Having bored the three holes into the Cross, the executioners again commanded Having bored the three holes into the Cross, the executioners again commanded
Christ the Lord to stretch Himself out upon it in order to be nailed to it.Christ the Lord to stretch Himself out upon it in order to be nailed to it.. . …… The The
Lord was so weakened, disfigured and exhausted, that if the ferocious cruelty of Lord was so weakened, disfigured and exhausted, that if the ferocious cruelty of
those men had left the least room for natural reason and kindness, they could those men had left the least room for natural reason and kindness, they could
not have brought themselves to inflict further torments upon the innocent and not have brought themselves to inflict further torments upon the innocent and
meek Lamb, humbly suffering such nameless sorrows and pains.meek Lamb, humbly suffering such nameless sorrows and pains.
Presently one of the executioners seized the handPresently one of the executioners seized the hand of Jesus our Savior and of Jesus our Savior and
placed it upon the auger-hole,placed it upon the auger-hole, while another hammered a large and rough nail while another hammered a large and rough nail
throughthrough the palm. The veins and sinews were torn, and thethe palm. The veins and sinews were torn, and the bones of the sacred bones of the sacred
hand, which made the heavens andhand, which made the heavens and all that exists, were forced apart. When they all that exists, were forced apart. When they
stretchedstretched out the other hand, they found that it did not reachout the other hand, they found that it did not reach up to the auger-up to the auger-
hole; for the sinews of the other armhole; for the sinews of the other arm had been shortened and the executioners had been shortened and the executioners
had maliciouslyhad maliciously set the holes too far apart, as I have mentioned above.set the holes too far apart, as I have mentioned above. In order In order
to overcome the difficulty, they took the chain,to overcome the difficulty, they took the chain, with which the Savior had been with which the Savior had been
bound in the garden, andbound in the garden, and looping one end through a ring around his wrist, they,looping one end through a ring around his wrist, they,
with unheard of cruelty, pulled the hand over the holewith unheard of cruelty, pulled the hand over the hole and fastened it with and fastened it with
another nail. Thereupon they seized his feet, and placing them one above the another nail. Thereupon they seized his feet, and placing them one above the
other, theyother, they tied the same chain around both and stretched them withtied the same chain around both and stretched them with barbarous barbarous
ferocity down to the third hole. Then theyferocity down to the third hole. Then they drove through both feet a large nail drove through both feet a large nail
into the Cross. Thusinto the Cross. Thus the sacred body, in which dwelled the Divinity, was nailed the sacred body, in which dwelled the Divinity, was nailed
motionless to the holy Cross, motionless to the holy Cross, (…)(…)