And He Taketh Peter and James And John With Him

BELLINI, Giovanni 
Agony in the Garden
c. 1465
And he taketh Peter and James and John with him; Mk.xiv.
Consider with what great grief our sorrowful Disciples, he took these three for his companions with him, that he might open his heaviness unto them, who only amongst all his disciples saw his glory in the Mt Thabor, and who were present at the wonderful miracle of the daughter Jairus of the ruler of the synagogue being raised unto life, for by how much a man is more perfect, and nearer joined unto God, so much the more he feeleth the force of the passion of our Lord in himself.

Consider therefore what manner of men those were whom Christ chose for his companions:

Peter: The Pastor of the Church

John: A Virgin, who afterwards should be the keeper of the Virgin his Mother.

James: The first Martyr of the Apostles.

That hereby thou mayest understand that nothing doth so much lighten our cares, ease the labors of any office, encourage us to chastity and to other virtues, to be brief, nothing helpeth man so much in all his labors undertaken for Christ's sake as the memory of the passion of Christ.

He took his two cousins, that thou mayest see, to what dignities our Saviour exalteth his best friends, to wit, to suffer innumerable calamities in this life that hereafter they may have the greater rewards in the life, to come.

Do thou desire rather to be afflicted in this world for thy sins, then after thy death to be separated from Christ with everlasting punishment.


Fr. Francis Costerus S.J. 1616

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