The Catacombs

Consider first, the haste that our Lord made to comfort His blessed mother and His afflicted disciples by manifesting Himself to them immediately after His resurrection. As to His blessed mother, though the gospel is silent, we cannot doubt but she was favoured with an early visit; that as she loved Him most, and partook more than any other in the sorrows of His passion, so she might also in the joy of his resurrection. Learn, my soul, from hence that the way for thee also to experience something of the visits and comforts of heaven is to suffer and to love. The good women that went early in the morning to the monument with their sweet spices and ointments, to perfume the body of our Lord, were likewise favoured first with a vision of angels, and then with a sight of Christ himself, to teach us that the true way to find Christ is to rise early to seek him; to go in quest of him with the aromatical perfumes of ardent desires and devout affections; and to persevere in the search without being discouraged with apprehensions of difficulties and oppositions. These holy women are concerned who should roll away the stone for them from the monument, that they might come at the body of our Lord, for it was exceeding great; but lo, when they came to the place they found the stone was rolled away to their hands: to teach us that if we continue constant in our good resolutions, God will remove those difficulties we apprehend, or enable us by his grace to overcome them.

Consider 2ndly, the favour our Lord was pleased to show to penitent sinners at His resurrection, by honouring Magdalene amongst women, and Peter amongst men, with His first visits. Magdalene, from the time of her conversion, had constantly adhered to the Lord; she followed Him even to the cross; she attended on Him there till He gave up the ghost; she saw His body laid in the monument, and after the repose of the Sabbath day, she was up before light, and was the first at the monument with her perfumes. When she found Him not, she ran to the apostles to tell them the body was taken away. Peter and John ran to the monument, and finding there the linen cloths without the body, went their way home again: but Magdalene stayed and continued her search, weeping and lamenting that she could not find Him whom her soul loved,--till at length she saw His heavenly messenger, and shortly after Himself in person, and was sent by Him as an apostle to carry themselves the joyful tidings of His resurrection. O happy tears of love! O happy perseverance! O see, my soul, thou seek thy Lord in the like manner, and thou wilt infallibly find Him.

Consider 3rdly, that Peter, who from the time of His fall had been continually weeping and bitterly bewailing His sins, was the first of the apostles that was favoured with the sight of our Lord, 1 Cor. xv. 5, and Luke xxiv. 34. At the first news brought by Magdalene of our Saviour's body being missing, He took the alarm and ran to the monument, and not finding the body there went home, believing it had been taken away. But our Lord was pleased to remove this error by manifesting Himself to him, and showing him that body alive which he sought among the dead. O what sentiments of confusion and repentance for His having denied the Lord of glory, mixed with a holy joy at the sight of His being now risen from the dead, filled the soul of the apostle upon this occasion! O how did he cast himself at the feet of his Lord, and there confess his crime, and how lovingly was he received to mercy, and favoured upon the spot with a plenary indulgence and absolution! And not only that, but to show the unspeakable bounty of our Lord to repenting sinners, a little while after, when our Lord manifested himself to him again, John xxi., He was pleased to advance him to the supreme pastoral charge over all His flock, by committing to him all His lambs and all His sheep, and to promise him the glory of following Him, even to the dying upon a cross, for Him: all in consequence of that most ardent love of which he three times required a profession of Him, 'Lovest thou me more than these?' as it were in opposition to his three denials.

Conclude, whatever thy case may be, and however thou mayest have denied thy Saviour by word or deed, to return now to him by repentance and love, and 'if thy sins be as red as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow,' Isaias i. 18. Love is the shortest way to the remission of sins, and to all other good.




Consider first, how two of the disciples going from Jerusalem to a neighbouring town called Emmaus, on the very day of our Lord's resurrection, while they were discoursing together on the way and making him the subject of their conversation, were also favoured with His presence, yet in such a manner as not to know Him. He overtook them on the way and joined their company, and after upbraiding them with their slowness of belief, explained to them the Scriptures that related to His passion and resurrection, and enkindled in their hearts the fire of devotion. See, Christians, the great advantage of pious conversation, such especially as has Christ for its subject--it even draws Him down from heaven into our company. We may in some measure apply to it what our Lord says, Matt. xviii. 20, 'When there are two or three gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them.' Luke vi. 45. What a pity then there should be generally so little of God in the conversation of Christians! Alas, how can this forgetfulness of God be reconciled with our loving Him? We naturally delight to speak of what we love--'for from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh:' how then can we flatter ourselves that the love of God is the master of our hearts, when we seldom care to speak of Him? Surely this is not the way to engage Christ to be in our company.

Consider 2ndly, that our Lord was not known at first by these disciples, because their faith in Him was weak and imperfect. See, my soul, if the weakness of thy faith be not also the reason why He does not manifest Himself to thee, so as to let thee know Him indeed, as the Saints have done. St. Gregory takes notice that these disciples were not enlightened so as to know Christ whilst they only heard His words, but were quickly enlightened in the fulfilling of His commandments, by the exercise of hospitality and charity, to teach us that the way to come at the knowledge of God and of those truths which as yet we are ignorant of is to practise, to the best of our power, what we know already of His heavenly will. These disciples 'knew our Lord in the breaking of bread:' to teach us that there is no better way to come at the perfection of the knowledge and love of God, than a worthy participation of the bread of life in the blessed Eucharist.

Consider 3rdly, how these disciples took notice that their hearts were burning within them whilst they were in the company of our Lord and enjoyed His heavenly conversation, Luke xxiv. 32. My soul, dost thou desire to experience something of these sacred flames? Seek them in the company and conversation of Christ. Alas! the reason why thou art so lukewarm, or rather downright cold in thy devotions, is the continual dissipation of thy thoughts at other times, and a habit of indulging vain amusements, which fill thy inward house with such disagreeable company as keep Christ away from thee and rob thee of his sweet conversation. O how happy mightest thou be if by banishing all these impertinences by a spirit of recollection, thou wouldst endeavour to keep thyself always close to thy Saviour, and like the ancient Saints to walk with Him! A diligence in this would make thee begin to enjoy a heaven upon earth.

Conclude to study well these lessons, which our Lord desires we should learn from His manifestations of Himself after His resurrection. But especially learn to seek always the happiness of His company and conversation, in thy own interior: there is the school of divine love.