have no delay, so He replied: " No man, putting his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of God." II, Jesus in the Temple. His Teaching, St. John, VII. — Having arrived secretly at Jerusalem on the fourth day of the feast, Jesus went to the Temple and began to teach. The Scribes and Pharisees murmured and even sought His death; but many among the people were heard to say: " When Christ comes will He work more miracles than this man does ? " Thus they almost believed in Him. On the last day of the feast, the priests went to the fountain of Siloe to draw water with which they sprinkled the Temple profusely. This symbolic ceremony was the signal for songs and trans- ports of joy, 22 Jesus now took occasion to say: "If any man thirst, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture says, Out of him shall flow rivers of living waters/' The multitude was far from agreeing to these words. Some, indeed, favored Him; but others accused Him of exercising an evil power over the people. " This is 21 The Vulgate has " regulate the affairs of my house." 22 It signified especially, according to the doctors, the abund- ance of divine spirit, which the Messiah would spread among His people. 104 LIFE OF CHKIST. Christ," said some. To which others replied: "Does Christ come out of Galilee? Does not the Scripture say that Christ will come out of the seed of David and from Bethlehem, the city of David ? " The high priests and Pharisees even tried to cause His arrest, but those whom they sent did not dare lay hands upon Him. When they returned, the chiefs said to them: " Why have you not brought Him?" " Never did man speak like this man," answered the soldiers. "Are you too seduced ? " broke out the Pharisees. " See if any of the rulers or any of us be- lieve in Him. The populace believes in Him; but they do not know the laws, and they are accursed." One man, however, made bold to speak in favor of Jesus. It was Nicodemus who had visited Him by night, and who was secretly attached to Him. He told them that the Jewish law did not judge any man without first giving him a hearing, and knowing what he had done. " Search the Scriptures," said they to him, " and you will find that no prophet is to come from Galilee." At this the assembly dispersed. Ill, The Sinful Woman Pardoned; St. John, VIII, 3. — Jesus had just passed a night amid the solitudes of Olivet. At dawri He went to the Temple. The crowd had already gathered in; so He sat down and began to teach. The Scribes and Pharisees now brought to Him a woman taken in adultery. " Master, this woman has just been taken in adultery," said they; " now the law of Moses tells us to stone such a one. What do you say of the matter ? " This was a snare. If He con- demned her to death, He would incur the anger of Eome, which had reserved capital punishment to itself; on the other hand, if He forgave her He would go LIFE OF CHRIST. 105 against the law of Moses. But Jesu$ knew their wiles and, stooping down, began to write with His finger in the sand. As they pressed Him further, He arose and said: "Let him who is without sin among you cast the first stone at her." Then stooping again He continued to write. An old tradition holds that He thus wrote a list of each one's sins in the sand. The crowd began to retire, one by one in order, the oldest first. Soon none was left but the sinful woman. Then Jesus arose and uttered these kind words: " Woman, where are your accusers ? Has no one condemned you?" " None, Lord." " Neither will I condemn you. Go, and sin no more." Thus the divine mercy appeared in all its brightness. Our Saviour refused pardon to no sinner, how lowly he may have fallen. He asked only that the sinner show signs of repentance and a firm purpose of amendment. IV, Teaching in the Temple ; St. John, VIII. — Jesus took His seat in the Treasury, 23 and began to teach. He spoke of His coming death, of the cross to which He would be nailed, and of the Father who had sent Him and with whom He was One. He declared that the knowledge of the truth would free those who believed in Him. These words aroused the Jewish ire. " We are the children of Abraham," cried they, " and we have never been slaves; how then do you say we shall be free ? " Jesus told them that He meant the slavery of sin, and that those who kept His word would never know death. At these words they poured forth all kinds of abuses, saying that He was possessed of a devil 23 In gazophylacio, St. John, VIII, 20. The treasury was sit- uated under the portico of Israel, near the women's court, at the entrance of the Temple. There were three boxes in this place to receive the offerings. — See the plan of the Temple. 106 LIFE OF CHRIST. and that He raised Himself above Abraham and the prophets. "Amen, amen, I say to you/' answered Jesus, " before Abraham was born, I was." 24 Hearing this, the Jews became frantic. They took up stones to cast at Him. But Jesus hid Himself and went out of the Temple. CHAPTER VI. Jerusalem; the Man Born Blind. I, The Born-Blind; St. John, IX, 1. — While passing along a street in Jerusalem, on one of these days, Jesus saw a beggar who had been blind from his birth. He stood and looked upon the poor man. " Master," asked the disciples, " who has sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind ? " Jesus quickly banished from their minds this false idea of the trials with which it pleased God to afflict man. God had per- mitted this to make manifest His glory. " As long as I am in the world," said He, " I am the light of the world." Then making a mixture of dust and spittle, He put it upon the blind man's eyes and told him to go and wash in the pool of Siloe. 25 He went and came back with his eyesight restored. Great rumors were set afloat at sight of this man so cured. 24 The Vulgate has " I am." 25 The pool of Siloe is southeast of Jerusalem, at the juncture of the valley of Tyropalon and the Cedron. In remembrance of this miracle, the first Christians built a portico and an oratory in this place. LIFE OF CHRIST. 107 His neighbors and those who had seen him as a beggar asked if he were not the man who sat and begged in such a place. Some said yes, while others said that he simply looked like the beggar. Then they questioned him. " I am he," answered the man; " that man, who is called Jesus, made clay and put it on my eyes and told me to wash in the pool of Siloe; I went, I washed, and I see." They took him to the Pharisees; but, as it was the Sabbath-day, they did not dare take part in the affair. However, some of them declared that he who did not keep the Sabbath was not of God. But others asked how could a sinner work such miracles. Thus they were divided. They now asked the born-blind what he thought of the man who had opened his eyes. " He is a prophet," answered he. The doubting Pharisees called in his parents for their testimony. These latter knew that the Pharisees had sworn to drive from the synagogue whoever would acknowledge Jesus as Christ. " We know that this is our son," answered they all fearful, " and that he was born blind; but we know not how he regained his sight. ISTor do we know who has opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age; let him speak for himself." A dialogue now ensued between the Pharisees and the born-blind, full of hatred and forbearance on the one side, and with simplicity and not a little shrewdness on the other. " Give glory to God (and acknowledge your error). We know that this man is a sinner." " If He be a sinner I know not; one thing I know, that I was blind and now I see." " What did He do to you ? How did He open your eyes ? " "I have told you al- ready, and you have heard; why should you hear it 108 LIFE OF CHRIST. again? Do you wish to become His disciples?." " Be thou His disciple, if you will; we are the disciples of Moses; but, as to this man, we know not whence He comes." " Why, that is wonderful ! He has opened my eyes, and you know not whence He comes. Now we know that God does not hear sinners, but He hears Him who honors Him and does His will. It has never been heard from the beginning of the world that a man opened the eyes of one born blind; so if this man were not from God He could not have this power." The irate Pharisees now cried out fiercely: " Thou wast wholly born in sin 26 and dost thou teach us ? " And they cast him out of the synagogue. Jesus decided to repay this man's courage. Hearing that he had been cast out, He sought him and asked him if he believed in the Son of God. " Who is He, Lord," answered the poor man, " that I may believe in Him." " You see Him," said Jesus; "it is He who speaks with you." " I believe, Lord," cried he as he fell on his face at our Saviour's feet and adored Him. II, The Good Shepherd; St. John, X. — -It remained to open the sheepf old of the Church for the sheep which the synagogue had rejected. At first Jesus branded with ignominy those hirelings who had little care for their sheep and who fled at sight of the wolf and the robber. Then He drew a beautiful picture of His new sheepf old. " The true shepherd," said He, " knows his sheep; he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when they are without, he walks be- fore them; and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. * * * I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for his sheep. * * * 26 Allusion to a popular belief expressed above by the apostles. LIFE OF CHRIST. 109 I know mine, and mine know me. * * * I am come that they may live more abundantly." Then, as if thinking of the man who had lately be- come one of His own, He continued: " Other sheep I have that are not of this fold; them also must I bring within, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd." Wonderful words which foretold the unity that w r ould exist among all Catholic missionaries and apostles of all ages to come. CHAPTEK VII. Sojourn in Galilee. I, The Seventy-two Disciples; St. Luke, X, 1. — To escape the malice of the Pharisees, Jesus left Jeru- salem and went again to Galilee. Perhaps He wished to offer a last chance to these ungrateful people for whom He had done so much. On his arrival^ He chose seventy-two 27 from among His followers and sent them before Him u into every city and place whither He was to come." Their mission was to prepare the way. He gave them almost the same instructions that He had given to his apostles, 28 but with less detail. They should go without purse, without script, and with- out shoes. Peace should attend their footsteps; they should heal the sick; they should be satisfied with whatever was put before them. If any city refused to receive 27 Sixtv-six. according to some manuscripts. 28 See page 79, II. 110 LIFE OF CHRIST. them, they should shake the dust from their feet, to signify that they would have nothing in common with it, and they should threaten it with a harsher fate than even that of Sodom. II, The Wicked Cities; St. Luke, X, 13.— The dis- ciples set out two by two. Meanwhile, Jesus was on the borders of the lake, but His words fell on hardened and closed hearts. The cities in which He had wrought so many miracles, in which He had spread the good seed in abundance, now turn against Him. This called forth those awful words which the future too soon verified: Woe to thee, Choroza'in; woe to thee, Beth- saida, for if Tyre and Sidon had seen the mighty works that have been wrought in you, they would have done penance, in sackcloth and ashes, long ago. But Tyre and Sidon shall be more mildly dealt with at the day of judgment than you. And thou, Capharnaum, who art exalted unto Heaven, thou shalt be thrust down to Hell." This terrible fate was brought to be, by the Romans, thirty years later. Life and business gave way to ruin and desolation, especially around the beau- tiful lake. The disciples now returned from their mission. Perea, which was to remain faithful to the end, had welcomed them. They were happy because even the demons obeyed them in the name of their Master.' Jesus told them that they might well rejoice, for their names were written in Heaven. Then, referring to the welcome given His words, He declared that they should take up their cross and follow Him. ' In fol- lowing Me," He added, " you shall find rest for your souls; for My yoke is sweet and My burden light." LIFE OF CHRIST. Ill CHAPTEE VIII. Jesus in Judea. I, The Parable of the Good Samaritan; St. Luke, X, 25. — Jesus went again to Jerusalem. One day, as He travelled along the mountainous road from Jericho to Jerusalem by way of Bethany, along which were many passes noted for crimes and robberies, 30 a Scribe came up and asked Him what works were necessary to gain eternal life. Jesus cited for him the two great com- mandments, the love of God, and the love of our neigh- bor, both given in the book of which the Scribe was an interpreter. " Who is my neighbor ? " asked the lat- ter. Knowing what narrow limits the Jews, as well as the Pagans had placed about this subject, Jesus took occasion to give forth His new doctrine of charity. He began: "A certain man went down from Jeru- salem to Jericho. He fell among robbers who de- spoiled him, wounded him, and went away leaving him half dead. A certain priest,* who went down the same way, saw him and passed by. In like manner, a Levite, who drew near the place, saw him and passed by. But a certain Samaritan (enemy of the Jews) came near him; he saw the unfortunate man and was moved with pity. He went to him, bound up his wounds pouring in oil and wine. 31 Then he placed him upon his own 30 Fouard, II, 85, note. The bad repute of the passes in Jericho has lasted to our day. The last outlaws were dispersed only a few years ago. *A Jewish priest of the old law. — Translator. 31 In olden times oil and wine were used for healing wounds. 112 LIFE OF CHRIST. beast, brought him to an inn, 32 and took care of him. The next day he gave two pence to the host and said: Take care of him, and if you shall spend anything more, I will repay you on my return. " The lesson was plain. The Scribe had asked who was his neighbor, and Jesus told him in this beautiful parable, that all men, even his enemies, were his neighbor. " Which of the three/' asked Jesus, " do you think acted towards the unhappy man as his neighbor should do ? Which was neighbor to that man ? " The Scribe could only say that it was the Samaritan. Jesus thus showed him that charity should have no bounds; that it should not be limited to their friends and countrymen, and taught him that strangers should no longer be viewed as enemies and that the bonds of primitive brotherhood should be renewed. II, Jesus at Bethany; St. Luke, X, 38. — Jesus now arrived at Bethany. 33 Bethany was a village beautifully situated on the side of a hill which lay to the south- east of Olivet. It was only about two miles from Jerusalem. Jesus wished to stop here. He w r as kindly welcomed by Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, into their house. Mary, also called Magdalen, was she whom Jesus had pardoned and raised up in the esteem of her friends at the feast of Nairn. On the arrival of Jesus and His disciples, the whole house was set in mo- tion. Martha busied herself with great preparations and took every care that nothing should be wanting. Mary, on the other hand, sat at her Saviour's feet 32 The " Inn of the Samaritan," on which the name was doubt- less fixed long ago from the parable, is about six miles from Jerusalem on the road to Jericho. 33 See Vigouroux, Dictionnaire de la Bible. tfa£V 1JV £ p ^ J^" »T ^M .;*m LIFE OF CHRIST. 113 silently listening to the words that fell from His lips. Martha, on whom the whole burden of serving had fallen, complained gently, " Lord, hast thou no care that my sister has left me alone to serve 2 " said she to Jesus. " Speak to her that she may help me." " Martha, Martha," answered Jesus, " you are careful and are troubled about many things. But one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part, which shall not be taken away from her." It was not indeed the care for things of this life that Jesus blamed in this instance; it was rather the total neglect of all else than lower occupations. He praised the desire to seek God and the pious attention which faithful souls bestow upon His words. Commentators have found, in this response of our Saviour, the greatest praise and the highest dignity for a contemplative life. 34 34 A great painter of the seventeenth century, Le Sueur, has beautifully illustrated this scene of Bethany. The expression of contented admiration and trustful abandonment with which Mary Magdalen is depicted is unequalled. Museum of Munich. 8 114 LIFE OF CHRIST. CHAPTEE IX. Jesus on the Mount of Olives. I, The Second Form of the Our Father; St. Luke, XI, 1. — On leaving Bethany, Jesus travelled about in the neighborhood of Jerusalem. Some disciples, late fol- lowers of John the Baptist, found Jesus one day pray- ing on the Mount of Olives, and asked Him how they should pray. He gave them, in shorter form, the same prayer that he had given to the apostles on the plain of Hattin: "Father, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us. And lead us not into tempta- tion." 35 II, Instruction on Prayer; St. Luke, XL — Our Lord now seized the opportunity of speaking to His question- ers, on the value of prayer. " Ask, and it shall be given you," He began; " seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you; for everyone that asks receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him, who knocks, it shall be opened." To this He added some apt comparisons and examples. " Who of you," said 35 A very old tradition locates this scene on the Mount of Olives, not far from the summit of the Ascension. The early Christians built a church on this spot which was destroyed by the Mussulmans, as was also a monastery called the " Holv Paternoster." The Church was rebuilt by the Crusaders, but it was again destroyed after the taking of Jerusalem by Saladdin. In our time, 1875, a chapel called Paternoster, was built on the same spot by the Princess de La Tour d'Auvergne, which she gave to France. A French Carmelite convent adjoins the chapel. In the cloister built on the plain leading from Camposanto de Pisa, the Pater (Our Father), is written in thirty- two languages. LIFE OF CHRIST. 