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

The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ.Anne Catherine Emmerich349cruelty and deceits of his enemies. At their instigation, some Roman soldiers were dispatched toLonginus’s country to take and judge him on the plea of his having left the army without leave,and being a disturber of public peace. He was engaged in cultivating his field when they arrived,and he took them to his house, and offered them hospitality. They did not know him, and whenthey had acquainted him with the object of their journey, he quietly called his two companions whowere living in a sort of hermitage at no great distance off, and told the soldiers that they and himselfwere the men for whom they were seeking. The same thing happened to the holy gardener, Phocas.The soldiers were really distressed, for they had conceived a great friendship for him. I saw himled with his two companions to a small neighbouring town, where they were questioned. They werenot put in prison, but permitted to go whither they pleased, as prisoners on their word, and. onlymade to wear a distinctive mark on the shoulder. Later, they were all three beheaded on a hill,situated between the little town and Longinus’s house, and there buried. The soldiers put the headof Longinus at the end of a spear, and carried it to Jerusalem, as a proof that they had fulfilled theircommission. I think I remember that this took place a very few years after the death of our Lord.‘Afterwards I had a vision of things happening at a later period. A blind countrywoman of St.Longinus went with her son on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, in hopes of recovering her sight in theholy city where the eyes of Longinus had been cured. She was guided by her child, but he died,and she was left alone and disconsolate. Then St. Longinus appeared to her, and told her that shewould recover her sight when she had drawn his head out of a sink into which the Jews had thrownit. This sink was a deep well, with the sides bricked, and all the filth and refuse of the town flowedinto it through several drains. I saw some persons lead the poor woman to the spot; she descendedinto the well up to her neck, and draw out the sacred head, whereupon she recovered her sight. Shereturned to her native land, and her companions preserved the head. I remember no more upon thissubject.’350Detached Account of Abenadar.ON the 1st of April 1823, Sister Emmerich said that that day was the Feast of St. Ctésiphon, thecenturion who had assisted at the Crucifixion, and that she had seen during the night variousparticulars concerning his, life. But she had also suffered greatly, which, combined with exteriordistractions, had caused her to forget the greatest part of what she had seen. She related what follows:‘Abenadar, afterwards called Ctésiphon, was born in a country situated between Babylon and Egyptin Arabia Felix, to the right of the spot where Job dwelt during the latter half of his life. A certainnumber of square houses, with flat roofs, were built there on a slight ascent. There were many smalltrees growing on this spot, and incense and balm were gathered there. I have been in Abenadar’shouse, which was large and spacious, as might be expected of a rich man’s house, but it was alsovery low. All these houses were built in this manner, perhaps on account of the wind, because theywere much exposed. Abenadar had joined the garrison of the fortress Antonia, at Jerusalem, as avolunteer. He had entered the Roman service for the purpose of enjoying more facilities in his study202