The Eighth Mystery: The Crowning with Thorns
The Fruit: Mortification of Pride

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1. Thereupon they took Jesus to the praetorium, where, with the same cruelty and contempt, they again despoiled Him of His garments and in order to deride Him before all the people as a counterfeit king, clothed Him in a much torn and soiled mantle of purple color.

2. They placed also upon His Sacred Head a cap made of woven thorns, to serve Him as a crown (John 19:2). This cap was woven of thorn branches and in such a manner that many of the hard and sharp thorns would penetrate into the skull, some of them to the ears and others to the eyes. Hence one of the greatest tortures suffered by the Lord was that of the Crown of Thorns.

3. Instead of a scepter they placed into His hands a contemptible reed.

4. In this array of a mock-king the perfidious Jews decked out Him, Who by His nature and by every right was the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords (Apoc. 19:16). Then all the soldiers, in the presence of the priests and pharisees, gathered around Him and heaped upon Him their blasphemous mockery and derision.

5. Some of them bent their knees and mockingly said to Him, God save Thee, King of the Jews.

6. Others buffeted Him; others snatched the cane from His hands and struck Him on His crowned head; other ejected their disgusting spittle upon Him; all of them, instigated by furious demons, insulted and affronted Him in different manners.

7. It seemed to Pilate that the spectacle of a man so ill-treated as Jesus of Nazareth would move and fill with shame the hearts of that ungrateful people. He therefore commanded Jesus to be brought from the praetorium to an open window, where all could see Him crowned with thorns, disfigured by the scourging and the ignominious vestiture of a mock-king.

8. Pilate himself spoke to the people, calling out to them: "Ecce Homo!" "Behold, what a man!" (John 19:5). See this Man, Whom you hold as your enemy!

9. What more can I do with Him than to have punished Him in this severe manner? You certainly have nothing more to fear from Him. I do not find any cause of death in Him."

10. As the priests and pharisees, in their eager and insatiable hostility, were  determined upon taking away the Life of Christ Our Savior, nothing but His Death would content or satisfy them; therefore they answered Pilate: "Crucify Him, Crucify Him!" (John 19:6).

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