Sorrowful Mysteries 2: Scourging

Meditations on the Meditations on the ScourgingScourging Recommendation: Please read the contents of one Recommendation: Please read the contents of one

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Second Sorrowful Second Sorrowful MysteryMystery

The Scourging at the The Scourging at the PillarPillar

Pilate’s next move was to take Pilate’s next move was to take Jesus and have him scourgedJesus and have him scourged

Fruit of the Mystery: PurityFruit of the Mystery: Purity Grace of mortifying our Grace of mortifying our sensessenses

1. Sacrificial victim1. Sacrificial victim

God has placed upon Him the iniquities of us all. Christ substituted Himself voluntarily for us as a sacrificial victim in order to pay our debt, and to restore divine life to us.

1. Sacrificial victim

Alonso Cana 1601-1667. The flagellation of Christ. National museum of Art. Bucharest

Caravaggio, Flagellation of Christ. 1607

2.* To heal us

He took all the pain because He loved us, and wanted to heal us of our sins, and of all the diseases of the body, mind and soul.

““Human nature is slow, coarse and uneducated; Human nature is slow, coarse and uneducated; and if it is not cultivated and softened, it gives no and if it is not cultivated and softened, it gives no fruitfruit in seasonin season, , and on account of its evil and on account of its evil inclinations, will never of itself become fit for the inclinations, will never of itself become fit for the most loving and sweet interactions with the highest most loving and sweet interactions with the highest Good. Good. Therefore it must be shaped and reduced by Therefore it must be shaped and reduced by the hammer of adversities, refined in the crucible the hammer of adversities, refined in the crucible of tribulation,of tribulation, in order that it may become fit and in order that it may become fit and capable of the divine gifts and favors and may capable of the divine gifts and favors and may learn to despise terrestrial and fallacious goodslearn to despise terrestrial and fallacious goods, , wherein death is concealed.”wherein death is concealed.” (Mary of (Mary of Agreda)Agreda)

Caravaggio, The Flagellation of Christ, 1607.

3. To set us free: By the scourging He received, He wants to set us free, of all types of oppression and bondage.

The spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has sent me to proclaimrelease to thecaptives, and to let the oppressedgo free.

Thereupon those ministers of Satan, with many Thereupon those ministers of Satan, with many others, brought Jesus our Savior to the place of others, brought Jesus our Savior to the place of punishment, which was a courtyard or enclosure punishment, which was a courtyard or enclosure attached to the house and set apart for the torture of attached to the house and set apart for the torture of criminals in order to force them to confess their criminals in order to force them to confess their crimes. It was surrounded by a low, open building, crimes. It was surrounded by a low, open building, surrounded by columns, some of which supported the surrounded by columns, some of which supported the roof, while others were lower and stood free. To one of roof, while others were lower and stood free. To one of these columns, which was of marble, they bound these columns, which was of marble, they bound Jesus very securely; for they still thought Him a Jesus very securely; for they still thought Him a magician and feared his escape.magician and feared his escape.

Thus the Lord stood uncovered in the presence of a Thus the Lord stood uncovered in the presence of a great multitude and the six torturers bound Him great multitude and the six torturers bound Him brutally to one of the columns in order to chastise Him brutally to one of the columns in order to chastise Him so much the more at their ease. Then, two and two at so much the more at their ease. Then, two and two at a time, they began to scourge Him with such inhuman a time, they began to scourge Him with such inhuman cruelty, as was possible only in men possessed by cruelty, as was possible only in men possessed by Lucifer as were these executionersLucifer as were these executioners.. (Mary of Agreda. (Mary of Agreda. The Mystical City of God)The Mystical City of God)

2. Spirit of Penance2. Spirit of Penance

“Let these children of mineoffer me all their sufferings, all their misunderstandings, all their difficulties. This is the greatest gift that they can make to me.Nothing comforts my Sorrowful Heart more than a suffering which is offered to me out of love.” (Gobbi)

Guido Reni, Flagellation of Christ. 1640-42

4. Offer me your sufferings.4. Offer me your sufferings.

Vercelli, Flagellation of Christ, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

“I ask that they offer their sufferings in a spirit of reparation, of purification and of sanctification. I myself personally and lovingly take care to give consolation in suffering and, if it be in the will of the Lord, to offer the gift of healing.” (Gobbi)

5.**Spirit of Penance.5.**Spirit of Penance.

Vercelli, Flagellation of Christ, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

Christ, You who had done no wrong willingly bore the punishment of a common criminal for our sake.Help us to take the blows that fall our way, whether or not we think we deserve them.

