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I SOON after beheld the tomb of our I SOON after beheld the tomb of our Lord. All was calm and silent around it. Lord. All was calm and silent around it. There were six soldiers on guard, who There were six soldiers on guard, who were either seated or standing before were either seated or standing before the door, and Cassius was among the door, and Cassius was among them. His appearance was that of a them. His appearance was that of a person immersed in meditation and in person immersed in meditation and in the expectation of some great event. the expectation of some great event.

The sacred body of our Blessed Redeemer The sacred body of our Blessed Redeemer was wrapped in the winding-sheet, and was wrapped in the winding-sheet, and surrounded with light, while two angels surrounded with light, while two angels sat in an attitude of adoration, the one at sat in an attitude of adoration, the one at the head, and the other at the feet. I had the head, and the other at the feet. I had seen them in the same posture ever since seen them in the same posture ever since he was first put into the tomb. These he was first put into the tomb. These angels were clothed as priests. angels were clothed as priests.

Their position, and the manner in Their position, and the manner in which they crossed their arms over which they crossed their arms over their breasts, reminded me of the their breasts, reminded me of the cherubim who surrounded the Ark of cherubim who surrounded the Ark of the Covenant, only they were without the Covenant, only they were without wings; at least I did not see any. The wings; at least I did not see any. The whole of the sepulchre reminded me whole of the sepulchre reminded me of the Ark of the Covenant at different of the Ark of the Covenant at different periods of its history.periods of its history.

It is possible that Cassius was It is possible that Cassius was sensible of the presence of the sensible of the presence of the angels, and of the bright light which angels, and of the bright light which filled the sepulchre, for his attitude filled the sepulchre, for his attitude was like that of a person in deep was like that of a person in deep contemplation before the Blessed contemplation before the Blessed Sacrament.Sacrament.

I next saw the soul of our Lord I next saw the soul of our Lord accompanied by those among the accompanied by those among the patriarchs whom he had liberated patriarchs whom he had liberated enter into the tomb through the rock. enter into the tomb through the rock. He showed them the wounds with He showed them the wounds with which his sacred body was covered; which his sacred body was covered; and it seemed to me that the and it seemed to me that the winding-sheet which previously winding-sheet which previously enveloped it was removed, and that enveloped it was removed, and that Jesus wished to show the souls the Jesus wished to show the souls the excess of suffering he had endured excess of suffering he had endured to redeem them.to redeem them.

The body appeared to me to be The body appeared to me to be quite transparent, so that the quite transparent, so that the whole depth of the wounds could whole depth of the wounds could be seen; and this sight filled the be seen; and this sight filled the holy souls with admiration, holy souls with admiration, although deep feelings of although deep feelings of compassion likewise drew tears compassion likewise drew tears from their eyes.from their eyes.

My next vision was so mysterious that I My next vision was so mysterious that I cannot explain or even relate it in a clear cannot explain or even relate it in a clear manner. It appeared to me that the soul and manner. It appeared to me that the soul and body of Jesus were taken together out of thebody of Jesus were taken together out of the sepulchre, without, however, the former sepulchre, without, however, the former being completely reunited to the latter, which being completely reunited to the latter, which still remained inanimate. I thought I saw two still remained inanimate. I thought I saw two angels who were kneeling and adoring at the angels who were kneeling and adoring at the head and feet of the sacred body, raise it—head and feet of the sacred body, raise it—keeping it in the exact position in which it keeping it in the exact position in which it was lying in the tomb—and carry it uncovered was lying in the tomb—and carry it uncovered and disfigured with wounds across the rock, and disfigured with wounds across the rock, which trembled as they passed.which trembled as they passed.

It then appeared to me that Jesus It then appeared to me that Jesus presented his body, marked with the presented his body, marked with the stigmas of the Passion, to his Heavenly stigmas of the Passion, to his Heavenly Father, who, seated on a throne, was Father, who, seated on a throne, was surrounded by innumerable choirs of surrounded by innumerable choirs of angels, blissfully occupied in pouring angels, blissfully occupied in pouring forth hymns of adoration and jubilee. forth hymns of adoration and jubilee.

At this moment the rock was so violently At this moment the rock was so violently shaken, from the very summit to the base, shaken, from the very summit to the base, that three of the guards fell down and that three of the guards fell down and became almost insensible. The other four became almost insensible. The other four were away at the time, being gone to the were away at the time, being gone to the town to fetch something. The guards who town to fetch something. The guards who were thus thrown prostrate attributed the were thus thrown prostrate attributed the sudden shock to an earthquake; but Cassius, sudden shock to an earthquake; but Cassius, who, although uncertain as to what all this who, although uncertain as to what all this might portend, yet felt an inward might portend, yet felt an inward presentiment that it was the prelude to some presentiment that it was the prelude to some stupendous event, stood transfixed in anxious stupendous event, stood transfixed in anxious expectation, waiting to see what would follow expectation, waiting to see what would follow next. next. I once more saw the sacred body of I once more saw the sacred body of

our Lord stretched out as I first beheld our Lord stretched out as I first beheld it in the sepulchre; the angels were it in the sepulchre; the angels were occupied in replacing the fragments occupied in replacing the fragments they had gathered up of his flesh, and they had gathered up of his flesh, and they received supernatural assistance they received supernatural assistance in doing this.in doing this.

