Revelations of St. Bridget/Chapter 22. The Consideration of the Passion
CHAPTER XXII.
THE CONSIDERATION OF THE PASSION.
The consideration of the Passion of my Son ought to be frequently in man’s thoughts; for let him consider how the Son of God, and the Son of the Virgin, who is one God with the Father and Holy Ghost, suffered; how he was led captive, and buffeted and spit upon; how he was scourged to the very inmost, so that the flesh was torn away by the lash; how with all his nerves distended and pierced, he stood dolorous on the cross; how crying out on the cross, he gave up the ghost. If he frequently fans the spark, then will he grow warm. — Lib. v., c. 20.
FRUITS OF THE PASSION.
Christ speaks.
I voluntarily gave myself up to my enemies, and my friends remained, and my mother in most bitter grief and pain. And though I saw the lance, nails, scourges, and other instruments of torture ready, I nevertheless went joyfully to my Passion. And, although my head was bedewed with blood on all sides, and even if my enemies touched my very heart, I would rather have it divided, than be deprived of thee. Thou art too ungrateful, then, if thou lovest me not for so great charity. For if my head is pierced and bowed down on the cross for thee, thy head should be inclined to humility. And because my eyes were bloody and full of tears, so thy eyes should abstain from every delightful sight. And because my ears were full of blood, and heard words of detraction against me, therefore, let thy ears be turned away from scurrilous and foolish discourse. And as my mouth was filled with a most bitter draught, and cut off from good, so let thy mouth be closed to evil and open to good. And as my hands were extended with nails, by reason of thy works, which are signified by the hands, let them be extended to the poor, and to my commandments. Let thy feet, that is, thy affections, by which thou shouldst go to me, be crucified to pleasure; that as I suffered in all my members, so let all them be ready for my service. — Lib. i., c. xi.
HOW SINNERS CRUCIFY OUR LORD,
Christ speaks.
I am God, who created all things for man’s use, that they might all serve and edify man. But man abused, to his own destruction, every thing that I created for his good. And what is more, he cares less for God, and loves him less than he loves creatures. The Jews made made me undergo three kinds of torment in my Passion. First, the wood to which I was bound, scourged, and crowned. Second, the iron with which they pierced my hands and feet. Third, the draught of gall that they gave me. Then they blasphemously called me a fool, on account of the death which I freely met, and called me a liar on account of my doctrine. Such are now multiplied in the world, and few give me consolation. For they fasten me to the wood by the will of sinning; they scourge me by impatience, for not one can bear a single word for me. They crown me with the thorn of their pride, for they wish to be higher than I. They pierce my hands and feet with the iron of hardness, because they glory in sin, and harden their hearts so as not to fear me. For gall they offer me tribulation; for my Passion, to which I went joyfully, they call me a liar and a fool. — Lib. i., c. xxx.