Baby Boy Survived Abortion, Lived Two Days After Doctors Left Him to Die

Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
April 28, 2010

Florence, Italy (LifeNews.com)

A 22-week old disabled boy survived an abortion attempt in southern Italy, but doctors left him to die afterwards and he survived for two days before passing away. The boy's mother was pregnant for the first time but decided to have an abortion after prenatal scans suggested the unborn child was disabled.
The London Telegraph says the abortion was done at the Rossano Calabria hospital but the baby survived the procedure.
Father Antonio Martello, the hospital chaplain, discovered the baby alive the next day -- about 20 hours after the abortion was reportedly completed.
Martello had wanted to pray over the baby but the newspaper indicates he found the child wrapped in a sheet with his umbilical cord still attached and he was moving and breathing.
After the Catholic priest notified doctors, they moved the baby to a specialist neonatal unit at another hospital for treatment -- but the child eventually died on Monday morning.
Now, the Telegraph newspaper reports the Italian police are investigating the case as a potential homicide because infanticide is illegal under Italian law. Law in Italy makes it clear doctors should provide proper medical care and treatment for children who survive botched abortions.
A representative of the Pro-Life Alliance in England told the newspaper, "There cannot be anybody in the world who is not horrified by a story like this nor anybody in the UK who would not support a massive reduction in the upper limit for abortion."
This is the second time in three years that a baby in Italy has survived a failed abortion.
In 2007, doctors worked furiously to save the life of a baby boy who was born alive after he survived an abortion that should never have happened. The boy was slated to become the victim of an abortion but physicians realized they had misdiagnosed a physical deformity.
Doctors at the teaching hospital Careggi performed two ultrasounds on the boy and his mother and they said he had a defective esophagus. That's a disorder that surgery could have corrected after birth in some cases.
However, when they went to abort the baby boy, they discovered he was healthy and desperately tried to resuscitate him.
The baby, born at 22 weeks into pregnancy, weighed 500 grams (less than 18 ounces) at birth but physicians say that he had a brain hemorrhage during the abortion and doubted he would survive.
And in 2008, a British baby survived an abortion at eight weeks into pregnancy and, six month later, was healthy and showing no signs of illness. Doctors told mother Jodie Percival she should consider having an abortion because her unborn child supposedly had a major kidney problem.
Percival, of Nottinghamshire, England, went ahead with the abortion of her unborn son at eight weeks into the pregnancy.
"I couldn't believe it,' Percival said. "This was the baby I thought I'd terminated. At first I was angry that this was happening to us, that the procedure had failed. I wrote to the hospital, I couldn't believe that they had let me down like this."
"They wrote back and apologized and said it was very rare," she added.
Italy's abortion law allows abortions up to 24 weeks of pregnancy in certain cases but it also requires doctors to do all they can to save the life of a baby who survives a botched abortion attempt.
There are about 138,000 abortions that take place annually in the European nation.

Diplomat disciplined over Pope memo is named

From http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/vaticancityandholysee/7636736/Diplomat-disciplined-over-Pope-memo-is-named.html

By Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter
27 Apr 2010

Anjoum Noorani, the diplomat who has been disciplined over a Foreign Office memo mocking the Pope Anjoum Noorani, 31, was the leader of the Papal Visit Team which drew up a document suggesting the Pope should launch his own range of “Benedict” condoms, open an abortion clinic and stay in a council flat in Bradford.
Mr Noorani, whose identity has until now remained secret, was moved to “other duties” after he gave authorisation for the memo to be sent to Downing Street and three Whitehall departments.
The memo, which was leaked to The Sunday Telegraph, threatens to overshadow the Pope’s entire four-day visit in September after it prompted fury in the Vatican and among Catholics in Britain.
Senior members of the church have described Mr Noorani and his team as having “not the slightest understanding of Catholicism”. None of the four-strong group is thought to be a practising Catholic.
The memo, which also called for the Pope to bless a homosexual marriage, was emailed around Whitehall by Steven Mulvain, a 23-year-old Oxford graduate who describes his sexual orientation on a social networking website as “gay”.
Mr Mulvain has not been disciplined for his role in the fiasco.
Mr Noorani, who, like Mr Mulvain, is a graduate of Balliol College, Oxford, chaired the “brainstorm” session which led to the “Ideal Visit” memo, which also proposed that the Pope should sing a duet with the Queen and sponsor a network of Aids clinics.
He worked as press secretary at the British Embassy in Russia between 2002 and 2007, where he dealt with all Russian media inquiries about Britain’s response to the murder of the former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko. He was unavailable for comment last night and his mother, who lives in Windsor, said she “can’t say anything”.
Although the Vatican is now trying to draw a line under the memo fiasco, Papal aides believe the Government’s choice of non-Catholic staff typifies the “lack of respect” being shown towards the first ever state visit by a Pontiff.
One source said: “The most striking thing about the Foreign Office team has been how ineffectual they are. They have been disengaged and, frankly, clueless.
“I have never had the impression that any members of the team were informed or even sensitive to the Catholic Church or Catholicism generally.”
One senior source at the Catholic Church in England and Wales said: “This does beg the question of how seriously this visit is being taken by the Government.
“All of our dealings with this Foreign Office team have suggested they don’t have any understanding of Catholicism and that’s how this issue seems to have come about.
“Why did they even have this brainstorming session in the first place? The Pope’s itinerary was decided a long time ago, so it’s not as if there was much room for extra events to be laid on.”
William Hague, the shadow foreign secretary, said: “This whole episode was utterly unacceptable.
“A Conservative-run Foreign and Commonwealth Office would put a stop to such pointless time-wasting and insulting activities. Visits by international leaders should be handled with the respect they deserve and that we would expect to be extended to us.”
The Foreign Office declined to comment on the religious beliefs of the members of the Papal Visit Team.

Pope expected to create new dicastery to re-evangelize Europe, US

Rome, Italy, Apr 26, 2010 (Catholic News Agency/EWTN News).

Pope Benedict XVI is about to release a letter announcing the creation of a new Vatican dicastery called the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization. The new department will be aimed at bringing the Gospel back to Western societies that have lost their Christian identity.
Andrea Tornielli, the Vatican correspondent for the daily Il Giornale who is usually well-informed on new appointments at the Vatican, wrote today that “Benedict does not cease to surprise: in the upcoming week the creation of a new dicastery of the Roman Curia dedicated to the evangelization of the West will be announced, and be presided over by Archbishop Rino Fisichella.”
The new dicastery is aimed at evangelizing “countries where the Gospel has been announced centuries ago, but where its presence in their peoples' daily life seems to be lost. Europe, the United States and Latin America would be the areas of influence of the new structure,” Il Giornale says.
According to Tornielli, the new dicastery would be “the most important novelty of Pope Benedict’s pontificate, a Pope that, according to the expectations, was supposed to slim down the Roman Curia.”
Tornielli says that the idea of such a dicastery was first proposed to Pope John Paul II by Msgr. Luigi Giussani, the late founder of the Italian-born movement Comunione e Liberazione (Community and Liberation), but the idea did not move ahead.
In response to the question of how the idea resurfaced, Tornielli says, according to “authoritative sources,” the proposal of the dicastery comes from the Patriarch of Venice, Italy Cardinal Angelo Scola.
During his tenure as Rector of the Pontifical Lateran University, Cardinal Scola promoted intense reflection on the loss of Christian identity in Europe. The Patriarch of Venice was also a member of Communion and Liberation, and in his current position has shown significant concern for the de-Christianization of Europe and the Western world.
Fisichella, the currently embattled head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, succeeded Angelo Scola as Rector of the Lateran University and as such, shared the same concerns of his predecessor.

