Quesnel: Moral Reflections on the Gospels Vol 1

CHAPTER XXVL 409
eucharistic passover the love of the cross, and a dis-
position to suffer whatever shall please God : this is
the true evangelical passover.
" 3. ^ Then assembled together the chief priests,
and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto
the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,
4. And consulted that they might take Jesus by sub-
tilty, and kill him.''
Who would not have thought that the priests
and magistrates assembled together, only to cause
Jesus Christ to be received and proclaimed as the
Messias, after all which they had seen and heard con-
cerning him ? Let us fear, lest, after their example,
the abuse of the light and grace of God should draw
upon us the like blindness and infidelity. The de-
signs of men, though contrary in their intention to
those of Christ, are, notwithstanding, by his sovereicni
wisdom, made the means of bringing these to pass.
How incomprehensible and adorable is his conduct !
" 5. But they said. Not on the feast-day, lest
there be an uproar among the people."
The wicked person regards relio^ion no farther
than it is subservient to his designs and interests.
Who is there who keeps himself entirely free from
this disorder? He who obeys the law, only with
regard to himself, loves himself and not the law.
He who observes a feast-day on motives purely
human, violates it in his heart.
" 6. ^ Now, when Jesus was in Bethany, in th'e
house of Simon the leper, 7. There came unto him
a woman having an alabaster-box of very precious
ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at
meat."
Vol. I. S 57