"Satan Accuses Jesus in the Garden of Olives"

AGAPE40

DAY 10

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Passage

Now this enormous mass of sin and iniquity had passed before the soul of Jesus in an ocean of horrible visions and he had offered himself as the expiatory sacrifice for all, had implore that all their punishment and chastisement might fall upon him, Satan, as once before in the desert, brought forward innumerable temptations against the innocent savior himself. “What!” said to him “ will thou take all this upon thee, and thou art not pure thyself? see, here and here and here!” and he unfolded all kinds of forged bonds and notes before him, and with infernal impudence held them up under his eyes.

He reproached him with all the faults of his disciples, all the scandal they had given, all the disturbances and disorder he had caused in the world by abolishing ancient customs. Satan acted like the most crafty and subtle pharisee. He reproached Jesus with causing herod’s massacre of the holy innocents, with exposing his parents to want and danger in Egypt, with not having rescued John the baptist from death, with bringing about disunion in many families, with having protected degraded people, refusing to cure certain sick persons, with injuring the Gergeseans by permitting the possessed to overturn their vats and their swine to rush into the sea.

It was hidden from him that Jesus was the Son of God, and he tempted him as merely the most righteous of men. Yes, our Divine Redeemer permitted, in a certain measure, his most holy Humanity to veil his divinity, that he might endure those temptations that come upon the holiest souls at the hour of death respecting the intrinsic merit of their good works. That he might drain the chalice of suffering, he permitted the tempter, from whom his divinity was hidden, to upbraid him with his works of beneficence as so many sins incurring penalty and not yet blotted out by the grace of God. The tempter reproaches him likewise for desiring to atone for the sins of others, although he was himself without merit and had not yet made satisfaction to God for the grace of many a so-called good work. The Divinity of Jesus allowed the wicked fiend to tempt his Sacred Humanity just as he would tempt a man who might have ascribed his good works to some special merit of their own, independent of that which they can acquire by being united with the merits of the saving death of our Lord and Saviour.

Thus, the tempter called up before Jesus all the works of his love as not only without merit for himself, but as so many crimes against God; and as their value was, in a certain measure, derived from the merits of His Passion not yet perfected and of whose worth Satan was ignorant, therefore for the grace by which he affected them, he had not yet made satisfaction. For all his good works, Satan showed Jesus written bonds, telling him as he pointed to them: “ For this action and for this also, has thou incurred indebtedness.” At last he unrolled before him a note that he had received from Lazaraus for the sale of Magdalen’s property in Magdalum, and the proceeds of which he had expended. Satan accompanied the action with these words: “How darest thou squander the property of others and thereby injure the family?”

It was with the greatest difficulty that I restrained myself while all these charges were brought against the innocent Saviour. I was so enraged against Satan, But when he exhibited the note holding Jesus amendable for distributing the proceeds of Magdalene’s property… I say myself how the Lord devoted that sum received from Lazaraus to works of mercy, how he released with it twenty-seven poor, abandoned creatures held prisoners for debt at Tirzah."

Visions of Anne Catherine Emmerich

Today's Meditation

Beware of the accuser

The quantity of accusations that Satan brought upon Jesus were so many wicked ones. He twisted the good works of Jesus and blamed him for all. Obviously, it is the evil one, but that should make us think: if he did that with the one that he knew at that moment was the most correct among everyone, what would it be with us sinners? He delights in accusing us, especially of our past sins. He wants to tempt us and see us weak until we break. Do not lose sight of his style of operation. He is not an innovative guy; he has the same methods. Thus, whenever you are struggling in your mind with your past sins or any other temptations, reject them in the name of Jesus three times in faith and hope, and you shall see how those thoughts will go away

Tempted in your marriage

We are so tempted in our marriages. The accuser does not like the holy sacrament of matrimony. Sometimes either the husband or the wife have done the devil’s act without noticing by acting outside of charity. We can get tempted by pride and make comments, just to get our point across, that are hurtful to our spouse. Sometimes, we become accusers too and blame our spouse. Are we accusing and blaming our spouse or intentionally helping them to get to sainthood? Above all, charity and truth should prevail in your marriage. Do not let yourself fall into the pitfall of sin; treat each other with love, patience, and forgiveness.

Be with Jesus!

Remember our reflection from a couple days ago? Don’t leave Jesus alone. After hearing these horrible temptations that Jesus had to go through during the agony of the garden, it explains so much the way he was feeling. There was so much tension that he was even sweating blood. If you read more about the visions of Anne Catherine Emerich, you will find out that Jesus was shown all the blasphemies and negligences committed against Him in the Holy Eucharist. He is also shown his passion, his suffering, and his repugnance. Then, to console his heart, he is shown all the good works and hardships of those who love him. Where is your marriage? Are you consoling his heart or hurting it? Let us take this lent to console his heart, first by loving our spouse for love for Him, then by avoiding sin and doing good works. May everything you do be done out of love for Him and His heart.