Page 310-312

"When everything was ready in the dining room, the most beloved John, who went solicitously to see and help with the arrangements, went to the Lord Jesus when all was ready and said, 'Lord, you can have supper when you please, for everything is prepared.'  Now meditate with discretion on everything that is said and done, for all should be deeply impressed on you, and not abbreviated but prolonged, like all other things concerning the Lord Jesus.  In this is the great strength of all His meditations, but principally here, because of the great demonstration of love in this Supper.  The Lord Jesus rose, and the disciples with Him.  But John drew close to Him and did not part from Him that moment:  no one was drawn to Him as faithfully and familiarly as John.  When He was taken, he followed Him to the palace of the high priest, nor did he leave Him at the Crucifixion, or at His death, or after His death until He was buried.  At this Supper he sat at his side, although He was younger than the others.  They all entered the dining room, washed their hands, and stood to bless the table.  Observe everything well.  You must know that this was on the ground, and, according to the custom of the ancients, they sat on the ground to eat.  This table was, as we see, square and consisted of several boards, as I saw in Rome, in the Lateran church, where I measured it.  The one of two braccia and three dita and the other square of two braccia and one palmo, approximately.  Thus they sat, tightly, as one believes, three on each side, and the Lord humbly in one corner, in such a manner that all could eat from one dish.  Therefore the disciples did not understand when He said, 'The one who has put his hand into the dish with me shall betray me' (Matt. xxvi, 23), because all placed their hands there.  After the blessing was made by the right hand of God, they sat on the floor at the table, with John beside the Master; and then the Paschal lamb was presented to them.  But wait, for you can meditate in two ways here.  The one way is that they sat as I mentioned.  The other is that they stood, holding staves, eating the lamb with wild lettuce and observing the other things as is commanded in the law.  As far as you can, meditate (that they sat), eating other things, as one may gather from the text in many places.  Nor could John have remained on the breast of the Lord while eating if they had not sat.  When the roast Paschal lamb was brought in, the true and immaculate lamb, that is, the Lord Jesus, took it:  He who was among them as if to serve them cut it into pieces and cheerfully offered it to the disciples and exhorted them to eat.  They ate but could not become cheerful; they remained ever in fear and trembling that a new injury might be done against their Lord.  As they were eating, He revealed the facts more openly and, among other things, said, 'I have greatly desired to eat with you this Pasch before I suffer the Passion (Luke xxii, 15).  One of you is to betray me' (Matt. xxvi, 21; Mark xiv, 18).  This word entered into their hearts like a sharp knife, and they creased to eat, looking at each other and saying, 'Is it I, Master?' (Mat.. xxvi, 22; Mark xiv, 19).  Watch carefully now, and pity the Lord Jesus as well as them, for they are in great sorrow.  As though this word did not apply to him, that traitor did not stop eating.  But John, at the request of Peter, asked Him, saying, 'Lord, who is the one who is to betray you?' (John xiii, 25).  Since the Lord loved him most exceptionally, He told him privately.  John, deeply stunned at stabbed to the heart, bowed toward Him and rested on His breast."

 

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