Our
Saviour proceeded on the way to Calvary bearing upon his shoulders, his own
government and principality (Is. 9, 6), which was none else than his Cross,
from whence He was to subject and govern the world, meriting thereby that his
name should be exalted above all other names and rescuing the human race from
the tyrannical power of the demon over the sons of Adam (Col. 2, 15).
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| The heavy cross on his should |
The
executioners, bare of all human compassion and kindness, dragged our Saviour
Jesus along with incredible cruelty and insults. Some of them jerked Him
forward by the ropes in order to accelerate his passage, while others pulled
from behind in order to retard it. On account of this jerking and the weight of
the Cross they caused Him to sway to and fro and often to fall to the ground.
By the hard knocks He thus received on the rough stones great wounds were
opened, especially on the two knees and they were widened at each repeated
fall. The heavy Cross also inflicted a wound on the shoulder on which it was
carried. The unsteadiness caused the Cross sometimes to knock against his
sacred head, and sometimes the head against the Cross; thus the thorns of his
crown penetrated deeper and wounded the parts, which they had not yet reached.
To these torments of the body the ministers of evil added many insulting words
and execrable affronts, ejecting their impure spittle and throwing the dirt of
the pavement into his face so mercilessly, that they blinded the eyes that
looked upon them with such divine mercy. Thus they of their own account
condemned themselves to the loss of the graces, with which his very looks were
fraught. By the haste with which they dragged Him along in their eagerness to
see Him die, they did not allow Him to catch his breath; for his most innocent
body, having been in so few hours overwhelmed with such a storm of torments,
was so weakened and bruised, that to all appearances He was ready to yield up
life under his pains and sorrows.
From
the house of Pilate the sorrowful and stricken Mother followed with the
multitudes on the way of her divine Son, accompanied by saint John and the
pious women. As the surging crowds hindered Her from getting very near to the
Lord, She asked the eternal Father to be permitted to stand at the foot of the
Cross of her blessed Son and see Him die with her own eyes. With the divine
consent She ordered her holy angels to manage things in such a way as to make
it possible for Her to execute her wishes. The holy angels obeyed Her with
great reverence; and they speedily led the Queen through some bystreet, in
order that She might meet her Son. Thus it came that both of Them met face to
face
in sweetest recognition of each Other and in mutual renewal of each
other’s interior sorrows.
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| The meeting of Mother and Son |
Yet They did not speak to one another, nor would the
fierce cruelty of the executioners have permitted such an intercourse. But the
most prudent Mother adored her divine Son and true God, laden with the Cross;
and interiorly besought Him, that, since She could not relieve Him of the
weight of the Cross and since She was not permitted to command her holy angels
to lighten it, He would inspire these ministers of cruelty to procure someone
for his assistance. This prayer was heard by the Lord Christ; and so it
happened, that Simon of Cyrene was afterwards impressed to carry the Cross with
the Lord (Matth. 27, 32). The Pharisees and the executioners were moved to this
measure, some of them out of natural compassion, others for fear lest Christ,
the Author of life, should lose his life by exhaustion before it could be taken
from Him on the Cross.
Beyond
all human thought and estimation was the sorrow of the most sincere Dove and
Virgin Mother while She thus witnessed with her own eyes her Son carrying the
Cross to Mount Calvary; for She alone could fittingly know and love Him
according to his true worth.
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| Blessed Mary filled with sorrows |
It would have been impossible for Her to live
through this ordeal, if the divine power had not strengthened Her and preserved
Her life. With bitterest sorrow She addressed the Lord and spoke to Him in her
heart: “My Son and eternal God, light of my eyes and life of my soul, receive,
O Lord, the sacrifice of my not being able to relieve Thee of the burden of the
Cross and carry it myself, who am a daughter of Adam; for it is I who should
die upon it in love of Thee, as Thou now wishest to die in most ardent love of
the human race. O most loving Mediator between guilt and justice! How dost Thou
cherish mercy in the midst of so great injuries and such heinous offenses! O
charity without measure or bounds, which permits such torments and affronts in
order to afford it a wider scope for its ardor and efficacy! O infinite and
sweetest love, would that the hearts and the wills of men were all mine, so
that they could give no such thankless return for all that Thou endurest! O who
will speak to the hearts of the mortals to teach them what they owe to Thee,
since Thou hast paid so dearly for their salvation from ruin!” Other most
prudent and exalted sentiments besides these were conceived by the great Lady.
