Saturday in Passion Week

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Editor’s note: text is taken from The Liturgical Year, authored by Dom Prosper Gueranger (1841-1875)

Today, we begin, as does the holy Gospel, to number the days which precede the Death, the Sacrifice, of the Lamb of God. St. John, in the 12^th Chapter of his Gospel, tells us that this is the Sixth day before the Pasch.

Jesus is in Bethania, where a feast is being given in his honour. Lazarus, he whom Jesus has restored to life, was present at this repast, which was given in the house of Simon the Leper. Martha is busy looking after the various arrangements; her sister, Mary Magdalene, has a heavenly presentiment that the death and burial of her beloved Master are soon to be, and she has poured upon him a precious perfume. The Holy Gospel, which ever observes such a mysterious reserve with regard to the Mother of Jesus, does not tell us that Mary was at Bethania on this occasion, but there can be no doubt of her being present. The Apostles were also there, and partook of the repast. Whilst the friends of our Saviour were thus grouped around him, in this village, which was about two thousand paces from Jerusalem, the aspect of the faithless City becomes more and more threatening: and yet, though his Disciples are not aware of it, Jesus is to enter the City tomorrow, and in a most public manner. The heart of Mary is a prey to sadness; Magdalene is absorbed in grief; everything announces that the fatal day is near.

The Church has reserved for Monday next the Gospel which relates the history of this Saturday. The reason is, that formerly, and up to the 12th century, there was no Station held on this day in Rome: it was left free, in order that the Pope might rest before the great fatigues of Holy Week, whose long and solemn services were to begin on the morrow. But, although he did not preside over the assembly of the Faithful, he, on this day, had to observe two usages, which had been handed down by tradition, and which had almost become of liturgical importance in the Church at Rome.

During the whole year, the Pope used, every Sunday, to send a portion of the sacred species, consecrated by him, to each of the priests of the presbyterial Titles, or parochial Churches, of the City. But it was today that this distribution was made for the whole of Holy Week, perhaps on account of tomorrow’s long service. We know from the ancient liturgical books of Rome that it was in the Lateran Consistory that today’s sacred distribution was made, and it is probable (as the Blessed Cardinal Tommasi and Benedict the Fourteenth tell us) that the Bishops of the suburbicarian Churches were of the number of those who received it. We have several instances proving that, formerly, Bishops occasionally sent to one another the Blessed Sacrament, as a sign of the union that existed between them. With regard to the priests of the city Parochial Churches, to whom a Particle was sent by the Pope, they put a portion of it in the Chalice before receiving the Precious Blood.

The other custom, peculiar to this day, consisted in giving alms to all the poor. The Pope presided at this distribution, which was no doubt made ample enough to last the whole of the coming Week, when on account of the long ceremonies, it would scarcely be possible to attend to individual cases of poverty. The liturgists of the middle-ages allude to the beautiful appropriateness of the Roman Pontiffs distributing alms with his own hand, to the poor, on this day, the same on which Mary Magdalene embalmed, with her perfumes, the feet of Jesus.

Since the 12^th century, a Station has been assigned to this Saturday; it takes place in the Church of Saint John before the Latin Gate. This ancient basilica is built near the spot where the Beloved Disciple was, by Domitian’s order, plunged into the cauldron of boiling oil.

Collect

May the people consecrated to thy service, we beseech thee, O Lord, improve in the affections of piety; that instructed by these holy mysteries, they may be so much the more enriched with thy heavenly gifts, as they become more acceptable to thy divine majesty. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lectio Jeremiæ Prophetæ.