115 He, " if he ask his father for bread, will he give him a stone ? Or if he ask for a fish, will he give him a ser- pent ? " He spoke of a man aroused in the middle of the night who yielded at last to the importunities of a friend and gave him the bread which he sought, thus teaching us constancy and perseverance in prayer, to which God can refuse nothing. This consoling doc- trine of prayer completed the teaching given on the same subject on the Mount of Beatitudes. As there is nothing more beneficial, there is nothing which our Saviour has developed more fully and with more ex- actitude. CHAPTER X. I, Perea ; St. Matthew, IX. — It is difficult to trace our Saviour's precise course during the last six months of His life. St. John seems to say that He entered a region which He had never before visited in person. He made but a short stay in Jerusalem and its vicinity, then crossed over the Jordan into Perea, which was governed by Herod. This province, which had wel- comed the disciples a short time before, now gladly re- ceived their Master. In this place, He multiplied His teachings and His miracles; among others He cured two who were blind, 36 and delivered one possessed of a devil. 37 As usual, the Pharisees were there giving forth their malicious remarks and plying their crafty questions. They were bold enough to insinuate, as those had done in Galilee, that He cast out devils 30 St. Matthew, TX. 27. 37 Ibid., 32. 116 LIFE OF CHRIST. through the power of the prince of devils. Jesus made the same response as before, and told them that the world was about to be delivered from the slavery of Satan, but that they would not profit by the deliver- ance. He threatened the Jews w r ith the direst mis- fortunes. At that moment, a woman of the crowd, moved with admiration, cried out: " Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the paps that gave Thee suck." " Yea; rather blessed are they/' answered Jesus, " who hear the word of God and keep it." There is then something still greater than divine mother- hood ! It is the faith of a Christian by which he con- ceives Jesus Christ in his heart. Mary was even greater for her faith than for the marvellous privilege she enjoyed. 38 II, Jesus Dines with the Pharisees ; St. Luke, XI and XII. — While He was yet speaking, one of the same Pharisees asked Jesus to dine with him. He con- sented. But though the Pharisees present were care- ful to make the prescribed ablutions, Jesus wittingly sat down without doing so. The Pharisees, angered at such contempt of their observances, soon began to address Jesus with foul and abusive reproaches. Jesus once more disrobed the hy- pocrisy of His enemies. So gentle and mild with hum- ble and repentant sinners, He bitterly rebuked these proud and hardened men. He reproached them with being careful to cleanse the outside while all within was sin and corruption. He told them that they gave all their attention to exterior observances while they neglected almsgiving and the love of God and their neighbor; that they burdened others with teachings 38 This is St. Augustine's thought, On Holy Virginity, III. LIFE OF CHRIST. 117 which they themselves did not observe. Thrice He pronounced anathema against them, the " Vae " of the prophets. When Jesus set out a great crowd followed with His disciples. He warned these latter against the designs of wicked men. He exhorted them to fear nothing and to face even death, if necessary, rather than deny their faith. " I say to you, My friends; be not afraid of those who kill the body and can do nothing more. But I will show you whom you shall fear. Fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into Hell. Yea, I say to you, fear Him." Thus He forewarned them against future persecu- tions, over which they would triumph by death alone. Wonderful triumph which would show them as van- quished before the eyes of men, but which would never- theless be a glorious victory ! II, the Eich Man's Death; St. Luke, XII, 13.— One of His hearers asked Jesus to help him in a question of inheritance. But He refused and took occasion to con- demn once more the love of riches. " Take heed," said He, " and beware of all covetousness." Then He related the story of a rich man who had gathered up treasures in vain. " The land of a certain rich man brought forth abundance of fruit. He was worried as to where he could find room to bestow his crops. And he said : { I will do this ; I will pull down my barns and build greater; I will gather into them all my crops and my goods. Then I will say to my soul : Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thy rest, eat, drink, and make good cheer/ But God said to him: ' Thou fool, this night thy soul is required of thee ; and whose shall these things be which thou hast stored up'?" 118 LIFE OF CHRIST. CHAPTEK XL Jerusalem, the Feast of the Dedication. I, Jesus at Jerusalem; St. Luke, XIII, 34; St. John, X. — Jesus was recalled to Jerusalem by the feast of the Dedication, which was held to commemorate the purification of the Temple by Judas Machabaeus after the sacrilege of Antiochus Epiphanus. 39 It lasted eight days and was the occasion of great rejoicings and illuminations. The time of its observance was in the middle of December. St. Luke pictures Jesus passing through towns and cities and teaching along the whole course of the way. It was when drawing near the Holy City on this journey, that His heart was pierced with sorrow for its ungrateful inhabitants; it was then these sad words found utterance : " Jerusalem, Jeru- salem, thou who killest the prophets and stonest those who are sent to thee, how often would I have gathered thy children as the bird does her brood under her wing, and thou wouldst not? Behold your house shall be left to you desolate. And I say to you that you shall not see Me till the time comes when you shall say: i Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.' J He thus referred to His departure in the near future and the time which would elapse until He should return in triumph on the day of Palms (Palm Sunday). At Jerusalem, Jesus chose the portico of Solomon as His dwelling place. It was a large double gallery forming an inclosure for the court of the Temple on the east, and commanding a view of the valley of Ce- 39 I Machabees, IV, 3G. LIFE OF CHRIST. 119 dron in front of Olivet. Here the Sanhedrites sought Him and again directed their evil designs against Him. They urged Him to declare that He was Christ. Jesus recalled His miracles and asserted that He " and the Father were One." At this they thought to stone Him. But he passed through their midst and left the Temple. Obliged to leave Jerusalem, Jesus now re- tired to Perea beyond the Jordan. CHAPTEE XII. Last Stay in Perea. I, The Repast with a Pharisee; St. Luke, XIV, 1. — Jesus remained in Perea about two months. This was to be His last visit. 40 One Sabbath-day, a Pharisee invited Jesus to par- take of a meal with him. All present belonged to the sect. Jesus again shocked their rigid minds by curing on the Sabbath a man troubled with dropsy. He no- ticed also that these proud men strove for the highest place at table. He remarked to them that they thus exposed themselves to shame and confusion; for if one of higher rank entered, the master of the house would send them down lower. " He who exalts himself, shall be humbled," said Jesus, " and he who humbles himself shall be exalted." Now, it was customary for all to be freely admitted to the banquet-hall. Many of the poor, the maimed, the 40 Fouard thinks the miracles recorded in the XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, 1-10, chapters of St. Luke, were performed during this time. 120 LIFE OF CHRIST. lame, and the blind had come, spurred on perhaps by the hope that Jesus would see and heal them. From these Jesus drew a new lesson; He told the host that he should invite these instead of the rich, for he who in- vites the rich is in turn invited by them and so receives his reward. On the other hand, he who calls the poor about him expects no recompense in this life, but he will be repaid on the last day. Then one of those at table cried out: " Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God." That Pharisee was, doubtless, selfish in his remark; for our Lord answered by a parable which serves as a rebuke for the pride of his sect as well as that of all people. He described a master who made a great feast for many select guests. "When all was ready, the servant went out, according to Ori- ental custom, to call in the guests. But all began to make excuses. One had just bought a farm; another had bought five yoke of oxen; a third had just married a wife. The master was wroth. " Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city," said he to the servant, " and bring hither the poor, and the feeble, and the blind, and the lame." When this was done and there was still room, he repeated his command: " Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in that my house may be filled." The meaning of this parable was clear; the invited guests are the Jews, well-taught and wealthy, before whom our Saviour had preached and worked miracles for three years. They hearkened not to the divine call; some refused through pride, others through love of riches and worldly pleasures. The Great Master, angry at such disdain, at first calls in the poor and the lowest LIFE OF CHRIST. 121 of the people, then he calls in even the Gentiles and strangers to taste the sweets of His feast. As Jesus departed from the house, a great crowd pressed about Him, led on perhaps by the promises they had just heard and which they thought were about to be fulfilled in a worldly sense. Jesus, however, ex- plained the true meaning to them, and told them what great sacrifices are required of those who follow Him. " If any man come to Me," said He, " and hate* not his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yea, and his own life, he cannot be My disciple. He who has ears to hear let him hear. II, The Parable of the Prodigal Son; St. Luke, XV, 11. — Jesus had not been sparing of lessons to the hard- hearted Pharisees, but in them, it must be remarked, we do not find His ordinary manner of teaching. At this period of His life, He spoke especially of mercy and pardon. Behold the parable of the good shepherd carrying back the lost sheep to the fold: " AVhat man among you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one, does he not leave the other ninety-nine in the desert and seek the lost one until he finds it ? And when he has found it, does he not lay it upon his shoulders with joy, return home, and call together his friends, saying to them: Rejoice with me for I have found my lost sheep ? I say to you," added Jesus, " there shall be more joy in Heaven upon one sinner's doing penance than upon ninety-nine just who need not penance." At this time, too, the parables of the lost drachma and the prodigal son were given forth. There is noth- ing more touching, nothing appeals more to the heart than this latter: " A man had two sons. The younger * " Hate " means that Christ is to be preferred to all others. 122 LIFE OF CHRIST. said to his father : ' Father give me my part of the in- heritance. 5 " The father did so. Some days later the young man took all that h!ad fallen to him and went into a distant land. In this place, he soon squandered all his money. When all was gone, there came a great famine into that country. He was hungry and had noth- ing to eat. At last he hired out to a landlord who sent him to care for swine. And he would fain have sated himself on the husks 41 which the swine ate, but no one gave any to him. Sitting down, he began to meditate on his condition. How many hired servants in my father's house, thought he, have abundance of bread, and here I perish of hunger ! I will rise, I will go to my father, I will say to him : " Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you. I am not worthy to be called your son ; I will be one of your ser- vants, your slave." He arose and went to his father's house. When he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was touched with pity. Running to meet him, he clasped him to his bosom and kissed him. " Father," said the prodigal. " I have sinned against Heaven and against you, I am not now worthy to be called your son." But the father only commanded his servants to bring forth the most beautiful robe and put it upon him, and to put a ring on his finger, 42 and sandals on his feet. Then he ordered them to bring forth and kill the fatted calf. " Let us eat and make merry," said he, " for my son was dead and is come to life, he was lost and is 41 The fruit of the carob tree is long pods filled with black beans of an insipid taste. To-day still these pods are used as food for beasts and sometimes for poor people. Fouard. 42 The ring especially distinguished sons of the family from servants, V, Dictionnaire de la Bible, article Anneau. LIFE OF CHEIST. 123 found." Now the elder brother, on returning from the field, was displeased to see so much honor paid to his prodigal and sinful brother. The father gently justified himself by those same words : " It is but proper to rejoice, for this child was dead and has come to life, he was lost and is found." Never was divine mercy more tenderly described. The object of this beautiful parable was, doubtless, to recall the Gentiles to the true God, and especially to teach men of all ages the horrors of sin and the won- derful mercy of God. " It will never be known," says Pere Didon, " how many consciences have been moved, how many ruined souls have been saved, how often de- spair has been overcome, and how many have been led to repentance by this story of the prodigal son. It has caused a glimmer of sunshine to glow T in the most aban- doned and dishonorable lives." 43 Ill, The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus; St. Luke, XVI, 19.- — Our Saviour's enemies were, for the most part, rich men who lived sumptuously > held the common people in disdain, and never practiced charity. The Sadducees, who denied a future life, held to- wards the poor that cruelty peculiar to those for whom this life is all things, and the Pharisees were very avaricious, as St. Luke tells us. Jesus told them that no one could serve two masters at the same time, that is, God and Mammon; 44 He assured them, in a threat- ening parable, that the justice of God would be meted 43 Didon, Jesus Christ, II, 114. 44 Hammona, in Chaldean and Syriac, signifies treasure, riches. It also means Mamman the god of riches. St, Augustine tells us that Mammon belongs to the Carthagenian language and means silver, riches. 124 LIFE OF CHRIST. out beyond the tomb to the joy of the poor and the wretched. " There was a certain rich man," as the parable goes, " who was clothed in purple and fine linen, 45 and feasted sumptuously every day." " There was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who lay at his gate, full of sores. He would fain have eaten the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table, but no one gave to him. The dogs came and licked his sores. It happened that the beggar died and was carried away by the angels in Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried in Hell. Lifting up his eyes from the midst of his torments, he saw Abraham afar and Lazarus in his bosom. " Father Abraham," cried he, " have mercy on me and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame." " My son," answered Abraham, " remember that during life you received good things, and Lazarus, evil things. Now he is com- forted and you suffer. And besides, between us and you there is a great chaos; so that they, who wish to pass from us to you or from you to us, cannot do so." As the condemned begged him at least to send Laza- rus to warn his brothers, Abraham answered: " They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. * * * If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe if one rise from the dead." The lesson was clear; and the rich and pitiless Jews, who were present, saw that it was meant for them. Yet it extends much further, it teaches charity to the rich; it teaches the poor to be patient and to wait for 45 The rich wore a purple mantel and a tunic of fine linen. LIFE OF CHRIST. 