Reflections
on the Passion
by Father
Doyle
October 12, 1956
NIHIL OBSTAT:
JOANNES A. SCHULIEN, S.T.D.
Censor liborium
IMPRIMATOR:
+ ALBERTUS G.MEYER
Archiepiscopus Milwauchiensis
Monday
After the Second
Sunday in Lent:
THE kiss
of Judas will ever
remain the ultimate in base
treachery. The name Judas has such a special odium that no one in
his right mind would give that name to an infant. It is reserved
for the foulest deed one can perform against a friend, a family, a
nation, or a society. The act of kissing performed by Judas on
the greatest Friend mankind ever had, beggars man’s power of
description. Oh, horrible perfidy!
It is related in
Holy
Scripture that one of the general in David’s army
named Joab perpetrated a foul deed, in that upon meeting Anasa, who
also commanded an army, he stooped forward to kiss him and at that very
moment thrust a dagger into his side and killed him. Solomon,
David’s famous son, when he succeeded to the throne, had Joab slain for
his treachery.
Note how much more evil was
Judas’ act of treachery than was Joab’s.
Joab with a treacherous kiss murdered a fellow man; Judas by his kiss
paved the way for the death of the Son of God. Joab on the other
hand dispatched his victim in one quick thrust; Judas by his awful deed
set the stage for the torture and painful death of his Lord and God.
It is related that
when the
assassins of Julius Caesar fell upon him
with their daggers, the great conqueror of men and nations stood
motionless, displaying not the slightest sign of emotion or fear.
When Brutus, whom Caesar loved with the affection of a father, also
approached and drew his dagger to strike his great benefactor, that
blow caused Caesar more pain then all the other wounds, and he could
not refrain from uttering the now famous words: “Thou too, Brutus, my
son!” If Caesar was pained by the baneful treachery of his friend
Brutus, how must the Son of God felt when one of His own disciples
betrayed Him to His enemies by a kiss. Might the Master not have
said: “You too, Judas, My son! Is this what I have merited for My
kindness to you? Did I not choose you to be My follower,
disciple, and apostles? Did I not wash your feet? Did I not
give you My Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity as a food? Oh
thankless, heartless Judas!”
Look into your heart
today
and see if you have even betrayed your
Master by mortal sin. Each time you prefer creatures to Christ
you betray Him.. Each time you choose sin to Christ’s law, you betray
Him. Spend some time today quietly thinking over the picture of
Judas pressing his lips to those of the sinless Christ. If you
identify yourself in Judas, throw yourself quickly into the arms of
your God and beg His pardon.
Tuesday
After the Second
Sunday in Lent:
WE NOTED in our last
consideration that daggers were used to murder
Julius Caesar. The effect was just as tragic as if the murders
had used swords. The smallness of the instrument did not lessen
the effects. In like manner, it must be said of Judas that he did
not lay violent hands on Christ when he met Him in the Garden of
Olives. No, he did not seize or strike the Sacred Redeemer – he
simply kissed Him, but that kiss was more tragic than if he had thrust
a sword into the Sacred Heart of Christ.
Christ had been
kissed
before, but my, how different were the
circumstances and results! First, there were the kisses of the
Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph. Who can number the fond
caresses that Mary must have showered on the Infant Jesus as she
nurtured and fondled Him in her pure maternal arms? How often
must not St. Joseph have covered the Infant Countenance with tender
paternal affection?
Second, may we not
conjecture
that the Magi embraced the tiny Infant as
Mary formally presented the Infant God to the first of the Gentiles who
came to pay Him homage? Certainly, the act would be normal if not
imperative.
Third, it can hardly be
imagined that the Holy Simeon and Anna present
at the presentation in the temple, could have held the adorable Child
of promise in their arms and not pressed their holy lips to the pink
little hands of the long-sought Messias.
Fourth, we are
certain from
the text of Holy Scripture itself that the
public sinner Mary Magdalen imprinted the kiss of contrite sorrow on
the sacred feet of Christ, and arose from the encounter holier and
greater then when she stooped to embrace her God.
