"In die parasceves devotissimus modus passionis domini nostri Iesu Christi contemplandus in quatuor viis cum utilibus questionibus". Introduction Ample introduction, which immediately underlines the duty of compassion and of weeping on Good Friday, as it will prove that one is a real Christian – a theme recurrent along the sermon which insist on the need for the preacher to move the audience and for the listeners to be moved by the Passion: «ido ipsam [Passionem] tenemur singuli qui sumus fideles adulti diligenter devote et lachrymabiliter sub pena eterne damnationis attendere» (f. H6r). This is proven in four points, namely ¬autoritates, rationes, similitudines, exempla. At the end of the first point, the preachers imagines Christ who addresses directly the human soul and who states that the Good Friday sermon serves to discern who is a true Christian (i.e. a limb of his body), since s/he will weep: «Attende bene quis ego sum et vide que patior et meam passionem fac tuam per compassionem et fletum. Id circo enim in hac die predicare facio meam acerbam passionem ut videam qui sunt membra mea, illi profecto qui sentiunt per compassionem, illi vero sunt alieni qui non dolent ergo nec curant flere» (f. H6v). On the basis of Nicholas of Lyra the body metaphor is then applied to the different groups in the Church. The salvific effect of the Passion needs to be welcomed by compassion and love (« per dilectione et compassione»), since: «ille qui illi non compatitur, dannabitur»; f. H7r). Imediately is presented as best exemplum the Virgin Mary, who was most sorrowful during the Passion (the key events are immediately listed) – she serves as emotional ‘spur’ for the faithful. Brief reference to the common place of the impossibility to pray the Ave Maria on the Good Friday – and so the need to turn towards the cross, using the hymn O crux ave (f. H7v).  Sermon body The sermon is organized around four routes (viae) of the Passion, which mark the chronological order of the Passion: «Et ideo charissimi salvatoris mundi discipuli et illius veri filii per quatour vias attendamus hodie et videamus redemptoris nostri maximum dolorem...» (f. H7v). 1: from Bethania to Jerusalem 2: to the Gethsemane 3: return as prisoner to the city 4: to the place of crucifixion. Each part is introduced by three theological questions (quaestiones) on the Passion (e.g. its necessity, role of God the Father, how pain and joy cohexisted in Christ during the Passion, whether it is the supreme pain ...), followed by a quite plain postillatio of the Passion narrative (harmonizing the four Gospels, with references mainly to Nicholas of Lyra), which includes several emotional addresses to the audience and/or dramatic description of the reaction of the Virgin Mary and the other characters of the Passion. Part one. Noteworthy the passage about what would have happened if Judas and the Jews did not betray Christ, with the hypothesis – presented in a moving way, with direct dialogues – that Jesus would have asked Peter or the Virgin Mary to crucify him [same reasoning in sermon 39] (f. I1r). Ample description of the last ‘private’ meeting of Jesus and the Virgin before his Passion, a very emotional and affective tone (full of kissing and weeping) in this direct dialogue between the two characters (Laskai is careful to state that this is an hypothetical reconstruction). Reference to Bonaventure. (f. I2v-I3r) Here and elsewhere addresses to the faithful soul to contemplate and see the Passion: «O anima mea, anima mea, vide quomodo filius benedicit matrem, et quomodo mater ad mortem licentiat filium. Vide inquam quam copiose flent discipuli, quam pie lachrymantur sancte muliere...» (f. I3r). This kind of address is also used to summarize each section. Part two. The sermon imagines the dialogue between Christ and the angel in the garden (f. I5v), and first description of the sufferings of Christ after his capture, with an emphatic address to the human soul, who is invited to address the Virgin Mary and to go in spirit to the places of the Passion so to gather the hairs of Jesus: «O lachrymandum negotium. O opus cruentis stupendum [...]. O anima christiana, quid audis? Quid cogitas? [...]. Vade igitur anima devota ad locum captivationis Christi saltem in spiritu, et te prosterne ibidem illi gratias agendo et evulsos crines et barbam sanctam recolligendo devotissime» (f. I6v). Part three opens with the descriuption of the diciples divided in groups who cry for Jesus' capture. Very emotional description of the announcement of Jesus capture by John the apostle to the Virgin Mary, with a detailed scene of collective weeping that involve Mary Magdalene, Martha and Lazarus of Bethania. The texts – in the direct discourse - simulates the speaking and weeping together with the anaphoric and pathetic use of heu. It finishes with the invitation to the audience to associate to this group of disciples, who moves towards Jerusalem in search of Jesus: «Ideo associa te mentaliter ad comitivam illius et cum ea attende et vide si est dolor...» (f. I8v), with the repetition of the thema that dots the sermon. Hence, the prosecution of the narrative of the Passion, although presented in a quite plain way, is supposed to happen in front of a special group of viewers/witnesses among which the listeners have been invited to stay.The emphatic tone returns at the end of the section, with the flagellation, with a renewed invitation to compassion and mental participation to the Passion (f. K2r). In comparison, references to the Jews’ responsibility is quite brief and plain. Part four. Christ on the cross as book that teaches all the virtues and distinction between Old testament figurae and he as veritas et identitas (f. K2v). Empathic description of the crucifixion, underling the point of view of the Virgin Mary and the appeal to the faithful to compassion. There is an insistence on the visual language (f. K3v). Yet, it seems that the sermon has to proceed quickly in this section, since – for instance – there is no elaboration on Jesus last words, yet just a brief expansion of with a discourse of Mary to his son on the cross. The sermon closes with a brief but vivid and graphic description of the mourning of the Virgin Mary and the disciples on the death body of Christ, the repetition of the thema and a final exhortation to compassion, with the exhortation to a final collective cry («cum grandi clamore et fletu magno dicamus sic: Christe fili dei vivi, miserere nobis [...]. Tandem unanimiter alta voce dicamus: Iesus, Iesus, Iesus!» (f. K4v).

