The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Meditation, Readings and Prayers for Lent

The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Anne Catherine Emmerich

This is an account of the events leading up to the Crucifixion of Christ by a 19th century German stigmatic and visionary, Anne Catherine Emmerich. This once-obscure book recently achieved a much higher profile because it was used as an inspiration for the screenplay of Mel Gibson's controversial movie, The Passion of the Christ. A riveting 'you are there' account of this pivotal event, the story is told with great attention to small details, many not mentioned in the Gospels. This is not a novelization; it is a recounting of Emmerich's ecstatic visions, which were accompanied by painful and mysterious physical torments. Emmerich was practically illiterate and this book was dictated by her, which makes the fact that the narrative is so internally coherent all the more compelling.

Some readers will note passages which by contemporary standards might be considered anti-Semitic, particularly in the way that the Jewish population is presented as having collective responsibility for the death of Christ. Of course, without apologizing for this in the slightest, it is to be noted that religious and secular institutions of the time sanctioned anti-Semitism in one form or another, so this view was not atypical. On the whole, however, the account considers each of the numerous actors in the drama, Christian, Jewish, or Roman, as individuals with particular motivations, strengths and weaknesses.

Emmerich was beatified on Sunday, October 3rd, 2004 by Pope John Paul II, the final step before sainthood. Her feast day is the anniversary of her death on February 9th, 1824.

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The Way of the Cross for the Holy Souls in Purgatory 

 The Way of the Cross represents the sorrow­ful journey that Jesus Christ made with the cross to die on Calvary. The church teaches that the Souls in Purgatory undergo a process of purification that must include suffering. By praying and making sacrifices for the Holy Souls, you have the marvelous power and privilege to relieve their pain. In return, their gratitude will bring you countless blessings. May a stream of mercy flow from you to the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

 

Mother Agreda: An Account of the Way of the Cross 

 The sentence of Pilate against our Savior having been published in a loud voice before all the people, the executioners loaded the heavy Cross, on which He was to be crucified, upon his tender and wounded shoulders. In order that He might carry it they loosened the bonds holding his hands, but not the others, since they wish to drag Him along by the loose ends of the ropes bound his body. In order to torment Him the more they drew two loops around his throat. The Cross was fifteen feet long, of thick and heavy timbers. The herald began to proclaim the sentence and the whole confused and turbulent multitude of the people, the executioners and soldiers, with great noise, uproar and disorder began to move from the house of Pilate to mount Calvary through the streets of Jerusalem. The Master and Redeemer of the world, Jesus, before receiving the Cross looked upon it with a countenance full of extreme joy and exultation such as would be shown by a bridegroom looking at the rich adornments of his bride, and on receiving it, He addressed it as follows...

 

The Crucifixion of Jesus according to the revelations of Maria Valtorta

Two executioners sit him on the chest to have it still. A third party will take the right arm holding it with one hand in the first part of the forearm and the other where the fingers end. The fourth, which is already in hand the long pointy nail ... supports the point of the nail on the wrist, up the hammer and tee off ... The breaking nail penetrates muscles, veins, nerves and bones dislocating them.

The right hand is stuck. Passed to the left. The hole does not correspond to the carpus. Then catch a rope, tied her left wrist and pull to dislocate the joint and tendons and muscles abused ... nailing where they can, that is, between the thumb and fingers, right in the center of the metacarpal. Here comes more easily spot but more spasm, because important nerves must be cut, so that the fingers are inert, while others on the right have contractions and tremors that confirm its vitality.

Now is the turn of the feet. Six feet from the end of the cross, is a small wedge, barely enough for a foot. About this is taken to check the feet as well. And know that's a little lower and get bad feet, ankles stretched by poor martyr. The rough wood of the cross rubbed both wounds, remove the crown, moving abusing and threatening new hair and the hips.

