THE

LIFE OF CHRIST IN GLORY

ON EARTH.

Meditation for the Day of the Resurrection.

THE GLORY OF JESUS CHRIST RISEN.

"Remember that JESUS CHRIST was raised from the dead.” 2 Tim. ii. 8.

FIRST POINT.

CONSIDER the glory of the Soul of JESUS CHRIST, returning victoriously from hell, and about to reunite itself to His Body. It manifesteth that glory to the whole assembly of the elect, both of the written and natural law, who accompany It in Its triumph, that they may see the exceeding greatness of His Patience and Love to man. Love so great, that He seems to have forgotten Himself in order to benefit them, giving up for them all which was His, even to His very Life. With what holy feelings of love, joy, gratitude, admiration and reverence, were those ancient patriarchs and prophets overwhelmed, when they saw the Adorable Body of their Deliverer lying in the sepulchre lifeless, and all covered with Wounds, thence conjecturing how much He had endured for their salvation! Oh with good reason did St. Bonaventure exclaim, "So much dost Thou love me, O my GOD, that Thou seemest

B

to have hated Thyself." If Thou hadst even hated Thy Sacred Humanity, couldest Thou have exposed It to greater insults and to more bitter torments than those Thou hast endured, in order to save me? O that herein I could imitate Thy incomparable Charity! When shall I love Thee so as to despise myself, to hate mine own body, to bear on my heart those loving words which Thou once didst write with Thine Hand upon the heart of St. Mechtildes, "I would rather die, O good Jesu, than by the slightest fault separate myself from

Thee."

SECOND POINT.

Consider the glory of JESUS CHRIST'S Body at that moment when He re-unites It to His blessed Soul, and gives It life again. In resuming It, He not only freeth It from the laws of death and from the conditions of a body liable to suffering and death; but He endoweth It with the glories of eternal blessedness, and maketh Its wounds each radiant with light, with a lustrous beauty which as far surpasseth that of all the blessed, as the sun surpasseth the smallest star, whose light is eclipsed by its presence. Hence Saint Chrysologus saith with much truth," that the glory of the Resurrection hath buried the shame of the Cross 1." Who can worthily explain the joy of JESUS's Heart, and the tender emotions of love and gratitude with which He gives thanks to His Father Who crowneth Him with so great glory? "Thou hast turned My heaviness into joy, Thou hast put off My sackcloth, and girded Me with gladness, that My glory may sing praise unto Thee. O LORD my GOD, I will praise Thee for ever." Who can say with what joy and

1 S. Chrysol. Serm. 75.

reverence the Angels adore their King anew in His glorious second Birth, singing the same hymn which they sang in the stable of Bethlehem? Who can express the feelings of the Patriarchs who join the Angels, and with one voice repeat, again and again, this song of triumph: "Worthy is the Lamb That was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing."

O how largely doth GoD recompense the labours we endure in His service! Let us not fear to mortify our bodies. "If we suffer with CHRIST, we shall also reign with Him." For one moment of pain, an eternity of recompense!" He suffered and died, and rose; showing us, by His Passion, what we ought to endure for the truth's sake, and by His Resurrection what we ought to hope for in eternity 2." What affliction will not the hope of the Resurrection soothe ? Who will not banish grief, if he believe that nothing perisheth by death? Nay, the more death shorteneth the number of our days, the more it diminisheth their loss; for moment by moment well-nigh we lose some part of them. Yea, death is not the end of our life, but rather that of mortality 3. He who is to rise again may not fear death. "Henceforth then, I do desire with all my strength to follow the humble JESUS; I long to embrace, in a manner, with arms of love, Him Who hath loved me, and given Himself for me; but it behoveth me to eat of the Paschal Lamb also, for if I eat not His Flesh, and drink not His Blood, that is, if I

2 Christus passus et mortuus est, et resurrexit, Passione ostendens quid pro veritate tolerare, resurrectione quid in æternitate sperare debeamus.-(S. Aug. 1. 8. c. 49.)

3 Quem dolorem non soletur resurrectionis gratia? Quem non excludat moerorem, si credas nihil perire morte, imò ipsius celeritate fieri, ut plus perire non possit ?—(S. Ambr. de fide resurrect. init.

partake not of His Passion and of His Death, I shall not have eternal life in me."

THIRD POINT.

Consider the glory of His Divinity, which had been, as it were, hidden in His Passion, and which begins to shine forth in His miraculous Coming from the Tomb, like the sun bursting from behind the clouds which concealed it, and majestically diffusing around the rays of its light. For He quitteth it by His Own Might, thereby showing that He has, as GOD, all Power over life and death. He comes forth from the Sepulchre without lifting the stone which closed its entrance, even as He came forth from His Mother's womb, without breaking the seal of her virginity, and thereby manifesting His Almightiness, Which gives to His Body the subtle nature of spirit". He cometh forth from it for ever, as about to take possession of His Kingdom which shall have no end, and to sit upon the Throne of His Eternal Father, there to receive the homage of Heaven and earth, that all people should pay Him the honour due to GOD Alone. He cometh forth from it, as Joseph came forth from his prison to rule in Egypt, and to make his brethren, who had sold him, partakers of his happiness and glory. He cometh forth from it, as Moses came forth from the Nile to be one day a god to Pharaoh, and drown him and his hosts in

4 Volo totis viribus humilem sequi Jesum ; cupio eum qui dilexit me, et tradidit semetipsum pro me, quibusdam brachiis dilectionis amplecti, sed oportet me et Agnum manducare, etc. (S. Bern. ep. 280. ad Innoc. Pap.)

5 Tempus adfuit quo sol refulsit qui prius erat in nubilo.

6 Cùm Angelus lapidem revolvisset, reperit surrexisse Dominum, sepulcro, sicut Deum decebat, clauso relicto.-(S. Greg. Nys. orat. 2. de Resurrect.) So also S. Jer. Ep. ad Hedib. q. 6. S: Chrysol. Serm. 75. Euthym. Matt. 24. [a later] Epiph. orat. de Sepultura Christi.