As the Blessed Mother will not remain, Veronica goes with her on her sorrowful pilgrimage. The direct road to the Conaculum from Calvary runs south for about three-quarters of a mile, or perhaps less. But the holy company of mourners are going with our Lady by a circuitous route in order to visit all the stations on the Way of Sorrows. The devout Carthusian, Ludolf of Saxony, tells us that when the Holy Mother enters Jerusalem, many Jewish women feel much compassion for her and follow her. We remember how the women of Bethany showed so much sympathy to Magdalen when Lazarus was dead. "Mother of Sorrows, pray for thy sinful children, that we may not be more hard than those women of Jerusalem." Mother, with those tears of thine Fac me vere, Grant that I may mingle mine. And now here at these crossroads it was that Simon of Cyrene was found to take up the Cross. How glad by this time is he of his privilege! Perchance, he is following the Blessed Mother home from Calvary; his heart burning within him as she thanks him most warmly for being such a friend to her Son in His hour of need. Beyond doubt, her heart is now pleading most tenderly for him. At these crossroads they are in the Tyropean valley, and immediately reach the spot where Holy Mary met her Son as He was coming from the Governor's house laden with the Cross. Quis non posset contristari, Who will refuse to bear a part, With the sweet Mother's aching heart, Now they must climb the steep road leading to the Prætorium; and as slowly and with much fatigue, they ascend, once more for a short while they halt. It is the spot where Jesus first fell to the ground under His Cross. "Holy Mother, pray for the innocent, who are tempted to commit their first grievous sin." A few yards further they are in sight of the balcony where she heard the terrible appeal of Pilate: "Ecce Homo!" and the far more terrible response: Away with Him! Crucify Him! "Mother of God, plead for us sinners, that we may bitterly bewail every sin committed against thy Most Blessed Son Jesus." It was And now, here is the gate of the Lithostrotos. at this point Dismas and Gesmas, carrying their crosses, met our Saviour, and reviled Him. St. Dismas is now with Him in Paradise. Who is like the Lord our God? Dismas reviled Him, and His answer was: Father, forgive them. This is the spot where the soldiers laid the heavy Cross on Jesus. "O Blessed Mother, win grace for us that we may willingly take up our cross." Here is the tribunal where Pilate so often declared Him innocent, yet after all, sentenced Him. "Jesus, meek and humble of Heart, oh, make us meek like Thee, Led like a lamb to the slaughter." Slowly now, they move across the red pavement, to the far corner where the column of flagellation stands; and there they tarry long, saying nothing with their lips, but much with their sighs and tears. Sancta Mater, istud agas, Cordi meo valide. Do this for me, O Mother blest, They find their way, too, into the court where He was crowned. 66 Holy Mother, with thy consent this crown was put upon His Head, that my pride might be forgiven." Here is the Scala Santa stained with His Blood. "Oh, may His footsteps win grace for us to climb the mountain of God." It was down this steep street from the north that He came from Herod's palace dressed as a fool. "O Blessed Mother, obtain for us a share of His folly." From this gallery Pilate put the question: Which of the two: Barabbas or Jesus? "Have mercy on me, O Lord, for often have I said: Not this Man, but Barabbas." Longinus, too, perchance, can point out the window whence the disconsolate wife of Pilate, Procla, watched in anguish the proceedings in the Lithostrotos. She may, perchance, be wandering about in this hour to find rest for her troubled spirit, and be so blessed as to hear from her who is the Comforter of the Afflicted, some words of consolation which send her home calm and full of hope. From the Prætorium their way lies through the Temple grounds to the Beautiful Gate. This morning Judas hurried away through this gate, when his despair was brought to a climax by the hard word of the Priests: What is that to us? Look you to it. And through this Gate, John tells them, the soldiers came last night to seize our Master. Most anxious are they all when they see the rough and precipitous pathway which the Blessed Mother must traverse to reach Gethsemani which lies below them. They cross the Cedron; and "here," John tells them, "all the soldiers fell to the ground last night when the Lord spoke a word. On this spot the traitor kissed Him. Here He was standing when they bound Him, and, wo is me, when we fled away." They go a little further and kneel in the Grotto of the Agony. This, John tells them, was the bed of stone on which we slept while He suffered. Alas! we gave Him no comfort. Once more they urge the Holy Mother to go no further, but pass the night here in a cottage near her garden and the tomb of her forefathers; but she answers kindly in her Son's word: Sinite modo-" Suffer me to go on a little longer". Therefore with all care and tenderness they help her to re-cross the torrent of Cedron, and to climb the very steep side of Mount Moriah, along the road of the captivity by which Jesus was dragged last night. As they walk, her Mother's heart knows every spot where He suffered outrages, where He fell to the ground, and was covered with blows. Do this for me, O Mother blest, The sun has gone down before they reach Ophel, the lower quarter of the city, where the poor live, who used to love her Son. And now her Mother's heart is pleading strongly for them. "Eternal Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. The serpent deceived (them).” The ascent up Moriah was more toilsome than all the rest of the journey, and then they have to mount again by a long flight of steps to reach Mount Sion from the lower town. They are now passing by the desecrated palace of the Priests. This is the house of Annas. There the servant bruised His face. That is the Judgment Hall of Caiphas; and below is the terrible dungeon underground where our Lord spent the fourth watch of the night. The daylight is gone; and the moon is risen when they reach the Conaculum. As the Blessed Mother walks on, the last night that is past is telling to the night now come (Psalm xviii.) a story of suffering and sorrow never heard on earth before, and this Good Friday has a record to hand on to the day that is coming of tribulations, such as no eye but the Blessed Mother's hath seen, nor any ear but hers heard of, neither hath it entered into any other heart to apprehend grief like hers. She knows it all, as she walks, where the tightened cords caused agony; where the clubs of the servants bruised and wounded; where He struck His foot against a stone; and where the coarse ribaldry of the soldiers gave anguish to His ear. Non fallunt viscera matrem—" Nothing is hidden from her Mother's heart". SCENE XIV. THE CONACULUM. STATION I. GOOD-NIGHT! On the Sabbath-day they rested according to the commandment (St. Luke xxiii. 56). A. On the Sabbath-day. The Parasceve or day of Preparation is ended by the time they arrive at the door of the Cenacle. The Great Sabbath-day is begun. A greater Sabbath-day than God's day of rest in the beginning. By this time the company following the Ever-Blessed Mother of God has grown larger. Some will follow her into her new home. Many will part from her at the door. Before they go, she turns to them with a heart full of motherly love for them, such as no other mother on earth has for her children; and she begs of John to thank them most humbly in her name for their great charity to her Son and to herself. And as they press round her, and kneel to kiss her hand, and ask a blessing, she comforts each one of them, and, full of grace, wishes them goodnight, and many blessings. They go away consoled unspeakably; and absorbed in the thought of this Admirable Mother. Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, thou art the joy of Israel; thou art the honour of our people. For thou hast done manfully; and thy heart hath been strengthened. The hand of the Lord hath strengthened thee, and therefore thou shalt be blessed for ever. So be it. So be it (Judith xv.). What wonder that they bless her? (Were they) to hold their peace, the stones (would) cry out (St. Luke xix.). Cardinal Baronius cites an older writer who gives us this early tradition about our Lady: "From the beginning to the end she bore herself with fortitude, and constancy, expressing indeed the emotions of her heart, but so that all was graceful, and nothing unseemly; |