125 heavenly goods. In our day, many reject that distant hope and cling to the enjoyment of things below, be- cause they have lost faith in the true things of the future. Of course, it is allowed to labor for a good standing in this life; it is a duty to do so; the Church encourages it. But the words of our Master remain: " Equality and harmony will reign in Heaven alone/' CHAPTEK XIII. Jesus at Bethany — The Resurrection of Lazarus. st. john, xi. Jesus was still in Perea when a message came from Martha and Mary in these words : " Lord, he whom Thou lovest is sick." It was Lazarus. Yet Jesus did not start from Perea until after two days. He awaited the hour set aside by His Heavenly Father for the most famous and the most decisive of His miracles. Then only did He tell His disciples of His intended return to Judea; He also told them that Lazarus was dead. " Lazarus is dead/' said He, " and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, in order that you may be- lieve." So He set out with them in spite of their fears for the enemies they would meet in Judea. It was about the end of February or the first of March. Lazarus indeed had died on the evening of the day on which the message had reached Jesus. According to Jewish custom, he was carried to the tomb at once; then the time of mourning began. On the evening of the third day, the last visit was made to the grave, the 126 LIFE OF CHRIST. linen was drawn over the face of the dead, and the last resting place was closed with a stone. It was on this evening that Jesus set out for Bethany. The next morning, after walking the whole night, He arrived at Bethany and stopped on the edge of the village. Martha soon learned that He was come and ran to meet Him. " Lord, if Thou hadst been here," sobbed she, " my brother had not died. But I know that God will now grant whatever Thou shalt ask of Him." Behold, now, the sublime dialogue which took place between our Saviour and Martha. " Your brother shall rise again. I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, though he be dead, he shall live; and everyone that lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this ? " " Yea, Lord, I have believed that you are Christ, the Son of the liv- ing God, who has come into the world." The Church has found these words so beautiful that she repeats them in all Masses for the dead, justly hold- ing them as the only true consolation for those who are left behind. Martha now hastened to call her sister, as Jesus had requested. " Our Master is come," said she to Mary, " and calls for you." Mary, followed by many consol- ing friends, went in haste to Jesus. Falling down at. His feet, she repeated Martha's words: " Lord, if You had been here, my brother had not died." She wept, and those who were with her wept also. Jesus now trembled with emotion. " Where have you laid him ? " asked He. " Come and see, Lord," answered she. And Jesus wept. Followed by the sorrowing crowd, He arrived at the grave, which was a cavern dug out in the rock and LIFE OF CHRIST. 127 closed by a flagstone. " Take away the stone/' or- dered Jesus. " Lord, by this time he stinks/' objected Martha, " for he is now dead four days." " Did I not say to you/' our Lord replied, " that if you believe you shall see the glory of God ? " The stone was removed. There lay the corpse. Then, in the midst of that won- dering crowd, Jesus gave thanks to His Heavenly Father, and cried with a loud voice : " Lazarus, come forth." On the very instant, the dead man came forth, bound hand and foot, with a napkin about his face. At sight of this, all stood silent and trembling with fear. " Loose him and let him go," said Jesus. The bandages dropped to the ground. And Lazarus went to his own in the full vigor of life. This miracle was performed before many witnesses, as was that wrought upon the man born blind, and the multiplying of the loaves. St. John, who was an eye- witness, describes this miracle, with accents of sincer- ity, in all its details. Late critics, however, have tried to deny the miracle, and replace it by the most improb- able and the most inapt sorceries. Was it more diffi- cult for God to recall a man from the tomb than to make the world from nothing? Foolish and wicked men who try to rob humanity of its only consolation, the hope of a future resurrection and of a life to come, and who offer nothing in exchange but the abominable doctrine of complete destruction ! Yet truth is stronger than error; humanity must have hopes; it flies for refuge to the Gospel and to Him who says: " I am the resurrection and the life." 46 46 Bethany (El Azarieh) is to-day a poor village where the cave, hewn out in the mountain side, which was used as a tomb for Lazarus, may still be seen. It contains two apartments. A 128 LIFE OF CHRIST. This miracle, of raising Lazarus to lif e, provoked still more our Saviour's enemies. The Sanhedrites were troubled, and feared that it would stir up the people at the coming Passover. They assembled in the house of the high priest, Caiaphas, which stood on a hill 47 south of Jerusalem^ and talked over their fears. " This man works many miracles/' said they to one another, " if we let Him alone, all will believe in Him." They pretended to fear lest a popular revolution would rise in favor of Jesus, which would draw down the Ro- mans upon them and ruin their nation. " Do you not see," broke forth Caiaphas, " that we must sacrifice one man in order to save the people ? " This was a proph- ecy, as St. John tells us, which fell from the high priest's lips unknowingly > and in virtue of his duties; it was the decree of death for Jesus. At this warning, our Saviour left the neighborhood of Jerusalem and passed some weeks in a secluded village in the heart of a wild place, at Ephrem, near the borders of Sa- maria. 48 stairway of twenty-six steps leads to the first, and the second is three steps lower than the first. The tomb belongs to the Turks. Mass is celebrated here on great pilgrimages. The early Chris- tians built a church over the tomb. About 200 yards from thi place, on the site of the house in which the three holy persons lived, the ruins of an ancient chapel may be seen. About a quarter of a mile from the village stands the " Rock of Conversa- tion," on which Jesus was sitting when Martha came to seek him. 47 This hill is called " Mount of Evil Counsel." 48 Modern travellers believe that Ephrem now exists as the town of Thayebeh, about twelve miles northeast of Jerusalem. LIFE OF CHRIST. 129 CHAPTEE XIV. The Farewell Visit to Samaria, m Galilee and in Perea. I, The Ten Lepers Cured; St. Luke, XVII, 11.— When the fixed time had arrived, Jesus abandoned His retreat and resolved to deliver Himself up. However, He did not go straight to Jerusalem, where He was to die, but wended His way towards Samaria and Galilee. This was, as it were, a farewell journey to the coun- tries in which He had spent His earthly life. St. Luke pictures Him passing through the midst of Sa- maria. He had taken this route a little more than two years before, when He converted the Samaritan woman. As He entered into a border town, the name of which is not known, He was met by ten lepers, one of whom was a Samaritan. These unfortunates, behold- ing Him from afar, cried out : " Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." " Go, show yourselves to the priests/' said Jesus. They obeyed and, as they went, they were made clean. One of them, the Samaritan, as soon as he saw that he was cured, retraced his steps, shouting aloud the praises of God. Then casting himself on the ground, he rendered humble thanks to his Benefactor. Jesus was moved to sadness by the ingratitude of the others. " Were there not ten made clean," asked He, " where are the nine ? There is no one found to return and give glory to God but this stranger." The Samaritan was soon to be rewarded. Our Saviour had healed his 9 130 LIFE OF CHRIST. body; He now purified his soul. " Arise/' said Jesus, " go your way; your faith has saved you." II, The Pharisee and the Publican; St. Luke, XVII, 9. — Another day, on hearing some words of pride from His disciples, our Saviour taught them the value of humility, and its power with God. He described for them the Pharisee and the Publican who went to the Temple to pray. The Pharisee stood erect and prayed thus: " O, God, I give Thee thanks that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, as is this Publican; I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess." 49 The Publican, on the other hand, would not come near the Sanctuary; nor would he even raise his eyes to Heaven, but only struck his breast and repeated: " O, God, be merciful to me, a sinner." " I say to you," added Jesus, " this latter went back to his house justified, but the other did not; because he who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted." III, Against Divorce; St. Matthew, XIX, 3. — The Gospel gives no further details of this sojourn in Gali- lee. He soon set out for Jerusalem, along the eastern bank of the Jordan. Doubtless He passed by many places of happy memory, the Lake of Genesareth and its villages, and the fertile fields on its shores, where He had wrought so many wonders, and had taught so many beautiful lessons. In the ever-faithful Perea, a large crowd still fol- lowed His footsteps; as usual, He healed the sick and caused the admiration of all by His words. The Pharisees, always seeking snares for His down- 49 Every Jew owed a tithe of his goods to the support of the Levites. Numbers, XVIII, 12. LIFE OF CHRIST. 131 fall, came one day and questioned Him thus : " Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for any cause ? " Some of their doctors held very liberal opinions on this subject. Many of the Jews leaned towards the Roman custom, which made divorce a scandalous pas- time. To condemn the former in any part of the land, was to incur enmity of a powerful party and of King Herod himself. Jesus, however, did not hesitate to cite passages of Scripture to restore the primitive in- dissolubility of marriage. " What God has joined to- gether," said He, " let no man put asunder." He went still further. After He had adorned marriage with its former purity and dignity, He began to speak to His disciples on virginity and the noble esteem in which He held it. IV, Jesus and the Little Children; St. Matthew, XIX, 13. — When Jesus had entered a certain house, many mothers brought their children, asking Him to lay His hands upon them and pray over them. This was the custom towards all great teachers. The disciples grew impatient at this scene, which was, doubtless, of frequent occurrence, and chided the women bitterly. This displeased Jesus very much. " Suffer the little children," said He, " and forbid them not to come to me, for the Kingdom is for such." He then called them around Him, took them in His arms, and laying His hands upon their heads, He blessed them. Afterwards, He renewed His journey. V, The Eich Young Man; St. Matthew, XIX, 16 — A young man met Jesus on the way. He was, as St. Mark tells us, a prince of that country, whose noble heart was not satisfied with keeping the common law, but longed for greater and higher perfection. Casting 132 LIFE OF CHRIST. himself at Jesus' feet, he exclaimed: " Good Master, what shall I do to gain eternal life ? " " None is good but God," answered Jesus, at first; then He added, " If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." " What commandments ? " asked the young man, in surprise. ]STo doubt he ex- pected to hear some new and strange commandment. But Jesus, wishing to show him the worth of his own powers, and to teach him that God prefers simple faith to great deeds, answered by repeating the simple laws of Moses: " Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not com- mit adultery. Thou shalt not steal." "All these have I kept from my youth," answered the inquirer. " What is yet wanting ? " Jesus gazed at the youth and loved him, says the Gospel. He felt Himself drawn towards such candor and simplicity. "If thou wilt be per- fect," added He, " go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow Me." But the young man had great pos- sessions, says the Gospel. The words, which were to make St. Anthony and so many others give up all things, fell vainly on the ears of this weak mortal, who felt himself unequal to the sacrifice, and went away. Jesus gazed on him as he went, and said to His dis- ciples, who stood around: " Amen, I say to you, a rich man shall hardly enter the Kingdom of Heaven." They were much astonished at these words, although they were not entirely new to them. Jesus answered their troubled minds thus: " Children, how hard it is for them that trust in riches to enter into the Kingdom of God ! " Then in the words of a familiar proverb, he continued: " It is easier for a camel to pass through LIFE OF CHRIST. 166 the eye of a 50 needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God." " Who then can be saved ? " asked the disciples, in surprise. " With men, this is impossible/ 5 answered Jesus, " but with God all things are possible." He spoke, not against riches in themselves, but against the love of riches, and against the ill use which is often made of them. He also stated that poverty of spirit, in the midst of wealth, is beyond the powers of nature, and can come from God alone. Once before, He had highly praised the " poor in spirit " in his sermon on the Mount. 50 Several interpretations are given to these words. In place of " camel/' some translate it " rope." It is generally believed, but without reason, that there was a gate at Jerusalem, called the gate of the needle, too low to allow a laden camel to pass. These explanations are useless. 134 LIFE OF CHRIST. CHAPTEK XV. Jesus at Jericho akd at Bethany. I, Jesus Foretells His Passion; St. Luke, XVIII; St. Matthew, XX, 17. — The little group, having come to Jericho, crossed the river. The apostles were filled with fear; for they well knew the hatred of the Jews, in Judea, against their Master. Jesus, however, far from soothing their troubled minds, told them plainly of His coming suffering and death. " Behold, we go up to Jerusalem," said He, " and all things which were written by the prophets, concerning the Son of Man, shall be fulfilled. He shall be betrayed to the chief priests and to the Scribes; they shall condemn Him to death; they shall deliver Him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified; and the third day He shall rise again." Jesus had mentioned His death twice before, but now He did so more clearly, and with more detail; it was because the hour for the sacri- fice was drawing near. II, The Ambition of the Sons of Zebedee. Lesson on Humility; St. Matthew, XX, 20. — As yet, the dis- ciples had not caught the full meaning of their Mas- ter's words. The mother of James and John even came and asked Jesus to give her two sons the highest seats in the kingdom, which all still expected. Jesus simply told the two that they should suffer as He would suffer. Then turning to His followers : " He who wishes to be first among you, let him be the servant of LIFE OF CHRIST. 135 all." 52 Had He not humbled himself for humanity, so as to become the servant of man ! It was an example for His disciples, by which they might attain glory. Ill, Zacheus; St. Luke, XIX, 1. — Jesus drew near to Jericho, a city adorned with many fine houses, built in the midst of beautiful gardens, adorned also with fields of palm trees and roses, the " Divine Land/' as Josephus calls it. It was at this time filled with strang- ers, on their way to Jerusalem for the Pasch. Before this crowd, Jesus cured two blind men, one of whom was called Bar-Timeas, and the crowd rejoiced at His entry into the city. There dwelt in this place, a certain Zacheus, who was a tax-gatherer, a chief of the custom-house officers, one of those toll-gatherers or Publicans so hated by the Jews because they collected money for the Romans. Zacheus wished to see Jesus. But being of very low stature, he could not see over the heads of the crowd; so he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore or fig tree by the wayside. This eagerness pleased our Saviour, and when He drew near the tree He exclaimed: " Zach- eus, make haste and come down, for this day I must abide in your house." In a moment, Zacheus was on the ground, and immediately conducted Jesus to his house. He was won. The next day, before all the people, he thus made amends for his life : " Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have wronged any man of anything, I restore it to him four- fold." Through such humility, justice and charity, Zacheus was saved. " This day is salvation come to 52 The Popes, the heads of the Church, have in later times taken the name " Servant of the Servants of God/' in their official acts. 136 LIFE OF CHRIST. this house/' said Jesus, to the people, " for he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." " The sinful Zach- eus ? " says Pere Didon, " typifies all those who, in their misery, hear of Jesus, the friend and Saviour of Publi- cans, and desire to know and see Him in His course throughout humanity. He goes even beyond the granting of this desire. Touched by their earnestness, He loves to accept hospitality from them. He visits them. He shows them the bad state of their con- science. He teaches them repentance and the prac- tice of good works. These eager pagans are suddenly changed by faith; henceforth they are the true sons of Abraham and the chosen ones of the Kingdom." 53 IV, Jesus at Bethany, in the House of Simon, the Leper; St. John, XII, 1.— From Jericho Jesus pressed on to Jerusalem. However, He did not enter the city that day, but stopped at Bethany. It was Friday even- ing; the Sabbath-day was just beginning. 54 After the Sabbath, Simon, known only as " The Leper," invited Jesus to his table. Lazarus was among the guests, and Martha served at table. A great many Jews had come, curious to see Jesus and the friend whom He had raised to life. During the repast, Mary Magdalen, sister of Lazarus and Martha, renewed the beautiful scene of Nairn. Taking an alabaster box of precious ointment 53 Jericho no longer has that bright aspect ; the villas, the palm trees, and the roses have disappeared. Some miserable huts scattered among the ruins take the place of its former opulence. This modern village is called Erz-Relha. As to Zacheus, a tradi- tion holds that he came to Gaul (ancient France), after our Saviour's death, with St. Martial ( of Limoges ) . He was the Apostle of Quercy and had retired to the cliff of Roc-Amadour. The tradition that Gaul was evangelized by our Lord's own dis- ciples is disputed. 64 The Jews count the day from sunset of the previous day. LIFE OF CHKIST. 