of the Crowning of Our Lord.

DUCCIO di Buoninsegna 
Crown of Thorns (scene 17) 
1308-11

The 25. Meditation of the Crowning of Our Lord.

Then they unclothing him, put a scarlet Garment about him, and weving a Crown of thorns, they put it upon his head and a Reed in his right hand.

Consider first, that those Torturers devised a new kind of torment, which might both afflict, and also make him to be mocked: That he, which called himself King of the Jews, might be clothed in royal ornaments.

Consider secondly, in this place four kinds of mockings. First, they pull off all his clothes, which a little before he had put on, renewing the grief of his wounds, to which the cloth cleaved, and stripping his holy and virginal body naked, not without shame and confusion. Secondly, they put on a scarlet garment, that his purple blood shed all over his body, and the purple garment put upon him might show forth a royal ornament. Thirdly, instead of a Diadem they set upon his head a Crown, woven of many bushy thorns, which (saith Tertullian) did tear & deface the Temples of our Lord. Fourthly, they gave him a Reed in his hand, instead of a Scepter. O thou Christian, behold thy King, behold the triumph of his coronation.

Consider thirdly, that the great benefits which our Lord prepared for us, are signified by these illusions. For first the taking off of his garments, whereby our Lords body deformed with so many wounds, spotted with blood, spittle, & dirt, & loathsome to behold. was uncovered; signifieth the foulness of thy soul, defiled with the spots of so many sins; which foul spots, Christ by his passion removed from thee upon himself, that he might cleanse thee from all filth. Secondly, by the scarlet Garment is signified our nature, which is bloody and guilty of death, which Christ assuming to the unity of his person, did Sanctify; and also thy sins, being as red as a Worm, which Christ took away by his Passion; and also the members of the Church the body of Christ, which being in this world diversely afflicted, are covered with this garment of Christ, that they shall not faint, but increase in merits. For nothing doth so much comfort the afflictions of a Christian man, nothing doth so much advance piety, as the earnest meditation of Christ. Thirdly his Crown of thorns is thy barren and sharp pricking sins, sprung through concupiscence out of the cursed earth of thy body. Fourthly, our Lord holdeth a Reed in his hand, whereby is signified, that by things accounted base in the world, as his Cross, Passion, and Humility, he winneth the Kingdom of the whole world, and upholdeth all frail, vain, and scrupulous men by his Passion, and right hand. Do thou pray our Lord to make thee partaker of all these things, and remember that it is indecent for dainty and delicate members to lie under a head full of thorns.

II

And they came unto him, and bending their knee, they adored, and mocked him, and they began to salute him, saying: Hail King of the Jews.

Consider first four other kind of irrisions: First (They came unto him) as servants use to come unto their King, asking him in dockage, if he wanted anything. Whom thou doest imitate, being a Christian only in name, and indeed a bonds lave unto the Devil, confessing Christ in words, but in thy deeds denying him. Secondly they adored (bending their knee) or as Saint Mark saith (their knees) none of them bending both their knees, but every man one. His adoration is fraudulent that kneelth on the ground with one knee, and holds the other upright, upon which his body may rest. Whom thou dost imitate, when in thy outward gesture thou adorest God, & in thy mind thou followest pride, lust, and other vices. 3. (They mocked him) divers ways, as their wanton wickedness did provoke them. He is mocked upon earth, whose Majesty the Angels in heaven adore. But yet, because God cannot be mocked, do thou show thyself before him with all submission & purity of heart. 4. (They saluted him, saying, hail King of the Jews) an excellent speech, wherewith thou also maist salute the King of those Jews, which acknowledge their sins & sing praises unto God. Blessed art thou if thou hast a King, by whom thou maist be sweetly governed in this world, & after this life be made partaker of his Kingdom.

Consider 2. that Christ by seeing and hearing those ignominies, did cure all posterity from the Serpents hissing into the ears of Eve, and from the vanity of her eyes, through the curiosity whereof she infected our eyes. Pray our Lord to convert all these to the profit of thy soul.

III

And they spit upon him, and they took a reed, and struck his head with the reed, and they gave him blows.

Consider first, 4 other kinds of mockings. 1. (They spit upon him) defiling in so unworthy & scurrily manner not only his face, but his breast also, & his whole body: Yea the body of him, Who is the brightness of glory, and the substance of the Father, whom the Angels desire to behold. 2. (They take a reed) feigning to do him service, as though they would ease him, being weary of the burden of his Scepter. 3. (they strike his head with the reed) that the Thorns might be deeper fastened into his head. Mark how by these blows the throne pierced to the very Scull of his head, & fastened in the joining of the bones, & were there broken.4. (They gave him blows) not with their bare hand, but being armed against the pricking of the thorns. Here do thou adore together with his other virtues, our Lord’s Charity, Patience, Meekness, Benignity, & above all his humble obedience, by which yielded himself to the will of his torments, and being commanded to sit down, to lift up his head to the Thorns, to hold the Reed in his hand, to expose his Face to blows, he obeyed without delay.

Consider secondly, that these Ethnicks, though they offered many injuries to our Lord; yet they never covered his face; that Christ with the eyes of his mercy might behold us lovingly, and forsaking the Jews might of Gentiles make us Christians. Thou learnest first, not to cover the truth with new opinions, nor to decline to Heresy: but only to profess the true Faith, how great a sinner soever thou be. Thou earnest secondly not to neglect thy conscience, when it pricketh and warneth thee of thy sins: For the beginning of thy conversion is, when thy conscience reproveth thee. Pray unto thy Lord, that he never turn his face from thee, that he preserve thee in the true Faith, and adorn thee with true virtues, especially with humble and willing obedience, that thou mayest faithfully obey thy betters, not only on light and easy things, but also in great, sharpe, and difficult matters.

Fr. Francois Coster S.J.

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