EASTER v
WHEN Christ was hanging on the cross on a spring afternoon,
we may be certain that the most conscious part of his human mind was so
ravaged by the pain he suffered, that he could think very little of other
things. Yet the Eternal Father who knows all things saw these inescapable
agonies as accidents and distractions. Underneath he saw the current
of Christ's will steadily running in its set direction. He knew that
he was praying for the salvation of mankind with the whole weight of his
sacrifice. With us it is very commonly different; our prayer occupies
the surface of our mind, the main current of our will flows on underneath
in the direction of our usual vanities. The prayer which saves the
world is one with the existence of the man who prays. It is with
such a prayer that the saints and Christ himself pray for men's happiness,
prosperity, and peace, and by the virtue of this sacrament our prayer and
theirs is one.
