Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsJohn 19
English College of Douai–Rheims
Read John 19 in the BibleJohn 19:26
To his mother.
◦ The marvelous respect that Christ had to his mother, vouchsaving to speak to her, and to take order for her even from the cross in the midst of his infinite anguishes and mysteries a working for mankind.
- ◦ By this you see why in Catholic Churches MARY and John stand by the Rood.
John 19:27
To the Disciple.
A great honour to John and charge, to have that blessed jewel in keeping: and an unspeakable comfort, that from that day forward the one was to the other mother and son. virginem virgini commendavit, saith S. Hierom. He commended the virgin to a virgin. ◦
- ◦ li. 2. adv. Iovinian.
John 19:34
Blood and water.
This piercing of Christ's side, though on the soldier's part it was done blindly and insolently, [1] yet by God's ordinance it contained great mysteries, and was prefigured by Moyses striking the rock with his rod: [2] as this stream of blood and water drawn miraculously out of his dead body, running in the Sacraments of the Church after the people of God, was signified by the water of the same rock following the Israelites in the desert, Out of this side (saith S. Augustine) [3] issued the Sacraments. Hence (saith S. Chrysostom) [4] the great mysteries have their beginning. Who warneth us, that when we come to drink of the holy chalice, we should so approach, as though we drew the blood out of Christ's side. And both blood and water apart did flow forth, to shew us the fountain of the two principal Sacraments, and their several matters, Baptism and the Eucharist, springing to life everlasting in the Church. [5] The fathers also say that the Church who is Christ's spouse and his coadjutrice in applying the blood and water to the benefit of the Faithful, was here formed, builded, and taken out of this holy side of Christ sleeping on the Cross, as [6] Eve was of Adam's side, when he was cast a sleep in Paradise.
Original Douay–Rheims Annotations — English College of Douai–Rheims. CC0 1.0
John 19:15
His own cross.
This cross, for that it was the instrument of our redemption, and as it were the altar of the supreme sacrifice, highly sanctified by the touching, bearing, and oblation of the sacred body and blood of our Lord, is truly called the Holy Cross: ◦ and hath been endued with virtue of miracles, both the whole and every little piece thereof. For the which causes, and specially for the most need memorial of Christ's Passion, it hath been visited in Pilgrimages, honoured by festival days and otherwise, reserved & reverenced of the ancient fathers, with all devotion: as contrarywise it hath been abused of Pagans, Apostatæs, and Heretics, seeking in vain to deface and destroy it. See S. Cyril li. 6 cont. Iulian. S. Hierom ep. 17. S. Paulinus ep. 11. Ruffinus li. 1. c. 7. & 8. Evagr. histo. li. 4 c. 25. S. Leo ep. 72. and Ser. 8 de Passione. Paulus Diac. li. 18.