Abuse victim in Malta: Pope Benedict XVI is a 'saint'

Rome, Italy, Apr 22, 2010 (Catholic News Agency/EWTN News).

Vatican analyst Andrea Tornielli spoke with Joseph Magro, 38, one of eight victims of clerical abuse who met with Pope Benedict XVI during his recent visit to Malta. Magro said the meeting “was truly a most beautiful gift, after all this suffering, we all cried, even the Pope.”
In the interview published by the Italian daily Il Giornale, Magro, who proudly showed the rosary he was given by the Holy Father in Malta, shared details about his meeting with the Pope.
“I did not have any faith in priests. Now, after this moving experience, I have hope again. You people in Italy have a saint. Do you realize that? You have a saint,” he said, referring to Pope Benedict XVI.
Later, explaining his discussion with the Holy Father, Magro said, “When I told him my name was Joseph, the Pope’s eyes grew wide and he said, ‘Joseph, like me!’ Then I asked him: ‘Why did the priest do this to me, why did he abuse me?’ He replied that he prays for me and we then prayed together.”
Magro said he could see that the Pope “felt great sorrow. I could see he was suffering with me. I didn’t want to make him suffer, I didn’t tell him about the abuse that I suffered, but he wept with me, even though he had no fault in what happened.”
After admitting that he did not expect to have this emotional encounter with the Holy Father, Magro said, “This was a great gift for me, to be welcomed in this way and to be listened to by him. I heard his speech at the airport, on Saturday afternoon. He did not say anything about the problem of abuse. But this morning (Sunday, April 18), at 9:00 a.m., I received a call: I was to go to the bishop’s house because I was going to see the Pope.”
“I finally have a little bit of peace thanks to this encounter. He gave me a rosary which I now wear around my neck,” Magro said

Curé of Ars offers Catholics chance to pray for priests

From http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2010/0420/1224268693602.html

The Irish Times - Tuesday, April 20, 2010

St John Vianney can be an inspiration to Irish Catholics today, writes PHILIP BOYCE
THE IRISH Bishops’ Conference has arranged to have the relics of St John Mary Vianney, the patron saint for priests – known as the Curé of Ars – to be brought to Ireland for a four-day visit. It is is an opportunity for the whole church in this country to pray for priests.
The relics will make visits to Cork, Dublin, Knock and Armagh before returning to France on April 29th. There will be various ceremonies at each location as well as opportunities for veneration of the relic. In honouring John Vianney we are drawing closer to the God of John Vianney, the “Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 1:3), the one whom we all seek.
What is it about this saint that inspires us? Just outside Ars, near Lyons, is a statue commemorating his arrival there as parish priest in 1818. As he approached the village, he asked for directions. When he was given the information, he said gratefully, “You have shown me the way to Ars; now I will show you the way to Heaven.”
At that time Ars had a population of about 250 inhabitants. By the time he died in 1859 Ars was already a place of pilgrimage and renewal in the church with people flocking to pray with the famous parish priest and experience the mercy of God that he witnessed to, particularly in the confessional.
The life of this humble man was remarkable. The difficulties he had to overcome in order to be ordained a priest, his academic struggles, the obstacle of a dreaded military service, his extreme asceticism, his selfless generosity, his demanding and challenging preaching, the miracles associated with his pastoral service, his simple and direct style, all point to an extraordinary life and ministry.
Parish life in post-Napoleonic rural France was far from easy. The aggressive secularism, the fierce anti-clericalism and the spiritual decline following on the French Revolution meant that his ministry required perseverance and imagination, as well as deep spiritual resources. He addressed this with utter dedication and complete trust in the goodness and mercy of God.
In June 2009, the 150th anniversary of his death, the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI inaugurated a Year for Priests aimed at deepening “the commitment of all priests to interior renewal for the sake of a more forceful and incisive witness to the Gospel in today’s world”.
Without this interior renewal the ministry and life of the priest is cut off from the very lifeblood that will sustain it.
In recent years the priesthood in Ireland has come under rigorous scrutiny. Scandals and a failure by bishops and religious superiors to deal adequately with them have sullied the outstanding work done by countless priests.
In his comprehensive Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland, published on March 20th, Pope Benedict expressly mentions the discouragement and sense of abandonment that might be felt by priests as a result of being “tainted by association” with the terrible wrongdoing of other priests.
Also Pope Benedict commends to us John Mary Vianney and mentions his intercession for the priesthood. The Curé of Ars remarked that “the priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus”.
Naturally, this love is not confined to the ministerial priesthood but is reflected in the priesthood of all the baptised.
No priest exists in isolation. Each is part of a community of believers. All are in need of continual renewal.
While John Mary Vianney clearly was a man of his generation we can still return to his life as a valuable source for reflection and inspiration. His life of prayer and penance, tireless service, care of the forgotten and ministry of Divine Mercy, all bring us deeper into the mystery of the love of the heart of Jesus revealed in the priesthood.

Bishop Philip Boyce is Bishop of Raphoe and chairman of the Episcopal Council for Clergy

Cardinal Bertone correct in linking clerical sex abuse and homosexuality, says psychiatrist

West Conshohocken, Pa., Apr 16, 2010 (Catholic News Agency/EWTN News).

Following Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone’s comments in Chile about a link existing between homosexuality and pedophilia in cases of clerical sexual abuse, both Church officials and secular figures clarified his statement. But Dr. Richard Fitzgibbons, a psychiatrist with experience treating sexually abusive priests, told CNA that the cardinal's statement is accurate.
At a press conference last Monday evening at the Pontifical Seminary of Santiago, Chile, the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said, “Many psychologists and psychiatrists have shown that there is no link between celibacy and pedophilia.” Instead, they have found a “relationship between homosexuality and pedophilia,” he added.
Many gay rights organizations reacted vehemently to Cardinal Bertone’s statement, leading Fr. Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican Press office, to assert that “it obviously refers to the problem of abuse by priests and not in the population in general."
A statement from the French Foreign Ministry calling the linkage “unacceptable” was followed by a statement by Fr. Marcus Stock, the General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. “To the best of my knowledge, there is no empirical data which concludes that sexual orientation is connected to child sexual abuse,” he said.
“The consensus among researchers is that the sexual abuse of children is not a question of sexual ‘orientation,’ whether heterosexual or homosexual, but of a disordered attraction or ‘fixation,’” Fr. Stock added. However, a U.S. psychiatrist with experience in treating priests with pedophilia disagrees that there is no link between homosexuality and sexual abuse of children. “Cardinal Bertone's comments are supported completely by the John Jay study report and by clinical experience,” Dr. Richard Fitzgibbons told CNA. “In fact, every priest whom I treated who was involved with children sexually had previously been involved in adult homosexual relationships.” Fitzgibbons, who has been the director of Comprehensive Counseling Center in West Conshohocken, Penn. since 1988, has worked extensively with individuals suffering from same sex attraction (SSA) and priests accused of pedophilia. He also presently serves as a consultant to the Congregation for the Clergy at the Holy See.
In his 2002 “Letter to Catholic Bishops,” Fitzgibbons identified priests prone to sexual abuse as having suffered “profound emotional pain” during childhood due to loneliness, problems in their relationships with their fathers, rejection by their peers, lack of male confidence, and poor self image or body image. Fitzgibbons said that these experiences lead priests especially to direct their sadness and anger towards the Church, her teachings on sexual morality, and the Magisterium.
He also noted that priests who have engaged in sexual misconduct with minors suffer from a “denial of sin in their lives.” “They consistently refused to examine their consciences, to accept the Church's teachings on moral issues as a guide for their personal actions, or regularly avail themselves of the sacrament of reconciliation. These priests either refused to seek spiritual direction or choose (sic) a spiritual director or confessor who openly rebelled against Church teachings on sexuality,” the letter said.
When asked what sort of new information has become available since the publication of the letter, Fitzgibbons put an emphasis on narcissism. “This epidemic personality weakness in the west predisposes individuals to excessive anger, the worship of self, rebelliousness against God and His Church particularly in regard to sexual morality and sexual acting-out,” he said.
The psychiatrist also reviewed the findings of the John Jay researchers, who reported that 81percent of the victims of clerical sexual abuse were male of those makes who were abused, 51 percent of whom were age 11-14, 27 percent were aged 15-17, 16 percent between 8-10, and 6 percent were under 7 years of age, emphasized Fitzgibbons.
For priests who do suffer from SSA, “I would recommend that they become more knowledgeable about the emotional origins and healing of same-sex attractions, as well as the serious medical and psychiatric illnesses associated with homosexuality,” advised Fitzgibbons. “We have observed many priests grow in holiness and in happiness in their ministry as a result of the healing of their childhood and adolescent male insecurity, loneliness and anger and, subsequently, their same-sex attractions.”
Because of the link between homosexuality and clerical sexual abusementioned by Cardinal Bertone, men with same sex attraction have a solemn responsibility to seek help and to protect the Church from further shame and sorrow, said Fitzgibbons.

