: enim volebat in Judæam ambulare, quia quærebant eum Judæi interficere. Erat autem in proximo dies festus Judæorum, Scenopegia. Dixerunt autem ad eum fratres ejus Transi hinc, et vade in Judæam, ut et discipuli tui videant opera tua, quæ facis. Nemo quippe in occulto quid facit, et quærit ipse in palam esse si hæc facis, manifesta teipsum mundo. Neque enim fratres ejus credebant in eum. Dicit ergo eis Jesus Tempus meum nondum advenit: tempus autem vestrum semper est paratum. Non potest mundus odisse vos; me autem odit: quia ego testimonium perhibeo de illo, quod opera ejus mala sunt. Vos ascendite ad diem festum hunc, ego autem non ascendo ad diem festum istum : quia meum tempus nondum impletum est. Hæc cum dixisset, ipse mansit in Galilæa. Ut autem ascenderunt fratres ejus, tunc et ipse ascendit ad diem festum non manifeste, sed quasi in occulto. Judæi ergo quærebant eum in die festo, et dicebant: Ubi est ille? et murmur multum erat in turba de eo. Quidam enim dicebant: Quia bonus est. Alii autem dicebant: Non, sed seducit turbas. Nemo tamen palam loquebatur de illo, propter metum Judæo rum, walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews' feast of Tabernacles was at hand. And his brethren said to him: Depart from hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may see thy works which thou dost. For there is no man that doth anything in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly; if thou do these things, manifest thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe in him. Then Jesus said to them: My time is not yet come; but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth because I give testimony of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go you up to this festival day, but I go not up to this festival day; because my time is not accomplished. When he had said these things, he himself staid in Galilee. But after his brethren were gone up, then he also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. The Jews therefore sought him on the festival day, and said: Where is he? And there was much murmuring among the multitude concerning him. For some said: He is a good_man. And others said: No, but he seduceth the people. Yet no man spoke openly of him, for fear of the Jews. The facts here related refer to an earlier part of our Lord's life; but the Church proposes them to our consideration to-day, on account of their connection with those given us in the Gospels read to us during the last few days. We learn from these words of St. John, that the Jews were plotting the death of Jesus, not only when this the last Pasch for the Synagogue was approaching, but even so far back as the Feast of Tabernacles, which was kept in September. The Son of God was reduced to the necessity of going from place to place as it were in secret: if he would go to Jerusalem, he must take precautions! Let us adore these humiliations of the Man-God, who has deigned to sanctify every position of life, even that of the just man persecuted and obliged to hide himself from his enemies. It would have been an easy matter for him to confound his adversaries by working miracles, such as those which Herod's curiosity sought for; he could have compelled them to treat him with the reverence that was due to him. But this is not God's way; he does not force man to duty; he acts, and then leaves man to recognise his Creator's claims. In order to do this, man must be attentive and humble, he must impose silence on his passions. The divine light shows itself to the soul that thus comports herself. First, she sees the actions, the works, of God; then, she believes, and wishes to believe; her happiness, as well as her merit, lies in Faith, and faith will be recompensed in eternity with Light, with the Vision. Flesh and blood cannot understand this; they love show and noise. The Son of God, having come down upon this earth, could not subject himself to such an abasement as that of making a parade of his infinite power before men. He had to work miracles, in order to give a guarantee of his mission; but, as Man, everything he did was not to be a miracle. By far the longest period of his life was devoted to the humble duties of a creature; had it not been so, how should we have learned from him what we so much needed to know? His Brethren, (the Jews gave the name of Brothers to all who were collaterally related,) his Brethren wished Jesus to make a display of his miraculous power, for some of the glory would have accrued to them. This their ambition caused our Lord to address them in these strong words, upon which we should meditate during this holy season, for, later on, we shall stand in need of the teaching: "The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth." Let us, therefore, for the time to come, not please the world; its friendship would separate us from Jesus Christ. Humiliate capita vestra Deo. Da nobis, quæsumus, Domine, perseverantem in tua voluntate famulatum : ut in diebus nostris, et merito et numero, populus tibi serviens augeatur. