Our Lord Jesus


a rU i II 'flwstvi J t ftaa ic\
Ot\r Aorc/

AOVbW*

OUR LORD

ESUS





OUR LORD JESUS





OUR LORD JESUS

by

MARY PAULA WILLIAMSON

A Religious of the Cenacle

Illustrated by

SISTER MARY GERTRUDE

Order of Saint Benedict

oo|oo

a grail publication

St. Meinrad Indiana



Nihil Obstat:

Rl. Rev . Edward G. Murray , D.l

)

Censor librorum

Imprimatur:

Richard
J.

Cushing D.D.

Archbishop of Boston

Copyright 1952 by

St. Meinrad’s Abbey, Inc.

St. Meinrad, Indiana



Dedication

To

Margaret Ann Webb,

William Maben Webb,

and

Mary Elizabeth Webb.



A PRAYER

DEAR Lord Jesus

,

Bless each person who reads this little book about Your

sweet humanity and glorious Divinity!

This is a short story, understood by those who walk in

the way of spiritual childhood, which is a sure ladder of
love, resting upon faith in Our Lord Jesus, the Son of God.

Mary Paula Williamson

Religious of the Cenacle



ARCHBISHOP’S HOUSE.
Lake Street,

Brighton 35, Mass.

FOREWORD

I am happy to introduce to its readers this latest
book by Mother Mary Paula Williamson, Religious of the

Cenacle. I join in her prefatory prayer that Our Blessed

Lord will bless each person who reads this little book about

Christ’s sweet humanity and glorious Divinity.

Mother Williamson has written with simplicity and

unaffected charm the ever-old, ever-new story of the life of

Our Blessed Lord. The freshness of her narrative, the love-

ly illustrations she has chosen, add a further note of felicity,

which will make many friends for OUR LORD JESUS

,

and this little book that tells of Him.

(Signed) * Richard J. Cushing, D.D.

Archbishop of Boston.



6



THE ANNUNCIATION TO THE
VIRGIN MARY

WHEN Caesar Augustus was Emperor ofRome, there lived in Nazareth, a town in
Galilee, a young maiden named Mary. She was
engaged to be married to a carpenter called Joseph.

Both were poor, but descendants of a great king,

David.

The lovely girl, Mary, was the purest and holiest
of all women who have ever lived upon earth.
This was the special privilege granted her by
God; she was born without the stain of Original
Sin.

One day the Archangel Gabriel flew down
from the highest heaven, where the angels are
always near God, to Nazareth, and entered the
poor little house where Mary dwelt. He found
her absorbed in prayer. He said to her in soft and
lovely tones, “I salute you, all full of grace. You
are the most blessed one among women!”

The Immaculate Virgin was a little troubled by
this vision of an angel and his words of praise;
she could not understand just what they meant.

7



Then Gabriel added, “Fear not, Mary, because
you have found grace with God. You shall have
a child and you must call Him by the name of
Jesus. He shall be very great, because He is the
Son of the Most High . . . and His Kingdom shall
never end.”

Mary understood then that this message was
from God, so she bowed her head and said, “Be-
hold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done unto
me according to your word.”
Then the angel went away and left her alone.

At the very moment when she gave her consent
to the angel, the Eternal Son of God, the Second
Person of the Most Holy Trinity, came down from
heaven to earth and by the action and power of
the Holy Spirit of God, Mary became the Mother
of Jesus.

Jesus was none other than the Son of God, the
Word made Flesh. Mary understood now what the
angel meant, and her soul was filled with joy.

8



THE BIRTH OF JESUS

NINE months had passed by since the day whenthe lovely Mary had received the Archan-
gel’s visit and heard his message. The great
Emperor Augustus in Rome had sent out a com-
mand ordering all the people of his empire to be
counted. They called this a census. Each person
had to write his name in great books in the place
where his family had first lived.

Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth, but both
belonged to the family of King David and he had
lived in Bethlehem, so they had to go there.
The command of the Emperor had to be obeyed,

although it was winter, and Bethlehem was ninety
miles away. There was no way to travel except
to walk, unless Joseph could provide a donkey on
which Mary could ride. Even then it was not an
easy ride, nor comfortable, as the road was
full of holes and rocks, and it wound up and down
over the mountains.

It was the 24th of December when they reached
Bethlehem. They found the little town full of
people. Other visitors had come, too, for the

9



census. Joseph and Mary looked for a lodging
among their relatives and friends, but all these
houses were crowded with visitors. They went
to the inn, only to be turned away. Everywhere
the answer was the same, “We have no room.”

So they left the city and found a shelter in a
poor cave in the hillside which was used for a
stable. At midnight, the Son of God was born.
He was born of the Virgin Mary for love of us.
What a beautiful baby He was!

The Virgin Mother Mary bowed down in adora-
tion before Him. Joseph, too, looked with won-
der at the Son of God made man.

That night some poor and simple shepherds
were watching their flocks of sheep on a hillside

not far away. A most beautiful angel, surrounded
by a heavenly light, appeared to them and said,
“I bring you tidings of great joy ! Today, in this

city of Bethlehem where King David once lived,
a child has been born who is the Saviour, Christ
the Lord. Go and see Him. This is the sign by
which you will know Him—You shall find the
infant wrapped in winding clothes and laid in
a manger.”

Then a great, great many other angels came
drifting around the one who gave the shepherds
the message, all singing and praising God. Their
song made the sweetest melody. “Glory to God
in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good

10



11



will !” This song seemed to fill the whole country-

side with music.

So the shepherds started with haste to the cave.
When they went in, they saw the beautiful Babe in
a manger, Mary and Joseph kneeling in adora-
tion. They, too, bowed down in love, and they
seemed to understand that this Babe, lying on the
straw, was the long-expected Messias, which
means, the Saviour of the world.

Their hearts and minds were filled with faith
and joy because they understood. Then they went
out to tell others about the Babe of Bethlehem and
His lovely Mother.

12



THE PURIFICATION OF MARY

MANY centuries ago, Moses, a great leader andteacher of the Hebrew people, made a law
that every mother must go to the great Temple
in Jerusalem and offer a sacrifice within forty

days after the birth of her son. The priest at
the Temple would bless her and her baby. The
lovely ceremony was called “The Purification.”
The Holy Virgin was not obliged to obey this
law because she was already pure. But she wished
to do so because she was very humble.

On the same day on which the Holy Mary went
to Jerusalem for the ceremony of the Purification,
a holy man, Simeon, also felt inspired to go to
the Temple. When Joseph and Mary, with the
Babe in her arms, came into the Temple, Simeon
saw them. God made him understand at once
that this Child was truly the Messias his people
had prayed for and expected during so many cen-
turies.

