Chapter 34: The leading away of the Lord Jesus from Annas to Caiaphas the Priest, and the Lord's standing before him

I BLESS You, and give thanks to You, O Lord Jesus Christ, Chief Priest, and Perpetual High Priest, for Your contemptuous leading away from the house of Annas to that of Caiaphas the High Priest, where the Scribes and Elders were gathered together to take cruel counsel against You. Ah! with what unholy joy were they filled, when they saw You Whom they had long wished to seize, but could not, because Your hour was not yet come, brought before them as a prisoner. But this is their hour, and the power of darkness, permitted them by God that they might fill to the brim the cup of hate which they had so long been maturing against You; and might now at length openly give effect — to Your honour and glory indeed, and for the salvation of the faithful, but for the eternal damnation of unbelievers — to their inveterate malice,

I praise and glorify You, adorable Jesus, for so modestly standing before the High Priest and all the Elders of the people, who were impudently staring at that Face of Yours, which is deserving of all love. Grievous charges were, by the falsest of witnesses, laid against You; the High Priest asked You many questions, adjuring You to answer truthfully; and at last, on a charge of blasphemy, You were by them all, with loud voice, declared to be guilty of death.

I praise and magnify You, most noble Jesus, for each and every insult and falsehood levelled against You; for the lowly deference, and the silence, which You did for so long a time maintain amidst the wicked charges of Your accusers; at all which You made no sign of murmur or complaint, but did set before us all an example of perfect gentleness.

Ponder, then, O loving follower of Christ, and lay seriously to heart, how great was the splendour of the lowly patience of Jesus under suffering! See what shameful reproaches He has to bear, Whose praises are sung by the heavenly hosts! For His truthful answer to the High Priest's question He is condemned as a blasphemer. And yet, assuredly, all those who so condemn Him, proclaim themselves blasphemers, and guilty of an awful and stupendous crime. In the madness of their hearts, not believing Him to be the Son of God, they wreak upon the Lord Jesus villainies of every kind; but He bears all in silence; and the more He allows Himself to be trodden under foot of the ungodly, the greater is His victory, the greater is His triumph over them.

Cease, therefore, O faithful soul, from your passionate murmurings at reproaches cast upon you, and from wishing to retaliate, and to be avenged, upon your adversaries. Bow down your back to sustain the burden of the earthly trials which come upon you; nor seek to prosper in a world, in which Christ was content to be despised. Blush, you proud one, at your honours, your high places, your magnificent retinue, and your fine clothing; seeing that for you Christ was content to be absolutely poor. A disgrace it surely is for you to covet the favours of men, and to hanker after earthly pleasures; for such desires are utterly at variance with a true following of Christ.

O most adorable Jesus, most meek, altogether lovely, grant to me, a miserable sinner, the grace of Your favour, and teach me, by Your shining example, not to be afraid of the threats and insults of the wicked, and not to be distressed at being unjustly accused; but rather to pray for the forgiveness of those who have wronged me, and to submit myself in all humility to You, and to my superiors; that so the gifts of Your love may be more abundantly shed forth upon me, and I may have grace to praise You more earnestly for those already received.