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

The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ.Anne Catherine Emmerich139of the Temple when they were holding market there; m also by the proud doctors whom he hadsilenced before all the people, and even by some who could not forgive the humiliation of beingconvicted of error when he disputed with them in the Temple at the age of twelve. There waslikewise a large body of impenitent sinners whom he had refused to cure, relapsed sinners whosediseases had returned, worldly young men whom he would not receive as disciples, avariciouspersons whom he had enraged by causing the money which they had been in hopes of possessingto be distributed in alms. Others there were whose friends he had cured, and who had thus beendisappointed in their expectation of inheriting property; debauchees whose victims he had converted;and many despicable characters who made their fortunes by flattering and fostering the vices ofthe great.All these emissaries of Satan were overflowing with rage against everything holy, and consequentlywith an indescribable hatred of the Holy of the Holies. They were farther incited by the enemiesof our Lord, and therefore assembled in crowds round the palace of Caiphas, to bring forward alltheir false accusations and to endeavour to cover with infamy that spotless Lamb, who took uponhimself the sins of the world, and accepted the burden in order to reconcile man with God.140Whilst all these wicked beings were busily consulting as to what was best to be done, anguish andanxiety filled the hearts of the friends of Jesus, for they were ignorant of the mystery which wasabout to be accomplished, and they wandered about, sighing, and listening to every different opinion.Each word they uttered gave rise to feelings of suspicion on the part of those whom they addressed,and if they were silent, their silence was set down as wrong. Many well-meaning but weak andundecided characters yielded to temptation, were scandalised, and lost their faith; indeed,. thenumber of those who persevered was very small indeed. Things were the same then as theyoftentimes are now, persons were willing to serve God if they met with no opposition from theirfellow creatures, but were ashamed of the Cross if held in contempt by others. The hearts of somewere, however, touched by the patience displayed by our Lord in the midst of his sufferings, andthey walked away silent and sad.CHAPTER V.A Glance at Jerusalem.THE customary prayers and preparations for the celebration of the festival being completed, thegreatest part of the inhabitants of the densely-populated city of Jerusalem, as also the strangerscongregated there, were plunged in sleep after the fatigues of the day, when, all at once, the arrestof Jesus was announced, and every one was aroused, both his friends and foes, and numbersimmediately responded to the summons of the High Priest, and left their dwellings to assemble athis court. In some parts the light of the moon enabled them to grope their way in safety along thedark and gloomy streets, but in other parts they were obliged to make use of torches. Very few of79