A golden treatise of mental prayer/A meditation for Tuesday: of the prayer in the garden; and the contumelies he suffered in the house of Annas
A MEDITATION FOR TUESDAY.
This day thou shalt meditate of the prayer Christ made in the garden, the method thereof; and the contumelies he suffered in the house of Annas.
Consider, therefore, how Christ our Lord, after the consummation of his mystical body with his disciples, before he entered into the tragedy of his passion, went to make his prayer upon the mount Olivet; whereby he would instruct us, that in all adversities and tribulations of this present life, we fly to prayer, as to a holy anchor; the power of which is so great, that it either beateth back the forces of tribulations, or (which is of greater excellency) ministereth sufficient strength to endure them, with a constant and willing mind.
He took, for his companions in his journey, three of his disciples, whom he loved above the rest: St. Peter, St. James, and St. John. Who, as they were eye-witnesses of his transfiguration, so likewise, they should be present in his agony, to behold him, for the love of man, now transformed into a far more different shape than he was when he manifested himself unto them in a glorious and glittering form.
That, also, he might open unto them his inward grief to be much greater than appeared outwardly. He saith unto them: "Tristis est anima mea usque ad mortem. Sustinete hic, et vigilate mecum:" "My soul is sorrowful even unto death. Stay you here and watch with me."[1] O words full of compassion! Then departing from his disciples a stone's cast, with great submission and reverence, he prayed his Father: " Pater mi, si possible est, transeat a me calix istp, verumtamen non sicut ego volo, sed sicut tu." "My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." Which prayer, when he had repeated thrice, he fell into such an agony that he sweat drops of blood, trickling down upon the earth, from his precious body.
Consider, that partly the foreseeing of the most unspeakable torments that ever any mortal man suffered, prepared for his most tender body; partly the distinct representation of the sins of the whole world, for the expiation of which he was now to suffer death upon the cross; partly the remembrance of the ingratitude of many, who would not esteem or reap any profit from this great benefit, struck such a deep impression into his soul, that it filled it with sad and incredible anxiety, so troubled his senses and tender flesh, that all the elements of his body being weakened, the opened pores on every side sweat out drops of blood. If the flesh, which properly suffered not this anguish, but only through a simple imagination, was thus afflicted, what did his soul feel? to whom, properly, these sorrows did appertain.
His prayer being ended, that counterfeit friend of Christ, Judas the traitor, came attended with a hellish band: he, I say, who renounced his apostleship, to be head and captain of a troop of hell-hounds, behold in the fore-front of that wicked multitude, impudently coming to his Master, whom before he had sold, betraying him with a kiss of peace and friendship.
In that hour, said Jesus to the company which came to apprehend him, " Are you come out, as it were against a thief, with swords and clubs? When I was daily with you in the temple, you did not stretch forth your hands against me; but this is your hour, and the power of darkness."[2]
This mystery is worthy of admiration, for what thing can be more admirable and stupendous, than to see the only begotten Son of God, not only in the form of sinful man, but in the shape of a condemned man: "Hæc est hora vestra, et pot est as tenehrarum:" "This is your hour, and the power of darkness." From which words is gathered, that this innocent Iamb was left to the diabolical cruelty of the princes of darkness, who, by their vicegerents and ministers, poured all the malice and mischief they were able to conceive, against him. Consider how much, for thy sake, the supreme majesty of God is humbled; to endure all the extremity of torments that ever any suffered in this present life, nor to die for his own faults, but for thy sins; but he did undergo this of his own accord, to free thee from the power of Satan.
He had scarce spoken these words, when that whole rabble of hunger-starved wolves, gaping after their prey, rushed upon this meek and innocent lamb, hauling, tearing, and afflicting him, with as much cruelty as ever they could. O barbarous and inhuman proceedings! O cruel and savage blows, contumelious violences, wherewith they tormented him; they insulted after a horrid manner, no otherwise than conquerors return loaded with spoils, after they have put to flight their enemies, or hunters when they have caught their prey. The hands which a little before were exercised in working miracles, they were now bound with ropes so cruelly, that they razed the skin, and besmeared them with blood. Thus they led him through the public streets of Jerusalem, following him with contumelies and blows: behold him in this journey going alone, left by all his disciples, compassed with a multitude of his enemies, forced to make such haste, that he was wholly out of breath, his color changed, his face blushing, and his whole body weakened and wearied by reason of the intolerable present difficulty.
Although our blessed Saviour was barbarously and almost cruelly handled by that blood-sucking multitude, yet, nevertheless, thou mightest have seen in his countenance a pleasant sweetness, in his eyes a comely gravity, in his manners, a divine grace, which all the torments of the whole world could not so much as diminish in the least degree.
After this, go with our blessed Saviour into the house of Annas the high priest, that there thou mayest take notice what favor he reaped for his mild answer, when Annas examined him of his, and his disciples' doctrine, which was, that one of the officers gave him a cruel blow upon his cheek, saying, "Sic respondes pontefici?" " Answerest thou the high priest so?" To him Christ replied: " Si male locutus sum, testimojiium perhibe de malo: si autem bene, quid me caedis?"[3] " If I have spoken evil, bring testimony of the evil, but if well, why strikest thou me?"
Behold, O my soul, not only the mild answer, but the print of the officer's hand in his tender cheek, his countenance, notwithstanding, quiet and amiable, not a whit moved at the shame of so great an affront, because he inwardly thought so low and humbly of himself, that he had turned the other side without delay, if the rascal had desired it.