Those sitting on the chest of Jesus stand up to scroll knees ... And tread on his knees skinned, poor and crowded in warm bruised, while the other two make the operation more difficult, the nailing of one foot over the other, trying to combine the two joints of the tarsi at a time ... subjected foot moves by the vibration of the nail, and it should almost desclavar because, having entered the soft, cloves and blunted by having pierced the right foot should be brought closer to the center a little. And knock, knock, knock ...

Now the cross is dragged to the hole, shaking the poor Crucified bounces on the uneven ground. The cross is raised twice escaping to the rise and falls once a blowout, one in the right arm of the same, giving a rough torment Jesus because the sudden jolt injured joints removed. But then when the cross is dropped in his hole, before being secured with rocks and dirt, flies in all directions, the poor printing continuous displacements of Jesus Body suspended by three nails. The suffering must be atrocious.

The whole body moves forward and down, and the holes are elongated, especially the left hand, and enlarged the hole in the foot while blood pours harder. And if it drips foot lot, the fingers on the ground and runs down the wood of the cross, it follows by the hands forearms because they are higher than the wrist and armpit, by force of the position, ribs also watered down the armpit to the waist. The crown, when the waves cross before being posted, because the head moves back jerks from behind the neck pressing on the bulk knot of thorns crown ends in stabbing and then getting back gently on the forehead and spider, spider, without mercy.

Finally the cross is assured and there is only the torment of being hanged. Izan thieves also, which, once set vertically, screaming as if they were skinned alive for the torture of the ropes that cut wrists and hands do get black, with swollen veins like ropes. Jesus is silent. The crowd is not silent, but it resumes its infernal din.

Since the top of Golgotha has his trophy and his honor guard. In the higher limit (side) the cross of Jesus. Next B and C the other two. Half a century of soldiers with guns to walk all around the top, within the armed siege of ten felled to play dice convicted dresses. Straight up, between the cross of Jesus and that of the right, Longinus. And they seem mountains honor guard Martyr King. The other half century, rest, is under the command of Longinus assistant in the path to the left and the lower square, waiting to be used in case of need. Among the soldiers there is almost total indifference. Only a face lift to the crucified once in a while.

Maria Valtorta - Poem of the Man-God

Wikipedia Biography

The War In Heaven

The angels were created in the empyrean heavens and in the state of grace by which they might be first to merit the reward of glory. For although they were in the midst of glory, the Divinity itself was not to be made manifest to them face to face and unveiled, until they should have merited such a favor by obeying the divine will.

The holy angels, as well as the bad ones, remained only a very short time in the state of probation; for their creation and probation with its result were three distinct instants or moments, separated by short intermissions. In the first instant they were all created and endowed with graces and gifts, coming into existence as most beautiful and perfect creatures. Then followed a short pause, during which the will of the Creator was propounded and intimated, and the law and command was given to them, to acknowledge Him as their Maker and supreme Lord, and to fulfill the end for which they have been created. During this pause, instant or interval, Saint Michael and his angels fought that great battle with the dragon and his followers, which is described by the apostle Saint John in the twelfth chapter of the Apocalypse. The good angels, persevering in grace, merited eternal happiness and the disobedient ones, rebelling against God, merited the punishment, which they now suffer.

He did not do it with perfect charity, for he, as it were, was divided in his will between himself and the infallible truth of the Lord.

At first they received a more explicit intelligence of the being of God, one in substance, trine in person, and that they were commanded to adore and reverence Him as their Creator and highest Lord, infinite in his essence and attributes. All subjected themselves to this command and obeyed it, but with a certain difference; the good angels obeyed through love and on account of the justice of it, offering their love and good will, freely and admitting and believing what was above their intelligence, and obeying with joy. Lucifer, on the other hand, submitted himself, because the opposite seemed to him impossible. He did not do it with perfect charity, for he, as it were, was divided in his will between himself and the infallible truth of the Lord. In consequence it happened that the precept appeared to him in a measure difficult and violent, and his fulfilling of it was wanting in love and in the desire to do justice. Thus he exposed himself beforehand to the danger of not persevering. Although grace did not leave him on account of this remissness and slowness in the accomplishment of these first acts, nevertheless his bad disposition began with them; for there remained with him a certain weakness and laxity of virtue and spirit, and the perfection of his nature did not shine forth as it should. It appears to me that the effect of this remissness in Lucifer, is similar to that which is caused in the soul by a deliberate venial sin. I do not say that he sinned mortally, nor even venially at that time, since he fulfilled the precept of God; but this fulfillment was remiss and imperfect, springing more from a sense of overwhelming compulsion, than from a loving willingness to obey. Thus he put himself in danger of falling.

