The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. - documenta ...

The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ.Anne Catherine Emmerichdetermined to question him again in order thus to obtain some information which might enlightenhim as to the course he ought to pursue; he therefore returned to the Prætorium, went alone into aroom, and sent for our Saviour. He glanced at the mangled and bleeding Form before him, andexclaimed inwardly: ‘Is it possible that he can be God?’ Then he turned to Jesus, and adjured himto tell him if he was God, if he was that king who had been promised to the Jews, where his kingdomwas, and to what class of gods he belonged. I can only give the sense of the words of Jesus, butthey were solemn and severe. He told him ‘that his kingdom was not of this world,’ and he likewisespoke strongly of the many hidden crimes with which the conscience of Pilate was defiled; warnedhim of the dreadful fate which would be his, if he did not repent; and finally declared that he himself,the Son of Man, would come at the last day, to pronounce a just judgment upon him.225Pilate was half frightened and half angry at the words of Jesus; he returned to the balcony, andagain declared that he would release Jesus; but they cried out: ‘If thou release this man, thou artnot Cæsar’s friend. For whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Cæsar.’ Others saidthat they would accuse him to the Emperor of having disturbed their festival; that he must makeup his mind at once, because they were obliged to be in the Temple by ten o’clock at night. Thecry, ‘Crucify him! crucify him!’ resounded on all sides; it reëchoed even from the flat roofs ofthe houses near the forum, where many persons were assembled. Pilate saw that all his efforts werevain, that he could make no impression on the infuriated mob; their yells and imprecations weredeafening, and he began to fear an insurrection. Therefore he took water, and washed his handsbefore the people, saying, ‘I am innocent of the blood of this just man; look you to it.’ A frightfuland unanimous cry then came from the dense multitude, who were assembled from all parts ofPalestine, ‘His blood be upon us, and upon our children.’CHAPTER XXVIII.Reflections on the Visions.WHENEVER, during my meditations on the Passion of our Lord, I imagine I hear that frightfulcry of the Jews, ‘His blood be upon us, and upon our children,’ visions of a wonderful and terribledescription display before my eyes at the same moment the effect of that solemn curse. I fancy Isee a gloomy sky covered with clouds, of the colour of blood, from which issue fiery swords anddarts, lowering over the vociferating multitude; and this curse, which they have entailed uponthemselves, appears to me to penetrate even to the very marrow of their bones, even to the unborninfants. They appear to me encompassed on all sides by darkness; the words they utter take, in myeyes, the form of black flames, which recoil upon them, penetrating the bodies of some, and onlyplaying around others.129