Meditation for Thursday 03/19/26

Prayer Before and Prayer After

MEDITATION FOR THURSDAY

THE CROWNING WITH THORNS

“And stripping Him, they put a scarlet cloak about Him. And platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon His Head and a reed in His right hand. And bowing the knee before Him, they mocked Him, saying: ‘Hail, King of Jews’” (Matt. 27, 28-29).

First Prelude: Again, in spirit, enter the inner court of the House of Pilate; the rude soldiers in derision clothe Jesus with a purple cloak and crown Him with thorns.

Second Prelude: By Thy inexpressible love, O Jesus, grant me the grace to conquer pride, sensitiveness and self-love.

First Point — The Sufferings of Jesus in the Crowning with Thorns

This sacred mystery of the love of our Blessed Redeemer proves to us more emphatically even than the scourging His insatiable desire to suffer for us. It is well-nigh impossible to believe that human malice could go to such extremes and devise such a cruel torture. Oh, the pain that Jesus suffered when the crown of thorns pierced His sacred head, while blood filled His eyes and crimsoned His holy countenance. Must we not be moved to the most tender sympathy with the meek Lamb of God, at sight of these disreputable executioners, who forced the crown of thorns with violent blows upon His sacred head, the sharp thorns piercing the flesh and causing Him indescribable pain?

No less excruciating than His bodily pains were the interior sufferings of our Divine Saviour in this mystery. Such inhuman cruelty was meted out to Jesus, such indignity heaped upon Him, solely to deride Him and ridicule His sacred doctrine. Thus His Heart, too, was satiated with opprobrium. Oh, excess of the love of my Saviour, who can ever fathom Thee! Let us admire this inexhaustible, untiring love. Were it possible for us ever to refuse our thorn-crowned King even the smallest portion of our heart, without incurring the just rebuke of the blackest ingratitude? Let us, then, love our most magnanimous Lord with our whole heart, our whole soul, and with all our mind.

Second Point — Why Jesus Willed to Be Crowned with Thorns

Our Divine Saviour willed to suffer the crowning with thorns in order to merit for us the crown of eternal glory. He willed also to teach us by His example that we ought not to be sensual, effeminate members under a thorn-crowned head. If, in the crowning with thorns, Christ suffered for our sins, must we not, likewise, do penance for our sins by the practice of self-denial? Jesus willed, in particular, by the most painful crowning with thorns to make superabundant satisfaction for the countless sins of thought. He expiated the pride of our first parents and their descendants; He atoned for the desire to rule, which sways the hearts of most men; He expiated the craving for praise and honor; He atoned for self-will, sensitiveness, vanity, egotism, all sinful, impure thoughts and desires.

O my soul, if ever again you feel tempted to sins of such nature, think of your thorn-crowned Saviour and of the painful expiation that He took upon Himself for love of you, and be not so ungrateful as to press a fresh thorn into His sacred head. In hours of discouragement and trial, look upon the Saviour’s crown of thorns and willingly unite your slight sufferings with the excessive pain inflicted on our Saviour by His crown of thorns.

Affections: Thou, my beloved Saviour, deservest not to wear the crown that wounded Thy sacred head so deeply; no, it is meet that I who have so often offended Thee should wear it. Thou didst will then, O Jesus, to atone for my sins, to redeem me from eternal pain. Thou wouldst teach me by Thy example what honor to seek in this world. Thy thorny crown, O Eternal King, is a crown of humility and compassion. It impresses upon me forcibly the duty of mortification and self-denial. Grant, O merciful Saviour, by Thy infinite love, which urged Thee to suffer so much for me, that henceforth I think of nothing, desire nothing, and seek nothing but to love Thee with my whole heart, and daily to grow in this love.

Resolution: For the love of my Saviour crowned with thorns, I will carefully watch over my thoughts and at once suppress every movement of pride and sensitiveness.

Spiritual Bouquet: “And platting a crown of thorns, they put it on His Head.”

Prayer: Take, O Lord . . .