“I fear no blows, because God is my shield.”(St. Faustina Kowalska)

5. Take the blows5A. Take the blows

Vercelli, Flagellation of Christ, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

By this mystery, let us ask for the grace of the spirit of prayer and penance, by which the world will be saved. Prayer and penance purify our souls and sanctify them.

5B. Spirit of penance

The first two scourged the innocent Savior with hard and The first two scourged the innocent Savior with hard and thick cordsthick cords, full of rough knots, full of rough knots, and in their sacrilegious , and in their sacrilegious fury strained all the powers of their body to inflict the fury strained all the powers of their body to inflict the blowsblows. This first scourging raised in the deified body of the . This first scourging raised in the deified body of the Lord great welts and livid tumors, so that the sacred blood Lord great welts and livid tumors, so that the sacred blood gathered beneath the skin and disfigured his entire body. gathered beneath the skin and disfigured his entire body. Already it began to ooze through the wounds. The first two Already it began to ooze through the wounds. The first two having at length desisted, having at length desisted, the second pair continued the the second pair continued the scourging in still greater emulation; with hardened leather scourging in still greater emulation; with hardened leather thongsthongs they leveled their strokes upon the places already they leveled their strokes upon the places already sore and caused the discolored tumors to break open and sore and caused the discolored tumors to break open and shed forth the sacred blood until it bespattered and shed forth the sacred blood until it bespattered and drenched the garments of the sacrilegious torturers, drenched the garments of the sacrilegious torturers, running down also in streams to the pavement. Those two running down also in streams to the pavement. Those two gave way to the gave way to the third pair of scourgers, who commenced third pair of scourgers, who commenced to beat the Lord with extremely tough rawhides, dried hard to beat the Lord with extremely tough rawhides, dried hard like osier twigs.like osier twigs. They scourged Him still more cruelly, They scourged Him still more cruelly, because they were wounding, not so much his virginal because they were wounding, not so much his virginal body, as cutting into the wounds already produced by the body, as cutting into the wounds already produced by the previous scourging. Besides they had been secretly incited previous scourging. Besides they had been secretly incited to greater fury by the demons, who were filled with new to greater fury by the demons, who were filled with new rage at the patience of Christrage at the patience of Christ.. (Mystical city of God) (Mystical city of God)

St. Augustine assures us that there is no spiritual exercise more fruitful or more useful than the frequent reflection on the sufferings of our Lord. Blessed Albert the Great, who had St. Thomas Aquinas as his student, learned in a revelation that by simply thinking of or meditating on the passion of Jesus Christ, a Christian gains more merit than if he had fasted on bread and water every Friday for a year, or had beaten himself with the discipline once a week till blood flowed, or had recited the whole Book of Psalms every day. If this is so, then how great must be the merit we can gain from the Rosary, which commemorates the whole life and passion of our Lord? (St. Louis Montfort)

3. The actual scourging as 3. The actual scourging as revealed by Our Ladyrevealed by Our Lady

Michael Pacher, Flagellation of Christ. 1495. Church of Salzburg. Vienna.

6. Let us never forget that we have been redeemed at great price by the precious blood of Christ.

“By the stripesof Christ, weare healed andset free. By thescourging, Heatoned formankind’s sins of sensuality and impurity.”(Gobbi)

7. “At the first blow of the scourging, I fell as if dead, and on recovering my senses, I beheld His Body bruised and beaten to the very ribs, so that His ribs could be seen.”

(Our Lady said to St. Bridget of Sweden.)

Passion of Christ. Movie

7A.The normal procedure was to be whipped 39 times. Jesus was whipped furiously: the demons took possession of the soldiers. Jesus’ flesh was so torn, you could see His bones.

Passion of Christ. Movie

8.*** “Pray for those who are possessed by hatred. Pray for those who are consumed by revenge.”Not for one moment did she (Our Lady) stop praying for theenemies and torturers of her Son. (Mary of Agreda. Mystical city of God.)

Passion of Christ. Movie

8A. For forty five minutes she witnessed the scourging of her divine Son by three successive pairs of cursing Egyptian slaves armed with hard cords, thorny branches and chains equipped with sharp iron hooks.

