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their Redeemer. With what intensity have they since uttered the fruitless wail: The serpent deceived me!

Early, then, in the morning, they are in Council against Jesus; and, with more determined malice than ever before, they prepare a plan of campaign against Him. The different sects, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Herodians, will all act in concert in order to ensnare Him and find matter of accusation against Him.

STATION II.

FIRST ONSET OF THE PRIESTS AND RULERS.

And when He was come into the Temple, there came to Him, as He was teaching, the Chief Priests, and the Scribes and the Ancients. And they say to Him: By what authority dost Thou these things? And who hath given Thee this authority that Thou shouldst do these things? (St. Matt. xxi.; St. Mark xi.).

A. Here is the first onset.

How appalling does the scene become, when a poor, insignificant man begins to sit in judgment on his God! and yet this scene occurs often enough. Men accuse God and His providence, and blame Him and condemn Him. The Princes met together against the Lord and against His Christ (Psalm ii.).

B. By what authority dost Thou these things?

The full answer to this question of these blind guides our Saviour gave soon after, at the Supper, to the Twelve: If I had not done among them the works that no other man hath done, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated both Me and My Father (St. John xv.). The man born blind also gave a short time ago to these proud men the correct answer to the question they are now putting, when he said to them: Why, herein is a wonderful thing that you know not from whence He is, and He hath opened my eyes. Now we know that God doth not hear sinners: but if a man be a server of God and doth His will, him He heareth. From the

beginning of the world it hath not been heard that any man hath opened the eyes of one born blind. Unless this Man were of God He could not do anything (St. John ix.). The eyes of this blind man's soul have been opened as well as those of his body, and most wisely he teaches his masters. But with what result? Their pride is roused to fury, and they scream out at him: Thou wast wholly born in sins, and dost thou teach us? If passion were not, as has been

before said, entirely blinding them, they would see that their words, rightly understood, have this most ridiculous meaning: Dost thou who wast wholly born in sin, dare to teach us who were born immaculate ?

Here is a terrible specimen of pride (superbia)—that passion that puts men above their position. These men are actually posing as if they had not been born in sin. "Mother of God, on whose lowliness the Lord looked down, pray for us sinners, that we may not be found among the proud whom thy Son scatters in the conceit of their hearts."

Knowing then that they were not seeking light or truth, but fighting against both, our Lord shaped His answer to them so as to confound their pride.

STATION III.

OUR LORD'S REPLY.

Jesus answering, said to them: I also will ask you one word, which if you shall tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. The Baptism of John, whence was it? from Heaven or from men? But they thought within themselves, saying: If we shall say from Heaven, He will say to us: Why then did you not believe in him? But if we shall say from men, we are afraid of the multitude; for all held John as a prophet. And answering Jesus, they said, We know not. He also said to them: Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things (St. Matt. xxi.).

A. I also will ask you one word.

Remember that to-day we have the great final struggle between the wisdom of men and the wisdom of Christ. Observe how calmly and effectively He crushes them.

Clearly these men do not want an answer to their question. They are in no need of more light. They have had from the works of our Lord such abundant testimony that He is the Christ, and the Messias, that long ago He has said to them: Unless you believe that I am He you shall die in your sins (St. John viii.). Now, once more, He offers them truth and light in abundance, so that if they had not been obstinately bent on rejecting Him, they must have fallen at His feet.

B. They said, We know not.

Observe how completely our Saviour's words baffle and silence them. Is His truth less powerful now? Are we to be afraid and half-hearted when sceptical antagonists come forward, as bold and scornful as the Pharisees, to scoff at the Resurrection, or at creation, or to proclaim the newly discovered beauties of Buddhism and Theosophy? Are we to be afraid that our Blessed Saviour founded His religion without leaving behind Him ample evidence to satisfy sensible men that faith in Him and His Church is most perfectly in accordance with right reason, and disbelief nothing but the foolish pride of men duped by Lucifer?

We must bless our Lord with all our hearts, because we belong to a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people, that (we) may declare His virtues Who hath called (us) out of darkness into His marvellous light (1 St. Peter ii.).

Our Blessed Saviour follows up His victory, and adds on stronger words to shake the obstinacy of these poor dupes of Satan.

STATION IV.

FIRST PARABLE OF OUR LORD.

But what think you? A certain man had two sons, and coming to the first he said, Go, work to-day in my vineyard. And he answering, said: I will not. But afterwards, being moved with repentance, he went. And coming to the other, he said in like manner. And he answering, said, I go, Sir, and he went not. Which of the two did the father's will? They say to Him, The first (St. Matt. xxi.).

Which did the father's will?

If the wise men who disputed with Stephen some months later, were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit that spoke (Acts vi.), what wonder that these Priests and Rulers are helpless babes before the face of Jesus? Whenever He pleases He draws them on to pronounce their own condemnation.

They are men who have for ever had fair words on their lips. It is not long since our Saviour addressed these stern words to them: Hypocrites, well hath Isaias prophesied of you, saying: This people honoureth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me (St. Matt. xv.). Today we shall hear Him a little later on characterise them as men who say and do not. But they are but little prepared for the moral and conclusion which our Lord now proceeds to draw from His short parable. They have given their answer that the first son is the obedient one; that the second, who speaks fair words and does nothing, is disobedient.

STATION V.

Jesus saith to them: Amen, I say to you, that the publicans and the harlots shall go into the Kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of justice, and you did not believe him. But the publicans and the harlots believed him; but you seeing it did not even afterwards repent that you might believe (St. Matt. xxi.).

These are hard words for those deluded men whose habit it is to thank God that they are not sinners as the rest of men are.

It is then better to begin badly with publicans and end well, than to begin well and end badly. It is better to say, I will not, and afterwards repent and do what God wills, than to begin with fair words and promises and in the end do nothing. Be ye doers of the word, St. James charitably warns us, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves (c. i.). Whether we began well or began ill, let us take care to end well.

"Mother of God, pray for us now and at the hour of our death, that we may do what is right now, and persevere to the end in doing right." For he who shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved (St. Matt. x.).

Hear

ye

STATION VI.

THE SECOND PARABLE.

another parable. There was a man, a householder, who planted a vineyard, and made a hedge round about it, and dug in it a press, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen; and went into a strange country (St. Matt. xxi.).

A. With untiring and never-flagging enmity the Priests and Ancients will to-day heap attack on attack. With charity far more untiring, our Saviour multiplies His salutary words of confutation and rebuke.

"O most merciful Lord, do not grow tired of speaking to my poor soul, and give me grace that if to-day I hear Thy voice, I may not harden my heart" (Psalm xciv.).

In the first place, God our Creator is the Householder, Who plants the vineyard on this earth and provides all necessaries, and then withdraws from this world, letting the vineyard to us, His husbandmen. The Heaven of Heaven for the Lord, but the earth He hath given to the children of men (Psalm cxiii.). He makes over the earth to us, as His

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