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ON the evening of the 18th of
February, 1823, a friend of Sister
Emmerich went up to the bed, where
she was lying apparently asleep; and
being much struck by the beautiful
and mournful expression of her
countenance, felt himself inwardly
inspired to raise his heart fervently to
God, and offer the Passion of Christ to
the Eternal Father, in union with the
sufferings of all those who have
carried their cross after him. While
making this short prayer, he chanced
to fix his eyes for a moment upon
stigmatised hands of Sister Emmerich.
She immediately hid them under the
counterpane, starting as if some one
had given her a blow. He felt
surprised at this, and asked her, ‘What
has happened to you?’ ‘Many things,’
she answered, in an expressive tone.
Whilst he was considering what her
meaning could be, she appeared to be
asleep. At the end of about a quarter
of an hour, she suddenly started up
with all the eagerness of a person
having a violent struggle with
another, stretched out both her arms,
clenching her hand, as if to repel an
enemy standing on the left side of her
bed, and exclaimed in an indignant
voice: ‘What do you mean by this
contract of Magdalum?’ Then she
continued to speak with the warmth of
a person whois being questioned
during a quarrel—'Yes, it is that
accursed spirit—the liar from the
beginning---Satan, who is
reproaching him about the Magdalum
contract, and other things of the same
nature, and says that he spent all that
money upon himself.’ When asked,
‘Who has spent money? Who is being
spoken to in that way?’ she replied,
‘Jesus, my adorable Spouse, on Mount
Olivet’ Then she again turned to the
left, with menacing gestures, and
exclaimed, ‘What meanest thou, 0
father of lies, with thy Magdalum
contract? Did he not deliver twenty-
seven poor prisoners at Thirza, with
the money derived from the sale of
Magdalum? I saw him, and thou darest
to say that he has brought confusion
into the whole estate, driven out its
inhabitants, and squandered the
money for which it was sold? But thy
time is come, accursed spirit! thou
wilt be chained, and his heel will
crush thy head.’
96
February, 1823, a friend of Sister
Emmerich went up to the bed, where
she was lying apparently asleep; and
being much struck by the beautiful
and mournful expression of her
countenance, felt himself inwardly
inspired to raise his heart fervently to
God, and offer the Passion of Christ to
the Eternal Father, in union with the
sufferings of all those who have
carried their cross after him. While
making this short prayer, he chanced
to fix his eyes for a moment upon
stigmatised hands of Sister Emmerich.
She immediately hid them under the
counterpane, starting as if some one
had given her a blow. He felt
surprised at this, and asked her, ‘What
has happened to you?’ ‘Many things,’
she answered, in an expressive tone.
Whilst he was considering what her
meaning could be, she appeared to be
asleep. At the end of about a quarter
of an hour, she suddenly started up
with all the eagerness of a person
having a violent struggle with
another, stretched out both her arms,
clenching her hand, as if to repel an
enemy standing on the left side of her
bed, and exclaimed in an indignant
voice: ‘What do you mean by this
contract of Magdalum?’ Then she
continued to speak with the warmth of
a person whois being questioned
during a quarrel—'Yes, it is that
accursed spirit—the liar from the
beginning---Satan, who is
reproaching him about the Magdalum
contract, and other things of the same
nature, and says that he spent all that
money upon himself.’ When asked,
‘Who has spent money? Who is being
spoken to in that way?’ she replied,
‘Jesus, my adorable Spouse, on Mount
Olivet’ Then she again turned to the
left, with menacing gestures, and
exclaimed, ‘What meanest thou, 0
father of lies, with thy Magdalum
contract? Did he not deliver twenty-
seven poor prisoners at Thirza, with
the money derived from the sale of
Magdalum? I saw him, and thou darest
to say that he has brought confusion
into the whole estate, driven out its
inhabitants, and squandered the
money for which it was sold? But thy
time is come, accursed spirit! thou
wilt be chained, and his heel will
crush thy head.’
96
Here she was interrupted by the
entrance of another person; her
friends thought that she was in
delirium, and pitied her. The following
morning she owned that the previous
night she had imagined herself to be
following our Saviour to the Garden of
Olives, after the institution of the
Blessed Eucharist, but that just at that
moment some one having looked at
the stigmas on her hands with a
degree of veneration, she felt so
horrified at this being done in the
presence of our Lord, that she hastily
hid them, with a feeling of pain. She
then related her vision of what took
place in the Garden of Olives, and as
she continued her narrations the
following days, the friend who was
listening to her was enabled to
connect the different scenes of the
Passion together. But as, during Lent,
she was also celebrating the combats
of our Lord with Satan in the desert,
she had to endure in her own person
many sufferings and temptations.
Hence there were a few pauses in the
history of the Passion, which were,
however, easily filled up by means of
some later communications.
97
entrance of another person; her
friends thought that she was in
delirium, and pitied her. The following
morning she owned that the previous
night she had imagined herself to be
following our Saviour to the Garden of
Olives, after the institution of the
Blessed Eucharist, but that just at that
moment some one having looked at
the stigmas on her hands with a
degree of veneration, she felt so
horrified at this being done in the
presence of our Lord, that she hastily
hid them, with a feeling of pain. She
then related her vision of what took
place in the Garden of Olives, and as
she continued her narrations the
following days, the friend who was
listening to her was enabled to
connect the different scenes of the
Passion together. But as, during Lent,
she was also celebrating the combats
of our Lord with Satan in the desert,
she had to endure in her own person
many sufferings and temptations.
Hence there were a few pauses in the
history of the Passion, which were,
however, easily filled up by means of
some later communications.
97
She usually spoke in common
German, but when in a state of
ecstasy, her language became much
purer, and her narrations partook at
once of child-like simplicity and
dignified inspiration. Her friend wrote
down all that she had said, directly he
returned to his own apartments; for it
was seldom that he could so much as
even take notes in her presence. The
Giver of all good gifts bestowed upon
him memory, zeal, and strength to
bear much trouble and fatigue, so that
he has been enabled to bring this
work to a conclusion. His conscience
tells him that he has done his best,
and he humbly begs the reader, if
satisfied with the result of his labours,
to bestow upon him the alms of an
occasional prayer.
________
CHAPTER I
Jesus in the Garden of Olives
WHEN Jesus left the supper-room
with the eleven Apostles, after the
institution of the Adorable Sacrament
of the Altar, his soul was deeply
oppressed and his sorrow on the
increase. He led the eleven, by an
unfrequented path, to the Valley of
Josaphat. As they left the house, I
saw the moon, which was not yet
quite at the full, rising in front of the
mountain.
German, but when in a state of
ecstasy, her language became much
purer, and her narrations partook at
once of child-like simplicity and
dignified inspiration. Her friend wrote
down all that she had said, directly he
returned to his own apartments; for it
was seldom that he could so much as
even take notes in her presence. The
Giver of all good gifts bestowed upon
him memory, zeal, and strength to
bear much trouble and fatigue, so that
he has been enabled to bring this
work to a conclusion. His conscience
tells him that he has done his best,
and he humbly begs the reader, if
satisfied with the result of his labours,
to bestow upon him the alms of an
occasional prayer.
________
CHAPTER I
Jesus in the Garden of Olives
WHEN Jesus left the supper-room
with the eleven Apostles, after the
institution of the Adorable Sacrament
of the Altar, his soul was deeply
oppressed and his sorrow on the
increase. He led the eleven, by an
unfrequented path, to the Valley of
Josaphat. As they left the house, I
saw the moon, which was not yet
quite at the full, rising in front of the
mountain.
Our Divine Lord, as he wandered
with his Apostles about the valley,
told them that here he should one day
return to judge the world, but not in a
state of poverty and humiliation, as he
then was, and that men would tremble
with fear, and cry: ‘Mountains, fall
upon us!’ His disciples did not
understand him, and thought, by no
means for the first time that night,
that weakness and exhaustion had
affected his brain. He said to them
again: 'All you shall be scandalised in
me this night. For it is written. I WILL
STRIKE THE SHEPHERDS AND THE
SHEEP Of THE FLOCK SHALL BE
DISPERSED. But after I shall be risen
again, I will go before you into
Galilee.’
98
with his Apostles about the valley,
told them that here he should one day
return to judge the world, but not in a
state of poverty and humiliation, as he
then was, and that men would tremble
with fear, and cry: ‘Mountains, fall
upon us!’ His disciples did not
understand him, and thought, by no
means for the first time that night,
that weakness and exhaustion had
affected his brain. He said to them
again: 'All you shall be scandalised in
me this night. For it is written. I WILL
STRIKE THE SHEPHERDS AND THE
SHEEP Of THE FLOCK SHALL BE
DISPERSED. But after I shall be risen
again, I will go before you into
Galilee.’
98
The Apostles were still in some
degree animated by the spirit of
enthusiasm and devotion with which
their reception of the Blessed
Sacrament and the solemn and
affecting words of Jesus had inspired
them. They eagerly crowded round
him, and expressed their love in a
thousand different ways, earnestly
protesting that they would never
abandon him. But as Jesus continued
to talk in the same strain, Peter
exclaimed: ‘Although all shall be
scandalised in thee, 1 will never be
scandalised!’ and our Lord answered
him: ‘Amen, I say to thee, that in this
night, before the cock crow, thou wilt
deny me thrice.’ But Peter still
insisted, saying: ‘Yea, though I
should die with thee, I will not deny
thee.’ And the others all said the
same. They walked onward and
stopped, by turns, for the sadness of
our Divine Lord continued to increase.
The Apostles tried to comfort him by
human arguments, assuring him that
what he foresaw would not come to
pass. They tired themselves in these
vain efforts, began to doubt, and were
assailed by temptation.
They crossed the brook Cedron, not
by the bridge where, a few hours later,
Jesus was taken prisoner, but by
another, for they had left the direct
road. Gethsemani, whither they were
going, was about a mile and a half
distant from the supper-hall, for it
was three quarters of a mile from the
supper-hall to the Valley of Josaphat,
and about as far from thence to
Gethsemani. The placed called
Gethsemani (where latterly Jesus had
several times passed the night with
his disciples) was a large garden,
surrounded by a hedge, and
containing only some fruit trees and
flowers, while outside there stood a
few deserted unclosed buildings.
99
degree animated by the spirit of
enthusiasm and devotion with which
their reception of the Blessed
Sacrament and the solemn and
affecting words of Jesus had inspired
them. They eagerly crowded round
him, and expressed their love in a
thousand different ways, earnestly
protesting that they would never
abandon him. But as Jesus continued
to talk in the same strain, Peter
exclaimed: ‘Although all shall be
scandalised in thee, 1 will never be
scandalised!’ and our Lord answered
him: ‘Amen, I say to thee, that in this
night, before the cock crow, thou wilt
deny me thrice.’ But Peter still
insisted, saying: ‘Yea, though I
should die with thee, I will not deny
thee.’ And the others all said the
same. They walked onward and
stopped, by turns, for the sadness of
our Divine Lord continued to increase.
The Apostles tried to comfort him by
human arguments, assuring him that
what he foresaw would not come to
pass. They tired themselves in these
vain efforts, began to doubt, and were
assailed by temptation.
They crossed the brook Cedron, not
by the bridge where, a few hours later,
Jesus was taken prisoner, but by
another, for they had left the direct
road. Gethsemani, whither they were
going, was about a mile and a half
distant from the supper-hall, for it
was three quarters of a mile from the
supper-hall to the Valley of Josaphat,
and about as far from thence to
Gethsemani. The placed called
Gethsemani (where latterly Jesus had
several times passed the night with
his disciples) was a large garden,
surrounded by a hedge, and
containing only some fruit trees and
flowers, while outside there stood a
few deserted unclosed buildings.
99
The Apostles and several other
persons had keys of this garden,
which was used sometimes as a
pleasure ground, and sometimes as a
place of retirement for prayer. Some
arbours made of leaves and branches
had been raised there, and eight of the
Apostles remained in them, and were
later joined by others of the disciples.
The Garden of Olives was separated by
a road from that; of Gethsemani, and
was open, surrounded only by an
earthern wall, and smaller than the
Garden of Gethsemani. There were
caverns, terraces, and many olive-
trees to be seen in this garden, and it
was easy to find there a suitable spot
for prayer and meditation. It was to
the wildest part that Jesus went to
pray.
persons had keys of this garden,
which was used sometimes as a
pleasure ground, and sometimes as a
place of retirement for prayer. Some
arbours made of leaves and branches
had been raised there, and eight of the
Apostles remained in them, and were
later joined by others of the disciples.
The Garden of Olives was separated by
a road from that; of Gethsemani, and
was open, surrounded only by an
earthern wall, and smaller than the
Garden of Gethsemani. There were
caverns, terraces, and many olive-
trees to be seen in this garden, and it
was easy to find there a suitable spot
for prayer and meditation. It was to
the wildest part that Jesus went to
pray.