Bishops are being urged to disobey Pope

From http://www.drogheda-independent.ie/breaking-news/world-news/bishops-urged-to-disobey-pope-2139358.html

Thursday April 15 2010
German theologian Hans Kueng has urged bishops to disobey the pope and push for reforms in the Roman Catholic Church.
The 82-year-old former colleague and friend of Pope Benedict XVI says the church is in its deepest crisis since the Protestant Reformation after recent revelations of sexual abuse by clergy and the ensuing erosion of trust.
Mr Kueng, a veteran of the Second Vatican Council, said in an editorial in the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung that bishops should call for a new synod to discuss reforms.
He said it is legitimate for bishops to pressure Roman authorities if the pope blocks their efforts, adding that bishops should not be "actors without voice or rights".
The editorial also appeared in the New York Times and La Repubblica.

Prayers offered for Polish after plane crash

Vatican City, Apr 10, 2010 (Catholic News Agency/EWTN News).

The Holy Father expressed his sorrow over the death of Polish President Lech Kaczynski and those accompanying him on a flight to Russia on Saturday morning. Pope Benedict remembered all of those who died and implored "a special blessing to the people of Poland from God omnipotent."
According to CNN, President Kaczynski, his wife, top members of the Polish government, army and several Church authorities were on the plane that went down just seconds from landing at the airport of Smolensk, Russia. The aircraft apparently clipped some trees with a wing as it made its way through heavy fog. Reports vary on the number of people on the plane, but counts run from 89 to 132 people, none of whom survived.
The delegation was headed to the small village of Katyn, a few kilometers from Smolensk, in a landmark visit to observe the 70th anniversary of the execution of more than 20,000 Polish officers during World War II.
Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his telegram to the acting President of the Polish Parliament, Bronislaw Komorowski, that it was with "profound sorrow" that he learned of the deaths of those who were on their way to Katyn.
He remembered the president, the exiled ex-president of the Republic Ryszard Kaczorowski, Army chaplain and Bishop Tadeusz Plozki, Orthodox Archbishop Miron Chodakowski and Evangelical military pastor Adam Pilsch by name.
He entrusted all of the victims of the crash "to the goodness of merciful God" and prayed, "May He take them into his glory."
To the families of the dead and to all Poles he sent his "sincere condolences" and assured his them of spiritual closeness.
"In this difficult moment," he closed, "I implore for all the people of Poland a special blessing of God omnipotent."

Meditation for Easter Sunday

From The Liturgical Year by Abbot Dom Guéranger, O.S.B.
He is risen: He is not here! The Corpse, laid by the hands of them that loved their Lord, on the slab that lies in that cave, is risen; and, without removing the stone that closed the entrance, has gone forth, quickened with a life which can never die. No man has helped Him. No prophet has stood over the dead Body, bidding it return to life. It is Jesus Himself, and by His own power, that has risen. He suffered death, not from necessity, but because He so willed; and again, because He willed, He has delivered Himself from its bondage. O Jesus! Thou, that thus mockest death, art the Lord our God! We reverently bend our knees before this empty tomb, which is now forever sacred, because, for a few hours, it was the place of Thy abode. Behold the place where they laid Him! Behold the winding-sheet and bands, which remain to tell the mystery of Thy having once been dead! The angel says to the women: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified! The recollection makes us weep. Yes, it was but the day before yesterday that His Body was carried hither, mangled, wounded, bleeding. Here, in this cave, from which the angel has now rolled back the stone--in this cave, which His presence fills with a more than mid-day brightness--stood the afflicted Mother. It echoed with the sobs of them that were at the burial, John and the two disciples, Magdalen and her companions. The sun sank beneath the horizon, and the first day of Jesus' burial began. But the prophet has said: 'In the evening weeping shall have place; and in the morning gladness' (Psalm 29:6). This glorious, happy morning has come, O Jesus! and great indeed is our gladness at seeing that this same sepulchre, whither we followed Thee with aching hearts, is now but the trophy of Thy victory! Thy precious wounds are healed! It was we that caused them; permit us to kiss them. Thou art now living, more glorious than ever, and immortal. And because we are resolved to die to our sins, when Thou wast dying in order to expiate them, Thou willest that we, too, should live eternally with Thee; that Thy victory over death should be ours; that death should be for us, as it were for Thee, a mere passage to immortality, and should one day give back, uninjured and glorified, these bodies which are to be lent for a while to the tomb. Glory, then, and honor and love, be to Thee, O Jesus! who didst deign not only to die, but to rise again for us!

Novena for Divine Mercy begins today

From 1931 to 1938 Our Lord revealed the secrets of His great mercy to St. Faustina. He designated the first Sunday after Easter as the Feast of the Divine Mercy of God. In preparation of this Feast, He asked that a Novena be started on Good Friday, a Novena which asks for prayers each of the nine days for a different group of souls in order to immerse them in the sea of God’s Mercy! Mass, Confession, Communion are required on Mercy Sunday, the first Sunday after Easter. Our Lord promised to the souls who follow these requests a complete remission of sin and punishment! Our Lord thus instructed Sister Faustina: “My daughter, speak to the whole world of My incomprehensible Mercy. I desire that the Feast be a refuge and a shelter for all souls, especially for poor sinners. The very depths of My Mercy will be opened on that day. I will pour out a sea of graces upon those souls that will approach the font of My Mercy. Those who go to confession and receive Holy Communion on Mercy Sunday, the first Sunday after Easter, will obtain complete remission of sins and punishment. Let no soul fear to come to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. Tell ailing mankind to draw close to My Merciful Heart and I will fill it with peace. Mankind will not find peace until it turns with confidence to My Mercy.”