God gave them an intelligence of the propriety and equity, of the justice and reasonableness of such a position. For the acceptation of the merits foreseen of this Mangod was exhibited to them as the source of the grace which they now possessed and of the glory which they were to obtain.

In the second place, the angels were informed that God was to create a human nature and reasoning creatures lower than themselves, in order that they too should love, fear and reverence God, as their Author and eternal Good. They were informed that these were to stand in high favor, and that the second Person of the blessed Trinity was to become incarnate and assume their nature, raising it to the hypostatic union and to divine Personality; that therefore they were to acknowledge Him as their Head, not only as God, but as God and man, adoring Him and reverencing Him as God-man. Moreover, these same angels were to be his inferiors in dignity and grace and were to be his servants. God gave them an intelligence of the propriety and equity, of the justice and reasonableness of such a position. For the acceptation of the merits foreseen of this Mangod was exhibited to them as the source of the grace which they now possessed and of the glory which they were to obtain. They understood also that they themselves had been, and all the rest of the creatures should be created for his glory, and that He was to be their Head. All those that were capable of knowing and enjoying God, were to be the people of the Son of God, to know and reverence Him as their Chief. These commands were at once given to the angels.

So great was the blindness which envy and pride could cause in an angel, and so pernicious was the infection that the contagion of sin spread among innumerable other angels.

To this command all the obedient and holy angels submitted themselves and they gave their full assent and acknowledgment with an humble and loving subjection of the will. But Lucifer, full of envy and pride, resisted and induced his followers to resist likewise, as they in reality did, preferring to follow him and disobey the divine command. This wicked prince persuaded them, that he would be their chief and that he would set up a government independent and separate from Christ. So great was the blindness which envy and pride could cause in an angel, and so pernicious was the infection that the contagion of sin spread among innumerable other angels.

When it was revealed to the angels that they would have to obey the incarnate Word, another, a third precept was given them, namely, that they were to admit as a superior conjointly with Him, a Woman, in whose womb the Only begotten of the Father was to assume flesh and that this Woman was to be the Queen and Mistress of all the creatures.

Then happened that great battle in heaven, which St. John describes (Apoc. 12). For the obedient and holy angels, filled with an ardent desire of hastening the glory of the Most High and the honor of the incarnate Word, to resist and contradict the dragon, and the permission was granted. But also another mystery was concealed in all this: When it was revealed to the angels that they would have to obey the incarnate Word, another, a third precept was given them, namely, that they were to admit as a superior conjointly with Him, a Woman, in whose womb the Only begotten of the Father was to assume flesh and that this Woman was to be the Queen and Mistress of all the creatures. The good angels by obeying this command of the Lord, with still increasing and more alert humility, freely subjected themselves, praising the power and the mysteries of the Most High. Lucifer, however, and his confederates, rose to a higher pitch of pride and boastful insolence. In disorderly fury he aspired to be himself the head of all the human race and of the angelic orders, and if there was to be a hypostatic union, he demanded that it be consummated in him.

The decree constituting him inferior to the Mother of the Incarnate Word, our Mistress, he opposed with horrible blasphemies. Turning against the Author of these great wonders in unbridled indignation and calling upon the other angels, he exhorted them, saying: "Unjust are these commands and injury is done to my greatness; this human nature which Thou, Lord, lookest upon with so much love and which thou favorest so highly, I will persecute and destroy. To this end I will direct all my power and all my aspirations. And this Woman, Mother of the Word, I will hurl from the position in which Thou hast proposed to place Her, and at my hands, the plan, which Thou settest up, shall come to naught."

