Chapter 29: How the Lord Jesus went to meet His betrayer

I BLESS You, and give thanks to You, O Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Deliverer, for Your cheerful readiness to suffer; in that, after You had offered to God the Father Your thrice-repeated prayer, when Your most cruel enemies, and Judas, Your most wicked betrayer, came, in the dead of night, with a great multitude, with swords and clubs, and torches and weapons, to take You, as if You had been a robber. You did at once Yourself go forth to meet them, saying: " Whom seek you? I am He. If therefore you seek Me, let these go their way." At which first word indeed of Your power all that arrogant boldness of theirs was discomfited, and utterly put to confusion. For, as soon as You had said this unto them, they went backwards and fell to the ground. What then would have happened if, at Your bidding, twelve legions of angels had come upon them? But it was to suffer that You had come into the world, and so, instead of using Your Divine power, You did will to show forth Your most gracious forbearance. You had made plain, by one short word, the Majesty of Your power: and now You did allow those impious men to have dominion over You, and to wreak their venomous spite against You for a season; that so You might make it plain that it was of Your own free will that You were entering upon Your Passion, for the accomplishment of the work of our redemption, and for the fulfilment of the Scriptures of the Prophets.

I praise and glorify You, O Lord Jesus Christ, most innocent Lamb of God, for Your unspeakable gentleness, and for Your invincible spirit of meekness, in that You were not inflamed with anger against Your most wicked betrayer, and did not indignantly turn Your back upon him, but rather did deign to enter into friendly conversation with him; and addressing him with Your wonted kindness, did suffer him, unworthy as he was, to kiss Your most sweet Lips, saying to him: "Friend, whereto are you come?" — rebuking at the same time his wicked and deceitful insolence with those gentle words: "Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?" He alas! who had been one of the company of Your apostles, neither fearing You as his Judge, nor pitying You as his friend, shrank not from his most horrible villainy; but putting himself at the head of that band of evil men, gave them a sign, saying: "Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is He, hold Him fast." O vilest disciple of a Master most loving! O servant most perfidious of a Master most faithful!

O how wonderful was Your love, how splendid was that patience of Yours, O most meek, most loving Jesus, Who even at the time of such an arrest, of so base a betrayal, did not forget Your old friendship and tenderness! You did repay so great a wrong by bestowing a gift of healing; making whole, by the touch of Your sacred Hand, the ear of the High Priest's servant which Your disciple had cut off, and bidding Peter himself, when he would have protected You from Your assailants, to hold his hand, saying: "Put up again your sword into its place. The chalice which My Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?" For thus it must be."

Now, therefore, O my God, I beseech You to give to me, frail reed that I am, greater patience when things go wrong with me; and when my enemies insult me, or when charges are brought against me, of which I know myself to be innocent, let not sudden anger get the better of me, nor a love of revenge stir me up to render railing for railing. Grant me grace not to shrink from being found fault with; but to take reproaches in good part, and to think him my friend who blames or disparages me the most. Give me grace not to feel angry at any harshness shown me, and not to bear malice for any unjust complaint made against me; but to let the thought of Your most gentle endurance of the wrongs done to You strengthen me to rejoice in my own, and fill me with a desire to suffer even worse things for love of You.