A golden treatise of mental prayer/A meditation for Thursday: of his crowning with thorns; his presentation before the people; his condemnation; his bringing to the place of execution; and the carrying of his cross
A MEDITATION FOR THURSDAY.
This day thou shalt meditate how Christ was crowned with thorns; his presentation before all the people; his condemnation; his bringing out to the place of execution; and, last of all, his carrying of his cross.
The spouse in the Canticles invited us to the consideration of these torments, when she said, [1]"Egredimini et videte Jilise Sion Regent Salomonem in diademate, quo coronavit ilium mater sua in die desponsationis illiusy et in die laelitix cordis ejus"
" Go forth ye daughters of Sion, and see King Solomon in the diadem wherewith his mother hath crowned him, in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the joy of his heart."
What dost thou do? what dost thou think, my soul? my tongue, why art thou silent? O sweet Saviour, when I open mine eyes and behold this sorrowful spectacle, my heart is rent with grief. What, Lord, were not thy former torments, imminent death, and abundance of thy blood already shed, sufficient for the redemption of mankind? but thou must yet be crowned with sharp thorns?
My soul, that thou mayest the better understand this sad spectacle, set before thine eyes, our Blessed Saviour in his former beauty, before he suffered these torments: then behold him, on the contrary, in this miserable state. If in the first, thou dost rightly view him, thou shalt see him more beautiful than the sun: in his eyes a comely gravity; in his speech a gracious facility; in his actions singular modesty; in the gesture of his whole body profound humility, joined with reverend majesty.
Then, after thou hast satiated thy soul with pleasure, in beholding this rare piece of admirable perfection, then turn thine eyes again, and look upon him as he is, in this present miserable state. Ridiculously clothed in purple, bearing in his hand a reed for a kingly sceptre, and upon his head a crown of sharp thorns, instead of a regal diadem: his eyes were dimmed, his face pale and wan, fouled and covered with the filthy spittle of the Jews; behold him within and without! his heart consumed with grief, his body torn with wounds and blows, forsaken of his disciples, hastened to undergo death from his enemies; mocked of the soldiers, despised of the high-priests, rejected as a wicked king arrogantly assuming this title, unjustly accused, and destitute of all human aid.
Do not consider these things as done and past many years since, but imagine with thyself, that at this present lime they are acting before thy face, not as another man's sorrows, but as thine own afflictions: set thyself in his place, and conjecture what torments thou shouldst suffer, if thy head were bored to the skull, and thy brain-pan pierced with sharp thorns? But what do I say, thorns? when thou canst scarce endure the prick of a small needle. How great, then, was the pain his tender head suffered, with this new and unheard-of torment?
The coronation of our Blessed Saviour, with many mocks and scorns, being ended, the judge produced him before the people, saying: "Ecce Homo:" " Behold the man." If ye thirst after the death of the man, behold him scarce a hair's -breadth distant from it; yea, he is brought to that pass, that he deserveth rather commisseration than your envy; if ye fear that he will make himself king, behold, he is so deformed, that he scarce retaineth the shape of a man: do ye fear any violence from these hands that are so straightly manacled? do ye dread any harm from a man that is cast into such a miserable and dejected state? whose body is so mangled and weakened?
Consider, O my soul, in what state thy Saviour was, when the very judge himself did think that this aspect would move his bloody enemies to compassion: from which we may gather, what a miserable thing it is to see a Christian of such an obdurate heart, which cannot or will not condole with the sufferings of our Saviour, when they were such, that the very judge did think them sufficient to mollify the malice of his enemies. But Pilate, seeing with these exceeding torments he could no way temper or assuage their fury, went into his palace, and sat in the judgment-seat to pronounce the definitive sentence against Christ. Now the cross was prepared at the door, and the fatal standard which threatened ruin to our Blessed Saviour, was now in readiness.
The sentence being pronounced, with the addition of more torments, they loaded his wearied shoulders with a heavy cross, to carry to the place of his execution.
But our meek Lord not only not rejected it, but out of that immense charity towards us, wherewith he suffered for our sins, obediently and willingly embraced it.
Now the innocent Isaac, with his weak shoulders, supported the intolerable burthen of the cross to the place of sacrifice. The simple people and devout women, followed him weeping. For who was able to contain tears, to see the Lord and King of angels going thus on foot, with the extremity of torments? his knees quivering, his body stooping, his eyes blinded, his face besmeared with blood, his head crowned with thorns, and his ears deafened with the noise of drums and trumpets.
Leave awhile, O my soul, this horrid spectacle, and with watering eyes, with sobs and sighs, go to the Blessed Virgin and say to her: Lady of angels, queen of heaven, gate of paradise, advocate of the world, sanctuary of sinners, health of the just, joy of the saints, mistress of virtue, mirror of purity, symbol of chastity, pattern of patience, and rule of all perfection. O me, miserable and unfortunate, what have I seen with the eyes of faith? How could I live to behold such inhuman usage? interrupting sighs will not permit me scarce to speak how I left thy only begotten Son, loaded with a mighty cross, to which he was presently to be nailed, and carrying it to the place of execution.
What heart, what mind, what soul, is able to comprehend the dolour, the Blessed Virgin Mary then did suffer? her heart fainted, and a dead sweat with extreme anguish possessed her whole body, and presently she had given up the ghost, had not the divine dispensation reserved her till better times, for her greater merit, and more abundant reward.
The Blessed Virgin with speed followed the steps of her beloved Son; that ardent desire wherewith she was inflamed to see him, added vigor to her, of which sorrow had bereft her: she heard afar off the noise of arms, the concourse of people, and the sound of trumpets on every side, publishing the passion of Christ; after that, she saw the glittering of lances and halberts; in the way she found his footsteps sprinkled with drops ol blood, by which, without any guide or leader, she might easily find the way. Approaching to her Son, she lifted up her eyes swelled with tears, to behold him whom she esteemed dearer than her own soul.
Oh! what strife was there in the soul of this Blessed Virgin betwixt fear and love? she did vehemently desire to see her Son, but, on the other side, she durst not cast her eyes upon him in this lamentable and afflicted state. At length, when she drew nearer, these two celestial lights beheld each other, their eyes pierced each other's souls, but grief enforced their tongues to silence; notwithstanding, their hearts did mutually discourse, and the Son unto the mother said: sweet mother, why comest thou hither, my love, O my dove? thy sorrow reneweth my miseries, and my torments crucify thy soul! return, return again into thy house; this defiled company of thieves and murderers, beseemeth not thy virginal purity. These and the like words they inwardly uttered all the way until they came to the place of execution.
- ↑ Canticles iii 11