Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/566

 sions upon  the  heart  than  the  presence  of  Jesus  Christ. But is  it not,  Lord,  against  those  monsters  of  Christians  that  thy  prophet, incensed, formerly  said  to  thee,  "  Ah!  Lord,  let  thy  table  become  a snare  before  them;  and  that  which  should  have  been  for  their  welfare, let  it  become  a  trap?"'

In the  second  place,  to  communicate  in  remembrance  of  Jesus Christ, is  to  wish  to  awaken,  through  the  presence  of  this  sacred pledge, every  impression  which  his  memory  can  make  upon  a  heart which loves  him. The firmest  bonds  are  loosened  by  absence: Jesus Christ  well  foresaw,  that,  ascending  up  to  heaven,  his  disciples would  insensibly  forget  his  kindnesses  and  his  divine  instructions. Alas! Moses remains  only  forty  days  upon  the  mountain, and already  the  Israelites  cease  to  remember  the  miracles  that  he had  wrought  to  deliver  them  from  Egypt. We wot  not,  said  they among themselves,  what  is  become  of  this  Moses,  the  man  that brought us  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt;  let  us  make  gods  who  shall go before  and  defend  us  against  our  enemies. Jesus Christ,  to guard  against  these  inconstancies  of  the  human  heart,  wished,  in ascending  to  the  heavenly  Sion,  to  leave  us  a  pledge  of  his  presence:  it  is  there  that  he  wishes  we  should  come  to  console  ourselves for  his  sensible  absence;  it  is  there  that  we  ought  to  find  a more  lively  remembrance  of  his  wonders,  of  his  doctrine,  of  his kindnesses, of  his  divine  person;  it  is  there  that,  under  mysterious signs, we  come  to  see  him  born  at  Bethlehem,  brought  up  at  Nazareth, holding  discourses  with  men,  and  traversing  the  cities  of Judea,  working  signs  and  miracles  which  no  one  before  him  had ever done,  calling  as  followers  rude  disciples,  in  order  to  make them masters  of  the  world,  confounding  the  hypocrisy  of  the  Pharisees, announcing  salvation  to  men,  leaving  marks  every  where  of his  power  and  goodness,  entering  in  triumph  into  Jerusalem,  led to Mount  Calvary,  expiring  upon  a  cross,  conqueror  of  death  and of hell,  leading  with  him  into  heaven  those  who  were  captives,  as the  trophies  of  his  victory,  and  forming  afterwards  his  church  with the overflowing  of  his  Spirit  and  the  abundance  of  his  gifts;  in  a word,  we  shall  there  find  him  in  all  his  mysteries.

You envy,  said  St.  Chrysostom,  the  lot  of  a  woman  who  touches his garments,  of  a  single  one  who  bathes  his  feet  with  her  tears,  of the  woman  of  Galilee  who  had  the  happiness  to  follow  and  to  serve him in  the  course  of  his  ministry,  of  his  disciples  with  whom  he  familiarly conversed,  of  the  people  of  those  times  who  listened  to  the words of  grace  and  of  salvation  which  proceeded  from  his  mouth; you call  blessed  those  who  saw  him;  many  prophets  and  kings have vainly  wished  it;  but  you,  my  brethren,  come  to  the  altars, and you  shall  see  him;  you  shall  touch  him,  you  shall  give  him a holy  kiss,  you  shall  bathe  him  with  your  tears,  and  your  bowels shall bear  him  even  like  those  of  Mary. Alas! our fathers  went into the  holy  land  to  worship  the  traces  of  his  feet,  and  the  places that he  had  consecrated  with  his  presence. Here, they  were  told, he proposed  the  parable  of  the  good  shepherd  and  the  lost  sheep; here he  reconciled  an  adulteress;  here  he  comforted  a  sinful  wo-