The great chalice had formerly been in the possession of Abraham; Melchisedech brought it with him from the land of Semiramis to the land of Canaan, when he was beginning to found some settlements on the spot where Jerusalem was afterwards built; he made use of it then for offering sacrifice, when he offered bread and wine in the presence of Abraham, and he left it in the possession of that holy patriarch.  This same chalice had also been preserved in Noah’s Ark.

MEDITATION V.

Jesus goes up to Jerusalem.

In the morning, while the Apostles were engaged at Jerusalem in preparing for the Pasch, Jesus, who had remained at Bethania, took an affecting leave of the holy women, of Lazarus, and of his Blessed Mother, and gave them some final instructions.  I saw our Lord conversing apart with his Mother, and he told her, among other things, that he had sent Peter, the apostle of faith, and John, the apostle of love, to prepare for the Pasch at Jerusalem.  He said, in speaking of Magdalen, whose grief was excessive, that her love was great, but still somewhat human, and that on this account her sorrow made her beside herself.  He spoke also of the schemes of the traitor Judas, and the Blessed Virgin prayed for him.  Judas had again left Bethania to go to Jerusalem, under pretence of paying some debts that were due.  He spent his whole day in hurrying backwards and forwards from one Pharisee to another, and making his final agreements with them.  He was shown the soldiers who had been engaged to seize the person of our Divine Saviour, and he so arranged his journeys to and fro as to be able to account for his absence.  I beheld all his wicked schemes and all his thoughts.  He was naturally active and obliging, but these good qualities were choked by avarice, ambition, and envy, which passions he made no effort to control.  In our Lord’s absence he had even performed miracles and healed the sick.

When our Lord announced to his Blessed Mother what was going to take place, she besought him, in the most touching terms, to let her die with him.  But he exhorted her to show more calmness in her sorrow than the other women, told her that he should rise again, and named the very spot where he should appear to her.  She did not weep much, but her grief was indescribable, and there was something almost awful in her look of deep recollection.  Our Divine Lord returned thanks, as a loving Son, for all the love she had borne him, and pressed her to his heart.  He also told her that he would make the Last Supper with her, spiritually, and named the hour at which she would receive his precious Body and Blood.  Then once more he, in touching language, bade farewell to all, and gave them different instructions.

About twelve o’clock in the day, Jesus and the nine Apostles went from Bethania up to Jerusalem, followed by seven disciples, who, with the exception of Nathaniel and Silas, came from Jerusalem and the neighbourhood.  Among these were John, Mark, and the son of the poor widow who, the Thursday previous, had offered her mite in the Temple, whilst Jesus was preaching there.  Jesus had taken him into his company a few days before.  The holy women set off later.