Meditation Of The Resurrection Of Christ Our Lord. Point I

ALTDORFER, Albrecht T
he Resurrection of Christ 
c. 1516

Of the resurrection of Christ our Lord.

THE I POINT.

"The third day after the passion being come, which was the Sunday in the morning, the soul of Christ our Lord, went forth of Limbo, with those quires of just souls, which he had in company with him, and went directly to the Sepulcher, wherein his body lay entombed.

I. Whence is to be pondered, first, the cause why Christ our Lord hastened his resurrection: for having said, that as Jonas was in the Whales belly three days and three nights; so should the Son of man be in the heart of the earth, three days and three nights, yet did he abbreviate that time all that was possible, and as far as might stand with the truth of his word, contenting himself to take some part of those three days, and that also very little, which was part of the Saturday, and the morning of the Sunday. Whereunto he was moved by his immense charity, to succor speedily the disciples, which were in the darkness of infildelity, and to male hast to comfort his afflicted mother, and all his dear and beloved friends: as also to illuminate and rejoice the world, with the glory of his body, like as he had illuminated and rejoiced Limbo, with the glory of his soul.

Colloquy
I give thee thanks (o most sweet Savior) for the care which thou hast over those that are thine, and for the speed wherewith thou hastens to their comfort and remedy. Thou hast perfected thy course like the sun, rejoice as a Giant, to run the way, making thy day, much longer then the night, for that the day of thy life dured thirty and three years, illuminating the world which was in darkness, but the night of thy death, lasted but six and thirty hours, presently returning and rising again, with a new light, to comfort those which thou had left oppressed with sorrow for thin absence. Hasten (Lord I beseech thee) the light of thy divine vision, that my soul, may rejoice with the presence of thy grace, Amen.

2. Christ our Lord also would, that his death should be in the evening, at the setting of the sun: but his resurrection in the morning, at the rising of the sun; To signify, that he died for our sins, wherewith we deprived ourselves of the light of heaven, and of the splendor of his divine grace; and rose again (as the Apostle saith) fernier justification, to restore unto us the life of the same grace, together with the joy thereof, wiping away the tears of our former sadness, according to that which David saith. At evening shall weeping abide, and in the morning gladness.

3. Then will I ponder that excessive joy, wherewith the most holy soul of Christ our lord went forth of Limbo, environed with that gloryious and shinning company, triumphing over hell, which he had deployed of so great a prey, and might repeat those words of Jacob. With my staff, I passed over this Jordan, and now with two troupes I do return, I passed this world, only with the staff of my Cross, not having any with me for to help me, and now I return with two troupes of just of the two laws, to wit, natural, and written. O how joyfully ascended these two noble troupes and how sung they by turns, the triumph of their Captain, saying. Let us sing to our Lord, for he is gloriously magnified, the horse and the rider, he hath thrown into the sea, my strength and my praise is our Lord, and he is made unto me a salvation. This is my God, and I will glorify him, the God of my Father, and I will exalt him. Our Lord is a man of war, Omnipotent is his name. Pharaos chariots and his army, he hath cast into the sea, his chosen princes are drowned in the read sea. Enter thou also ( o my soul) amongst the troupes of these glorious souls, and do thou also extoll with them, this thy sovereign Captain, hoping that thou likewise shalt participate of their glory.

Venerable Luis de la Puente S.J.

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