New Lenten sermons, translated from the German

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Part I

Oar Blessed Lord repaired with his disciples to Mount Olivet in the evening of Holy Thursday to begin his Passion. There in an unspeakable agony he sweat blood, and was apprehended. Like a criminal, deserving of death, he was led bound, first to Annas where a rude servant struck him in the face, then to Caiphas where he was declared guilty of death. Then during the whole night he was so shockingly insulted and maltreated, that St. Jerome says : " The mockery and insult which were inflicted on Jesus during that night were so great, that their enormity shall only be known on the day of judgment. When after a night of such humiliation and suffering, day dawned, our Good Friday, the Jews brought Jesus before Pilate, that he might condemn him to death. Let us now consider :

1. The human fear of Pilate which caused him to condemn Christ to death. Pilate was soon convinced of the innocence of Christ, and because he still had a due regard for what was right and just he was also willing to set him free. Having examined our Lord, he came out to the Jews and said to them: "I find no cause in this man." — Luke 23 : 14. The Jews, however, were anything but satisfied with this explanation ; on the contrary they insisted upon his death with importunity. Then Pilate had recourse to a cruel means to save Jesus : " I will chastise him, therefore, and release him." — Luke 23 : 16. For he reasoned thus : If I chastise Jesus, your rage will be calmed, and you will no longer demand his death. Jesus, therefore, was scourged. This punishment, which was inflicted by the Romans only on slaves and the greatest malefactors, was horrible. From six to eight torturers relieved one another in turns, by pairs, and with rods, whips and straps struck the condemned criminal, who stript of his clothes was tied with ropes to a column, till their cruelty was satiated ; so that many died during the scourging. By this cruel flagellation the body of Jesus was so lacerated that it seemed but one wound. The prophet who in spirit saw Jesus thus mangled says of him : " From the sole of the foot unto the top of the head there is no soundness therein, wounds and bruises and swelling sores, they are not bound up, nor dressed, nor fomented with oil."— Is. 1:6.

After this cruel scourging the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on the head of Christ. The sharp thorns penetrated his holy head and caused him intolerable pain. To complete the measure of malice, they clothed him with a purple mantle, put a reed in his hand, spat in his face, struck him on his cheeks, and mocked him

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most shamefully. Thus maltreated, abused and bruised they again brought him before Pilate. Although a pagan, Pilate was moved with compassion at the pitiful sight of Jesus, and exclaimed : " Ecce homo /" " Behold the man !" — John 19:5. He imagined that the Jews would now no longer insist upon his death, but he deceived himself! Their cruel hearts thirsted for blood : " Crucify him, crucify him," they cried out in their savage rage. — John 19 : 6. Pilate made still another attempt. It was customary among the Jews to liberate at Easter a malefactor whomsoever they would. Availing himself of this opportunity he brought before them a robber and a murderer named Barabbas, placed him near Christ and said : " Whom will you that I release to you, Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ ?" — Matt. 27 : 17. The choice, he thought, will certainly be in favor of Christ ; for Barabbas is a great criminal, who has repeatedly deserved death. But again he deceived himself. The Jews demanded that Barabbas should be liberated and Christ crucified. When Pilate still hesitated to comply with their request, they cried out the more, saying : "If thou release this man, thou art not Caesar's friend, for whosoever maketh himself king, speaketh against Caesar." — John 19 : 12. These words overcame the resistance of the Roman governor, he sat down in judgment, declared once more the innocence of Jesus by washing his hands, and delivered him to the Jews to be crucified. Behold, to what human fear brought Pilate! He feared that the Jews would denounce him to the Roman emperor, and that as a result he would lose his office, his dignity, and perhaps his life. To avert such a danger he condemned innocence to death ! Of what crying injustice did Pilate become guilty, and all through human fear !

2. The human fear of Christians which is the cause of the commission of so many sins in our days. How much good is omitted ? how many sins committed against the duties of one's station in life through human fear. For this reason many superiors are too indulgent to their inferiors, are silent in regard to their dissipations and are indifferent spectators of their excesses. For this reason one dares not call the attention of a friend or an acquaintance to his faults or to admonish him to amend his faults. For this reason some dare not even go to confession and Communion frequently, visit and adore the Blessed Sacrament, or lead a retired life, they fear to expose themselves to the mockery and ridicule of worldly-minded people. For this reason also some do not dare contradict discourse which violate religion, fraternal charity, and chastity disapprove of them and prevent them according to their ability. It is also human fear and human respect that frustrate so many conversions. How many sinners are held captive in the bonds of sin through human fear, how many infidels and heretics does it not deter from embracing the true faith ? In order to renounce their errors and be converted, they should manifest certain public signs, give up sinful connections, break with friends and acquaintances, and they cannot resolve to do these things. O how much good does human fear prevent and how much «vil does it occasion !

Guard against nothing so much as against human fear. "Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no power that they can do * * * fear ye him who after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell.' 7 — Luke 12 : 4, 5. Make a firm resolution never through human fear to do or to omit what would burden your conscience and violate the commandments of God. Whenever you are in danger of sinning through human fear think of Pilate, who from human fear condemned Jesus to death and perished eternally ; take courage and say with the wise man : " He that feareth man, shall quickly fall ; he that trusted in the Lord, shall be set on high." — Prov. 29 : 25.