FIRST DAY - Good Friday, April 2, 2010
Let us pray that God may deign to show His Mercy to all mankind.
O Most Merciful Jesus, for Whom it its most proper to be merciful unto us and to forgive us, look not upon our sins, but upon the hope which we have in Thy infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Thy Most Merciful Heart and do not permit anyone to depart there from for all eternity for the love which unites Thee with the Father and the Holy Spirit. “Show us Thy mercy, O Lord, just as we trust in Thy Holy Name, for Thou art all powerful, most kind, patient, faithful, good and merciful.” Eternal Father, view all mankind with a merciful eye, and especially the poor sinners, whose only hope is the Most Merciful Heart of Thy Son and Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Through His sorrowful Passion stretch Thy mercy over us, that together we may glorify Thy omnipotence for all eternity. Amen. Our Father .... Hail Mary .... Glory be to the Father ....

SECOND DAY - Holy Saturday, April 3, 2010
Let us pray for the clergy of all ranks, through whom the Mercy of God is poured out on all mankind.
Most Merciful Jesus, from Whom all good proceeds, increase Thy graces in the souls of Thy priests and religious, that they may worthily and fruitfully accomplish their tasks in Thy Vineyard, and that they may lead all by words and example to a rightful cult of Divine Mercy for all eternity. The Font of Mercy and Love Divine Resides in the hearts of the humble and the innocent, Till, bathed in the wavelets of God’s Mercy, They sparkle like the stars and the morning dew. Eternal Father, cast Thy Merciful glance upon the laborers in Thy Vineyard—on the souls of priests, nuns and brothers, who are the special beloved of Thy Son and Our Lord Jesus Christ. Adorn them with the power of Thy blessing and grant them special light, that they may consistently lead others along the path of salvation and may obtain for them all the graces of Thy Mercy. Amen. Our Father ... Hail Mary .... Glory be to the Father ....

THIRD DAY- Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010
Let us pray for all the faithful Christians.
O most Merciful Jesus, who dost bestow Thy graces upon all in abundance from the treasure of Thy Mercy, receive all faithful Christians into the abode of Thy Most Merciful Heart and do not abandon them for all eternity. We beg this of Thee through the love that unites Thee to the Father and the Holy Ghost. The marvels of Mercy are unexplored, Nor sinner nor just can plumb it’s deep. God views us all with Mercy’s eye. And of His love would have us reap. Eternal Father, cast Thy Merciful Eye upon the souls of the faithful, who are the loving heritage of Thy Son, and through His sorrowful Passion grant them Thy blessings and encompass them with Thy unceasing care, that they may never lose their love and treasure of divine faith, but that they may glorify Thy boundless Mercy with the multitude of angels and saints for all eternity. Amen. Our Father .... Hail Mary .... Glory be to the Father ...

FOURTH DAY- Easter Monday, April 5, 2010
Let us pray for pagans and infidels who are still in ignorance of the Mercy of God.
Most Merciful Jesus, light of the world, receive into the abode of Thy Merciful Heart the souls of pagans and infidels who have not yet acknowledged Thee. Let the rays of Thy grace enlighten them, that they too may praise the wonders of Thy Mercy with us for all eternity. May the light of Thy boundless Love Enlighten the darkling infidels. May they acknowledge and may they praise Thy goodness for all eternity! Eternal Father, cast Thy Merciful glance upon the souls of pagans and infidels, who still remain in ignorance of the Most Merciful Heart of Thy Son and Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Draw them near to the light of Thy Gospel that they may recognize how great a happiness it is to love Thee and to glorify Thy Mercy for all eternity. Amen. Our Father .... Hail Mary .... Glory be to the Father ....

FIFTH DAY - Easter Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Let us pray for heretics and schismatics, who rend the Mystical body of Christ, that they may return to the unity of the Church.
O Most Merciful Jesus, who are goodness itself and who dost not refuse divine light to those who humbly seek, receive into the abode of Thy Most Merciful Heart the souls of heretics and schismatics. Attract them by Thy light into unity with Thy Church, that they may praise the liberality of Thy Mercy with us for all eternity. May those who have rent the cloak of Thy unity Draw from Thy Heart a surging torrent of Mercy. For Thy Mercy alone, O Lord, Can lead these souls out of error. Eternal Father, look down with Mercy, we implore Thee, upon the souls of heretics and schismatics, who have abused and squandered Thy graces and who stubbornly persist in their errors: look not upon their evil, but upon the love and the bitter Passion of Thy Son, who, about to suffer His Passion, so ardently begs of Thee: “That they all may be one” (John 17,21) -- and grant, that they may return to that unity as quickly as possible and that they may praise Thy Mercy with us for all eternity. Amen. Our Father .... Hail Mary .... Glory be to the Father ....

SIXTH DAY - Easter Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Let us pray for little children and those souls, that have become like to them in their purity and simplicity.
Most Merciful Jesus, Who hast said: “Learn of me, for I am meek and humble of heart” (Math. 11,29), receive into the abode of Thy Most Merciful Heart the souls of little children, and those who, like little children, have become meek and humble and have thereby graced heaven with the most pleasant delight and are a fragrant crown before the throne of Thy Heavenly Father. Grant that they may constantly dwell within Thy Sacred Heart and may continually praise the Mercy of God. A truly humble soul and meek Foretaste on earth the bliss of Paradise: The odor of a chaste and simple heart Delights all heavenly spirits and their Maker. Eternal Father, look down with Mercy upon the souls of little children and upon the souls of all those who are meek and humble and who have thereby become especially like unto Thy Son, and the fragrance of whose virtues rises up to Thy throne. O Father of Mercy, we beg of Thee, through the love and the delight which Thou hast in these souls, bless the entire world that all may unite in rendering eternal praise to Thy Mercy. Amen. Our Father .... Hail Mary .... Glory be to the Father ....

SEVENTH DAY - Easter Thursday, April 8, 2010
Let us pray for all adorers of Divine Mercy, that they may become the living image of the most Merciful Heart of Jesus.
O Most Merciful Jesus, Whose Heart is love itself, receive into the abode of Thy Heart those souls which especially venerate and give praise to the greatness of Divine Mercy and which, though cruelly tormented for the sins of mankind, strive to make known Thy infinite goodness and abundant mercy to the entire world, Enfold them with Thy ever increasing Mercy and strengthen them always with the grace of perseverance, fortitude and patience. Praising the goodness of its Master, The soul is especially loved by Him; It is privileged to stand close to the living font To draw continual graces from Divine Mercy. Eternal Father, cast Thy Merciful Eye upon those souls which are especially devoted to the veneration and praise of Thy infinite Mercy and which glorify Thee by word and deed and are merciful towards their fellowmen in imitation of Thee. We humbly beseech Thee, show them even grater mercy according to the hope which they placed in Thee and in accordance with Thy promises. Protect them always and especially in the hour of death. Amen. Our Father .... Hail Mary .... Glory be to the Father ....

EIGHTH DAY- Easter Friday, April 9, 2010
Let us pray for the souls in purgatory, that the stream of Christ’s Blood may diminish and shorten their suffering.
Most Merciful Jesus, Who hast said: “Be merciful, as your Heavenly Father is merciful” (Luke 6,36): receive into the abode of Thy Most Merciful Heart the souls suffering in purgatory to pay their old debt to Divine Justice. May the stream of blood and water which gushed forth from Thy Heart quench the flames of purgatorial fire, that there too the power of Thy mercy may be glorified. From the horrible heat of purgatory’s fire A suppliant sigh seeks Thy Mercy’s throne. Grant these souls a cooling, solace and relief In the soothing stream of blood and water from Thy Side. Eternal Father, look down with mercy upon the suffering souls in purgatory and through the sorrowful passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the bitterness with which His Most Sacred Heart was filled, show pity to those who are now paying their debt to Thy justice. We beg of Thee, behold them through the wounds of Thy Most Beloved Son and Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whose mercy surpasses His justices. Amen. Our Father .... Hail Mary .... Glory be to the Father ....

