Blessed Schuster’s Daily Thoughts on the Rule: Spy Wednesday
Holy Wednesday
Station at St Mary Major
The Triumphs of the Cross
1. The station is on the Esquiline, at St Mary Major, as is the rule on all the Wednesdays preceding the Sacred Ordinations. Today it is a question especially of presenting to the Most Holy Virgin the candidates for Holy Baptism.
The Passion according to Saint Luke is read; but first is meditated the beautiful page of the book of Isaias in which is described the Passion of the Servant of Yahweh, and its exact correspondence is seen. (Is 53:1-12)
The Apostle Saint Peter, in his turn, explains to us that in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit had moved the Sacred Authors to announce the mystery of Christ and of the Church, making them aware, however, that those prophecies of theirs would be fulfilled much later, and would concern a different people from that of Israel.1
The First Apostle adds that the unfolding of this Sacrament of Christ and the Church, according to the plan predestined by the Father before the very creation of the world, forms in Heaven the subject of the blessed contemplation of the Angelic Spirits: In quae desiderant Angeli prospicere. (1 Pet 1:12: ‘The Angels desire to fix their gaze on these Mysteries.’)
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2. Jesus of Nazareth [v]ulneratus est propter iniquitates nostras, attritus est propter scelera nostra…et livore eius sanati sumus. (Isaias 53:5: ‘He was wounded on account of our sins, He was beaten for our wickedness…and His bruises have been our medicine.’)
The Divine Crucified One,2 with His wounds and with His sorrows, teaches us two things above all
First, the horror of our sins, which were expiated in no other way than by the most sorrowful Passion of Christ.
Nothing, therefore, helps more to make us understand what it is to offend God, as the contemplation of Jesus Crucified.
His humiliations expiate human pride.
His sufferings pay for our acts of sensuality.
His obedience redeems our disobedience.
His squalor condemns our greed.
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The ancient monastic piety was very well nourished by special practices in honour of the Lord’s Passion.
In the larger monasteries, there was always an oratory or an altar in honour of the Holy Crucifix: Altare Domini Salvatoris [the Altar of the Lord, the Saviour].
On Fridays was celebrated weekly the votive Mass de S. Cruce, and in a number of centres Relics of the Passion were guarded with a particular veneration.
On the Mount of Cassino, as well, there rose an ancient Roman mausoleum later dedicated to the Holy Crucifix.
I remember, at Farfa, the Venerable [now Blessed] Riccardi, who for long years immersed himself even daily in the contemplation of Jesus Crucified and of the Sorrowful Virgin.
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3. Secondly, the Divine Crucified One manifests to us the cost of a soul, and the infinite love of God Who wanted to redeem us at such a dear price.
Saint Paul felt himself totally transported with fervour at the thought:
Christus dilexit me et tradidit semetipsum pro me. (Gal 2:20: ‘Christ loved me and sacrificed Himself for me.’)
He drew from this, however, the consequence: ut qui vivunt, iam non sibi vivant, sed Ei qui pro ipsis mortuus est et resurrexit. (2 Cor 5:15: ‘So that mortals may live indeed no longer for themselves, but for Him Who died for them and is risen.’)
Gratitude towards the Divine Crucified One is likewise expressed with love and devotion towards the Holy Church.
St Paul, recommending the Christians of Ephesus to the clergy of that city, reminds them that Jesus Christ acquisivit Ecclesiam Sanguine suo (Acts 20:28: ‘acquired the Church with His Blood’).
This is why the Church cannot abdicate her liberty; nor yield herself to others. She belongs to Christ, Who bought her at a dear price and made her so much His own, that she has become His very mystical body, His pleroma [fullness], His spouse. Itaque iam non sunt duo, sed una caro. Sacramentum hoc magnum est. Hoc dico in Christum et in Ecclesiam.3
(Eph 5:31-32: ‘They are no longer two bodies, but one only. This represents a great mystery regarding Christ and the Church.’)
This is why Saint Anselm said to the King of England: ‘God loves no other thing more in this world than the liberty of His Church’; it is for this liberty of the Church that the Pontiffs of old fought against the empire of Byzantium. Later, there arose Gregory VII and the Popes of his school against the German Caesars. In our own times, the two Piuses VI and VII, rather than yielding before the Revolution, preferred imprisonment in France. So valuable is the dignity and the liberty of the Church!
1The fulfillment of Isaias’ prophecy does of course concern Israel, to whom Our Lord was first sent; the meaning here is that it involves a new covenant based on faith which extends far beyond Israel’s physical descendants.—Tr.
2The Italian word Crocifisso can refer either to the Lord Himself (‘Crucified One’) or His image (‘Crucifix’). It is here translated with one or the other term depending on the context.—Tr.
3The Vulgate has in Christo et in ecclesia [‘I speak in Christ and in the Church’]; however, Schuster’s rendering in the accusative [‘I speak regarding Christ and the Church’] reflects the grammar of the Greek text.—Tr.
