He must impose silence on his passions. The divine light shows itself to the soul that thus comports herself."
Tuesday in Passion Week
Gospel John 7:1-13
At that time Jesus walked in Galilee, for He would not walk in
Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. Now the Jews feast of Tabernacles
was at hand. And His brethren said to Him: Pass from hence and go into Judea,
that Thy disciples also may see Thy works which Thou dost. For there is no man
that doth anything in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly: if
Thou do these things, manifest Thyself to the world. For neither did His
brethren believe in Him.
Then Jesus said to them: My time is not yet come; but your time is
always ready. The world cannot hate you: but Me it hateth, because I give
testimony of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go you up to this festival
day, but I go not up to this festival day; because My time is not accomplished.
When He had said these things, He Himself stayed in Galilee. But after His
brethren were gone up, then He also went up to the feast not openly, but, as it
were, in secret.
The Jews therefore sought Him on the festival day, and said: Where
is He? And there was much murmuring among the multitude concerning Him. For
some said: He is a good man. And others said: No, but He seduceth the people.
Yet no man spoke openly of Him, for fear of the Jews.
Dom
Gueranger, Liturgical Year, Passiontide and Holy Week
We learn from these words of St. John, that the Jews were plotting
the death of Jesus, not only when this the last Pasch for the Synagogue was
approaching, but even so far back as the Feast of Tabernacles, which was kept
in September. The Son of God was reduced to the necessity of going from place
to place as it were in secret: if he would go to Jerusalem, he must take
precautions! Let us adore these humiliations of the Man-God, who has deigned to
sanctify every position of life, even that of the just man persecuted and
obliged to hide himself from his enemies.
It would have been an easy matter for him to confound his
adversaries by working miracles, such as those which Herod's curiosity sought;
he could have compelled them to treat him with the reverence that was due to
him. But this is not God's way; he does not force man to duty; he acts, and
then leaves man to recognize his Creator's claims. In order to do this, man
must be attentive and humble, he must impose silence on his passions. The
divine light shows itself to the soul that thus comports herself. First, she
sees the actions, the works, of God; then, she believes, and wishes to believe;
her happiness, as well as her merit, lies in Faith, and faith will be
recompensed in eternity with Light, — with the Vision. Flesh and blood cannot
understand this; they love show and noise.
The Son of God, having come down upon this earth, could not
subject himself to such an abasement as that of making a parade of his infinite
power before men. He had to work miracles, in order to give a guarantee of his
mission; but, as Man, everything he did was not to be a miracle. By far the
longest period of his life was devoted to the humble duties of a creature; had
it not been so, how should we have learned from him what we so much needed to
know?
His Brethren, (the Jews gave the name of Brothers to all who were
collaterally related,) his Brethren wished Jesus to make a display of his
miraculous power, for some of the glory would have accrued to them. This their
ambition caused our Lord to address them in these strong words, upon which we
should meditate during this holy season, for, later on, we shall stand in need
of the teaching: "The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth." Let
us, therefore, for the time to come, not please the world; its friendship would
separate us from Jesus Christ.
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