It was about nine o’clock when
Jesus reached Gethsemani with his
disciples. The moon had risen, and
already gave light in the sky, although
the earth was still dark. Jesus was
most sorrowful, and told his Apostles
that danger was at hand. The
disciples felt uneasy, and he told
eight of those who were following
him, to remain in the Garden of
Gcthsesnani whilst he went on to
pray. He took with him Peter, James,
and John, and going on a little further,
entered into the Garden of Olives. No
words can describe the sorrow which
then oppressed his soul, for the time
of trial was near. John asked him how
it was that he, who had hitherto
always consoled them, could now be
so dejected? ‘My soul is sorrowful
even unto death,’ was his reply. And
he beheld sufferings and temptations
surrounding him on all sides, and
drawing nearer and nearer, under the
forms of frightful figures borne on
clouds. Then it was that he said to the
three Apostles: ‘Stay you here and
watch with me. Pray, lest ye enter into
temptation.’ Jesus went a few steps
to the left, down a hill, and concealed
himself beneath a rock, in a grotto
about six feet deep, while the
Apostles remained in a species of
hollow above. The earth sank
gradually the further you entered this
grotto, and the plants which were
hanging from the rock screened its
interior like a curtain from persons
outside.
When Jesus left his disciples, I saw
a number of frightful figures
surrounding him in an ever-narrowing
circle.
100
Jesus reached Gethsemani with his
disciples. The moon had risen, and
already gave light in the sky, although
the earth was still dark. Jesus was
most sorrowful, and told his Apostles
that danger was at hand. The
disciples felt uneasy, and he told
eight of those who were following
him, to remain in the Garden of
Gcthsesnani whilst he went on to
pray. He took with him Peter, James,
and John, and going on a little further,
entered into the Garden of Olives. No
words can describe the sorrow which
then oppressed his soul, for the time
of trial was near. John asked him how
it was that he, who had hitherto
always consoled them, could now be
so dejected? ‘My soul is sorrowful
even unto death,’ was his reply. And
he beheld sufferings and temptations
surrounding him on all sides, and
drawing nearer and nearer, under the
forms of frightful figures borne on
clouds. Then it was that he said to the
three Apostles: ‘Stay you here and
watch with me. Pray, lest ye enter into
temptation.’ Jesus went a few steps
to the left, down a hill, and concealed
himself beneath a rock, in a grotto
about six feet deep, while the
Apostles remained in a species of
hollow above. The earth sank
gradually the further you entered this
grotto, and the plants which were
hanging from the rock screened its
interior like a curtain from persons
outside.
When Jesus left his disciples, I saw
a number of frightful figures
surrounding him in an ever-narrowing
circle.
100
His sorrow and anguish of soul
continued to increase, and he was
trembling all over when be entered the
grotto to pray, like a wayworn traveller
hurriedly seeking shelter from a
sudden storm, but the awful visions
pursued him even there, and became
more and more clear and distinct.
Alas! this small cavern appeared to
contain the awful picture of all the
sins which had been or were to be
committed from the fall of Adam to the
end of the world, and of the
punishment which they deserved. It
was here, on Mount Olivet, that Adam
and Eve took refuge when driven out
of Paradise to wander homeless on
earth, and they had wept and bewailed
themselves in this very grotto.
I felt that Jesus, in delivering
himself up to Divine Justice in
satisfaction for the sins of the world,
caused his divinity to return, in some
sort, into the bosom of the Holy
Trinity, concentrated himself, so to
speak, in his pure, loving and
innocent humanity, and strong only in
his ineffable love, gave it up to
anguish and suffering.
He fell on his face, overwhelmed
with unspeakable sorrow, and all the
sins of the world displayed
themselves before him, under
countless forms and in all their real
deformity. He took them all upon
himself, and in his prayer offered his
own adorable Person to the justice of
his Heavenly Father, in payment for so
awful a debt. But Satan, who was
enthroned amid all these horrors, and
even filled with diabolical joy at the
sight of them, let loose his fury
against Jesus, and displayed before
the eyes of his soul increasingly awful
visions, at the same time addressing
his adorable humanity in words such
as these: ‘Takest thou even this sin
upon thyself? Art thou willing to bear
its penalty? Art thou prepared to
satisfy for all these sins?’
101
continued to increase, and he was
trembling all over when be entered the
grotto to pray, like a wayworn traveller
hurriedly seeking shelter from a
sudden storm, but the awful visions
pursued him even there, and became
more and more clear and distinct.
Alas! this small cavern appeared to
contain the awful picture of all the
sins which had been or were to be
committed from the fall of Adam to the
end of the world, and of the
punishment which they deserved. It
was here, on Mount Olivet, that Adam
and Eve took refuge when driven out
of Paradise to wander homeless on
earth, and they had wept and bewailed
themselves in this very grotto.
I felt that Jesus, in delivering
himself up to Divine Justice in
satisfaction for the sins of the world,
caused his divinity to return, in some
sort, into the bosom of the Holy
Trinity, concentrated himself, so to
speak, in his pure, loving and
innocent humanity, and strong only in
his ineffable love, gave it up to
anguish and suffering.
He fell on his face, overwhelmed
with unspeakable sorrow, and all the
sins of the world displayed
themselves before him, under
countless forms and in all their real
deformity. He took them all upon
himself, and in his prayer offered his
own adorable Person to the justice of
his Heavenly Father, in payment for so
awful a debt. But Satan, who was
enthroned amid all these horrors, and
even filled with diabolical joy at the
sight of them, let loose his fury
against Jesus, and displayed before
the eyes of his soul increasingly awful
visions, at the same time addressing
his adorable humanity in words such
as these: ‘Takest thou even this sin
upon thyself? Art thou willing to bear
its penalty? Art thou prepared to
satisfy for all these sins?’
101
And now a long ray of light, like a
luminous path in the air, descended
from Heaven; it was a procession of
angels who came up to Jesus and
strengthened and reinvigorated him.
The remainder of the grotto was filled
with frightful visions of our crimes;
Jesus took them all upon himself, but
that adorable Heart, which was so
filled with the most perfect love for
God and man, was flooded with
anguish, and overwhelmed beneath
the weight of so many abominable
crimes. When this huge mass of
iniquities, like the waves of a
fathomless ocean, had passed over
his soul, Satan brought forward
innumerable temptations, as he had
formerly done in the desert, even
daring to adduce various accusations
against him. ‘And takest thou all
these things upon thyself,’ he
exclaimed, ‘thou who art not
unspotted thyself?’ Then he laid to
the charge of our Lord, with infernal
impudence, a host of imaginary
crimes. He reproached him with the
faults of his disciples, the scandals
which they had caused, and the
disturbances which he had
occasioned in the world by giving up
ancient customs. No Pharisee,
however wily and severe, could have
surpassed Satan on this occasion; he
reproached Jesus with having been
the cause of the massacre of the
Innocents, as well as of the sufferings
of his parents in Egypt, with not
having saved John the Baptist from
death, with having brought disunion
into families, protected men of
despicable character, refused to cure
various sick persons, injured the
inhabitants of Gergesa by permitting
men possessed by the devil to
overturn their vats,* and demons to
make swine cast themselves into the
sea; with having deserted his family,
and squandered the property of
others; in one word Satan, in the
hopes of causing Jesus to waver,
suggested to him every thought by
which he would have tempted at the
hour of death an ordinary mortal who
might have performed all these
actions without a superhuman
intention; for it was hidden from him
that Jesus was the Son of God, and he
tempted him only as the most just of
men. Our Divine Saviour permitted his
humanity thus to preponderate over
his divinity, for he was pleased to
endure even those temptations with
which holy souls are assailed at the
hour of death concerning the merit of
their good works. That he might drink
the chalice of suffering even to the
dregs, he permitted the evil spirit to
tempt his sacred humanity, as he
would have tempted a man who
should wish to attribute to his good
works some special value in
themselves, over and above what they
might have by their union with the
merits of our Saviour. There was not
an action out of which he did not
contrive to frame some accusation,
and he reproached Jesus, among
other things, with having spent the
price of the property of Mary Magdalen
at Magdalum, which he had received
from Lazarus.
* On the 11th of December 1812, in her visions
of the public life of Jesus, she saw our Lord
permit the devils whom he had expelled from
the men of Gergesa to enter into a herd of
swine. She also saw, on this particular
occasion, that the possessed men first
overturned a large vat filled with some
fermented liquid.
102
luminous path in the air, descended
from Heaven; it was a procession of
angels who came up to Jesus and
strengthened and reinvigorated him.
The remainder of the grotto was filled
with frightful visions of our crimes;
Jesus took them all upon himself, but
that adorable Heart, which was so
filled with the most perfect love for
God and man, was flooded with
anguish, and overwhelmed beneath
the weight of so many abominable
crimes. When this huge mass of
iniquities, like the waves of a
fathomless ocean, had passed over
his soul, Satan brought forward
innumerable temptations, as he had
formerly done in the desert, even
daring to adduce various accusations
against him. ‘And takest thou all
these things upon thyself,’ he
exclaimed, ‘thou who art not
unspotted thyself?’ Then he laid to
the charge of our Lord, with infernal
impudence, a host of imaginary
crimes. He reproached him with the
faults of his disciples, the scandals
which they had caused, and the
disturbances which he had
occasioned in the world by giving up
ancient customs. No Pharisee,
however wily and severe, could have
surpassed Satan on this occasion; he
reproached Jesus with having been
the cause of the massacre of the
Innocents, as well as of the sufferings
of his parents in Egypt, with not
having saved John the Baptist from
death, with having brought disunion
into families, protected men of
despicable character, refused to cure
various sick persons, injured the
inhabitants of Gergesa by permitting
men possessed by the devil to
overturn their vats,* and demons to
make swine cast themselves into the
sea; with having deserted his family,
and squandered the property of
others; in one word Satan, in the
hopes of causing Jesus to waver,
suggested to him every thought by
which he would have tempted at the
hour of death an ordinary mortal who
might have performed all these
actions without a superhuman
intention; for it was hidden from him
that Jesus was the Son of God, and he
tempted him only as the most just of
men. Our Divine Saviour permitted his
humanity thus to preponderate over
his divinity, for he was pleased to
endure even those temptations with
which holy souls are assailed at the
hour of death concerning the merit of
their good works. That he might drink
the chalice of suffering even to the
dregs, he permitted the evil spirit to
tempt his sacred humanity, as he
would have tempted a man who
should wish to attribute to his good
works some special value in
themselves, over and above what they
might have by their union with the
merits of our Saviour. There was not
an action out of which he did not
contrive to frame some accusation,
and he reproached Jesus, among
other things, with having spent the
price of the property of Mary Magdalen
at Magdalum, which he had received
from Lazarus.
* On the 11th of December 1812, in her visions
of the public life of Jesus, she saw our Lord
permit the devils whom he had expelled from
the men of Gergesa to enter into a herd of
swine. She also saw, on this particular
occasion, that the possessed men first
overturned a large vat filled with some
fermented liquid.
102
Among the sins of the world which
Jesus took upon himself, I saw also
my own; and a stream, in which I
distinctly beheld each of my faults,
appeared to flow towards me from out
of the temptations with which he was
encircled. During this time my eyes
were fixed upon my Heavenly Spouse;
with him I wept and prayed, and with
him I turned towards the consoling
angels. Ah, truly did our dear Lord
writhe like a worm beneath the weight
of his anguish and sufferings!
Whilst Satan was pouring forth his
accusations against Jesus, it was with
difficulty that I could restrain my
indignation, but when he spoke of the
sale of Magdalen’s property, I could
no longer keep silence, and
exclaimed: ‘How canst thou reproach
him with the sale of this property as
with a crime? Did I not myself see our
Lord spend the sum which was given
him by Lazarus in works of mercy, and
deliver twenty-eight debtors
imprisoned at Thirza?’
At first Jesus looked calm, as he
kneeled down and prayed, but after a
time his soul became terrified at the
sight of the innumerable crimes of
men, and of their ingratitude towards
God, and his anguish was so great
that he trembled and shuddered as he
exclaimed: ‘Father, if is possible, let
this chalice pass from me! Father, all
things are possible to thee, remove
this chalice from me!" But the next
moment he added: ‘Nevertheless, not
my will but thine be done.’ His will
and that of his Father were one, but
now that his love had ordained that he
should be left to all the weakness of
his human nature, he trembled at the
prospect of death.
103
Jesus took upon himself, I saw also
my own; and a stream, in which I
distinctly beheld each of my faults,
appeared to flow towards me from out
of the temptations with which he was
encircled. During this time my eyes
were fixed upon my Heavenly Spouse;
with him I wept and prayed, and with
him I turned towards the consoling
angels. Ah, truly did our dear Lord
writhe like a worm beneath the weight
of his anguish and sufferings!
Whilst Satan was pouring forth his
accusations against Jesus, it was with
difficulty that I could restrain my
indignation, but when he spoke of the
sale of Magdalen’s property, I could
no longer keep silence, and
exclaimed: ‘How canst thou reproach
him with the sale of this property as
with a crime? Did I not myself see our
Lord spend the sum which was given
him by Lazarus in works of mercy, and
deliver twenty-eight debtors
imprisoned at Thirza?’
At first Jesus looked calm, as he
kneeled down and prayed, but after a
time his soul became terrified at the
sight of the innumerable crimes of
men, and of their ingratitude towards
God, and his anguish was so great
that he trembled and shuddered as he
exclaimed: ‘Father, if is possible, let
this chalice pass from me! Father, all
things are possible to thee, remove
this chalice from me!" But the next
moment he added: ‘Nevertheless, not
my will but thine be done.’ His will
and that of his Father were one, but
now that his love had ordained that he
should be left to all the weakness of
his human nature, he trembled at the
prospect of death.