NINTH DAY - Easter Saturday, April 10, 2010
Let us pray for lukewarm and indifferent souls.
O Most Merciful Jesus, lead into the abode of Thy Most Merciful Heart all lukewarm souls, which like decaying corpses filled Thee with aversion and loathing in the Garden of Olives. Plunge them into the fire of Thy most pure love, that they may become inflamed with an ever increasing fire of love and may ever praise Thy boundless Mercy. Fire and ice will never unite: Either the fire must die or the ice must vanish. Only the fathomless Mercy of God Can change the ice of tepid hearts into a flame. Eternal Father, cast Thy merciful glance upon lukewarm souls. We beseech Thee through the bitter passion of Thy Most Beloved Son and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and through His agony upon the Cross, inflame these souls with a new zeal for Thy glory and pour a true love into their hearts. Thus quickened may they perform deeds of mercy and may they glorify the Mercy of God for all eternity. Amen. Our Father .... Hail Mary .... Glory be to the Father ....

TENTH DAY - Mercy Sunday, April 11, 2010
Go to confession, attend Mass, and receive Holy Communion and all your sins for your whole will be forgiven and the punishment due to them will be wiped away.

Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Begin with the Sign of the Cross, 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and The Apostles Creed.
Then on the Our Father Beads say the following:
Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
On the 10 Hail Mary Beads say the following:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
(Repeat step 2 and 3 for all five decades).
Conclude with (three times):
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Ecce Homo

(An excerpt from the classic book, The Passion and Death of Jesus Christ, by St. Alphonsus Liguori.)

Pilate, seeing the Redeemer reduced to that condition, so moving, as it was, to compassion, thought that the mere sign of Him would have softened the Jews. He therefore led Him forth into the balcony; he raised up the purple garment, and, exhibiting to the people the body of Jesus all covered with wounds and gashes, he said to them, Behold the man: Pilate went forth again to them, and saith to them: Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him. Jesus, therefore, went forth, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment; and he saith unto them: Behold the Man (John 19:4-5). Behold the Man! as though he would have said, Behold the man against whom you have laid an accusation before me, and who wanted to make Himself a king. I, to please you, have sentenced Him, innocent although He be, to be scourged: "Behold the Man, not honored as a king, but covered with disgrace." Behold Him, now, reduced to such a state that He wears the appearance of a man that has been flayed alive; and He can have but little life left in Him. If, with all this, you want me to condemn Him to death, I tell you that I cannot do so, as I find not any reason for condemning Him. But the Jews on beholding Jesus thus ill-treated, waxed more fierce: When, therefore, the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, Crucify Him! Crucify Him! (John 19:6) Pilate, seeing that they could not be pacified, washed his hands in the presence of the people, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just Man; look you to it (Mt. 27:24). And they made answer, His blood be upon us, and upon our children (Mt. 27:25).
O my beloved Saviour! Thou art the greatest of all kings; yet now I behold Thee the most reviled of all mankind. If this ungrateful people knows Thee not, I know Thee; and I adore Thee as my true King and Lord. I thank Thee, O my Redeemer, for all the outrages that Thou hast suffered for me; and I pray Thee to give me a love for contempt and pains, since Thou hast so lovingly embraced them. I blush at having in time past loved honored and pleasures so much, that for their sake I have often gone so far as to renounce Thy grace and Thy love. I repent of this above every other evil. I embrace, O Lord, all the pains and ignominies that will come to me from Thy hands. Do Thou bestow upon me that resignation which I need. I love Thee, my Jesus, my love, my all.

The Crowning with Thorns

(An excerpt from the classic book, The Passion and Death of Jesus Christ, by St. Alphonsus Liguori):

This vile crowd, not content with having so barbarously crowned Jesus Christ, wished to mock him, and to multiply fresh insults and torments; and so they bent the knee before him, and deridingly saluted him, "Hail, King of the Jews;" they spat in his face, they struck him with the palms of their hands; with cries and ridicule and contempt they vilely insult him: And bending the knee before Him, they mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews; and spitting on Him, they gave Him blows. (Mt. 27:29; John 19:3) Ah, my Lord, to what art Thou reduced? O God, if any one had chanced to pass that way, and had seen this man thus disfigured, covered with these purple rags, with this sceptre in his hand, with this crown on his head, thus derided and ill-treated by this rabble, for what could he ever have accounted him but for a man the most infamous and wicked in all the world. Behold, then, the Son of God become the mockery of Jerusalem!
Ah, my Jesus, if I look on Thy body without, I see nothing but wounds and blood. If within, in Thy heart, I find nothing else but bitterness and anguish, which make Thee suffer the agonies of death. Ah, my God, who but infinite goodness, such as Thou art, could ever have humbled himself to suffer so much for his creatures?—but creatures beloved of God, because Thou art God. These wounds which I see in Thee are all tokens of the love which Thou bearest to us. Oh, if all men could have contemplated Thee in the condition in which on that day Thou wast a spectacle of sorrow and reproach to all Jerusalem, who would not have been seized by love of Thee? Lord, I love Thee, and give myself wholly to Thee. Behold, my blood, my life, all I offer Thee. Behold me ready to suffer and die as it pleaseth Thee. And what can I deny to Thee who hast not denied to me Thy blood and life? Deign to accept the sacrifice which a miserable sinner makes of himself, who now loves Thee with all his heart.

Meditations for Good Friday

From The Liturgical Year by Abbot Dom Guéranger, O.S.B.

THE MORNING: The sun has risen upon Jerusalem. But the priests and scribes have not waited all this time without venting their rage upon Jesus. Annas, who was the first to receive the divine Captive, has had Him taken to his son-in-law Caiphas, the high priest. Here He is put through a series of insulting questions, which disdaining to answer, He receives a blow from one of the high priest’s servants. False witnesses had already been prepared: they now come forward, and depose their lies against Him who is the very Truth: but their testimony is contradictory. Then Caiphas, seeing that this plan for convicting Jesus of blasphemy is only serving to expose his accomplices, turns to another. He asks Him a question, which will oblige our Lord to make an answer; and in this answer he, Caiphas, will discover blasphemy, and blasphemy will bring Jesus under the power of the Synagogue. This is the question: ‘I adjure Thee, by the living God, that Thou tell us, if Thou be the Christ the Son of God! [1] Our Saviour, in order to teach us that we should show respect to those who are in authority, breaks the silence He has hitherto observed, and answers: Thou hast said it: I am: and hereafter ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming in the clouds of heaven.’ [2] Hereupon, the impious pontiff rises, rends his garments, and exclaims: ‘He hath blasphemed! What further need have we of witnesses? Behold! now ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye?’ The whole place resounds with the cry: ‘He is guilty of death!’ [3]
The Son of God has come down upon the earth in order to restore man to life; and yet, here we have this creature of death daring to summon his divine Benefactor before a human tribunal, and condemning Him to death! And Jesus is silent, and bears with these presumptuous, these ungrateful, blasphemers! Well may we exclaim, in the words wherewith the Greek Church frequently interrupts to-day’s reading of the Passion: ‘Glory be to thy patience, O Lord!’
Scarcely have the terrible words, ‘He is guilty of death,’ been uttered, than the servants of the high priest rush upon Jesus. They spit upon Him, and blindfolding Him, they strike Him, saying: ‘Prophesy, who is it that struck Thee?’ [4] Thus does the Synagogue treat the Messias, who, they say, is to be their glory! And yet, these outrages, frightful as they are, are but the beginning of what our Redeemer has to go through.
But there is something far more trying than all this to the heart of Jesus, and it is happening at this very time. Peter has made his way as far as the court of the high priest’s palace. He is recognized by the bystanders as a Galilean, and one of Jesus’ disciples. The apostle trembles for his life; he denies his Master, and affirms with an oath that he does not even know Him. What a sad example is here of the punishment of presumption! But Jesus has mercy on His apostle. The servants of the high priest lead Him near to the place where Peter is standing; He casts upon him a look of reproach and pardon; Peter immediately goes forth, and weeps bitterly. From this hour forward he can do nothing but lament his sin; and it is only on Easter morning, when Jesus shall appear to him after His Resurrection, that he will admit any consolation to his afflicted heart. Let us make him our model, now that we are spending these hours, with our holy mother the Church, in contemplating the Passion of Jesus. Peter withdraws, because he fears his own weakness; let us remain to the end, for what have we to fear? May our Jesus give us one of those looks, which can change the hardest and worst of hearts!
Meanwhile, the day-dawn breaks upon the city, and the chief priests make arrangements for taking Jesus before the Roman governor. They themselves have found Him guilty; they have condemned Him as a blasphemer, and according to the Law of Moses a blasphemer must be stoned to death. But they cannot apply the law: Jerusalem is no longer free, or governed by her own laws. The power over life and death may be exercised only by her conquerors, and that in the name of Cæsar. How is it that these priests and scribes can go through all this, and never once remember the prophecy of Jacob, that the Messias would come when the sceptre should be taken away from Juda? [5] They know off by heart, they are the appointed guardians of, those prophecies, which describe the death to which this Messias is to be put; and yet, they are the very ones who bring it about! How is all this? They are blind, and it is jealousy that blinds them.
The rumour of Jesus’ having been seized during the night, and that He is on the point of being led before the Roman governor, rapidly spreads through the city, and reaches Judas’ ears. This wretched man had a passion for money, but there was nothing to make him desire the death of his divine Master. He knew Jesus’ supernatural power. He perhaps flattered himself that He, who could command nature and the elements, would easily escape from the hands of His enemies. But now when he sees that He does not escape, and that He is to be condemned to death, he runs to the temple, and gives back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests. Is it that he is converted, and is about to ask his Master to pardon him? Alas, no! Despair has possession of him, and he puts an end to his existence. The recollection of all the merciful solicitations made to him, yesterday, by Jesus, both during the last Supper, and in the garden, gives him no confidence; it only serves to increase is despair. Surely, he well knew what a merciful Saviour he had to deal with! And yet, he despairs, and this at the very time when the Blood, which washes away the sins of the whole world, is about to be shed! He is lost, because he despaired.
The chief priests, taking Jesus with them, present themselves at the governor’s palace, demanding audience for a case of importance. Pilate comes forward, and peevishly asks them: ‘What accusation bring ye against this Man?’ They answer: ‘If He were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered Him up to thee.’ It is very evident, from these first words, that Pilate has a contempt for these Jewish priests; it is not less evident that they are determined to gain their cause. ‘Take Him you,’ says Pilate, ‘and judge Him according to your Law.’ The chief priests answer: ‘It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.’ [6]
Pilate leaves the hall, in order to speak with these men. He returns, and commands Jesus to be brought in. The Son of God and the representative of the pagan world are face to face. Pilate begins by asking Him: ‘Art Thou the King of the Jews?’ To this Jesus thus replies: ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would certainly strive that I should not be delivered to the Jews. But now My kingdom is not from hence’. ‘Art Thou a King, then?’ says Pilate. ‘Thou sayest,’ answers Jesus, ‘that I am a King.’ Having, by these last words, confessed His august dignity, our Lord offers a grace to this Roman; He tells him that there is something worthier of man’s ambition than earthly honours. ‘For this,’ says Jesus, ‘was I born, and for this came I into the world; that I should give testimony to the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice.’ ‘What is truth?’ asks Pilate; but without waiting for the answer, he leaves Jesus, for he is anxious to have done with this case. He returns to the Jews, and says to them: ‘I find no cause in Him.’ [7] Pilate fancies that this Jesus must be a leader of some Jewish sect, whose teachings give offence to the chief priests, but which are not worth his examining into them: yet at the same time, he is convinced that He is a harmless Man, and that it would be foolish and unjust to accuse Him of disturbing the state. Scarcely has Pilate expressed his opinion in favour of Jesus, than a long list of accusations is brought up against Him by the chief priests. Pilate is astonished at Jesus’ making no reply, and says to Him: ‘Dost Thou not hear how great testimonies they allege against Thee?’ [8] These words are kindly meant, but Jesus still remains silent: they, however, excite His enemies to fresh fury, and they cry out: ‘He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, even to this place.’ [9] This word Galilee suggests a new idea to Pilate. Herod, the tetrarch of Galilee, happens to be in Jerusalem at this very time. Jesus is his subject; He must be sent to him. Thus Pilate will get rid of a troublesome case, and this act of courteous deference will re-establish a good understanding between himself and Herod.
The Saviour is therefore dragged through the streets of Jerusalem, from Pilate’s house to Herod’s palace. His enemies follow Him with relentless fury; but Jesus still observes His noble silence. Herod, the murderer of John the Baptist, insults Him, and ordering Him to be clothed in a white garment, as a fool, he sends Him back to Pilate. Another plan for ridding himself of this troublesome case now strikes the Roman governor. At the feast of the Pasch, he had the power of granting pardon to any one criminal the people may select. They are assembled together at the court-gates. He feels sure that their choice will fall upon Jesus, for it is but a few days ago that they led Him in triumph through the city: besides, he intends to make the alternative one who is an object of execration to the whole people; he is a murderer, and his name Barabbas. ‘Whom will you that I release to you?’ says Pilate: ‘Barabbas, or Jesus, that is called the Christ?’ He has not long to wait for the answer: the crowd exclaim: ‘Not this man, but Barabbas!’ ‘What then,’ replies Pilate, ‘shall I do with Jesus, that is called the Christ?’ ‘Crucify Him.’ ‘Why, what evil hath He done? I will chastise Him, therefore, and let Him go.’ But they, growing irritated at this, cry out so much the louder: ‘Crucify Him! Crucify Him!’ [10]
Pilate’s cowardly subterfuge has failed, and left him in a more difficult position than he was before. His putting the innocent on a level with a murderer was in itself a gross injustice; and yet, he has not gone far enough for a people that is blind with passion. Neither does his promise to chastise Jesus satisfy them: they want more than His Blood; they insist on His death.
Here let us pause, and offer our Saviour a reparation for the insult He here receives. He is put in competition with a murderer, and the murderer is preferred! Pilate makes an attempt to save Jesus: but on what terms! He must be put on a footing with a vile wretch, and even so be worsted! Those very lips that, a few days back, sang ‘Hosannah to the Son of David,’ now clamour for His crucifixion! The city magistrate and governor pronounces Him innocent, and yet condemns Him to be scourged, because he fears a disturbance!
Jesus is made over to the soldiers to be scourged. They rudely strip Him of His garments, and tie Him to the pillar which is kept for this kind of torture. Fiercely do they strike Him; the Blood flows down His sacred Body. Let us adore this the second bloodshedding of our Jesus, whereby He expiates the sins we and the whole world have committed by the flesh. This scourging is by the hands of Gentiles: the Jews delivered Him up to be punished, and the Romans were the executioners: thus have we all had our share in the awful deicide.
At last the soldiers are tired; they loose their Victim; but it is not out of anything like pity. Their cruelty is going to rest, and their rest is derision. Jesus has been called King of the Jews: a king, say they, must have a crown! Accordingly, they make one for the Son of David! It is of thorns. They press it violently upon His head, and this is the third bloodshedding of Our Redeemer. Then, that they may make their scoffing perfect, the soldiers throw a scarlet cloak over His shoulders, and put a reed, for a sceptre, into His hand; and bending their knee before Him, they thus salute Him: ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ This insulting homage is accompanied with blows upon His face; they spit upon Him; and, from time to time, take the reed from His hand, wherewith to strike the thorns deeper into His head.
