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Jesus is laid in the arms of His Blessed Mother
Mt 27: 54-55
The centurion and his men
who were keeping watch over Jesus
were terror-stricken at seeing the earthquake
and all that was happening,
and said, "Clearly this was the Son of God!".
Many women were present
looking on from a distance.
They had followed Jesus from Galilee
to attend to his needs.
He is Thy property now, O Virgin Mother, once again, for He and the world have met and parted. He went out from Thee to do His Father's work - and He has done and suffered it. Satan and bad men have now no longer any claim upon Him - too long has He been in their arms. Satan took Him up aloft to the high mountain; evil men lifted Him up upon the Cross.
He has not been in Thy arms, O Mother of God,
since He was a child;
but now thou hast a claim upon Him,
when the world has done its worst.
For thou art the all-favoured,
all-blessed, all-gracious
Mother of the Highest.
We rejoice in this great mystery.
He has been hidden in thy womb,
He has lain in thy bosom,
He has been suckled at thy breasts,
He has been carried in thy arms;
and now that He is dead,
He is placed upon thy lap.
Virgin Mother of God, pray for us.
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Jesus is laid in the Sepulchre
Mt 27: 57-60
When evening fell,
a wealthy man from Arimathea arrived,
Joseph by name.
He was another of Jesus' disciples,
and had gone to request the body of Jesus.
Thereupon Pilate issued an order for its release.
Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it
in fresh linen and laid it in his own new tomb
which had been hewn from a formation of rock.
Then he rolled a huge stone
across the entrance of the tomb and went away.
Jesus, when He was nearest to His everlasting triumph, seemed to be farthest from triumphing. When He was nearest upon entering upon His kingdom, and exercising all power in heaven and earth, He was lying dead in a cave of the rock. He was wrapped round in burying-clothes, and confined within a sepulchre of stone, where He was soon to have a glorified spiritual body, which could penetrate all substances, go to and fro quicker than thought, and was about to ascend on high.
Make us to trust in Thee, O Jesus,
that Thou wilt display in us
a similar providence.
Make us sure, O Lord,
that the greater is our distress,
the nearer we are to Thee.
The more men scorn us,
the more Thou dost honour us.
The more men insult over us,
the higher Thou wilt exalt us.
The more they forget us,
the more Thou dost keep us in mind.
The more they abandon us,
the closer Thou wilt bring us to Thyself.
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