Rev. Fr.
Leonard Goffine's
The Church's Year
TUESDAY
AFTER PALM SUNDAY
LESSON
(Jer. XI. 18-2O.) In those days, Jeremias said: Thou, O Lord, hast
shewed me, and I have known: then thou shewedst me their doings.
And I was as a meek lamb, that is carried to be a victim: and I
knew not that they had devised counsels against me, saying: Let
us put wood on his bread, and cut him off from the land of the living,
and let his name be remembered no more. But thou, O Lord of Sabaoth,
who judgest justly, and triest the reins and the hearts, let me
see thy revenge on them: for to thee have I revealed my cause.
EXPLANATION
Jeremias was unjustly persecuted, but showed only meekness to his
persecutors: so Christ silently permitted Himself like a meek lamb
to be nailed by His enemies to the hard wood of the cross. Learn
from this, Christian soul, to follow the example of the meek Lamb
of God, and silently bear all evils. In reference to the prophet's
prayer for vengeance on his enemies, St. Augustine remarks: "It
is well wishing, not vengeance, when the just rejoices that punishment
comes to the impious, for he has no pleasure in the sinner's destruction,
whose conversion he wishes, but he desires justice by which many
are converted."
THE
PASSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
ACCORDING TO ST. MARK, CHAP. XIV. AND XV.
At
that time, The feast of the Pasch and
of the Azymes was after two days; and
the chief priest and the scribes sought
how they might, by some wile lay hold
on him, and kill him. But they said: Not
on a festival day, lest there should be
a tumult among the people. And when he
was in Bethania, in the house of Simon
the leper, and was at meat, there came
a woman having an alabaster box of ointment
of precious spikenard; and breaking the
alabaster box, she poured it out upon
his head. Now there were some that had
indignation within themselves, and said:
Why was this waste of the ointment made?
For this ointment might have been sold
for more than three hundred pence, and
given to the poor. And they murmured against
her. But Jesus said: Let her alone, why
do you molest her? She hath wrought a
good work upon me. For the poor you have
always with you, and whensoever you will,
you may do them good; but me you have
not always. What she had, she hath done;
she is come beforehand to anoint my body
for the burial. Amen, I, say to you: wheresoever
this gospel shall be preached in the whole
world, that also which she hath done shall
be told for a memorial of her. And Judas
Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the
chief priests, to betray him to them.
Who hearing it were glad; and they promised
to give him money. And he sought how he
might conveniently betray him. Now on
the first day of the unleavened bread,
when they sacrificed the Pasch, the disciples
say to him: Whither wilt thou that we
go and prepare for thee to eat the Pasch.
And he sendeth two of his disciples, and
saith to them: Go ye into the city, and
there shall meet you a man carrying a
pitcher of water; follow him, and whithersoever
he shall go in, say to the master of the
house: The Master saith: Where is my refectory,
that I may eat the Pasch with my disciples?
And he will show you a large dining-room
furnished; and there prepare ye for us.
And his disciples went their way, and
came into the city; and they found as
he had told them, and they prepared the
Pasch. And when evening was come, he cometh
with the twelve. And when they were at
table and eating, Jesus saith: Amen, I
say to you, one of you that eateth with
me shall betray me. But they began to
be sorrowful, and to say to him one by
one: Is it I? Who saith to them: One of
the twelve, who dippeth his hand in the
dish with me. And the Son of Man indeed
goeth, as it is written of him; but woe
to that man by whom the Son of God shall
be betrayed. It were better for him, if
that man had not been born. And whilst
they were eating, Jesus took bread; and
blessing, broke, and gave to them, and
said: Take ye, This is my body. And having
taken the chalice, giving thanks, he gave
it to them, and they all drank of it;
and he said to them: This is my blood
of the New Testament, which shall be shed
for many. Amen, I say to you, that I will
drink no more of this fruit of the vine,
until that day when I shall drink it new
in the kingdom of God. And when they had
sung a hymn, they went forth to the mount
of Olives. And Jesus saith to them: You
will all be scandalized in my regard this
night; for it is written: I will strike
the shepherd, and the sheep shall be dispersed.
