The first accusations by the Jews were vague and false. Pilate rejected them and declared Jesus innocent. Some points were beneath our Lord’s dignity to merit a reply. The sanctity of his life answered for him and proved his divinity. Despite efforts to appear human, his answers to the judge revealed his divinity.
Happy is the man whose conduct is a conclusive defence against the false accusations of the wicked and envious! Happier still if his conscience bears witness to his constant effort to be spotless before God.
The astonishment of Pilate was not surprising. It was natural for an accused to defend himself before a tribunal from which there was no appeal, and whose death was eagerly sought. Particularly when the judge favors his cause. But Jesus was silent. Pilate could not understand the calm dignity of our Lord’s silence.
We are better off than Pilate, for we know why Jesus was silent. He was determined to die for us. Having manifested the truth, he would not say a single word to save his life. By his silence he chose to expiate our sins of the tongue, and to teach us to avoid an angry reply to whoever wounds our feelings, or injures us.
After Pilate had acknowledged the innocence of Jesus, his duty was to silence the accusers, and dismiss them with the contempt they deserved. This he dared not do. The Jews, perceiving his weakness, pressed their advantage. They succeeded in besieging him to grant what was against his conscience.
The devil treats us in this same way. Once he sees us hesitating between God and creatures, or conscience and our passions, he takes advantage of our weakness, and grows bolder than ever. His arguments deafen our ears. He terrifies us with imaginary difficulties, and gives us no peace till we consent to sin.
Let us be aware of our weakness; and reasonably in fear of the tempter, never yield a bit. We must firmly resist his first suggestions, arming ourselves, as the Apostle says, with the shield of faith and prayer.
Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp129-31
Jesus insulted at the court of Herod
Herod had put St John Baptist to death. He wanted the Saviour of the world of whom he had heard so much, to work a miracle before him, not that he might be converted; but simply to gratify his vanity and curiosity.
God does not grant extraordinary graces to such men; but reserves them for the humble, who deem themselves unworthy of them. He delights to pour them on those who are emptied of self, dead to self-love, seeking only his greater glory. These souls ask for extraordinary graces or miracles only that they may serve him better, or gain others to his service.
Why do we receive so few extraordinary graces? We probably lack these dispositions or made little progress in them despite many years in our state in life.
Wonderful indeed was the silence and passiveness of our Lord before Herod. He was accused of great crimes; but he could have confounded them in a few words, and turned the tide in his favor.
Yet he held his peace. He went there to receive a sentence for life or death. Had Jesus worked a miracle as Herod desired, he would have found protection; but he did not.
Herod and his court regarded the calm silence of our Lord as helplessness and stupidity; and treated it as such. Jesus kept silence to punish Herod’s pride and to teach us to mortify ours.
Pride is our greatest trial: it makes us desire esteem, notice, praise, and applause, especially from the powerful. Have we fought steadfastly against this unruly passion of pride?
Let us contemplate Jesus, the King of Glory, the eternal Wisdom; standing before Herod, insulted by the coarse and stupid mob. Let us, in spirit, follow him wearing the fool’s robe through the streets of Jerusalem. The immense crowd which the Paschal feast had brought into the city jeering at him.
When we contemplate Jesus Christ as the living model of perfection, it should kindle in our hearts an ardent desire to imitate him, and willingly serve him. To be ready for his love, to be despised, insulted, reviled, and even considered a fool despite our innocence.
This is the ‘foolishness of the Cross’. Many of God’s servants have travelled by this road.
Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp131-3
Jesus insulted and crowned with thorns
After the outrage of scourging, insults were heaped on our Lord. Pilate’s soldiers, who had led him to Herod, were anxious that these insults should excel those given to him there. Having been treated as a fool, they now crown him as the king of fools.
“... taking Jesus into the hall, they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand, knelt before him and mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ They spat on him, took the reed and struck him on the head.” (Mt 27:27-30)
If we slowly read every word of this passage, we shall see how truly Jeremiah had prophesied of the Messiah ‘... he shall be filled with reproaches’. If we then ask ourselves, ‘Who is it that is thus treated? For what reason?’
Our hearts will burn with love. On placing the crown of thorns, they struck it on the top with a reed.
Why then did Jesus not break down after this additional torment, following so rapidly his scourging? Did he work a miracle to blunt the edge of his sufferings?
No; but he exerted his miraculous power that he might not collapse and cause his death; so that no one else might ever suffer as he had done. All this was for love of me!
It was the will of our Lord that his head, which had escaped the scourging, should also bear its distinct punishment. That he might expiate our sins of thought -- the many thoughts and desires of pride, ambition, rebellion, hatred, vengeance, impurity, and injustice which fill the heads of men. So that we will not lose all thought of the presence and justice of God.
With what wonderful patience did our Lord bear these extraordinary insults and sufferings! His eyes were not covered now, as they were in Herod’s court. They mocked him as a prophet.
He accepted the insulting homage which one soldier after another offered him in ridicule. He saw the spittle which they dared direct in his face fulfilling to the letter Isaiah’s prophecy -- ‘I have not turned away my face from them that spit upon me.’
He saw the arms of the soldiers raised to strike him; but never moved to evade them. Snatching the reed from his hand, he let go. When they gave it back, he took it.
As we behold this wonderful patience, we should recall our own impatience at the least contradiction. How about our secret but eager desires for the praise and adulation of the world? Of the resentment we feel in our hearts against those who offended or belittled us?
“If Jesus, covered with ignominy, was always before your minds, you would desire rather to be beneath the feet of all men, than to exercise superiority over any one.” (Thomas à Kempis, “Imitation of Christ”) We should, then, ardently long to be despised and to suffer for the love of Jesus.
Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp143-5
• Our Lady of the Forsaken, at Valencia, Spain. This image is in a chapel, where it is said that great noise is made when any one is drowned or assassinated near the city. — Triple Couronne, n. 28. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com)
• Our Lady of the Forsaken and Our Lady of Puig. Valencia, Spain. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
• Our Lady of the Forsaken (Valencia, Spain). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
• Our Lady of Puig, Valencia, Spain. (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)
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