to His jaws-thirsty, and dried, and parched, and cold in death.

Fac cor amans Jesu mei,
Fac ut nos amemus Te.

O burning Heart, O Jesu mine,

Oh, make me love with love like Thine.

"O Blessed Mother! turn thine eyes of mercy towards us, and show us the loving Heart of thy Son Jesus."

STATION VI.

Then therefore he delivered Him to them to be crucified (St. John xix.).

Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.—Jesus he delivered up to their will (St. Luke xxiii.).

St. Matthew, St. Mark, and St. Luke seem to indicate, as has been already said, that the sentence was pronounced before the scourging; but St. John, writing later, teaches us how to interpret these words.

Pilate gave sentence.

The question is raised whether he gave his judgment in writing or only by word of mouth.

Some writers hold that he wrote the sentence, and that this was the usual practice. We know that he wrote the inscription stating the cause of His death: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. Adrichomius, the medieval traveller so often cited by learned commentators, gives one text of the sentence supposed to have been written by Pilate, but it is considered to be spurious. A pillar is pointed out in Jerusalem, in the Via dolorosa, which is called the Pillar of the Sentence: because, it is said, the sentence was, according to custom, affixed to it, but writers who have studied the subject tell us that this tradition does not date far back.

A. Jesus he delivered up to their will.

We must reflect upon our own story. What is it that hath been done? The same that shall be done. The scenes in Jerusalem of to-day are, we may say, stereotyped, so easily and so continually are they reproduced.

Jesus is delivered up to our will in the Blessed Sacrament; and moreover, everywhere, and at all times, from morning till night, and from sunset to sunrise, our invisible God is in many ways subjected to our will. What wonder our Lord has left us that golden prayer to be used continu

ally: Our Father, may Thy will be done. Thy will, not mine, my God, my Creator, my Father, my King, my Lord, my loving Redeemer.

B. Jesus he delivered up to their will.

But, our Blessed Saviour cannot complain: What shall He answer, whereas He Himself hath done it? It is His own wish to be delivered up to the will of men; His loving desire is that they by treating Him well during their little day of power shall give Him a good plea for treating them for ever in Heaven with infinite love, such as eye hath never seen, nor heart conceived.

May the glory of the Lord endure for ever. The Lord shall rejoice in all His works. I will sing to the Lord as long as I live (Psalm ciii.).

C. Jesus he delivered up to their will.

When Holy Mary gave up her Child Jesus in His Infancy to the keeping of St. Joseph, or into the arms of Holy Simeon, or of some one of her kindred, she knew they would not harm Him. She ought by rights to be able to feel more sure of us now, when He is delivered up to our will. For (1) never has He done anything since then to deserve hard usage from us, and (2) much has He done since then to deserve kind treatment from us.

I. "Quid enim mali fecit ?"-What harm hath He done? This was Pilate's question. There is not in creation a witness to tell of even one that He has harmed. The bruised reed He shall not break. This is His short story.

2. But, on the other hand, many good works, good works without number He has shown to us, which ought to win us. He went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed by the devil. This is His record during all time past.

And then, if you ask those who have lived with Him, what do they say of Him? Of His character they say: He was ever gracious, merciful, patient, of much compassion and easy to forgive evil. They tell that He was meek and humble of Heart; and so entirely unselfish that because He loved

His brethren He betrayed Himself, and sacrificed Himself for them.

And when He spoke, they tell us, never did man speak as this Man. His conversation (had) no bitterness nor His company any tediousness; but joy and gladness (Wisdom viii.). The people quite forgot their hunger and thirst while hanging on His words.

And as for His appearance, He is beautiful above the sons of men.

And when His Holy Mother is by His side, you would say, that even for her sake men would pardon Him, even if He had offended grievously, so full of grace is she, inwardly and outwardly. Why, then, should men ill-use Him, when He is delivered up to their will? Alas, wo is me! The serpent deceived me! It was Satan that induced me to believe that Jesus is the austere Man grievous to behold, the Censurer of my thoughts.

