Saint Augustine says that one tear shed at the remembrance of Christ’s Passion is worth more than a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and a year of fasting on bread and water. Meditate on the cruel reproaches suffered by Jesus with the stirring writing of Saint Alphonsus Liguori.
Then they spat in His face and buffeted Him. After having proclaimed Him guilty of death, as a man already given over to punishment and declared infamous, the rabble set themselves to ill-treat Him all the night through with blows, and buffets, and kicks, with plucking out His beard, and even spitting in His face, by mocking Him as a false prophet and saying, Prophesy to us, O Christ, who it is that struck You.
All this our Redeemer foretold by Isaiah: I have given My body to the strikers, and My cheeks to them that plucked them: I have not turned away My face from them that rebuked Me and spit upon Me.
The devout Tauler relates that it is an opinion of Saint Jerome that all the pains and infirmities which Jesus suffered on that night will be made known only on the day of the last judgment.
Saint Augustine, speaking of the ignominies suffered by Jesus Christ, says, “If this medicine cannot cure our pride, I know not what can.”
Ah, my Jesus, how is it that You are so humble and I so proud? O Lord, give me light, make me know who You are, and who I am. Then they spat in His face. “Spat!” O God, what greater affront can there be than to be defiled by spitting? “To be spit upon is to suffer the extreme of insult,” says Origen. Where are we wont to spit except in the most filthy place? And did You, my Jesus, suffer Yourself to be spit upon in the face?
Behold how these wretches outrage You with blows and kicks, insult You, spit on Your face, do with You just what they will, and do You not threaten nor reprove them? When He was reviled, He reviled not; when He suffered, He threatened not; but delivered Himself to him that judged Him unjustly.
No, but like an innocent lamb, humble and meek, You suffered all without so much as complaining, offering all to the Father to obtain the pardon of our sins: Like a lamb before the shearer, He shall be dumb, and shall not open His mouth.
Saint Gertrude one day, when meditating on the injuries done to Jesus in His passion, began to praise and bless Him; this was so pleasing to Our Lord that He lovingly thanked her. Ah, my reviled Lord, You are the King of heaven, the Son of the Most High; You surely deserved not to be ill-treated and despised, but to be adored and loved by all creatures. I adore You, I bless You, I thank You, I love You with all my heart. I repent of having offended You. Help me, have pity upon me.
Presently we will speak of the other reproaches which Jesus Christ endured, until He finally died on the cross: He endured the cross, despising the shame. In the meanwhile let us consider how truly in our Redeemer was fulfilled what the Psalmist had foretold, that in His passion He should become the reproach of men, and the outcast of the people: But I am a worm, and no man; the reproach of men, and the outcast of the people, even to a death of ignominy, suffered at the hands of the executioner on a cross, as a malefactor between two malefactors: And He was reputed with the wicked.
O Lord, the Most High, exclaims Saint Bernard, become the lowest among men! O lofty one become vile! O glory of angels become the reproach of men! “O lowest and highest! O humble and sublime! O reproach of men and glory of angels!” “O grace, O strength of the love of God!” continues Saint Bernard.
Thus did the Lord Most High over all become the most lightly esteemed of all. “O grace, O power of love, did the highest of all thus become the lowest of all?” And who was it (adds the saint) that did this? “Who hath done this? Love.”
All this has the love which God bears towards men done, to prove how He loves us, and to teach us by His example how to suffer with peace contempt and injuries: Christ suffered for us (writes Saint Peter), leaving you an example, that you may follow His steps.
Saint Eleazar, when asked by his wife how he came to endure with such peace the great injuries that were done him, answered, “I turn to look on Jesus enduring contempt and say that my affronts are as nothing in respect to those which He my God was willing to bear for me.”
Ah, my Jesus, and how is it that, at the sight of a God thus dishonored for love of me, I know not how to suffer the least contempt for love of You? A sinner, and proud! And whence, my Lord, can come this pride?
I pray You by the merits of the contempt You suffered, give me grace to suffer with patience and gladness all affronts and injuries. From this day forth I propose by Your help nevermore to resent them, but to receive with joy all the reproaches that shall be offered me. Truly have I deserved greater contempt for having despised Your divine majesty, and deserved the contempt of hell. Exceeding sweet and pleasant to me have You rendered affronts, my beloved Redeemer, by having embraced so great contempt for love of me.
Henceforth I propose, in order to please You, to benefit as much as possible whoever despises me; at least to speak well of and pray for him. And even now I pray You to heap Your graces upon all those from whom I have received any injury. I love You, O infinite good, and will ever love You as much as I can. Amen.
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This article is taken from a chapter in The Road to Calvary by St. Alphonsus Liguori which is available from TAN Books.
