An explanation of the Baltimore catechism of Christian doctrine : $b for the use of Sunday-school teachers and advanced classesDe Concilio, J. (Januarius)
Religion
An explanation of the Baltimore catechism of Christian doctrine : $b for the use of Sunday-school teachers and advanced classes
De Concilio, J. (Januarius)
Baltimore catechism; Catholic Church -- Catechisms -- English
We often find persons who are in great anguish or dread covered with a
cold perspiration. Now, Our Lord's agony in the garden was so intense
that great drops, not of sweat, but of blood, oozed from every pore, and
trickled to the ground. There are three reasons given for this dreadful
agony.
(1) The clear, certain knowledge of the sufferings so soon to be
endured. If we were to be put to death tomorrow and knew exactly the
manner of our death and the pain it would inflict, how great would be
our fear! Our Lord, knowing all things, knew in every particular what He
would have to undergo. Moreover, His sufferings were greater than ours
could be, even if we suffered the same kind of death; because His body
was most perfect, and therefore more susceptible of pain than ours. A
wound in the eye, because the most sensitive and delicate part of the
body, would cause us greater pain than a wound on the foot or hand.
Thus, all the parts of Our Lord's body being so perfect and sensitive,
we can scarcely imagine His dreadful torments, the very thought of which
caused Him such agony.
(2) The sins, past, present, and future of all men. He knew all things,
as we have said, and looking back upon the world He saw all the sins
committed, of thought, word, and deed, from the time of Adam down to His
own; and seeing all these offenses against His Father, He was very much
grieved.
(3) The third reason why He grieved. He looked forward and saw how
little many persons would profit by all the sufferings He was about to
endure. He saw all the sins that would be committed from the time of His
death down to the end of the world. He saw us also sinning with the
rest. No wonder then that He suffered so much in the garden. This
suffering on that night is called "Our Lord's Agony in the Garden." That
night Judas, who had betrayed Him to His enemies, came with a great band
of soldiers and people, with swords and clubs, to make Our Lord a
prisoner. He did not try to escape, but stood waiting for them, though
all His Apostles, who had promised to stay with Him, ran away. Then the
soldiers led Our Lord to the house of the Chief Priest. Then they
gathered the priests, and gave Him a kind of trial, and said He was
guilty of death. But at that time the Jews had no power to put persons
to death according to the law; so they had to send Our Lord to Pontius
Pilate, the Roman Governor, to be condemned, because they were under the
power of the Romans. The Jews acted against their laws in the trial of
Our Lord.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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