During Holy Week, the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, as recorded by the four evangelists, Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, is each read during Holy Mass on four separate days. As we would expect, the accounts of Christ's Passion and Death, are virtually the same, although each evangelist approaches his task from a slightly different angle, with different emphases. In this short post, I have taken an extract from 'Treading the Winepress' - with Christ in His Passion, by Wm Stephenson S.J. in which the writer considers Our Lord's scourging at the pillar. He also raises the question of why we are perhaps rarely moved when considering Christ's Passion, and suggests that it is because we come to it as an intellectual exercise, not sufficiently allowing it to sink into the heart. He proposes that before commencing a contemplation, we should ask for the grace of compassion, that we may taste and see Jesus' sufferings, feel sorrow with Him, weep over His grief and the great pains He bore for us. Finally he suggests that we do well to ask the sorrowful Virgin Mother to obtain for us this precious grace.
'Christ's Scourging at the Pillar' by Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) (Wikipedia)
The punishment of 'scourging', the horror of which is almost beyond utterance or thought, though also a distinctive penalty, usually preceded the death sentence under Roman administration – which sentence itself was sometimes commuted to it. It was a cruel and shameful form of punishment, which at that time was in full use in the Roman provinces, whilst by law every Roman citizen was exempt. So terrible was the punishment that under the fury of the stripes, the unfortunate victim, amid screams and bodily torture, sometimes fell in a senseless heap, or was taken away a mass of bleeding flesh, only to find deliverance in death, if, indeed, he had not already died.
Is it any wonder, then, that at the pre-vision in Gethsemani of such an ordeal, Our Lord shrank back in fear, imploring His Father to remove the Chalice from Him? But through the excess of love He had for man – for each one of us-- He freely offered Himself to be scourged.
SS. Matthew and Mark dismiss Jesus' scourging with a phrase, saying no more because people of their time knew its nature well. St John in a single sentence records this dreadful punishment, which (it is said) in horror and suffering equalled crucifixion: “Then therefore, Pilate took Jesus, and scourged Him.” The scourging was one of Christ's severest sufferings, one which He usually mentioned when foretelling His Passion. It was this torment, this baptism in his own blood, that all but killed Him. In picturing the scene it will help the memory, and help us also to stir up within us the affections, if we ask; Who? What? Why?
So terrible was the punishment of scourging, that in the criminal law of the Jews, the number of lashes was strictly limited to forty; but in Roman law no such limitation existed, all being left to the pleasure – to the ferocity-- of the lictors. What then, do the soldiers do? Seizing Jesus, they drag Him rudely into the public courtyard, where there is a short pillar with a chain attached, the sight of which must cause Him to shudder. They strip Him of His garments, and fasten Him to the pillar, hands and arms tightly bound, His bare back nearly horizontal. Then these strong men, only too eager to vent on any Jew the intense grudge they bear against the Jewish nation, gird themselves to do their savage work – to scourge Christ.
According to tradition, they have scourges of cord, or, probably, the flagellum, of which Roman writers speak with horror; scourges armed at the end with drops of lead or small sharp-pointed bones. At the given signal, each man begins to work with his scourge upon the virginal body of the Saviour, the purest, most perfect body ever made. Incited by the demons, each and all vent their rage in lashing Him till the skin is broken, the flesh torn, and the body from the sole of the foot to the top of the head is one sore, covered with blood. It makes small difference to these men if they draw blood. They strike away, one after another, till every member of that immaculate Body agonizes with pain, and keep on striking Our Lord standing in His own blood, till He falls on the pavement, His body a mass of bleeding flesh. “We have seen Him” exclaims the prophet, “there is no beauty in Him, nor comeliness, (no, not even) sightliness, that we should be desirous of Him” (Is..53)
(ack. 'Treading the Winepress' by Wm Stephenson S.J. - 'With Christ in His Passion.'
- fourth edition (1971) published by Cahill & Co Ltd., Dublin, for Irish Messenger Office.)
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