103
I saw the cavern in which he was
kneeling filled with frightful figures; I
saw all the sins, wickedness, vices,
and ingratitude of mankind torturing
and crushing him to the earth; the
horror of death and terror which he
felt as man at the sight of the
expiatory sufferings about to come
upon him, surrounded and assailed
his Divine Person under the forms of
hideous spectres. He fell from side to
side, clasping his hands; his body
was covered with a cold sweat, and he
trembled and shuddered. He then
arose, but his knees were shaking and
apparently scarcely able to support
him; his countenance was pale, and
quite altered in appearance, his lips
white, and his hair standing on end. It
was about half-past ten o’clock when
he arose from his knees, and, bathed
in a cold sweat, directed his
trembling, weak footsteps towards his
three Apostles. With difficulty did he
ascend the left side of the cavern, and
reach a spot where the ground was
level, and where they were sleeping,
exhausted with fatigue, sorrow and
anxiety. He came to them, like a man
overwhelmed with bitter sorrow,
whom terror urges to seek his friends,
but like also to a good shepherd, who,
when warned of the approach of
danger, hastens to visit his flock, the
safety of which is threatened; for he
well knew that they also were being
tried by suffering and temptation. The
terrible visions never left him, even
while he was thus seeking his
disciples. When he found that they
were asleep, he clasped his hands and
fell down on his knees beside them,
overcome with sorrow and anxiety,
and said: ‘Simon, sleepest: thou?’
They awoke, and raised him up, and
he, in his desolation of spirit, said to
them: 'What? Could you not watch
one hour with me?’ When they looked
at him, and saw him pale and
exhausted, scarcely able to support
himself, bathed in sweat, trembling
and shuddering,—when they heard
how changed and almost inaudible his
voice had become, they did not know
what to think, and had he not been
still surrounded by a well-known halo
of light, they would never have
recognised him as Jesus. John said to
him: ‘Master, what has befallen thee?
Must I call the other disciples? Ought
we to take to flight?’ Jesus answered
him: ‘Were I to live, teach, and perform
miracles for thirty-three years longer,
that would not suffice for the
accomplishment of what must be
fulfilled before this time tomorrow.
Call not the eight; I did not bring them
hither, because they could not see me
thus agonising without being
scandalised; they would yield to
temptation, forget much of the past,
and lose their confidence in me. But
you, who have seen the Son of Man
transfigured, may also see him under
a cloud, and in dereliction of spirit;
nevertheless, watch and pray, lest ye
fall into temptation, for the spirit
indeed is willing, but the flesh is
weak.’
104
kneeling filled with frightful figures; I
saw all the sins, wickedness, vices,
and ingratitude of mankind torturing
and crushing him to the earth; the
horror of death and terror which he
felt as man at the sight of the
expiatory sufferings about to come
upon him, surrounded and assailed
his Divine Person under the forms of
hideous spectres. He fell from side to
side, clasping his hands; his body
was covered with a cold sweat, and he
trembled and shuddered. He then
arose, but his knees were shaking and
apparently scarcely able to support
him; his countenance was pale, and
quite altered in appearance, his lips
white, and his hair standing on end. It
was about half-past ten o’clock when
he arose from his knees, and, bathed
in a cold sweat, directed his
trembling, weak footsteps towards his
three Apostles. With difficulty did he
ascend the left side of the cavern, and
reach a spot where the ground was
level, and where they were sleeping,
exhausted with fatigue, sorrow and
anxiety. He came to them, like a man
overwhelmed with bitter sorrow,
whom terror urges to seek his friends,
but like also to a good shepherd, who,
when warned of the approach of
danger, hastens to visit his flock, the
safety of which is threatened; for he
well knew that they also were being
tried by suffering and temptation. The
terrible visions never left him, even
while he was thus seeking his
disciples. When he found that they
were asleep, he clasped his hands and
fell down on his knees beside them,
overcome with sorrow and anxiety,
and said: ‘Simon, sleepest: thou?’
They awoke, and raised him up, and
he, in his desolation of spirit, said to
them: 'What? Could you not watch
one hour with me?’ When they looked
at him, and saw him pale and
exhausted, scarcely able to support
himself, bathed in sweat, trembling
and shuddering,—when they heard
how changed and almost inaudible his
voice had become, they did not know
what to think, and had he not been
still surrounded by a well-known halo
of light, they would never have
recognised him as Jesus. John said to
him: ‘Master, what has befallen thee?
Must I call the other disciples? Ought
we to take to flight?’ Jesus answered
him: ‘Were I to live, teach, and perform
miracles for thirty-three years longer,
that would not suffice for the
accomplishment of what must be
fulfilled before this time tomorrow.
Call not the eight; I did not bring them
hither, because they could not see me
thus agonising without being
scandalised; they would yield to
temptation, forget much of the past,
and lose their confidence in me. But
you, who have seen the Son of Man
transfigured, may also see him under
a cloud, and in dereliction of spirit;
nevertheless, watch and pray, lest ye
fall into temptation, for the spirit
indeed is willing, but the flesh is
weak.’
104
By these words he sought at once
to encourage them to persevere, and
to make known to them the combat
which his human nature was
sustaining against death, together
with the cause of his weakness. In his
overwhelming sorrow, he remained
with them nearly a quarter of an hour,
and spoke to them again. He then
returned to the grotto, his mental
sufferings being still on the increase,
while his disciples, on their part,
stretched forth their hands towards
him, wept, and embraced each other,
asking, ‘What can it be? What is
happening to him? He appears to be
in a state of complete desolation.’
After this, they covered their heads,
and began to pray, sorrowfully and
anxiously.
About an hour and a half had
passed since Jesus entered the
Garden of Olives. It is true that
Scripture tells us he said, ‘Could you
not watch one hour with me?’ but his
words should not be taken literally,
nor according to our way of counting
time. The three Apostles who were
with Jesus had prayed at first, but
then they had fallen asleep, for
temptation had come upon them by
reason of their want of trust in God.
The other eight, who had remained
outside the garden, did not sleep, for
our Lord’s last words, so expressive
of suffering and sadness, had filled
their hearts with sinister forebodings,
and they wandered about Mount
Olivet, trying to find some place of
refuge in case of danger.
105
to encourage them to persevere, and
to make known to them the combat
which his human nature was
sustaining against death, together
with the cause of his weakness. In his
overwhelming sorrow, he remained
with them nearly a quarter of an hour,
and spoke to them again. He then
returned to the grotto, his mental
sufferings being still on the increase,
while his disciples, on their part,
stretched forth their hands towards
him, wept, and embraced each other,
asking, ‘What can it be? What is
happening to him? He appears to be
in a state of complete desolation.’
After this, they covered their heads,
and began to pray, sorrowfully and
anxiously.
About an hour and a half had
passed since Jesus entered the
Garden of Olives. It is true that
Scripture tells us he said, ‘Could you
not watch one hour with me?’ but his
words should not be taken literally,
nor according to our way of counting
time. The three Apostles who were
with Jesus had prayed at first, but
then they had fallen asleep, for
temptation had come upon them by
reason of their want of trust in God.
The other eight, who had remained
outside the garden, did not sleep, for
our Lord’s last words, so expressive
of suffering and sadness, had filled
their hearts with sinister forebodings,
and they wandered about Mount
Olivet, trying to find some place of
refuge in case of danger.
105
The town of Jerusalem was very
quiet; the Jews were in their houses,
engaged in preparing for the feast, but
I saw, here and there, some of the
friends and disciples of Jesus walking
to and fro, with anxious
countenances, conversing earnestly
together, and evidently expecting
some great event. The Mother of our
Lord, Magdalen, Martha, Mary of
Cleophas, Mary Salome, and Salome
had gone from the supper-hall to the
house of Mary, the mother of Mark.
Mary was alarmed at the reports which
were spreading, and wished to return
to the town with her friends, in order
to hear something of Jesus. Lazarus,
Nicodemus, Joseph of Ariinathea, and
some relations from Hebron, came to
see and endeavour to tranquillise her,
for, as they were aware, either from
their own knowledge or from what the
disciples had told them, of the
mournful predictions which Jesus had
made in the supper-room, they had
made inquiries of some Pharisees of
their acquaintance, and had not been
able to hear that any conspiracy was
on foot for the time against our Lord.
Being utterly ignorant of the treason
of Judas, they assured Mary that the
danger could not yet be very great,
and that the enemies of Jesus would
not make any attempts upon his
person, at least until the festival was
over. Mary told them how restless and
disturbed in mind Judas had latterly
appeared, and how abruptly he had
left the supper-room. She felt no
doubt of his having gone to betray our
Lord, for she had often warned him
that he was a son of perdition. The
holy women then returned to the
house of Mary, the mother of Mark.
When Jesus, unrelieved of all the
weight of his sufferings, returned to
the grotto, he fell prostrate, with his
face on the ground and his arms
extended, and prayed to his Eternal
Father; but his soul had to sustain a
second interior combat, which lasted
three-quarters of an hour. Angels
came and showed him, in a series of
visions, all the sufferings that he was
to endure in order to expiate sin; how
great was the beauty of man, the
image of God, before the fall, and how
that beauty was changed and
obliterated when sin entered the
world. He beheld how all sins
originated in that of Adam, the
signification and essence of
concupiscence, its terrible effects on
the powers of the soul, and likewise
the signification and essence of all
the sufferings entailed by
concupiscence. They showed him the
satisfaction which he would have to
offer to Divine Justice, and how it
would consist of a degree of suffering
in his soul and body which would
comprehend all the sufferings due to
the concupiscence of all mankind,
since the debt of the whole human
race had to be paid by that humanity
which alone was sinless—the
humanity of the Son of God. The
angels showed him all these things
under different forms, and I felt what
they were saying, although I heard no
voice. No tongue can describe what
anguish and what horror overwhelmed
the soul of Jesus at the sight of so
terrible an expiation—his sufferings
were so great, indeed, that a bloody
sweat issued forth from all the pores
of his sacred body.
106
quiet; the Jews were in their houses,
engaged in preparing for the feast, but
I saw, here and there, some of the
friends and disciples of Jesus walking
to and fro, with anxious
countenances, conversing earnestly
together, and evidently expecting
some great event. The Mother of our
Lord, Magdalen, Martha, Mary of
Cleophas, Mary Salome, and Salome
had gone from the supper-hall to the
house of Mary, the mother of Mark.
Mary was alarmed at the reports which
were spreading, and wished to return
to the town with her friends, in order
to hear something of Jesus. Lazarus,
Nicodemus, Joseph of Ariinathea, and
some relations from Hebron, came to
see and endeavour to tranquillise her,
for, as they were aware, either from
their own knowledge or from what the
disciples had told them, of the
mournful predictions which Jesus had
made in the supper-room, they had
made inquiries of some Pharisees of
their acquaintance, and had not been
able to hear that any conspiracy was
on foot for the time against our Lord.
Being utterly ignorant of the treason
of Judas, they assured Mary that the
danger could not yet be very great,
and that the enemies of Jesus would
not make any attempts upon his
person, at least until the festival was
over. Mary told them how restless and
disturbed in mind Judas had latterly
appeared, and how abruptly he had
left the supper-room. She felt no
doubt of his having gone to betray our
Lord, for she had often warned him
that he was a son of perdition. The
holy women then returned to the
house of Mary, the mother of Mark.
When Jesus, unrelieved of all the
weight of his sufferings, returned to
the grotto, he fell prostrate, with his
face on the ground and his arms
extended, and prayed to his Eternal
Father; but his soul had to sustain a
second interior combat, which lasted
three-quarters of an hour. Angels
came and showed him, in a series of
visions, all the sufferings that he was
to endure in order to expiate sin; how
great was the beauty of man, the
image of God, before the fall, and how
that beauty was changed and
obliterated when sin entered the
world. He beheld how all sins
originated in that of Adam, the
signification and essence of
concupiscence, its terrible effects on
the powers of the soul, and likewise
the signification and essence of all
the sufferings entailed by
concupiscence. They showed him the
satisfaction which he would have to
offer to Divine Justice, and how it
would consist of a degree of suffering
in his soul and body which would
comprehend all the sufferings due to
the concupiscence of all mankind,
since the debt of the whole human
race had to be paid by that humanity
which alone was sinless—the
humanity of the Son of God. The
angels showed him all these things
under different forms, and I felt what
they were saying, although I heard no
voice. No tongue can describe what
anguish and what horror overwhelmed
the soul of Jesus at the sight of so
terrible an expiation—his sufferings
were so great, indeed, that a bloody
sweat issued forth from all the pores
of his sacred body.
106
Whilst the adorable humanity of
Christ was thus crushed to the earth
beneath this awful weight of suffering,
the angels appeared filled with
compassion; there was a pause, and I
perceived that they were earnestly
desiring to console him, and praying
to that effect before the throne of God.
For one instant there appeared to be,
as it were, a struggle between the
mercy and justice of God and that love
which was sacrificing itself. I was
permitted to see an image of God, not,
as before, seated on a throne, but
under a luminous form. I beheld the
divine nature of the Son in the Person
of the Father, and, as it were,
withdrawn into his bosom; the Person
of the Holy Ghost proceeded from the
Father and the Son, it was, so to
speak, between them, and yet the
whole formed only one God—but these
things are indescribable.