He asked the Virgin Mother very humbly if he
might hold the Holy Babe in his arms for a few
minutes. Lifting his eyes toward heaven, he said,

13



“Now, 0 Lord, let me die in peace, for I have seen
with my own eyes the Saviour!”
The Virgin Mother and St. Joseph knew what

Simeon meant, and they, too, adored the Babe who
is our Saviour. Now that they had fulfilled all the
Jewish Law required, they went back to Bethle-
hem with the Child Jesus.

14



THE ADORATION OF THE MAGI

I
N a far distant land to the east there were
three learned men, or Magi, kings of small

countries. One night they saw in the sky a new
star of unusual brightness and beauty.

They had studied the books of Holy Scripture
and knew about the expected Messias. And they
knew the Prophets had said that this Messias
would be known by a brilliant star which all men
could see in the heavens.

So the Magi thought among themselves, surely
this wonderful new star must be a sign that the
Saviour of the world had come. They decided to
go and see if what they thought was true.
And if the Saviour had really come, they should

bring Him some gifts. He would be worthy of
their offerings and of their adoration. According
to the Holy Books, He was a great King. Since
they were little kings, they knew what was due
a great King.

At that time, the ruler of the country of Judea
was an ambitious and cruel man. His name was
Herod. He heard the news about the kings, and

15



the Messias they were seeking, and he was very
angry. He feared he might lose his throne. But
he pretended to be very interested, and called
some of the most learned Jewish priests to come
to see him. He asked them if they knew where the
long-expected Messias was to be born.

The learned men and priests answered that the
Holy Scriptures said the place would be Bethle-
hem. Herod knew Bethlehem, because it was not
far from Jerusalem.

So he said to the Magi, “Go to Bethlehem, and
when you find out about this Child, come back and
tell me, so that I can go and adore Him.”

Herod was lying. He wanted to kill the Child
because he feared he might lose his throne, and the
Messias would be King in his place.

The Magi left Jerusalem and arrived in Beth-
lehem. All the way there, that wonderful star
in the sky had moved along above them, showing
them the way. When they reached the stable
where the Holy Child was, the star stopped, just
above the cave.

They went in and there they saw the Holy Babe
in His Mother’s arms and St. Joseph nearby.
The three Kings bowed down, touching their
foreheads to the ground, as was the custom, and
adored the Babe. They offered Him the rich gifts
they had brought. The gifts were gold, frankin-
cense and myrrh.

16



17



They did not know the wicked Herod’s plans,
and, as they were about to return to Jerusalem,
an angel told them to go home another way. So
they did, and never saw the wicked Herod again.

18



THE FLIGHT OF THE HOLY FAMILY
INTO EGYPT

FTER the departure of the Magi, an angel
of the Lord came to Joseph while he was

asleep, and said to him in a dream, “Arise, take
the Child and His Mother and hasten into Egypt

;

there remain, until I tell you to return. Herod
seeks the Child to kill Him.”

St. Joseph, hearing these words of the angel,
arose and told Mary of the message and the
command. She knew this word was from God, so
she made haste to depart with the Holy Child and
Joseph.

While the Holy Family was traveling along
as silently and as swiftly as they could towards

Egypt, Herod was waiting for the Magi to come
back to Jerusalem. He wanted to learn all about
this Child, where He was born, and Who He was.
Herod waited in vain.
The Magi, following the advice of the angel,

departed from Bethlehem to their own countries
by another road. The proud and ambitious Herod
was angrily wondering why they did not appear.

19



He could not bear to think there was anyone in
his dominion who might be the king, instead of
himself. He was very cruel, and so he was plan-
ning how he might get rid of this Child whom he
feared so much.

He sent for some of his generals and gave
orders to send troops of soldiers out to hunt for all

the boy babies they could find in Bethlehem and

in the surrounding country. If the boy babies

were two years old or younger, the soldiers were
to kill them. In this way, the cruel king was sure
the Child Jesus could not escape his soldiers.

He was only deceiving himself. The only child
who really did escape was the Baby Jesus!

20



21



THE HIDDEN LIFE

E do not know just how long the Holy
Family lived in Egypt, but once more an

angel came to St. Joseph in a dream and told
him to arise, to take the Child Jesus and His
Mother, and to return to the land of Israel. The
wicked Herod had died, who had sought to kill
the Child.

St. Joseph, always obedient to the voice of the

angel, started at once for his own country and
went to live in Nazareth.

Here, the Holy Child grew to boyhood, and then
to manhood. The Holy Family lived in Nazareth
thirty years. This long time is called “The Hidden
Life” of Jesus, because in all those years Jesus

never preached, or performed any miracles, or
showed Himself to the world as the Messias and
Saviour.

The home of the Holy Family was very poor and
humble. Jesus helped St. Joseph in his carpenter

shop, making the things people wanted for their
work. St. Joseph was a workman, and so was
Jesus.

22



23



Only once, when Jesus was twelve years old, did
something unusual happen.

This was the time when St. Joseph and Mary
and the Boy Jesus went up to Jerusalem for the
great Jewish Feast of the Passover, called the

Pasch. This feast lasted seven days, and there
were beautiful ceremonies in the Temple. People
from all over Palestine went to the city for the
Pasch.

The Holy Family finally left Jerusalem with
other friends and relatives to return home to
Nazareth. They had traveled all day, so at sun-
set they stopped to rest and to eat.
Then it was that Mary and St. Joseph discov-

ered that the Boy Jesus was missing. It was the
custom for the men to walk together and for the
women to walk together, so it was not until they
all stopped that the Boy Jesus was not to be found
in either group.

The crowd was very large, and the children
could go with either their fathers or their moth-

ers, so Joseph was not surprised that he had not
seen Jesus all day. Now that He was missing,
there was great alarm.

There was nothing Mary and St. Joseph could
do but to turn back and seek Him in the great
city. They searched for three days, and at last
found Him in the Temple talking to some of the
great Rabbis. Rabbi is a Jewish word which
means teacher.

24



How surprised, and yet how full of joy they
were to find Him ! He was listening to the Rabbis
and asking them questions. How astonished these
were at the wisdom of this wonderful Boy!

Mary, His Mother, whose heart had been full
of anguish because she did not know where her
Son was, cried out in astonishment, “Son, why
have you done so to us? Behold, your father and

I have been seeking you with sorrow.”

Jesus turned to His Mother and replied, “Why
did you seek Me ? Did you not know that I must be
concerned with My Father’s affairs?”

Nevertheless, He went with Mary and Joseph
back to Nazareth and continued His humble work
and His hidden life until He was thirty years old.

25



THE BAPTISM OF JESUS

HEN Jesus was thirty years old, He began
His public life. One day He went to see St.

John the Baptist, who was preaching to a large
crowd of people on the shore of the Jordan river.
John was baptizing the people in the river, when
Jesus came to him and asked to be baptized, too.

