I saw the Apostles ascending towards Jerusalem, along a ravine, to the south of the Temple, and in the direction of the north side of Sion.  On the southern side of the mountain on which the Temple stood, there were some rows of houses; and they walked opposite these houses, following the stream of an intervening torrent.  When they had reached the summit of Mount Sion, which is higher than the mountain of the Temple, they turned their steps towards the south, and, just at the beginning of a small ascent, met the man who had been named to them; they followed and spoke to him as Jesus had commanded.  He was much gratified by their words, and answered, that a supper had already been ordered to be prepared at his house (probably by Nicodemus), but that he had not been aware for whom, and was delighted to learn hat it was for Jesus.  This man’s name was Heli, and he was the brother-in-law of Zachary of Hebron, in whose house Jesus had in the preceding year announced the death of John the Baptist.  He had only one son, who was a Levite, and a friend of St. Luke, before the latter was called by our Lord, and five daughters, all of whom were unmarried.  He went up every year with his servants for the festival of the Pasch, hired a room and prepared the Pasch for persons who had no friend in the town to lodge with.  This year he had hired a supper-room which belonged to Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea.  He showed the two Apostles its position and interior arrangement.

MEDITATION II.

The Supper-Room.

On the southern side of Mount Sion, not far from the ruined Castle of David, and the market held on the ascent leading to that Castle, there stood, towards the east, an ancient and solid building, between rows of thick trees, in the midst of a spacious court surrounded by strong walls.  To the right and left of the entrance, other buildings were to be seen adjoining the wall, particularly to the right, where stood the dwelling of the major-domo, and close to it the house in which the Blessed Virgin and the holy women spent most of their time after the death of Jesus.  The supper-room, which was originally larger, had formerly been inhabited by David’s brave captains, who had there learned the use of arms.

Previous to the building of the Temple, the Ark of the Covenant had been deposited there for a considerable length of time, and traces of its presence were still to be found in an underground room.  I have also seen the Prophet Malachy hidden beneath this same roof:  he there wrote his prophecies concerning the Blessed Sacrament and the Sacrifice of the New Law.  Solomon held this house in honour, and performed within its walls some figurative and symbolical action, which I have forgotten.  When a great part of Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians, this house was spared.  I have seen many other things concerning this same house, but I only remember what I have now told.