THE VOTIVE OFFICE OF THE PASSION

4 May

PASSION OF THE LORD

Votive Office

THE OFFICE OF READINGS

The Second Reading

From the Summa Theologiae of Saint Thomas Aquinas.

There was no better way to cure our misery than the passion of Christ.

The liberation of humanity through the passion of Christ was consonant with both his mercy and his justice.  With justice, because by his passion Christ made satisfaction for the sin of the human race, and humanity was freed through the justice of Christ.  With mercy, because since humanity was by itself unable to satisfy for the sin of all human nature, as was said above, God gave us his Son to do so.  According to Paul: They are now justified by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, effective through faith.

In so acting God manifested greater mercy than if God had forgiven sins without requiring  satisfaction.  Paul therefore writes: God, who is rich in mercy, by reason of the great love with which God loved us, even when we were dead through our sins, brought us to life together with Christ.

Augustine says that there was "no better way to cure our misery' than the passion of Christ.  A means is the more appropriate for an end, as it brings together more assets towards the end.  Now because humanity was set free through Christ's passion, many things having to do with our salvation over and above liberation from sin also converged.

First, humanity could thus experience God's great love and in turn would love God.  In this the perfection of our salvation consists.  Paul therefore writes: God's love for us is proven in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Second, he gave us an example of obedience, humility, constancy. justice, and of other virtues which his passion revealed and which are necessary for our salvation.  Peter notes that Christ has suffered for us, leaving you an example that you may follow in his footsteps.

Third, by his passion Christ not only freed us from sin, but merited for humanity the grace of justification and the glory of beatitude as we shall see.

Fourth, humanity thus feels a greater obligation to refrain from sin as Paul says: You were bought with a great price, so glorify and bear God in  your body.

Fifth, in this way a greater dignity accrues to humanity.  We had been overcome and deceived by the devil.  But it is a human being also who overcomes the devil.  We had merited death; a human being by dying would conquer death.  Paul writes: Thanks be to God, who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

In order to benefit from Christ's passion one must be likened to him.  We are sacramentally conformed to him in baptism, for we have been buried with him by baptism into death.  Hence no atoning punishment is imposed upon us at baptism, for we are then completely freed by the satisfaction offered by Christ.  And since Christ died once for our sins, we cannot be conformed to Christ by being baptised a second time.  It is therefore right that those who commit sin after baptism should be made to conform to the suffering Christ by experiencing some penalty or suffering in their own persons.  This punishment, which is much less than our sin deserves, does nevertheless suffice because Christ's satisfaction works along with it.

Christ's satisfaction brings about its effect in us in so far as we are incorporated into him as members are into the head.  But members should be conformed to their head.  Hence just as Christ, who besides having grace in his soul had also a body that could suffer, attained through his passion to a glorious immortality, we who are his members are freed by his passion from the debt of any punishment whatsoever.  But we must first have received into our soul the spirit of adoption by which we are marked out for the inheritance of a glorious immortality, while yet retaining a body subject to suffering and death.  Later, when we have become like Christ through suffering and death, we will be led into eternal glory, according to the Apostle, who says: If we are children, then heirs also, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if, intact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

Responsory        1 Pt 2:24; Eph 2:4-5

R.  Christ himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, * so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness (alleluia).

V.  Because of God's great love for us, when we were dead through sin, God brought us to life with Christ.

R.  So that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness (alleluia).

Alternative Second Reading

From “The Soul's Love-Book” attributed to our brother, Henry Suso.

To follow the Passion of Christ.

O Eternal Wisdom, you are the reflection of the glory and the expression of the Father's being, who created all things out of nothing.  You descended to this miserable earth to lead the human race back to the joys of Paradise by your own gracious example.  As a meek lamb you offered yourself to the Father as an expiation for the sins of all.  By your precious blood open my heart that I may behold you, King of kings and Lord of lords, with the eyes of faith.

O heavenly strength and constancy of my soul, most sweet Jesus Christ, when you were cruelly led to the house of Annas, you were questioned about your teaching by him and the Jewish leaders who were sitting around the fire.  You meekly answered and were repaid by a savage blow to the head. O reflection of the eternal light and spotless mirror, they blindfolded your clear eyes, soiled your adorable face with spittle, and struck your blameless head with repeated blows.

O superabundant salvation of the world, most sweet Jesus Christ, after you had endured a night of unspeakable cruelty in the house of Annas, thereby bearing witness to and attesting your charity to the world, you were led like a thief to the house of Caiphas.  When you stood so humbly before the judge, you were falsely accused.  Although you were Son of God, with harsh voices they cried out that you were guilty of death.

O only sovereign and origin of all that is, Lord of all the hosts of angels, most sweet Jesus Christ, your arms were cruelly stretched, you were bound naked to the hard pillar and violently scourged with whips, you were clothed in purple, crowned with thorns, mocked and struck in the face.  With your face covered with blood, your head crowned with thorns, and wearing the purple cloak, you were led before the crowd.  A sentence of death was pronounced upon you, the author of life, by a mortal judge.

But I know one thing and I hold this one thing to be true: you suffered all this to draw me to your love; you who are the supreme good submitted to savage blows for love of me.