St. John, knowing how holy Jesus was, was
amazed and puzzled. He said, “Lord, I have need
to be baptized by You, and why do You come to

Then Jesus replied, “Let it be so now, because I
must do the Will of God in this matter.”
Then John baptized Jesus in the river Jordan.

When Jesus came up out of the water, He began
to pray. At that moment, the heavens seemed
to open, and the Holy Spirit of God came down
on His head in the form of a dove, while a Voice
from the clouds spoke, “This is My Beloved Son;
I am well pleased in Him!”

After His baptism, Jesus went away into the
solitude of the desert where He remained for
forty days, praying and fasting most severely.

me?”

26



It was while Jesus was there in the desert that
Satan, the Evil One, came to tempt Him. Yes,
the Devil could tempt even Jesus, the Son of God,
but Jesus quickly drove him away.

27



28



THE WEDDING IN CANA

AFTER Jesus came out of the desert, He calledsome disciples to follow Him; afterwards,
they were called “Apostles.” He began to travel
about the countryside, to preach and to teach

the people. Everywhere He went, His Apostles
went also. He told the people a new way to think
of God, and a new way to love Him.

One day Mary was invited to a wedding in a
town named Cana. Jesus was also invited, and
some of His followers. A wedding is a beautiful,
joyous feast and Jesus wanted to be there to bless
the bride and the bridegroom. Jesus blessed this
wedding feast in Cana and the marriage.

During the wedding dinner, the Holy Mary dis-
covered that the wine for the guests had all been
used up. The servants could not pour any more
so they told her about it. Mary whispered the sad
news to Jesus, “They have no more wine!” No
doubt, she was sitting near her Son. He knew
that she was asking Him to help the newly-wedded
couple by a miracle.

29



But the Holy Mary, full of trust in the loving
heart of her Son, Jesus, said to the servants, “Do
what He shall tell you.”
Then Jesus turned to the servants and said,

“Fill the jars with water.”

There were six large jars standing nearby for

the use of the guests, because it was the custom
for the guests to wash their hands before the feast
and before they came to the table.

So the servants promptly obeyed the command
of Jesus, and filled the jars with water, full to the
brim. Then Jesus said to the servants, “Pour out
now and take some to the chief steward.”
The servants drew from the jars and great was

their surprise when they saw that the water had
turned into wine. They took some of it to the
chief steward who tasted it and exclaimed, “This
is wonderful wine !” Then he turned to the bride-
groom and said, “Why have you kept such de-
licious wine until the end of the meal, when it is
the custom to serve it at the beginning?”

Of course the bridegroom said that he did not

know about the miracle which Jesus had done, but
the servants knew, because they were the ones
who had taken the water from the well and filled
the jars.

This was the first of the miracles Jesus did at
the beginning of His public ministry.

30



THE PREACHING OF JESUS

MANY, many people came to hear Jesuspreach. They listened to Him with attention
and joy. He spoke so well and said so many com-
forting things. Most of all, He told them the way
to reach heaven, which they wanted to know
about.

One day Jesus happened to be in the country
talking to the people. There were so many who
wished to hear Him and see Him, but they could
not get near enough. Then Jesus went up onto
a small hill so that they could all see and hear
Him.
That day His talk was a long one, longer than

usual
;

it was called afterwards, “The Sermon on
the Mount.” He told them how to find happiness

;

not to care too much for worldly things because
heaven would be so much nicer; He talked to
them about prayer, and about trusting in Him
always. Again, He told them how to reach heav-
en, and many other lovely, good things.
Afterwards they said, “No man ever spoke as

this man has.” They were never tired of listening
to Him, and followed Him from place to place.

It often happened that He had not time to sleep
or to eat, they were so eager to hear the Divine
Word of God which fell from His lips.

31



THE GOOD SAMARITAN

J
ESUS wished to teach people how to love their
neighbors, so He told them this lovely story.

A man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho. As
he traveled along the road, some bandits struck

him, robbed him, wounded him and left him by
the roadside half dead.

A Jewish priest happened to pass by, and saw
the poor man lying there, but he only looked, and
then went on his way.
A little while later, a Levite came walking by.

(A Levite was a person who helped in the services
at the great Temple in Jerusalem.) He saw the
poor unhappy man by the side of the road, and
while he felt sorry for the fellow, the Levite did

not go to help him in any way but walked on.
Later, a Samaritan came traveling by. He was

really an enemy of the man who was wounded, be-
cause the Jews had nothing to do with the Samari-
tans. When he saw the poor wounded man, he felt
so sorry for him he got down off his donkey at
once and went to him. He bent over to give him
a drink, bandaged his wounds after pouring oil

32



and wine upon them to heal them, then lifted
the man upon his donkey and took him to the
inn which was not far away.
He told the keeper of the inn to take care of the

man
;
soon he would come that way again and pay

for the man’s care if it was more than the sum
he gave the innkeeper.

The people, listening to this story, understood
just what Jesus was trying to teach them about
being kind to others. All people are our neighbors,

the good and the bad, the rich and the poor,
friends or enemies.

33



THE PRODIGAL SON

THIS is another one of the stories Jesus told.He wanted the people, and even us today,
to know how good God is towards those who sin
but repent. God’s love and mercy are infinite—and
that means without measure or limits.

The people were all about Jesus and the little
children were sitting at His feet when He told
them about the Prodigal Son.

Once there was a good and kind father who had
two sons. The younger of them said to his father
one day, “Father, give me the share of your goods
that will belong to me.’’ And the father gave the
boy what he asked for.
A few days later, the boy went away and trav-

eled to a country far from his home. There he
spent all his money having a good time, wasting
it on luxuries and silly pleasures.
Then there came a famine in that country and

food was very, very scarce.
People began to starve and to die for lack of

enough to eat. The young man was hungry, too,
as he had nothing to eat. So he hired himself

34



35



out to a farmer to take care of the man’s pigs.
He had to watch the herd of swine and feed them
corn husks and acorns. He was most unhappy
and miserable.

One day he was thinking about his home, his
father, his brother, and he remembered that even
the servants in his father’s house had more to eat
than he had. Here he was dying of starvation,
for no one gave him anything to eat.

So he made up his mind what he would do
and said to himself, “I will arise and go back to
my father and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have
sinned against heaven and against you. I am no
longer worthy to be your son. Let me be as one
of your servants.’

”

So the boy started at once for home. When he
came within sight of the house, his father saw
him coming along the road. He was sure this
was his son who had gone away, and was now
returning home. His heart was filled with pity and
love for his boy, so he ran to meet him, throwing
his arms about his boy’s neck and kissing him.
The son said to his father, “Father, I have sinned
against heaven and against you. I am no longer
worthy to be called your son.”

The father’s eyes were filled with tears of joy,
and he called to the servants, “Go quickly and
bring some rich garments to put on my son; put
a beautiful gold ring on his finger, and new shoes
on his feet. Kill a fat calf and prepare a great

36



feast. Let us all rejoice and be merry, because

my son who was lost is found; he was dead, and
is now alive.” And they had a wonderful feast.