137 she poured it over her Saviour's head and anointed His feet, drying them with her long hair. 55 The whole house was perfumed with the sweet odor. Judas, one of the twelve, murmured at this, de- claring that it was useless waste. " Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence," 56 said he, " and given to the poor ? " It was not love for the poor that called forth these words, but rather personal greed; for Judas, who was treasurer of the little band, was given to filching from the money intrusted to him. Some other disciples agreed with him, but with a purer intention. Yet Jesus praised this kind deed of the young woman. In answer to their complaints, He told them that they would always have the poor on whom to bestow alms. Again referring to His death, He made known Magdalen's thoughts, saying that she had thus, in advance, shown the last honors to His earthly body, as at His burial. Then He declared that the whole world would praise her for what she had just done. " Amen, I say to you/ 5 said He, " wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world, what she has done shall also be told for a memory of her." We see this prophecy fulfilled every day; pictures of Mary Magdalen, holding a box of perfumes, adorn the walls and windows of many of our churches. 57 55 Nardi pistici in Sanskrit ; Wardostachys pisticus. The re- searches made at Sidon, 1887, discovered several alabastrum or vases for perfumes of Egyptian alabaster, in the shape of a powder-horn, nine inches long. The vase is very frail, being scarcely one-thirty-second of an inch in thickness. — See Vig- our oux's dans le Nouveau Testament, et les decouvertes, ar- cheologigues modern, chapter IV, on the Perfum de Marie- Madelaine. 56 The penny was worth about sixteen cents ; hence 300 pence would equal $46. But counting the difference in the value, 300 pence would now be worth almost $200. 67 A chapel formerly stood at Bethany on the site of Simon the Leper's house. To-day it is in ruins. is y o^ -a PLAN OF JERUSALEM IN THE TIME OF OUR LORD. The Holy of Holies. The Holy. The Vestibule. Altar of Holocosts. The Treasury, with the three poor- boxes. Hall for the Priests. Hall for the Geutile ; inscriptions. Solomon's Portico. Antonia, Pilate's Residence. Gabbatha. Palace of the Maccabees, Herod's Residence Bridge. 13. The Sorrowful Way. 14. The Pool of Probatica. 15. Bethesda. 16. St. Anne's House. 17. Gethsemane. 18. Convent of the Pater, 19. Herod the Great's Palace. 20. Palace of Annas. 21. Palace of Caiaphas 22. TheCenacle. 23. Grotto of St. Peter. 24. Siloe. 25. Dominus flevit (the Lord wept). 26. The Golden Gate. V. HOLY WEEK. CHAPTEK I. Jesus Enters Jerusalem in Triumph. I, The Triumph of Jesus; St. Luke, XIX, 28.— The great week was begun. Foreseeing the trials which would beset the faith of His followers, Jesus allowed one day of glory to precede those awful days of humil- iation and suffering. The day after He had dined with Simon, the first day of the week (Sunday), Jesus started from Bethany to Jerusalem. It was about three-quarters of an hour's walk. Midway on His journey, He came in sight of Bethphage, which lay lower down to the left, between the Mount of Olives and the Mount of Scandal. " Go into the village which lies before you," said Jesus to two of His disciples, " there you will find a she ass and her colt, which has never yet been ridden; untie them and bring them hither. And if anyone ask why you take them, say that the Master has need of them." The disciples went to Bethphage and did as Jesus had told them. When they were questioned as to what 139 140 LIFE OF CHRIST. they were doing, they answered as directed and were permitted to take the animals. Instead of a saddle, a piece of cloth is used when riding on this animal. On this occasion, the apostles spread their own garments over the beast. Jesus mounted, and, followed by His disciples, went towards the top of the hill. 1 It was not through humility that our Saviour had chosen the ass for his entrance into the Holy City. He was going to His triumph; and this creature, so grace- ful and strong, so sure-footed among the mountains, was a good symbol of His peaceful royalty. The ass of Palestine is as noble as the horse and more valuable. Jacob, in his well-known prophecy, calls Issachar " a strong ass." It symbolizes the arts of peace as the horse typifies the arts of war. When the disciples saw Jesus mounted as the ancient kings rode, they thought their longed-for earthly king- dom was at hand. Then the air was filled with cries of " Hosanna to the Son of David ! Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna to the King of Israel. Hosanna in the Highest ! " 2 At the same time the people took branches from the fig trees and olive trees on the hill, and strewed their cloaks along the way before Jesus, according to the Oriental custom. The Pharisees, who might always be found in our Saviour's train of followers, were troubled at this great display of honor shown Him. " Master," said 1 A large stone upturned in 1877 marks the spot, according to tradition, where Jesus mounted. This stone was covered with paintings, representing the resurrection of Lazarus, the trium- phant entrance; on it was also the name Bethphage. 2 Psalm CXVII, 26. This whole psalm is a song of triumph and of the workings of grace. LIFE OF CHRIST. 14ri they to Jesus, with an air of discontent and anger, " make your disciples be silent." " If they hold their peace/' answered Jesus, " the stones will cry out." II, The Prophecy on Jerusalem. — They arrived at the top of Olivet. Jerusalem lay sparkling in the mid- day sun. The pale marble of the Temple glistened, and its gilded domes gleamed like a thousand flames. The songs of triumph grew louder. But Jesus stopped. That Jerusalem which He loved, and which now poured forth her songs of praise would, in a few days, disown Him; within those walls He would soon die. This thought rent His heart. He wept over the wicked city. " If thou hadst known," said He, " if thou hadst known, or if thou didst know on this day, which is yet given to thee, what could bring thee peace ! 3 But now it is hidden from thy eyes. For the time will come when thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and beset thee on every side, shall destroy thee and shall crush thy inhabitants to the ground; they shall not leave a stone upon a stone, because thou hast not known the time in which thy God visited thee ! " Forty years had barely elapsed when this awful prophecy was fulfilled to the letter. The Romans, under Titus, raised a wall around the city, that trench which Jesus had foretold. A million Jews, reunited for the Pasch, were hemmed in and perished; Jerusa- lem henceforth will be but a heap of ruins. Meanwhile, another crowd entered from the other side of the city. They had learned that He, who raised Lazarus to life, was come; so they hastened to meet Him. The Galileans, who had already arrived for the § Jerusalem, in Hebrew, means " house of peace." 142 LIFE OF CHRIST. Pasch, and were encamped between the city and Olivet, joined those from Jerusalem. All carried branches and cried out, " Hosanna ! " Jesus crossed the Cedron, went up the slope of Ophel, and entered by the Golden Gate* with a long line of people, before and after Him, shouting for joy. The ranks were unbroken till they reached the Temple, where Jesus entered. The Pharisees, to their bitter chagrin, saw this triumph, which they could not pre- vent, and were all the more determined to put Jesus to death. However, Jesus was now prepared to die. Was not this day's triumph filled with promises ? Did He not say clearly that, after undergoing suffering and death, Christ would rise again, gloriously for an ever- lasting triumph? That evening Jesus went to the Mount of Olives to spend the night in prayer — in the bosom of solitude. 5 4 The Golden Gate has been walled up by the Mussulmans. 5 The Church commemorates the triumph of Jesus in the poetic ceremony of Palm Sunday. LIFE OF CHRIST. 143 CHAPTEE II. Monday of Holy Week. I, The Barren Fig Tree; St. Matthew, XXI, 18.— Early the next day, Jesus and His disciples started for Jerusalem. On the way He saw a fig tree covered with leaves; but finding no fruit thereon to satisfy His hun- ger, 6 He condemned the tree and immediately it began to wither. It was a symbol of the Jews and the hypoc- risy of all ages which hides a useless life under a beau- tiful exterior. Jesus also spoke of the penalty at- tached to these vanities. II, Jesus in the Temple; The Greek Messengers; Jesus glorified; St. John, XII, 20.— When Jesus reached the Temple, He healed the afflicted who were brought to Him, both the lame and the blind. A crowd soon gathered around to hear Him; He spoke to them, and they were filled with admiration. Old and young cried out with one voice : " Hosanna to the Son of David." The priests and chiefs of the Scribes were wroth at this homage and asked Jesus if He heard what they said. " Yes," answered He, " have you not read the Scriptures, which say, " Out of the mouth of infants and of sucklings thou hast per- fect praise ? " 7 Towards evening, some Greeks wished to speak to 6 The fig tree bears fruit before it puts forth leaves. At this time of year, Jesus sought green and early figs. 7 Psalm, VIII, 3. 144 LIFE OF CHRIST. Jesus. 8 Philip and Andrew presented them. On he- holding these strangers, Jesus was filled with joy, for He saw in them assurance that the Gentiles would be converted. " The hour is come," exclaimed He, " in which the Son of Man will be glorified." At the same time a voice from Heaven was heard in these words: " I have glorified Him and I will glorify Him again." The Father was pleased at the triumph of the Son as He was pleased with Him at the Jordan, and on Thabor. Some thought thunder, others said an angel spoke to Him. When it was night, Jesus went again to the Mount of Olives. 8 Tradition sees, in these strangers, legates from Abgar V, King of Edessa, who bore a message from their master. Jesus answered by letter and even sent His picture.* See the fact and legend of the letter and the portrait: Dictionnaire de la Bible, article Abgar. * The authenticity of this letter and picture is generally doubted to-day. — Translator. XIFE OF CHRIST. CHAPTER- III. Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week. I, The Enemies of Jesus; St. Mark, XI, 27.— On Tuesday, Jesus went again to the Temple. A large crowd soon pressed around Him; the high priests, the Scribes and the Ancients now arrive. Irritated at the influence Jesus had gained, they wished to do away with Him and regain their power with the people. They asked Him haughtily who had sent Him, and by what right He spoke thus. He confounded them by asking what they thought of John the Baptist and his baptism. They dared not deny that John was a prophet, for then the people would stone them; and they dared not acknowledge that he was from God, for then Jesus would ask why they had not believed in him. They answered that they did not know, and learning prudence from this defeat, they held their tongues and listened. But Jesus did not lose sight of them. By clear images, He showed the Jewish people that they had turned from Him, and that God would soon reject them. II, The Parable of the Faithless Husbandmen; St. Matthew, XXI, 33. — A father of a family planted a vineyard, set a hedge around it, built a press and a tower therein, let it out to husbandmen, and then went into a foreign land. In the proper season, he sent his servants to gather the fruits thereof. But the hus- bandmen seized them, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. A great number of other servants, who were sent, received like treatment. Finally the 10 146 LIFE OF CHKIST. master sent his own son, but they cast him out and killed him. " When the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do to these men?" asked Jesus. " He will put the murderers to death/' answered the Sanhedrites, " and will give the vineyard to others, who will deliver up the fruit in due time." " Thus shall the Kingdom of God be taken away from you/' replied Jesus, " and shall be given to others who will bear fruits thereof." The chief priests and Pharisees saw that He spoke of them; they would fain have stopped Him, but they feared the people, who looked upon Him as a prophet. Ill, Parable of the Marriage Feast; St. Matthew, XXII, 1. — After the priests and Pharisees had de- parted, the people still meditated on the threat which had just been uttered against them. Jesus now pro- nounces it a second time under a different figure : A cer- tain king made a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call in the guests. But they would not come. Then he sent others who should tell them to come, for his feast was ready and his beeves and fat- tlings were prepared. Again they refused; one went to his farm, another to his business, some even seized the servants, treated them outrageously and put them to death. At this the king was enraged, and sending out his sol- diers, he destroyed these murderers and burnt their city. Then he said to the servants: "The wedding feast is ready, but those whom I invited are not worthy of the honor shown to them. Go now into the streets and highways and bring in whomsoever you may find." They went through the streets and brought in all that LIFE OF CHRIST. 147 they met, both the good and the bad. The dining-hall was filled. The king went in to see the guests, and found there a man without the nuptial robe which was given to each invited guest. " My friend/' said he, " how came you here without a wedding garment ? " As the man made no reply, the king ordered his ser- vants to bind him hand and foot and cast him out into the darkness. " Many are called, but few are chosen," said Jesus, as He drew the parable to a close. This thought, plain to all His hearers, was the idea contained in the whole parable. He represented the Jews as stubborn guests; thus He might well say, 9 in speaking of the synagogue, " many are called, but few are chosen." IV, Cesar's Penny; St. Matthew, XXII, 16.— The Pharisees, not daring to attack Jesus in person, sent others to ask insidiously if it was allowed to pay tribute to Caesar, that is, to the emperor and the Romans. Thus they reasoned: if He answer " no," He will offend the emperor, and if He answer " yes," He will offend the Jews. Jesus, however, saw their snare. " Why do you tempt me, ye hypocrites ? " He asked ; " show me the coin." They handed Him a Roman penny, on which was stamped the likeness of Tiberius, the date, etc. " Whose image and inscription is this ? " asked Jesus. They answered that it was Cesar's. " Ren- der therefore to Gpsar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's," replied Jesus. By this response, our Divine Redeemer clearly drew the line between temporal and spiritual power. We must pay just tribute and obedience to earthly rulers, but there are certain bounds which must not be over- 9 Cardinal Pie, Oeuvres Sacerdotales. tome I, p. 274. 148 LIFE OF CHRIST. stepped; side by side with these rights are those of God, sacred and secure. The Church teaches a proper obedience to powers of the world, but she reserves do- minion over consciences, and allows no human power to encroach on the rights of God. This apt decision of our Saviour did not deter the Jews, three days later, from accusing Him of dissuading the people from pay- ing tribute to Caesar. V, The Doctrine of Resurrection ; St. Luke, XX, 27. — It was now the Sadducees' turn. They thought to puzzle Jesus by setting before Him the supposed case of a woman who had, in turn, married seven brothers, and asking whose wife she would be at the resurrection. With one word Jesus scattered the empty arguments of these narrow-minded men. " In this world/' said He, " men and women marry, but among those who shall be judged worthy of the world to come, it shall not be so. All will live forever, equal to the angels, as the children of God." As a proof of the resurrection, which they denied, He quoted the Scriptures, in which they believed. " Did not God say to Moses," said He, ■" I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob ? 10 For God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. And He is not the God of your fathers alone, for all live to Him." The countless multitude of souls outlive the death of the body, and even the bodies will one day come to life again and live forever. One of the doctors, thus confounded, stepped forth and asked Jesus what is the first commandment. Jesus answered in these few words, which have become the 10 Exodus, III, 6. LIFE OF CHRIST. 149 guidance of all souls : " Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength. This is the first commandment, and the second is like to it: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these." VI, The Pharisees Denounced; St. Matthew, XXIII, 1 . — A number of Pharisees were mingled in the crowd. Doubtless they were debating on Christ whom they looked upon merely as a man and not the Son of God. Jesus reminded them that Christ, the son of David, was greater than David, and that the Psalmist him- self had proclaimed Him his Lord and Master. 11 Then turning to the people, He condemned the hypocrisy of those men who were so strict in enforcing the law on others, whilst they themselves did not observe them. " The Scribes and Pharisees/' said He, " have sat on the chair of Moses. Observe them and do whatever they shall tell you, but do not imitate their deeds, for they say but act not. They bind together heavy and unbearable burdens, and lay them on the shoulders of others, but they themselves will not touch them. They do all their works before the eyes of men; for this reason they broaden their phylacteries 12 and lengthen their fringes. They love the first places at feasts and the first chairs in the synagogues, and they love to be hailed in the street as Rabbi, that is, master." After this formal censure, Jesus hurled against these proud men the most frightful anathemas that had yet come from His lips; they are called the eight Vaes 11 Psalm. CIX. 12 A role of parchment on which certain words of the law were written. The Jews wore them on the forehead and on the left breast. J 50 LIFE OF CHRIST. (woes) or maledictions. He cursed their hardness of heart, their rapacity, their wicked formality, their hy- pocrisy, and their cruelty towards those w r ho upbraided them for their crimes. Xow more than ever they were determined to kill Him. It was now, on their part, only a question of time and opportunity. VII, The Widow's Mite; St. Mark, XII, 41.