The Scourging at the Pillar

Christ endures the scourging

The Gospels tell us that Jesus is scourged during the events leading to his Crucifixion. Their accounts are brief. The second Sorrowful Mystery contemplates this suffering. The few words recorded in the Gospels are the basis for our meditation on the violence done to the innocent Jesus.

Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, and John 19:1 record the scourging within the events of the trial before Pilate. His willingness to give himself for our salvation does not make the violence good. We contemplate the love with which he endures it and the mercy he brings to a wounded world.

The fruit of purity

Purity is a traditional fruit of this decade. It concerns the heart and the way we regard other people: as persons beloved by God, never as objects to possess or use. A habit that treats another person carelessly may come to mind during the prayer. We ask for help in changing it and in respecting that person's dignity, including in private thoughts and conversations.

This fruit must never be used to blame someone who has suffered abuse. Another person's violence cannot take away the victim's dignity before God. In this decade, we remember especially those who have suffered violence or abuse. We pray for their safety and healing, and for people helping them find protection. Listening to a victim and seeking appropriate help are part of that care.

Contemplating the Passion

Some people find the image of the scourging difficult to look at. The Gospel passage provides the account of this mystery even when the picture is set aside. Its brevity also allows us to attend to Christ's suffering without trying to supply further details.