It was the father of lies persuaded me to say in my heart, Away with Him!

"Ever-Blessed Mother, show us the fruit of thy womb,

Jesus."

"Lord Jesus, may Thy name be hallowed; may Thy Kingdom come."

D. Pilate gave sentence.

He never had opened his lips to give that sentence had he allowed Jesus to teach him that truth: With what measure you mete it shall be measured to you. If he do not by repentance undo to-day's work, he has spoken his own doom. He, too, will be given over to the will of his enemies; enemies more terrible than these malicious Jews. E. Pilate gave sentence.

Some writers tell us that Pilate tried to pronounce the name of Jesus, but could not. This is against St. Matthew, xxiii. 22—What shall I do with Jesus that is called Christ?

"O Lord Jesus, may Thy name be hallowed in our hearts."

SCENE VII.

DEPARTURE FROM THE LITHOSTROTOS.

STATION I.

Then therefore he delivered Him to them to be crucified. And they took Jesus and led Him forth (St. John xix. 16).

A. To be crucified.

The Priests and Ancients have gained their point. He is to be crucified. He has been scourged; now He is to be crucified. As a chastisement for those not doomed to death, scourging is the most terrible. As a form of death nothing so appalling as crucifixion. Students tell us that when criminals were hanging on their crosses with their feet not much raised from the ground, the wolves and jackals used to come and tear out their bowels: and the crucified gladly welcomed them, so unbearable was the torment and the distress of a lingering death on a cross.

B. To be crucified.

Out of all the houses and homes of this world, Jesus chose for His birth the stable of Bethlehem, and for the end of life, out of all the possibilities that are before Him, He selects the scourging, the crown of thorns, and crucifixion. What is there that I ought to do more for My vineyard?

"O man, My brother, child of My Father, if My Passion cannot move you to believe that I love, and to hope in Me, and to be sorry for sin, and to break away from Lucifer, what more can I do for you?"

C. They brought Him forth.

"Attendite." Watch and listen. Watch and pray, in union with Holy Mary, full of grace. Pilate, we may suppose, retires. The Chief Priests and Ancients now press forward and crowd round the Tribunal and give directions. They are in command. Jesus is delivered over to their will. "Make haste, do it quickly, lead Him carefully." This is more than ever their refrain.

"Do it quickly," they say, "for much time has been wasted by the fickleness of that foolish Governor. We must redeem time lost. Do it quickly, soldiers, we pray you. You shall have your reward."

"Yet, ye Priests and Ancients," some one might answer, surely, not so. Time has not been lost. For (1) not yet are twelve hours gone by since Jesus became your prisoner, and see how much you have accomplished. You tried and condemned Him as a blasphemer Who makes Himself the Son of God. Your servants mocked Him as a Prophet till He was saturated with outrage. Early this morning you tried and condemned Him again more solemnly as a blasphemer. Then through your management one of His trusted Apostles is gone to hang himself on a tree. And now you have your will. He is to be crucified.

Moreover, (2) bear this in mind, that much has been added during the morning for which you had not bargained. You did not covenant that He should be mocked by Herod, and paraded as a fool, and publicly by a vote of the people put below Barabbas. You never dreamed of such a scourging, nor of seeing Him crowned, and exhibited from the balcony. You never had a hope of hearing that cry of the whole people backing you: His blood be upon us! In fact, never yet in the history of this world has a prisoner in a short time gone through such an amount of terrible chastisement."

No, surely, time has not been lost. For all the watches, all the hours of the night and the day, will now be well filled up by the Passion of Jesus. Consummatus in brevi! hunted down and done to death and made an end of in a short time, He has filled up many days, and long days of martyrdom.

"By Thy ordinance, Lord Jesus, this wonderful day hath gone on, and all things have served Thy purpose." D. To be crucified.

Annas is now a greater man than ever among his accomplices. His policy has succeeded wonderfully. Let our