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ceedings, and that it was at his house Judas was paid the money. Had he been in the courtyard of Caiphas he certainly would have betrayed Peter. They had made up their minds to have him put to death, and they now try to give a judicial colour to their proceedings.

1All . . . . fled.-Not one remained. Peter and John returned again and followed at a distance. Thus was this prophecy fulfilled. You shall ALL be scandalised in Me this night.

The Scribes and ancients.-This must be on the very night he was taken. The Evangelists are silent as to the time.

3 Sat with the servants.-He was not very choice in the company he sat with. He must have heard many things against his master.

4 Sought false witnesses.-They had already determined on his death; but they must have two or more witnesses for the sake of appearances.

51 am able to destroy.-They were pretty near the mark, but did not know what our Lord meant. Even these S. Mark tells us could not agree.

"Rising up.-Some say in indignation.

But Jesus held His peace.-That is the mode of bearing calumnies.

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Et princeps sacerdotum ait illi: | And the high priest said to "Adjuro te, per DEUM vivum, him: 'I adjure thee by the living ut dicas nobis si tu es Christus God, that thou tell us if thou be Filius DEI." the Christ the Son of God.

64. Dicit illi JESUS: "Tu dixisti. Verumtamen dico vobis: amodò videbitis Filium Hominis sedentem à dextris virtutis DEI, et venientem in nubibus cœli."

65. Tunc princeps sacerdotum scidit vestimenta sua, dicens : "Blasphemavit: quid adhuc egemus testibus? Ecce nunc audîstis blasphemiam:

66. "Quid vobis videtur?" At illi respondentes dixerunt: "Reus est mortis."

67. Tunc exspuerunt in faciem ejus, et colaphis eum ceciderunt; alii autem palmas in faciem ejus dederunt.

68. Dicentes: "Prophetiza nobis, Christe: quis est qui te percussit ?"

64. Jesus saith to him: Thou hast said it. Nevertheless I say to you, hereafter you shall see the Son of man sitting on the 'right hand of the power of God, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

65. Then the high priest rent his garments, saying: He hath blasphemed: what further need have we of witnesses? 'Behold, now you have heard the blasphemy:

66. What think you? But they, answering, said: He is guilty of 'death.

67. Then they did spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others struck his face with the palms of their hands,

68. Saying: 'Prophesy unto us, O Christ; who is he that struck thee?

Witnesses could do nothing, and proofs of evil they had none. The high priest knew, however, what would succeed. Jesus being honourable, brave, and virtuous, would confess the truth when interrogated officially. He had taught His followers to do the same under pain of being disowned by Him before His Father in heaven.

The high priest then stands up and solemnly adjures Him, by the living God, to say is He the Messias? Our Lord confesses : thou hast said it, here; I am, in S. Mark. Some say the former is stronger than the latter, and means I am, and you know I am. He then puts the dread of His Judgment seat before them. They shall see His glory, and shall all stand in a few years before Him to be judged.

The high priest shows how horrified he is at the blasphemy. He understood Our Lord to say He was God, and He was right. Then they all say: He is guilty of death. For confessing the truth!

1I adjure thee. This was a rare form of interrogation; but the high priest would have recourse to any extreme in such a case.

Nevertheless.-Our Lord alludes to the glory after His Resurrection-to His Judgment of each one after death-and to His coming at the last Judgment.

3Right hand. This is to tell them that He was the Son of God, and the Judge of the living and the dead.

Behold, now you have heard the blasphemy.—It would be so for anyone else but Jesus, in whom they would not believe.

"Death. That was the penalty for blasphemy in the Law of Moses. He should be stoned if He were not God.

"They did spit in His face.-This is Our Lord's first mockery. He is mocked to amuse the servants and keep them awake until morning.

'Prophecy unto us.-They bandaged His eyes and then struck Him on the face, pulled His beard, and ridiculed Him in every possible manner. The Evangelists are silent on much of this.

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69. But 'Peter sat without in the palace: and there came to him a servant-maid, saying: Thou also wast with Jesus the Galilean.

70. But he denied before them all, saying: I know not what thou sayest.

71. And as he went out of the gate, another maid saw him; and she saith to them that were there: This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth.

72. And again 'he denied with an oath: I do not know the man.

73. And after a little while they that stood by came, and said to Peter: Surely thou also art one of them: for even "thy speech doth discover thee.

74. Then he began to curse and to swear that he knew not the man. And immediately "the cock crew.

75. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus which he had said: Before the cock crow, thou wilt deny me thrice. And going forth, he 'wept bitterly.

Peter's denials have given a great deal of trouble to the harmonisers and commentators. The four Evangelists record the facts and there seems a discrepancy in their various statements. Suarez is the writer whom most follow in their reconciliation of the texts. A maid-the portress-asks him first and he denies. The portress is changed and another maid, but the portress still, speaks to them who were there and one of them or the whole of them charge him with complicity in our Lord's life and deeds. 3rd. They that stood by, one of the servants, charged him and

Peter Ist

told him his accent betrayed his Galilean origin. denied. 2nd swore. 3rd began to curse and to swear that he did not know the man.

This occurred in the courtyard, and our Lord was being insulted at the time in one of the rooms which were entered from it at the upper end. Jesus turned a look of gentle remonstrance on Peter and he went out of the place and wept bitterly, Aye, many say, all his life.

1Peter sat without.-This was the large courtyard in front of every palace in the east, and in the midst of which they had lighted the fire. 2He denied.-The words of denial differ in the Evangelists, but so much the more are we to rely upon the substance of the thing stated.

Another maid.-The portress who relieved guard as it were. The same officer but a different person.

4He denied.-To whomsoever asked him, or to the whole lot of them. Thy speech. They did not pronounce the gutturals properly in Galilee. His provincialisms discovered him in Jerusalem.

The cock crew.-This was the crowing at the dawn of day.

Wept bitterly.-One look converted Peter and three or four miracles with kindness and favours could not convert Judas. The latter sinned coolly and maliciously, the former through impulse and fear.

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