of Man, and drink His Blood, you shall not have life in you (St. John vi.).

"We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world."

G. The veil of the Temple was rent in two.

St. Cyril, and other holy Fathers, suggest this thought, that as the Jewish Priests rent their garments when they heard a blasphemy, so the sanctuary of God rends its garment in token of horror at the great scandal committed on Calvary.

There were, we are told, two veils in the Temple; one, the outward veil near to the entrance, the other, more in the interior, shutting off the sanctuary, or Holy of Holies, into which the High Priest alone entered, and only once in the year. Commen

tators discuss the question which of the two veils was rent. Some of great weight think that it was the outer veil. The more common opinion seems to be that it was the veil of the Holy of Holies.

The earth quaked.

St. Chrysostom, with other Fathers, takes for granted that this earthquake was felt throughout the world. "Then was all the earth shaken, that everywhere might be recognised the power of the Crucified, and that He Who suffered was God, and not a mere man." Early writers mention local earthquakes that bear out the opinion of St. Chrysostom. His Death proved Him to be a true Man, the miracles after His Death prove Him to be true God. His prayer is heard. Father, the hour is come. Glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son may glorify Thee (St. John xvii.).

H. The earth quaked.

We may contemplate with what gentleness our Lord uses His power. The ungrateful city that rejected Him is not laid in ruins. The earth does not open now to swallow up the impious men who have crucified Him. But executing Thy judgments by degrees Thou gavest them place of repentance. If then Thou didst with so great deliberation punish (Thy) enemies, that deserved to die, with what circumspection (wilt) Thou judge Thy own children? (Wisdom xii.). For I know that Thou art a gracious and merciful God, patient and of much compassion, and easy to forgive evil (Jonas iv.). I. The rocks were rent.

St. Thomas writes: "The rocks were rent, to show us that through His Sacred Passion the stony hearts of men would be softened".

St. Bonaventure : "Wo to me, the most unhappy of men, who am not able to have even a little relish for the Passion of Christ. I will humble my life down to the earth until I can go into the sanctuary of God."

St. Ephraim: "Every creature is smitten with terror, because our Saviour has suffered, but we sinners for whom He was delivered up, make light of it. Oh, may thy heart tremble, may thy soul be filled with horror."

St. Bernard: "Who is this, that heaven and earth show their compassion for Him? Acknowledge Him, O my soul; this is the Lord Jesus, the only-begotten Son of God."

“We adore Thee, O Christ, in acknowledgment of the multitude of Thy goodness which Thou hast shown to us wicked and abandoned."

"Holy Mother of God, pray for us sinners; remind thy Divine Son of His promise:

"I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh (Ezech. xxxvi.). And now, O Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, Lord Jesus, dead upon the Cross, the soul in anguish, and the troubled spirit crieth to Thee: Hear, O Lord, and have mercy, for Thou art a merciful God, and have pity on us, for we have sinned before Thee (Baruch iii.).

"Remember Thy gracious promise: I will pour out the spirit of grace and of prayers, and they shall look on Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourneth for an only son, and they shall grieve over Him as the manner is to grieve for the death of the first-born" (Zach. xii.).

St. Bonaventure writes: "O heart truly bad, how long wilt thou resist the infinite generosity of Divine love? What must my hardness be that is not softened by all the Blood of the most innocent Lamb!"

Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friend (St. John xv.). Why did Christ, when as yet we were weak according to the time, die for the ungodly? For scarce for a just man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man some one would dare to die. But God commendeth His charity towards us, because when we were as yet sinners according to the time, Christ died for us (Romans v.).

The rocks were rent.

A fissure in the rock on the place of Calvary is still pointed out. Tradition tells us that it opened between the Cross of Christ and the cross of the impenitent thief. Eusebius, the historian, states that Lucian, a holy Priest of Antioch, when brought before the judge, mentioned this cleft in the rock as an abiding proof of the truth of the Christian religion. The mediæval traveller, Adrichomius, who is considered by the commentators a trustworthy witness, writes that this fissure is wide enough to admit the body of a man, and that they had not been able to fathom its depth.

STATION II.

And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints that had slept, arose, and coming out of the tombs after His Resurrection, came into the Holy City, and appeared to many (St. Matt. xxvii.).