It makes us tremble to read these awful anathemas, which Jeremias, the figure of Christ, speaks against his enemies, the Jews. This prophecy, which was literally fulfilled at the first destruction of Jerusalem by the Assyrians, received a more terrible fulfillment at the second visitation of God’s anger upon this city of malediction. This time, it was not because the Jews had persecuted a Prophet; it was because they had rejected and crucified the very Son of God. It was to their long-expected Messias that they had rendered evil for good. It was not a Saint, like Jeremias, that had spoken good for them to the Lord, and besought him to turn away his indignation from them; the Man-God himself had, without ceasing, made intercession for them, and treated them with the tenderest mercy. But all was in vain; this ungrateful people seemed to hate their divine Benefactor in proportion to his love of them; and at length, in the transport of their fury, they cried out: His blood be upon us and upon our children! What a frightful chastisement they entailed on themselves by this imprecation! God heard and remembered it. Alas! the sinner, who knows Jesus and the worth of his Blood, yet who again sheds this precious Blood—does he not expose himself to the severity of that same Justice, which fell so heavily on the Jews? Let us tremble and pray: let us implore the divine mercy in favor of those many obstinately blind and hardened sinners, who are hastening to destruction. Oh! that by the fervor of our supplications addressed to the merciful Heart of our common Redeemer, we could obtain a reversion of their sentence, and secure them pardon!

Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Joannem.

The enemies of Jesus have come to that pitch of hatred which robs a man of his senses. Lazarus, who has been restored from death to life, is here standing before them; and instead of his resuscitation convincing them of Jesus’ being the Messias, it sets them thinking how best to make away with this irresistible witness. O senseless men! that Jesus who raised him to life when dead, can again bring him to life if you murder him.—Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, which we are solemnly to commemorate tomorrow, adds to their jealousy and hatred. Behold, say they, we prevail nothing: the whole world goes after him. Alas! this ovation is to be soon followed by one of those reverses to which a populace is so subject. Meanwhile, however, we have certain Gentiles who desire to see Jesus. It is the beginning of the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy: The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a nation yielding the fruits thereof. Then shall the Son of man be glorified; then shall all nations, by their humble homage to the Crucified, protest against the sinful blindness of the Jews. But before this comes to pass, it is requisite that the Divine Wheat be cast into the ground, and die. Then, the glorious harvest; and the beautiful seed shall yield a hundredfold.

And yet, Jesus feels, in his human nature, a momentary fear at the thought of this death He is to undergo. It is not the agony in the Garden; it is a trouble of soul. Let us listen to His words: Father! save me from this hour. It is our God who foresees all that He is about to suffer for our sakes, and it fills Him with fear: He asks to be freed from it, though His will has decreed and accepted it. He immediately adds: But, for this cause I came unto this hour: Father I glorify Thy name. His soul is now calm; He once more accepts the hard conditions of our salvation. After this, his words bespeak a triumph; by virtue of the sacrifice about to be offered, satan shall be dethroned: The prince of this world shall be cast out. But the defeat of satan is not the only fruit of our Saviour’s immolation: man, earthly and depraved creature as He is, is to be raised from this earth to heaven. The Son of God is to be the heavenly loadstone, attracting man to Himself: And I, if I he lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to Myself. He forgets His sufferings, and the terrible death which just now troubled Him; He thinks but of the defeat of our implacable enemy, and of our being saved and glorified by His Cross. These few words reveal the whole Heart of our Redeemer: if we attentively weigh them, they will suffice to inflame us with devotion as we celebrate the ineffable mysteries of Holy Week.

Humiliate capita vestra Deo.

May thy right hand, O Lord, we beseech thee, protect thy people making supplication to thee, and purifying them from their sins, make them wise, that they may make such use of the comforts of this present life, as to arrive at that which is eternal. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us sue for mercy from the Savior of our souls, in these words of supplication used in the Gothic Liturgy of Spain.

℣. Miserere, et parce, clementissime Domine, populo tuo.	℣. Have mercy upon, and spare, thy people, O most merciful Lord!
℟. Quia peccavimus tibi.	℟. For we have sinned against thee.
℣. De crucis throno aspice nos miseros, et passionum compeditos vinculis nostris absolve, Redemptor, suppliciis.	℣. Look down, from the throne of thy Cross, upon us miserable creatures, who are fettered by the chains of our passions. Deliver us, O thou our Redeemer, from the punishments we deserve.
℟. Quia peccavimus tibi.	℟. For we have sinned against thee.
℣. Passus flagella, et crucis injuriam, persecutorum sustinens convicia, dona delictis nostris pœnitentiam.	℣. O thou what wast scourged, ignominiously crucified, and insulted by them that persecuted thee! grant us repentance for our sins.
℟. Quia peccavimus tibi.	℟. For we have sinned against thee.
℣. Vox tua Patrem pro nobis expostulet, quæ silens fuit olim ante judicem, ut te regnante perfruamur Domino.	℣. O thou, that heretofore wast silent before the judge! raise up thy voice in pleading for us to thy Father, that we may be happy with thee, our King and Lord.
℟. Quia peccavimus tibi.	℟. For we have sinned against thee.

