Third Sorrowful Mysteries
Crowning with Thorns - Fortitude
Narrative:
The Crowning With Thorns
1. Pilate asks, “Are You a king?” Jesus answers: “I am a King, but My kingdom is not of this world.”
2. In the praetorium, the soldiers place an old purple robe on Jesus in mockery of His claim to be a king.
3. They fashion a crown out of thorns, and forcefully press it down upon His head.
4. In His bound hands they place a reed, as a sceptre, in mockery of His kingship.
5. Kneeling before Him in derision, they spit on Him, and cry out: “Hail, King of the Jews!”
6. Taking the reed from His hand they strike Him on the head, driving the thorns more deeply into His scalp.
7. Pilate brings Jesus before the people, hoping His pitiful sight will soften them: “Behold the man!”
8. Their response: “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
9. Our Blessed Lord submitted to this terrible humiliation to make reparation for our pride.
10. Father, by the merits of this painful humiliation, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Spiritual Fruit:
Fortitude
Definition of Fortitude
1. Courage to Correct Sinners
2. Prayers for Strength
3. Firmness in Difficulties
4. Constancy through Patience
5. Conquer Fear
6. Hope
[Definition of Fortitude]
Fortitude is:
[1] Moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good.
[2] Strengthens the resolve to resist temptations and to overcome obstacles in the moral life
[3] Enables one to conquer fear, even fear of death, and to face trials and persecutions.
[4] It disposes one even to renounce and sacrifice his life in defense of a just cause.
[5] “The Lord is my strength and my song.” “In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
-Catechism #1808
Keywords:
firmness in difficulties, constancy, strength, ability to conquer fear.
Dictionaries' definitions:
(1) 'Strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage.'
-Merriam-webster
(2) 'Courage in pain or adversity'
E.G. she endured her illness with great fortitude"
-Oxford Languages
[1. Courage to Correct Sinners]
*Precautionary Note before Reading Further:
Don't judge or one will be judged
“Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.” -Jesus to his disciples (Mt 7:1-5)
Reflections:
-Do not judge/punish/condemn the person. Instead, correct the vice.
-Intention is to help the person.
-Also, humility is knowing that others are better than oneself.
-If we judge someone, that he is like this or that, we built an image of him/her in our mind. Whenever we see that person, the wrong image will appear in our mind and in turn it reduces love for others. This leads to evil and conflict and in turn will have undesirable consequences. Therefore, we see the wrong but we don't hold it inside.
-By judging, we also forget that very often, we are poorer sinners and become hypocrites like the Pharisees.
-Slandering can also cause irreversible damage. For example, Pope Francis mentioned that 'like when a grenade explodes, no matter how hard we try afterwards, it is very difficult to recover those shrapnel without causing damage.'
-Saints' Quotes on Correcting Sinners:
"Reprimand and rebuke should be accepted as healing remedies for vice and as conducive to good health. From this it is clear that those who pretend to be tolerant because they wish to flatter-----those who thus fail to correct sinners-----actually cause them to suffer supreme loss and plot the destruction of that life which is their true life."
-St. Basil the Great
"Be brave, do not be led by what others think or say!"
-St. John Bosco
"I do not fear at all what men can do to me for speaking the truth. I only fear what God would do if I were to lie."
-St. John Bosco
[2. Prayers for Strength]
"I never shrink from any undertaking which I know is good and necessary, no matter what the difficulties. If, for example, I must see some unfriendly important person, I don’t hesitate, but first I recite a Hail Mary. I do the same before calling on anybody. Then, come what may, I do my best and leave the rest to the Lord."
-St. John Bosco
"Pray! Pray, but with faith – with living faith! Courage! Onward, ever onward!"
-St. John Bosco
"Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
-Prayer from St. Francis of Assisi
[3. Firmness in Difficulties]
"The principal act of courage is to endure and withstand dangers doggedly rather than to attack them."
-St. Thomas Aquinas
"Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections."
-St. Francis de Sales
[4. Constancy through Patience]
"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them---every day begin the task anew."
-St. Francis de Sales
"Though the path is plain and smooth for men of good will, he who walks it will not travel far, and will do so only with difficulty, if he does not have good feet: that is, courage and a persevering spirit."
-St. John of the Cross'
[5. Conquer Fear]
"When one is convinced that his cause is just, he will fear nothing."
-St. John Bosco
"Don't be afraid, Our Lady will send us all that is necessary."
-St. John Bosco
[6. Hope]
"Hope has two beautiful daughters: their names are anger and courage. Anger that things are the way they are. Courage to make them the way they ought to be."
-St. Augustine