"This Woman whom thou refusest to honor, shall crush thy head and by Her shalt thou be vanquished and annihilated (Gen. 3, 15). And if, through thy pride, death enters into the world (Wis. 2, 24), life and salvation of mortals shall enter through the humility of this Woman.

This proud boast so aroused the indignation of the Lord that in order to humble it, He spoke to Lucifer: "This Woman whom thou refusest to honor, shall crush thy head and by Her shalt thou be vanquished and annihilated (Gen. 3, 15). And if, through thy pride, death enters into the world (Wis. 2, 24), life and salvation of mortals shall enter through the humility of this Woman. Those that are of the nature and likeness of that Man and Woman, shall enjoy the gifts and the crowns, which thou and thy followers have lost." To all this the dragon, filled with indignation against whatever he understood of the divine will and decrees, answered only with pride and by threatening destruction to the whole human race. The good angels saw the just indignation of the Most High against Lucifer and his apostates and they combated them with the arms of the understanding, reason and truth.

The Almighty at this conjuncture worked another wonderful mystery. Having given to all the angels a sufficiently clear intelligence of the hypostatic Union, He showed them the image of the most holy Virgin by means of an imaginary vision (I speak here according to our way of understanding such things). They were shown the perfection of the human nature in the revelation of an image representing a most perfect Woman, in whom the almighty arm of the Most High would work more wonderfully than in all the rest of the creatures. For therein He was to deposit the graces and gifts of his right hand in a higher and more eminent manner. This sign or vision of the Queen of heaven and of the Mother of the incarnate Word was made known and manifest to all the angels, good and bad. The good ones at the sign of it broke forth in admiration and in canticles of praise and from that time on began to defend the honor of the God incarnate and of his holy Mother, being armed with ardent zeal and with the invincible shield of that vision. The dragon and his allies on the contrary conceived implacable hatred and fury against Christ and his most holy Mother. Then happened all that which is described in the twelfth chapter of the Apocalypse, which I will explain, as far as it has been given me.

The literal version of that chapter of the Apocalypse is as follows:

1. "And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars:
2. And being with child, she cried travailing in birth, and was in pain to be delivered.
3. And there was seen another sign in heaven; and behold a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns; and on his head seven diadems.
4. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth and the dragon stood before the woman, who was ready to be delivered; that, when she should be delivered, he might devour her son.
5. And she brought forth a man-child, who was to rule all nations with an iron rod; and her son was taken up to God, and to his throne.
6. And the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, that there they should feed her a thousand two hundred and sixty days.
7. And there was a great battle in heaven; Michael and his angels fought with the dragon and the dragon fought and his angels.
8. And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9. And the dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is called the devil and satan, who seduceth the whole world; and he was cast unto the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
10. And I heard a loud voice saying: Now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ; because the accuser of our brethren is cast forth, who accused them before our God day and night.
11. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of the testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death.
12. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you that dwell therein. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil is come down unto you, having a great wrath and knowing that he hath but a short time.
13. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth he persecuted the woman, who brought forth the man-child:
14. And there were given to the woman two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the desert unto her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15. And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman, water as if it were a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the river.
16. And the earth helped the woman and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed the river, which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17. And the dragon was angry against the woman and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
18. And he stood upon the sands of the sea."

Book 1, Chapter 3 CREATION OF THE ANGELS AND THE FALL OF LUCIFER

Mystical city of God : life of the Virgin Mother of God, manifested to sister Mary of Jesus

https://archive.org/details/mysticalcityofgo01dejauoft

THE MYSTICAL

CITY OF GOD

THE DIVINE HISTORY

AND LIFE OF THE

VIRGIN MOTHER OF GOD

VOLUME I

THE CONCEPTION

Chapter VII, Par.83

www.eCatholic2000.com