THE MYSTERY OF THE CROWN OF THORNS by A PASSIONIST FATHER the author of "The Christian Trumpet, " "Voice ofJesus Suffering, " etc. Preserving Christian Public? '.ions; Inc. New York 1999 PREFACE The special obligation contracted by the Religious of the Most Holy Cross and Passion, known under the name of Passionists, of promoting, in the minds and hearts of the faithful, the pious memory of, and the salutary devotion to, the sacred mysteries of our Savior's Passion, has suggested the idea of this book the Crown of Thorns of our divine Lord and Redeemer. In preparing for publication another work, entitled, "The Voice of Jesus Suffering in the Mind and Heart of Christians, " the author was deeply impressed with the terrible and affecting sight of the Incarnate Son of God, crowned with sharp thorns, mocked, insulted, blasphemed, and tortured by cruel executioners. This extraordinary and awful spectacle, never before witnessed in the history of human suffering and human barbarity, naturally makes on the mind of the Christian believer the impression that some important mystery is intended by the divine Victim in consenting to endure such unheard-of tortures and deep humiliations. So far as his limited capacity and the means at his disposal would allow, the author has endeavored to study this very interesting subject, and ventures to give in this little work the result of his labors. In the Office and Mass of the Crown of Thorns, appointed by our Holy Mother the Church for the first Friday in Lent, the most striking figures of the Crown of Thorns are pointed out to us in various parts of the Old Testament. These have been explained in the first six chapters of this book. Through these instructive figures we are, step by step, led to the threshold of Pilate's palace in Jerusalem, and are introduced into the inner courts where we behold their realization in the person of our divine Lord, crowned with sharp thorns, as the King of ignominy and sorrow. Here his sufferings and humiliations are described, and their causes and effects examined at some length. The First Part of this book closes with a brief Published in 1879 by: history of the real Crown of Thorns of our dear Savior. D & J Saddlier & Co. The profound and sublime mystery of the Crown of Thorns will be this work, wherein we Published in 1999 by: found more fully developed in the Second Part of Preserving Christian Publications, Inc. shall see this glorious crown shining in the miraculous sun of Venerable P. O. Box 6129, Albany, New York 12206 Anna Maria Taigi in Rome, and impressed on the Sacred Heart of our Savior Printed at: as manifested to his favorite servant, Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque, Anaswara Printing Pub, & Co., Kochi, India at Paray Le Monial in France. We will admire and venerate it on the heads pious Christians are disposed to peruse a plain and affecting descrip- of more than fifty illustrious saints and eminent servants of God, who have many tion of his bitter sufferings. glorified it with their devotion and sufferings, and adorned it with their candid reader will be able to judge how far we have succeeded tears and blood, during the last seven centuries. The in this portion of our work. Experience shows that a variety of judicious The mystic Crown of Thorns is actually pointed out to us on the edifying extracts from the lives of the saints and of eminent brows of several living servants of God, especially on the bleeding head selections of proves interesting to the generality of Catholic readers. of Louise Lateau in Belgium, and of Palma Maria of Oria in Italy, the two servants of God special manner the case when supernatural facts are intermixed wonders of the present age. This is in a in the selection. The human mind aspires to the supernatural which is its In writing this new work on the Crown of Thorns of our divine prefers to be taught rather by example than by precept. A Lord, we had no model for our guidance. Various events of different final end, and very considerable portion of this book will be found to contain historical kinds suggested at first and gradually, developed the idea of this book. events of this description, which will prove, we trust, both interesting and We have gathered together the fittest materials that we could find scattered to all piously disposed minds. Because our idea of a practical in different works, and have endeavored to arrange them in the best order edifying of Thorns of our divine Savior is more fully developed our judgment could suggest. The large work of the learned Dominican devotion to the Crown first chapter of the Third Part of this book, to avoid repetition, we Father Angelo Pacciuchello, on the Passion of our