— Jesus was sitting in the court near the boxes into which the offerings for the support of the Temple w r ere dropped. The rich threw in large sums. A poor widow, who had come alone, brought two small coins, w 7 orth a little less than one-tenth of a cent of our money. Jesus called His disciples to Him and said: " This poor woman has indeed given more than all others. The others have cast in only a part of their abundance; but she, from her w r ant, has cast in the little she had for a living." VIII, The Fall of Jerusalem and the End of the World; St. Mark, XIII. — As Jesus was going out of the Temple, one of the disciples made a remark about the magnificence and strength of the Temple. In an- swer Jesus again foretold its fall: " See all these great buildings; there wall not remain a stone upon a stone; all will be destroyed." The little band went down as far as the Cedron, crossed the stream, and climbed the slope of Olivet. When they reached the top, Jesus sat down. Jerusa- lem glistened in the last rays of the setting sun. All that they had seen and done on that day seemed to prepare their spirits to hear the awful signs which will mark the end of the world. The disciples brought the subject about unwittingly. Recalling those words which He had just uttered on leaving the Temple, they LIFE OF CHRIST. 151 asked: "Master, when will those things happen, and how shall we know that they have come to pass? What will be the sign of Your coming at the end of ages ? " Jesus gave them a twofold answer. Uniting in thought the guilty city and the world, He foretold the end of both, and told them what would take place be- fore each event. In both cases there will be wars, uprisings, troubles in nature^ fierce persecutions, lamentable weakness, false prophets and seducers. The end of the world in particular will be accompanied by all kinds of ter- rible events. The sun shall be darkened, the moon shall not give her light, the stars shall fall from the heavens, and the powers of the heavens shall be dis- turbed. This frightful commotion will be only the prelude to the final scene. The hour is unknown; so Jesus told them to be on the watch and related the parable of the ten virgins. IX, Parable of the Wise and the Foolish Virgins; St. Matthew, XX V, 1. — Ten virgins went out in the evening to await the arrival of the bridal pair. Five of them wisely brought oil. The other five took no thought whatever. At midnight, the cry went up: " Behold the bridegroom comes, go ye forth to meet him." All arose and hastened to prepare their lamps. Then the foolish and careless virgins, finding their lamps dry, asked the others to share their oil with them. " Lest there be not enough for us and for you," re- plied the wise virgins, " go you rather to the merchant and buy oil." They went, but in the meantime the bridegroom came. Those who were ready entered 152 LIFE OF CHRIST. with him to the feast. Soon after, the others came and sought admittance, but the bridegroom told them that he knew them not. " Watch ye, therefore/ 5 con- cluded Jesus, " because you know not the day nor the hour." X, The Last Judgment; St. Matthew, XXV, 31.— After exhorting them to be watchful, Jesus now de- scribes the last judgment and thus finishes the picture of the end of the world. He tells them that the Son of Man shall come in His majesty with His angels around Him, and shall sit upon a throne of glory. All nations will be gathered together before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as the shep- herd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on His right hand and the goats on his left. 13 Then He will say to those on the right: " Come ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me to drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; naked and you covered Me; sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me." Then the just will ask: " Lord, when did we do all this for you ? " "Amen, I say unto you," the Lord will re- spond, " all that you have done to the least of My brethren you have done unto Me." Then the Judge will turn to the left with these awful words: "Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlast- 13 With the Jews the goat is the symbol of wickedness. This scene described in the Gospel is recalled by a stanza of the Dies Irae : " With Thy favored sheep 0, place me; Nor among the goats abase me. But to Thy right hand upraise me." LIFE OF CHRIST. 153 ing fire winch was prepared for the devil and his wicked angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was an exile and you would not take Me in; naked and you covered Me not ; sick and in prison and you did not visit Me." To their asking when they treated Him thus, He will reply: "Amen, I say to you, to refuse good to the least of My brethren is to refuse it to Me." Then the wicked shall go into everlasting punishment, and the good will go to everlasting happiness. By thus describing the end of the world and the manner in which it will occur, Jesus ended His teach- ing. Whilst He was speaking, His enemies had gathered at the house of Caiaphas, the high priest, to plan His death. Judas, who had not followed his Master to Olivet, gained admittance to the house and asked what they would give if he delivered Jesus to them. They offered him thirty shekels, 14 the price of a slave. Judas agreed to the sum. XI, Wednesday of Holy Week. — Jesus did not go to Jerusalem on Wednesday. The Gospels do not tell us how He spent this day. Doubtless He remained in some retreat on the Mount of Olives, preparing Him- self by prayer for the great things which were about to happen. 14 The shekel was worth about sixty- six cents ; hence, thirty shekels made about $20. 154 LIFE OF CHEIST. CHAPTER IV. Holy Thursday. I, The Pasch; The Cenacle. 15 — All Jerusalem was making ready for the Pasch, which fell that year on Saturday, the Sabbath-day. 16 The paschal lamb, which was slain on Friday afternoon, was eaten in the even- ing of the same day, the vigil of the feast. This feast may be traced back to the earliest days of the nation; 17 its object was to recall the remembrance of their deliv- erance from Egypt by the hand of God, which is a symbol of man's moral freedom. Jesus had decided to observe the legal repast twenty-four hours earlier. On Thursday, about noon perhaps, He called Peter and John and bade them go to prepare for the Pasch. To their asking where it would be, He answered that when they reached the city they would meet a man carrying a pitcher of water, and that they should go into the house in which he would enter, and that they should there tell the father of the family that the Master desired a room in which He and His disciples might eat the Pasch on that day. "And he will show you a large room," added Jesus, " together with couches for re- clining at table. There prepare ye what is necessary." The disciples went to Jerusalem, found all as Jesus had told them, and prepared the Pasch. 15 It is needless, henceforth, to refer to the text. The reader will readily find all details of the Passion in the end of the Gospel. 16 As the Jews counted the day from sunset of the previous day, Saturday, the day of the Pasch, began its vigil at six o'clock the evening before. 17 Exodus, XII, 6. 8. LIFE OF CHRIST. 155 In the evening, Jesus took His place at table with the twelve apostles. The house which he had chosen was in the southwest of Jerusalem, on Mt. Sion; it is called the Cenacle (House of the Lord's Supper), and is cherished by man as one of the fondest remembrances of the Gospel. 18 The repast began; this was the last Pasch celebrated during our Saviour's earthly life; symbols gave place to realities. " From this time/' said Jesus, " I will not eat this Pasch till its mystery be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God." But before in- stituting this great sacrament, He wished to teach them a lesson of humility, and at the same time to show them with what purity they should approach Holy Communion with Him in the future. II, The Washing of the Feet. — At the time when the rule of the feast ordered the hands to be purified, 19 Jesus rose from table, laid aside His mantle, girded Himself with a towel, then pouring water into a basin, He began to wash the disciples' feet. He started with Peter. But Peter would not have it so, and with his usual ardour, cried out: " What, Lord, dost Thou wash my feet ! " " You know not what I wish to do," replied Jesus, /'but you shall know hereafter." " Never," answered the apostle, " never shalt Thou wash my feet." " If I wash them not, you shall have no part with me," said Jesus. This threat conquered Peter. " Lord, not only my feet," he meekly ex- claimed, " but also my hands and my head." Jesus now refers for the first time to the treason of 18 The Cenacle still exists. The Mussulmans have converted it into a mosque. The hall in which The Last Supper was held is on the first floor. 19 For the rites of the Jewish Pasch, see Fouard, II, IV, Ritual judaique de la Paque. 156 LIFE OF CHEIST. Judas. " You are pure/' said He, " but not all." Ju- das was unmoved by this appeal of mercy from his Master and allowed Him to wash his feet. When He had finished all, Jesus again put on His garment and took His place at table. " Do you un- derstand what I have just done ? " asked He, " you call me Lord and Master, and well you may, for I am such. If, then, I being your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. I have given you an example that you may do as I have done." 20 Then He thought of the betrayal which was near at hand. "Amen, Amen," said He, " one of you will betray me." The disciples looked one at another, not knowing w T hat He meant. With downcast heart, each began to ask, " Is it I, Lord ? " " It is one of you twelve," answered Jesus, " the one who dips his hand in the dish with Me. And the Son of Man goes as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom He shall be betrayed. It were better for him had he never been born." Judas even dared to ask if it were he. " Yes; it is you," answered Jesus, but He spoke in a tone audible to the traitor only. Ill, The Institution of the Holy Eucharist. — The feast went on. Whilst they were eating, Jesus took bread, 21 and giving thanks to His Heavenly Father, He blessed it. Then He broke it according to custom, and said: " Take ye, and eat; this is My body which shall 20 This example of Jesus was adopted with filial respect by the Church. From the first centuries the washing of feet, the Podonipsia, has been practiced. It has even been adopted by Catholic sovereigns. — See Martigny, Dictionnaire des Antiquites chretiennes, article Ablution. 21 During the days of the Pasch, from noon on the 13th of Nisan, none but unleaven bread was eaten. Hence, the use of unleaven bread in the Mass throughout the Western Church. LIFE OF CHRIST. 157 be delivered for you; do this in commemoration of Me." Thus He instituted the Holy Eucharist, the great sacrament of the new law, and at the same time, He established the Christian Priesthood. By this all- powerful word, He had changed the substance of bread and wine into His living body. At the close of the meal, He took the cup which had just been filled for the third time, as was customary; it was called the chalice of benediction. He blessed it and gave it to His disciples with these words: " Drink ye all of this, for this is My blood, the blood of the New Testament, the blood which shall be shed for many unto the re- mission of sins." The new Covenant with Jesus had replaced the old, and had its victim like that of Sinai, 22 and was sealed with blood. But in the new, the blood of the Divine Lamb shed once for all took the place of all victims slain from the beginning of the world, and served for the redemption of all. The Apostles had received Holy Communion for the first time, and Judas was among them. 23 This wretched man had not shrunk from this horrible sacrilege. Jesus had tried to spare him, but all in vain. Nothing was left the traitor but to complete his crime. Our blessed Redeemer now repeated His former words: " The hand of the traitor is with Me at table. The Son of Man goes, but woe to him who shall betray Him." The troubled apostles again asked to whom these words were referred. One of them had his head on his Master's breast; it was John, whom Jesus loved. 22 Exodus, XXIV, 8. 23 Commentators are divided on the fact of Judas' communion. Some maintain that he received Holy Communion, others hold that he left before the communion of the other apostles. One interpretation seems to have as much ground as the other. 158 LIFE OF CHKIST. Simon-Peter made a sign to John and said: "Whom does He mean ? " 24 The disciple drew nearer to Jesus and asked who it was. Jesus answered that it was he to whom He would reach a piece of bread dipped in the dish. And when He had dipped the morsel, He gave it to Judas, the son of Simon, the man of Kerioth. With that morsel, says St. John, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus said to Judas: "What thou dost, do quickly. " The apostles thought Jesus had sent him on some mission relating to the company. Judas went out. It was then dark. CHAPTEK V. The Last Discourses of Jesus. I, The Discourse in the Cenacle. — The feast was over. Knowing that the hour drew near, Jesus spoke at some length to His disciples. In a manner He spoke of His Testament, and subjoined the highest teachings. St. John gives us a summary of His words. Our Saviour recommended charity to those whom He was about to leave. " I give you a new command- ment," said He, " that you love one another as I have loved you. All shall know that you are My disciples if you have love one for another." It was indeed a new commandment, for it tore down the barriers be- tween nations and set up anew the idea of universal brotherhood; new, indeed, for it went even to self J sacrifice for the love of our neighbor. II, Peter's Denial Foretold; Infallibility. — Seeing 24 This is the moment chosen by Leonardo de Vinci in his famous Last Supper, at Milan. LIFE OF CHRIST. 159 that their Master meant to leave them, Peter asked where He was going. " Whither I go, thou canst not follow now," answered Jesus, " but thou shalt follow later." " Why can I not follow Thee now/' asked Peter, " I will lay down my life for Thee." " Wilt thou lay down thy life for Me ? " said Jesus, "Amen, amen, the cock shall not crow till thou deny me thrice." A few moments later, our Saviour again addressed Peter: " Simon, Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not. And thou, being converted, strengthen thy brethren." These words bespoke the infallibility which would be given to the Roman Pon- tiff — the Pope. Our Lord permitted the apostle to fall to show r that the gift of God would come upon him, and that of himself he was weak and miserable. Jesus then spoke for some time on Himself, on His Heavenly Father, on the Holy Ghost, and on the peace He would leave to His loved ones. "I am the way, the truth, and the life," said He, " he who believes in Me shall do the works that I do, and greater than these shall he do. * * * If you ask the Father any- thing in My name, He will give it to you. * ' * * I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. * * * I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Consoler, who will abide with you forever. * * * The Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things, and will bring back to your minds all that I have said to you. * * * Peace I leave you, My peace I give unto you." After the usual hymn, 25 the little band, with Jesus at their head, wended their way to Gethsemane. 25 The Psalm, CXXXV, Confitemini Domine. 160 LIFE OF CHRIST. Ill, The Discourse on the Way to Gethsemane. — It was about nine o'clock in the evening. Jesus went up the valley of Cedron. The hill of Ophel, on His left, all covered with vines, suggested a figure to Him. " I am the true vine/' said He, " and My Father is the husbandman. He will take away from Me every branch that does not bear fruit, and He will prune every one that bears fruit that it may bring forth more fruit. * * * Abide in Me; as the branch cannot bear fruit unless it is joined to the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me." Jesus pro- longed this figure, speaking of the union between the branch and the vine-stock, and of the fruits which this union produces, of the trimming of the vine, and of the dead branches cast into a heap to be burned. Then His thoughts turned to the trials which awaited His disciples. " The servant is not greater than his master," said He; "if they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you." And He pictured to them the whole world turned loose against them, dragging them before tribunals and putting them to death. It is not strange then that the followers of Jesus Christ are persecuted; and it is a mistake to expect to find them in peace and power. In the state of quiet and dominion for which some Christians long, these words of Christ would be unfulfilled: " As they have per- secuted Me, they will also persecute you." Jesus now told the apostles that they would soon desert Him, and He also made mention of His own Resurrection. Peter a second time declared that he would not deny Him. "Amen, I say to you," answered Jesus, " this night before the cock crows thou wilt deny me thrice. But have confidence," said He to all, " for I have overcome the world." LIFE OF CHRIST. 