When next I contemplated him it was When next I contemplated him it was in his winding-sheet, surrounded with in his winding-sheet, surrounded with a bright light and with two adoring a bright light and with two adoring angels by his side.angels by his side.

I cannot explain how all these things I cannot explain how all these things came to pass, for they are far beyond came to pass, for they are far beyond our human comprehension; and even our human comprehension; and even if I understand them perfectly myself if I understand them perfectly myself when I see them, they appear dark when I see them, they appear dark and mysterious when I endeavour to and mysterious when I endeavour to explain them to others.explain them to others.

I BEHELD the soul of our Lord between I BEHELD the soul of our Lord between two angels, who were in the attire of two angels, who were in the attire of warriors: itwarriors: it was bright, luminous, and was bright, luminous, and resplendent as the sun at midday; it resplendent as the sun at midday; it penetrated the rock, touched the sacred penetrated the rock, touched the sacred body, passed into it, and the two were body, passed into it, and the two were instantaneously united, and became as instantaneously united, and became as one.one.

I then saw the limbs move, and the body I then saw the limbs move, and the body of our Lord, being reunited to his soul of our Lord, being reunited to his soul and to his divinity, rise and shake off and to his divinity, rise and shake off the winding-sheet: the whole of the the winding-sheet: the whole of the cave was illuminated and lightsome.cave was illuminated and lightsome.

I then saw the glorified body of our Lord rise I then saw the glorified body of our Lord rise up, and it passed through the hard rock as up, and it passed through the hard rock as easily as if the latter had been formed of easily as if the latter had been formed of some ductile substance. The earth shook, some ductile substance. The earth shook, and an angel in the garb of a warrior and an angel in the garb of a warrior descended from Heaven with the speed of descended from Heaven with the speed of lightning, entered the tomb, lifted the lightning, entered the tomb, lifted the stone, placed it on the right side, and  stone, placed it on the right side, and  seated himself upon it. At this tremendous seated himself upon it. At this tremendous sight the soldiers fell to the ground, and sight the soldiers fell to the ground, and remained there apparently lifeless.remained there apparently lifeless.

When Cassius saw the bright light which When Cassius saw the bright light which illuminated the tomb, he approached the illuminated the tomb, he approached the place where the sacred body had been place where the sacred body had been placed, looked at and touched the linen placed, looked at and touched the linen clothes in which it had been wrapped, clothes in which it had been wrapped, and left the sepulchre, intending to go and left the sepulchre, intending to go and inform Pilate of all that had and inform Pilate of all that had happened. happened.

At the very moment in which the angel At the very moment in which the angel entered the sepulchre and the earth entered the sepulchre and the earth quaked, I saw our Lord appear to his holy quaked, I saw our Lord appear to his holy Mother on Calvary. His body was beautiful Mother on Calvary. His body was beautiful and lightsome, and its beauty was that of and lightsome, and its beauty was that of a celestial being. He was clothed in a a celestial being. He was clothed in a large mantle, which at one moment large mantle, which at one moment looked dazzlingly white, as it floated looked dazzlingly white, as it floated through the air, waving to and fro with through the air, waving to and fro with every breath of wind, and the next every breath of wind, and the next reflected a thousand brilliant colours as reflected a thousand brilliant colours as the sunbeams passed over it.the sunbeams passed over it.

His large open wounds shone brightly, His large open wounds shone brightly, and could be seen from a great distance: and could be seen from a great distance: the wounds in his hands were so large the wounds in his hands were so large that a finger might be put into them that a finger might be put into them without difficulty; and rays of light without difficulty; and rays of light proceeded from them, diverging in the proceeded from them, diverging in the direction of his fingers. direction of his fingers.

The guards were still lying on the ground, The guards were still lying on the ground, and the strong convulsions which even and the strong convulsions which even then shook them clearly demonstrated how then shook them clearly demonstrated how great had been their terror, and the large great had been their terror, and the large stone was cast on one side, so that the stone was cast on one side, so that the door could be opened without difficulty.door could be opened without difficulty.

I could see the linen cloth in which the body I could see the linen cloth in which the body of Jesus had been wrapped scattered about in of Jesus had been wrapped scattered about in the tomb, and the large winding-sheet lying the tomb, and the large winding-sheet lying in the same place as when they left it, but in the same place as when they left it, but doubled together in such a manner that you doubled together in such a manner that you saw at once that it no longer contained saw at once that it no longer contained anything but the spices which had been anything but the spices which had been placed round the body, and the bandages placed round the body, and the bandages were on the outside of the tomb. The linen were on the outside of the tomb. The linen cloth in which Mary had enveloped the sacred cloth in which Mary had enveloped the sacred head of her Son was still there.head of her Son was still there.