it be not advantageous for me to remain in joy, and to serve thee full in peace-disturb in what manner thou pleasest the repose and serenity of my life; but hold me continually in thy hand, and never permit my will to be done to the prejudice of thine.

O most sacred Mother, and faithful handmaid of God! you who in that time of sorrow offered yourself to the eternal Father to suffer with your son and his; and who wert always conformable to his will in all things, notwithstanding all the affection of your maternal heart; obtain that this truth may be imprinted so deep in my soul, that I may never will anything but what God shall will. Assist me, ye blessed spirits! and obtain for me of this divine Saviour, that my will may not be accomplished on earth, but his; as you accomplish it in heaven.

Amen.

TWENTY-SEVENTH SUFFERING OF CHRIST.-The Treason of Judas. I. Whilst Christ, after his last supper, was teaching his disciples a most heavenly doctrine, and was discoursing with love and tenderness, whilst he prayed in the garden, bathed in a sweat of blood, Judas, that false friend, thought of nothing but how to put in execution the resolution he had taken of betraying him. Our Saviour was pleased to suffer this bad treatment from a man to whom he had given so many marks of friendship; and as he could not subject himself to all the pains to which we are exposed, because many of them were inconsistent with the dignity of his person, he made choice of those that were felt in the most lively manner; such as treason, and false friendship. As there is no sweeter pleasure to a heart, than what proceeds from a sincere friendship; to abuse it against a friend, is to wound him in the most sensible part. The holy Scripture reckons amongst the greatest blessings of life, the happiness of having a faithful friend. A faithful friend, says the wise man, is a strong defence: and he that hath found him, hath found a treasure. Nothing can be compared to a faithful friend, and no weight of gold and silver is able to countervail the goodness of his fidelity.-Eccles. vi. 14, 15.

The word of God also represents betrayed friendship as a very great calamity, especially when it brings upon a friend (which is but too common) a public reproach, and a considerable prejudice, by discovering his secret; because my friend, being another myself, from whom I have hid nothing, and to whom I communicate, without reserve, whatever befals me, whether troublesome or agreeable; if he happens to join my enemies; if he discovers to them what he knows of me; and if he makes use of my confidence in him, for destroying me; can I, without an extraordinary help of the divine grace, dissemble so black a perfidy? this is so sensible to nature, that he who suffers it without complaining, and sincerely

pardons it, should pass for a miracle of patience. Some great doctors think, that this pain is the angel of Satan, whereof St. Paul speaks, when he says (2 Cor. xii. 7), There was given me a sting of my flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me; and that he thereby understands his false brethren, whom the devil raised up to torment him, to oppose his doctrine, and to weaken his authority. This persecution affected him so sensibly, that he begged of God several times to be delivered from it: he could not obtain the end of his affliction, but he obtained the grace of bearing it patiently. II. What Christ suffered on this subject is without example: and that among the disciples whom he had chosen to be the pillars of his Church, upon whom he had heaped his favours and desired to regard as his friends and most faithful confidants, there should be found one that betrayed him, sold him, and delivered him up to his enemies, is what we should at this moment most lament.

Some days before, Judas seeing Magdalen pour a precious ointment on our Saviour's head, murmured openly thereat, because he said, it might have been sold for three hundred pence and given to the poor; not because he cared for the poor, as the evangelist adds, but because he was a thief, and having the purse, carried what was put therein.-John xii. 5, 6. And thus, to make up the loss he sustained thereby, he resolved to sell Christ to the Jews, who sought to apprehend him; and without caring whether our Saviour should perish in their hands, or escape from thence by a miracle, that miserable wretch thought of nothing, but how to satisfy his avarice.

It is even probable that, in order to justify so black an action before the Jews, he spoke a great deal of ill of his master to them; as, that in preaching contempt of the world and riches, he ate with the rich and worldlings; that he used precious perfumes; that he was often with sinners; and such other things as his malice suggested to him, and were conformable to the sentiments of those to whom he spoke. Afterwards he offered to deliver him into their hands without any noise. The Jews accepted the offer, praised his zeal for the public good, and promised him thirty pieces of silver, according to these words of the prophet Jeremias: they took thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they prized of the children of Israel.

III. After this base treaty, Judas advised them to be in readiness; but not to stir till he returned to them. He acquainted them with the time and place, where the Lord was accustomed to retire alone to pray. Afterwards he went and sat down at table with him; and our Lord having said, that he should be betrayed that night by one of his disciples, Judas, though he knew himself guilty, ceased not to ask with the rest, who that traitor was; he permitted our Saviour to wash his feet, and heard his heavenly doctrine. In that state he received the body and blood of his master, with the

sacerdotal dignity: and that meek lamb distinguished him not from others in the communication of so many blessings. But seeing the obstinacy of that heart was not softened by all those marks of tenderness, and suffering besides the delay of his passion with pain, he said to him: That which thou doest, do quickly.John xiii. 27. The other disciples imagined that Christ had sent him somewhere; and Judas departed immediately, and went to accomplish his perfidy.

David, being persecuted and betrayed by his son Absolom, expresses, in a very affecting manner, how sensibly our Lord felt the treachery of his apostle: for if my enemy, says he, had reviled me, I would verily have borne with it. And if he that hated me, had spoken great things against me, I would perhaps have hidden myself from him. But thou a man of one mind, my guide, and my familiar; who didst take sweet meals together with me: in the house of God we walked with consent.-Ps. liv. 13, 14, 15. Showing how great Christ's affliction was on this occasion; he who suffered such great torments afterwards without murmur, complained of this to his disciples and to Judas himself.

