CHRIST, THE SEED OF ETERNAL LIFE.

"I will sow her unto Me in the earth, and I will have mercy on her who was without mercy." (Hos 2:23)

I.

"A sower went forth to sow his seed." (Luke 8:5) Christ our Lord is both the sower and the seed itself. He entrusts the soil of our souls with His own precious body and blood. He wishes this divine grain to yield a harvest, not of temporal and corruptible, but of eternal and incorruptible, increase. For "he who soweth in the spirit shall reap life everlasting." (Gal. 3:8) Earnestly wish for this blessed harvest in your soul.

II.

Although this divine seed be in itself most fruitful, it requires, nevertheless, the concurrence of a good soil to produce a harvest. Hence, if it fall on the highway, it will be immediately trampled down; if among thorns, it will be choked up. Examine, then, whether your soul be a proper soil for this seed; whether it be trampled upon continually by distractions and idle thoughts; and whether it be stony and full of the cares and occupations of this life, and consequently not susceptible of the divine influence of heavenly grace. If this be unfortunately your case, reform your state, and render yourself capable of profiting by this divine seed.

III.

This seed, although sown in a good soil, does not "bring forth fruit" except "in patience." (Luke 8:15) Learn, therefore, to persevere with patience in expectation of the effect. Do not desist from cultivating the soil of your soul because, perhaps, you do not immediately discover the fruit which you desire to reap. "Behold," says St. James, "the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, patiently bearing till he receive the early and the latter rain." (Jas 5:7) Act in the same manner, and the divine seed will not be sown in your soul in vain.

CHRIST FORETELLS HIS PASSION.

I.

"Behold, we go up to Jerusalem." (Matt. 20:18) The time had now arrived in which Christ had decreed from all eternity to suffer for the redemption of the world. He therefore went up to Jerusalem with great cheerfulness and speed; for "He went before them, and they were astonished, and following were afraid." (Mark 10:32) Thus did He hasten to death, carried along by the force of His love for us. You, on the contrary, are tardy in suffering anything for Christ. He also went before in order to teach you to show by example what you would wish to teach by words.

II.

He revealed His approaching passion to His Disciples: "And the Son of man shall be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes." He had communicated to them this knowledge before, but not so explicitly. He made frequent mention of His Passion, though so terrible in itself, because He always bore it in His mind; and even amidst all the glories of His transfiguration He treated "of His decease, which He should accomplish in Jerusalem." (Luke 9:31) Endeavor, on your part, to entertain a pious and feeling recollection of this Passion; it will console your suffering Savior, and induce Him to bestow on you all the treasures of His redemption.

III.

"And they understood none of these things." (Luke 18:34) The Apostles were as yet worldly men, and bent upon honors and preferments. There was a "strife among them, which of them should seem to be greater." (Luke 22:24) They consequently understood nothing of the mystery of the Cross, or of the advantages resulting from humility and patience under reproach. Divest yourself of all undue worldly affections if you desire to comprehend the divine secrets of the Cross. Ponder the severe rebuke which Christ gave to St. Peter when He dissuaded him from suffering the ignominy of His passion: "Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art a scandal unto me, because thou savorest not the things that are of God, but the things that are of men." (Matt. 16:23) Give the same answer to self-love when it attempts to dissuade you from imitating Christ.

CHRIST'S ENTRANCE INTO JERUSALEM. I.

I.

When our Lord approached Jerusalem, He sent two of His Disciples to bring Him an ass, on which He intended to ride into the city. On other occasions, He was accustomed to walk to the places in which He intended to preach; but on this, He entered Jerusalem in this unusual manner, to teach mankind that poverty, humility, and meekness are the proper badges of His divine royalty. In this action, Christ literally fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout for joy, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, the King will come to thee, the Just and Savior. He is poor, and riding upon an ass. (Zech. 9:9)

II.

Christ adopted this manner of entering the city to show us with what alacrity He went to suffer, as if He had been going to take possession of a kingdom: as indeed He was, according to the expression of the hymn: " He reigns on the tree." He wished, also, to give us an example of triumphing in the midst of reproaches and contempt. His love for us prompted Him to render His Passion as severe as possible, by increasing the glory which preceded it. "Being exalted," as the Prophet said, "I am humbled." (Ps. 87:16)

III.

"Hosanna to the son of David." (Matt. 21:15.) This expression of joy and respect proceeded from the poor and lower order of society and not from the rich, from whom the mysteries of poverty and humility are often concealed. But mark the fickleness of the human heart: in a few days their cry was changed into "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" (Luke 23:21) The favor and applause of the world are ever of this nature. How foolish, then, is it to pursue this inconstant shadow as the end of our existence! Every Christian should be able to say with St. Paul: "God forbid that I should glory, but in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Gal. 6:14)

CHRIST'S ENTRANCE INTO JERUSALEM. II.

I.

In the midst of His triumph, as He approached the city, Christ shed tears over it. By this act, He convinces us that He was not - and therefore that we ought not to be - transported with the honors which we may receive. "If riches" or honors "abound, set not your heart upon them." (Ps. 61:11) His charity prompted His tears to flow for the blind stubbornness of the Jews, which He foreknew would prove their ruin. He gave us an example, too, of weeping in this vale of tears. We read of Him that He wept several times; but the Scripture nowhere says that He laughed. "Blessed are those who mourn." (Matt. 5:5)

II.