Here, the Christian prostrates himself before his Saviour, and says to Him with a heart full of compassion and veneration: ‘Yes! my Jesus! Thou art King of the Jews! Thou art the Son of David, and therefore our Messias and our Redeemer! Israel, that hath so lately proclaimed Thee King, now unkings Thee; the Gentiles scoff at Thy royalty, making it a subject for keener insult; but reign Thou must, and over both Jews and Gentiles: over the Jews, by Thy justice, for they are soon to feel the sceptre of Thy revenge; over the Gentiles, by Thy mercy, for Thine apostles are soon to lead them to Thy feet. Receive, dearest King! our homage and submission! Reign now and for ever over our hearts, yea, over our whole being!’
Thus mangled and bleeding, holding the reed in His hand, and with the scarlet tatters on His shoulders, Jesus is led back to Pilate. It is just the sight that will soften the hearts of the people; at least, Pilate thinks so; and taking Him with him to a balcony of the palace, he shows Him to the crowd below, saying: ‘Behold the Man!’ [11] Little did Pilate know all that these few words conveyed! He says not: ‘Behold Jesus!’ nor, ‘Behold the King of the Jews!’ He says: ‘Behold the Man!’ Man—the Christian understands the full force of the word thus applied to our Redeemer. Adam, the first man, rebelled against God, and, by his sin, deranged the whole work of the Creator: as a punishment for his pride and intemperance, the flesh tyrannized over the spirit; the very earth was cursed, and thorns were to be its growth. Jesus, the new Man, comes into this world, bearing upon Him, not the reality, but the appearance, the likeness, of sin: in Him, the work of the Creator regains the primeval order; but the change was not wrought without violence. To teach us that the flesh must be brought into subjection to the spirit, Jesus’ Flesh was torn by the scourges; to teach us that pride must give way to humility, the only crown that Jesus wears is made of thorns. Yes, ‘Behold the Man!’ the triumph of the spirit over the flesh, the triumph of humility over pride.
Like the tiger that grows fiercer as he sees blood, so is Israel at the sight of Jesus after His scourging. ‘Crucify Him! Crucify Him!’—The cry is still the same. ‘Take Him you,’ says Pilate, ‘and crucify Him; for I find no cause in Him.’ And yet, he has ordered Him to be scourged enough to cause His death! Here is another device of the base coward; but it, too, fails. The Jews have their answer ready; they put forward the right granted by the Romans to the nations that are tributary to the empire. ‘We have,’ say they, ‘a law, and according to the law He ought to die; because He made Himself the Son of God.’ Disconcerted by this reply, Pilate takes Jesus aside into the hall, and says to Him: ‘Whence art Thou?’ Jesus is silent; Pilate was not worthy to hear the answer to his question. This silence irritates him. ‘Speakest Thou not to me?’ says he. ‘Knowest Thou not, that I have power to crucify Thee, and I have power to release Thee?’ Here Jesus deigns to speak; and He speaks in order to teach us that every power of government, even where pagans are in question, comes from God, and not from a pretended social compact: ‘Thou shouldst not have any power against Me, unless it were given thee from above. Therefore, he that hath delivered Me to thee, hath the greater sin.’ [12]
This dignified reply produces an impression upon Pilate: he resolves to make another attempt to save Jesus. But the people vociferate a threat which alarms him: ‘If thou release this Man, thou art not Cæsar’s friend; for whosoever maketh himself a king, speaketh against Cæsar.’ Still, he is determined to try and pacify the crowd. He leaves the hall, sits upon the judgment-seat, orders Jesus to be placed near him, and thus pleads for Him: ‘Behold your King!’ as though he would say, ‘What have you or Cæsar to fear from such a pitiable object as this?’ The argument is unavailing, and only provokes the cry: ‘Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!’ As though he did not believe them to be in earnest, Pilate says to them: ‘Shall I crucify your King?’ This time the chief priests answer: ‘We have no king but Cæsar.’ [13] When the very ministers of God can talk thus, religion is at an end. No king but Cæsar! Then, the sceptre is taken from Juda, and Jerusalem is cast off, and the Messias is come!
Pilate, seeing that nothing can quell the tumult, and that his honour as governor is at stake, decides on making Jesus over to His enemies. Though against his own inclination, he passes the sentence, which is to cause him such remorse of conscience that he will afterwards seek relief in suicide. He takes a tablet, and with astyle writes the inscription which is to be fastened to the cross. The people demand that two thieves should be crucified at the same time; it would be an additional insult to Jesus: this, too, he grants, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaias: And with the wicked was He reputed. [14] Having thus defiled his soul with the most heinous of crimes, Pilate washes his hands before the people, and says to them: ‘I am innocent of the Blood of this just Man; look ye to it!’ They answer him with this terrible self-imprecation: ‘His Blood be upon us and upon our children!’ [15] The mark of parricide here fastens on this ungrateful and sacrilegious people; Cain-like, they shall wander fugitives on the earth. Eighteen hundred years have passed since then; slavery, misery, and contempt, have been their portion; but the mark is still upon them. Let us Gentiles—upon whom the Blood of Jesus has fallen as the dew of heaven’s mercy—return fervent thanks to the goodness of our heavenly Father, who hath so loved the world, as to give it His only-begotten Son. [16] Let us give thanks to the Son, who, seeing that our iniquities could not be blotted out save by His Blood, shed it, on this day, even to the very last drop.
Here commences ‘the way of the cross’: the house of Pilate, where our Jesus receives the sentence of death, is the first station. Our Redeemer is consigned, by the governor’s order, into the hands of the Jews. The soldiers seize Him, and drag Him from the court. They strip Him of the scarlet cloak and bid Him clothe Himself with His own garments as before the scourging. The cross is ready and they put it on His wounded shoulders. The place where the new Isaac loads Himself with the wood of His sacrifice, is the second station. To Calvary!—this is the word of command, and it is obeyed: soldiers, executioners, priests, scribes, people—these form the procession. Jesus moves slowly on; but after a few paces, exhausted by the loss of Blood and by His sufferings, He falls under the weight of His cross. It is the first fall, and marks the third station.
He falls, not so much by the weight of His cross, as by that of our sins! The soldiers roughly lay their hands on Him, and force Him up again. Scarcely has He resumed His steps, than He is met by His afflicted Mother. The ‘valiant woman’, whose love is stronger than death, was not to be absent at such an hour as this. She must see her Son, follow Him, keep close to Him, even to His last breath. No tongue can tell the poignancy of her grief. The anxiety she has endured during the last few days has exhausted her strength. All the sufferings of Jesus have been made known to her by a divine revelation; she has shared each one of them with Him. But now she cannot endure to be absent, and makes her way through the crowd. The sacrifice is nigh its consummation; no human power could keep such a Mother from her Jesus. The faithful Magdalene is by her side, bathed in tears; John, Mary the mother of James the Less, and Salerno the mother of John, are also with her: they weep for their divine Master, she for her Son. Jesus sees her, but cannot comfort her, for all this is but the beginning of what He is to endure. Oh! what an additional suffering was this for His loving Heart, to see His Mother agonizing with sorrow! The executioners observe the Mother of their Victim, but it would be too much mercy in them to allow her to speak to Him; she may follow, if she please, with the crowd; it is more than she could have expected, to be allowed this meeting, which we venerate as the fourth station of the way of the cross.
But from this to the last there is a long distance, for there is a law that all criminals are to be executed outside the city walls. The Jews are afraid of Jesus’ expiring before reaching the place of sacrifice. Just at this time, they behold a man coming from the country, by name Simon of Cyrene; they order him to help Jesus to carry His cross. It is out of a motive of cruelty to our Lord, but it gives Simon the honour of sharing with Him the fatigue of bearing the instrument of the world’s salvation. The spot where this happens is the fifth station.
A little farther on, an incident occurs which strikes the executioners themselves with astonishment. A woman makes her way through the crowd, and setting the soldiers at defiance, comes close up to Jesus. She holds her veil in her hands, and with it respect-fully wipes the face of our Lord, for it is covered with blood, sweat, and spittle. She loves Jesus, and cares not what may happen to her, so she can offer Him this slight comfort. Her love receives its reward: she finds her veil miraculously impressed with the likeness of Jesus’ Face. This courageous act of Veronica marks the sixth station of the way of the cross.
Jesus grows weaker at each step: He falls a second time: it is the seventh station. Again do the soldiers violently raise Him up, and push Him along the road. It is easy to follow in His footsteps, for a streak of Blood shows where He has passed. A group of women is following close behind the soldiers; they heed not the insults heaped upon them; their compassion makes them brave. But the last brutal treatment’ shown to Jesus is more than they can bear in silence; they utter a cry of pitiful lamentation. Our Saviour is pleased with these women, who, in spite of the weakness of their sex, are showing more courage than all the men of Jerusalem put together. He affectionately turns towards them, and tells them what a terrible chastisement is to follow the crime they are now witnessing. The chief priests and scribes recognize the dignity of the Prophet that had so often spoken to them: they listen with indignation; and, at this the eighth station of the great way, they hear these words: ‘Daughters of Jerusalem! weep not over Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold the days shall come, wherein they will say: Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the paps that have not given suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains: Fall upon us! And to the hills: Cover us!’ [17]
At last, they reach the foot of the hill. Calvary is steep; but it is the place of Jesus’ Sacrifice. He begins the ascent, but falls a third time: the hallowed spot is counted as the ninth station. A third time the soldiers force Jesus to rise and continue His painful journey to the summit of the hill, which is to serve as the altar for the holocaust that is to surpass all others in holiness and power. The executioners seize the cross and lay it upon the ground, preparatory to nailing the divine Victim to it. According to a custom practised both by the Romans and the Jews, a cup containing wine and myrrh is offered to Jesus. This drink, which had the bitterness of gall, was given as a narcotic, in order to deaden, in some degree, the feeling of the criminal, and lessen his pain. Jesus raises to His lips the cup, which is proffered Him rather from custom than from any idea of kindness; but He drinks not its contents, for He wishes to feel the full intensity of the suffering He accepts for our sake. Then the executioners, having violently stripped Him of His garments, which had fastened to His wounds, lead Him to the cross. The place where He was thus stripped of His garments, and where the cup of bitter drink was presented to Him, is venerated as the tenth station of the way of the cross. The first nine, from Pilate’s hall to the foot of Calvary, are still to be seen in the streets of Jerusalem; but the tenth and the remaining four are in the interior of the church of Holy Sepulchre, whose spacious walls enclose the spot where the last mysteries of the Passion were accomplished.
But we must here interrupt our history: we have already anticipated the hours of this great Friday, and we shall have to return, later on, to the hill of Calvary. It is time to assist at the service of our holy mother the Church, in which she celebrates the Death of her divine Spouse. We must not wait for the usual summons of the bells; they are silent; we must listen to the call of our faith and devotion. Let us, then, repair to the house of God.