IV. Our Saviour's passion begun by this infidelity, which pierced him to the heart, whereby he gave us wonderful examples of patience and meekness. Would to God that Judas had been the only person that betrayed his master: but alas! that perfidious apostle has an infinite number of followers. We still sell Christ daily, and throw away his grace and friendship for the pleasures of a moment, and for a bubble of worldly glory. Though he is not now so sensible of this unworthy preference, yet it is certain, that he was most sensible of it then; and that whilst Judas betrayed him, his divine wisdom foresaw all those false brethren and prevaricating Christians, who were to rise up against him in his Church, for whom, nevertheless, he was going to suffer death. His friendship changes not in regard of us, and our infidelity towards him increases daily.

Now, if we think we have no such perfidy to reproach ourselves with, let each one enter into himself, to see if we have as much zeal for the glory of God, as passion for worldly honours: whether the divine love has given us a disgust of human engagements; and whether we renounce our own will, that we may be faithful to Christ. If we knew the depth of our corruption, we should find ourselves much fuller of the spirit of Judas than we imagine; and perhaps should have no less reason to hate ourselves, than to abhor him.

If we consider how often we have entered into our Lord's temple, loaded with a thousand sins committed against him; how many times we have bowed the knee before him, calling him our father, king, and friend, though our hearts were very far from him;

how

long we have remained in his house, maintaining a correspondence against him and his law, with the devil, the world, and the flesh; on how many occasions we have broken our words, after swearing to him inviolable fidelity; we cannot doubt but that he may justly look upon us as false friends.

V. But it was not only for our instruction, and for expiating our infidelities, that our Saviour was pleased to suffer that of his disciple; but also for the comfort of his faithful servants, who have such frequent occasions of suffering the like persecutions from their false friends, when sincerely desirous of serving God. They are accused of hypocrisy and singularity; their smallest faults are exaggerated, and their most innocent actions misrepresented; their zeal treated as passion and imprudence; their fear of offending God as over-scrupulousness, and foregoing the gaieties of the world named as incivility and melancholy. In fine, everything they do is endeavoured to be turned into poison; and their virtues are made use of for their persecution. God alone knows how sensible this kind of pain is to his servants, and the want they are then in of his assistance. They find themselves forsaken by their friends, and have no human consolation; because their conduct is sincere, and they neither seek protection by defending themselves, nor artifice for preventing the evils that may be done them; but endeavour, with a sincere charity, to win those who are contriving their ruin, choosing rather to lament in silence, and to suffer injustice, without complaint.

Christ showed them by his example how they ought to overcome evil by good; and elevating themselves above human friendships, to fix their whole affection on him, by whom friends are loved with purity, enemies with charity, and false friends are treated with patience and forbearance. A man that is so happy as to relish these truths, and to receive all these afflictions from the hand of God, finds in him his peace and comfort.

CONTEMPLATION.-On Christ bearing Judas's Treachery.—Thou hast then been pleased to experience, O love of my heart! how severe a cross an unfaithful friend is. Received Judas at thy table, heaped thy favours upon him, and, as to a sincere friend, communicated thy most private thoughts even when he had his heart full of gall, and had conceived the design of delivering thee up to thy enemies. O divine wisdom! who seeing the soul of that perfidious wretch, couldst look favourably upon him, in the midst of thy other disciples, who loved thee sincerely? Wash his feet, impart to him thy divine priesthood, give him thy body and blood, and overlook his perfidy, in order to spare him the confusion thereof.

Behold how thou behavest, O divine Jesus! Behold what the constancy of thy friendship is! Thou seest our treacheries, and

still seekest us, drawing us by the chains of thy charity, gaining us by thy benefits, and endeavouring to mollify the obduracy of our hearts by the unction of thy grace. What advantage canst thou reap from our friendship, to seek, with so much care, even after those who betray thee. But it is the property of thy love, O my God! never to be discouraged, and to pursue us when we fly from thee.

II. Though thou alone deservest to be loved, O my glory, and sovereign good! thou wouldst testify thy love to me, by suffering so sensible a pain as that which proceeds from false friendship: that if ever I should happen to be in the like circumstance, I might find in thee a solid consolation. That thou wouldst still endure this contradiction, I am not surprised, O Lord! it is an effect of thy infinite charity. What astonishes me is that a heart, which has treated with thee, heard thy word, tasted thy sweetness, and is replenished with thy blessings, can want fidelity to thee.

Thy conversation gains souls; thy love charms hearts; thy example regulates life; thy word teacheth all truth; thy providence provides for all our wants; and thy goodness mitigates all our labours. Nothing is better known than thy liberality, truth, and the fidelity of thy love; and yet there is a heart that is unfaithful to thee; a disciple that betrays thee; and a man loaded with thy benefits, that delivers thee up to thy enemies.

We cannot be secure but by being strictly united to thee, O thou refuge of my soul! and the more singular thy favours are, the more dangerous are relapses when we withdraw from thee. How comes it then that I do not tremble, that I am not afraid of myself, and that I do not implore thy mercy every moment, when I find in myself that same corrupt nature, which was able to produce so horrid an ingratitude, and so black a perfidy!

Support me with thy omnipotent hand, O infinite goodness! If the devil persuaded one of thy apostles in thy presence to commit so great an excess, what security can I promise myself? If St. Peter renounced thee, for having had too much confidence in himself, what shall become of me, if thou fortifiest not my weakness? Humble me, O Lord! and keep me near thee: for alas! without thee I shall remain such as I am, always capable of abandoning and losing thee. I am never more ready to betray thee, and to be faithless to thy love and grace, than when I think myself in safety.

III. I look upon the perfidious Judas with astonishment and indignation, who made so little account of losing thee, that he betrayed thee without shame, by a testimony of affection, and preferred a base interest to thee, O my Saviour! in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.-Colos. ii. 3. But I do not consider myself. How many times have I concealed a corrupt heart under the appearance of piety? How many times have I abused