But after I shall be risen again, I will
go before you into Galilee. But Peter
saith to him: Although all shall be scandalized
in thee, yet not I. And Jesus saith to
him: Amen, I say to thee, to-day, even
in this night, before the cock crow twice,
thou shalt deny me thrice. But he spoke
the more vehemently: Although I should
die together with thee, I will not deny
thee. And in like manner also said they
all. And they came to a garden called
Gethsemani. And. he saith to his disciples:
Sit you here, while I pray. And he taketh
Peter, and James, and John with him; and
he began to fear, and to be heavy. And
he saith to them: My soul is sorrowful
even unto death: stay you here, and watch.
And when he had gone forward a little,
he fell flat on the ground: and he prayed
that, if it might be, the hour might pass
from him: and he saith: Abba, Father,
all things are possible to thee, remove
this chalice from me, but not what I will,
but what thou wilt. And he cometh, and
findeth them sleeping. And he saith to
Peter: Simon, sleepest thou? Couldst thou
not watch one hour? Watch ye, and pray,
that ye enter not into temptation. The
spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh
is weak. And going away again, he prayed,
saying the same words. And when he returned,
he found them again asleep, (for their
eyes were heavy) and they knew not what
to answer him. And he cometh the third
time, and saith to them: Sleep ye now,
and take your rest. It is enough, the
hour is come; behold the Son of Man shall
be betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Rise up, let us go. Behold he that will
betray me is at hand. And while he was
yet speaking, cometh Judas Iscariot, one
of the twelve, and with him a great multitude
with swords and staves, from the chief
priests, and the scribes, and the ancients.
But he that betrayed him had given them
a sign, saying: Whomsoever I shall kiss,
that is he, lay hold on him, and lead
him away carefully. And when he was come,
immediately going up to him, he saith:
Hail, Rabbi; and he kissed him. But they
laid hands on him, and held him. And one
of them that stood by, drawing a sword,
struck a servant of the chief priest,
and cut off his ear. And Jesus answering,
said to them: Are you come out as to a
robber with swords and staves to apprehend
me? I was daily with you in the temple
teaching, and you did not lay hands on
me. But that the Scriptures may be fulfilled.
Then his disciples leaving him, all fled
away. And a certain young man followed
him, having a linen cloth cast about his
naked body; and they laid hold on him.
But he, casting off the linen cloth, fled
from them naked. And they brought Jesus
to the highpriest; and all the priests
and the scribes and the ancients were
assembled together. And Peter followed
him affar off even into the court of the
high priest; and he sat with the servents
at the fire, and warmed himself. And the
chief priests and all the council sought
for evidence against Jesus that they might
put him to death, and they found none.
For many bore false witness against him,
and their evidence were not agreeing.
And some rising up, bore false witness
against him, saying: We heard him say:
I will destroy this temple made with hands,
and within three days I will build another
not made with hands. And their witness
did not agree. And, the high-priest rising
up in the midst, asked Jesus, saying:
Answerest thou nothing to the things that
are laid to thy charge by these men? But,
he held his peace, and answered nothing.
Again the high-priest asked him, and said
to him: Art thou the Christ the Son of
the blessed God? And Jesus said to him:
I am. And you shall see the Son of Man
sitting on the right hand of the power
of God, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Then the high-priest rending his garments,
saith: What need we any further witnesses?
You have heard the blasphemy. What think
you? Who all condemned him to be guilty
of death. And some began to spit on him,
and to cover his face, and to buffet him,
and to say to him: Prophesy; and the servants
struck him with the palms of their hands.
Now when Peter was in the court below,
there cometh to him one of the maid-servants
of the high-priest;
and when she had seen Peter warming himself,
looking on him, she saith: Thou also wast
with Jesus of Nazareth. But he denied,
saying: I neither know nor understand
what thou sayest. And he went forth before
the court, and the cock crew. And again
a maid-servant seeing him, began to say
to the standers-by: This is one of them.
But he denied again. And after a while,
they that stood by said again to
Peter: Surely thou art one of them, for
thou also art a Galilean. But he began
to curse and swear, saying: I know not
this man of whom you speak. And immediately
the cock crew again. And Peter remembered
the word that Jesus had said to him: Before
the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me
thrice. And he began to weep. (Chap. XV.)