Consider the words of Christ addressed to the city: "If thou also hadst known, and that in this thy day, the things that are for thy peace" (Luke 19:42), then thou also wouldst weep: "For the days shall come upon thee, and thy enemies shall cast a trench round about thee." Consider these words as addressed to yourself. If you knew the things that are for your peace, if you foresaw what temptations would assail you, what crimes you would commit, and into what misery and misfortunes you would afterwards fall, you also would shed tears, and spend the present time more profitably. Begin to do so, therefore, and fortify yourself in such a manner that you may not afterwards be overcome by your spiritual enemies.

III.

Christ assigns this to be the cause of the city's ruin: "Because thou hast not known the time of thy visitation." (Luke 19.44) Of how great importance is it that you should know when Christ visits you by His holy inspirations, good books, sermons, and instructions! Endeavor, therefore, to know the time of your visitation. "Today, if you should hear His voice, harden not your hearts" (Ps. 94:8), but follow the divine call. Deplore the general depravity of mankind, and especially your own.

CHRIST IS SOLD BY JUDAS.

I.

Christ might have been delivered into the hands of the Jews by various ways, but for His greater ignominy He would be sold, and that, too, by His own Disciple, to teach you to bear with false brethren, and to convince you that there is no state nor place so holy as to exclude the danger of falling. Christ foreknew that it would be deemed a foul disgrace to His Apostolic school; he nevertheless chose Judas for an Apostle for our instruction. "In that point," observes St. Ambrose, "He chose rather to have His judgment called in question by us than His affection for us."

II.

To what excess of crime does the spirit of avarice lead its votaries! "What will ye give me, and I will deliver Him unto you?" (Matt. 26:14) Ponder who it is that is to be sold. The great God of all things. For how much ? For thirty pieces of silver, for which a laboring beast could hardly have been procured. So vilely is the Sovereign of the world undervalued! By whom is He sold? By His own Disciple. To whom? To His mortal and sworn enemies. Compassionate your insulted Lord, and never disdain the idea of being treated below your deserts or quality.

III.

How often have you sold the same Lord for some smaller trifle, some transitory pleasure, some sinful thought or detracting word! Reflect how many do the same repeatedly, and in the extremes of folly and madness renounce their God like Judas. "A fool worketh mischief, as it were for sport" (Prov. 10:23), says Solomon. Take care not to be of this class, and endeavor to appease God's indignation against those who are in this number.

THE PASCHAL LAMB.

I.

Christ ate the paschal lamb with His disciples the day before He suffered, in order to teach His followers obedience to the laws of God in every circumstance of life. He therefore sent Peter and John to procure for that purpose "a large dining-room furnished." (Mark 14:15) Such ought to be your soul, dilated with pure charity, and furnished with all the ornaments of virtue, as often as you receive in Holy Communion the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Ponder the words the Master addressed to His disciples: "With desire I have desired to eat this pasch with you before I suffer." (Luke 22:15) Admire the excess of His love towards us: He longed for the moment in which He was to leave us His precious body and blood, and to suffer and die for us. Oh that you were as desirous of suffering for Him!

II.

Christ observed all the ceremonies prescribed by the law, in eating the paschal lamb. In each of these ceremonies, He reflected upon Himself and His Passion, of which these were the prefigurative representations. "Christ our pasch," says the Church, " is immolated, for He is the true Lamb who takes away the sins of the world." Imagine you see Christ with His Disciples standing at the table, "their reins girt, with shoes on their feet, holding staves in their hands, eating in haste." (Exod. 12:11) All this was expressive of the vigor of mind and promptitude with which He suffered.

III.

When Christ beheld the paschal lamb on the table, in the state prescribed by the law, He could not help reflecting how He was soon to be extended on the Cross, after having been scourged and variously tormented by the malicious Jews. When the lamb was cut in pieces, without breaking any of its bones, he saw pictured before Him His own mangled body, and the disjointing of His bones, though none of them were to be broken. The haste with which the Jews were commanded to eat the paschal lamb prefigured the hasty fury of His persecutors. The bitter wild lettuce represented the gall to His mind, and the bitter chalice of His passion, which He had to drink to the very dregs. Great must have been His love for mankind, when, with all these presentiments and feelings, He could still persevere in hastening to commence His Passion!

CHRIST WASHES HIS DISCIPLE'S FEET.

I.

After Christ had eaten the paschal lamb with His Disciples, He began to prepare for the greatest act of kindness that He could perform for mankind. He intended to leave them a perfect memorial of Himself, by leaving them His body and blood for the food and nourishment of their souls. Before He did this, however, He gave them an example of the most perfect humility, by washing the feet of His disciples. By this act He also intended to show mankind with what purity they ought to approach the sacred table. Ponder the simple words of the Scripture, for they are full of unction: "Jesus, knowing that His hour was come, that He should pass out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And when supper was done, knowing that the Father had given Him all things into His hands, and that He came from God and goeth to God, He riseth from supper, and Iayeth aside His garments; and having taken a towel, He girded Himself." (John 13:1)

II.

"After that He poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the feet of the Disciples, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded.'' (John 13:5) Behold the Lord of heaven and earth washing the feet of poor fishermen! Well might St. Peter cry out: "Lord, dost Thou wash my feet? Thou shalt never wash my feet." Ponder Christ's severe disapprobation of this disobedient expression: "If I wash thee not, thou shalt have no part with me." Learn, hence, that all virtue is false that is in opposition to obedience.

III.

Christ washed the feet of Judas also, and, no doubt, with tender expressions of kindness, in order to soften, his hard heart; but in vain. Learn to love your enemies, and endeavor to reconcile them to yourself by kind offices. Guard, also, against the misfortune of obduracy of heart. "The wicked man, when he is come into the depth of sins, contemneth: but ignominy and reproach follow him." (Prov. 18:3) Ponder the words of Christ after He had washed His Disciples' feet: "I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so ye do also."