The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus ChristEmmerich, Anna Katharina
Religion
The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Emmerich, Anna Katharina
Jesus Christ -- Passion -- Devotional literature
who might have performed all these actions without a superhuman
intention; for it was hidden from him that Jesus was the Son of God,
and he tempted him only as the most just of men. Our Divine Saviour
permitted his humanity thus to preponderate over his divinity, for he
was pleased to endure even those temptations with which holy souls are
assailed at the hour of death concerning the merit of their good works.
That he might drink the chalice of suffering even to the dregs, he
permitted the evil spirit to tempt his sacred humanity, as he would
have tempted a man who should wish to attribute to his good works some
special value in themselves, over and above what they might have by
their union with the merits of our Saviour. There was not an action out
of which he did not contrive to frame some accusation, and he
reproached Jesus, among other things, with having spent the price of
the property of Mary Magdalen at Magdalum, which he had received from
Lazarus.
Among the sins of the world which Jesus took upon himself, I saw
also my own; and a stream, in which I distinctly beheld each of my
faults, appeared to flow towards me from out of the temptations with
which he was encircled. During this time my eyes were fixed upon my
Heavenly Spouse; with him I wept and prayed, and with him I turned
towards the consoling angels. Ah, truly did our dear Lord writhe like a
worm beneath the weight of his anguish and sufferings!
Whilst Satan was pouring forth his accusations against Jesus, it was
with difficulty that I could restrain my indignation, but when he spoke
of the sale of Magdalen's property, I could no longer keep silence, and
exclaimed: 'How canst thou reproach him with the sale of this property as
with a crime? Did I not myself see our Lord spend the sum which was
given him by Lazarus in works of mercy, and deliver twenty-eight
debtors imprisoned at Thirza?'
At first Jesus looked calm, as he kneeled down and prayed, but after
a time his soul became terrified at the sight of the innumerable crimes
of men, and of their ingratitude towards God, and his anguish was so
great that the trembled and shuddered as he exclaimed: 'Father, if it is
possible, let this chalice pass from me! Father, all things are
possible to thee, remove this chalice from me!' But the next moment he
added: 'Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.' His will and that of
his Father were one, but now that his love had ordained that he should
be left to all the weakness of his human nature, he trembled at the
prospect of death.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account