And straightway in the morning the chief
priests holding a consultation with the
ancients and the scribes, and the whole
council, binding Jesus, led him away,
and delivered him to Pilate. And Pilate
asked him: Art thou the king of the Jews?
But he answering, saith to him: Thou sayest
it. And the chief priests accused him
in many things. And Pilate again asked
him, saying, Answerest thou nothing? Behold
in how many things they accuse thee. But
Jesus still answered nothing; so that
Pilate wondered. Now on the festival day
he was wont to release unto them one of
the prisoners, whomsoever they demanded.
And there was one called Barabbas, who
was put in prison with some seditious
men, who in the sedition had committed
murder. And when the multitude was come
up, they began to desire that he would
do as he had ever done unto them. And
Pilate answered them, and said: Will you
that I release to you the king of the
Jews? For he knew that the chief priests
had delivered him up out of envy. But
the chief priests moved the people that
he should rather release Barabbas to them.
And Pilate again answering, with to them:
What will you then that I do with the
king of the Jews? But they again cried
out: Crucify him. And Pilate saith to
them: Why, what evil hath he done? But
they cried out the more: Crucify him.
And so Pilate being willing to satisfy
the people, released to them Barabbas,
and delivered up Jesus, when he had scourged
him to be crucified. And the soldiers
led him away into the court of the palace,
and they called together the whole band;
and they clothed him with purple, and
platting a crown of thorns, they put it
upon him. And they began to salute him:
Hail, king of the Jews. And they struck
his head with a reed: and they did spit
on him, and bowing their knees, they adored
him. And after they had mocked him, they
took off the purple from him, and put
his own garments on him; and they led
him out to crucify him. And they forced
one Simon, a Cyrenian, who passed by,
coming out of the country, the father
of Alexander and of Rufus, to take up
his cross. And they bring him into the
place called Golgotha, which being interpreted
is, the place of Calvary. And they, gave
him to drink wine mingled with myrrh;
but he took it not. And crucifying him,
they divided his garments, casting lots
upon them, what every man should take.
And it was the third hour, and they crucified
him. And the inscription of his cause
was written over: The King of the Jews.
And with him they crucify two thieves,
the one on his right hand, and the other
on his left. And the Scripture was fulfilled
which saith: And with the wicked he was
reputed. And they that passed by blasphemed
him, wagging their heads, and saying:
Vah, thou that destroyest the temple of
God, and in three days buildest it up
again, save thyself, coming down from
the cross. In like manner also the chief
priests mocking said with the Scribes
one to another: He saved others, himself
he cannot save. Let Christ the King of
Israel come down now from the cross, that
we may see and believe. And they that
were crucified with him, reviled him.
And when the sixth hour was come, there
was darkness over the whole earth until
the ninth hour; and at the ninth hour
Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying:
Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabathani? Which is,
being interpreted: My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me? And some of the
standers-by hearing, said: Behold, he
calleth Elias. And one running and filling
a sponge with vinegar, and putting it
upon a reed, gave him to drink, saying:
Stay, let us see if Elias will come to
take him down. And Jesus having cried
out with a loud voice, gave up the ghost.
(Here all kneel and pause.) And the veil
of the temple was rent in two from the
top to the bottom; and the centurion who
stood over against him, seeing that crying
out in this manner he had given up the
ghost, said: Indeed this man was the Son
of God. And there were also women looking
on afar off, among whom was Mary Magdalen,
and Mary the Mother of James the Less
and of Joseph, and Salome; who also when
he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered
to him, and many other women that came
up with him to Jerusalem. And when
evening, was now come, (because it was
the Parasceve, that is, the day before
the Sabbath,) Joseph of Arimathea, a noble
counsellor, who was also himself looking
for the kingdom of God, came and went
in boldly to Pilate, and begged the body
of Jesus. But Pilate wondered that he
should be already dead; and sending for
the centurion, he asked him if he were
already dead. And when he had understood
it by the centurion, he gave the body
to Joseph. And Joseph buying fine linen,
and taking him down, wrapped him up in
the fine linen, and laid him in a sepulchre
which was hewn out of a rock, and he rolled
a stone to the door of the sepulchre.
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