תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

which bears on the face of it tokens of belonging to One who spake as no other man could speak. The beatitudes with which the sermon opens are instances of this incommunicable style, which befitted, as far as human words could befit, God Incarnate. Nor is this style peculiar to the Sermon on the Mount. All through the Gospels it is discernible, distinct from any other part of Scripture, showing itself in solemn declarations, canons, sentences, or sayings, such as legislators propound, and scribes and lawyers comment on. Surely every thing our Lord did and said is characterised by mingled simplicity and mystery; His emblematical actions, His typical miracles, His parables, His replies, His censures,—all are evidences of a legislature in germ afterwards to be developed, a code of divine truths which was ever to be before men's eyes. And thus the Fathers speak of his teaching: His sayings,' observes St. Justin, 'were short and concise, for He was no rhetorician; but His word was the power of God.' And St. Basil in like manner: Every deed, and every word of our Saviour Jesus Christ, is a canon of piety and virtue. When, then, thou hearest word or deed of His, do not hear it as by the way, or after a simple and carnal manner; but enter into the depths of His contemplations, and become a communicant in truths mystically imparted to thee.'"

May that Immaculate Lady, who merited to conceive the Eternal Word in her virginal womb, pray for those who shall use this little Compendium, and they

in turn for its Editor, that the words of Jesus may daily sink deeper and deeper into the hearts of all, and bear fruit unto life eternal, through the grace of the blessed Paraclete, to whom with the Father, and the Son, be glory for ever. Amen.

ORATORY, BIRMINGHAM,

Feast of the Sacred Heart, 1855.

N.B. The Text and Doctrinal Notes are those of the Douay

Testament.

A

CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX

TO THE

LIFE OF OUR BLESSED LORD.

(From the Douay Testament.)

A.D.

1

12

30

CHRIST is born at Bethlehem. Luke ii.

He is circumcised. Luke ii.

The wise men come and adore him. Matt. ii.

He is presented in the temple. Luke ii. Joseph and
the Blessed Virgin mother fly with the child Jesus
into Egypt. Matt. ii.

The massacre of the infants by Herod. Matt. ii. Joseph,
with the Blessed Virgin and her Son, return from
Egypt; but for fear of Archelaus, go to live at Naza-
reth in Galilee. Matt. ii.

Jesus is found in the temple disputing with the doctors.

Luke ii.

St. John Baptist begins to preach penance, and to bap-
tise. The chief of the Jews send messengers to ask
if he is not the Messias. John i.

Jesus himself is baptised by John. A voice from Hea-
ven declares him the beloved Son of God; the Holy
Ghost comes down like a dove. Matt. iii.; Mark i.;
Luke iii.

Christ is no sooner baptised, but he retires into a wil-
derness, where he fasts for forty days. The devil
there tempts him. Angels come and minister to him.
Matt. iv.; Mark i.; Luke iv.

Christ's first miracle, at Cana in Galilee, by turning
water into wine. John ii.

31 St. John Baptist is cast into prison, and beheaded by
Herod. Matt. xiv.; Mark vi.; Luke ix.

Christ makes choice of twelve of his disciples, whom
he calls Apostles; Peter is the first of them. Matt. x.;
Mark iii.; Luke vi.

A.D.

31 Christ's sermon on the mount. Matt. v. vi. and vii.
He preaches in Judea and Galilee, casts out devils,
cures all manner of diseases, and sometimes on the
Sabbath-days confutes and puts to confusion his ad-
versaries, who blame him for it. Matt. xii.; Luke
xiv., &c.

He raises to life the daughter of Jairus. Matt. ix.;
Mark v.; Luke viii.

Also the son of the widow of Naim. Luke vii.

He calms the sea by his word. Matt. viii.; Mark iv.;
Luke viii.

He heals the man thirty-eight years ill of a palsy.
John v.

He sends his twelve Apostles to preach, with power of
doing miracles. Matt. x.; Mark vi.; Luke ix.

He teaches them to pray. Matt. vi.; Luke xi.

He makes choice of seventy-two disciples. Luke x.
32 He promises to make Peter the head of his Church, to
build his Church upon him, and to give him the keys
of the kingdom of heaven. Matt. xvi.

He declares himself the Messias in plain terms to the
Samaritan woman. John iv.

He excuses his disciples for plucking the ears of corn
on the second-first Sabbath. Matt. xii.

He feeds at one time five thousand men with five loaves.
Matt. xiv. At another time four thousand with seven
loaves. Matt. xv.

He promises to give them his body to be truly meat.
Many, even of his disciples, leave him, looking upon
that doctrine as hard and harsh. John vi.

33 His transfiguration. Matt. xvii.

The Sunday, or first day of the week in which he died
on the cross, he comes riding upon an ass into Jerusa-
lem. Matt. xxi.

In the beginning of that week he goes daily into the
temple, and in the evenings retires to Bethania, to
pray in the garden of Gethsemani. Luke xxi. 38, &c.
On Wednesday Judas makes a bargain with the chief
priests to deliver him up to them for a sum of money.
Matt. xxvi. 15.

On Thursday he sends his disciples in the afternoon to
bring the paschal lamb, offered in the temple, which,
after sunset, he eats with his twelve Apostles. Matt.
xxvi.

He washes their feet. John xiii.

A.D.

33

After supper he institutes the Blessed Sacrament and
Sacrifice of his Body and Blood. Matt. xxvi.

He gives his Apostles those excellent instructions set
down by St. John, xiv.-xvii.

Christ's prayer in the garden three times repeated.
He is there seized, being betrayed by Judas.

He is led away to Annas, and then to Caiphas.

He is condemned as guilty of blasphemy, for owning
himself the Son of God. He is spit upon and buf-
feted.

On Friday morning they deliver him up to the Roman
governor, Pontius Pilate, who sees and declares him
innocent, yet fearing not to be thought a friend to
Cæsar, condemns him to the death of the Cross.
He dies on the Cross, and is buried. For the history
of his passion, see Matt. xxvi. xxvii. xxviii.; Mark
xiv. xv. xvi.; Luke xxii. xxiii. xxiv.; John xviii.
xix. xx.

The miracles at his death. Ibid.

He rises from death the third day. Ibid.

His different apparitions that very day; and others
afterwards. Ibid.

He gives his Apostles power to forgive sins. John xx. 23.
He gives to St. Peter the charge over his whole Church.
John xxi.

He promises to be with his Church to the end of the
world. Matt. xxviii.

After forty days he ascends into heaven. Acts i.

« הקודםהמשך »