MEDITATIONS OF THE PASSION: FIFTEENTH MEDITATION: How Caiphas adjured Jesu to tell him if he were Christ.

CARACCIOLO, Giovanni Battista 

Christ and Caiaphas 

1611-20

THE XV. MEDITATION. 

How Caiphas adjured Jesu to tell him if he were Christ. 

GOSPEL. 

AGAIN the high priest asked Jesus, and said to him, I abjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us if thou be CHRIST the Son of God. Jesus saith to him, thou hast said, I am but I say to you, hereafter you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming in the clouds of Heaven: then the high Priest rent his garments saying, he hath blasphemed, what need we witnesses any further? behold now you have heard, the blasphemy, how think you? who all condemned him to be guilty of death.

PROPHESIES. 

1. Blind the hart of this people, and thicken their hearing and shut their eyes, that with their eyes they see not, with their ears they hear not, and with their hart they understand not, and be converted. 

2. Let us oppress the just, because he is unprofitable to us and contrary to our works he argueth us of sins against the law, and he name himself the son of God. 

3. Thy cause was judged, as if thou wert an impious man.

CONSIDERATIONS. 

CONSIDER how the humble Ieſus . ſtood in the middeſt of that ma- lignant councellbound and accuſed in maner of a malefactour, without defen ding himſelfe, orhauing any to defend him, on the other ſide his enemies cé- paſſing him about, in mannet of raue- ning dogges opened their mouthesa- ainſt him, and not finding where to takehold on him ſince that he game thé no anſwere: they conſumed théſelues with griefe: for which cauſe the proud high Prieſt not being able to hide his rage any longer roſe vp with furie and adiured him in the name of God to tell them

158 T ME D1 rar ions Madº. théplain'y if he were the ſonne ofGod. 

2. Conſider how there was neuer in the world any queſtió either greater or more noble then this:firſt for reſpect of thé that made it, which was the Coun- cell of the Iewes than the which there was not anything ofgreater authoritie & religion vpon the earth if malice had notblinded their cies. ScCondly in re- gard of the partie demaunded, which was G5d himſelfe beeing made man. Thirdly in reſpeštofthe matter wherof he was demanded,which was his God- head. The beholders herof were al An- gels & men together: for that vpon the anſwere of Chriſt depended the chiefe good ofthe one, and the chiefeioy of the other. If Chriſt held his peace our #faith and ſaluation were hazarded if he anſwered the truth: the life of God was l put in peril: but CHR Isr which loued In Ore Our good then his proper life not only in moſt plaine words cofeſſed the truth,but to take away almaner ofdout which might be made therof affirmed likewiſe that albeit they ſaw him now inſuch maner diſpiſed, as the Prophet had

Med... f. Of The Pass 1 on. 159, had foretold of him: Qaaſ abſconditu, Iſa.s3. waltus eius,et diffečHu: neuertheleſ the time ſhould come when as they ſhould ſee him fit as Iudge on the right hand ‘of the Maieffie of God, & come in glo- rie vpon the cloudes of Heauen. 

3. Hence we may gather the great- ines of the band wherin we ſtand obli- ged vnto our Sauiour, for that he know ing that if he had held his peace, as he mighthaue done, not being ſubiect to man, his enemies could neierhauc bin able, not hauing any teſtimonie againſt him, neither finding in him any cauſe ofdeath, to haue condemned him: and moreouer he knowing that for this có- feſſion he was to receaue at their hands infinite iniuries & torméts, and finally death itſelfe neuertheles ſetting before himſelfe, as the Apoſtle ſaith, the ioye Heb.1s. which his moſtlouing harte was to en- ioy by the ſauing of ſo many ſouls, in re ſpect therofmaking litle account of his ownlife & deſpiſing alcófiiſion he ſub mitted him ſºlfe to the ignominie of the Croſſe. Oconfeſſion moſt worthy, and ful of vnmeaſurable charitie: O có- fºſſion

16o MED IT at Ions Med... r Sap.7 feſſion from the which reſulted to God ſuch gloric, to the Angels iov and re- ſta ration, and wato man ſo finguler a remedie. 

