Father! forgive them;
They know not what they do.
THE IMPENITENT THIEF.
If thou be Christ, Oh save thyself and us!
THE PENITENT THIEF.
Remember me, Lord, when thou comest into thine own kingdom.
CHRISTUS.
This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.
MANAHEN.
Golgotha! Golgotha! Oh the pain and darkness!
Oh the uplifted cross, that shall forever Shine through the darkness, and shall conquer pain By the triumphant memory of this hour!
SIMON MAGUS.
O Nazarene! I find thee here at last!
Thou art no more a phantom unto me!
This is the end of one who called himself The Son of God! Such is the fate of those Who preach new doctrines.'T is not what he did, But what he said, hath brought him unto this.
I will speak evil of no dignitaries.
This is my hour of triumph, Nazarene!
THE YOUNG RULER.
This is the end of him who said to me:
Sell that thou hast, and give unto the poor!
This is the treasure in heaven he promised me!
CHRISTUS.
Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani!
A SOLDIER, preparing the hyssop.
He calleth for Elias!
ANOTHER.
Nay, let be!
See if Elias will now come to save him!
CHRISTUS.
I thirst.
A SOLDIER.
Give him the wormwood!
CHRISTUS, with a loud cry, bowing his head.
It is finished!
XI
THE TWO MARIES
MARY MAGDALENE.
We have risen early, yet the sun O'ertakes us ere we reach the sepulchre, To wrap the body of our blessed Lord With our sweet spices.
MARY, MOTHER OF JAMES.
Lo, this is the garden, And yonder is the sepulchre.But who Shall roll away the stone for us to enter?
MARY MAGDALENE.
It hath been rolled away! The sepulchre Is open! Ah, who hath been here before us, When we rose early, wishing to be first?
MARY, MOTHER OF JAMES.
I am affrighted!
MARY MAGDALENE.
Hush! I will stoop down And look within.There is a young man sitting On the right side, clothed in a long white garment!
It is an angel!
THE ANGEL.
Fear not; ye are seeking Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified.
Why do ye seek the living among the dead?
He is no longer here; He is arisen!
Come see the place where the Lord lay! Remember How He spake unto you in Galilee, Saying: The Son of Man must be delivered Into the hands of sinful men; by them Be crucified, and the third day rise again!
But go your way, and say to his disciples, He goeth before you into Galilee;There shall ye see Him as He said to you.
MARY, MOTHER OF JAMES.
I will go swiftly for them.
MARY MAGDALENE, alone, weeping.
They have taken My Lord away from me, and now I know not Where they have laid Him! Who is there to tell me?
This is the gardener.Surely he must know.
CHRISTUS.
Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?
MARY MAGDALENE.
They have taken my Lord away; I cannot find Him.
O sir, if thou have borne Him hence, I pray thee Tell me where thou hast laid Him.
CHRISTUS.
Mary!
MARY MAGDALENE.
Rabboni!
XII
THE SEA OF GALILEE
NATHANIEL, in the ship.
All is now ended.
JOHN.
Nay, He is arisen, I ran unto the tomb, and stooping down Looked in, and saw the linen grave-clothes lying, Yet dared not enter.
PETER.
I went in, and saw The napkin that had been about his head, Not lying with the other linen clothes, But wrapped together in a separate place.
THOMAS.
And I have seen Him.I have seen the print Of nails upon his hands, and thrust my hands Into his side.I know He is arisen;But where are now the kingdom and the glory He promised unto us? We have all dreamed That we were princes, and we wake to find We are but fishermen.
PETER.
Who should have been Fishers of men!
JOHN.
We have come back again To the old life, the peaceful life, among The white towns of the Galilean lake.
PETER.
They seem to me like silent sepulchres In the gray light of morning! The old life, Yea, the old life! for we have toiled all night And have caught nothing.
JOHN.
Do ye see a man Standing upon the beach and beckoning?
'T is like an apparition.He hath kindled A fire of coals, and seems to wait for us.
He calleth.
CHRISTUS, from the shore.
Children, have ye any meat?
PETER.
Alas! We have caught nothing.
CHRISTUS.
Cast the net On the right side of the ship, and ye shall find.
PETER.
How that reminds me of the days gone by, And one who said: Launch out into the deep, And cast your nets!
NATHANAEL.
We have but let them down And they are filled, so that we cannot draw them!
JOHN.
It is the Lord!
PETER, girding his fisher's coat about him.
He said: When I am risen I will go before you into Galilee!
He casts himself into the lake.
JOHN.
There is no fear in love; for perfect love Casteth out fear.Now then, if ye are men, Put forth your strength; we are not far from shore;The net is heavy, but breaks not.All is safe.
PETER, on the shore.
Dear Lord! I heard thy voice and could not wait.
Let me behold thy face, and kiss thy feet!
Thou art not dead, thou livest! Again I see thee.
Pardon, dear Lord! I am a sinful man;
I have denied thee thrice.Have mercy on me!
THE OTHERS, coming to land.
Dear Lord! stay with us! cheer us! comfort us!
Lo! we again have found thee! Leave us not!
CHRISTUS.
Bring hither of the fish that ye have caught, And come and eat!
JOHN.
Behold! He breaketh bread As He was wont.From his own blessed hands Again we take it.
CHRISTUS.
Simon, son of Jonas, Lovest thou me, more than these others?
PETER.
Yea, More, Lord, than all men, even more than these.
Thou knowest that I love thee.
CHRISTUS.
Feed my lambs.
THOMAS, aside.
How more than we do? He remaineth ever Self-confident and boastful as before.
Nothing will cure him.
CHRISTUS.
Simon, son of Jonas, Lovest thou me?
PETER.
Yea, dearest Lord, I love thee.
Thou knowest that I love thee.
CHRISTUS.
Feed my sheep.
THOMAS, aside.
Again, the selfsame question, and the answer Repeated with more vehemence.Can the Master Doubt if we love Him?
CHRISTUS.
Simon, son of Jonas, Lovest thou me?
PETER, grieved.
Dear Lord, thou knowest all things.
Thou knowest that I love thee.
CHRISTUS.
Feed my sheep.
When thou wast young thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst Whither thou wouldst; but when thou shalt be old, Thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and other men Shall gird and carry thee whither thou wouldst not.
Follow thou me!
JOHN, aside.
It is a prophecy Of what death he shall die.
PETER, pointing to JOHN.