All this was more an inward
perception than a vision under
distinct forms, and it appeared to me
that the Divine Will of our Lord
withdrew in some sort into the Eternal
Father, in order to permit all those
sufferings which his human will
besought his Father to spare him, to
weigh upon his humanity alone. I saw
this at the time when the angels, filled
with compassion, were desiring to
console Jesus, who, in fact, was
slightly relieved at that moment. Then
all disappeared, and the angels retired
from our Lord, whose soul was about
to sustain fresh assaults.
107
Christ was thus crushed to the earth
beneath this awful weight of suffering,
the angels appeared filled with
compassion; there was a pause, and I
perceived that they were earnestly
desiring to console him, and praying
to that effect before the throne of God.
For one instant there appeared to be,
as it were, a struggle between the
mercy and justice of God and that love
which was sacrificing itself. I was
permitted to see an image of God, not,
as before, seated on a throne, but
under a luminous form. I beheld the
divine nature of the Son in the Person
of the Father, and, as it were,
withdrawn into his bosom; the Person
of the Holy Ghost proceeded from the
Father and the Son, it was, so to
speak, between them, and yet the
whole formed only one God—but these
things are indescribable.
All this was more an inward
perception than a vision under
distinct forms, and it appeared to me
that the Divine Will of our Lord
withdrew in some sort into the Eternal
Father, in order to permit all those
sufferings which his human will
besought his Father to spare him, to
weigh upon his humanity alone. I saw
this at the time when the angels, filled
with compassion, were desiring to
console Jesus, who, in fact, was
slightly relieved at that moment. Then
all disappeared, and the angels retired
from our Lord, whose soul was about
to sustain fresh assaults.
107
When our Redeemer, on Mount
Olivet, was pleased to experience and
overcome that violent repugnance of
human nature to suffering and death
which constitutes a portion of all
sufferings, the tempter was permitted
to do to him what he does to all men
who desire to sacrifice themselves in
a holy cause. In the first portion of the
agony, Satan displayed before the
eyes of our Lord the enormity of that
debt of sin which he was going to pay,
and was even bold and malicious
enough to seek faults in the very
works of our Saviour himself. In the
second agony, Jesus beheld, to its
fullest extent and in all its bitterness,
the expiatory suffering which would
be required to satisfy Divine Justice.
This was displayed to him by angels;
for it belongs not to Satan to show
that expiation is possible, and the
father of lies and despair never
exhibits the works of Divine Mercy
before men. Jesus having victoriously
resisted all these assaults by his
entire and absolute submission to the
will of his Heavenly Father, a
succession of new and terrifying
visions were presented before his
eyes, and that feeling of doubt and
anxiety which a man on the point of
making some great sacrifice always
experiences, arose in the soul of our
Lord, as he asked himself the
tremendous question: ‘And what good
will result from this sacrifice?’ Then a
most awful picture of the future was
displayed before his eyes and
overwhelmed his tender heart with
anguish
Olivet, was pleased to experience and
overcome that violent repugnance of
human nature to suffering and death
which constitutes a portion of all
sufferings, the tempter was permitted
to do to him what he does to all men
who desire to sacrifice themselves in
a holy cause. In the first portion of the
agony, Satan displayed before the
eyes of our Lord the enormity of that
debt of sin which he was going to pay,
and was even bold and malicious
enough to seek faults in the very
works of our Saviour himself. In the
second agony, Jesus beheld, to its
fullest extent and in all its bitterness,
the expiatory suffering which would
be required to satisfy Divine Justice.
This was displayed to him by angels;
for it belongs not to Satan to show
that expiation is possible, and the
father of lies and despair never
exhibits the works of Divine Mercy
before men. Jesus having victoriously
resisted all these assaults by his
entire and absolute submission to the
will of his Heavenly Father, a
succession of new and terrifying
visions were presented before his
eyes, and that feeling of doubt and
anxiety which a man on the point of
making some great sacrifice always
experiences, arose in the soul of our
Lord, as he asked himself the
tremendous question: ‘And what good
will result from this sacrifice?’ Then a
most awful picture of the future was
displayed before his eyes and
overwhelmed his tender heart with
anguish
When God had created the first
Adam, he cast a deep sleep upon him,
opened his side, and took one of his
ribs, of which he made Eve, his wife
and the mother of all the living. Then
he brought her to Adam, who
exclaimed: ‘This now is bone of my
bones, and flesh of my flesh.
Wherefore a man shall leave father and
mother, and shall cleave to his wife,
and they shall be two in one flesh.’
That was the marriage of which it is
written: ‘This is a great Sacrament. I
speak in Christ and in the Church.’
Jesus Christ, the second Adam, was
pleased also to let sleep come upon
him—the sleep of death on the cross,
and he was also pleased to let his
side be opened, in order that the
second Eve, his virgin Spouse, the
Church, the mother of all the living,
might be formed from it. It was his will
to give her the blood of redemption,
the water of purification, and his spirit
—the three which render testimony on
earth—and to bestow upon her also
the holy Sacraments, in order that she
might be pure, holy, and undefiled; he
was to be her head, and we were to be
her members, under submission to the
head, the bone of his bones, and the
flesh of his flesh. In taking human
nature, that he might suffer death for
us, he had also left his Eternal Father,
to cleave to his Spouse, the Church,
and he became one flesh with her, by
feeding her with the Adorable
Sacrament of the Altar, in which he
unites himself unceasingly with us.
He has been pleased to remain on
earth with his Church, until we shall
all be united together by him within
her fold, and he has said: ‘The gates
of hell shall never prevail against her.’
To satisfy his unspeakable love for
sinners, our Lord had become man
and a brother of these same sinners,
that so he might take upon himself the
punishment due to all their crimes. He
had contemplated with deep sorrow
the greatness of this debt and the
unspeakable sufferings by which it
was to be acquitted. Yet he had most
joyfully given himself up to the will of
his Heavenly Father as a victim of
expiation. Now, however, he beheld
all the future sufferings, combats, and
wounds of his heavenly Spouse; in
one word, he beheld the ingratitude of
men.
108
Adam, he cast a deep sleep upon him,
opened his side, and took one of his
ribs, of which he made Eve, his wife
and the mother of all the living. Then
he brought her to Adam, who
exclaimed: ‘This now is bone of my
bones, and flesh of my flesh.
Wherefore a man shall leave father and
mother, and shall cleave to his wife,
and they shall be two in one flesh.’
That was the marriage of which it is
written: ‘This is a great Sacrament. I
speak in Christ and in the Church.’
Jesus Christ, the second Adam, was
pleased also to let sleep come upon
him—the sleep of death on the cross,
and he was also pleased to let his
side be opened, in order that the
second Eve, his virgin Spouse, the
Church, the mother of all the living,
might be formed from it. It was his will
to give her the blood of redemption,
the water of purification, and his spirit
—the three which render testimony on
earth—and to bestow upon her also
the holy Sacraments, in order that she
might be pure, holy, and undefiled; he
was to be her head, and we were to be
her members, under submission to the
head, the bone of his bones, and the
flesh of his flesh. In taking human
nature, that he might suffer death for
us, he had also left his Eternal Father,
to cleave to his Spouse, the Church,
and he became one flesh with her, by
feeding her with the Adorable
Sacrament of the Altar, in which he
unites himself unceasingly with us.
He has been pleased to remain on
earth with his Church, until we shall
all be united together by him within
her fold, and he has said: ‘The gates
of hell shall never prevail against her.’
To satisfy his unspeakable love for
sinners, our Lord had become man
and a brother of these same sinners,
that so he might take upon himself the
punishment due to all their crimes. He
had contemplated with deep sorrow
the greatness of this debt and the
unspeakable sufferings by which it
was to be acquitted. Yet he had most
joyfully given himself up to the will of
his Heavenly Father as a victim of
expiation. Now, however, he beheld
all the future sufferings, combats, and
wounds of his heavenly Spouse; in
one word, he beheld the ingratitude of
men.
108
The soul of Jesus beheld all the
future sufferings of his Apostles,
disciples, and friends; after which he
saw the primitive Church, numbering
but few souls in her fold at first, and
then in proportion as her numbers
increased, disturbed by heresies and
schisms breaking out among her
children, who repeated the sin of
Adam by pride and disobedience. He
saw the tepidity, malice, and
corruption of an infinite number of
Christians, the lies and deceptions of
proud teachers, all the sacrileges of
wicked priests, the fatal
consequences of each sin, and the
abomination of desolation in the
kingdom of God, in the sanctuary of
those ungrateful human beings whom
he was about to redeem with his
blood at the cost of unspeakable
sufferings.
109
future sufferings of his Apostles,
disciples, and friends; after which he
saw the primitive Church, numbering
but few souls in her fold at first, and
then in proportion as her numbers
increased, disturbed by heresies and
schisms breaking out among her
children, who repeated the sin of
Adam by pride and disobedience. He
saw the tepidity, malice, and
corruption of an infinite number of
Christians, the lies and deceptions of
proud teachers, all the sacrileges of
wicked priests, the fatal
consequences of each sin, and the
abomination of desolation in the
kingdom of God, in the sanctuary of
those ungrateful human beings whom
he was about to redeem with his
blood at the cost of unspeakable
sufferings.
109
The scandals of all ages, down to
the present day and even to the end of
the world—every species of error,
deception, mad fanaticism, obstinacy,
and malice—were displayed before his
eyes, and he beheld, as it were
floating before him, all the apostates,
heresiarchs, and pretended reformers,
who deceive men by an appearance of
sanctity. The corrupters and the
corrupted of all ages outraged and
tormented him for not having been
crucified after their fashion, or for not
having suffered precisely as they
settled or imagined he should have
done. They vied with each other in
tearing the seamless robe of his
Church; many ill-treated, insulted,
and denied him, and many turned
contemptuously away, shaking their
heads at him, avoiding his
compassionate embrace, and hurrying
on to the abyss where they were
finally swallowed up. He saw
countless numbers of other men who
did not dare openly to deny him, but
who passed on in disgust at the sight
of the wounds of his Church, as the
Levite. passed by the poor man who
had fallen among robbers. Like unto
cowardly and faithless children, who
desert their mother in the middle of
the night, at the sight of the thieves
and robbers to whom their negligence
or their malice has opened the door,
they fled from his wounded Spouse.
He beheld all these men, sometimes
separated from the True Vine, and
taking their rest amid the wild fruit
trees, sometimes like lost sheep, left
to the mercy of the wolves, led by
base hirelings into bad pasturages,
and refusing to enter the fold of the
Good Shepherd who gave his life for
his sheep. They were wandering
homeless in the desert in the midst of
the sand blown about by the wind,
and were obstinately determined not
to see his City placed upon a hill,
which could not be hidden, the House
of his Spouse, his Church built upon a
rock, and with which he had promised
to remain to the end of ages. They
built upon the sand wretched
tenements, which they were
continually pulling down and
rebuilding, but in which there was
neither altar nor sacrifice; they had
weathercocks on their roofs, and their
doctrines changed with the wind,
consequently they were for ever in
opposition one with the other. They
never could come to a mutual
understanding, and were for ever
unsettled, often destroying their own
dwellings and hurling the fragments
against the Corncr Stone of the
Church, which always remained
unshaken.
110
the present day and even to the end of
the world—every species of error,
deception, mad fanaticism, obstinacy,
and malice—were displayed before his
eyes, and he beheld, as it were
floating before him, all the apostates,
heresiarchs, and pretended reformers,
who deceive men by an appearance of
sanctity. The corrupters and the
corrupted of all ages outraged and
tormented him for not having been
crucified after their fashion, or for not
having suffered precisely as they
settled or imagined he should have
done. They vied with each other in
tearing the seamless robe of his
Church; many ill-treated, insulted,
and denied him, and many turned
contemptuously away, shaking their
heads at him, avoiding his
compassionate embrace, and hurrying
on to the abyss where they were
finally swallowed up. He saw
countless numbers of other men who
did not dare openly to deny him, but
who passed on in disgust at the sight
of the wounds of his Church, as the
Levite. passed by the poor man who
had fallen among robbers. Like unto
cowardly and faithless children, who
desert their mother in the middle of
the night, at the sight of the thieves
and robbers to whom their negligence
or their malice has opened the door,
they fled from his wounded Spouse.
He beheld all these men, sometimes
separated from the True Vine, and
taking their rest amid the wild fruit
trees, sometimes like lost sheep, left
to the mercy of the wolves, led by
base hirelings into bad pasturages,
and refusing to enter the fold of the
Good Shepherd who gave his life for
his sheep. They were wandering
homeless in the desert in the midst of
the sand blown about by the wind,
and were obstinately determined not
to see his City placed upon a hill,
which could not be hidden, the House
of his Spouse, his Church built upon a
rock, and with which he had promised
to remain to the end of ages. They
built upon the sand wretched
tenements, which they were
continually pulling down and
rebuilding, but in which there was
neither altar nor sacrifice; they had
weathercocks on their roofs, and their
doctrines changed with the wind,
consequently they were for ever in
opposition one with the other. They
never could come to a mutual
understanding, and were for ever
unsettled, often destroying their own
dwellings and hurling the fragments
against the Corncr Stone of the
Church, which always remained
unshaken.
