Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not over me; but weep for yourselves.

St Luke Chapter XXIII : Verses 26-32

Contents

• Luke xxiii. Verses 26-32.  Douay-Rheims (Challoner) text & Latin text (Vulgate)
• Douay-Rheims 1582 text
• Annotations based on the Catena Aurea of St Thomas

Luke xxiii. Verses 26-32.

They laid hold of one Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross.
J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

26 And as they led him away, they laid hold of one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country; and they laid the cross on him to carry after Jesus.

Et cum ducerent eum, apprehenderunt Simonem quemdam Cyrenensem venientem de villa : et imposuerunt illi crucem portare post Jesum.

27 And there followed him a great multitude of people, and of women, who bewailed and lamented him.

Sequebatur autem illum multa turba populi et mulierum, quae plangebant et lamentabantur eum.

28 But Jesus turning to them, said: Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not over me; but weep for yourselves, and for your children.

Conversus autem ad illas Jesus, dixit : Filiae Jerusalem, nolite flere super me, sed super vos ipsas flete et super filios vestros.

29 For behold, the days shall come, wherein they will say: Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the paps that have not given suck.

Quoniam ecce venient dies in quibus dicent : Beatæ steriles, et ventres qui non genuerunt, et ubera quæ non lactaverunt.

30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains: Fall upon us; and to the hills: Cover us.

Tunc incipient dicere montibus : Cadite super nos; et collibus : Operite nos.

31 For if in the green wood they do these things, what shall be done in the dry?

Quia si in viridi ligno hæc faciunt, in arido quid fiet?

32 And there were also two other malefactors led with him to be put to death.

Ducebantur autem et alii duo nequam cum eo, ut interficerentur.

Douay-Rheims : 1582 text

26. And when they led him, they tooke one Simon of Cyrene comming from the countrie: and they laid the Croſſe vpon him to carie after IESVS.

27. And there followed him a great multitude of people, and of women which bewailed and lamented him.
28. But IESVS turning to them, ſaid: Daughters of Hieruſalem, weepe not vpon me, but weepe vpon your ſelues, and vpon your children.
29. For behold the daies ſhal come, wherein they wil say: Bleſſed are the barren, and the wombes that haue not borne, & the pappes that haue not giuen suck.

30. Then ſhal they begin to say to the mountaines, Fal vpon vs: and to the hilles, Couer vs.
31. For if in the greene wood they doe theſe things, in the drie what shal be done?
32. And there were led alſo other two malefactours with him, to be executed.

 

Annotations

    26. And as they led him away, they laid hold of one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country; and they laid the cross on him to carry after Jesus. AUGUSTINE. (de Con. Ev. lib. iii. c. 10.) But John relates that Jesus bore His own cross, from which is understood that He was Himself carrying His cross, when He went forth to that place which is called Calvary; but as they journeyed Simon was forced into the service on the road, and the cross was given him to carry as far as that place.

    THEOPHYLACT. For no one else accepted to bear the cross, because the wood was counted an abomination. Accordingly upon Simon the Cyrenian they imposed as it were to his dishonour the bearing of the cross, which others refused. Here is fulfilled that prophecy of Isaiah, and the government is upon his shoulder. (Isa.ix. 6.) For the government of Christ is His cross; for which the Apostle says, He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross.  For which cause God also hath exalted him. (Phil. ii. 8-9.) And as for a mark of dignity, some wear a belt, others a head dress, so our Lord the cross. And if thou seekest, thou wilt find that Christ does not reign in us save by hardships, whence it comes that the luxurious are the enemies of the cross of Christ.

    AMBROSE. Christ therefore bearing His cross, already as a conqueror carried His trophies. The cross is laid upon His shoulders, because, whether Simon or Himself bore it, both Christ bore it in the man, and the man in Christ. Nor do the accounts of the Evangelists differ, since the mystery reconciles them. And it is the rightful order of our advance that Christ should first Himself erect the trophy of His cross, then hand it down to be raised by His martyrs. He is not a Jew who bears the cross, but an alien and a foreigner, nor does he precede but follow, according as it is written, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (Matt. xvi. 24, Luke ix. 23.)

    BEDE. Simon is by interpretation “obedient,” Cyrene “an heir.” By this man therefore the people of the Gentiles are denoted, who formerly foreigners and aliens to the covenant, have now by obedience been made heirs of God. But Simon coming out of a village, bears the cross after Jesus, because forsaking the pagan rites, he obediently embraces the footsteps of our Lord’s Passion. For a village is in Greek called πάγος, from whence Pagans derive their name.

    THEOPHYLACT. Or he takes up the cross of Christ, who comes from the village; that is, he leaves this world and its labours, going forward to Jerusalem, that is, heavenly liberty. Hereby also we receive no slight instruction. For to be a master after the example of Christ, a man must himself first take up his cross, and in the fear of God crucify his own flesh, that he may so lay it upon those that are subject and obedient to him.

    27. And there followed him a great multitude of people, and of women, who bewailed and lamented him. BEDE. A large multitude indeed followed the cross of Christ, but with very different feelings. For the people who had demanded His death were rejoicing that they should see Him dying, the women weeping that He was about to die. But He was followed by the weeping only of women, not because that vast crowd of men was not also sorrowful at His Passion, but because the less esteemed female sex could more freely give utterance to what they thought.

    CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA. Women also are ever prone to tears, and have hearts easily disposed to pity.

    28. But Jesus turning to them, said: Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not over me; but weep for yourselves, and for your children. THEOPHYLACT. He bids those who weep for Him cast their eyes forward to the evils that were coming, and weep for themselves.

    29. For behold, the days shall come, wherein they will say: Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the paps that have not given suck. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA. Signifying that in the time to come women would be bereft of their children. For when war breaks out upon the land of the Jews, all shall perish, both small and great. 

    THEOPHYLACT. Seeing indeed that women shall cruelly roast their children, and the belly which had produced shall miserably again receive that which it bore.

    BEDE. By these days He signifies the time of the siege and captivity which was coming upon them from the Romans, of which He had said before, But woe to them that are with child, and give suck in those days; for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. 

    30. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains: Fall upon us; and to the hills: Cover us. It is natural, when captivity by an enemy is threatening, to seek for refuge in fastnesses or hidden places, where men may lie concealed. For Josephus relates, that when the Romans pressed hard upon them, the Jews sought hastily the caverns of the mountains, and the lurking places in the hills. It may be also that the words, Blessed are the barren, are to be understood of those of both sexes, who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake, and that it is said to the mountains and hills, Fall upon us, and Cover us, because all who are mindful of their own weakness, when the crisis of their temptations breaks upon them, have sought to be protected by the example, precepts, and prayers, of certain high and saintly men.

    31. For if in the green wood they do these things, what shall be done in the dry? GREGORY. (Mor. 12. c. 4) He has called Himself the green wood and us the dry, for He has in Himself the life and strength of the Divine nature; but we who are mere men are called the dry wood.

    THEOPHYLACT. As though He said to the Jews, If then the Romans have so raged against Me, a fruit-bearing and ever flourishing tree, what will they not attempt against you the people, who are a dry tree, destitute of every lifegiving virtue, and bearing no fruit?

    BEDE. Or as if He spake to all: If I who have done no sin being called the tree of life, do not depart from the world without suffering the fire of my Passion, what torment think ye awaits those who are barren of all fruits?

    32. And there were also two other malefactors led with him to be put to death. THEOPHYLACT. But the Devil, desiring to engender an evil opinion of our Lord, caused robbers also to be crucified with Him.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.