"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).

De expositione salutationis angelice  = Virgin Mary and commentary to the Ave Maria