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen. Bow down your heads to God. Grant us, O Lord, we beseech thee, perseverance in thy service; that in our days, thy faithful may increase both in number and goodness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. The following devout Hymn, taken from the ancient Roman-French Missals, may serve us as an expression of the sentiments we entertain towards. our loving Redeemer. HYMN. Rex Christe factor omni um. Redemptor et credentium : Cujus benigna gratia O Jesus! thou King and Creator of all, Redeemer, too, of believers, be appeased by the prayers and praise of thy humble suppliants. 'Twas thy loving grace that, by the dear wounds of the Cross, broke so powerfully the fetters forged by our first Parents. Thou, that art the Creator of the stars, didst deign to assume a body of flesh, and endure the most humiliating sufferings. Thy hands were tied, that thou mightest loosen sinners, accomplices of a world condemned thou didst suffer shame, so to cleanse away the manifold sins of the world. Thou, our Redeemer, art fastened to the Cross, but thou movest the whole earth: thou breathest forth thy mighty Spirit, and the world is buried in darkness. But soon we see thee shining triumphantly on the high throne of thy Father's glory: do thou, O best of Kings, defend us by the protection of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Virtute solvit ardua Qui es Creator siderum Tegmen subisti carneum : Dignatus es vilissimam Pati doloris formulam. Ligatus es ut solveres Mundi ruentis complices: Per probra tergens crimina Quæ mundus auxit pluri ma. Cruci redemptor figeris, Terram sed omnem concutis: Tradis potentem spiritum, Mox in paternæ gloriæ ne: Cum Spiritus munimine Let us pay our homage to the holy Cross, in these words of the Greek Liturgy. HYMN. (Feria IV. media Septimana.) Thou, O Lord God, the Creator of all things, wast lifted up on the Cross, in the middle of the earth; thou didst draw up to thyself that human nature, which had fallen by the most wicked persuasion of the enemy. Wherefore we pay thee our loyal homage, for thy Passion has strengthened us. The light of fasting has purified our senses; may we be Dominus omnium et conditor Deus, in medio terræ in Crucem elevatus es, attrahens ad te eam, quæ pessimo inimici suasu corruerat, humanam naturam. Quapropter sincere te concelebramus, Passione tua roborati. Mundatis sensibus jejunii lumine, intellectualibus Cru cis radiis largissime illustremur, eamque hodie propositam reverenter conspicientes, castis labiis, ore et corde adoremus. Locum ubi steterunt pedes Domini adoremus, Crucem videlicet divinam; obsecrantes ut animæ nostræ pedes in petra divinorum mandatorum firmentur, et ut gressus ejus, divina gratia in viam pacis dirigantur. Plaudite omnes fines terræ in hymnis, quando adorari videtis lignum in quo Christus suspensus, et diabolus vulneratus est. Vivifica Crux hodie proponitur cum gaudio igitur et timore adoremus Domini Crucem, ut Spiritum Sanctum accipiamus. Accedens ut te tangam, vivifica Crux, cohorresco et lingua et mente, cernens in te divinum Domini mei sanguinem effusum esse. Confirma, Domine, Ecclesiam tuam, quam acquisivisti virtute Crucis tuæ; in illa enim inimicum triumphasti, totumque mundum illuminasti. most brightly enlightened by the spiritual rays of thy Cross. On this day it is exposed to our view; grant, that we may devoutly kiss it, and venerate it in our hymns and hearts. Let us adore the place where stood his feet, that is, the holy Cross, and beseech him to firmly fix the feet of our soul on the rock of his divine commandments, and, by his holy grace, guide her steps into the way of peace. Loudly sing your hymns, O all ye ends of the earth, when ye behold men venerating that wood, whereon Christ was fastened, and whereby Satan received his wound. The life-giving Cross is this day exposed: let us, then, with joy and fear, venerate the Cross of our Lord, that we may receive the Holy Ghost. Ŏ life-giving Cross, my tongue and heart tremble with fear, as I draw nigh to touch thee, for I see the divine Blood of my Lord poured forth upon thee. Strengthen, O Lord, thy Church, which thou didst purchase to thyself by the power of thy Cross; for by the Cross thou didst triumph over the enemy and enlighten the whole world. |