In this story of the father who forgave his son’s
sins, Jesus gives us a picture of Himself. He had
already said that He had come into the world to
seek what was lost. And He had also said that
He did not want any sinner to die but to come to
Him in repentance and to be spiritually alive once
more.

37



JESUS RESTORES A DEAD BOY TO LIFE

ONE day Jesus and His Apostles were goingto the city of Naim to preach to the people
there. A great many people were already crowd-
ing around Him, to hear Him, see Him, and if pos-
sible, to touch Him.
As they all moved along and came near to the

gate of the city, they met a funeral procession.
It was the funeral of a young man, the only son of
his mother who was a widow.

In those days, the dead person was not closed
up in a coffin but laid on a board, which was like
a stretcher, carried by four men.

A large procession followed, of relatives and
friends, and just behind the stretcher was the
dead man’s mother who was weeping bitterly.

Jesus saw this procession and felt very, very
sorry for the poor mother. When He came near,
He stopped the funeral procession and said, “Do
not weep!”

Then He went near, and stopped the men who
were carrying the stretcher. Speaking with a
commanding voice, He said, “Young man, I say
to thee arise!”

38



At the commanding voice of the Son of God, the
young man stirred, and then sat up. He looked
about him in astonishment, and began to speak to
his mother and to the others crowding about him.

Jesus told the bearers to put down the stretcher,
and the young man stood up. His mother clasped
him in her arms, this time weeping for joy. How
they thanked Jesus over and over again for His
great kindness!

30



JESUS CALMS THE TEMPEST

ONE day Jesus was in a boat with His Apostles.They were crossing a lake, called Genesa-
reth. The Apostles noticed how very tired Jesus
was because He had been preaching all that day,
and insisted that He take a little rest. Jesus laid
His head on a pillow and fell fast asleep.

Meanwhile, the Apostles were rowing and push-
ing the boat ahead because they saw a storm com-
ing. Suddenly a strong wind struck the lake, and
at once there was a great tempest. The waves
rose higher and higher, the wind whistled and
blew through the rigging of the boat, rocking it

and tossing it here and there. Then it began to
fill with water, and was in danger of sinking any
moment. While the Apostles were tugging and
pulling in the sails, Jesus was sleeping peacefully
in the end of the boat.

Then the Apostles came to Him, and called
above the roar of the wind and waves, “Lord, save
us, we are lost!”

40



Jesus opened His eyes, and said to them so
calmly, “Why are you afraid, you men of little
faith?”

Then He stood at the side of the boat and said to
the sea, “Be still !” And the wind stopped blowing
at once, the waves quieted down and a great si-
lence spread over the lake.

The Apostles were so amazed at the sudden
change from a terrible storm to such quiet and
peace, they asked one another, “Who is this
Man Who commands the winds and the sea, and
they obey Him?”

41



MULTIPLICATION OF THE BREAD AND
FISHES

THE crowds were never tired of listening tothe beautiful sermons of Jesus. They fol-
lowed Him everywhere, sometimes forgetting to
eat. Once, when He was surrounded by many
people, Jesus said to His Apostle Philip, “Where
can we get some bread to give them?”

Philip replied, “Lord, two hundred pennies’
worth of bread would not be enough for all these
people, so that each one could have even a little
bit to eat.”

Jesus said, “How many loaves of bread are
there ? Find out !”

Then St. Andrew standing near, saw a little boy
with a basket, so Andrew remarked to Our Lord,
“There is a boy who has five barley loaves and
two fishes, but what good would they be for so
many people?”

There were five thousand men, not counting the
women and children, who were there. However,
Jesus said, “Bring the loaves and fishes to Me.

42



43



And tell all the people to sit down on the grass in
groups.”

The grass had grown quite high, but it had not
yet been cut, so the people all sat down in groups
of fifties and of hundreds.
Then Jesus took the five loaves of bread and

the two little fishes, and lifting up His eyes to
heaven, He blessed them and gave thanks. After
that, He broke them into pieces and told the Apos-
tles to give them to the hungry people sitting
on the grass.

Soon everyone was eating and enjoying the
bread and fishes, and having as much as they
wanted. When everyone was satisfied, Jesus told
the Apostles to take some baskets and gather up
all the scraps and pieces that were left. He did
not want anything wasted.

So the Apostles went about and they gathered
up twelve large baskets of what was left over
after the feast.

44



JESUS MAKES PETER THE HEAD OF HIS
CHURCH

ON a certain day, Jesus was talking to thepeople and telling them a story that was
wonderful to hear. It was just after the miracle
of the loaves and fishes. He said that He wanted
to give men His Flesh to eat and His Blood to
drink. What He meant was the Holy Eucharist
which He instituted later, at the Last Supper in
the Cenacle. The Cenacle was a large supper
room where Jesus gathered His Apostles about
Him before He died.

There were many who were listening to Him
now who did not understand what He meant,
and so they went away from Him.

There was a great mystery in His words, but
because they did not know what He meant, they
refused to listen. Jesus seemed to be alone, ex-
cept for His Apostles who were near Him.

“Will you also go away?” He said to them. Then
Peter, speaking for the rest, replied, “Lord to
whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal
life.”

45



Soon after this, Jesus was traveling again and
was in the city of Bethsaida and other villages
nearby. One day He turned to His Apostles and
asked them, “Who do men say that the Son of
Man is ? Who do the people say that I am ?”
They answered, “Some say you are John the

Baptist. Some say you are the prophet Elias, or
Jeremias, risen from the dead.”

Jesus listened to them, and then He said, “And
you, who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ,

the Son of the living God.”

Jesus smiled and nodded His head that Simon
was right, and said, “Blessed are you, Simon, be-
cause flesh and blood has not revealed that to you,
but My Father Who is in Heaven. And I will tell
you something. You are Peter, and upon this rock
I shall build my Church, and the gates of hell shall
not prevail against her. I will give to you the

keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatsoever you
shall bind on earth, shall be bound also in heav-
en, and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth,
shall be loosened in heaven.”

Those were wonderful words. They meant that
Peter was the first Pope of the Church and the
Church would always believe and teach that Jesus
is the Christ, the Son of God. When Jesus spoke
those words He established the Holy, Roman,
Catholic and Apostolic Church.

46



THE RAISING OF LAZARUS FROM THE
DEAD

I
N a very nice home not far from Jerusalem
there lived a man named Lazarus. He was a

friend whom Jesus loved and he always listened
to the words of Jesus with much good will.
Jesus was a welcome visitor to the home of
Lazarus, and when He traveled to Bethany,
Jesus loved to rest in this pleasant home. Lazarus
had two sisters named Martha and Mary, and
they were also kind and loving friends of Jesus.