161 IV, The Prayer of Jesus. — Jesus arrived at the bridge across the Cedron, where the channel grew nar- row. He stood still, raised His eyes to Heaven and uttered a sublime prayer. He asked the Father to glorify His Son by the Resurrection. He prayed for the disciples whom He had received from His hand, and over whom He Himself had watched with such tender care. He prayed for the Church which was soon to set out from Calvary. " I pray not for My disciples alone," said He, " but for all those who through their word shall believe in Me, that they may be one, as Thou, Father, in Me, and I in Thee; that they also be one in us, that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me." When He ended this prayer, Jesus crossed the stream. 11 PART THRD. OUR SAVIOUR'S PASSION AND RESURRECTION. CHAPTEE I. Jesus Aekested in the Garden of Gethsemane. I, Gethsemane. — To the northeast of Jerusalem, on the left bank of the Cedron, at the foot of Olivet, there was a garden called Gethsemane (oil-press), in which were many shady olive trees. Hither Jesus often went to pray in solitude. He left the disciples near the gate, on this occasion, and taking with Him only Peter, James, and John, who had witnessed His glorious Transfiguration, He went into the densest part of the inclosure. " My soul is sorrowful even unto death," 1 said He to them; " stay you here, watch and pray." As He spoke, His face bore signs of great sadness. His look was downcast as if stupor mingled with fear overcame Him. He went about a stone's l Bossuet interprets the text : " My soul is sorrowful even unto death," by saying that Jesus had sorrow great enough to cause His death, had not a divine power sustained Him for further suffering. Sermon pour le Vendredi Saint. (Sermon for Holy Thursday.) 164 LIFE OF CHRIST. throw from them into a cave which was to become the celebrated grotto of the Agony. 2 The Agony of Jesus and His Bloody Sweat. — Now took place that bitter struggle between the natural feelings of Jesus and His reason bowed down in obedi- ence to the Divine Will. This struggle is beautifully described in the Gospels. Falling down on His knees, and bowing His head to the ground, our Divine Re- deemer prayed: "My Father, all things are possible to Thee; remove this chalice from Me." He meant the bitterness and agony of His Passion which was now begun. Then regaining Himself, He added: "But yet not My will, but Thine be done." This first struggle lasted an hour. Meanwhile, the three dis- ciples had fallen asleep. Coming back to them, Jesus addressed Peter, who had lately boasted so much: " What, sleepest thou; coulclst thou not watch one hour with me ? Watch ye and pray lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit, indeed, is willing, but the flesh is weak." Jesus went again to the grotto and prayed a second time: "My Father, if this chalice cannot pass away unless I drink it, Thy will be done." Again He re- turned and found them sleeping, and they knew not how to answer Him. He went a third time to pray. Then followed the great conflict. The struggle was so terrible, the burden of the sins of an ungrateful humanity pressed so heavily upon Our Blessed Saviour 2 The Grotto of the Agony, is north of the garden. The en- trance to this grotto is a sort of lobby in the roof. It is about fifty-one feet long, twenty-seven feet wide, and eleven feet high. Tt is irregularly formed and sustained by several pillars. There is an opening near the center which admits the light of day. Tt is a natural cavern; the rock, almost entirely bare, is painted only in certain spots. LIFE OF CHRIST. 165 that He fell to the ground in agony and a sweat in drops of blood trickled down from His body. At the same time, He repeated again and again: "My Father, if this chalice cannot pass away unless I drink it, Thy will be done." To sweat blood certainly marks the highest degree of suffering man can bear; so an angel came from Heaven to comfort and sustain the humanity of the Son of God. This great combat ended, Jesus went to His dis- ciples: " Sleep ye now and take your rest," said He. Then when the time was come (about midnight), He awoke them and added: "Enough now, the hour is at hand in which the Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners. Arise, let us go; behold he is at hand who will betray Me." Ill, The Betrayal of Judas. — A band of soldiers now appeared at the entrance of the garden, some with swords, others with clubs. Several carried torches and lanterns. At their head marched the traitor Judas. Jesus stood before them and asked whom they sought. " Jesus of Nazareth," was the reply. " I am He," answered Jesus. At this they drew back and fell to the ground. By this miracle, Jesus wished to show what power He wielded and how easy it was for Him to prevail over those who came to take Him. The soldiers arose to their feet. Jesus again asked whom they sought, and received the same reply: " Jesus of Nazareth." And He said : " I have told you that I am He." Then Judas, seeing that the soldiers still wavered, stepped forth, kissed Jesus, and ex- claimed: " Hail Master." This was the signal agreed upon. " Friend, why hast thou come," said Jesus, " dost thou betray the Son of Man with a kiss ? " And the soldiers seized Him. 1C)6 LIFE OF CHEIST. Peter, always impetuous, drew his sword and struck off the ear of Malchus, a servant of the high priest. But Jesus healed the wound and forbade His followers to use violence. " Thinkest thou," said He, turning to Peter, " that I cannot ask My Father and He will give Me presently more than twelve legions of angels ? How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must be so ? " Jesus allows Himself to be bound; they start toward Jerusalem; but the disciples betook themselves to flight. CHAPTER II. The Trial of Jesus. I, Jesus before Annas, the High Priest. — There were at this time two high priests in Jerusalem, Annas, who was deposed by the Romans, but still recognized by the Jews, and Caiaphas, chosen by the Romans. Both dwelt in the same neighborhood, 3 south of Mt. Sion, not far from the Cenacle. Jesus was first taken before Annas. The hight priest questioned Him about His disciples and His teachings. " I have spoken openly," answered Jesus; "I have always taught in the synagogues where all might enter; I have spoken nothing in secret. Why do you question Me? Ask those who have heard; they know what I have said." At this an officer struck Him in the face for speaking thus to the high priest. " If I have spoken evil, show 3 A wall to-day separates their dwellings. In the time of our Lord, they probably had a common court. LIFE OF CHRIST. 167 the evil," said Jesus; " but if I have spoken well, why do you strike Me ? " 4 Annas now sent Him bound to Caiaphas. II, Jesus before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin. — Caiaphas assembled the Sanhedrin, a kind of high court, composed of seventy-one members. It was never allowed to open or examine a case at night, nor to hear witnesses. The law ordered that a full day should intervene between the hearing and the sentence, during which time the judges were obliged to observe strict temperance. 'No notice was taken of any at- tempt, on the part of the accused, to gain favor. This trial then was as illegal as it w T as unjust. Jesus stood before His enemies. Several false witnesses, who had been brought, were sent away because they contra- dicted themselves; one only was kept. Jesus had openly declared in the Temple : " Destroy this Holy of Holies and in three days I will rebuild it." Words which meant no temple of stone, but His own body, and which referred to His Resurrection. The false witness changed these words. He said that Jesus had threatened to tear down the Temple built by the hand of man and replace it by another in which the hand of man would have no part. Now, to blaspheme the Temple was, in the eyes of the Jewish law, to blas- pheme God Himself. Jesus made no reply to these falsehoods, but when Caiaphas asked Him if He were Christ, the Son of God, He answered: "I am He; " then added: "I say to you that one day you shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the Power of God, and coming in the clouds of Heaven." 4 The Armenians have a convent situated on the site of the Palace of Annas. — Frette, II, 530. 168 LIFE OF CHRIST. Hearing this testimony which Jesus rendered to Him- self, the high priest feigned great rage. Tearing his garments, as prescribed by law, he exclaimed: " What further need have we of witness; he hath blasphemed! What think you ? " Then from every voice was heard: " He is guilty of death." This seemed to be the signal for all to turn loose their hatred. Before separating, several magistrates, lay- ing aside all reserve, spit in the face of Jesus, while others, blindfolding Him, struck Him and cried at each blow: " Prophesy, O Christ, and tell who strikes you." It was now the servants' turn. 5 They drove Him before them, beating and abusing Him. 6 Ill, Peter's Denial. — Peter and John alone, of all the disciples, had retraced their steps to follow Jesus. John, who was known in the house of Annas, went in and sat down during the hearing. Soon he noticed that Peter had stayed outside. At once he went and besought the maid-servant at the door to admit him; but when she saw Peter, she asked: "Are you not a disciple of that man ? " " No," answered the apostle as he passed within. He had just denied his Master for the first time. John had gone into the hall, but Peter remained in the court warming himself beside a great fire that had been enkindled there. Again the maid came up to Peter and eyed him closely. " Surely," said she, you were with Jesus. At first Peter declared he knew not what she meant, and, as she pressed him further, he declared that he did not even know Jesus, and finally began to swear. The 5 See Frette, II, 541. 6 A church now stands on the site of Caiaphas' house. A dark retreat beside the altar is called " Prison of Christ." Near the church is an Armenian convent. LIFE OF CHRIST. 169 words of Jesus were being fulfilled. An hour had passed; Peter was now talking with some soldiers. " Surely you were w T ith this man," said they, " for your speech betrays you; you are a Galilean." A relative of Malchus happened to be there, who asked: " Did I not see you in the garden with Him ? " For the third time, Peter denied His Master: "I know not what thou sayest; I know not the man of whom thou speak- est." And he renewed his oaths. At that moment the cock crew, and at the same time Jesus, who was being led by, cast a sad look at Peter. Those prophetic words flashed on his mind, and going out, he wept bit- terly. 7 It was now about four o'clock in the morning. IV, Death of Judas. — About six o'clock in the morn- ing, Jesus was again taken before the Sanhedrin. Questioned by the judges, He repeated His former words, declaring once more that He was the Son of God. The Sanhedrites, now that they were subject to Pome, had not the power to put anyone to death; so they dragged their Victim to the house of the governor, Pontius Pilate. Meanwhile, remorse had risen in the heart of Judas. He madly ran to the Temple where he had seen the people enter. There he found the priests and the ancients assembled together. " I have sinned," cried the traitor, rushing up to them and of- fering them the money they had given him. " I have delivered up the blood of a just man." " What is that to us," answered they disdainfully; " that is your own 7 Tradition says that Peter went and shut himself up in an abandoned tomb, on the eastern side of Mt. Sion, there to bewail his fault. Later on, the Christians built a church on this place which they called " Gallicaute," in galli cantu. Nothing now remains of it. Of late years even the grotto has become a burial place for French pilgrims at Jerusalem. 170 LIFE OF CHEIST. affair." Judas cast down the thirty shekels and went away. He went down towards the valley of Hinnon and ascended the slope that looked towards Mt. Sion. This was a field of potter's clay. Despair had entered his soul and he hanged himself. The cautious Sanhedrites decided to buy the potter's field and make it a burial ground for the traitor, with this price of treason. The inhabitants of Jerusalem still call this place Haceldama, " the field of blood." It has become a burial place for strangers. 8 V, Jesus before Pilate. — The Sanhedrites now took Jesus to the house of Pilate. It was about seven o'clock in the morning. Pilate had ruled over Judea as procurator for six years. He was a weak, am- bitious man, always ready to sacrifice justice for per- sonal interest, and bore great hatred for the Jews, with whom he had already been engaged in serious strifes. 9 He usually dwelt at Cesarea of the sea, but he had come to Jerusalem for the Pasch and had taken up his abode in the fortress of Antonio, 10 northwest of Mt. Moriah and the Temple, whence he could watch the crowds as they passed into the feasts and be at hand in case of a riot. Jesus, bound with ropes, had been led into the fortress. The Jews did not pass the door- step of the pretorium, lest they be made unclean by entering the house of a pagan, and consequently could 8 St. Helena had some of the clay from Haceldama brought to Rome for the cemetery of pilgrims near the Vatican. In the twelfth century the inhabitants of Pisa also made of it their Campo Santo. The field of blood is still to be seen, south of Jerusalem in the valley of Ben-Hinnom. 9 V, Beurlier, le Cadre historique de VEvanaile. 10 Fortress built by the Machabees. Herod the Great had it enlarged, and called it Antonio, in honor of Mark Anthony, his protector. — Dictionnaire de la Bible, V, Antonia. LIFE OF CHRIST. 171 not eat the Pascli. So Pilate came out to meet them in the fortress. " What charge do you bring against this man ? " asked he. " If He were not an evil-doer, we would not have brought Him to you," answered the Jews. " Take Him," said Pilate, " and judge Him according to your law; " to which they replied: " You know well it is not lawful for us to put any man to death." They brought forth three charges against Jesus: that He had stirred up the people, had for- bidden them to pay tribute to Csesar, and had said He was the Christ-King. Pilate went in, took his judicial chair and ordered Jesus to be brought to him. He took no notice of the first two accusations, but the last was more serious. He knew that Tiberius dreaded all rivalry. So his interview with Jesus per- tained to this subject alone. "Art Thou the King of the Jews ? * * * What hast Thou done ? " were his first questions. Jesus explained to him what man- ner of kingdom this was which had so offended them. " My kingdom is not of this world," said He. " If My kingdom were of this world, my soldiers would cer- tainly strive to free Me from the hands of the Jews. "Art Thou then a king ? " " You have said it," re- plied Jesus; " I am a king." Then He told Pilate that His was a spiritual kingdom of power and truth, and that He was born and came into the world to bear witness to the truth, and whoever loved the truth would hear His voice. These words were new to Pilate, and although fully satisfied, the unbelieving Eoman asked, " What is truth ? " Then he went out to the Jews and said : " I find no cause for death in this man." Wild cries drowned his words ; some spoke vaguely of sedition and 172 LIFE OF CHRIST. violence. Pilate ordered them to bring Jesus forth. The Jewish ire was now redoubled against Jesus. Pilate then asked Him if He did not hear all these charges which were brought against Him, but Jesus answered nothing. Pilate was astonished and con- fused. Yet he soon found an expedient. In the mul- titude of voices, Pilate heard the words: " He stir- reth up the people throughout Judea, beginning at Galilee." All was now well for Pilate; he had learned that Jesus was of Galilee, so he sent Him to the tetrarch Herod, the king of Galilee, who was then in Jerusalem. VI, Jesus before Herod. — Herod had taken up his quarters in the ancient palace of the Machabees, sepa- rated from the Temple by only the valley of Tyropseon. There was a bridge across this valley leading to Mt. Moriah. Herod was that proud and cruel prince who had put St. John the Baptist to death. It was about eight o'clock in the morning when the Roman soldiers brought Jesus before him. Herod had heard of Jesus, so he wished to see Him, especially as he thought He would work a miracle for him. He asked many curious questions, but Jesus ut- tered not a word. Herod was surprised and beaten, and though he heeded not the charges of the Jews, he delivered Jesus to the mockeries of his guard, and put- ting the white robe of the fool upon Him, sent Him back to Pilate. By this exchange of courtesies, Herod and Pilate, who for a long time had been at enmity, became fast friends. Vn, Barabbas Preferred to Jesus. — In the mean- time, Pilate, who was schooled in stern Roman justice, knowing that Jesus was innocent, wished to save Him. LIFE OF CHRIST. 173 He took Him before the Jews. " You have brought this man to me," said he, " accusing Him of stirring up the people. I have questioned Him before you and have found no crime in Him. Neither has Herod, to whom I sent Him, found Him guilty of death. I will scourge Him and release Him." At this very time the crowd had gathered on the Antonio for the usual ceremony of liberating a pris- oner. Every year, during the time of the Pasch, the Roman governor granted the people this favor. Pilate thought to take advantage of this event. The San- hedrites had in their prison a certain Barabbas, who was a highway robber and murderer. " Whom do you wish me to deliver unto you," cried the governor, " Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ ? Shall it be the King of the Jews ? " He mounted his tribu- nal 11 to hear the answer of the people. As he took his place, a servant brought him a note from his wife 12 which ran as follows: " Have nothing to do with that just man; for I have had a troublesome dream about him." Now the priests had gone throughout the crowd exciting the people against Jesus. So when Pilate asked if they wished to free the king of the Jews, the multitude cried out w T ith one voice, " Barabbas ! Barab- bas ! " Pilate was surprised and again mentioned the name of Jesus. " Not Him! not Him! we want Barabbas," again cried out the multitude. Then this dialogue took place between the governor and the people. " What shall I do with the King of the Jews?" "Put Him to death; we want Barabbas." 