[Meditationes seu Contemplationes devotissimae]

Truly, therefore, your resurrection, good Jesus, was our festival, because it led us to immortality. It was, therefore, the festival of the angels, because by recalling us to heavenly things, it fulfilled their number. O venerable solemnity, because Christ has risen from the dead and the power of the devil has fallen! The tartarean chains of hell have been resolved, and the document of the ancient transgression has been extinguished, and the sting of death has been crushed, and for us the hope of future resurrection is confirmed. You, therefore, faithful soul, if you have truly risen again with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is at the right hand of God. Mind the things that are above, not those upon the earth Colossians 3:1-2, so that just as Christ rose from the dead, so also you may walk in newness of life.

Concerning the care of all things committed to the blessed Peter by the Lord before his ascension

Our Savior demonstrated the ineffable effect of love toward his spouse, the holy Church, because when he was about to withdraw his presence from his Church, lest he seem to leave it desolate without a shepherd and ruler while he was visibly absent from it, he committed the care of all his sheep to one, namely, the blessed Peter, who would bear the care of the entire dominical flock in his place. Before his ascension to heaven, he says to Peter: "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" John 21:15 And to Peter responding: "You know, Lord, that I love you." Christ adds: "Feed my sheep." Concerning which word, Chrysostom speaks thus: "Peter received authority from the Son over all that is the Son’s, not as Moses over one nation, but over the whole world, the Lord saying: 'Feed my sheep,' not distinguishing these sheep or those." And blessed Bernard, in the second book of Consideration to Pope Eugenius, says thus to the Pope: "You are the one to whom the keys of the kingdom of heaven are entrusted, to whom the keys are entrusted. There are indeed other janitors and shepherds of the flock, but you are so much more glorious as you have inherited both differently over the others. Others have assigned flocks, each one his own; to you all are entrusted, one to one. And not only of all the sheep, but also of the shepherds, you are the one shepherd of all." Whence that prophet: "Who is this from the Lord's flock, to whom—I do not say bishops, but even apostles—the sheep are so absolutely and indistinctly committed?" If you love, he says, "Feed my sheep." Of which—his or those of that people, city, or region, or of that kingdom? He says "mine," not clearly having designated any, but having assigned all. He excepts nothing where he distinguishes nothing. And perhaps the other apostles were present when, committing to one the unity of the Church, he commended all to all, in one flock and in one shepherd, according to that: "One is my dove." For this reason, as blessed Cyril says, for the reason of the first-born, he succeeds the most blessed Peter.