the suffering christ 780 their eyes won’t be needed anymore (for weeping). Let everyone shed tears into the Blood of the Lord, both so that they would declare their genuine love for Him and obtain pardon of sins more quickly: “So that he who merits punishment by himself ” (I use the words of Augustine) “may through His atonement merit His pardon; and in Him who survived hell for sins, may yet have confidence to be recalled by such a leader to the homeland. For what kind of evil has man accomplished that the Son of God become man did not redeem?”27 4. I was wishing to finish but contemplation holds me bound to the column of my bound Lord. Consequently, give your pardon, and devote your attention for a while longer to this most cruel scourging, and further (give) your good will that we might progress in unfolding our contemplation and not let it be lost. Very severe thirst was pressing the Hebrew people after their departure from Egypt into the desert. However, no spring could be found there, no flowing or standing waters to sprinkle upon their parched and almost dead lips: The rocks and crags had indeed overtaken them on every side. Consequently, God, filled with pity for that nation, although stubborn and rebellious, charged the leaders Moses and Aaron to bring forth water from the rocks: “Tell the rock before their eyes,” He was saying, “to yield its water” (Num 20:8). Moses, in fact, dared more: “He struck the rock so that water gushed out and streams overflowed” (Ps 78:20). (Let us turn) now to Christ, whose dew was implored by the thirsty souls of the just (men) in limbo. They prayed with sighs almost incessantly throughout so many ages. Although the eternal Father was able to refresh and quench this thirst in many ways, nevertheless, in order to manifest an example of more eminent charity, He “struck the rock so that water gushed out” (Ps 78:20). “And the Rock was Christ” (1 Cor 10:4). Am I dreaming that waters flowed forth from this Rock? Blood, such abundant blood flowed forth; so much gushed forth that the Holy Father [of the 27 Augustinus, Meditationes, c. 8, nn. 3. 5, in: AMS, pp. 18-19.
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