Charles Williams : The New Christian Year

Holy Week Wednesday

His own single voice prostrated that great crowd . . . For God lay hid in that human flesh; and eternal day was so obscured in those human limbs, that with lanterns and torches he was sought for to be slain by the darkness . . . And now everywhere through the Gospel Christ is still saying: "I am He."

St. Augustine: Lectures on St. John.

God withdrew his protection, but did not break the union.

Anonymous, quoted by St. Thomas Aquinas: Catena Aurea.

Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
   But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
   But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

John 19:32-34

  Our heart must we give wholly unto him; that hath opened his heart so wide.  His heart and ours must be all one.  Nothing requireth he of us but the heart.  'Son', saith he, 'give me thy heart.'

Miles Coverdale: Fruitful Lessons on the Passion.

  My Lord, is now the malice of my wicked heart more than is the virtue of thy precious death, that wrought such wonders, and many more, and the mind [memory] thereof stirreth not mine hear? . . . I wot well mine heart, glorious Lord, is not worthy to come to thee that thou therein light; is is naught of the dignity of thine holy sepulchre, where thou wert in manhead closed.

Richard Rolle: Meditations on the Passion.

And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.

John 19:35

  Then with a glad cheer our Lord looked into his side and beheld, rejoicing . . . and with this our good Lord said full blissfully: Lo, how that I loved thee, as if he had said: My darling, behold and see thy Lord, thy God that is thy Maker and thine endless joy, see what satisfying and bliss I have in thy salvation; and for my love rejoice with me. . . . This shewed our good Lord for to make us glad and merry.

Juliana of Norwich: Revelations of Divine Love.

When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:
   He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.

Matthew 27:57-58

  Blessed whoso loveth thee, and his friend in thee, and his enemy for thee.  For he alone loses none dear to him, to whom all are dear in him who cannot be lost . . .  Thee none loseth but who leaveth.

St. Augustine: Confessions.

Holy Week Tuesday

He said to Judas, when he betrayed him: "Friend, wherefore art thou come?"  Just as if he had said: "Thou hatest me, and art mine enemy, yet I love thee and am thy friend." . . . As though God in human nature were saying: "I am pure, simple Goodness, and therefore I cannot will or desire or rejoice in, or do or give anything but goodness.  If I am to reward thee for thy evil and wickedness I must do it with goodness, for I am and have nothing else."

Theologica Germanica.