tears, her generosity, her position at his feet, tell us enough; she is heart-broken, she is grateful, she is humble who, but a Pharisee, could have mistaken her? The Pharisee, then, is shocked! His heart had within it much of that Jewish pride which is soon to crucify the Messias. He looks disdainfully at Magdalene; he is disappointed with his Guest, and murmurs out his conclusion: This man, if he were a Prophet, would surely know who and what manner of woman this is! Poor Pharisee!-if he had the spirit of God within him, he would recognise Jesus to be the promised Saviour, by this wonderful condescension shown to a penitent. With all his reputation as a Pharisee, how contemptible he is, compared with this woman! Jesus would give him a useful lesson, and draws the parallel between the two, Magdalene and the Pharisee :-he passes his own divine judgment on them, and the preference is given to Magdalene. What is it, that has thus transformed her, and made her deserve, not only the pardon, but the praise, of Jesus? Her love: She hath loved her Redeemer, she hath loved him much; and, therefore, she was forgiven much. A few hours ago, and this Magdalene loved but the world and its pleasures; now, she eares for nothing, sees nothing, loves nothing, but Jesus: she is a Convert. Henceforward, she keeps close to her Divine Master; she is ambitious to supply his wants; but above all, she longs to see and hear him. When the hour of trial shall come, and his very Apostles dare not be with him, she will follow him to Calvary, stand at the foot of the Cross, and see Him die that has made her live. What an argument for hope is here, even for the worst of sinners! He to whom most is forgiven, is often the most fervent in love! You, then, whose souls are burdened with sins, think of your sins and confess them; but, most of all, think how you may most love. Let your love be in proportion. to your pardon, and doubt it not: Your sins shall be forgiven. Bow down your heads to God. Be propitious, O Lord, we beseech thee, to thy people; that, forsaking what displeaseth thee, they may find comfort in keeping thy law. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Humiliate capita vestra Deo. Esto quæsumus, Domine, propitius plebi tuæ : ut quæ tibi non placent respuentes, tuorum potius repleantur delectationibus mandatorum. Per Christum Dominum nostrum Amen. Let us close this Thursday of Passion Week with the following devout Hymn, taken from the Mozarabic Breviary. HYMN. O Word of the Father, that camest into this world, and wast made Flesh! O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world! to thee do we come, and, in prostrate adoration, beseech thee to give us to drink of the Blood shed for us in thy sacred Passion. Show unto us the marks of thy divine wounds! Let the invincible Standard of thy glorious Cross be raised on high, and, by its imperishable power, bring salvation to them that believe. The Reed, the Nails, the Spittle, the Gall, the Crown of Verbum Patris quod pro diit factum caro; Agnus Dei peccata mundi auferens: Ad te venimus cernui, ut inclytum Bibamus almæ Passionis sanguinem. Ostende vulnerum sacro rum stigmata: Exsurgat insignis Crucis fortissimum Signum, quod in vigore perpetim Manens, credentibus salvationem conferat. Arundo, clavi, sputa, potus myrrheus, Let us again borrow from the Greek Church the expression of our devotion to the Holy Cross. HYMN. (Feria V. media Septimana.) Securis quam Elisæus ex Jordane retulit, Crucem significabat, qua ex profundo vanitatis retraxisti gentes lætis vocibus cantantes: Benedictus es, Deus patrum nostrorum. The wood wherewith Eliseus drew the axe from the Jordan, was a figure of thy Cross, O Jesus! wherewith thou didst draw, from the depths of their vanities, the nations that thus sing to thee Thou didst stretch forth thy hands upon the Cross, to show that 'twas thou didst destroy the sin done by the hand of licentious man. Thou wast wounded with the Spear, that thou mightest wound our foe. Thou didst taste Gall, that thou mightest turn evil pleasures from us. Thy drink was Vinegar, that thou mightest be a joy to each of us. I have eaten of the Tree of sin, and it was my ruin; I have tasted a pleasure that has caused me death. Bring me to life, O Lord! Raise me from my fall. Make me an adorer of thy Sufferings, a partner in thy Resurrection, a co-heir of them that love thee. O Cross! thou standard of joy, thou armour invulnerable, thou glory of the Apostles, Lætantur cum terra cœlestia ob adorationem Crucis tuæ; etenim per te Angeli et homines conjuncti sunt, clamantes: Benedictus Dominus Deus noster. Compassionem tamquam cupressum suaveolentem, fidem tanquam cedrum, veram charitatem tanquam pinum afferentes.' Domine crucem adoremus, glorificantes eum qui in illa affixus est, liberatorem. Extendisti manus tuas in ligno, incontinentis manus peccatum dissolvens; lancea vulneratus es, eademque inimicum sauciasti. Fel gustasti, et male blandam malitiam exemisti; aceto potatus es, qui omnium lætitia es. Ligno peccati interemptus sum, gustuque voluptuoso morti traditus. Vivifica me, Domine. Excita jacentem : fac me cruciatuum tuorum adoratorem, et participem divinæ resurrectionis, et cohæredem eorum qui te diligunt. Gaudii signum, armatura invicta, Apostolorum decus, Pontificum robur, vi 1 This is an allusion to the tradition, that the Cross was formed of the three kinds of wood here mentioned. (Translator.) res suffice languenti animæ meæ, et dignare me ut te adorem, laudesque tibi decantem, clamans: Omnia opera Domini, laudate Dominum et superexaltate in sæcula. thou strength of Pontiffs,— supply my languid soul with power, and oh! may I venerate thee, and thus cry out thy praises: "All ye works of the Lord, praise the Lord, and extol him, above all, for ever !" |