The rocky ground around Jerusalem abounded with graves and tombs; some with the slabs laid over them horizontally, others hewn in the rock with upright doors. Some commentators tell us that the graves were opened immediately after the Crucifixion, but that the dead did not arise till after the Resurrection. According to this view, the graves stood open from the Friday to the Easter Sunday. We are told that among the heathens this miracle was well known, and excited great attention. The Jews may, through fear of legal uncleanness, have been afraid to enter these open tombs to look at the dead.

The question is discussed among students of the Sacred Scriptures, whether they whose bodies were raised, died again or were admitted with their bodies into Heaven.

Each of the two opinions is supported by Fathers of great weight. St. Thomas, at first, inclined to the second opinion, but later, considered the first more probable-that is, that they died again. St. Jerome also takes it for granted that they rose like Lazarus, to die again, after they had borne witness to our Lord's Resurrection.

One strong argument adduced for this opinion is, that it does not seem probable that any of the saints would have their bodies glorified in Heaven before the Assumption of the Mother of God. St. Bridget writes that it was revealed to her by our Lady, that no human bodies were in Heaven except her Son's and her own.

A further question discussed is, Who were the saints whose bodies were restored to life?

Different conjectures are suggested. Some writers think that, as the object was to strengthen the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the belief of the Resurrection, those saints rose and appeared who were still remembered in the Holy City, such as St. John the Baptist, St. Joseph, Zachary, and St. Elizabeth. Others suppose that Abraham, and David, and some of the Patriarchs and Prophets were selected.

SCENE III.

THE NINTH HOUR. "I WILL DRAW ALL THINGS TO

MYSELF."

STATION I.

And the Centurion who stood over against Him, seeing that crying out in this manner He had given up the ghost, said: Indeed this Man was the Son of God (St. Mark xv.). Now the Centurion and they that were with him watching Jesus, having seen the earthquake, and the things that were done, were sore afraid, saying: Indeed this was the Son of God (St. Matt. xxvii.).

Now the Centurion, seeing what was done, glorified God, saying: Indeed this was a just Man. And all the multitude of them that were come together to that sight, and saw the things that were done, returned striking their breasts (St. Luke xxiii.).

A. And the Centurion, and those that were with him. seeing these things that were done, were sore afraid, saying: Indeed this was the Son of God.

First then, the Centurion, hearing the loud cry, and seeing that crying out in this manner He had given up the ghost, said: Indeed this Man was the Son of God.

Then secondly, when, following on the loud cry, the earthquake comes, and the rending of the rocks, the Centurion is still more moved, and the soldiers that are

keeping watch with him, influenced doubtless by the demeanour of their leader, are also much moved. They too are sore afraid. For the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. It shall go well with him that feareth the Lord, and in the days of his end he shall be blessed. The fear of the Lord driveth out sin (Ecclus. i.).

B. They were sore afraid, saying: Indeed this Man was the Son of God.

Holy fear draws this good confession from them.

Some pious persons have a dislike to holy fear. They wish their teachers to discourse to them of love, always love. But is love genuine if it has no value for holy fear? Calvin pretended that to act from fear was sinful. Ignatius writes more correctly:

St.

Although it is above all desirable that we serve God our Lord very much through pure love, yet ought we highly to approve of a fear of His Divine Majesty. For not only is filial fear something righteous and most holy, but so too is servile fear, when a man reaches to nothing better and more useful, because it helps him much to rise out of mortal sin, and when once a soul has thus risen, it easily arrives at filial fear, which is in every way acceptable and pleasing to God, because it is inseparably united with Divine love."

C. The Centurion, and those with him.

1. Again and again we are reminded of the power for good and for evil that a leader possesses. And each of us is in a certain degree a leader. For the sake of those around us we ought to sanctify ourselves.

2. If we are so prone to follow a leader, why, Lord Jesus crucified, are we so slow to follow Thee? What other leader is so true to us, so devoted to us, so wise, so loving, so able to lead and to protect us, and keep us safe against all enemies?

The Lord ruleth me, and I shall want nothing (Psalm xxii.). I will feed My sheep. I will seek that which was lost, and that which was driven away I will bring again: and I will