Fifth, we are told
that the
great St. John the beloved disciple rested
his youthful head on the breast of the Master at the Last Supper.
There is a Persian fable of piece clay made fragrant by lying on a
rose: the perfume of the rose passed into the clay. So it
was with John. He crept unto the bosom of the Master and his
Master’s spirit of love and gentleness passed into his life and
transformed it.
Last, we have the
awful
picture of Judas pressing his lips to those of
the Son of God, feigning friendship.
The lesson here is
powerful. Those who approached Christ in love
and veneration, in true penance and firm resolve, left His embrace
renewed and strengthened. Those like Judas, whose hearts are
turned toward evil, may be may be very near Christ and not be holy in
character. Judas was three years with Christ, heard His words,
lived in the atmosphere of His love and remained unchanged. An
empty bottle, hermetically sealed, may lie long in the ocean and
continue to be dry within. A heart sealed to Christ’s love may
rest on His bosom for years and not be blessed. Only when pure or
contrite heart is opened to receive His grace, does closeness to Him
sanctify.
Wednesday
After the Second
Sunday in Lent:
ST. JOHN strikes an
unusual
note in his gospel relative to the
incidents leading to Christ’s arrest. The inspired writer put
these words down for all posterity to read: “Now Judas, who betrayed
him, also knew the place since Jesus “had often met there together with
His disciples.” These words give us but a glimpse of our Lord’s
habit of prayer. The deep quiet of the Garden of Olives was His
oratory. Here the Son of God had been wont to pray. And
there were other places, too, which were sacred resorts to Him.
There were mountain tops, where He often spent whole nights in
communion with His Father.
Our Lord’s example
of prayer
teaches us that we should spend much time
in prayer. Those people who are too busy to pray soon find their
spiritual life on the wane. Not feeding their souls, they grow
very lean. There can be no beautiful, strong, helpful Christian
life without prayer.
Every tree has a
root which
people cannot see, but which in the secret,
in the darkness, performs service for that tree without which the tree
cannot live or bear fruit. What the root is to the tree, prayer
is to the Christian. Prayer is the mighty weapon wherewith we can
combat and put flight to our spiritual foes: the golden key
wherewith we may unlock the inexhaustible treasury of the divine Heart
and draw from It the graces we need for life’s pilgrimage. It is,
moreover, the link which connects heaven with earth, which binds us to
God: the mystical ladder Jacob saw, whereby our supplications
ascend to Paradise and bring back to us its richest fruits.
Prayer has a power, which, if we may so speak, forces the hand of God,
an omnipotence which prevails even with the Most High.
Our Lord’s example
also
teaches us the importance of regular habits of
prayer. It was Christ Himself who said that without Him, left to
ourselves, we are incapable of taking a single step in the way of
salvation: “Without me you can do nothing” ( Jn.15:5). St. Paul
tells us that without the assistance of grace we cannot so much as
think a thought that is good. And the doctors of the Church teach
us that, in the ordinary dealings of Providence, God does not give
grace to those who do not ask for it. “Ask,” He says, “and you
shall receive.” This is equivalent to saying: “I am always
ready to bestow my grace upon you, on condition that you ask Me for
it.” Christ prayed for forty days and nights on one occasion; He
prayed before working His greatest miracles; He prayed in the Garden of
Gethsemani; He prayed on Calvary. What does He do in the
tabernacle but plead with His Father for us, to avert the chastisement
due the Father, Christ still makes intercession for us, He still is our
great Advocate and Mediator.
How much time do you
give to
prayer? How well do you pray?
Ask yourself these questions today and then make a firm resolve to do
better. If Christ prayed – you must also pray and you have reason
to pray more frequently and more fervently.
