Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/89

 and the Lily of the valley.” But there were in Christ three kinds of flowers—(1) red flowers, (2) black, (3) white. The red flowers are drops of blood; the black, the stripes of the wounds; the white, the splendours of the glorified Body. Of the third and first, Cant. v. 10, “My Beloved is white and ruddy.” Of the second, 1 S. Pet. ii. 24, “ By Whose stripes ye were healed.” Jesus was altogether blooming, because girt with roses—that is, with drops of blood; adorned with violets—that is, with the stripes of wounds; entrenched with lilies—that is, with the splendours of the glorified Body: Cant. ii. 12, “ The flowers appear on the earth.”

III. On the third head it is to be noted, the charity of Him rising again “ from the dead:” S. Matt, xxviii. 5, “ Jesus Who was crucified.” The death of Christ was such an inestimable love of charity as no mere man was able to conceive of: Eph. iii. 18, “ The Love of Christ which passeth knowledge.” S. John xv. 13, “ Greater love hath no man than this.” For three reasons especially He wished to die the death of the Cross—(1) That He might show manifestly to all that He both truly died, and from this death truly rose again. For it was patent to all that He was really dead when the Cross raised on high showed Him, on it, dead : Acts x. 39, “ And we are witnesses of all things which He did.Whom they slew and hanged on a tree.” (2) That as the Tree had produced the fruit of death, so the Tree having produced the fruit of this life might quicken all: “ Who by the wood of the Cross wrought salvation for the human race” (S. Greg. Mag.) (3) That as the Devil had overcome man by the Tree, so He might similarly, by the Tree, triumph.

IV. On the fourth head is to be noted, the festivity of this present day : S. Matt, xxviii. 6, “ He must rise again,” “ He is risen.” The Resurrection of the Lord has made for us this day of solemnity and joy: Ps. cxviii. 24, “This is the day which the Lord hath made ; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Three events have made this day to be solemn —(1) The sending of an Angel from Heaven : S. Matt, xxviii. 2, “The Angel of the Lord by descending from Heaven.” (2) The earth, by leaping for joy : S. Matt, xxviii. 2, “ There was a great earthquake.” (3) Hell, by restoring the Saints: S. Matt, xxvii. 52, 53, “ Many bodies of the Saints which Slept arose and came out of the graves.” So