11 The stage, generally rectangular, on which was placed the curule chair of the Roman magistrates. 12 Tradition calls her Claudia Procula. 174 LIFE OF CHRIST. " But Jesus whom you call Christ ? " " Crucify Him ! Crucify Him ! " " What evil has He done % I will chas- tise Him and send Him away." At this their fury grew apace and they cried out all the more, " Crucify Him ! Crucify Him ! " Pilate felt his strength grow- ing weak. Did he think to blind the eyes of future ages by an empty symbol? He ordered a basin of water, in which he washed his hands, saying that he was innocent of this just man's blood and that they would have to answer for it. Then the people ex- claimed with one accord: " His blood be upon us and upon our children." Frightful imprecation of a maddened people, which they must carry to the end of time ! Pilate had not the courage to go further. He freed Barabbas, and although Jesus had not been condemned, he gave Him to the soldiers to be scourged. VIII, The Scourging and Crowning with Thorns.— Before the soldiers had left the judgment hall, they partly stripped our Saviour and tying His hands to a column, they scourged Him. 13 After subjecting Him to this horrible treatment be- fore the eyes of the people, the soldiers took Jesus within the fortress. Here they paid Him mock homage as to a king, which was both painful and cruel. They called forth the cohort (about five hundred men), then clothing Jesus with the red mantle of a legionary, they set Him upon a broken column which w T as there. Some of them, to carry the jest still further, plaited a crown of bulrushes, which they interlaced with 13 The pillar of the scourging is in the Church of St. Praxeda, at Rome. Tt is of black marble streaked with white, and is about four feet high. LIFE OF CHRIST. 175 thorns. This they placed upon His head and put a reed in His right hand. 14 All then passed before Him, mockingly bowing the knee and saluting Him with "Ave rex Judearuni, — Hail King of the Jews ! " The higher officers struck Him, spit in His face, and broke the reed over His head. Through all this ig- nominy and torture, Jesus did not utter a single word. IX, Ecce Homo ! The Condemnation. — Did Pilate find that Jesus had suffered enough ? Or did he think the Jewish cruelty would melt at sight of the Martyr ? He appeared again on the Gabbatha. " Behold, I have brought Him to you," said Pilate, " to tell you that I have found no crime in Him." Jesus stands before them, the crown of thorns upon His brow, the red cloak floating about His bleeding body. He ascended the twenty-eight steps of white marble which led to the tribunal: those steps which the faithful to-day mount on their knees. 15 " Behold the man," cried Pilate, " Ecce Homo ! " " Crucify Him, Crucify Him," came the reply. " Crucify Him yourselves," said Pilate. " We have a law," answered the Jews, " and according to that law He should die, because He said He is the Son of God." Pilate returned to the judgment hall and said to Jesus : " Whence are Thou ? " But Jesus gave him no answer. " You will not speak ! " muttered the gov- ernor; " do you not know that I have power to crucify You ? " " Thou wouldst have no power over me," an- 14 The circle of bulrushes from the Holy Crown, is at Notre- Dame, Paris. See the drawing in Le Passion of P. Ollivier, p. 488. As to the thorns, there are five at Rome, one at Treves, one at Paris, one at Reines. two at Toulouse, one at Minie, one at Libourne. The others are lost. 15 The stairway of the pretorium is to-day at Rome and is venerated as the Santa Scala. 176 LIFE OF CHRIST. swered our Blessed Redeemer, " unless it were given thee from above." Pilate still strove to free Him. The Sanhedrites made a supreme effort. " If you re- lease this man," said they, " you are no friend of Caesar's; for whoever makes himself a king is an enemy to Csesar." 16 This time they had struck the right chord. In picturing to Pilate a complaint, a call to Rome, his downfall, and perhaps his death, they quelled the springs of conscience which arose in his unmanly heart. Personal interest was too strong. Pilate yielded with the decisive words : " Thou shalt go to the cross!" Then turning to the lictor, he said: " Go, prepare the cross." He then went into his pal- ace. It was about eleven o'clock in the morning. 16 Three years later on the depositions of the Samaritans, Pilate was sent to Rome by Vitellius, proconsul of Syria, to justify the accusations brought against him. The hour which he dreaded had come at last. Condemned, deprived of his possessions, and exiled to the banks of the Rhone in Gaul, he soon died, some say by suicide, while others hold that he died in the grace of God. There is a high pyramid at Vienne which passes for Pilate's tomb. The Church of Abyssinia has recorded him among her saints. LIFE OF CHRIST. 177 CHAPTEE III. The Crucifixion. I, The Way of the Cross. — The cross was soon made ready. Eastern tradition says it was in form a Latin cross made of pine wood. 17 On it were written, in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, these w T ords: " Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." 18 The priests were angry at seeing this title and asked Pilate to change it. " What I have written is writ- ten," answered the Roman disdainfully. The way they took led from the Antonio to Calvary, which lay about a half mile west of the city. He first went down into the Tyropseon valley, then ascended the opposite slope. This is the sorrowful way, the Via Dolorosa. Jesus, already weakened by the tortures of mind and body which He had undergone, took the heavy cross upon His shoulders and struggled on towards Calvary. The crowd that pressed around Him heaped insults upon Him in spite of the Roman guard. At the foot of the hill, Jesus fell to the ground. He arose under the blows of the soldiers, but seemed too weak to carry His burden further. Just then a Cy- renean Jew chanced to be coming in from the fields, by the gate of Damas, with his two sons, Alexander and Rufus. 19 So they forced him to carry the cross. 17 The microscopic study of particles of the true cross shows that it was of pine. — Fouard, II, 368, note. 18 A fragment of this title is at Rome, in the Church of the Holy-Cross-in- Jerusalem . 19 St. Paul (Rom. XVI, 13) speaks of Rufus, whom he calls " elect in the Lord," and also of his mother. 12 178 LIFE OF CHKIST. He took it upon his shoulders and followed Jesus, an act for which, later on, he and his two sons received the gift of faith. At some paces from there, Jesus, according to tradi- tion, saw His Blessed Mother, supported by Magdalen and the beloved disciple, amid a few sorrowing friends. Son looked at Mother and Mother at Son. 20 The procession pushed steadily on and reached the top of the slope. Then Jesus fell once more. At that moment, a woman came rushing from a house on the left, bringing a towel, which she had dipped in fresh water. With deep respect, she wiped her Saviour's face, all covered with sweat and blood. Although the Gospels are silent on this point, tradi- tion holds that the august face of Jesus remained im- printed on the towel. Veronica, or Berenice, was thus repaid for her loving deed of courageous charity. 21 Jesus had now arrived at the Gate of Judgment; they went a little to the left, along the path which led up to Calvary. Jesus now falls a third time. The women who were present could not restrain their tears and their sobs. These women probably carried the drink, ordered by the Sanhedrin for the condemned, which was wine mixed with myrrh, intended to allay in part the terrible suffering. So far, Jesus had not ut- tered a word; but now He spoke to these women by way of warning to His people, and appeal to repent- 20 The Blessed Mother, as tradition says, had for a moment, a swooning, which may be well understood in her great sorrow. (The flpasimo of Raphael.) 21 Was she a lady of Gaul? Did she espouse Zacheus and re- turn with him to the land of her birth? Some think so. What- ever be the case with herself, the miraculous Veil of Veronica passed, later, to the Vatican Basilica, where it is to-day. — The devotion of the Holy Face comes from this. o LIFE OF CHRIST. 179 ance. " Daughters of Jerusalem/' said He, " weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your chil- dren." And He told the evils that would befall the city as a punishment for its crime. Many of them, doubtless, forty years later, saw the calamities foretold this day come to pass. At last they reached the summit of Calvary, a bare platform called the Bald Mount. It was mid-day. The awful journey had lasted about half an hour. II, The Xailing to the Cross. — Calvary was simply a hill, a rocky knoll, rising only a few yards. It sloped gradually towards Jerusalem, but the opposite side was steep. Here the executioners crucified Jesus. The Gospels afford no details of the crucifixion, but simply say: " Et crucifixerunt Eum — they crucified Him." How- ever, the manner in which He was fastened to the cross may be drawn from various passages in ancient writers, and all witnesses agree in saying that it was the most horrible kind of punishment the cruelty of man could invent. Stripped of His garments, Jesus was stretched upon the cross, which lay upon the ground. The soldiers first nailed fast His hands, then each of His feet sepa- rately. This done, they planted the cross in a hole which had been dug for it. On either side of our Blessed Redeemer's cross they also raised the crosses of the two thieves whom Pilate, to show his hatred for the Jewish law, had caused to be crucified with Jesus. III, Jesus on the Cross; The Seven Words; The Death of Jesus. — The soldiers, as customary, divided the clothing of Jesus among them. They cast lots for 180 LIFE OF CHRIST. His tunic, so as not to cut it; 22 then they sat at the foot of the cross to keep their watch. The crowd thronged around them. Mary, the holy women, and St. John stood near by. Now, the Jews, first the false wit- nesses, next the Sanhedrites, then the people, and even the thieves mocked and blasphemed Jesus. They called on Him to come down from the cross. "He saved others," cried they, " now He cannot save Him- self." In the midst of this showering of insults, the first word escaped our Saviour's lips. They were words of forgiveness. " My Father," He groaned, " Forgive Tiiem, for The y Know Not What They Do." This gentle pardon touched to the heart one of the two who were crucified with Jesus. Not only did he cease his own mockeries, but he rebuked his companion, and pleaded for the Innocent Victim. " We suffer justly,!' said he, " we receive the price of our crimes, but what evil has He done ? Lord," added he, turning to Jesus, " remember me when You enter into Your Kingdom." That humble confession and that cry for mercy were enough; pardon from on High came down upon that man. " Amen, I Say to You," said Jesus, looking to- wards him, " This Day Shalt Thou Be with Me in Paradise." The destiny of the good thief was fixed, and his eter- nity assured. 23 Meanwhile a great change appeared in the air. A cloud overshadowed Calvary and the darkness thick- 22 Our Saviour's Holy Tunic is preserved at Argenteuil, in the diocese of Versailles; another garment, the Holy Robe, is pre- served at Treves. See Jacquemot, La tunique sans couture de N.-S.-J.-C. conservee dans Veglise d'Argenteuil; Desclee, 1893. 23 Tradition calls him Damas. Several churches have numbered him among the saints. LIFE OF CHRIST. 181 ened around. Nothing could be seen; it was not an ordinary eclipse; fear began to seize upon all present. The crowd had left the hill and had sought refuge in the city and in the Temple. Mary and the women who accompanied her could now draw near the cross; with them was the beloved disciple, St. John. Mary stood on the left of the cross. 24 Casting a look on St. John, Jesus said to His Mother: " Woman Behold Thy Son," then to the disciple: " Son, Behold Thy Mother." Thus in the person of St. John, He gave Mary to the whole human race as a mother and protectress. Jesus passed three hours in silent agony. Suddenly He cried out: " Eli, Eli, Lamma Sabactana! My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me." These were the words of the Psalm (XXI), in which David, long before, had told the Passion of the Mes- siah. Soon Jesus again cried out: "I Thirst." On the end of a long pole, they reached Him a sponge steeped in water mingled with vinegar. Jesus touched His lips to the sponge, and, reanimated by the drink, He said: " All is Over — Consummatum est," show- ing that His sacrifice was ended. Then, with a loud voice He cried : " Father, into Thy Hands, I Com- mend My Spirit," and bowing His head, He expired. It was about three o'clock in the afternoon (the ninth hour with the Jews). 24 The Stabat Mater has immortalized that scene. 182 LIFE OF CHRIST. CHAPTER IV. Jesus in the Tomb. I, Wonders at the Death of Jesus. — Many wonder- ful signs marked the moment when our Saviours' soul passed away. The veil of the Temple which hung across the entrance to the Holy of Holies was rent from top to bottom; the earth quaked; the rocks on Calvary were split; graves were opened, and many of the dead came forth living. Besides these wonders, which we find related in the Gospels, another is told by profane writers. " The Gate of ISTicanor, whose heavy bronze folds could scarcely be swung by twenty men, opened of its own accord, 25 and the large marble head-piece 26 above the entrance to the sanctuary was riven in twain. At the same moment, a strange voice was heard to say: i Let us leave this place/ with the noise of hasty foot- steps, which would henceforth ramble about the court of the Temple without mystery." 27 The Roman centurion, impressed by the wonders which he beheld, cried out: " Truly this was the Son of God." The soldiers,, moved in like manner, re- peated the same words: " Yes, indeed, this was the Son of God." The Jews went away striking their breasts. There now remained only the holy women and the disciples around the cross of Jesus. II, The Taking Down from the Cross and the Burial. — Meanwhile, the priests had gone to Pilate and asked 25 Dr. Lepp, quoting the Talmud, III, 51. 26 St. Jerome, quoting the Gospel of the Hebrews. (In Matth., XXVII, 51.) 27 Dr. Lepp, III, 53. These details are given by P. Ollivier, La Passion, 365. LIFE OF CHRIST. 1Q6 him to dispose of the bodies before the hour of the Sabbath. Pilate sent his soldiers, who broke the rob- bers' legs to hasten their end; but Jesus was already dead; to make sure, a soldier stepped forth and pierced His side with a lance. 28 St. John, who was present, saw blood and water flow from the wound thus made. As the soldiers were making ready to take down the bodies, a rich citizen, Joseph of Arimathea, 29 who was a secret disciple of Jesus, appeared on the scene. At once he ran to Pilate's house and asked for the body of Jesus, to render it the last honors. Pilate granted his request. Joseph hastened to buy the burial linens and went back to Golgotha. Just then another secret admirer of Jesus, Mcodemus, came up with a hundred pounds' weight of perfume. The two men, aided by their servants, set about to draw the nails, which the holy women carefully laid aside with the crown of thorns; then they tenderly low- ered the Holy Body. Tradition tells us that the Blessed Virgin took the pale and bloody head of Jesus on her lap and covered it with her tears, 30 whilst Mag- dalen kissed His feet and St. John wept in silence. After some moments given to grief, they embalmed the body, which had to be done before the hour of the Sab- bath. 31 The perfumed bands were wrapped around the Sacred Body, and the winding-sheet spread over the Holy Face. 28 The lance which pierced our Saviour's side is still kept in St. Peter's, at Rome, under the name of Holy Lance. 29 For the identification of Arimathea, see Dictionnaire de la Bible, article Arimathie. 30 The Pietd of Michael Angelo in St. Peter's., at Rome. 31 The stone on which our Saviour's body was embalmed is pre- served in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, at Jerusalem, under the name of Stone of the Anointment. 184 LIFE OF CHRIST. III, The Holy Sepulchre; Jesus Placed in the Tomb. — Joseph of Arimathea owned a garden near the foot of Calvary; in this garden he had hewn out a tomb in the rock. Here the body of our Divine Redeemer was placed. 32 This done, he rolled to the opening of the tomb the heavy stone, which served as a door, and returned to Jerusalem. IV, The Tomb Sealed and Guarded.— The enemies of Jesus were not at ease. They remembered that He had declared He would rise on the third day; so it was necessary to take precautions against fraud, as they thought, in this pretended resurrection. The next day, although it was the Sabbath, a day on which they were not allowed to speak with pagans, they went to Pilate and reminded him that Jesus had said He would come to life again after three days. They asked him to set a guard over the sepulchre lest the disciples should steal away the body and say that their Master had risen from the dead,, adding that the last error would be worse than the first. Pilate was tired of their repeated requests, and told them to take the guard and use it as they wished. They went, sealed the tomb with the official stamp, and placed the guard around about to prevent all attempts at taking the body away. 32 This scene has inspired numerous works of art, especially in the sixteenth century; the most celebrated is the Sepulchre of Saint Mihiel. LIFE OF CHRIST. 