From the Hours of the Passion
Fourth Hour
From 8 to 9 PM
The washing of the feet
But, my affectionate Good, while You are all intent on washing the feet of the apostles, I look at You, and I see another sorrow which pierces your Most Holy Heart. These apostles represent all the future children of the Church, and each of them, the series of each one of your sorrows. In some, weaknesses, in some, deceits; in one, hypocrisies, in the other, excessive love for interests; in Saint Peter the lack of firmness and all the offenses of the leaders of the Church; in Saint John the offenses of your most faithful ones; in Judas all of the apostates, with all the series of great evils which they commit.
Fifteenth Hour
From 7 to 8 AM
Jesus before Pilate. Pilate sends Him to Herod
My bound Good, Jesus, your enemies, together with the priests, present You to Pilate; and faking sanctity and scrupulousness, because they have to celebrate the Passover, they remain outside the lobby. And You, my Love, seeing the depth of their malice, repair for all the hypocrisies of the religious body. I too repair together with You. But while You occupy Yourself with their good, they begin to accuse You before Pilate, vomiting all the poison they have against You.
Showing himself unsatisfied with the accusations they make against You, Pilate calls You aside, to be able to condemn You with reason, and, alone, He examines You and asks You: “Are You the King of the Jews?”
And You, Jesus, my true King, answer: “My Kingdom is not of this world; otherwise, thousands of legions of Angels would defend Me.”
And Pilate, moved by the sweetness and the dignity of your words, surprised, says to You: “So, You are King?”
And You: “You say it – I am, and I have come into the world to teach the Truth.”
Without wanting to know anything else, convinced of your innocence, Pilate goes out to the lobby and says: “I find no guilt in this Man.“
Enraged, the Jews accuse You of many other things, and You remain silent; You do not defend Yourself. You repair for the weaknesses of the judges, when they are faced by the arrogant; You repair for their injustices, and You pray for the innocent, oppressed and abandoned.
Then, seeing the fury of your enemies, Pilate sends You to Herod, to get rid of You.