The following sequence, in praise of Mary, is most appropriate for this Saturday of Passion Week. It sweetly blends together the homages we owe to the Cross of Jesus and to the Dolors of Mary. We have taken it from the Horæ of the 16^th century.

Sequence
Lignum vitæ quærimus, Qui vitam amisimus Fructu ligni vetiti.	We, that by the fruit of the forbidden tree, lost our life, now seek the Tree of life.
Nec inventum noverit Qui fructum non viderit Adhærentem stipiti.	He alone hath found this Tree, who sees the Branch whereon is fixed the Fruit.
Fructus per quem vivitur Pendet, sicut creditur, Virginis ad ubera.	Our faith tells us, that the Fruit, that gives us life, hangs on Mary’s breast.
Et ad Crucem iterum, Inter viros scelerum, Passus quinque vulnera.	And on the Cross, between two thieves, though, here, he is pierced with five wounds.
Hic Virgo puerpera, Hic Crux salutifers: Ambo ligna mystica.	The Virgin-Mother, and the saving Cross—yea, both are mystic Trees;
Hæc hyssopus humilis, Illa cedrus nobilis: Utraque vivifica.	The Cross, humble as the hyssop; Mary, noble as the cedar—both are trees of life.
Positus in medio, Quo me vertam nescio.	Placed between the two, I know not to which to turn.
In hoc dulci dubio, Dulcis est collatio.	O sweet perplexity! O sweet comparison!
Hic complexus brachiis, Modis vagit variis.	Here, my Jesus lies, fondled in his Mother’s arms, a weeping little Babe;
Hic extendit brachia Complexurus omnia.	There, with his arms stretched out, calling all to his embace.
Charum Mater tenere Novit hic tenere.	Here, ’tis a burden sweet to a Mother’s love;
Charitas sub latere, Nescit hic latere.	There, ’tis Love itself, too ardent to be hid.
Hic adhærens pectori, Pascitur ab ubere.	Here, leaning on his Mother’s heart, he is fed at her breast;
Hic affixus arbori, Pascit nos ex vulnere.	There, fastened to the tree, he feeds us from his wounds.
Crux ministrat pabula, Fructu nos reficiens.	The Cross supplies us with the food of its refreshing Fruit;
Mater est præambula, Fructum nobis nutriens.	The Mother forestalls the Cross, feeding the very Fruit, feeding him for us.
Tandem ad hoc trahitur Finalis sententia: Quod nemo consequitur Unam sine alia.	This, then, is my decision;—we cannot have the one without the other.
Qui Crucem elegerit, Nec sic Matrem deserit: Cum ad Crucem venerit, Matrem ibi poterit Stantem invenire.	He that chooses the Cross, must have the Mother; for when he comes to the Cross, he will find the Mother standing at the foot.
Nec qui Matrem elegit, Crucem prorsus abigit: Si modum intelligit Quo per Matrem contigit Gladium transire.	He that chooses the Mother, meets the Cross as well, for it was whilst standing at the Cross, that the Mother’s heart was pierced.
Fili Matris unice, Matris crucifixæ, Nos de Cruce respice, Fili crucifixe.	O Jesus! crucified Son of a crucified Mother! look upon us from thy Cross.
Fructus o vivifice, Fructus ligni vitæ, Nos teipso refice, Nobis da frui te. Amen.	O living Fruit! O Fruit of the Tree of life! refresh us with thyself, give us the enjoyment of thine own dear self. Amen.

Photo by Alexandre Brondino on Unsplash