Among the vast crowd [1] that followed Jesus there were some pious women[2], who shed tears[3] of compassion on seeing Him reduced to such a state. But Jesus, turning towards them, said: “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For, behold, the days[4] shall come when they shall say to the mountains: ‘Fall on us’, and to the hills: ‘Cover us’. For if in the green wood[5] they do these things[6], what shall be done in the dry?”[7]
When [8] Jesus reached the top of the hill of Calvary, the soldiers offered Him wine mingled with myrrh [9], but He refused [10] to drink. They then tore the clothes from His already mangled
- ↑ Crowd. The common people knew Jesus, and had hitherto venerated Him on account of His miracles, some even believing Him to be the Messias. But now that they were told He was proved to be a deceiver, and that He was condemned to death on this account, their love turned to hatred, their veneration to contempt, and they hastened to see Him put to death, accompanying Him with scoffs, derision and curses.
- ↑ Women. From Jerusalem, for our Lord addressed them as “Daughters of Jerusalem”. Among them was Veronica, who handed the sudarium (cloth) to Jesus. Mary also, the sorrowful Mother of God, was on her road to Golgotha, accompanied by St. John, to share the shame and suffering of her Divine Son. The meeting of Jesus with His Mother filled both their hearts with grief.
- ↑ Tears. These tears of theirs reveal to us how horrible must have been the spectacle which they saw. In spite of the furious crowd, these pious women could not restrain their tears, for the torments and humiliation of Jesus deeply affected them.
- ↑ The days. Days so full of terror that men will welcome a violent and sudden death as a boon
- ↑ The green wood. To Me who am just and innocent.
- ↑ These things. These sufferings of Mine which you behold.
- ↑ The dry. To the guilty and godless. Our Lord was thinking of the terrible judgment which would fall upon Jerusalem and the people of Israel.
- ↑ When. It was then about noon.
- ↑ With myrrh. It was the custom to offer this bitter drink to the condemned, so that their senses might be deadened, and they might not feel the pain of their crucifixion so acutely. The myrrh mixed with the wine gave to it a stupefying strength.
- ↑ He refused. He would not have His senses dulled, for He willed to feel the tortures of crucifixion to their full extent.