One time Lazarus fell ill, seriously ill. The
sisters sent a message to Jesus that their brother
Lazarus was ailing. Jesus was preaching to the
people quite far away from Bethany. A servant
brought the message, “Lazarus, whom You love,
is very ill.”

Jesus did not leave the place where He was,
because He knew He would then work a greater
miracle than any He had yet done. So it was
two days after He received the message that He
started for Bethany with His Apostles.

47



When He drew near the city, some of His
friends came to meet Him and told Him that
Lazarus was dead and had been buried four days
before.

Some people must have run ahead to tell Mar-
tha that Jesus was coming, because she went to
meet Him, and said to Him, “Lord, if You had
been here, my brother would not have died.”
Then Jesus said to her quietly, “Your brother

will rise again.”

Martha replied, “I know that he will rise again
at the resurrection, when the last day comes.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the Resurrection and
the Life; he who believes in Me, although he is
dead, shall live

;
and whoever has faith in Me shall

live for all eternity. Can you believe this?”

And Martha said, “Yes, Lord! I believe You
are the Christ, the Son of the living God. It is
for You we have been waiting; You are the Mes-
sias Who has come into the world.”
Then Martha went away to call her sister

Mary. When she found Mary, she whispered in
her ear, “The Master is here and is asking for
you.”

So Mary went to Jesus weeping, and knelt at
His feet. “Lord, if You had been here, my brother
would not have died.”

Jesus was silent, looking at all the people stand-
ing about weeping. His heart was filled with a

48



great pity for them, and He said gently, “Where
have you laid him?”
They all answered, “Come and see!” And they

led Him to the grave of Lazarus. There were
tears in the eyes of Jesus, and rolling down His
cheeks. The relatives, friends and servants ex-
claimed: “See how He loved Lazarus!”
When they came to the tomb, which was a cave

with a huge stone rolled in front of the entrance,

Jesus stopped the crowd and said, “Take away
the stone!”

As soon as they did that, Jesus said in a clear,
strong voice, “Lazarus, come out here!”
At once the dead man came out, his hands and

feet still bound about with the linen cloths they
had wrapped about him to bury him.

Jesus said, “Loose him, and let him go free!”
Seeing such a great miracle, many of the Jews

who were with Martha and Mary believed in Jesus.
They said that this man was surely the Messias.

Others did not believe, and reported it all to the

chief priests and Pharisees, who summoned a coun-
cil.

“What, are we about to let this Man perform
such miracles? Soon every one will be believing
in Him,” they said.
And they resolved to find an excuse to put

Jesus to death. But He knew their thoughts, and
He knew the time for Him to die had not yet
come, so He went on His way doing good.

49



JESUS AND LITTLE CHILDREN

VERY often as Jesus went about doing goodand preaching to the people, He showed how
much He loved little children. They were always
about with their mothers and fathers and used
to come up to Him as He talked, putting their
hands on His arms or resting against His knees.

He would lovingly bend down to them, and put-
ting His hand on their heads, He blessed them. He
would take the smallest ones up in His arms and
press them to His heart. Many of the mothers,
when they saw how He loved children, wanted to
bring their little ones to Him so that He might
touch them and bless them.
One day a crowd of mothers with their children

was so large, and pushing about Him so much, the
Apostles were annoyed. They thought the chil-
dren were making too much noise and disorder
around Jesus.

So, thinking that they were doing Him a favor,
they scolded the mothers and told them to stop
pushing and to take their children home.

Jesus was very grieved at this and did not like

50



u> ilMlti I • •* t U « 1
'



what the Apostles were doing, so He said to them

:

“Let the little children come to Me ; the kingdom
of God is for those like them.”

Then He called the children to Him, and blessed
them tenderly.

On another day Jesus reached out to a little
child, who came and leaned against Him. Jesus
put His arm about the little one and said to His
Apostles, “Believe Me, unless you become like little
children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heav-
en. If you welcome a little child in My name, you
welcome Me. If anyone hurts the conscience of
one of these little ones, who believe in Me, he had
better been drowned in the depths of the sea.

“Never despise one of these little ones, because
I tell you they have angels of their own in heaven
who continually behold the Face of My Heavenly
Father.”

By these words, Jesus wants us to know that
the souls of innocent children are very dear to

Him. How great and how terrible is the sin of
those who teach evil to little ones who do not know
it! And it is just as sinful to teach evil by ex-
ample.

Jesus told His Apostles, “It must needs be that
such scandal should come, but woe to the man
through whom it comes.” And He warned that
there is a place known as hell for the sinful who
continue to sin.

52



JESUS ENTERS JERUSALEM IN TRIUMPH

THERE were just five days left until the deathof Jesus. A great multitude heard that Jesus
was going up to Jerusalem for the feast of the
Pasch, so they watched for Him to come along the
road. They saw Him coming, sitting upon a don-
key, and they rushed to welcome Him, carrying
palm branches and waving them with great joy.

The news of His coming spread about, so more
and more people came to meet Him. They spread
their garments on the road for Him to pass over
and shouted with great joy, “Hosanna! Blessed

is He Who comes in the name of the Lord ! Blessed
be the King of Israel!”

As the procession moved along, Jesus came to
a high place just beneath Mt. Olivet, and stopped
to look at the city of Jerusalem, spread out below

Him. He gazed at the scene in silence, and His
eyes were filled with tears. Then those around
Him heard Him speaking as if to the city, “Oh,
Jerusalem, if you could only understand at this

moment what is for your peace ! But it is hidden
from your eyes for the present. The days are

53



coming when your enemies will dig a trench about
you and will surround you on all sides, and enter
your walls and your gates. They will destroy you
and all your children, and they will not leave a
stone upon a stone, because you have not known
the time of My visiting you."

Jesus wept over the city because He foresaw it
years later, when the Roman armies had destroyed
it.

It was a just punishment for that most ungrate-
ful city where Jesus was condemned to death and
died on the cross. The rulers and the people had
refused to believe that He was the Messias and
the Son of God.

54



THE LAST SUPPER

I
T was just two days before the Pasch. All the
chief priests, scribes and elders were gathered

together in the palace of Caiphas, the high priest,

to plan how they might catch Jesus and kill Him.

One of the twelve Apostles, named Judas Is-
cariot, also came to the council meeting. For a
long time he had ceased to love Jesus, and his
heart was full of avarice, which made him proud
and a thief. He knew all the ways of Jesus, and
the places where He used to go, so Judas told
the scribes and elders that he could tell them the
best time and place for getting hold of Jesus.
Then Judas said, “What will you give me for
this?”

Jesus’ enemies rejoiced at this plan of Judas’,

and replied, “We will give you thirty pieces of
silver.”

Judas was contented with the pay they prom-
ised to give him, and began to think of the best
way for giving Jesus over into their hands.