110
As there was nothing but darkness
in the dwellings of these men, many
among them, instead of directing their
steps towards the Candle placed on
the Candlestick in the House of the
Spouse of Christ, wandered with
closed eyes around the gardens of the
Church, sustaining life only by
inhaling the sweet odours which were
diffused from them far and near,
stretching forth their hands towards
shadowy idols, and following
wandering stars which led them to
wells where there was no water. Even
when on the very brink of the
precipice, they refused to listen to the
voice of the Spouse calling them, and,
though dying with hunger, derided,
insulted, and mocked at those
servants and messengers who were
sent to invite them to the Nuptial
Feast. They obstinately refused to
enter the garden, because they feared
the thorns of the hedge, although they
had neither wheat with which to
satisfy their hunger nor wine to
quench their thirst, but were simply
intoxicated with pride and self-
esteem, and being blinded by their
own false lights, persisted in
asserting that the Church of the Word
made flesh was invisible. Jesus
beheld them all, he wept over them,
and was pleased to suffer for all those
who do not see him and who will not
carry their crosses after him in his
City built upon a hill—his Church
founded upon a rock, to which he has
given himself in the Holy Eucharist,
and against which the gates of Hell
will never prevail.
in the dwellings of these men, many
among them, instead of directing their
steps towards the Candle placed on
the Candlestick in the House of the
Spouse of Christ, wandered with
closed eyes around the gardens of the
Church, sustaining life only by
inhaling the sweet odours which were
diffused from them far and near,
stretching forth their hands towards
shadowy idols, and following
wandering stars which led them to
wells where there was no water. Even
when on the very brink of the
precipice, they refused to listen to the
voice of the Spouse calling them, and,
though dying with hunger, derided,
insulted, and mocked at those
servants and messengers who were
sent to invite them to the Nuptial
Feast. They obstinately refused to
enter the garden, because they feared
the thorns of the hedge, although they
had neither wheat with which to
satisfy their hunger nor wine to
quench their thirst, but were simply
intoxicated with pride and self-
esteem, and being blinded by their
own false lights, persisted in
asserting that the Church of the Word
made flesh was invisible. Jesus
beheld them all, he wept over them,
and was pleased to suffer for all those
who do not see him and who will not
carry their crosses after him in his
City built upon a hill—his Church
founded upon a rock, to which he has
given himself in the Holy Eucharist,
and against which the gates of Hell
will never prevail.
Bearing a prominent
place in these mournful
visions which were
beheld by the soul of
Jesus, I saw Satan, who
dragged away and
strangled a multitude of
men redeemed by the
blood of Christ and
sanctified by the unction
of his Sacrament. Our
Divine Saviour beheld
with bitterest anguish the
ingratitude and
corruption of the
Christians of the first and
of all succeeding ages,
even to the end of the
world, and during the
whole of this time the
voice of the tempter was
incessantly repeating:
‘Canst thou resolve to
suffer for such ungrateful
reprobates?’ while the
various apparitions
succeeded each other
with intense rapidity, and
so violently weighed down and
crushed the soul of Jesus, that his
sacred humanity was overwhelmed
with unspeakable anguish. Jesus—the
Anointed of the Lord—the Son of Man
—struggled and writhed as he fell on
his knees, with clasped hands, as it
were annihilated beneath the weight
of his suffering. So violent was the
struggle which then took place
between his human will and his
repugnance to suffer so much for such
an ungrateful race, that from every
pore of his sacred body there burst
forth large drops of blood, which fell
trickling on to the ground. In his bitter
agony, he looked around, as though
seeking help, and appeared to take
Heaven, earth, and the stars of the
firmament to witness of his sufferings.
111
Jesus, in his anguish of spirit,
raised his voice, and gave utterance
to several cries of pain. The three
Apostles awoke, listened, and were
desirous of approaching him, but
Peter detained James and John,
saying: ‘Stay you here; I will join him.’
Then I saw Peter hastily run forward
and enter the grotto. ‘Master,’ he
exclaimed, ‘what has befallen thee?’
But at the sight of Jesus, thus bathed
in his own blood, and sinking to the
ground beneath the weight of mortal
fear and anguish, he drew back, and
paused for a moment, overcome with
terror. Jesus made him no answer,
and appeared unconscious of his
presence. Peter returned to the other
two, and told them that the Lord had
not answered him except by groans
and sighs. They became more and
more sorrowful after this, covered
their heads, and sat down to weep
and pray.
place in these mournful
visions which were
beheld by the soul of
Jesus, I saw Satan, who
dragged away and
strangled a multitude of
men redeemed by the
blood of Christ and
sanctified by the unction
of his Sacrament. Our
Divine Saviour beheld
with bitterest anguish the
ingratitude and
corruption of the
Christians of the first and
of all succeeding ages,
even to the end of the
world, and during the
whole of this time the
voice of the tempter was
incessantly repeating:
‘Canst thou resolve to
suffer for such ungrateful
reprobates?’ while the
various apparitions
succeeded each other
with intense rapidity, and
so violently weighed down and
crushed the soul of Jesus, that his
sacred humanity was overwhelmed
with unspeakable anguish. Jesus—the
Anointed of the Lord—the Son of Man
—struggled and writhed as he fell on
his knees, with clasped hands, as it
were annihilated beneath the weight
of his suffering. So violent was the
struggle which then took place
between his human will and his
repugnance to suffer so much for such
an ungrateful race, that from every
pore of his sacred body there burst
forth large drops of blood, which fell
trickling on to the ground. In his bitter
agony, he looked around, as though
seeking help, and appeared to take
Heaven, earth, and the stars of the
firmament to witness of his sufferings.
111
Jesus, in his anguish of spirit,
raised his voice, and gave utterance
to several cries of pain. The three
Apostles awoke, listened, and were
desirous of approaching him, but
Peter detained James and John,
saying: ‘Stay you here; I will join him.’
Then I saw Peter hastily run forward
and enter the grotto. ‘Master,’ he
exclaimed, ‘what has befallen thee?’
But at the sight of Jesus, thus bathed
in his own blood, and sinking to the
ground beneath the weight of mortal
fear and anguish, he drew back, and
paused for a moment, overcome with
terror. Jesus made him no answer,
and appeared unconscious of his
presence. Peter returned to the other
two, and told them that the Lord had
not answered him except by groans
and sighs. They became more and
more sorrowful after this, covered
their heads, and sat down to weep
and pray.
I then returned to my Heavenly
Spouse in his most bitter agony. The
frightful visions of the future
ingratitude of the men whose debt to
Divine Justice he was taking upon
himself, continued to become more
and more vivid and tremendous.
Several times I heard him exclaim: ‘0
my Father, can I possibly suffer for so
ungrateful a race? 0 my Father, if this
chalice may not pass from me, but I
must drink it, thy will be done!’
112
Amid all these apparitions, Satan
held a conspicuous place, under
various forms, which represented
different species of sins. Sometimes
he appeared under the form of a
gigantic black figure, sometimes
under those of a tiger, a fox, a wolf, a
dragon, or a serpent. Not, however,
that he really took any of these
shapes, but merely some one of their
characteristics, joined with other
hideous forms. None of these frightful
apparitions entirely resembled any
creature, but were symbols of
abomination, discord, contradiction,
and sin—in one word, were
demoniacal to the fullest extent.
These diabolical figures urged on,
dragged, and tore to pieces, before
the very eyes of Jesus, countless
numbers of those men for whose
redemption he was entering upon the
painful way of the Cross. At first I but
seldom saw the serpent; soon,
however, it made its appearance, with
a crown upon its head. This odious
reptile was of gigantic size,
apparently possessed of unbounded
strength, and led forward countless
legions of the enemies of Jesus in
every age and of every nation. Being
armed with all kinds of destructive
weapons, they sometimes tore one
another in pieces, and then renewed
their attacks upon our Saviour with
redoubled rage. It was indeed an
awful sight; for they heaped upon him
the most fearful outrages, cursing,
striking, wounding, and tearing him in
pieces. Their weapons, swords, and
spears flew about in the air, crossing
and recrossing continually in all
directions, like the flails of threshers
in an immense barn; and the rage of
each of these fiends seemed
exclusively directed against Jesus—
that grain of heavenly wheat
descended to the earth to die there, in
order to feed men eternally with the
Bread of Life.
Thus exposed to the fury of these
hellish bands, some of which
appeared to me wholly composed of
blind men, Jesus was as much
wounded and bruised as if their blows
had been real. I saw him stagger from
side to side, sometimes raising
himself up, and sometimes falling
again, while the serpent, in the midst
of the crowds whom it was
unceasingly leading forward against
Jesus, struck the ground with its tail,
and tore to pieces or swallowed all
whom it thus knocked to the ground.
113
Spouse in his most bitter agony. The
frightful visions of the future
ingratitude of the men whose debt to
Divine Justice he was taking upon
himself, continued to become more
and more vivid and tremendous.
Several times I heard him exclaim: ‘0
my Father, can I possibly suffer for so
ungrateful a race? 0 my Father, if this
chalice may not pass from me, but I
must drink it, thy will be done!’
112
Amid all these apparitions, Satan
held a conspicuous place, under
various forms, which represented
different species of sins. Sometimes
he appeared under the form of a
gigantic black figure, sometimes
under those of a tiger, a fox, a wolf, a
dragon, or a serpent. Not, however,
that he really took any of these
shapes, but merely some one of their
characteristics, joined with other
hideous forms. None of these frightful
apparitions entirely resembled any
creature, but were symbols of
abomination, discord, contradiction,
and sin—in one word, were
demoniacal to the fullest extent.
These diabolical figures urged on,
dragged, and tore to pieces, before
the very eyes of Jesus, countless
numbers of those men for whose
redemption he was entering upon the
painful way of the Cross. At first I but
seldom saw the serpent; soon,
however, it made its appearance, with
a crown upon its head. This odious
reptile was of gigantic size,
apparently possessed of unbounded
strength, and led forward countless
legions of the enemies of Jesus in
every age and of every nation. Being
armed with all kinds of destructive
weapons, they sometimes tore one
another in pieces, and then renewed
their attacks upon our Saviour with
redoubled rage. It was indeed an
awful sight; for they heaped upon him
the most fearful outrages, cursing,
striking, wounding, and tearing him in
pieces. Their weapons, swords, and
spears flew about in the air, crossing
and recrossing continually in all
directions, like the flails of threshers
in an immense barn; and the rage of
each of these fiends seemed
exclusively directed against Jesus—
that grain of heavenly wheat
descended to the earth to die there, in
order to feed men eternally with the
Bread of Life.
Thus exposed to the fury of these
hellish bands, some of which
appeared to me wholly composed of
blind men, Jesus was as much
wounded and bruised as if their blows
had been real. I saw him stagger from
side to side, sometimes raising
himself up, and sometimes falling
again, while the serpent, in the midst
of the crowds whom it was
unceasingly leading forward against
Jesus, struck the ground with its tail,
and tore to pieces or swallowed all
whom it thus knocked to the ground.
113
It was made known to me that these
apparitions were all those persons
who in divers ways insult and outrage
Jesus, really and truly present in the
Holy Sacrament. I recognised among
them all those who in any way profane
the Blessed Eucharist. I beheld with
horror all the outrages thus offered to
our Lord, whether by neglect,
irreverence, and omission of what was
due to him; by open contempt, abuse,
and the most awful sacrileges; by the
worship of worldly idols; by spiritual
darkness and false knowledge; or,
finally, by error, incredulity,
fanaticism, hatred, and open
persecution. Among these men I saw
many who were blind, paralysed, deaf,
and dumb, and even children;—blind
men who would not see the truth;
paralytic men who would not advance,
according to its directions, on the
road leading to eternal life; deaf men
who refused to listen to its warnings
and threats; dumb men who would
never use their voices in its defence;
and, finally, children who were led
astray by following parents and
teachers filled with the love of the
world and forgetfulness of God, who
were fed on earthly luxuries, drunk
with false wisdom, and loathing all
that pertained to religion. Among the
latter, the sight of whom grieved me
especially, because Jesus so loved
children, I saw many irreverent, ill-
behaved acolytes, who did not honour
our Lord in the holy ceremonies in
which they took a part. I beheld with
terror that many priests, some of
whom even fancied themselves full of
faith and piety, also outraged Jesus in
the Adorable Sacrament. I saw many
who believed and taught the doctrine
of the Real Presence, but did not
sufficiently take it to heart, for they
forgot and neglected the palace,
throne, and seat of the Living God;
that is to say, the church, the altar,
the tabernacle, the chalice, the
monstrance, the vases and ornaments;
in one word, all that is used in his
worship, or to adorn his house.
Entire neglect reigned everywhere,
all things were left to moulder away in
dust and filth, and the worship of God
was, if not inwardly profaned, at least
outwardly dishonured. Nor did this
arise from real poverty, but from
indifference, sloth, preoccupation of
mind about vain earthly concerns, and
often also from egotism and spiritual
death; for I saw neglect of this kind in
churches the pastors and
congregations of which were rich, or
at least tolerably well off. I saw many
others in which worldly, tasteless,
unsuitable ornaments had replaced
the magnificent adornments of a more
pious age.