Lord, has given us in the reader to its contents. some valuable assistance. We are indebted to the celebrated Father Joachim refer the submitting this work to the careful revision of competent eccle- Ventura, who also seems to have used Pacciuchello, for some sublime In persons, we have been highly encouraged by their kind and useful ideas about the Crown of Thorns of our blessed Lord. The siastic and lay and, be allowed to say, by their flattering encomiums, principal historical events relative to the mystical Crown of Thorns, approval, we may great part very likely dictated by their friendly dispositions and charitable enumerated in the last chapters of the Second Part of this book, and in condescension towards the humble author. From less favorably disposed the sketch of Palma Maria's life, we have compiled from the second claim the right of being judged in conformity with the golden volume of the French work, "Les Stigmatisees, " by the illustrious and critics we St. Augustine: "In necessariis unitas: in dubiis libertas; in omnibus pious French author, A. Imbert Gourbeyre, an eminent professor in the maxim of " After long and mature consideration, and urged by the repeated medical college of Clermont Ferrard, France. charitas. and exhortations of several persons whom we esteem and respect, Our aim has been to instruct and edify, whilst endeavoring to please. advice have at last consented to lay before the public this little work on devotion In this age of superficiality the taste of modern readers has been vitiated we to the Crown of Thorns. We can only claim one qualification for this by light literature. Grave, dogmatic, and didactic works, how learnedsoever undertaking, which is that of having experienced a small share of the physical they may be, will scarcely be noticed by the majority of Christians. We moral sufferings of the Crown of Thorns. Thus we can more easily are convinced that an explanation of the symbolical portions of the Holy and enter into the spirit of this devotion, and feel some little compassion for Scripture, relating to the sacred mysteries of our holy religion, and more the sufferings and humiliations of our thorn-crowned Savior. From what especially to the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, has the charm of novelty have stated, this book will be found divided into three parts. In the First and the power of attracting the attention of the ordinary Christian reader.. we Part we assign the motives which should induce every Christian to have A favorable opportunity is thus afforded of conveying directly and almost a special devotion to our suffering Lord crowned with thorns as the King insensibly much useful information and practical instruction, which would of sorrows. In the Second Part we give a brief history of the mystic Crown be rejected if offered in a more direct and positive way. In explaining the of Thorns in the Church. In the Third Part we venture to propose some figures of the Crown of Thorns, we have followed this plan, and have kept special practices of devotion, which we trust will be found conducive to in view the proposed end. Comparatively few persons are either able or the honor and glory of our thorn-crowned King, and to the spiritual welfare willing to make serious meditations on the Passion of our divine Lord: but — of pious Christians. We submit in anticipation this book and everything CONTENTS else we have written to the infallible judgment of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, the mother and mistress of all the Churches, whose obedient, Preface respectful and affectionate son we wish to live and to die. In sincere compliance with the decree of Pope Urban VIII and of FIRST PART any other supreme Pontiff, the author declares that, in giving any title of Introduction 13 respect and veneration to any servant of God mentioned in this book, and Chapter 1 : Figure of the Crown of Thorns 16 not yet canonized or beatified, he intends to express his own personal Chapter 2: Figure of the Thorns, Adam and Eve 20 sentiments only, without wishing in the least to anticipate the judgment Chapter 3: Figure of the Burning Bush, Moses of the Holy and Apostolic See. 26 Chapter 4: Figure of the Ark of the Covenant 29 G. R., C. P. Chapter 5: Figure of the Azazel, or the Emissary Goat 34 FEAST OF OUR MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Chapter 6: Figure of the Ram amongst the Briars - October 23, 1876. Abraham and Isaac 39 Chapter 7: Jesus Crowned with Thorns - Preliminary Remarks ... 46 Chapter 8: The Crown of Thorns a Crown of Pain ... 59 Chapter 9: The Crown of Thorns a Crown of Ignominy ... 65 Chapter 10: Jesus Crowned with Thorns is Shown by Pilate to the Jewish People ..