the Son of God, in his body, were so great, that they were sufficient to produce death a thousand times in any one who would have endured them. The Saviour's love being infinite, the pains that his love induced him to bear were also infinite and greatly surpassed all those that man's nature and malice could have caused him. The thorns of the mock crown pierced his head to the very brain, all his members were disjointed. (Ps. xxi. 18) And still so great was his love, that he not only supported these pains, but he procured himself still more terrible ones, in order to manifest himself to us more perfectly. Yes, this was one of the principal motives of his Passion: he desired to exhibit to us the immensity of his love, and he could not prove it more effectually. Love and not nails fastened him to the Cross; love and not men triumphed. How could they have been masters, since with one single word, he could have thrown them to the earth.
Catherine gave admirable explanations concerning the Passion of the Redeemer: she said that she had undergone in her body a portion of his sufferings, but it would be impossible to endure them completely. The greatest torment that Jesus Christ suffered on the Cross, was, she thought, the dislocation of the bones of the breast. She believed this, because the other tortures which she suffered in imitation of the Saviour, were transient, that alone was permanent; the pains in the side and head which she daily suffered were considerable, but those in the breast far surpassed them; and I easily believe it, both in reference to her and to our Lord, on account of the vicinity of the heart. The bones which are disposed in that portion of the human frame, for protecting the heart and lungs, cannot be displaced without gravely wounding the
