The Opening of the Side of Jesus.
Death of the two thieves.
Whilst these events were taking place in Jerusalem, silence reigned
around Calvary. The crowd which had been for a time so noisy and
tumultuous, was dispersed; all were panicstricken; in some that panic
had produced sincere repentance, but on others it had had no beneficial
effects. Mary, John, Magdalen, Mary of Cleophas, and Salome had
remained, either standing or sitting before the Cross, closely veiled
and weeping silently. A few soldiers were leaning over the terrace
which enclosed the platform; Cassius rode up and down; the sky was
lowering, and all nature wore a garb of mourning. Six archers soon
after made their appearance, bringing with them ladders, spades, ropes,
and large iron staves for the purpose of breaking the legs of the
criminals, in order to hasten their deaths. When they approached our
Lord's Cross, his friends retired a few paces back, and the Blessed
Virgin was seized with fear lest they should indulge their hatred of
Jesus by insulting even his dead body. Her fears were not quite
unfounded, for when they first placed their ladders against the Cross
they declared that he was only pretending to be dead; in a few moments,
however, seeing that he was cold and stiff, they left him, and removed
their ladders to the crosses on which the two thieves were still
hanging alive. They took up their iron staves and broke the arms of the
thieves above and below the elbow; while another archer at the same
moment broke their legs, both above and below the knee. Gesmas uttered
frightful cries, therefore the executioner finished him off by three
heavy blows of a cudgel on his chest. Dismas gave a deep groan, and
expired: he was the first among mortals who had the happiness of
rejoining his Redeemer. The cords were then loosened, the two bodies
fell to the ground, and the executioners dragged them to a deep morass,
which was between Calvary and the walls of the town, and buried them
there.
The archers still appeared doubtful whether Jesus was really dead,
and the brutality they had shown in breaking the legs of the thieves
made the holy women tremble as to what outrage they might next
perpetrate on the body of our Lord. But Cassius, the subaltern officer,
a young man of about five-and-twenty, whose weak squinting eyes and
nervous manner had often excited the derision of his companions, was
suddenly illuminated by grace, and being quite overcome at the sight of
the cruel conduct of the soldiers, and the deep sorrow of the holy
women, determined to relieve their anxiety by proving beyond dispute
that Jesus was really dead. The kindness of his heart prompted him, but
unconsciously to himself he fulfilled a prophecy. He seized his lance
and rode quickly up to the mound on which the Cross was planted,
stopped just between the cross of the good thief and that of our Lord,
and taking his lance in both hands, thrust it so completely into the
right side of Jesus that the point went through the heart, and appeared
on the left side. When Cassius drew his lance out of the wound a
quantity of blood and water rushed from it, and flowed over his face
and body. This species of washing produced effects somewhat similar to
the vivifying waters of Baptism: grace and salvation at once entered
his soul. He leaped from his horse, threw himself upon his knees,
struck his breast, and confessed loudly before all his firm belief in
the divinity of Jesus.
The Blessed Virgin and her companions were still standing near, with
their eyes fixed upon the Cross, but when Cassius thrust his lance into
the side of Jesus they were much startled, and rushed with one accord
up to it. Mary looked as if the lance had transfixed her heart instead
of that of her Divine Son, and could scarcely support herself. Cassius
meantime remained kneeling and thanking God, not only for the grace he
had received but likewise for the cure of the complaint in his eyes,
which had caused the weakness and the squint. This cure had been
effected at the same moment that the darkness with which his soul was
previously filled was removed. Every heart was overcome at the sight of
the blood of our Lord, which ran into a hollow in the rock at the foot
of the Cross. Mary, John, the holy women, and Cassius, gathered up the
blood and water in flasks, and wiped up the remainder with pieces of
linen.13
Cassius, whose sight was perfectly restored at the same moment that
the eyes of his soul were opened, was deeply moved, and continued his
humble prayer of thanksgiving. The soldiers were truck with
astonishment at the miracle which had taken place, and cast themselves
on their knees by his side, at the same time striking their breasts and
confessing Jesus. The water and blood continued to flow from the large
wound in the side of our Lord; it ran into the hollow in the rock, and
the holy women put it in vases, while Mary and Magdalen mingled their
tears. The archers, who had received a message from Pilate, ordering
them not to touch the body of Jesus, did not return at all.
All these events took place near the Cross, at a little before four
o'clock, during the time that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were
gathering together the articles necessary for the burial of Jesus. But
the servants of Joseph having been sent to clean out the tomb, informed
the friends of our Lord that their master intended to take the body of
Jesus and place it in his new sepulchre. John immediately returned to
the town with the holy women; in the first place, that Mary might
recruit her strength a little, and in the second, to purchase a few
things which would be required for the burial. The Blessed Virgin had a
small lodging among the buildings near the Cenaculum. They did not
re-enter the town through the gate which was the nearest to Calvary,
because it was closed, and guarded by soldiers placed there by the
Pharisees; but they went through that gate which leads to Bethlehem.