people, for they feared the people. Now when JESUS was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, there they made Him a supper and Martha served; but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with Him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly; and anointed the Feet of JESUS, poured it on His Head, and wiped His Feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. But when His Disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose was this waste? Then saith one of His Disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray Him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? And they murmured against her. This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. When JESUS understood it, He said unto them, Let her alone: why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon Me. For ye have the poor always with you, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good, but Me ye have not always. She hath done what she could; she is come aforehand to anoint My Body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there also shall this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her. Much people of the Jews therefore knew that He was there; and they came not for JESUS' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom He had raised from the dead. But the Chief Priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away and believed on JESUS. Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, (then entered Satan into Judas,-S. Luke,) went unto the Chief Priests and Captains, and communed how he might betray Him unto them, and they were glad and covenanted to give him money. And he said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver Him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity how he might conveniently betray Him, in the absence of the multitude. Meditation.1 Didst Thou then, O my Saviour, wish to experience how bitter a cross it is to have an unfaithful friend? Thou didst receive Judas at Thy table, and overwhelm him with Thy favours; and, as a sincere friend, Thou didst communicate to him Thy plans, even when his heart was full of malice, and had determined to deliver Thee to Thine enemies. O Divine Wisdom! Who knewest the soul of this traitor, how didst Thou regard him with a kindly Eye in the midst of Thy other disciples who sincerely loved Thee. Thou didst wash his feet, and make him a partaker of Thy holy Eucharistic Feast, and Thou didst hide his perfidy, to spare him shame. Such is the constancy of Thy friendship, O Divine JESUS! Thou seest our betrayals and Thou seekest us still, in drawing us with the cords of Thy love, in gaining us by Thy blessings, and in endeavouring to soften our hard hearts, by the unction of Thy grace. What advantage can our friendship be to Thee, that Thou shouldst seek with so much care even those who betray Thee? But it is the property of Thy love, O my GOD! never to be repulsed, and to pursue us even when we flee from Thee! I look with astonishment and indignation on the perfidious Judas, who betrayed Thee without shame, by a token of love, and preferred a paltry sum to Thee, O my Saviour, in Whom are hid all the treasures of the Wisdom and Knowledge of GOD. But I for 1 For Reflections, see Williams on the "Holy Week." get myself; how many times have I abused Thy blessings to satisfy my passions? how often have I relinquished Thy grace for earthly pleasures? how many times have I preferred the favours of men to Thy Divine Communion? how many times sold Thee for things of vanity, without regard to Thy law, or without being touched by Thy goodness ? Pardon me, O Infinite Mercy! my past unfaithfulness, and the little shame I have felt for it, and suffer me not to fall back again. I cast myself at Thy Feet, O my Saviour and my Master! I acknowledge before Thee how unfaithful I have been. Chasten me, O my FATHER! as it pleaseth Thee, but let me not lose Thy love, as Judas did, for I return to Thee. Make me feel Thy love, when I confess before Thee all my unfaithfulness, and submit to all the chastisements Thou dost inflict upon me. I have been too long unfaithful: change me, LORD! make me to please Thee, so that Thou mayest receive me into Thy blessed friendship. As I have been among the number of those who betray Thee, grant that I may henceforth be one of those who sincerely love Thee. The triumph of Thy love is to make sinners holy, and traitors faithful. Convert me then, O Divine Love! and grant that I may be faithful even unto death. Since Thou, LORD, for love of me, hast suffered the betrayal of a perfidious friend, give me grace patiently to bear all unfaithfulness of friends towards me; and grant that I may neither be intoxicated with the friendship of men, nor cast down by their unfaithful ness. If Thou willest that they hate and persecute me, Thy will be done. Possess my heart, show me Thy Countenance, fill me with Thy grace and love; teach me never to complain, nor be revengeful, but to return good for evil, and to treat with kindness even those who are unfaithful to me. O Faithful Friend of sinners! Thy friendship is alone firm, constant, and true, and I give up all to obtain it. Prayer. All praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O CHRIST, Whom Thy unfaithful disciple Judas did sell, for a vile sum of money, to those Jews who persecuted Thee and conspired against Thy Life. Root out of my heart, I beseech Thee, all covetous desires, all love of riches, and all sinful love of creatures, that I may desire only what is necessary, and be content with what Thou, O LORD, thinkest so. Grant that I may never prefer anything before Thee; and give me grace that I may show perfect charity to all men, and especially to those who injure me. Forgive me, O Holy Redeemer, that I should so often have preferred vain and perishing things to Thee, and for the sake of vile pleasures, have turned myself from Thee. Amen. THURSDAY IN HOLY WEEK. 1. Our Blessed LORD eats the Passover with His disciples. 2. Washes their feet, and reproves them for striving for the pre-eminence. 3. Foretells that Judas would betray Him. 4. Warns S. Peter of his fall. 5. Institutes the Holy Eucharist. 6. Comforts His disciples. 7. Instructs them. 8. Prays for them, and for His Church. Gospel Harmony. S. Matt. xxvi. 17-25, 31; S. Mark xiv. 12-21, 27; S. Luke xxii. 7-18, 21-34; S. John xiii. 1. Now the first day of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed, the disciples came to JESUS, saying unto Him, (and He sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat, and they said unto Him -S. John) Where wilt Thou that we prepare? and He said, Go into the city; there shall a man meet you bearing a pitcher of water; follow him, into the house where he entereth, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with My disciples. And Q |