4. Caiphas is hauing heard that diuine confiſſion of Chriſt, being vnworthie to heare ſo high an anſwere, and blin- ded with the brightneſſ of ſo cleare a light, began in raging ſort to rent his garments, and to condemne the Sonne of God for ab'aſphemour. Ovnhappy high Prieſt: CH R1st could not, being truth itſelfe, ſay other then truth, but theſe thy wordstrewly are blaſphemie ſince that thou attributeſt that vºto God, which is not of Goi, and think- eſt that the Sonne of God is a pure cre- ature. Take compºſió now O my ſoul on thy Redeemer, who would vouch- ſafe to humble himſelfſo much for the for that he being that brightnes of eter nall lighte, that gaúc without ſpotte where on could fall no ſinue, and hee whom the Angels in Heauen continu- ally praiſe ſaying, San‘tu, Santtu, Să thus, ſuffered himſelfe of ſinners here on earth to be condemned for a blaſ- phc- AMed... f. Of the Pass 1 on. 161 phemour; and He that not by rapine . by his propernature, was all waies equall with his Father, permitted him ſelfe to be adiudged worthie of death as a vſurper of the Godhead, 

THE PRAYER. 

THE PRAIER. T How ſhalt pray vnto Chriſt our Lord, fince that he being the eter nall truth, would for thy leafinges and falſe workes be accuſed ofblaſphemie, and ſuffer with ſo great patience that prophane voiceofthe Jewes which iud- ged him worthie of death: that he will geue thee grace to ſuffer ...; for truth and for his loue all kind of euell which ſhall be ſaid againſt the, & to be iudgedablaſphemor and worthie of a thouſand deathes as thy finnes trewly deſerue, that beeing diſpleaſing vnto the world, thoumaiſt be more accep- table in the fight offiis Maicſtie. 204)&l (1990: 32 & sº. 

DOCUMENTS. 

1. C H R1st being proucket mith in- futiegº falſe teſtimonies hoſbetſ) bigpeace, but being abſurch to ſpeake L the Phil.2. the trutt, to the bonour of Öob, anſme- reti), although be knem that therfore #2 ſhould ſuffer muct): to teach bg that \mbenſgeuer the bonor of Gºob requireth tue muſt not for amp #int of perilipca al- thouglying ſhould looſe our life, omitt to ſpeake the truth. 

2. We must not be atter reabic to iubgeon interpret out neighborg mortg op action3 rather in ill part tijë in goob neither muſt me eaſely beleue the euill ſpeacbeginbich are tould by of otberg, Icaſt me erre ag Caiphas bid, 

3. We must neuer make amp reſº- Hutiff, neither betermin miti) out ſcitieg about amp thing mben &3 m2 are poſſeſ. ſet miti) amp tentation: for that the paſs ſiongofo.it mint to oftentimeå noton- Ip make that ſeemz greatmbicbig ſit- tle, but alſo that that ig trem, mi)ich in been is falſe:ag it bappened to Caiphas. 

4. It is the property of tbe molluto tombemme thoſe that ſpeake the truth, ant to praiſe ſuch ag make account of it therfoye if thy right any trem ſpeach ſhal be at amp time itſuget blaſpbemie, trouble not therfore tºp ſcife, neither fog

 I on. 163 for all this bo thou ſpare to ſpeake the truth, ſince that Chriſt alſo batt, ſuffe- rcp tije Iike. 

5. We ought not to feate the ſubg. memteg of micrº, becauſe thcp can not therby make us eitzil if me bc met al- reabic, butletus feate to befowit, guti. tie in the itingment of Gönü, ºn tufi itſuge ps, mot, as me batte beltz before the cica of man, but as me are fount to be in big ſight. 

6, That others detract us or speak evil of us, can by no means hurt us, but rather may profit us much if we will, for that hereby we may be made much better by being mate more humble.

Fr. Vincenzo Bruno S.J. 1599