The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1932-03-25

tnOu 1OFSakCh mcS \A"se' ~'A
This utterance Of our Divine Re-
deemer has often proved perplex-
ing. 1t is matter Of unquestion-
able faith that He could not for a
moment be either morally or physi-
cally disunited from God the
Father-not only in that Godhead
which was forever identical with
the Fathers own, but neither in
that perfect Humanity which the
same Godhead has created and
taken to Itself in a union whose
indissoluble bond was Divine Per-
sonality. II, then, the suffering
Christ could never be really for
saken by God, how could He ever
have believed Himself forsaken?
Just possibly, the Fourth Word
from the Cross does not furnish
clear evidence that He did so be-
lieve. Doubtless He did expert
ence, at this stage Of His Passion,
a keen sense Of interior loneliness
and helplessness and helplessness.
But His words, which appear to
avow so much more than this will
presently be seen to have an in
dependent reason and propriety OF
their own on quite another account.
The psychic experience itself
was emotional in character. Our
Lord evidently felt as IL deserted
by the favor and support of His
Father. Feeling, however, is not
judgment. Even under the strong
est emotional stress. we are able to
recognize the emotion in its true
nature and source, and not to con-
fuse 1t with the judgment of INTEL
lect. This Is often evident in the
interior conflict against some temp
tation to evil. Under strong and
insistent impulse Of the affections
toward some forbidden object, the
practical judgment, functioning as
moral conscience, Is still able to
distinguish inclination from DELHI
crate purpose.
The same facts is equally clear in
certain experiences which involve
no direct temptation to evil. Con-
slider those interior states which
are known as spiritual desolation.
Here the affections are not merely
apatehtic, but positively recoil
from conscious approach to God
in prayer, create aversion to His
service, and even impel to despon-
dency. Yet in the very midst of
an interior sense Off overwhelnl-
ing bitterness, the mind can re-
tain an undisturbed confidence,
founded upon faith and the witness
of a clear conscience, that the Dr.
vine support has not been actually
withdrawn, and that the anguish OF
the averted affections will not en-
dure too long.
Inasmuch as the saints them
selves have known this agony Of
soul to its bitterest deptrs. 1t was
germane to the Passion that the
human soul Of Christ should sound
the same abyss Of guiltless deser-
ton. Else would He not have
shared with us in all that is not sin.
The real mystery at stake In this
truth Is not why He should have
suffered thus, but rather how He
could. For His perfect soul.
though Of like nature in all things
with our own imperfect ones. was
intimately united to Godhead IN
the Person Of the Eternal Word.
Present, to it, therefore. at every
moment of His existence, was the
very source of heavens all-posses-
sing bliss. the "Beatific Vision
the apprehension Of God which
beatifies, or renders supremacy
happy.
That His soul could ever know
a sorrow or a care could only be
due to His voluntary abdication OF
the overwhelming JOY which, in
evitably flowing from that source.
must make all pain Intellectual.
Abdication there was, and volun-
tary; it began on Thursday night.
at the gate Of Gethsemane's wall;
it was necessary to that period OF
propitiatory suffering which He
avowed in saying to His captors,
"This is your honor, and the power
of darkness" Through those 10
hours of dread mystery He made
1t possible for Himself to suffer
every human misery, restraining
we know now how-the connatu-
raj effect upon His soul of Its
intimate and conscious union with
Deity. And. indeed. if He would
leave His body exposed to pain,
why not His soul as well? For
the senses of the soul can suffer
what the mind knows to be unde-
served; and servant may not be
greater than Lord in the ministry
of guiltless pain. When He hath
let out His own sheep, He goeth
before them"
Both the character and the mo-
tive Of Christ's interior sense OF
desertion are therefore in full ac-
cord with the purpose OF HIS re-
deeming Passion. But the difnculty
Of rIis recorded words has not yet
been met. They seem not merely
to express emotion. but to avow q
conviction of fact. He did not
ask, "why can I not feel Thy pres
ence and support" but why can
not feel Thy presence and sup
port?" but. "Why hast Thou for
saken me?'' OF themselves the
words express q mental judgment;
even in interrogation form. they
affirm a fact: and the Speaker
could not be deceived. How, then
can we say that He did not clearly
believe that union had given place
| To real HeDaFafion3