47. Adhuc eo loquente, ecce Judas, unus de Duodecim, venit, et cum eo turba multa cum gladiis et fustibus, missi à principibus sacerdotum et senioribus populi.

48. Qui autem tradidit eum dedit illis signum dicens: "Quemcumque osculatus fuero, ipse est: tenete eum.”

49. Et confestìm accedens ad JESUM, dixit: "Ave, Rabbi." Et osculatus est eum. 50. Dixitque illi JESUS : "Amice, ad quid venisti ?" Tunc accesserunt, et manus injecerunt in JESUM, et tenu

erunt eum.

45. Then he cometh to his disciples, and saith to them: 'Sleep on now, and take your rest; behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners.

46. Rise, let us go: behold, he is at hand that will betray

me.

47. As he yet spoke, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a 'great multitude with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and ancients of the people.

48. And he that betrayed him, gave them a sign, saying: Whomsoever 'I shall kiss, that is he hold him fast.

49. And forthwith coming to Jesus, he said: "Hail, Rabbi. And he kissed him.

50. And Jesus said to him: Friend, whereto art thou come? Then they came up, and 'laid hands on Jesus, and held him.

When Our Lord's prayer was over and He knew that the enemies were near, He came to His disciples. Their eyes were open now and likely they tried to look more alive than they were. He said gently: "You may sleep now if you like, the time is come which I told you of and I go to meet my fate."

Judas comes up now at the head of a great crowd of people, amongst whom were tribunes, priests, scribes and soldiers. He gave them a signal by which our Lord could be known, it was a kiss. This is a sign of friendship throughout the wide world, and, could no other token be invented than one of kindness and welcome? Our Lord did not refuse the salutation, but the touch of His Divine lips did not convert his apostate son. Three

miracles are performed now, they fail to know Him, they are thrown back upon the ground, and Malchus' ear is cured, yet Judas is not converted. He earned his money, he had the satisfaction of seeing Our Lord a prisoner and then

1Sleep on now. This was neither ironical nor indulgent, but a sad expression of hopelessness for their escaping the shame just before them.

Betrayed. He need not be if he chose; but His hour was now come. 3Rise, let us go.-He wished them to witness the infamy of their late brother and His own resignation.

4Great multitude.-They came armed in rather a promiscuous way. They had lanterns also, although it was full moon at the time, and made every sort of clownish preparation which the priests could arrange.

51 shall kiss.-This is considered the most poignant act of Judas's treachery.

"Hail, Rabbi.—In another Evangelist we have the words of Our Lord : "Judas, dost thou betray the Son of Man with a kiss?" Every word is pregnant with meaning.

'Laid hands on Jesus and held Him.-This is the first act of His enemies. His friends did all the pain which went before.

Before the soldiers laid hands upon Our Lord, Peter sallied forth to attack them. He seemingly intended cutting off a head, but the soldier declined, and his ear was taken off. Questions arise about this action of Peter's. Some say it was rash, some that it was foolish, some that Our Lord did not give him leave.

Rash it was and useless. How could Peter expect to fight a whole cohort. Our Lord told them to take swords with them. This was a protest against His capture, to show that it was illegal. Our Lord permitted it usque huc; and then showed them that He was not to be defended by the arm of the flesh, nor his religion spread by that means.

Some question whether it was a real sword Peter had or only a dagger. Fra Angelo makes Peter knock the servant down kneel

on his back and saw off the ear deliberately with a big knife. This picture gives Peter's character of over-doing a thing: but the general opinion was that he had a real military sword.

1One of them.—Three Evangelists omit the name because Peter was living when they wrote. S. John gives the name.

2Cut off his ear.-Some say it was not cut off altogether but hung a little. S. Matthew omits to mention that Our Lord cured him immediately.

Shall perish. This is considered more like a proverbial warning than a strict prophecy. Military nations have generally fallen in that way; and the Church never thrived much by using the sword.

4Legions of Angels.-Any number I wanted.

Scriptures-All the predictions about His Passion.

"Against a robber. He remonstrates with them on the display of force against one unarmed man, and shows the world that they intend to number Him with the thieves and robbers, as happened in a very short time.

57. At illi, tenentes JESUM, duxerunt ad Caïpham principem sacerdotum, ubi scribæ et seniores convenerant.

58. Petrus autem sequebatur eum, à longè, usquè in atrium principis sacerdotum; et ingressus intrò, sedebat cum ministris, ut videret finem.

59. Principes autem sacerdotum et omne concilium quærebant falsum testimonium contrà JESUM, ut eum morti traderent:

60. Et non invenerunt, cùm multi falsi testes accessissent. Novissimè autem, venerunt duo falsi testes.

61. Et dixerunt: "Hic dixit: Possum destruere templum DEI, et post triduum reædificare reædificare illud."

62. Et surgens princeps sacerdotum, ait ait illi: "Nihil respondes ad ea quæ isti adversùm te testificantur ?"

63. JESUS autem tacebat.

57. But they, holding Jesus, led him to Caiphas the high priest, where the Scribes and the ancients were assembled.

58. But Peter followed him afar off, to the high priest's palace. And going in, he 3sat with the servants, to see the end.

59. Now the chief priests and the whole council 'sought false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death:

60. And they found not, though many false witnesses had come in. And last of all there came in two false wit

nesses.

61. And they said: This man said: "I am able to destroy the temple of God, and in three days to rebuild it.

62. And the high priest, "rising up, said to him: Answerest thou nothing to the things which these witness against thee?

63. "But Jesus held his peace.

The various tribunals before which Our Lord was conducted might be a puzzle to modern writers, did we not know that private official enquiries or examinations usually preceded the public trial. Hence, according to S. John Our Lord was led first before Annas. Annas was the senior of those who had served as high priests. His son-in-law Caiphas was actually in that office. Annas sent him bound to Caiphas, who questioned him first privately and then brought Him before the full Council or Sanhedrim, which consisted of seventy-two officials, elected from the priests, scribes, and elders of the people. They might be Pharisees or Sadducees. The actual high priest was a Sadducee. It is supposed that Annas was the chief instigator of the pro