Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/756

 made of  the  earth; He  only  kept  for  Himself  the  sins  of  the  world,  to make  satisfaction  for  them. He had  no  grave  of  His  own  in  which  His Body might  lie: it  was  buried  in  the  grave  of  a stranger,  by  the  charity of him  who  owned  it.

Patience in  suffering. Our  Divine  Saviour  remained  hanging  on the  Cross  till  men  came  to  take  Him  down. Ought we,  then,  to  consider it too  much  to  remain  hanging  on  the  cross  (of  suffering)  till  it  pleases God to  take  us  down?

The opening  of  the  Side  of  Jesus,  sleeping  the  sleep  of  death  on the  Cross,  was,  according  to  the  Fathers  of  the  Church,  a fulfilment of the  type  presented  by  the  creation  of  the  first  woman  from  the  side of the  sleeping  Adam. From the  Side  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  second Adam and  our  spiritual  Father,  there  proceeded  the  Church,  which  is the  second  Eve,  the  true  mother  of  the  living.

Preparation for  Holy  Communion.  Even  as  Joseph  of  Arimathea and Nicodemus  wrapped  the  Sacred  Body  of  Jesus  in  clean  linen,  and laid it  in  a tomb  fragrant  with  sweet  spices,  so  ought  we  to  receive the Body  of  our  Lord  in  Holy  Communion  with  hearts  cleansed  from sin, and  fragrant  with  devotion  and  the  perfume  of  virtues.

The Holy  Sepulchre  in  Jerusalem  was  visited  by  many  pilgrims  even in the  first  centuries  of  the  Christian  era. In the  year  325,  St.  Helen, the mother  of  the  Emperor  Constantine  the  Great,  discovered  the  True Cross, together  with  the  Nails  and  Title. But as  the  crosses  of  the  two thieves were  found  together  with  and  in  the  same  place  as  the  Cross of Jesus,  it  was  a matter  of  uncertainty  which  of  the  three  crosses  was that of  our  Lord. St. Macarius,  Bishop  of  Jerusalem,  caused  a poor woman, afflicted  with  a mortal  complaint,  to  touch  the  three  crosses in turn. The touch  of  the  first  two  had  no  effect  on  her;  but  as  soon as she  had  touched  the  third,  she  arose  perfectly  cured. This miracle made it  plain  which  was  the  true  Cross  of  Jesus. Fragments of  the  Holy Cross have  been*  distributed  among  the  faithful  in  almost  every  Catholic country. Constantine built  a large  church  on  Calvary  over  the  Holy Sepulchre.

Would you  not  consider  yourself  very  happy, if you  could  go  to  Jerusalem  and  visit  the  Church  of  the  Holy Sepulchre, and  pray  on  the  two  spots  where  your  Saviour  was crucified and  buried? Your heart  would  glow  with  devotion  and grateful love,  and  tears  of  emotion  would  flow  from  your  eyes. But in  the  tabernacle  on  the  altar  your  Divine  Saviour  is  present with His  divine  and  human  natures,  under  the  appearances  of bread;  and  every  morning  at  the  holy  Mass  the  Sacrifice  on  the Cross is  renewed  in  an  unbloody  manner;  and  yet  you  behave so thoughtlessly  and  indevoutly  in  church,  and  are  so  unwilling to hear  Mass!