Thursday
After the Second
Sunday in Lent:
IN St. JOHN’S GOSPEL
we read
of a most striking incident in the initial
steps of the arrest of Christ in the Garden of Gethesemani. Here
are the exact words as the inspired writer penned them: “Jesus
therefore knowing all that was about to come upon him, went forth and
said to them: ‘Whom do you seek?’ They answered him, ‘Jesus
of Nazareth.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am he.’ Now Judas, who betrayed
him, was also standing with them: ‘I am he,’ they drew back and
fell to the ground” (Jn.18:5).
Christ had such a
short time
before been prostrated by the intense
mental and physical pain and he had prayed and prayed and prayed, and
He was strengthened by an Angel, but now we see Him composed and
confident as He stands before the armed soldiers. There is no
weakness now. There was superb control. He simply said
three words, “I am He,” and the stalwart soldiers fell to the
ground. Those who were so strong and arrogant lay prone, feeble,
and impotent at Christ’s feet.
The great St. Augustine does
a masterly job of applying this scene to
our individual lives. He says that if Christ acted in this manner
when he was about to be arrested and judged by ungodly men, what will
He be like when He is the judge? If He displays such a power at
the moment He was about to be sentenced to death, what will His power
be like when he stands in all His power and glory to judge each one of
us?
If the simple words
“I am
He,” spoken by the Redeemer of the world had
power enough in them to topple His enemies like tenpins or toy
soldiers, imagine the effect of His voice when it is used to call us to
account for our sins. St. Jerome asserts that when our Lord said
to the soldiers: “I am He,” a gleam of such fiery brightness flashed
out of His eyes that the soldiers fell to the earth as if struck by
lightening. In the anticipation of that dread day of judgment let
us cast ourselves down at the feet of our Redeemer as a sign of sincere
contrition and repentance for our sins.
You will note that
St. John
says that “Judas, who betrayed Him, was
also standing with them” (the soldiers) and presumably, he too was cast
to the ground. The effect of this great miracle on Judas was
nil. The habit of sin and impenitence had hardened the betrayer’s
heart and blinded Him to the Divinity of the Master.
St. Paul once felt
the power
of the voice of God. He was thrown
from his horse at Damascus and he arose from the ground a new
man. Judas was thrown from to the ground in Gethsemani but arose
unchanged. What has this holy season of Lent done for you?
Will you be closer to God, love Him more, and serve Him better because
of your having done some voluntary penances, said more and better
prayers, resolved to avoid the occasions of sin in persons,
places, or things, or will you, like the betrayer, be unchanged,
undisciplined, and unrepentant? Make your answer before you close
this book today.
Friday
After the Second
Sunday in Lent:
THE miracle that was
worked
to cast the enemies of Christ to the ground
as He said “I am He,” was done to prove that while the Son of God
would not thwart the purposes of His sworn enemies who thirsted for His
blood, the Master was resolved to do enough to render them inexcusable
in putting Him to death. If they proceeded to arrest, torture,
and crucify Christ, they would do it with the knowledge that they were
acting against One who had divine power. The miracle was done to
convince the enemies of Christ, led by the traitor Judas, that their
imminent act was wrong, and if they proceeded to culminate it, they
would be held accountable for it. The miracle went as far as to
make those miserable who had laid hands on the Son of God but not so
far as to frustrate their impious design.
It is scarcely ever
happens
that we commit any great sin without
experiencing great resistance. This is particularly true of the
first great sins in our life. The remorse, the degradation and
the disillusionment is nearly enough to throw us to the ground, and the
warning voice of conscience is like thunder in our soul. It is
nearly a verity that after the first or the thousandth grace sin – but
after one of them – there is a turning point in our life. We must
not look to be kept prostrate on the ground for the mastery of
conviction will release its strong hold, and we will gradually feel at
liberty to arise – and then what shall we do? Paul was thrown to
the ground but he arose saying to Jesus – “Lord, what will Thou have me
do?” Judas was struck to the ground but he arose only to renew
his traitorous attack, to make fresh quest after Jesus whom he was
determined to betray.