Introduction  Final cause governs actions. Jesus went to the desert to be tempted by the devil. Did the devil know incarnation in advance? When he was an angel, he saw it mirrored in God, yet after his fall, his mind is clouded and he was doubting since he saw contradictory sings about Jesus (nativity: singing of the angels and the star vs. poverty and fragility). Hence, the devil tempted Jesus to discover the truth and to avoid the human salvation (4AB). Division The previous Gospel pericopes indicated the virtues and the dress that need to equip the penitent, now it is time to see the adversary’s attack and his attempt to strip the soul of the eternal reward: «qualiter adversarius tales aggreditur ut eos mercede possit eterna privare». The division follows the Gospel narrative (see above). First part «Circa litteram»: Jesus was brought to the desert between Jerusalem and Jericho (the same of the parable of the good Samaritan) as a place apt for doing penance. «Et vocatur quarentena» since Jesus was fasting for forty days and nights. Human beings have free will, otherwise there would be no merit in good works. Reference to Peter Lombard, Lib. Sen. II, II, 23 c. 1 and to the commentary of Bonaventure to it: “Deus ideo permittere voluit hominem a dyabolo impugnari, si fortiter et viriliter ageret, maiorem gloriam inde consequeretur” (4D).The temptations serve:  Ad probitatis probationem Ad iniquitatis corretionem Ad humilitatis eruditionem Temptations serve to prove the believers. Biblical exempla (Job and Abraham) and an extensive quotation from the story of Judith: «Vos frates, qui presbiteri estis...» (Judith 8.21-28), where the heroine recalls how God used to tempt the patriarchs and how one needs to keep trust in God. Temptations and tribulations serve to purify (as with gold, as with martyrs) and to avoid spiritual pride. Where does a temptation come from? From interior is the most dangerous, from the exterior is weaker (it does not have power if not joining an interior temptation), from the devil is the weakest, as said by Augustine and a rhymed verse: «Augustinus: Debilis est hostis, qui non vincit nisi volentem. Et ideo metrice dicitur: Hostis non ledit nisi cum tentatus obedit. Est leo dum cedit, si stat quasi musca recedit” (4G – comparison with lion and fly). However, the devil tempts more the penitent  then the sinner, since the latter is already in his power. Second part  Ample explanation ad litteram. Three temptations are the same used by Satan to overcome the humanity at the beginning (gluttony, vainglory and avarice), for this reason he is allowed to assault Jesus in this way. The reply to the second temptations (that upon the pinnacle of the temple, i.e. «locum ubi doctores legis consueverant populo legem exponere» serves to clarify that it is wrong to expect a miracle for something can be done normally (in this case, to go down using the staircase; 4H). The traps of the devil are without number, one needs to strike back with every kind of caution and virtue. In particular, the devil: Abstinentia maceratos tentat gulositate Pietatis assiduos, superbia et vanitate In divinis celicos, symoniaca pravitate (4K) In a mallow and rational way, the devil invites to moderate fasting and abstinence, arguing that they are weakening the person and are irrational. Reference to an exemplum taken from the life of saint Francis (source Bonaventure). Again, the image of the devil that tempts people in three ways (allegory of Daniel 7.5: the bear with three rows of threats as the devil that aims to swallow the devout souls  and to break their good purposes; 4L). Avarice – as a form of idolatry - is a form of adoration of the devil. The sermon connects it with simony, lamenting the present situation: «Heu multos hodie...» (4N). Issue of the offers for the sacraments: an offer cannot be requested or binding, but they can be accepted as free and as a laudable custom, yet the celebration of sacraments must not be postponed for it.  Third part Help of the angels  to people. As a person going to a battle needs someone who instructs and leads him, in the same way God sent a guardian angel to everyone as teacher – reference to Peter Lombard and Psalm 90. Three key aspects of the angel: Nobilitatem Dignitatem Utilitatem (4O). The last part underlines how the angels «a peccatis retrahant; ab inimicis defendant; ad paradisum perducant» (4T). Discussion whether Jesus and the Virgin Mary had a guardian angel. Jesus no but the angels served him. About the Virgin there are different positions: the sermon prefers the position of François de Meyronnes who sates that the Virgin was protected directly by the Trinity and so could not be attacked by the devil, so the angels only pay homage to her (4T). The angels assist the humans also to accelerate the full restauration of their status after the fall of the rebel angels, hence they help the conversion of sinners and rejoice for it. Finally, the sermon lists six characteristics that one has to learn from the angels to live like them.

The sermon presents itself as a final, overarching spiritual instruction for any believers. First, it discusses seven virtues compared to seven steps of the stairway to heaven: "virtus, scientia, abstinentia, patientia, pietas, amor fraternalis, caritas" (f. 469r).  Next, it presents (less extensivelly) seven types of spiritual battle

Introduction Everything that has been preached and written in these sermons serves to form a faith in Christ informed by love (caritas): “Hoc omnia que in his sermonibus predicata et scripta sunt, ideo dictar scripta sunt ut credatis fide charitate formata quod Isesus est filius dei”. It follows a summary of the main topics of the sermon cycle.
Division

 First part: The key topics of preaching implicitly echoes Regula bullata 9, saying that there are four themes: vices, virtues, pain, glory (f. O6r).