185 CHAPTEE V. The Resurrection. I, The Resurrection. — Nothing took place on the Sabbath. Towards the end of the following night, or rather, early Sunday morning, Mary Magdalen, and Mary, the mother of James and Salome, left the city to go to the sepulchre. They carried with them .aro- matic spices to complete the hasty embalming of two days before. The first streaks of dawn began to ap- pear in the heavens as they reached the garden. " Who will roll back the stone from the tomb ? " said they, before entering. They knew nothing of the measures that had been taken, and of the soldiers sent to guard. All at once they saw the stone lying to one side. Christ had risen a little before daybreak. The earth had quaked; the terrified soldiers had at first fallen to the ground, then they fled to the city; 33 the stone had been hurled back. Mary Magdalen was troubled at this sight and ran towards the city; on the way, she met Peter and John. " They have taken away the Lord out of the sepul- chre," cried she, " and I know not where they have laid Him." The two disciples hurried on to the Holy Tomb. Meanwhile, the companions of Magdalen had entered the cave. An angel, having the appearance of a young man clothed in white, sat on the right of the stone. " Be not affrighted," said he, " you seek Jesus of Naz- 33 The soldiers, in this scene, are often represented as being awakened from sleep by Christ's rising. It is an error ; sleep was no more tolerated among Jewish guards than it is among our own. 186 LIFE OF CHRIST. areth, who was crucified; He is risen; He is not here; behold the place where they laid Him." At this, the women turned and went away. Peter and John have now reached the tomb. Peter entered and saw the linen cloths and the winding-sheet carefully folded, he believed what a deep knowledge of the Scriptures had revealed to them before, that " Christ must rise from the dead." II, The Apparitions; 34 Jesus Appears to Mary Mag- dalen. — As yet Our Risen Saviour had been seen by no one. Mary Magdalen was the first to be thus fa- vored. The two disciples had gone away; but Magdalen remained, gazing about the grotto through her fast- flowing tears. The angels, whom the holy women had seen, again stood by. " Woman, why weepest thou ? " asked they. " Because they have taken away my Lord," answered she, amid her sobs, " and I know not where they have laid Him." She turned about. Had she heard footsteps from behind ? She beheld a human form before her; her tearful eyes could not recognize Jesus. "Woman, why weepest thou ? " said He, " whom seekest thou ? " Magdalen, given up entirely to her sorrow, thought he was the gardener 35 and an- 34 The Gospels mention nine apparitions: 1st. To Magdalen in the garden; 2d. To the holy women; 3d. To Peter; 4th. To the disciples of Emmaus; 5th. To the ten apostles in the Cenade.. These five apparitions took place on the day of the Resurrection. 6th. To the apostles and St. Thomas, eight days later; 7th. To seven apostles on the borders of the lake at Tiberias; 8th. To more than 500 disciples on a mountain of Galilee; 9th. to the crowd of disciples on the day of His Ascension. St. Paul (I, Cor. XV. 7 ) , says that our Lord appeared to St. James. Tradition holds also that He appeared to the Blessed Virgin. 35 Painters of the middle ages represent our Lord in the costume, or at least with the tools, of a gardener. There is no foundation for this in the Gospels. Magdalen's confusion and sorrow sufficiently explain her error. LIFE OF CHEIST. 187 swered : " Sir, if thou hast taken Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away." She doubtless feared some new indignity, and wished to provide an honorable burial for her Lord. Jesus uttered the single word, "Mary;" then Magdalen recognized her Saviour. " Master," cried she, falling down at His feet. " Do not touch Me," said Jesus, " for I am not yet ascended to my Father ; but go to my brethren and tell them that I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my God and to your God." He was gone. Mary sought the disciples, who were weeping and lamenting, and told them that she had seen the Lord, and she related His words to them. But they did not believe her. III, Jesus Appears to the Holy Women. — About the same hour, Jesus appeared to the holy women. They were just hastening away from the sepulchre, fearful, yet overjoyed, to tell the disciples what the angels had said. Jesus stood before them and exclaimed: "All hail." At once they cast themselves to the ground, kissing His feet and adoring Him. 36 " Fear not," added He, "go tell my brethren to go into Galilee; there they shall see Me." IV, The Disciples of Emmaus, — On the afternoon of the same day, two of the disciples were on their way to Emmaus, 37 a village about seven and a half miles west of Jerusalem. They were talking about what had 36 " And they adored Him." Adoration, with the Jews, con- sisted in throwing themselves on both knees, prostrating them- selves to the ground before the person, kissing His feet, and touching the ground with their forehead before Him. 37 Some identify Emmaus with Amonas (Nicopolis), others with Koubeybeh. Eastern tradition upholds the latter, which is the distance from Jerusalem, which the Vulgate gives. Amonas is about seventeen miles distant. 188 LIFE OF CHRIST. taken place and about the report of the resurrection, which the holy women had given out that morning. Just then a man who followed the same way came up to them. It was Jesus, but they did not recognize Him, for He, doubtless, concealed His identity by su- pernatural power. The stranger addressed them in these words: " You seem to be sad; of what are you talking ?" Cleophas, one of the two, answered: " You are a stranger in Jerusalem and do not know, perhaps, what has taken place there within the last few days." In answer to the stranger's questions as to what had happened, they continued: "It is about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in work and word before God and the people. Our chief priests and princes delivered Him to be condemned to death and crucified Him. "We had hoped that He would redeem Israel; but to-day is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women of our company have puzzled us. They went to the sepulchre before sunrise and did not find the body. Then they came back saying that they had seen angels, and that the angels had told them -He was alive. Some of our number went to the tomb and found all things as the women had said, but they did not see Him. " O, foolish men," said Jesus, " how slow are your hearts, to believe all that the prophets have foretold ! Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so enter into His glory ? " Then He explained all the passages of the prophets relating to Himself, from Moses down. They reached the town. Jesus pretends that He must go further, but the disciples would not hear to it. " Stay with us," they urged, " it is late, and the day is far spent." It was then about six o'clock in the even- LIFE OF CHRIST. 189 ing. Jesus went with them into the house 38 to which they w T ere going, and the three sat down at table. Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them. At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him; but He vanished from their sight. " Was not our heart burning within us," said one to the other, " when He spoke with us along the way, and showed us the meaning of the Scriptures ? " They arose and set out at once for Jerusalem, where they arrived in the course of the evening. V, Jesus in the Cenacle. — The two disciples found the apostles 39 gathered together in the cenacle, and many others with them. They were told that Jesus had appeared to Peter. Then they related what had happened on the way, and how they had recognized Jesus at the breaking of the bread. Whilst they were speaking Jesus appeared in the midst of all, and said: " Peace be to you; it is I, fear not." Yet they were troubled and affrighted; they thought they had to deal with a spirit. The strange manner in which He had come amongst them caused these feelings. Then He added: "Why are you troubled, and why do these thoughts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet; it is I, touch and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see I have." Then He showed them His hands and His feet, that had been pierced by the nails. 38 Tradition holds that this was the house in which Cleophas lived. The Fathers of the Holy Land have just discovered the foundations of a great church at Emmaus-Koubeybeh, and within the church they have discovered the foundations of a house which they believe is that of Cleophas. See Saint Francois et la Terre Saint (Revue Franciscaine, numero de juin, 1895). 3S Judas was dead and Thomas absent. 190 LIFE OF CHRIST. Though their fears were removed, the disciples still doubted. Then Jesus asked them if they had anything to eat. He wished to show clearly that He had really risen. They gave Him a piece of roasted fish and a honeycomb, which He ate before them. Jesus had chosen this occasion to establish a great sacrament. " Peace be to you," said He, again to His apostles, " as the Father hath sent Me, I also send you." Then breathing on them, He said to them: " Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose sins you shall for- give, they are forgiven them, and whose sins you shall retain they are retained." By these words, He insti- tuted the Sacrament of Penance, and bestowed on His apostles the Divine Power which He Himself had used so often, 40 V, Jesus Appears to Thomas. — Thomas, one of the apostles, was not with them when Jesus appeared. He would not believe his brethren when they said they had seen their Master, and declared that he would not be- lieve until he had clear proofs : u Except I sh^ll see in His hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the place of the nails," said he, " and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." God allowed His apostle thus to doubt to make our faith the stronger. The de- sired proof was given to Thomas. Eight days later, he was with the others in the cenacle. The doors were closed. Jesus came and stood in their midst. " Peace be to you," said He, as customary; then turning to Thomas: " Put in thy finger hither, and see my hands, and bring hither thy hand and put it into my side; and 40 Council of Trent, Sess. XIV, chap. 1. The Lord instituted the Sacrament of Penance after His Resurrection, when He breathed on His disciples, saying : " Receive ye the Holy Ghost," etc. LIFE OF CHRIST. 191 be not faithless/' Thomas saw that Jesus knew his doubts. He could touch the wounds of the Risen Di- vinity as the others had doubtless done eight days be- fore; but Thomas was convinced. He fell down at his Master's feet and adored Him. " Because thou hast seen Me, Thomas/ 7 said Jesus, " thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen and have be- lieved." VI, The Apparitions in Galilee; Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples on the Lake of Genesareth. — Jesus had said to the holy women on the morning of His Resur- rection : " Go tell my disciples to go into Galilee; there they will see Me." Finally the apostles, and many of the disciples, when the Pasch was over, betook themselves to this place. Jesus reserved two glorious manifestations for the land of His youth. The neighborhood of Genesareth, over which He had often travelled, w r as to be the scene of these apparitions. Seven of the apostles were there: Simon Peter, Thomas, JsTathanael, the sons of Zebedee, and two others, whom the Gospel does not name, but who were doubtless Andrew and Philip, the two fishermen from Bethsaida. One evening Peter said to them : " I go a- fishing." " We will go with you," answered they. They went into the boat but caught nothing during the whole night. In the morning, they saw a man stand- ing on the shore; but they did not know him. It was Jesus. He called to them, asking if they had anything to eat. As they answered no, He told them to cast the net to the right. They did so, and the net was so filled they could not raise it. At this, the disciple whom Jesus loved, recognized his Master, and ex- 192 LIFE OF CHRIST. , claimed: "It is the Lord." When Peter heard this, he tied his cloak about him and leaped into the sea and swam to reach Jesus all the more quickly. The others rowed to land, a distance of about a hundred yards, dragging the net after them. When they got to land they found coals already burning and a fish with bread placed upon them. Jesus told them to bring in the fish they had caught. Peter entered the boat and drew the net to land. It contained a hundred and fifty large fish, and in spite of this great weight it w r as not broken. Then Jesus told them to come and eat. He drew near the circle formed by the disciples, took bread and gave to them; in like manner with the fish. The Gospel remarks that the meal was eaten in silence. All knew that it was their Master, yet none dared ask Him how He came. VII, Feed My Lambs ; Feed My Sheep. — An import- ant scene took place at the end of this repast. Jesus said to Peter: " Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou Me more than these ? " " Yea, Lord," answered the apostle, " Thou know r est that I love Thee." To which our Saviour added: " Feed My lambs." A sec- ond time He asked: " Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou Me ? " " Yea, Lord," was the same response, " Thou knowest that I love Thee." And again, our Saviour said: " Feed my Lambs." Then a third time came the question, with more force : " Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou Me ? " Peter was grieved at this repetition, but he doubtless remembered his triple denial, and felt that his Master was giving him a chance to make amends. " Lord, Thou knowest all things," answered Peter, LIFE OF CHRIST. 193 " Thou knowest that I love Thee." Then Jesus said: " Feed My sheep." 41 Jesus had already made Peter the foundation-stone of His Church; He had given him the right of in- fallibility; and now he was made the governor of both people and pastors as signified by the lambs and the sheep. He should guard over the whole flock, guide them from dangers, protect them, and lead them to good pastures. Sublime mission, which sheds so much glory on the Papacy even in this world ! Jesus ended by telling Peter what manner of death awaited him; it was to be like His own. VIII, Second Apparition in Galilee. — Another time Jesus showed Himself to the eleven apostles, and more than five hundred disciples. They had come together on a mountain near Genesareth (perhaps the Mount of Beatitudes). Jesus stood before them. The apostles fell down in adoration. Some in the crowd still doubted. Jesus turned to the apostles and said: " All power is given to Me in heaven and on earth. Goi^g therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Teaching them to observe all things whatso- ever I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world." Jesus thus created, in a definite manner, the Catholic Apostleship, the rules for which He had already laid down. 41 There are terms, in the text, especially in the Greek, with different shades of meaning, which cannot be exactly translated. — See Fouard, II, 425, note^3, and 426, note 1. 13 194 LIFE OF CHRIST. CHAPTEK VI. The Ascension. Forty days had passed since the Resurrection. The time had come which was to end our Divine Saviour's stay on earth. The apostles, cautioned by Him, had returned to Jerusalem. A last time, He joined them and the other disciples, probably in the cenacle, ate with them, explained the passages of Scripture relat- ing to His Resurrection, and foretold the coming of the Holy Ghost. He arose, and, at their head, went to Olivet, where He had gone, in very different circumstances on the evening of Holy Thursday. On the way, He an- swered their curious questions and caused them, once for all, to abandon their hopes in His temporal power, and to prepare to preach his Gospel throughout the world. tf The power of the Holy Ghost/' said He, " will come down upon you and you shall bear witness of Me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and even in the farthermost parts of the world." They arrived at the* top of Olivet, 42 to the right of which ends the territory of Jerusalem, and where that of Bethany begins. The apostles and disciples made a number of about five hundred. Jesus stood still, 42 The Emperor Constantine erected a church on the central summit of Olivet, at the very place of the Ascension. " It was round, ,; says St. Jerome who saw it, and the cupola was open towards the top; they wished to leave uncovered the point at which Jesus ascended to His Father. This church was destroyed; to-day the place of the Ascension is occupied by a mosque. A venerable tradition holds that an impression in a rock, on this place, is the footprint of our Saviour. LIFE OF CHEIST. 195 and stretching His hands above those who stood around, He blessed them. As He blessed them, He raised Himself by His own power, towards Heaven, and was gone. A cloud enveloped Him before all eyes. His Holy Humanity went to receive the rewards it had won, at the right hand of the Father. The disciples stood fixed in contemplation; two an- gels, clothed in white, appeared to them, and said: " Men of Galilee, why stand you here, looking up to Heaven ? This Jesus who is taken from you into Heaven, shall so come, as you have seen Him go into Heaven. The disciples left the mountain and joyfully re- turned to Jerusalem to await the fulfilment of the promises which Jesus had made. The End. ■JUN.16 1900 Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 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