After any grave sin
we must
follow the example of Paul or that of
Judas. If we rise from the serious sin determined to take another
and another step towards sin, the likelihood is that path will be
smooth and we will be suffered to proceed without much protestation by
our conscience, or by remorse. One thing we ought to fear, and
that is to be left to sin undisturbed. The longer we remain in
that state the worse the chances are for spiritual recovery.
When Christ’s
enemies laid
hands upon His sacred Person, Peter drew his
sword and lopped off the ear of Malcus, the servant of the High
Priest. Christ told Peter to put away his sword and Scripture
adds these words: “Bear with them thus.’ And he touched
his ear and healed him” (Lk. 22:51).
Judas and the Roman
soldiers,
the Pharisees, Scribes, and Elders
experienced two striking miracles in rapid succession - the strange
power which hurled them to the ground, and the miraculous healing of
the ear of the servant of the High Priest - but what was the effect
upon Judas and the others who came to seize Christ?
Nothing. They experienced miracles and remained adamant.
Oh, the sad plight of those who betray Christ and those who crucify
Him. St. Paul says that when men sin they crucify again to
themselves the Son of God and make Him a mockery (Heb. 6:6).
Never let a day pass
without
saying your three Hail Marys morning and
night, adding this ejaculation: “Oh Mary, my Mother, preserve me
from mortal sin this day (this night).
Saturday
After the Second
Sunday in Lent:
WHEN St. Peter drew
the sword
and made a thrust at the servant of the
High Priest, Malcus, he no doubt, meant to inflict a more telling wound
than the mere severing of an ear. An instant before Peter’s
display of poor marksmanship, the Apostle had asked our Lord this
question: “Lord, shall we strike with the sword? (Lk.
22:49), but our Lord replied: “Put back thy sword into its place;
for all those who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or
dost thou suppose that I cannot entreat my Father, and he will even now
furnish me with more than twelve legions of Angels? How then are
the Scriptures to be fulfilled, that thou it must happen? (Mt.
26:52-54). Before Christ had finished the above reply, Peter had
already cut off the ear of the High Priest’s servant.
Cornelius a Lapide,
the
famous commentator on Holy Scripture, asserts
that Peter meant well in going to the defense of his Master, but that
the Saint acted unwisely in that he did not permit himself to be guided
by faith, rather he allowed himself to be carried away by his natural
impetuosity. Therefore, Peter committed two faults: (1)
against the will of Christ, inasmuch as he did not wait for Christ’s
answer and (2) his use of the sword was in revenge rather then an act
of defense. Besides this, Peter’s act was one of great
imprudence, for by it he surely could not expect to free Christ from
the hands of so formidable an enemy. In fact, his act merely
served to arouse the anger of the soldiery against the Savior, and
thus, exposed himself to the likelihood of a similar death.
Had Peter exercised
his
faith, he would have realized that, had Christ
so desired it, He could have struck down His enemies, or hidden Himself
as He had done before; in other words that, as the Son of God, He stood
in no need of human defense. No doubt Christ wanted to teach the
head of His Church on earth in particular, and all His followers in
general, that they should meet malicious persons with meekness,
patience, and charity. The general idea in all such matters is to
show yourself meek, patient, and forbearing so that by such means, your
enemies will find their anger softened.
We must follow this
rule in
daily life. St. Paul was wont to
teach his followers this great lesson: “If it be possible, as far
as in you lies, be at peace with all men … “Be not overcome by evil, but
overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:18, 21). We are encouraged to
practice the virtue of forbearance by the prospect of a double gain for
ourselves, in as far as, thereby, we become more Christlike and perform
a meritorious act of self-denial, and an act of love for our
enemies. Such conduct is profitable, too, for our neighbor who,
at the sight of such virtue, is moved to reflect and is led into the
way of salvation.
One sword we must
take care
not to use to destroy or harm others is our
tongue. Examine yourself today on just how you act when unjustly
accused or attacked.
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