114
I saw that often the poorest of men
were better lodged in their cottages
than the Master of heaven and earth in
his churches. Ah, how deeply did the
inhospitality of men grieve Jesus, who
had given himself to them to be their
Food! Truly, there is no need to be
rich in order to receive him who
rewards a hundredfold the glass of
cold water given to the thirsty; but
how shameful is not our conduct
when in giving drink to the Divine
Lord, who thirsts for our souls, we
give him corrupted water in a filthy
glass! In consequence of all this
neglect, I saw the weak scandalised,
the Adorable Sacrament profaned, the
churches deserted, and the priests
despised. This state of impurity and
negligence extended even to the
souls of the faithful, who left the
tabernacle of their hearts unprepared
and uncleansed when Jesus was
about to enter them, exactly the same
as they left his tabernacle on the altar.
Were I to speak for an entire year, I
could never detail all the insults
offered to Jesus in the Adorable
Sacrament which were made known to
me in this way. I saw their authors
assault Jesus in bands, and strike him
with different arms, corresponding to
their various offences. I saw irreverent
Christians of all ages, careless or
sacrilegious priests, crowds of tepid
and unworthy communicants, wicked
soldiers profaning the sacred vessels,
and servants of the devil making use
of the Holy Eucharist in the frightful
mysteries of hellish worship. Among
these bands I saw a great number of
theologians, who had been drawn into
heresy by their sins, attacking Jesus
in the Holy Sacrament of his Church,
and snatching out of his Heart, by
their seductive words and promises, a
number of souls for whom he had
shed his blood. Ah! it was indeed an
awful sight, for I Saw the Church as
the body of Christ; and all these
bands of men, who were separating
themselves from the Church, mangled
and tore off whole pieces of his living
flesh. Alas! he looked at them in the
most touching manner, and lamented
that they should thus cause their own
eternal loss. He had given his own
divine Self to us for our Food in the
Holy Sacrament, in order to unite in
one body—that of the Church, his
Spouse— men who were to an infinite
extent divided and separated from
each other; and now he beheld
himself torn and rent in twain in that
very body; for his principal work of
love, the Holy Communion, in which
men should have been made wholly
one, was become, by the malice of
false teachers, the subject of
separation. I beheld whole nations
thus snatched out of his bosom, and
deprived of any participation in the
treasure of graces left to the Church.
Finally, I saw all who were separated
from the Church plunged into the
depths of infidelity, superstition,
heresy, and false worldly philosophy;
and they gave vent to their fierce rage
by joining together in large bodies to
attack the Church, being urged on by
the serpent which was disporting
itself in the midst of them. Alas! it was
as though Jesus himself had been
torn in a thousand pieces!
115
apparitions were all those persons
who in divers ways insult and outrage
Jesus, really and truly present in the
Holy Sacrament. I recognised among
them all those who in any way profane
the Blessed Eucharist. I beheld with
horror all the outrages thus offered to
our Lord, whether by neglect,
irreverence, and omission of what was
due to him; by open contempt, abuse,
and the most awful sacrileges; by the
worship of worldly idols; by spiritual
darkness and false knowledge; or,
finally, by error, incredulity,
fanaticism, hatred, and open
persecution. Among these men I saw
many who were blind, paralysed, deaf,
and dumb, and even children;—blind
men who would not see the truth;
paralytic men who would not advance,
according to its directions, on the
road leading to eternal life; deaf men
who refused to listen to its warnings
and threats; dumb men who would
never use their voices in its defence;
and, finally, children who were led
astray by following parents and
teachers filled with the love of the
world and forgetfulness of God, who
were fed on earthly luxuries, drunk
with false wisdom, and loathing all
that pertained to religion. Among the
latter, the sight of whom grieved me
especially, because Jesus so loved
children, I saw many irreverent, ill-
behaved acolytes, who did not honour
our Lord in the holy ceremonies in
which they took a part. I beheld with
terror that many priests, some of
whom even fancied themselves full of
faith and piety, also outraged Jesus in
the Adorable Sacrament. I saw many
who believed and taught the doctrine
of the Real Presence, but did not
sufficiently take it to heart, for they
forgot and neglected the palace,
throne, and seat of the Living God;
that is to say, the church, the altar,
the tabernacle, the chalice, the
monstrance, the vases and ornaments;
in one word, all that is used in his
worship, or to adorn his house.
Entire neglect reigned everywhere,
all things were left to moulder away in
dust and filth, and the worship of God
was, if not inwardly profaned, at least
outwardly dishonured. Nor did this
arise from real poverty, but from
indifference, sloth, preoccupation of
mind about vain earthly concerns, and
often also from egotism and spiritual
death; for I saw neglect of this kind in
churches the pastors and
congregations of which were rich, or
at least tolerably well off. I saw many
others in which worldly, tasteless,
unsuitable ornaments had replaced
the magnificent adornments of a more
pious age.
114
I saw that often the poorest of men
were better lodged in their cottages
than the Master of heaven and earth in
his churches. Ah, how deeply did the
inhospitality of men grieve Jesus, who
had given himself to them to be their
Food! Truly, there is no need to be
rich in order to receive him who
rewards a hundredfold the glass of
cold water given to the thirsty; but
how shameful is not our conduct
when in giving drink to the Divine
Lord, who thirsts for our souls, we
give him corrupted water in a filthy
glass! In consequence of all this
neglect, I saw the weak scandalised,
the Adorable Sacrament profaned, the
churches deserted, and the priests
despised. This state of impurity and
negligence extended even to the
souls of the faithful, who left the
tabernacle of their hearts unprepared
and uncleansed when Jesus was
about to enter them, exactly the same
as they left his tabernacle on the altar.
Were I to speak for an entire year, I
could never detail all the insults
offered to Jesus in the Adorable
Sacrament which were made known to
me in this way. I saw their authors
assault Jesus in bands, and strike him
with different arms, corresponding to
their various offences. I saw irreverent
Christians of all ages, careless or
sacrilegious priests, crowds of tepid
and unworthy communicants, wicked
soldiers profaning the sacred vessels,
and servants of the devil making use
of the Holy Eucharist in the frightful
mysteries of hellish worship. Among
these bands I saw a great number of
theologians, who had been drawn into
heresy by their sins, attacking Jesus
in the Holy Sacrament of his Church,
and snatching out of his Heart, by
their seductive words and promises, a
number of souls for whom he had
shed his blood. Ah! it was indeed an
awful sight, for I Saw the Church as
the body of Christ; and all these
bands of men, who were separating
themselves from the Church, mangled
and tore off whole pieces of his living
flesh. Alas! he looked at them in the
most touching manner, and lamented
that they should thus cause their own
eternal loss. He had given his own
divine Self to us for our Food in the
Holy Sacrament, in order to unite in
one body—that of the Church, his
Spouse— men who were to an infinite
extent divided and separated from
each other; and now he beheld
himself torn and rent in twain in that
very body; for his principal work of
love, the Holy Communion, in which
men should have been made wholly
one, was become, by the malice of
false teachers, the subject of
separation. I beheld whole nations
thus snatched out of his bosom, and
deprived of any participation in the
treasure of graces left to the Church.
Finally, I saw all who were separated
from the Church plunged into the
depths of infidelity, superstition,
heresy, and false worldly philosophy;
and they gave vent to their fierce rage
by joining together in large bodies to
attack the Church, being urged on by
the serpent which was disporting
itself in the midst of them. Alas! it was
as though Jesus himself had been
torn in a thousand pieces!
115
So great was my horror and terror,
that my Heavenly Spouse appeared to
me, and mercifully placed his hand
upon my heart, saying: ‘No one has
yet seen all these things, and thy
heart would burst with sorrow if I did
not give thee strength.’
I saw the blood flowing in large
drops down the pale face of our
Saviour, his hair matted together, and
his beard bloody and entangled. After
the vision which I have last described,
he fled, so to speak, out of the cave,
and returned to his disciples. But he
tottered as he walked; his appearance
was that of a man covered with
wounds and bending beneath a heavy
burden, and he stumbled at every
step.
that my Heavenly Spouse appeared to
me, and mercifully placed his hand
upon my heart, saying: ‘No one has
yet seen all these things, and thy
heart would burst with sorrow if I did
not give thee strength.’
I saw the blood flowing in large
drops down the pale face of our
Saviour, his hair matted together, and
his beard bloody and entangled. After
the vision which I have last described,
he fled, so to speak, out of the cave,
and returned to his disciples. But he
tottered as he walked; his appearance
was that of a man covered with
wounds and bending beneath a heavy
burden, and he stumbled at every
step.
When he came up to the three
Apostles, they were not lying down
asleep as they had been the first time,
but their heads were covered, and
they had sunk down on their knees, in
an attitude often assumed by the
people of that country when in sorrow
or desiring to pray. They had fallen
asleep, overpowered by grief and
fatigue. Jesus, trembling and
groaning, drew nigh to them, and they
awoke.
116
Apostles, they were not lying down
asleep as they had been the first time,
but their heads were covered, and
they had sunk down on their knees, in
an attitude often assumed by the
people of that country when in sorrow
or desiring to pray. They had fallen
asleep, overpowered by grief and
fatigue. Jesus, trembling and
groaning, drew nigh to them, and they
awoke.
116
But when, by the light of the moon,
they saw him standing before them,
his face pale and bloody, and his hair
in disorder, their weary eyes did not at
the first moment recognise him, for he
was indescribably changed. He
clasped his hands together, upon
which they arose and lovingly
supported him in their arms, and he
told them in sorrowful accents that
the next day he should be put to
death,—that in one hour’s time he
should be seized, led before a
tribunal, maltreated, outraged,
scourged, and finally put to a most
cruel death. He besought them to
console his Mother, and also
Magdalen. They made no reply, for
they knew not what to say, so greatly
had his appearance and language
alarmed them, and they even thought
his mind must be wandering. When he
desired to return to the grotto, he had
not strength to walk. I saw John and
James lead him back, and return when
he had entered the grotto. It was then
about a quarter-past eleven.
During this agony of Jesus, I saw
the Blessed Virgin also overwhelmed
with sorrow and anguish of soul, in
the house of Mary, the mother of Mark.
She was with Magdalen and Mary in
the garden belonging to the house,
and almost prostrate from grief, with
her whole body bowed down as she
knelt. She fainted several times, for
she beheld in spirit different portions
of the agony of Jesus. She had sent
some messengers to make inquiries
concerning him, but her deep anxiety
would not suffer her to await their
return, and she went with Magdalen
and Salome as far as the Valley of
Josaphat. She walked along with her
head veiled, and her arms frequently
stretched forth towards Mount Olivet;
for she beheld in spirit Jesus bathed
in a bloody sweat, and her gestures
were as though she wishcd with her
extended hands to wipe the face of
her Son. I saw these interior
movements of her soul towards Jesus,
who thought of her, and turned his
eyes in her direction, as if to seek her
assistance. I beheld the spiritual
communication which they had with
each other, under the form of rays
passing to and fro between them. Our
Divine Lord thought also of Magdalen,
was touched by her distress, and
therefore recommended his Apostles
to console her; for he knew that her
love for his adorable Person was
greater than that felt for him by any
one save his Blessed Mother, and he
foresaw that she would suffer much
for his sake, and never offend him
more.
117
they saw him standing before them,
his face pale and bloody, and his hair
in disorder, their weary eyes did not at
the first moment recognise him, for he
was indescribably changed. He
clasped his hands together, upon
which they arose and lovingly
supported him in their arms, and he
told them in sorrowful accents that
the next day he should be put to
death,—that in one hour’s time he
should be seized, led before a
tribunal, maltreated, outraged,
scourged, and finally put to a most
cruel death. He besought them to
console his Mother, and also
Magdalen. They made no reply, for
they knew not what to say, so greatly
had his appearance and language
alarmed them, and they even thought
his mind must be wandering. When he
desired to return to the grotto, he had
not strength to walk. I saw John and
James lead him back, and return when
he had entered the grotto. It was then
about a quarter-past eleven.
During this agony of Jesus, I saw
the Blessed Virgin also overwhelmed
with sorrow and anguish of soul, in
the house of Mary, the mother of Mark.
She was with Magdalen and Mary in
the garden belonging to the house,
and almost prostrate from grief, with
her whole body bowed down as she
knelt. She fainted several times, for
she beheld in spirit different portions
of the agony of Jesus. She had sent
some messengers to make inquiries
concerning him, but her deep anxiety
would not suffer her to await their
return, and she went with Magdalen
and Salome as far as the Valley of
Josaphat. She walked along with her
head veiled, and her arms frequently
stretched forth towards Mount Olivet;
for she beheld in spirit Jesus bathed
in a bloody sweat, and her gestures
were as though she wishcd with her
extended hands to wipe the face of
her Son. I saw these interior
movements of her soul towards Jesus,
who thought of her, and turned his
eyes in her direction, as if to seek her
assistance. I beheld the spiritual
communication which they had with
each other, under the form of rays
passing to and fro between them. Our
Divine Lord thought also of Magdalen,
was touched by her distress, and
therefore recommended his Apostles
to console her; for he knew that her
love for his adorable Person was
greater than that felt for him by any
one save his Blessed Mother, and he
foresaw that she would suffer much
for his sake, and never offend him
more.