Passion of Christ. Movie

8B. The great Lord and Author of all creation who, by his divine The great Lord and Author of all creation who, by his divine nature was incapable of suffering, was, in his human flesh and for nature was incapable of suffering, was, in his human flesh and for our sake, reduced to a man of sorrows.our sake, reduced to a man of sorrows. (Mary of Agreda)(Mary of Agreda)

Passion of Christ. Movie

As the veins of the sacred body had now been As the veins of the sacred body had now been opened and his whole Person seemed but one opened and his whole Person seemed but one continued wound, the third pair found no more continued wound, the third pair found no more room for new wounds. Their ceaseless blows room for new wounds. Their ceaseless blows inhumanly inhumanly tore the immaculate and virginal flesh tore the immaculate and virginal flesh of Christ our Redeemer and scattered many pieces of Christ our Redeemer and scattered many pieces of it about the pavementof it about the pavement; so much so that a ; so much so that a large large portion of the shoulder-bones were exposedportion of the shoulder-bones were exposed and and showed red through the flowing blood: in other showed red through the flowing blood: in other places also the places also the bones were laid barebones were laid bare larger than larger than the palm of the hand. In order to wipe out entirely the palm of the hand. In order to wipe out entirely that beauty, which exceeded that of all other men that beauty, which exceeded that of all other men (Ps. 44, 3), (Ps. 44, 3), they beat Him in the face and in the feet they beat Him in the face and in the feet and hands, thus leaving unwounded not a single and hands, thus leaving unwounded not a single spotspot in which they could exert their fury and wrath in which they could exert their fury and wrath against the most innocent Lamb. against the most innocent Lamb. The divine blood The divine blood flowed to the ground, gathering here and there in flowed to the ground, gathering here and there in great abundancegreat abundance. . (Mary of Agreda. Mystical City of (Mary of Agreda. Mystical City of God.)God.)

The scourging in the face, and in the hands and The scourging in the face, and in the hands and feet, was unspeakably painfulfeet, was unspeakably painful, because these , because these parts are so full of sensitive and delicate nerves. parts are so full of sensitive and delicate nerves. His venerable countenance became so swollen His venerable countenance became so swollen and wounded that the blood and the swellings and wounded that the blood and the swellings blinded Himblinded Him. In addition to their blows . In addition to their blows the the executioners spited upon his Person their executioners spited upon his Person their disgusting spittle and loaded Him with insulting disgusting spittle and loaded Him with insulting epithets epithets (Thren. 3, 30). (Thren. 3, 30). The exact number of blows The exact number of blows dealt out to the Savior from head to foot was 5,115.dealt out to the Savior from head to foot was 5,115. The great Lord and Author of all creation who, by The great Lord and Author of all creation who, by his divine nature was incapable of suffering, was, his divine nature was incapable of suffering, was, in his human flesh and for our sake, reduced to a in his human flesh and for our sake, reduced to a man of sorrowsman of sorrows as prophesied, and was made to as prophesied, and was made to experience our infirmities, becoming the last of experience our infirmities, becoming the last of men (Is. 53, 3), a man of sorrows and the outcast men (Is. 53, 3), a man of sorrows and the outcast of the people. of the people. (Mystical city of God)(Mystical city of God)

Diego Rodriguez de Silva, Christ after the Flagellation, 1632. National Gallery. London.

9. Christ after flagellation.“There are few souls who contemplate My Passion with true feeling. I give great graces to souls who meditate devoutly on My Passion”-----Jesus spoke to St. Faustina Kowalska.

Jaime Huguet, Flagellation of Christ, 1492. Museum of Louvre. Paris

10. Today Jesus is scourged in his body by the spread of sins of impurity, by this flood of filth, and by so many offences committed against the dignity of the human person. (Gobbi)

The ( National ) RosaryThe ( National ) Rosary For the Evangelization of For the Evangelization of (Nations)(Nations)

1.1. Fatima Prayer:Fatima Prayer: To Eucharistic Jesus, source of all To Eucharistic Jesus, source of all evangelization.evangelization.

““O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are in most need of thy all souls to heaven, especially those who are in most need of thy mercy.”mercy.”

2.2. Invocation of the Holy Spirit:Invocation of the Holy Spirit: Principal agent of Principal agent of evangelization.evangelization.

““Come, Holy Spirit! Fill the hearts of the (National) people and Come, Holy Spirit! Fill the hearts of the (National) people and enkindle in them the fire of your love! Come by means of the enkindle in them the fire of your love! Come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well-powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well-beloved Spouse.”beloved Spouse.”

3. 3. Prayer to Our Lady of ( Nation ):Prayer to Our Lady of ( Nation ): Star of the new Star of the new evangelization.evangelization.

““Hail Holy Queen, Mother of (Nation), come and present the Hail Holy Queen, Mother of (Nation), come and present the (National) people to Jesus, the fruit of thy womb.(National) people to Jesus, the fruit of thy womb.

Look upon them continually with mercy and through your Look upon them continually with mercy and through your intercession with the divine Redeemer, heal themintercession with the divine Redeemer, heal them of their sufferings, of their sufferings, deliver them from all evil, and fill them with your love.”deliver them from all evil, and fill them with your love.”

We pray in Communion with all the Angels and Saints in We pray in Communion with all the Angels and Saints in Heaven !Heaven !