Read St. Luke 22:63–65
1. After Our Lord had been condemned to death, the Sanhedrim rose, and He was handed over for custody during the night to the soldiers and servants, who, taking the cue from their masters, treated their prisoner with every kind of brutal ill-usage. They tied a dirty rag over His face, and struck Him on the face, challenging Him at the same time to show His divine power by saying the name of the striker. When He was silent, they mocked and jeered at Him, and at last they spat their filthy spittle in His sacred face. O my Lord, King of heaven and earth, how couldst Thou suffer Thy Divine Majesty to be outraged by these wretches?
2. Yet Our Lord was never more glorious than in the midst of His degradation and contempt. If at His baptism He was the beloved Son of God in Whom He was well pleased, much more now Each blow, each gibe, each insult added to the glory of His sacred humanity to all eternity. Truly then does St. Peter say: “If you be reproached for the name of Christ, you shall be blessed.” Wisely did the apostles count it joy to suffer shame for His sake. My God, I know it is so; but do I act on this principle, and rejoice in the reproaches and contempt that fall to my lot?
3. What did Christ specially atone for in the guard-room? For all the filthy words men speak, for all the obscene jests, for all the mockery of holy things, for all the angry, cruel, uncharitable words. Alas! my Jesus, have I not taken part in these insults poured upon Thee?
Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 29). Benziger Brothers.
1. After Our Lord had been condemned to death, the Sanhedrim rose, and He was handed over for custody during the night to the soldiers and servants, who, taking the cue from their masters, treated their prisoner with every kind of brutal ill-usage. They tied a dirty rag over His face, and struck Him on the face, challenging Him at the same time to show His divine power by saying the name of the striker. When He was silent, they mocked and jeered at Him, and at last they spat their filthy spittle in His sacred face. O my Lord, King of heaven and earth, how couldst Thou suffer Thy Divine Majesty to be outraged by these wretches?
2. Yet Our Lord was never more glorious than in the midst of His degradation and contempt. If at His baptism He was the beloved Son of God in Whom He was well pleased, much more now Each blow, each gibe, each insult added to the glory of His sacred humanity to all eternity. Truly then does St. Peter say: “If you be reproached for the name of Christ, you shall be blessed.” Wisely did the apostles count it joy to suffer shame for His sake. My God, I know it is so; but do I act on this principle, and rejoice in the reproaches and contempt that fall to my lot?
3. What did Christ specially atone for in the guard-room? For all the filthy words men speak, for all the obscene jests, for all the mockery of holy things, for all the angry, cruel, uncharitable words. Alas! my Jesus, have I not taken part in these insults poured upon Thee?
Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 29). Benziger Brothers.
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