117
About this time, the eight Apostles
returned to the arbour of Gethsemani,
and after talking together for some
time, ended by going to sleep. They
were wavering, discouraged, and
sorely tempted. They had each been
seeking for a place of refuge in case of
danger, and they anxiously asked one
another, ‘What shall we do when they
have put him to death? We have left all
to follow him; we are poor and the
offscouring of the world; we gave
ourselves up entirely to his service,
and now he is so sorrowful and so
dejected himself, that he can afford us
no consolation.’ The other disciples
had at first wandered about in various
directions, but then, having heard
something concerning the awful
prophecies which Jesus had made,
they had nearly all retired to
Bethphage.
returned to the arbour of Gethsemani,
and after talking together for some
time, ended by going to sleep. They
were wavering, discouraged, and
sorely tempted. They had each been
seeking for a place of refuge in case of
danger, and they anxiously asked one
another, ‘What shall we do when they
have put him to death? We have left all
to follow him; we are poor and the
offscouring of the world; we gave
ourselves up entirely to his service,
and now he is so sorrowful and so
dejected himself, that he can afford us
no consolation.’ The other disciples
had at first wandered about in various
directions, but then, having heard
something concerning the awful
prophecies which Jesus had made,
they had nearly all retired to
Bethphage.
I saw Jesus still praying in the
grotto, struggling against the
repugnance to suffering which
belonged to human nature, and
abandoning himself wholly to the will
of his Eternal Father. Here the abyss
opened before him, and he had a
vision of the first part of Limbo. He
saw Adam and Eve, the patriarchs,
prophets, and just men, the parents of
his Mother, and John the Baptist,
awaiting his arrival in the lower world
with such intense longing, that the
sight strengthened and gave fresh
courage to his loving heart. His death
was to open Heaven to these captives,
—his death was to deliver them out of
that prison in which they were
languishing in eager hope! When
Jesus had, with deep emotion, looked
upon these saints of antiquity, angels
presented to him all the bands of
saints of future ages, who, joining
their labours to the merits of his
Passion, were, through him, to be
united to his Heavenly Father. Most
beautiful and consoling was this
vision, in which he beheld salvation
and sanctification flowing forth in
ceaseless streams from the fountain of
redemption opened by his death.
118
grotto, struggling against the
repugnance to suffering which
belonged to human nature, and
abandoning himself wholly to the will
of his Eternal Father. Here the abyss
opened before him, and he had a
vision of the first part of Limbo. He
saw Adam and Eve, the patriarchs,
prophets, and just men, the parents of
his Mother, and John the Baptist,
awaiting his arrival in the lower world
with such intense longing, that the
sight strengthened and gave fresh
courage to his loving heart. His death
was to open Heaven to these captives,
—his death was to deliver them out of
that prison in which they were
languishing in eager hope! When
Jesus had, with deep emotion, looked
upon these saints of antiquity, angels
presented to him all the bands of
saints of future ages, who, joining
their labours to the merits of his
Passion, were, through him, to be
united to his Heavenly Father. Most
beautiful and consoling was this
vision, in which he beheld salvation
and sanctification flowing forth in
ceaseless streams from the fountain of
redemption opened by his death.
118
The apostles, disciples, virgins, and
holy women, the martyrs, confessors,
hermits, popes, and bishops, and
large bands of religious of both sexes
—in one word, the entire army of the
blessed—appeared before him. All
bore on their heads triumphal crowns,
and the flowers of their crowns
differed in form, in colour, in odour,
and in perfection, according to the
difference of the sufferings, labours
and victories which had procured
them eternal glory. Their whole life,
and all their actions, merits, and
power, as well as all the glory of their
triumph, came solely from their union
with the merits of Jesus Christ.
The reciprocal influence exercised
by these saints upon each other, and
the manner in which they all drank
from one sole Fountain—the Adorable
Sacrament and the Passion of our
Lord—formed a most touching and
wonderful spectacle. Nothing about
them was devoid of deep meaning,—
their works, martyrdom, victories,
appearance, and dress,—all, though
indescribably varied, was confused
together in infinite harmony and unity;
and this unity in diversity was
produced by the rays of one single
Sun, by the Passion of the Lord, of the
Word made flesh, in whom was life,
the light of men, which shined in
darkness, and the darkness did not
comprehend it.
holy women, the martyrs, confessors,
hermits, popes, and bishops, and
large bands of religious of both sexes
—in one word, the entire army of the
blessed—appeared before him. All
bore on their heads triumphal crowns,
and the flowers of their crowns
differed in form, in colour, in odour,
and in perfection, according to the
difference of the sufferings, labours
and victories which had procured
them eternal glory. Their whole life,
and all their actions, merits, and
power, as well as all the glory of their
triumph, came solely from their union
with the merits of Jesus Christ.
The reciprocal influence exercised
by these saints upon each other, and
the manner in which they all drank
from one sole Fountain—the Adorable
Sacrament and the Passion of our
Lord—formed a most touching and
wonderful spectacle. Nothing about
them was devoid of deep meaning,—
their works, martyrdom, victories,
appearance, and dress,—all, though
indescribably varied, was confused
together in infinite harmony and unity;
and this unity in diversity was
produced by the rays of one single
Sun, by the Passion of the Lord, of the
Word made flesh, in whom was life,
the light of men, which shined in
darkness, and the darkness did not
comprehend it.
The army of the future saints passed
before the soul of our Lord, which was
thus placed between the desiring
patriarchs, and the triumphant band of
the future blessed, and these two
armies joining together, and
completing one another, so to speak,
surrounded the loving Heart of our
Saviour as with a crown of victory.
This most affecting and consoling
spectacle bestowed a degree of
strength and comfort upon the soul of
Jesus. Ah! he so loved his brethren
and creatures that, to accomplish the
redemption of one single soul, he
would have accepted with joy all the
sufferings to which he was now
devoting himself. As these visions
referred to the future, they were
diffused to a certain height in the air.
119
before the soul of our Lord, which was
thus placed between the desiring
patriarchs, and the triumphant band of
the future blessed, and these two
armies joining together, and
completing one another, so to speak,
surrounded the loving Heart of our
Saviour as with a crown of victory.
This most affecting and consoling
spectacle bestowed a degree of
strength and comfort upon the soul of
Jesus. Ah! he so loved his brethren
and creatures that, to accomplish the
redemption of one single soul, he
would have accepted with joy all the
sufferings to which he was now
devoting himself. As these visions
referred to the future, they were
diffused to a certain height in the air.
119
But these consoling visions faded
away, and the angels displayed before
him the scenes of his Passion quite
close to the earth, because it was near
at hand. I beheld every scene
distinctly portrayed, from the kiss of
Judas to the last words of Jesus on
the cross, and I saw in this single
vision all that I see in my meditations
on the Passion. The treason of Judas,
the flight of the disciples, the insults
which were offered our Lord before
Annas and Caiphas, Peter’s denial,
the tribunal of Pilate, Herod’s
mockery, the scourging and crowning
with thorns, the condemnation to
death, the carrying of the cross, the
linen cloth presented by Veronica, the
crucifixion, the insults of the
Pharisees, the sorrows of Mary, of
Magdalen, and of John, the wound of
the lance in his side, after death; — in
one word, every part of the Passion
was shown to him in the minutest
detail. He accepted all voluntarily,
submitting to everything for the love
of man. He saw also and felt the
sufferings endured at that moment by
his Mother, whose interior union with
his agony was so entire that she had
fainted in the arms of her two friends.
When the visions of the Passion
were concluded, Jesus fell on his face
like one at the point of death; the
angels disappeared, and the bloody
sweat became more copious, so that I
saw it had soaked his garment. Entire
darkness reigned in the cavern, when I
beheld an angel descend to Jesus.
This angel was of higher stature than
any whom I had before beheld, and his
form was also more distinct and more
resembling that of a man. He was
clothed like a priest in a long floating
garment, and bore before him, in his
hands, a small vase, in shape
resembling the chalice used at the
Last Supper. At the top of this chalice,
there was a small oval body, about the
size of a bean, and which diffused a
reddish light. The angel, without
touching the earth with his feet,
stretched forth his right hand to
Jesus, who arose, when he placed the
mysterious food in his mouth, and
gave him to drink from the luminous
chalice. Then he disappeared.
120
away, and the angels displayed before
him the scenes of his Passion quite
close to the earth, because it was near
at hand. I beheld every scene
distinctly portrayed, from the kiss of
Judas to the last words of Jesus on
the cross, and I saw in this single
vision all that I see in my meditations
on the Passion. The treason of Judas,
the flight of the disciples, the insults
which were offered our Lord before
Annas and Caiphas, Peter’s denial,
the tribunal of Pilate, Herod’s
mockery, the scourging and crowning
with thorns, the condemnation to
death, the carrying of the cross, the
linen cloth presented by Veronica, the
crucifixion, the insults of the
Pharisees, the sorrows of Mary, of
Magdalen, and of John, the wound of
the lance in his side, after death; — in
one word, every part of the Passion
was shown to him in the minutest
detail. He accepted all voluntarily,
submitting to everything for the love
of man. He saw also and felt the
sufferings endured at that moment by
his Mother, whose interior union with
his agony was so entire that she had
fainted in the arms of her two friends.
When the visions of the Passion
were concluded, Jesus fell on his face
like one at the point of death; the
angels disappeared, and the bloody
sweat became more copious, so that I
saw it had soaked his garment. Entire
darkness reigned in the cavern, when I
beheld an angel descend to Jesus.
This angel was of higher stature than
any whom I had before beheld, and his
form was also more distinct and more
resembling that of a man. He was
clothed like a priest in a long floating
garment, and bore before him, in his
hands, a small vase, in shape
resembling the chalice used at the
Last Supper. At the top of this chalice,
there was a small oval body, about the
size of a bean, and which diffused a
reddish light. The angel, without
touching the earth with his feet,
stretched forth his right hand to
Jesus, who arose, when he placed the
mysterious food in his mouth, and
gave him to drink from the luminous
chalice. Then he disappeared.
120
Jesus having freely accepted the
chalice of his sufferings, and received
new strength, remained some minutes
longer in the grotto, absorbed in calm
meditation, and returning thanks to
his Heavenly Father. He was still in
deep affliction of spirit, but
supernaturally comforted to such a
degree as to be able to go to his
disciples without tottering as he
walked, or bending beneath the
weight of his sufferings. His
countenance was still pale and
altered, but his step was firm and
determined. He had wiped his face
with a linen cloth, and rearranged his
hair, which hung about his shoulders,
matted together and damp with blood.
When Jesus came to his disciples,
they were lying, as before, against the
wall of the terrace, asleep, and with
their heads covered. Our Lord told
them that then was not the time for
sleep, but that they should arise and
pray: ‘Behold the hour is at hand, and
the Son of Man shall be betrayed into
the hands of sinners,’ he said: ‘Arise,
let us go, behold he is at hand that
will betray me. It were better for him, if
that man had not been born.’ The
Apostles arose in much alarm, and
looked round with anxiety. When they
had somewhat recovered themselves,
Peter said warmly: ‘Lord, I will call the
others, that so we may defend thee.’
But Jesus pointed out to them at
some distance in the valley, on the
other side of the Brook of Cedron, a
band of armed men, who were
advancing with torches, and he said
that one of their number had betrayed
him. He spoke calmly, exhorted them
to console his Mother, and said: ‘Let
us go to meet them—I shall deliver
myself up without resistance into the
hands of my enemies.’ He then left the
Garden of Olives with the three
Apostles, and went to meet the
archers on the road which led from
that garden to Gethsemani.
When the Blessed Virgin, under the
care of Magdalen and Salome,
recovered her senses, some disciples,
who had seen the soldiers
approaching, conducted her back to
the house of Mary, the mother of Mark.
The archers took a shorter road than
that which Jesus followed when he
left the supper-room.
121
chalice of his sufferings, and received
new strength, remained some minutes
longer in the grotto, absorbed in calm
meditation, and returning thanks to
his Heavenly Father. He was still in
deep affliction of spirit, but
supernaturally comforted to such a
degree as to be able to go to his
disciples without tottering as he
walked, or bending beneath the
weight of his sufferings. His
countenance was still pale and
altered, but his step was firm and
determined. He had wiped his face
with a linen cloth, and rearranged his
hair, which hung about his shoulders,
matted together and damp with blood.
When Jesus came to his disciples,
they were lying, as before, against the
wall of the terrace, asleep, and with
their heads covered. Our Lord told
them that then was not the time for
sleep, but that they should arise and
pray: ‘Behold the hour is at hand, and
the Son of Man shall be betrayed into
the hands of sinners,’ he said: ‘Arise,
let us go, behold he is at hand that
will betray me. It were better for him, if
that man had not been born.’ The
Apostles arose in much alarm, and
looked round with anxiety. When they
had somewhat recovered themselves,
Peter said warmly: ‘Lord, I will call the
others, that so we may defend thee.’
But Jesus pointed out to them at
some distance in the valley, on the
other side of the Brook of Cedron, a
band of armed men, who were
advancing with torches, and he said
that one of their number had betrayed
him. He spoke calmly, exhorted them
to console his Mother, and said: ‘Let
us go to meet them—I shall deliver
myself up without resistance into the
hands of my enemies.’ He then left the
Garden of Olives with the three
Apostles, and went to meet the
archers on the road which led from
that garden to Gethsemani.
When the Blessed Virgin, under the
care of Magdalen and Salome,
recovered her senses, some disciples,
who had seen the soldiers
approaching, conducted her back to
the house of Mary, the mother of Mark.
The archers took a shorter road than
that which Jesus followed when he
left the supper-room.