Now, my soul, behold his adorable face which he has made red with drops of blood.  In him you possess the fullness of all grace.  Behold his head pierced with cruel thorns from which fountains of blood flow.

O my King, now grant your servant to enter into your passion, to bear its evils, to be crucified with you and to be reborn with you unto eternal life.  Amen

Responsory     1 Cor 1: 18, 23

R.  The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, * but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (alleluia).  

V.  We proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jewish people and foolishness to Gentiles, 

R.  but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (alleluia).

Alternative Second Reading

From “The Sermons on Ezekiel” of our brother, Jerome Savonarola.

Christ crucified is our true love.

We are gathered here to contemplate the passion of our Lord and Saviour. I do not know whether we ought to rejoice or to weep.  We should rejoice over so great a salvation, but weep over such a death.  Therefore let us do some of each, but let us speak of nothing other than love.  Let all cry out: Love, love.

Our preaching will be subtle and not subtle, yet may all accept it, especially those skilled in love.  Those not so skilled will learn how far they are from love.  Love does not hold to a certain order, hence let us speak as with one beloved and with love itself.  I will not extend myself beyond the events of the passion, but you will understand me.  May you all be attentive and let us enter into love.

Reflecting upon this passion of the Lord of which I am about to speak, I saw a beautiful woman both adorned and weeping.  Placing myself in front of her I said: 'Whom do you seek?  Why are you weeping?' The spouse of Christ replied and said: 'I seek the beloved who will bring me peace.  I want him whom I love. I not only want him but also his love, and I desire nothing else from him but this.' I found the guardians on the earth, namely, the poor apostles, I questioned them and I said: 'Whom do you love?' 'Certainly we ourselves love love itself.  Behold we will show you Christ crucified, he is our true love.' "O thus such a crucified one is love itself!' 'He is indeed.' Therefore I held him and I said: "Are you love?' He replied: 'I am one who has seen his poverty.' 'O why are you poor?' 'Because love is always poor; love is oblivious to all things except that which is loved.  I was the richest, and I have become poor. I possessed all things, and now I am seen to have nothing.  Therefore I desire that you should forget all things, and I wish that you become love with me and we will be one love together.'

Truly you have all the traits of a lover, Lord Jesus.  Truly you are true love. I look at your hands, your feet, your head, your holy mouth and your body, and you are all love.  But could you not have redeemed human nature without such suffering?' 'Certainly I could have, for all my actions are infinite; yet love did not only desire this, but even greater things.  Hence I, the Son and Eternal Truth, have the obligation to see that I would die among you.' 'But could it not be otherwise?' 'Of course it could have been otherwise.  But the divine precept obliged me and love did not allow me to do otherwise.  Love fettered me, bound me in chains, and held me fast.  To others a moderate suffering is granted, but to me was granted a suffering above all others.'

"What do you say, Mary, about the love of the beloved fruit of your womb?  Do you not wonder at so great a love? O Virgin, what do you say?' 'My beloved is white because of his divinity and red because of his humanity.  He was chosen above all the angels because he is love.  His words dripped down like the first myrrh, that is, the first mortification and the first suffering.  Hence I, O son, in my mind rest content.'

'O love are you not as yet satisfied being thus condemned by mere mortals?  Was not all that you had already endured sufficient?' The cross is placed on his shoulders in the midst of thieves, but love bore the burden of all.  According to some he met the Virgin on the way.  She saw with her own eyes her son, the son saw his mother, and they embraced: 'O son, what is this?' ‘Mother, it is necessary to do this for salvation.'

They came to Calvary.  Love is not negligent.  He prays: "Father, behold love has led me thus far.  Behold my flesh, behold the sacrifice.  Pierce my hands and feet; I offer myself for all peoples present and future.' Having made this prayer, he was stripped of his clothes spontaneously.  He stretched out his hand, and behold it was nailed, so also with the other hand, and likewise with the feet.  'O Lord Jesus, what is this? O heaven! O angels! O Mary, what are you doing?  Behold the cross of our Lord and our God!'

Most beloved ones, look upon love.  'O love divine, how can I view you without someone to console me.  You are made a scandal; all heap scorn upon you and you stand before them, Jesus, and you say: "Spare them.' You say, 'I thirst' and you are made to drink gall.  Love guided me to this.  My soul, remember my poverty.  Here is your king and your God. I commend to you this people, Lord.  Through the love of your heart spare, O Lord, this people of yours.  Amen.

Responsory     Lam 1: 12, 18

R.  All you who pass by, look and see. * Is there any sorrow like my sorrow? (alleluia)

V.  Listen, all you peoples, and behold my suffering.

R.  Is there any sorrow like my sorrow? (alleluia)

Concluding Prayer

One of the following prayers is selected:

Almighty and eternal God,

our Saviour took on human flesh and embraced the cross

to give the human race an example of humility.

May we who now recall his passion

reflect upon the example of his suffering

and so come to share in his resurrection.

(We make our prayer), through our Lord.

(Through Christ our Lord). Amen.

Or

Lord Jesus Christ,

by stretching out your hands upon the cross

you drew all things to yourself.

Draw us to your open heart,

that washed in your blood and recreated by your Spirit.

(We make our prayer), through our Lord.

(Through Christ our Lord). Amen.