THE FAMILY ALTAR

April 24.

Much ado has ever been made about the Passion Play given

every few years by honest peasant folks at the little Bavarian

village of Oberammergau. Visitors will flock there from all over

the world and declare that they are deeply moved by the play.

Pious hearts, however, will question how any sinful mortal dare

presume to take our divine Savior's place on the cross, and will

much prefer to read the story of Christ's saving Passion in the

simple and inspired language of the gospels. What more touching

and sacred presentation of our Lord's sufferings can we ask than

God's Holy Spirit has given us for all time in the writings of

the evangelists and the apostles? And, in addition, what an en-

chanting portrayal we have of the Easter story in the gospels!

What glowing pictures the sacred writers draw for us with their

inspired pens — of the risen Lord, His empty grave, the frightened

women, of the two Emmaus disciples, of the frightened Eleven

behind the closed doors, of doubting Thomas, and also of weeping

Mary Magdalene looking for the body of her beloved Lord in the

garden of Joseph of Arimathea ! How well we can all sympathize

with her, because in her grief she presents so touchingly the ex-

perience of the Christian soul that has lost for a while its sense

of sweet communion with its blessed Savior and feels, oh, so un-

happy! But how all fear and grief turns into unspeakable joy

when the soul hears again the assuring voice of its loving Lord!

Mary to her Savior's tomb

Hasted at the early dawn;

Spice she brought and sweet perfume,

But the Lord she loved was gone.

For a while she weeping stood,

Struck with sorrow and surprise,

Shedding tears, a plenteous flood,

For her heart supplied her eyes.

Jesus, who is always near,

Though too often unperceived,

Came, His drooping child to cheer,

Kindly asking why she grieved.

Though at first she knew Him not,

When He called her by her name,

Then her griefs were all forgot,

For she found He was the same.