121
The grotto in which Jesus had this
day prayed was not the one where he
usually prayed on Mount Olivet. He
commonly went to a cabin at a greater
distance off, where, one day, after
having cursed the barren fig-tree, he
had prayed in great affliction of spirit,
with his arms stretched out, and
leaning against a rock.
The traces of his body and hands
remained impressed on the stone, and
were honoured later, but it was not
known on what occasion the miracle
had taken place. I have several times
seen similar impressions left upon the
stone, either by the Prophets of the
Old Testament, or by Jesus, Mary, or
some of the Apostles, and I have also
seen those made by the body of St.
Catherine on Mount Sinai. These
impressions do not seem deep, but
resemble what would be made upon a
thick piece of dough, if a person
leaned his hand upon it.
day prayed was not the one where he
usually prayed on Mount Olivet. He
commonly went to a cabin at a greater
distance off, where, one day, after
having cursed the barren fig-tree, he
had prayed in great affliction of spirit,
with his arms stretched out, and
leaning against a rock.
The traces of his body and hands
remained impressed on the stone, and
were honoured later, but it was not
known on what occasion the miracle
had taken place. I have several times
seen similar impressions left upon the
stone, either by the Prophets of the
Old Testament, or by Jesus, Mary, or
some of the Apostles, and I have also
seen those made by the body of St.
Catherine on Mount Sinai. These
impressions do not seem deep, but
resemble what would be made upon a
thick piece of dough, if a person
leaned his hand upon it.
CHAPTER II
Judas and his Band
JUDAS had not expected that his
treason would have produced such
fatal results. He had been anxious to
obtain the promised reward, and to
please the Pharisees by delivering up
Jesus into their hands, but he had
never calculated on things going so
far, or thought that the enemies of his
Master would actually bring him to
judgment and crucify him; his mind
was engrossed with the love of gain
alone, and some astute Pharisees and
Sadducees, with whom he had
established an intercourse, had
constantly urged him on to treason by
flattering him. He was sick of the
fatiguing, wandering, and persecuted
life which the Apostles led. For several
months past he had continually stolen
from the alms which were consigned
to his care, and his avarice, grudging
the expenses incurred by Magdalen
when she poured the precious
ointment on the feet of our Lord,
incited him to the commission of the
greatest of crimes. He had always
hoped that Jesus would establish a
temporal kingdom, and bestow upon
him some brilliant and lucrative post
in it, but finding himself disappointed,
he turned his thoughts to amassing a
fortune. He saw that sufferings and
persecutions were on the increase for
our Lord and his followers, and he
sought to make friends with the
powerful enemies of our Saviour
before the time of danger, for he saw
that Jesus did not become a king,
whereas the actual dignity and power
of the High Priest, and of all who were
attached to his service, made a very
strong impression upon his mind.
122
He began to enter by degrees into a
close connection with their agents,
who were constantly flattering him,
and assuring him in strong terms that,
in any case, an end would speedily be
put to the career of our Divine Lord.
He listened more and more eagerly to
the criminal suggestions of his
corrupt heart, and he had done
nothing during the last few days but
go backwards and forwards in order to
induce the chief priests to come to
some agreement. But they were
unwilling to act at once, and treated
him with contempt. They said that
sufficient time would not intervene
before the festival day, and that there
would be a tumult among the people.
The Sanhedrin alone listened to his
proposals with some degree of
attention. After Judas had
sacrilegiously received the Blessed
Sacrament, Satan took entire
possession of him, and he went off at
once to complete his crime. He in the
first place sought those persons who
had hitherto flattered and entered into
agreements with him, and who still
received him with pretended
friendship. Some others joined the
party, and among the number Annas
and Caiphas, but the latter treated him
with considerable pride and scorn. All
these enemies of Christ were
extremely undecided and far from
feeling any confidence of success,
because they mistrusted Judas.
123
Judas and his Band
JUDAS had not expected that his
treason would have produced such
fatal results. He had been anxious to
obtain the promised reward, and to
please the Pharisees by delivering up
Jesus into their hands, but he had
never calculated on things going so
far, or thought that the enemies of his
Master would actually bring him to
judgment and crucify him; his mind
was engrossed with the love of gain
alone, and some astute Pharisees and
Sadducees, with whom he had
established an intercourse, had
constantly urged him on to treason by
flattering him. He was sick of the
fatiguing, wandering, and persecuted
life which the Apostles led. For several
months past he had continually stolen
from the alms which were consigned
to his care, and his avarice, grudging
the expenses incurred by Magdalen
when she poured the precious
ointment on the feet of our Lord,
incited him to the commission of the
greatest of crimes. He had always
hoped that Jesus would establish a
temporal kingdom, and bestow upon
him some brilliant and lucrative post
in it, but finding himself disappointed,
he turned his thoughts to amassing a
fortune. He saw that sufferings and
persecutions were on the increase for
our Lord and his followers, and he
sought to make friends with the
powerful enemies of our Saviour
before the time of danger, for he saw
that Jesus did not become a king,
whereas the actual dignity and power
of the High Priest, and of all who were
attached to his service, made a very
strong impression upon his mind.
122
He began to enter by degrees into a
close connection with their agents,
who were constantly flattering him,
and assuring him in strong terms that,
in any case, an end would speedily be
put to the career of our Divine Lord.
He listened more and more eagerly to
the criminal suggestions of his
corrupt heart, and he had done
nothing during the last few days but
go backwards and forwards in order to
induce the chief priests to come to
some agreement. But they were
unwilling to act at once, and treated
him with contempt. They said that
sufficient time would not intervene
before the festival day, and that there
would be a tumult among the people.
The Sanhedrin alone listened to his
proposals with some degree of
attention. After Judas had
sacrilegiously received the Blessed
Sacrament, Satan took entire
possession of him, and he went off at
once to complete his crime. He in the
first place sought those persons who
had hitherto flattered and entered into
agreements with him, and who still
received him with pretended
friendship. Some others joined the
party, and among the number Annas
and Caiphas, but the latter treated him
with considerable pride and scorn. All
these enemies of Christ were
extremely undecided and far from
feeling any confidence of success,
because they mistrusted Judas.
123
I saw the empire of Hell divided
against itself; Satan desired the crime
of the Jews, and earnestly longed for
the death of Jesus, the Converter of
souls, the holy Teacher, the Just Man,
who was so abhorrent to him; but at
the same time he felt an extraordinary
interior fear of the death of the
innocent Victim, who would not
conceal himself from his persecutors.
I saw him then, on the one hand,
stimulate the hatred and fury of the
enemies of Jesus, and on the other,
insinuate to some of their number that
Judas was a wicked, despicable
character, and that the sentence could
not be pronounced before the festival,
or a sufficient number of witnesses
against Jesus be gathered together.
Every one proposed something
different, and some questioned Judas,
saying: ‘Shall we be able to take him?
Has he not armed men with him?’ And
the traitor replied: ‘No, he is alone
with eleven disciples; he is greatly
depressed, and the eleven are timid
men.’ He told them that now or never
was the time to get possession of the
person of Jesus, that later he might
no longer have it in his power to give
our Lord up into their hands, and that
perhaps he should never return to him
again, because for several days past it
had been very clear that the other
disciples and Jesus himself suspected
and would certainly kill him if he
returned to them. He told them
likewise that if they did not at once
seize the person of Jesus, he would
make his escape, and return with an
army of his partisans, to have himself
proclaimed king. These threats of
Judas produced some effect, his
proposals were acceded to, and he
received the price of his treason—
thirty pieces of silver. These pieces
were oblong, with holes in their sides,
strung together by means of rings in a
kind of chain, and bearing certain
impressions.
against itself; Satan desired the crime
of the Jews, and earnestly longed for
the death of Jesus, the Converter of
souls, the holy Teacher, the Just Man,
who was so abhorrent to him; but at
the same time he felt an extraordinary
interior fear of the death of the
innocent Victim, who would not
conceal himself from his persecutors.
I saw him then, on the one hand,
stimulate the hatred and fury of the
enemies of Jesus, and on the other,
insinuate to some of their number that
Judas was a wicked, despicable
character, and that the sentence could
not be pronounced before the festival,
or a sufficient number of witnesses
against Jesus be gathered together.
Every one proposed something
different, and some questioned Judas,
saying: ‘Shall we be able to take him?
Has he not armed men with him?’ And
the traitor replied: ‘No, he is alone
with eleven disciples; he is greatly
depressed, and the eleven are timid
men.’ He told them that now or never
was the time to get possession of the
person of Jesus, that later he might
no longer have it in his power to give
our Lord up into their hands, and that
perhaps he should never return to him
again, because for several days past it
had been very clear that the other
disciples and Jesus himself suspected
and would certainly kill him if he
returned to them. He told them
likewise that if they did not at once
seize the person of Jesus, he would
make his escape, and return with an
army of his partisans, to have himself
proclaimed king. These threats of
Judas produced some effect, his
proposals were acceded to, and he
received the price of his treason—
thirty pieces of silver. These pieces
were oblong, with holes in their sides,
strung together by means of rings in a
kind of chain, and bearing certain
impressions.
Judas could not help being
conscious that they regarded him with
contempt and distrust, for their
language and gestures betrayed their
feelings, and pride suggested to him
to give back the money as an offering
for the Temple, in order to make them
suppose his intentions to have been
just and disinterested. But they
rejected his pro- posal, because the
price of blood could not be offered in
the Temple. Judas saw how much
they despised him, and his rage was
excessive. He had not expected to
reap the bitter fruits of his treason
even before it was accomplished, but
he had gone so far with these men
that he was in their power, and escape
was no longer possible. They watched
him carefully, and would not let him
leave their presence, until he had
shown them exactly what steps were
to be taken in order to secure the
person of Jesus. Three Pharisees
accompanied him when he went down
into a room where the soldiers of the
Temple (some only of whom were
Jews, and the rest of various nations)
were assembled. When everything
was settled, and the necessary
number of soldiers gathered together,
Judas hastened first to the supper-
room, accompanied by a servant of
the Pharisee, for the purpose of
ascertaining whether Jesus had left,
as they would have seized his person
there without difficulty, if once they
had secured the doors. He agreed to
send them a messenger with the
required information.
124
conscious that they regarded him with
contempt and distrust, for their
language and gestures betrayed their
feelings, and pride suggested to him
to give back the money as an offering
for the Temple, in order to make them
suppose his intentions to have been
just and disinterested. But they
rejected his pro- posal, because the
price of blood could not be offered in
the Temple. Judas saw how much
they despised him, and his rage was
excessive. He had not expected to
reap the bitter fruits of his treason
even before it was accomplished, but
he had gone so far with these men
that he was in their power, and escape
was no longer possible. They watched
him carefully, and would not let him
leave their presence, until he had
shown them exactly what steps were
to be taken in order to secure the
person of Jesus. Three Pharisees
accompanied him when he went down
into a room where the soldiers of the
Temple (some only of whom were
Jews, and the rest of various nations)
were assembled. When everything
was settled, and the necessary
number of soldiers gathered together,
Judas hastened first to the supper-
room, accompanied by a servant of
the Pharisee, for the purpose of
ascertaining whether Jesus had left,
as they would have seized his person
there without difficulty, if once they
had secured the doors. He agreed to
send them a messenger with the
required information.
124
A short time before when Judas had
received the price of his treason, a
Pharisee had gone out, and sent
seven slaves to fetch wood with
which to prepare the Cross for our
Saviour, in case he should be judged,
because the next day there would not
be sufficient time on account of the
commencement of the Paschal
festivity. They procured this wood
from a spot about three-quarters of a
mile distant, near a high wall, where
there was a great quantity of other
wood belonging to the Temple, and
dragged it to a square situated behind
the tribunal of Caiphas. The principal
piece of the Cross came from a tree
formerly growing in the Valley of
Josaphat, near the torrent of Cedron,
and which, having fallen across the
stream, had been used as a sort of
bridge. When Nehemias hid the sacred
fire and the holy vessels in the pool of
Bethsaida, it had been thrown over the
spot, together with other pieces of
wood,—then later taken away, and left
on one side. The Cross was prepared
in a very peculiar manner, either with
the object of deriding the royalty of
Jesus, or from what men might term
chance. It was composed of five
pieces of wood, exclusive of the
inscription. I saw many other things
concerning the Cross, and the
meaning of different circumstances
was also made known to me, but I
have forgotten all that.
received the price of his treason, a
Pharisee had gone out, and sent
seven slaves to fetch wood with
which to prepare the Cross for our
Saviour, in case he should be judged,
because the next day there would not
be sufficient time on account of the
commencement of the Paschal
festivity. They procured this wood
from a spot about three-quarters of a
mile distant, near a high wall, where
there was a great quantity of other
wood belonging to the Temple, and
dragged it to a square situated behind
the tribunal of Caiphas. The principal
piece of the Cross came from a tree
formerly growing in the Valley of
Josaphat, near the torrent of Cedron,
and which, having fallen across the
stream, had been used as a sort of
bridge. When Nehemias hid the sacred
fire and the holy vessels in the pool of
Bethsaida, it had been thrown over the
spot, together with other pieces of
wood,—then later taken away, and left
on one side. The Cross was prepared
in a very peculiar manner, either with
the object of deriding the royalty of
Jesus, or from what men might term
chance. It was composed of five
pieces of wood, exclusive of the
inscription. I saw many other things
concerning the Cross, and the
meaning of different circumstances
was also made known to me, but I
have forgotten all that.
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