In my previous post The Dolorous Passion Our Lord Jesus Christ-1 I tried to introduce the book The Dolorous Passion Our Lord Jesus Christ and Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich briefly. Here in this second post I will try to introduce the contends of the book. As I mentioned in the first part the book describes the events from the Holy Thursday till the Easter Sunday.
The book begins with the preparation of the Pasch. We all know what the Gospels narrate. In this book Anne Catherine gives a detailed account of that evening. Who was that man to whom the Lord sent His disciples to ask for a place for His Last Pasch? (Math 28:16) The details of the supper room, the duties and activities of the disciples including Judas who was to betray Him, the mysteries of the Chalice that was used by Our Lord and its connection with Melchizedek, the people who were present during that last supper, the presence of Our Lady and other holy women etc are perfectly detailed to give us a clear description of all that happened on that day. Among all these the most touching is the institution of the Most Holy Eucharist and washing of the disciples feet. She describes as she had seen in her visions the most profound emotions, sanctity and divinity with which the Holy Eucharist was instituted. The spellbound disciples were transported to the mysteries though not to its complete understanding. Jesus taught His disciples on how to celebrate this mystery and many other things during those last few hours and that is a revelation that our Holy Catholic Church still rely on the tradition that was handed over by disciples of Christ. May be it was impossible for the disciples to write all of them down in the Gospels as you can see in John 21:25 .
Then she goes on in details about the struggle Jesus encountered in the garden of Olives. The visions Jesus had, the sins of the world since our first parents and till the end of the world were played in front of Him. He was also shown the result of all His sacrifices, the triumphant church and the destruction of the enemy. The propensity of the sins that were committed and are to be committed till the end of the world was so horrific that He even started to beg for His Father's help and consolation. He desired that this Chalice to be taken away from Him . That makes us understand the Human aspect of that true God. Devil tempted him and attacked Him violently. His appearance was changed because of such blasphemous attack from devil. Devil tried to infuse doubts and despair into His heart by telling Him that the humanity cannot be saved because of the magnitude of their sins, that it is all a waste and His scarifies will not be sufficient. Our Lord endured this diabolical attack and showed us how we need to seek assistance through prayer and perseverance at the time of trials and temptations.
The character of Judas is more clearly described by Anne and we will understand who he was and why did he betray Jesus and how much Love and compassion was poured on him by Our Lord and Our Lady during the whole time he was in the company of them. There are many personalities mentioned in the Gospel with or without naming them but still leaving us to wonder who they really were. In this book Anne gives voluminous details of many personalities like Lazarus, Joseph of Arimathea, Simon of Cyrene who helped Jesus to carry His Cross and conversion of his soul, Veronica and the story of the Holy Face on her veil, the roman soldiers who were in charge of the whole affairs of crucifixion, their conversion, the miracles happened even during the time of His Passion, the name and story of the good thief and how he met Jesus in limbo before taking him to Paradise as promised, the soldiers who kept watch over his tomb and their witness to His resurrection and how they even gave up their life to uphold the truth about his resurrection when forced to lie about it etc.
It is important to mention about the company of the holy women . Many of them were close family relatives and relatives and friends of disciples. The details regarding them are very elaborate that I cannot go into such details here. Above all we understand that pure motherly heart of His Holy Mother who united herself completely to all the suffering and passion of Our Lord, her son. She suffered silently along with him in spirit. They communicated each other in spirit. She started to follow Jesus in all the places He suffered or faced insults and to kneel down , pray and meditate. She continued to do that till his crucifixion and even after His death. Thus the Holy Mother of God handed over that very holy long standing tradition of "the Way of the Cross". She taught us the unimaginable graces that we can obtain by partaking in his suffering and by meditating upon His suffering and pain. It is impossible for me to go into details here but I invite you to read the book yourselves and experience how miraculously you will be transformed in humility,repentance and above all in Love.
How could have I know the connection of Adam and Jesus, Eve and the Virgin Mary. How the places of Our Lord's suffering, death and burial was historically forgotten but was indeed connected to our first parents.
More than knowing the personalities associated with Jesus or the geographical details of the places all these events took place what is most moving is the minutest details of the suffering and passion of Jesus. From the moment he was tempted and attacked by devil in the garden of olives till the lancing of His side that pierced His heart open and made an opening in His other side, He suffered cruelties, insults and pain that no human being can fathom. I cannot even begin to describe them. I couldn't help but shed tears in gratitude when I reached the page where Anne Catherine perfectly narrates the incident of Jesus being raised on the cross and the temple below the mountain resounded with the blast of trumpets which were always blown to announce the immolation of the Paschal lamb.If only they knew that the real Paschal lamb is being immolated on the cross as a sacrifices for the sake of the human kind.
I felt as if I was there at the foot of the Cross with Mary, our Mother and his few disciples and the Holy women. Reading the entire ceremony and preparation for His burial was equal to attending it. I saw everything so vividly and I was able to be overpowered by the sadness, silence and reverence of those moments and felt the nature that went silent. It was almost like standing afar and watching the dead rising and people getting frightened, earthquakes destroying the buildings and the temple, sun going dark and is forbidden to shine and the Hell is shaken with terror and fear. Yes, All that happened. It is beyond any human understanding. Even many people who witnessed them did not comprehend it. Great many of them were under the grip of the devil.
In the end this book will leave an everlasting impression on the reader. It changes everything. I believe this book is indeed a miraculous intervention of Our Lord. We live in a world full of pride and sin. A God who came as a man and gave up his life is nothing a but a fairy tale for our generation. No one finds it real or even possible. Scriptures are been looked at as literary works or a great novel. I humbly submit these few imperfect words at the foot of the Cross. I pray earnestly that all the generations may exalt His Holy name for what He has done for us. I leave these few words at the mercy and Will of God in order that it may bring some fruits according to His good pleasure. Amen.
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