References:
1. St. Matt. xxvi. 63
2. Ibid. 64.—St. Mark xiv. 62.
3. St. Matt. xxvi. 65, 66.
4. St. Luke xxii. 64.
5. Gen. xlix. 10.
6. St. John xviii. 29-31.
7. Ibid.33, 36, 37, 38
8. St. Matt. xxvii. 13.
9. St. Luke xxiii. 5.
10. St. Matt. xxvii.—St. Luke xxiii.—St. John xviii.
11. St. John xix. 5.
12. St. John xix.
13. Ibid.
14. Is liii. 12.
15. St. Matt. xxvii. 24, 25.
16. St. John iii. 16
17. St. Luke xxiii. 28-30.

Meditations for Holy Thursday

From The Liturgical Year by Abbot Dom Guéranger, O.S.B.
After having, on this day, washed the feet of His disciples, Jesus said to them: 'Know ye what I have done to you? You call Me Master and Lord: and You say well, for so I am. If then I, being your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you, also, ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so you do also.'[1] Although the meaning of these words is that, after the example of our divine Master, we should practice works of fraternal charity towards our neighbour, yet the literal imitation of this our Saviour's act has always been observed in the Church.
At the commencement, it was almost a daily practice. St. Paul, when mentioning the qualities which should adorn the Christian widow, includes that of washing the feet of the saints,[2] that is, of the faithful. We find this act of humble charity practised in the ages of persecution, and even later. The Acts of the saints of the first six centuries, and the homilies and writings of the holy fathers, are filled with allusions to it. Afterwards, charity grew cold, and this particular way of exercising it was confined, almost exclusively, to monasteries. Still, from time to time it was practiced elsewhere. We occasionally find kings and queens setting this example of humility. The holy king Robert of France, and, later, Saint Louis, used frequently to wash the feet of the poor. The holy queen St. Margaret of Scotland, and Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, did the same. The Church, with that spirit which makes her treasure up every recommendation of her divine Lord, has introduced this act of humility into her liturgy, and it is today that she puts the great lesson before her children. In every church of any importance, the prelate, or superior, honours our Saviour's condescension, by the ceremony called the washing of the feet. The bishops throughout the world follow the example set them by the sovereign Pontiff, who performs this ceremony in the Vatican. Yea, there are still to be found kings and queens who, on this day, wash the feet of the poor, and give them abundant alms.
The twelve apostles are represented by the twelve poor who, according to the most general practice, are chosen for this ceremony. The Pope, however, washes the feet of thirteen priests of as many different countries; and this is the reason of the ceremonial requiring this number for cathedral churches. But, why thirteen? Some have interpreted it thus: that it represented the full number of the apostolic college, which is thirteen; for St. Mathias was elected in Judas's place, and our Lord Himself, after His Ascension, called St. Paul to be an apostle. Other authors, however, and among them the learned Pope Benedict XIV,[3] assert that the reason of this number being chosen was the miracle related in the life of St. Gregory the Great. This holy Pope used, every day, to wash the feet of twelve poor men, whom he afterwards invited to his own table. One day, a thirteenth was present: it was an angel, whom God had sent, that He might thereby testify how dear to Him was the charity of His servant.
The ceremony of the washing of the feet is also called the Mandatum, from the first word of the first antiphon. After the deacon has chanted the Gospel of the Mass of Maundy Thursday, the celebrant takes off the cope, girds himself with a towel, and, kneeling down, begins to wash the feet of those who have been chosen. He kisses the right foot of each one after having washed it.

ENDNOTES
1. 1 St. John xiii. 12-15.
2 1 Tim. v. 10.
3 De Festis D. N.J. C. lib. I. cap. vi. no. 57.