examination of the heart 542 firmest rock and Friend until the end, denied, rejected, and disdained Him (cf. Mt 26:69-75; Mk 14:66-72; etc.). Naturally, a wound inflicted by a friend’s hand is worse than the one inflicted by an enemy’s hand. 3. Contemplate the uncreated Sun coming out of His prison’s dark dungeon at the rising of the dawn. And watch Him attentively, admiring the brightness of many virtues, as He first appears at the meeting of the chief priests, then at the governor’s palace, and finally at the king of Galilee’s quarters (cf. Lk 23:7). Observe, as the senate of Jerusalem most vehemently accuses Him, as the imperial governor angrily questions Him (cf. Mt 27:11-18), as the cruel Tetrarch, driven by curiosity, harasses Him, despises Him with arrogance, and rashly mocks Him!273 Yet, above all else, admire His silence, full of a most profound mystery. When the inquisitive Herod asks Him about many things, He does not respond at all (cf. Lk 23:8-9). Thus, He teaches you by this example that you should keep silence even to some detriment to your reputation, rather than speak to the detriment of your soul. For it is better to pass for a fool by keeping silence than for someone not to be holy because of babbling many things. 4. TUESDAY EVENING On human agony, on the state of a human body after the soul’s departure before the tribunal of God, and the burial. 1. Consider or picture in your imagination a person; perhaps, even yourself, already at the moment of his ultimate struggle at the end of life. This is when the evil spirits attack the soul, willing to induce it to conceit by exalting its merits, or to desperation by exaggerating its sins. Next, picture yourself lying and moaning painfully, surrounded by friends, family members and relatives, with a candle lit at your bedhead and some little picture or a crucifix inserted into your hands. 273 Cf. Lk 23:11. Herod Antipas was the tetrarch of Galilee at that time.
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