Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/738

 2. That of  Isaias  (Is.  53,  7):  “He  was  offered  because  it  was  His own will,  and  He  opened  not  His  mouth. He shall  be  led  as  a sheep to the  slaughter,  and  shall  be  as  dumb  as  a lamb  before  his  shearer.”

3. That  of  our  Lord  Himself  (Mat.  20,  19):  “They  (the  Gentiles) shall crucify  Him.”

Types fulfilled by  our  Lord  crucified:  1. The tree  of  knowledge of good  and  evil  (Old  Test.  III). 2. Isaac,  who  himself,  going  up  the hill, carried  the  wood  on  which  his  father  bound  him,  to  sacrifice  him (Old Test.  XIII). 3. The  paschal  lamb  (Old  Test.  XXXII). 4. The brazen serpent  (Old  Test.  XLII).

The Compassion  of  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus. Even  as  it  was with our  Lord,  when  He  made  His  triumphal  entry  into  Jerusalem,  so was  it  with  Him  in  the  midst  of  His  sufferings,  when  He  was  being led out  to  death;  He  did  not  think  of  Himself,  but  of  the  dreadful judgment which  would  ere  long  overtake  Jerusalem  and  all  its  people. On the  former  occasion,  He  wept  over  the  blindness  and  inevitable overthrow of  the  holy  city; and  now  again  He  thinks  with  sorrow  and compassion of  the  misery  of  the  people. “Weep not  for  Me,”  He exclaimed  to  the  weeping  women  of  Jerusalem,  “but  weep  for  yourselves and for  your  children.”  Having  on  the  first  occasion  warned  ungrateful Jerusalem in  vain,  He  now,  in  the  midst  of  His  Passion,  strove  to  save His very  tormentors  from  the  coming  judgments. He bore  no  rancour in His  Heart  at  the  ingratitude  of  His  people,  who  had  loaded  Him with injuries  and  were  dragging  Him  to  a shameful  death,  but  mourned over the  temporal  and  eternal  woe  of  those  who  were  so  blinded  by their  passions. There could  be  no  heart  so  noble  and  loving  as  the Sacred Heart  of  Jesus.

God's judgments  on  impenitent  sinners. Our  Blessed  Lord’s  words: “If in  the  green  wood  they  do  these  things,  what  shall  be  done  in  the dry?” have  a deep  meaning. If God  thus  punished  His  beloved  Son for the  sins  of  others,  how  will  He  punish  men  for  their  own  sinsl What will  those  suffer  who  are  rejected  by  God,  if  He  whom  He  loves suffered so  much! The bitter  Passion  of  our  Lord  Jesus  is  a practical warning of  the  terrible  judgments  which  will  overtake  sinners.

The two  mysteries  of  the  holy  Rosary, the  Carrying  of  the  Cross and the  Crucifixion,  serve  to  remind  us  of  the  indescribable  agony  of Soul  and  Body  which  our  Blessed  Lord  suffered  on  His  way  to  Calvary.

The compassion  and  courage  of  the  pious  women. The  vast  crowd which was  following  Jesus  was  chiefly  composed  of  His  enemies,  who were hooting,  scoffing  at  Him  and  blaspheming,  as  He  passed  along. There were,  however,  among  them  some  few  pious  women,  who,  in their  great  compassion  for  Him,  pressed  through  the  yelling  crowd, so as  to  be  near  Him. They paid  no  heed  to  the  abusive  words  of the  furious  crowd,  they  did  not  fear  the  violence  of  the  soldiers,  but let nothing  keep  them  back  from  showing  their  compassion  for  their