The despoiling, mocking, crowning, and striking of Jesus’ head
The despoiling, mocking, crowning, and striking of Jesus’ head
LORD JESUS CHRIST, glorious King of the saints and radiant Crown of eternal glory, I bless and thank you for the abuse and disgraceful treatment you once more suffered at the hands of sacrilegious men. After the hardhearted soldiers brought you into the judge’s quarters, where the entire cohort had gathered, you were shamelessly despoiled of your garments and derisively garbed in a purple robe. This was so that you might clothe us, who are without virtue, with the cloak of your holiness and adorn us with the mantle of your humility.
With singular devotion and a heart full of compassion, I praise and glorify you for the brutal punishment you most patiently suffered in the crowning of your sacred head with thorns—you endured this for us unworthy worms. Your sacred head, the most blessed of all Nazarenes, was covered with thorns that pierced so deeply—even to the inner brain—that copious streams of blood flowed over your ears and neck, eyes and cheeks. As a result, your amiable face, hardly dry from having been spat upon, was disfigured and masked with blood.
What a sorrowful sight to see the Son of God, in whom no sin could be found, so ignominiously and horribly crowned! Because of the soldiers’ raging madness, they did not in the least tremble as they pierced with many a sharp thorn so holy, so handsome, so noble, and so revered a head. They likewise dared to salute the King of angels by publicly ridiculing, striking, and mocking him.