When the day came for eating the Paschal
supper, according to the custom of the Jewish

55



people, He gathered His Apostles about Him in the
supper room, called the Cenacle, and sat at a
long table with them. Judas was there, too.

After Jesus sat down, He said to them, “I have
longed and longed to share this Paschal meal with
you before My suffering.”

Then, during the supper, He rose from the
table, laid His outer garments aside, took a towel,

poured some water into a basin, and going to
the Apostles, He washed the feet of each one and
kissed them.

After He had washed the feet of all, Jesus sat
down again at the table. Looking at them lovingly,
He said, “Believe Me, one of you is about to be-
tray Me.” The Apostles all stared at one another,
wondering which one of them Jesus meant. They
were sad, and began to ask, “Is it I, Lord?”

Jesus would not say openly who the traitor was
because in His infinite goodness and mercy He
hoped Judas would repent and not do this terrible
thing.

Judas would not yield to the kindness and love

of Jesus; he was determined to commit his sin,
so towards the end of the supper, he got up

and went out of the room. Satan had entered his
heart. Jesus said to him, “Be quick on your er-
rand.”

When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the
Son of God has achieved His glory, and God is
exalted.” Jesus took a small roll of bread in His

56



57



two hands (it was bread without yeast, such as
was used for the Passover feast), and standing
up He raised His eyes toward heaven, blessed
it, broke it and gave it to His Apostles, saying

to them, “Take and eat, this is My Body which
shall be given for you. Do this in remembrance
of Me.”

Then He took a cup and poured some wine into
it, thanked God, blessed it and passed it to them
saying, “Drink you all of this, for this is My Blood
that shall be shed for you and for many, for the
remission of sins.”

The Apostles were much amazed and filled
with emotion. At once they got up from their
places and knelt at His feet to receive from the
hands of Jesus the consecrated bread and wine
that had become His real Body and Blood.
That was the first time Holy Communion had

been given in the world.

58



JESUS PRAYS IN THE GARDEN OF OLIVES

WHEN the supper was over, Jesus sat withHis Apostles at the table a long time and
gave a beautiful sermon to them. At the close of
it, He prayed to His Heavenly Father a most
sublime prayer.

Then He left the Cenacle with His Apostles, and
singing hymns they all went towards a place called
Mt. Olivet, which was beyond the brook Cedron,
a place where Jesus was accustomed to go to pray.

When they came to a plot of ground called Geth-
semani, Jesus said to His Apostles, “Sit down here
while I go and pray.”
He took Peter and James and John with Him.

Soon He grew very sorrowful. He said to them,
“My soul is sad, even unto death. Stay here and
keep watch. Pray that you may not enter into
temptation.”

He went a little further away from them and
threw Himself on the ground, praying that if it
were possible, this hour of sorrow might pass Him
by. Then He cried, “My Father, all things are
possible to Thee

; take away this chalice from be-
fore Me; only as Thy Will is done.”

59



After that, He went to His Apostles and found
them all sleeping. He said to Peter, “Simon, are
you sleeping? Had you not strength to watch with
Me even one hour? Watch and pray, that you may
not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing

indeed, but the flesh is weak.”

Then He went away again, and prayed once
more, using the same words, “My Father, if this
chalice cannot pass, but I must drink it, Thy Will
be done.”

Again He came to His Apostles, and again He
found them asleep, because their eyes were heavy,
and so they knew not what answer to make Him.

Then He left them once more and went away to
pray for the third time saying the same words.

An angel came to comfort and strengthen Him.
Jesus was in such an agony that a sweat of

blood fell from His Body in thick drops which
trickled to the ground.

Rising from His prayer He came to His Apos-
tles, and finding them still sleeping He said to
them, “Sleep and take your rest. It is enough,
the time has come for the Son of Man to be be-
trayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, and let us
go on our way.”

60



JESUS IS SCOURGED AND CROWNED WITH
THORNS

AS soon as Jesus had ended His prayer in theGarden of Olives, Judas arrived with a com-
pany of soldiers and a crowd of Jews. They all
had arms or clubs, and had come to capture Jesus.
They wanted to take Him, tie Him with ropes and
lead Him to the tribunal to have Him condemned
to death.

Judas, so as not to appear as a traitor, had said
to the soldiers, “He whom I shall kiss is Jesus;
take Him and lead Him away.”
Thereupon Judas walked up to Jesus and said,

“Hail, Master!” and kissed Him.
Jesus said to Judas, “Would you betray the

Son of Man with a kiss?”
Then the soldiers took hold of Jesus and tied

Him with ropes. The Apostles were dumbfounded
and frightened, so they all ran away. Peter fol-
lowed from a distance.
The soldiers led Jesus before Caiphas, who was

the high priest of the Jews; then they led Him
before the supreme tribunal called the Sanhedrin,
and after that, before Pontius Pilate, the governor
of Judea.

61



Jesus had said many times that He was the
Son of God, the Saviour of the world, and He re-
peated these statements before the tribunals.

They would not believe Him, and only considered
His words blasphemous, which served them as the
excuse for putting Him to death.

False witnesses were brought in to accuse Jesus
before Pilate, saying that He stirred up the people
to rebel against the laws of the Roman Empire.

Pilate, however, did not judge Jesus guilty and
had Him sent to Herod who was the king of
Galilee and was in Jerusalem at the time. Herod
said Jesus was out of His mind and sent Him
back to Pilate.

Then Pilate gathered the princes of the priests,
the magistrates and leaders of the people, and said
to them, “You have brought this Man before me
as one who is a disturber of the people, who calls
Himself a king, named Christ. I have questioned
Him in your presence, and I find none of the
charges you bring against Him to be true. Nor
did Herod, to whom I sent Him, find that He had
done anything worthy of death. I will scourge
Him, and then He shall go free.”
The people only shouted the louder, “Crucify

Him! Crucify Him!”

Pilate was a coward. He feared the cries of
the people, and although he knew that Jesus was
innocent, he gave the order to have Him scourged.

62



Pilate hoped the priests and people might be

moved to pity and thus he could save Jesus from
death; but it was a vain hope that did not take
away his great sin.

After that, Jesus was tied to a column and
scourged with whips made of rope and leather
strips. The strikes were numbered, and far be-
yond the number allowed, even for the worst
slaves and criminals. His Holy Body was bruised
and wounded, and from His torn flesh the Sacred
Blood of the Saviour flowed in riverlets to the

ground.

The heartless executioners were not satisfied
with the torments of the scourging, but torment-

ed the soul of Jesus with contempt and scorn.

They pretended to crown Him a king in derision,
and in this they found a new way of giving Jesus
pain.

They put on His head a crown of thorns, a little
reed in His hand for a sceptre, such as kings hold,
and an old cloak was thrown over His shoulders.
After they had dressed Him in this fashion, they
mocked Him, bent the knee before Him, and
laughed at Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews

!”'

