As
a ratification of this divine decree, while yet our Master was in his agony,
the eternal Father for the third time sent the archangel Michael to the earth
in order to comfort Him by a sensible message and confirmation of what He
already knew by the infused science of his most holy soul;
 |
| Archangel Michael comforting Christ |
for the angel could
not tell our Lord anything He did not know, nor could he produce any additional
effect on his interior consciousness for this purpose. But, Christ had
suspended the consolation,
which He could have derived from his human nature
from this knowledge and love, leaving it to its full capacity for suffering, as
He afterwards also expressed Himself on the Cross. In lieu of this alleviation
and comfort, which He had denied Himself, He was recompensed to a certain
extent, as far as his human senses were concerned, by this embassy of the
archangel. He received an experimental knowledge of what He had before known by
interior consciousness; for the actual experience is something superadded and
new and is calculated to move the sensible and bodily faculties. Saint Michael,
in the name of the eternal Father, intimated and represented to Him in audible
words, what He already knew, that it was not possible for those to be saved who
were unwilling; that the complaisance of the eternal Father in the number of
the just, although smaller than the number of the reprobate was great; that
among the former was his most holy Mother, a worthy fruit of his Redemption;
that his Redemption would also bear its fruits in the Patriarchs, Prophets,
Apostles, Martyrs, Virgins and Confessors, who should signalize themselves in
his love and perform admirable works for the exaltation of the name of the Most
High. Among these the angel moreover mentioned some of the founders of
religious orders and the deeds of each one. Many other great and hidden
sacraments were touched upon by the archangel, which it is not necessary to
mention here.
During
the intervals of Christ’s prayer, the Evangelists say, He returned to visit the
Apostles and exhort them to watch and pray lest they enter into temptation
(Matth. 14, 41; Mark 14, 38; Luke 22,
 |
| Christ exhort them: "Watch and pray... " |
42). This the most vigilant Pastor did in
order to show the dignitaries of his Church what care and supervision they were
to exercise over their flocks. For if Christ, on account of his solicitude for
them interrupted his prayer, which was so important, it was in order to teach
them, how they must postpone other enterprises and interests to the salvation
of their subjects. In order to understand the need of the Apostles, that the
infernal dragon was permitted by the Savior again to come forth, in order that
he might, by his malicious attempts, help to fulfil the decrees of the Lord. At
one fell swoop many of these demons rushed to meet Judas and, to hinder him, if
possible, from consummating the treacherous bargain. As they could not dissuade
him, they turned their attention to the other Apostles, suspecting that they
had received some great favour at the hands of the Lord in the upper room. What
this favour was, Lucifer sought to find out, in order to counteract it. Our Saviour
saw this cruelty and wrath of the prince of darkness and his ministers;
therefore as a most loving Father and vigilant Superior He hastened to the
assistance of his little children and newly acquired subjects, his Apostles. He
roused them and exhorted them to watch and pray against their enemies, in order
that they might not enter unawares and unprovided into the threatening
temptation.
He
returned therefore to the three Apostles, who, having been more favoured, also
had more reasons for watchfulness in imitation of their Master. But He found
them asleep; for they had allowed themselves to be overcome by insidious
disgust and sorrow and in it had been seized by such a remissness and lukewarmness,
that they fell asleep.
 |
| He found them asleep |
Before speaking to them or waking them, the Lord looked
at them for a moment and wept over them. For He saw them oppressed and buried
in this deathly shade by their own sloth and negligence. He spoke to Peter and
said to him: “Simon, sleepest thou?
couldst not thou watch one hour?” And immediately He gave him and the
others the answer: “Watch ye, and pray
that you enter not into temptation (Mark 14, 37); for my enemies and your
enemies sleep not as you do.” That He reprehended Peter especially was not
only because he was placed as head of the rest, and not only because he had
most loudly protested that he would not deny Him and was ready to die for Him,
though all the others should be scandalized in Him and leave Him; but also
because Peter, having from his whole heart made freely these protests, deserved
to be corrected and admonished before all the rest. For no doubt the Lord
chastises those whom He loves and is always pleased by our good resolutions,
even when we afterwards fall short in their execution, as happened with the
most fervent of all the Apostles, saint Peter. When the Lord came the third
time and woke up all the twelve, Judas was already approaching in order to
deliver Him into the hands of his enemies.
