the day of the Lord's crucifixion was, as it were, the day of his
betrothal; because it was then that he associated the Church to
himself as his bride, and on the same day descended into Hell, and,
setting free the souls of the faithful, accomplished in them that
which he had promised to the thief: "Verily I say unto thee, to-day
shalt thou be with me in Paradise."

"To-day," he says, of the gladness of his heart; because in his body
he suffered the torture of pain; but while the flesh inflicted on
him torments through the outward violence of men, his soul was filled
with joy on account of our salvation, which he thus brought to
pass. Whence, also, when he went forth to his crucifixion, he
stilled the women that were lamenting him, and said, "Daughters of
Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and your
children." As if he said, "Grieve not for me in these my sufferings,
as if by their means I should fall into any real destruction; but
rather lament for that heavy vengeance which hangs over you and your
children, because of that which they have committed against me." So
we, also, brethren, should rather weep for ourselves than for him;
and for the faults which we have committed, not for the punishments
which he bore. Let us so rejoice with him and for him, as to grieve
for our own offenses, and for that the guilty servant committed the
transgression, while the innocent Lord bore the punishment. He
taught us to weep who is never said to have wept for himself, though
he wept for Lazarus when about to raise him from the dead.



CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS (1807-1886)