THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SAINT ZALERA: CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 9

¹And when the morning was come, the soldiers of the governor made ready the ship which would sail unto Golgorand, that accursed and wind-scoured place set apart for death and shame.
²And they brought forth Ajora from the prison wherein He had passed the night, His face bruised, His raiment torn, yet His countenance serene as one who beholdeth the Heavens open before Him.
³And when His disciples heard that He was to be taken away, they followed afar off, even unto the shores of the port, their hearts pierced with sorrow and trembling.
⁴And among them was Ultima, whom Ajora had chosen to bear the charge of His Church, and Zalera, who wept not with his eyes but mourned with the silence of the soul.
⁵And they brought Ajora unto the ship, and the sea was troubled, and a heavy mist rose up, as though all the elements did lament the fate of the Glabados.
⁶And lo, even the captain of the vessel did marvel, for when Ajora set foot upon the deck, the winds grew still, and the waves were made calm as glass.
⁷And the soldiers that guarded Him whispered among themselves, saying, “Surely this man is not as others, for Ivalice and the sea do reverence Him.”
⁸Yet none dared speak aloud, for fear of the priests who had commanded His death.
⁹And after a day and a night upon the sea, they came unto the bleak headlands of Golgorand, where no grass groweth, and the wind howleth always as a lamentation.
¹⁰And there upon the high place was set the gallows, and the stones were worn by the blood of many.
¹¹And Ajora looked upon it and was not moved, for He had known this hour from the beginning.
¹²And the multitude that had followed by land and by sea assembled upon the shore and upon the slopes, and the hills were filled with them.
¹³And they cried with many voices, “Glabados! Glabados! Turn back from this doom!”
¹⁴And others wept in silence, for they understood that the Son of God must needs suffer, and be lifted up, even as the prophets had foretold in the days of old.
¹⁵And Ajora turned to the twelve, who now came forth from hiding, and He spake unto them, saying,
¹⁶“Be not troubled, neither let thy hearts be afraid. For this hour is the cup which My Father hath given Me to drink, and I shall not refuse it.”
¹⁷Then said He unto Ultima, “Thou art the pillar upon which I shall build My Church, and the gates of the abyss shall not prevail against it.”
¹⁸“Unto thee do I give the Authority, and the Word, and the Keys to the Kingdom. Whatsoever thou shalt bind on Ivalice shall be bound in Heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose shall be loosed also.”
¹⁹And He called them each by name, and gave unto them charge to spread the teachings of the Lord unto every nation, tribe, and tongue.
²⁰“Preach ye repentance and righteousness,” said He, “and cry aloud the coming of Paradise. For the Kingdom is at hand.”
²¹“And when men revile thee and cast thee out for My Name’s sake, rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is thy reward in Heaven.”
²²And having said these things, He turned unto the executioners, and gave Himself without resistance, as a lamb before the shearers is dumb.
²³And they led Him to the gallows, and stripped Him of His garments, and placed a rope about His neck.
²⁴And one of the centurions, whose name was Agros, looked upon Ajora and trembled, and said, “This man hath no guilt; why is He thus condemned?”
²⁵But the priests, who had come upon a ship of their own, answered him not, save with dark glances.
²⁶Then spake Ajora aloud, and the voice of Him was clear, and carried far, even to the edges of the crowd:
²⁷“Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit. Forgive them; they know not what they do.”
²⁸And the soldiers lifted Him up upon the Tree and bound the cord, and the breath of life went forth from Him.
²⁹And the skies were darkened, though it was yet noon, and a great cry rose from the multitude, and Ivalice did tremble and split in places.
³⁰And the veil of the temple in Murond was rent in twain, and the lamps of the altar were extinguished.
³¹And even the priests were sore afraid, for they knew not what they had done.
³²And the Pharist Agros fell upon his knees, saying, “Truly, this was the Son of God.”
³³Then the body of Ajora was taken down, and wrapped in linen by the hands of His disciples.
³⁴And they bore Him with great weeping unto a tomb hewn in stone, a league from Golgorand, in a valley where no man dwelt.
³⁵And they sealed the tomb with a great stone, and stationed a watch of soldiers there at the command of the priests, lest His disciples steal Him away.
³⁶But the disciples returned unto Murond, grieving and desolate, and shut themselves away in an upper chamber.
³⁷And the women who had ministered unto Ajora stood apart and mourned, and all the land was hushed as one who hath lost its firstborn.
³⁸Yet even in sorrow did they remember His words, that the Son of God must be delivered into the hands of men, and on the third day rise again.
³⁹And they waited, in silence and in fear, not knowing what the Lord had purposed.
⁴⁰Blessed be the Name of the Lord, who bringeth light out of darkness, and life from the tomb.
⁴¹For though the Son of God was hanged and died, yet death shall not have dominion over Him.
⁴²Let every knee bow, and every tongue confess, that Ajora Glabados is the Lord, to the glory of God Most High.
⁴³And let all the faithful remember His sufferings, and be strengthened thereby.
⁴⁴For by His stripes are we healed, and by His death is the path to Paradise opened.
⁴⁵Amen.

▷THE SEVEN SCRIPTURES OF THE CHURCH OF GLABADOS
    ▷THE HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD, SAINT AJORA
        ▷THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SAINT ZALERA
            ▶1—2—3—4—5—6—7—8—9—10—11

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