They spat on Him, and taking the reed from
His hand, they hit Him on the head, and struck
Him in the face.
At last they were done with mockery, so strip-

ping Him of the scarlet cloak, they put on His own
garments and led Him away to be crucified.

63



ON THE ROAD TO CALVARY

WHEN Pilate saw Jesus torn and coveredwith blood, he thought that the people
would be contented and not ask for His death.

So he led Jesus out on a balcony of his palace
where the crowds could see Him, saying “Behold
the Man!’'

What Pilate meant was, “Behold the Man you
have brought to me. How can you fear a Man
reduced to such a state?”

That sight which should have softened the heart
of the hardest man, could not move the Jews to
pity for Jesus. They only cried with loud voices,
“Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

Pilate replied, “Take Him, you, and crucify
Him, I find no fault in Him!”
Then the Jews added, “We have a law, and ac-

cording to this law, He must die because He made
Himself the Son of God. If you release this Man,
you are not a friend of Caesar, the Emperor.
Anyone who makes himself a king is against
Caesar.”

64



65



Pilate saw then that nothing helped; on the
contrary, the tumult was increasing, so he took
some water in a basin and washed his hands be-
fore the people, saying as he did so, “I am inno-
cent of the blood of this just Man, see you to it!”

All the people shouted their reply, “His blood

be upon us and our children!”
Then Pilate pronounced the most unjust and

wicked of all condemnations; Jesus was to die
on the cross.

The sentence was hardly pronounced when the
soldiers brought the cross, which was prepared
in advance, and gave it to Jesus.

Jesus grasped the cross lovingly, kissed it and
placed it upon His shoulders. He started towards
Mount Calvary, surrounded by the soldiers and
the rabble.

Two thieves were condemned to death at the
same time as Jesus, and to the same kind of death.
They now followed behind Jesus, carrying their
own crosses.

Jesus was exhausted by pain, all His wounds
bleeding from the scourging and the crown of
thorns. He was hardly able to drag His cross after
Him, and along that painful road He fell three
times under the weight of His cross.

At the end of that procession of wicked men,
there walked a small group of holy women, among
them the Mother of Jesus. St. John, the Apostle
whom Jesus loved, was with her.

66



Who knows what suffering tore the heart of
Mary, the Sorrowful Mother, as she followed her

Son on that most sad and painful walk to Calvary?
Not far away were other brave women, Mary

Magdalen, and Mary, the mother of James and
of Joseph, and Salome. They loved Jesus, and
longed to minister to Him as they always had
done.

67



CRUCIFIXION AND DEATH OF JESUS

J
ESUS, arriving at the top of Calvary, did not
wait for the command of the executioners, but

put the cross on the ground, and placed Himself
upon it. He opened His arms wide across it, like
a loving embrace for all mankind; He adjusted
His feet in the proper place, one above the other,
and the men nailed first His hands and then His
feet to the cross.

It was about the middle of the day, at noon,
when Jesus was crucified. How He suffered when
the cross was raised up, and then dropped with a
thud into a hole in the ground prepared for it!

The princes of the priests, the elders, the
Scribes and Pharisees, and all sorts of people were
crowding about the cross, insulting Him, and
saying, “You, Who said You could destroy the
Temple, and then in three days rebuild it, save
Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down
from the cross!”

The soldiers, too, and the evil ones in the crowd,
swore at Him and insulted Him in many ways.

68



'\\y

69



Jesus only looked at them all with love and
then lifting His eyes to heaven, He said this beau-
tiful prayer, “Father, forgive them! They know
not what they are doing!”
The two thieves who were condemned to the

cross because of their crimes, were on either side

of Him. One of them blasphemed and insulted
Jesus, but the other reproved him for doing so,
saying, “Do you not fear God when you are under-
going the same sentence? We are condemned
justly enough; we receive no more than the due
reward of our deeds

;
but this Man has done noth-

ing amiss!”

Then he turned to Jesus and said, “Lord, re-
member me when You come into Your kingdom.”
And Jesus replied, “I promise you that today

you shall be with Me in Paradise.”
Near the cross of Jesus stood His Mother Mary

and St. John. Jesus turned His eyes towards His
most sweet Mother and the beloved disciple and
said to Mary, “Woman, this is your son.”
And to St. John he said, “Behold your mother!”

From that time, John took her to his home and
cared for her as her own Son would have done.
With those words, Jesus made His Holy Mary

the Mother of all mankind.
It was now about three o’clock and the sun

began to be hidden by a darkness that crept over
the earth. Jesus cried out with a sorrowful voice,
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

70



In truth, our Heavenly Father could not aban-

don His Divine Son, but Jesus wanted to endure
that mysterious abandonment of His Father to
save men from ever being abandoned by God,
which is a most terrible thing and could happen
on account of the grievous sins of men.

After a while, Jesus said, “I thirst.” This cry
meant much more than a cry of physical thirst.
It was an ardent desire for the salvation of souls.
Jesus was saying, “I thirst for souls.”

The soldiers dipped a sponge in some sour vine-
gar, sticking it on the end of a long reed, and put

it to the lips of Jesus. Jesus tasted the vinegar

and said, “It is finished !” He meant, “All the sac-
rifice of Myself for the salvation of men is accom-
plished.”

Then, with a loud voice, He cried, “Father, into
Thy hands I commend My spirit,” and, bowing His
head, He died.

Thus, after an agony of three hours on the
cross, our most sweet Brother and Saviour willed
to die, and by dying, gave His life for the whole
world.

At the moment of Jesus’ death, a great earth-
quake shook the earth. The rocks of the mount
were broken apart, making great chasms. Over
in the Temple, the veil that covered the holiest

part, called the Holy of Holies, was torn and rent
from top to bottom.

71



The centurion and the soldiers who were watch-
ing and guarding Jesus were struck with a terri-

ble fear. They ran from Calvary in a hurry, and
all the people, too, beating their breasts and crying
aloud, “Surely, this Man was the Son of God!”
The Jews went to the governor, Pilate, and

asked if the legs of the three crucified ones could

be broken and their bodies taken away. They did
not want the bodies hanging on the crosses on the
Sabbath day. This was forbidden by the Jewish
laws, because the Sabbath was a day of great
solemnity.

So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the
two thieves, but when they came to Jesus, they
saw that He was already dead, so they did not
break His legs. However, one of the soldiers
pierced His side with a lance, and at once there
flowed from the wound blood and water.

72



THE BURIAL AND RESURRECTION OF
JESUS

AFTER Jesus had expired on the cross, a richman from Arimathea, named Joseph, went to
Pilate and asked permission to take the body of
Jesus from the cross and bury it.

Pilate, hearing from the centurion that Jesus
was really dead, gave the permission, and Joseph
took the body of Jesus away.

Joseph of Arimathea owned a new tomb which
had never been used, and here he buried Jesus with
great reverence and love.

