MEDICINAL ROOTS OF THE TREE OF LIFE b y P E T E R N E WM A N
and those of St Paul, “if one member suzer any 1 it thing,allthememberssuzerwith it”, is easy to seewhythecompassionof thesaints–andeventhat of purespirits–hasseldomlimiteditself topurely spiritualworksof mercy.Physicalsickness,infirmity andcorruptibility–consequencesof originalsin,o whichtheyaretheimage–werethespecialobject of Our Lord’s public life; occasions on which He manifestedHisdivineauthorityandcharity,which “if theywerewritteneveryone,theworlditself… wouldnotbeabletocontainthebooksthatshould bewritten.”Whatistrueof theearthlyministryof Our Lord Jesus Christ is all the more true of His Mystical Body. Let us consider the inexhaustible bountyof God–inHisangelsandinHissaints– wherewithHehaslavishedHisbenefitsthroughout thehistoryof HisChurch;fromtheuprootingof theTreeof Life,afterthesinof ourfirstparents,to itsrestorationonCalvaryuntiltheendof theworld. Asitisimpossible“tosetforthinorderanarration of the things that have been accomplished among us”, 2 let us briefly consider how this mystery was sownintheearthof theOldTestamentandhow itsrootsfeditsfirstfloweringintheearlyChurch. Fresco of the Tree of Life (ca.1340) in the refectory of the convent of Santa Croce, Florence, by Taddeo Gaddi (1290–1366). TheHolyGhostinspiredthePsalmist,making hisprayerthemodelof prayerfortheChurch;the “Who will cure my soul if not Thou, O Christ, the only Psalms are, so to speak, the tonic of the Mystical Physician of souls! Where will I find a remedy for the disease Bodyof Christ;theRoyalProphet,chosen - tointer of my soul, if not with Thee, O Fountain of healing! Thou pretthedeepestsentiments,notonlyof theHead, Who didst cure the ailing woman, cure also my soul from butof allthemembers,callsthelattertoacknowl the ruin of sin.” (StEphrem,DeaconandDoctorof edgetheirneedtobehealed,bothphysically:“Have theChurch) mercyonme,OLord,forIamweak:healme,O Lord,formybonesaretroubled”;andspiritually: here is scarcely a saint whose heroic imitation “OLord,bethoumercifultome:healmysoul,for of OurLordJesusChristhasnotbeenprac 3 Ihavesinnedagainstthee. ” tised,atonetimeoranother,inthecareof theThe sick. priests of the old law were required to have Meditating on Christ’s words, “They that areacertain in degreeof medicalknowledge,sincepa healthneednotaphysician,buttheythatareill”; of their o{ce was to diagnose leprosy and other
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CAL X M ARI AE
