Saturday, July 16 : Philoxenes of Mabbug

Our Lord was not compared to a lion when he was led to death. (…) Like a lamb, like a sheep, he kept silent when he was led to his Passion and death: “Like a sheep before the shearers (…) he opened not his mouth” (Is 53:7). (…) Standing before his judge and interrogated, he, our Lord and teacher of all wisdom, did not answer (…) that these words might be fulfilled: “he was led like a lamb the slaughter” (Is 53:7). They led him about, escorted him from one spot to another, conducted him from one place to another place, dragging him from one judge to another as though he were a dumb thing. He was silent before Annas, never speaking a word until the latter abjured him to speak (Mt 26:63). Questioned by Pilate, he remained silent; and until he heard the question: “Are you the king of the Jews?” (Mt 26:11; cf. Jn 18:33) (…) he gave no answer. Then they led him to Herod, who interrogated him to see and hear marvels from his own mouth and to put him to the test (Lk 23:8 f.): but there, too, he kept his peace, said nothing and did not respond to his interrogator. They looked on him as an ignorant madman, a fool without an answer. His enemies thought what they wished but he never lost the innocence of the lamb.
Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team