Part 13 (1/2)
From the greatest joy of affairs, The greatest wailing is in the Church, For the absence of so great a patron.
But when the miracles return, Joy to the people returns.
The crowd of sick flock together, And obtain the grace of benefits.
_Fifth Lesson._
Now on the fifth day after the birth-day of our Lord, four persons of the palace came to Canterbury, men indeed of high birth, but famous for their wicked deeds; and having entered, they attack the archbishop with reproachful words, provoke him with insults, and at length a.s.sail him with threats. The man of G.o.d modestly answered, to every thing, whatever reason required, adding that many injuries had been inflicted upon him and the Church of G.o.d, since the re-establishment of peace, and there was no one to correct what was wrong; that he neither could nor would dissemble thereafter, so as not to exercise the duties of his function.
The men, foolish in heart, were disturbed by this, and having loudly given utterance to their iniquity they forthwith went out. On their retiring, the prelate proceeded to the Church, to offer the evening praises to Christ. The mail-clad satellites of Satan followed him from behind with drawn swords, a {209} large band of armed men accompanying them. On the monks barring the entrance to the Church, the priest of G.o.d, destined soon to become a victim of Christ, running up re-opened the door to the enemy; ”For,” said he, ”a Church must not be barricaded like a castle.” As they burst in, and some shouted with a voice of phrenzy, ”Where is the traitor?” others, ”Where is the Archbishop?” the fearless confessor of Christ went to meet them. When they pressed on to murder him, he said, ”For myself I cheerfully meet death for the Church of G.o.d; but on the part of G.o.d I charge you to do no hurt to any of mine”--imitating Christ in his pa.s.sion, when he said, ”If ye seek me, let these go their way.” Then rush the ravening wolves on the pious shepherd, degenerate sons on their own father, cruel lictors on the victim of Christ, and with fatal swords cut off the consecrated crown of his head; and hurling down to the ground the Christ [the anointed] of the Lord, in savage manner, horrible to be said, scattered the brains with the blood over the pavement.
Thus does the straw press down the grain of corn; Thus is slain the guard of the vineyard in the vineyard; Thus the general in the camp, the shepherd in the fold, the husbandman in the thres.h.i.+ng-floor.
Thus the just, slain by the unjust, has changed his house of clay for a heavenly palace.
Rachel, weeping, now cease thou to mourn That the flower of the world is bruised by the world.
When the slain Thomas is borne to his funeral, A new Abel succeeds to the old.
The voice of blood, the voice of his scattered brains, Fills heaven with a marvellous cry. {210}
_Sixth Lesson._
But the last words of the martyr, which from the confused clamour could scarcely be distinguished, according to the testimony of those who stood near, were these,--”To G.o.d, and the blessed Mary, and Saint Dionysius, and the holy patrons of this Church, I commend myself and the cause of the Church[74].” Moreover, in all the torments which this unvanquished champion of G.o.d endured, he sent forth no cry, he uttered no groan, he opposed neither his arm nor his garment to the man who struck him, but held his head, which he had bent towards the swords, unmoved till the consummation came; prostrated as if for prayer, he fell asleep in the Lord. The perpetrators of the crime, returning into the palace of the holy prelate, that they might make the pa.s.sion of the servant more fully resemble the pa.s.sion of his Lord, divided among them his garments, the gold and silver and precious vessels, choice horses, and whatever of value they could find, allotting what each should take. These things therefore the soldiers did. Who, without weeping, can relate the rest?
So great was the sorrow of all, so great the laments of each, that you would think the prophecy were a second time fulfilled, ”A voice is heard in Rama, lamentation and great mourning.” Nevertheless the divine mercy, when temptation was multiplied, made a way to escape; and by certain visions, giving as it were a prelude to the future miracles, [declared that] the martyr was thereafter to be glorified by wonders, that joy would return after sorrow, {211} and a crowd of sick would obtain the grace of benefits.
[Footnote 74: I have already suggested a comparison between this prayer and the commendatory prayer of the Martyr Polycarp, page 92.]
O Christ Jesus[75], BY THE WOUNDS OF THOMAS, Loosen the sins which bind us; Lest the enemy, the world, or the works of the flesh.
Bear us captive to h.e.l.l.
By[76] THEE, O Thomas ...
Let the right hand of G.o.d embrace us.
The satellites of Satan rus.h.i.+ng into the temple Perpetrate an unexampled, unheard-of, crime.
Thomas proceeds to meet their drawn swords: He yields not to threats, to swords, nor even to death.
Happy place! Happy Church, In which the memory of Thomas lives!
Happy the land which gave the prelate!
Happy the land which supported him in exile!
Happy Father! succour us miserable, That we may be happy, and joined with those above!
[Footnote 75:
Christe Jesu per Thomae vulnera, Quae nos ligant relaxa scelera Ne captivos ferant ad infera Hostis, mundus, vel carnis opera.
[Footnote 76:
Per te, Thoma, post laevae munera Amplexetur nos Dei dextera.
_Seventh Lesson._
Jesus said unto his disciples, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep.