THIRD MEDITATION. On the death of Christ upon the Cross. FIRST POINT. Consider how Jesus is now about to complete His great sacrifice. When inviting you to follow Him, He told you that He would Himself always lead the way in labours, in vigils, and in every other difficulty; and now He abundantly fulfils His promise. It is here precisely, nailed to the cross, that He causes the third degree of humility to shine forth resplendent above everything else, and exhibits a bright example of it in His own sacred person. Here, instead of riches, He chose poverty; instead of honours, contempt; instead of pleasure, pain; and instead of health and life, He chooses sufferings and death. And all this he does in no ordinary way; but His poverty is so great, that no greater can be imagined, while He hangs there in air, entirely naked, without a place whereon to lay His head, without a rag to cover Him. The contempt in which He is held cannot possibly be surpassed, while insults, shouts of derision, and calumnies are continually ringing in His ears. The tortures and agony which He endnres are so cruel, so universal, and so intense, that the Prophet can find nothing to be compared with them except the sea: "Great as the sea is thy destruction" (a). Finally, the character of His death is such, that it (a) Jer. Lamentations, ii. 13. is incapable of additional suffering or disgrace, whether we consider the time of His death-namely, in the flower of His years, during the solemnity of the Passover, in the full light of day; or the tortures which ended His life; or the manner in which He was put to death-amidst the sneers of the Pharisees: "Vah, thou that destroyest the temple of God" (a); amidst the blasphemies of the Scribes: "They that passed by blasphemed Him" (b); amidst the imprecations of the two robbers: "The thieves also, that were crucified with Him, reproached Him" (c); amidst the raillery of the Seniors: "Save thy own self; iƒ thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross" (d); without receiving any comfort from His friends : "all his acquaintances stood afar off" (e); without any heavenly consolation: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me" (f). And thus dies the only-begotten Son of God, the salvation of the world, abandoned by all, torn with scourges, pierced with thorns, nailed to an infamous gibbet; naked, and in the midst of blasphemies and derision. Look, O my soul, “look upon the face of thy Christ” (g), who, by His example, incites and animates you to the love of poverty, of suffering, and contempt; that is to that third degree of humility, towards which you so solemnly promised to direct your steps resolutely and perseveringly during your entire life. Behold Jesus upon the cross, and then say if you can have the heart to turn your back upon Him, and to break faith with Him. Treasure up in (a) Mark xv. 29. (b) Mark xv. 44. your memory what was said in the consideration on the three degrees-namely, that he who does not earnestly endeavour to reach the third degree, runs a serious risk of not remaining constant in the second; and, what is still more terrible, of falling away even from the first. Strive to penetrate this truth thoroughly, and to gather from it fruit proportionate to its importance. Reflect, moreover, what would become of you, if, being found wanting in the hour of trial, Christ should reproach you in the hour of judgment with that cross, those nails, that gall, that nakedness, those thorns—all of which He endured for your sins. SECOND POINT. We see, moreover, in Jesus hanging on the cross, an example of remarkable obedience, since He is "obedient unto death, even unto the death of the cross" (a). For, (1.) He is obedient to all; not to His Eternal Father alone, but also to Caiphas, to Pilate, to the soldiers, to the executioners, who had no power over Him. (2.) He obeys in all things, even the most difficult: at a beck He puts off His clothes; He stretches out His hands and feet, to receive the manacles and fetters; He presents His head for the crown of thorns; places His shoulders beneath the cross; extends Himself on that rough beam, and opens wide His hands to be nailed to it. (3.) And this He does in a most perfect manner, without contradiction or resistance; but permitting (a) Philip. iii. 8. Himself to be ill-used; blindly, as far as His intellect was concerned; readily, as far as regarded His will; and to the full extent, in respect of the execution of the designs of His enemies. The Redeemer's sufferings become considerably aggravated by three circumstances in particular. (1.) He who had been regarded by all as a prophet, a saint, and even as the Messiah, now saw Himself publicly condemned to an infamous death. (2.) And He was thus condemned, after having sustained so many labours during His apostolic life, after having worked so many miracles, after having showered so many favours on men. (3.) And His condemnation was the triumph of His enemies, who insulted Him, and prided themselves on having crushed Him, though they only succeeded in doing so through the manifest injustice of the judges. These are the self-same circumstances which render the crosses of priests and religious so difficult to bear-namely, to be put to confusion before seculars, after having laboured for so many years in the sacred ministry or in religion; while their rivals and enemies take a malicious pleasure in insulting them; and while they sometimes have to suffer mòrtification at the hands of their very superiors, who act either on unreliable information, or through prejudice. But we must not on this account turn our backs upon the cross, or fly from the third degree of humility. And that you may be encouraged to persevere, know (1.) that suffering is necessary; for, "through many tribulations, we must enter into the kingdom of God" (a). Impatience in nowise takes away or (a) Acts xiv. 21. lessens the trial which presses on us; on the contrary, it increases our suffering while it robs us of all merit. (2.) Suffering affords us an opportunity of satisfying for our sins. (3.) It makes us like Christ, who for our sake suffered so much. O most obedient Jesus! grant that, animated by Thy example, I, too, may be obedient always, to all, and in all things. THIRD POINT. There shines forth in Christ crucified a most ardent love of His enemies, which is a virtue by so much the more precious as it is difficult. Here consider briefly what kind of enemies He loves, and how He loves them. To pardon and to love enemies (1.) whom we have not only not offended, but on whom we have heaped innumerable favours; (2.) who not only refuse to ask our forgiveness, but hate us, and actually insult us; (3.) and to pardon them when we have it in our power to be fully revenged; (4.) nay, even not only to pray for them, but to die for them, and this, too, by a painful and infamous death, is assuredly a miracle of charity, and the very perfection of the most sublime virtue. And Jesus pardoned and loved in this manner those enemies who emulated one another in increasing the malignity of their hate and ferocity. Jesus not only never offended them, but He even "went about doing good" (a). Nevertheless, they hated and insulted Him, crying out, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" (b). By a single act of His will, Christ could have annihi(b) Luke xxiii. 21. (a) Acts x. 38. |