The tomb was carved out of a rock and not far
from the place where Jesus had been crucified.
When Joseph took the body from the cross, he
wrapped it in a large linen sheet called a “wind-
ing sheet” and put in many sweet spices to pre-
serve the body from decay.
The enemies of Jesus were not satisfied with

the burial, and they begged Pilate to place some
soldiers as guards at the entrance of the sepulchre.
They feared that the Apostles of Jesus might come
and take His body away.

73



The burial of Jesus had taken place before sun-
set, only a few hours after His death. The day was
Friday. Ever since then, we have called the day
on which Jesus died, “Good Friday.”

Jesus remained in the tomb all the rest of that
day, all day Saturday, and the first hours of Sun-
day; so it is correctly said that He rose from
the dead on the third day after His death.

Early in the morning of the third day, Mary
Magdalen, and Joanna, and another Mary, the

mother of James, went to the sepulchre. They
carried a large jar of sweet smelling spices and
herbs to embalm the body of Jesus, as that was
the custom.

On the way to the tomb, they were wondering
whom they could get to roll away the stone from
the entrance. Even as they walked, an earthquake
seemed to shake the ground.

It was then that the soul of Jesus was reunited
to His body by its own Divine power, and the
Man-God, alive, beautiful, glorious, surrounded
by a heavenly light, left the closed sepulchre.

An angel came from heaven and rolled back the
great stone and sat on it. The guards fell back-
wards to the ground, and covered their faces with
their arms. Then they got up and ran away with
fright.

Meanwhile, the holy women arrived at the tomb.
They found the great stone already rolled back,

74



75



so they went into the tomb. There they saw two
angels in glistening white garments and a radiant

light, sitting, one at the head and the other at the
foot, where the body of Jesus had lain.

When the women bowed their faces to the earth
in fear, one of the angels said, “No need to be
fearful, you have come to look for Jesus of Naza-
reth, Who was crucified

;
He is risen again, He is

not here. Here is the place where they laid Him.
Do not seek the living among the dead. Go now
and tell His disciples and Peter that Jesus is risen
from the dead.”
The women were very much impressed and

were filled with fear. At the same time they were
trembling with joy. They left the sepulchre in
haste and ran back to the city to give the news
to the disciples of all they had seen and heard.
Mary Magdalen, however, did not go with the

others, but remained behind at the tomb weeping.
Suddenly, Jesus appeared to her and called her

by name. In the most sweet accents, He said,
“Mary.”

At the sound of that voice, Mary Magdalen was
thrilled. She knew it was Jesus’ voice, and raised
her eyes, all wet with tears, to look at Him. She
could see that He was, indeed, living and truly
Jesus, and throwing herself at His feet, cried,
“Master !”

Then Jesus said, “Do nothing to Me. Return to
My brethren, and tell them that I am going to My

76



Father in Heaven, and to your Father. He is My
God and your God."
Then Jesus vanished from her sight.

The same day when evening had come, the
Apostles were all together in that same upper
room, the Cenacle, and the doors were shut and
locked for fear of the Jews. Suddenly Jesus

appeared in their midst and said, “Peace be with
you! It is I, fear not."

But the Apostles were troubled and filled with
wonder, and thought that they saw a spirit. Jesus
said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why
do doubts arise in your hearts ? Look at My hands
and My feet, for it is truly I, your Master. Touch
Me and see. Spirits do not have flesh and bones,
as you see Me to have."
He showed them His hands and His feet and

the wound in His side, and stayed with them a
short while. Then He vanished from their sight.
Thomas was not in the Cenacle the time when

Jesus came, and so he had not seen Him. The
other Apostles told Thomas the news with great
enthusiasm and joy; how Jesus had suddenly
appeared in their midst, the doors shut and bolt-
ed; and He had come in through closed doors.
Thomas would not let himself be persuaded that

what the others were telling him was true.

So Thomas said to the disciples of Jesus, “Until
I have seen the mark of the nails on His hands,

77



until I have put my finger into the mark of the
nails, and put my hand into His side, you will not
make me believe.”

It was eight days later when the Apostles were
again together, and this time Thomas was with
them. Jesus came and stood before them, and
said, “Peace be with you.”

Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Let Me have your
finger

;
see, here are My hands. Let Me have your

hand; put it into My side. Cease your doubting
and believe.”
Then Thomas exclaimed, “Thou art my Lord

and my God !”

And Jesus said to him, “Thomas, you have
learned to believe, because you have seen Me.
Blessed are those who have not seen Me, and yet
have learned to believe.”

«

78



THE ASCENSION

AFTER His resurrection, Jesus remained onearth forty days before He returned to
heaven. During those forty days, He was not al-
ways with His Apostles, as He was before His
death. He would come and go, making brief visits,
but each time He would tell them many things.
He seemed to be completing all His instructions
to them before He should disappear forever.
When He came to His Apostles for the last time,

He said to them, “All authority in heaven and on
earth has been given to Me ; you must go out and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all the
commandments which I have given you. And,
behold, I am with you through all the days that
are coming, until the consummation of the world.”

And Jesus said some other things, too; that
those who believed in Him would be saved, and
those who did not, would be condemned.
He gave a long explanation of the meaning of

the Scriptures which told about Him, and at the

79



end He said, “The Holy Ghost will come upon
you, and you will receive strength from Him;
you are to be witnesses for Me in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the very
ends of the earth.”

Thus, the mission of Jesus on earth was com-
pleted. He had given to the world a new and
great law of Love; He had shown the way for
eternal salvation

;
with His sorrowful Passion and

death, He had made expiation for the sins of men

;

He had merited for them all graces, and He had
reopened the gates of heaven.

Finally, He had entrusted to His Apostles and
to their successors the great mission of extending

to the whole world the fruits of the Redemption.
Having finished His work, Jesus now would return
to His Father.

Therefore, one beautiful day He led His Apos-
tles out to Mt. Olivet, near Bethany, and after
blessing them most lovingly for the last time, He
began to rise slowly towards heaven, until a cloud
drifted by and hid Him from their sight.
The Apostles were deeply moved. They followed

Jesus with their eyes, wet with tears, and when
the cloud closed over Him, still they stood gazing
heavenwards. They seemed to try to pierce the
blue sky, in the hopes of seeing again their adored

Master.

Suddenly voices spoke to them, and they saw
two angels standing nearby who said, “Men of

80



Galilee, why do you stand here looking heaven-
wards? He who has been taken from you into
heaven, this same Jesus will come back in the
same manner as you have watched Him going into
heaven.” This meant that Jesus will come again
from heaven at the end of the world.
Then the Apostles bowed themselves down to

the ground, adoring Jesus, true God and true
Man, Who at that moment, in soul and body,
was gloriously seated at the right hand of God, the
Father Almighty, in the marvelous glory of the
Most Holy Trinity forevermore.

81