Meditation for Saturday

This day thou must contemplate the piercing of the Saviour’s Side with the spear, His descent from the Cross, and His burial. Consider then that, even when His cruel neues had fulfilled their desire in crucifying Him, their fury was not all assuaged. They craved still further vengeance, seizing upon those holy relics, parting His garments among them, and casting lots upon His vesture ; and then, even when He was dead, piercing His Sacred Side with the cruel spear.

O ye ministers of cruelty ! O ye hearts of iron, did that which the living Body suffered appear to you so little, that ye would not spare it any cruelty even when dead! What madness of enmity is so great that it is not somewhat appeased, when it sees the foe lying dead before it ! Lift up but a little those eyes of cruelty and look upon that dead Body, those dimmed Eyes, that sunkén Face, that wanness and shade of death, and though ye were harder than iron or adamant, the sight would soften even you. Then came the centurion, lance in hand, and with great violence struck it into the Saviour's bare Side. With the force of the blow, the Cross trembled, and forthwith there came out the Water and the Blood with which the sins of the world are healed. O thou river of Paradise, which runnest with thy streams over all earth's surface! O thou wound upon the precious Side, which came more truly from the love of man than from the cruel spear! O gate of heaven, window of Paradise, home of refuge, tower of strength, sanctuary of the righteous, sepulchre of pilgrims, nest of simple doves, bed of flowers for Solomon's spouse ! Hail to thee! Wound upon the precious Side which woundest loving hearts! Thou blow, which dost strike upon the souls of the just ; rose of ineffable beauty ; ruby of price inestimable ; entrance to the Heart of Christ, witness to His love, pledge of life everlasting !

Consider, after this, how that same day in the evening, there came those two holy men, Joseph of Arimathza and Nicodemus, who placed ladders upon the Cross, and in their arms bore down the Saviour’s Body. When the Virgin-Mother saw that, Its sufferings at an end, the Sacred Body was being brought down to the ground, she presented herself to receive It from the arms of the Cross into her own. And when she so held the Sacred Body what tongue can tell her feelings ? O ye angels of peace, weep with this Holy Mother; weep, ye heavens; weep, ye stars above.

Let all creatures of the world join in Mary's lamentation ! »

O gentle Mother! is this thy most gentle Son! Is this He Whom thou didst conceive with so much glory, and didst bring forth with so much gladness? What have these past joys become? Whither have they fled, those rejoicings of old ? Is this that mirror of beauty in which thou didst see thyself 2. All round about, there wept the holy women, the noble and devout; there heaven, earth, and all creatures wept mingling their tears with the tears of the Blessed Mother !

There, too, was the holy Evangelist, who had leaned upon the Sacred Breast at Supper; listen to him saying, “O Blessed Lord and Master, who shall guide and teach me now? On whom shall I now rest? Yesternight Thou didst bestow upon me the joy of life, holding me upon Thy Sacred Breast, and now I render thanks to Thee again for all Thy gracious gifts, holding Thee in my arms dead! [Is this the Face I saw transfigured on Mount Tabor? Is this the Form which then was more dazzling bright than the midday sun?” And there, too, was that holy one, once sinner, who had embraced the Saviour's Feet, and saying, “O ! Light of my eyes, healing of my soul, if I yet sinned, who would receive me? Who would heal me of my wounds? Who would answer for me, and defend me against the Pharisee? How different were ‘those Feet when I washed them with my tears, and Thou didst receive me! O! Thou loved One, would that I might die with Thee! O! Life of my soul, how can I say I love Thee, since stand here living, holding Thee dead before my eyes!’ Thus did all that holy company weep and lament, washing the Sacred Body with their copious tears. Then when the time for the burial had come, they wrapped the Holy Body in a new linen-cloth, binding a napkin round about the Face, and having laid It on a bier, went forth with Ít to the Sepulchre, and there deposited their precious Treasure. The Sepulchre was closed — with a stone, and the Mother's heart with a dark cloud of sadness. There once more she bade farewell to her Son: there she began anew to feel her solitude: there saw herself bereft ofall most dear; for there her heart was buried, where iy her Treasure.