2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar

By Ivonne Hernandez

St Peter Julian Eymard's Words:

​"The Eucharist is the Divine lightning-rod that wards off the thunderbolts of Divine Justice. As a tender and devoted mother presses her child to her bosom, puts her arms around it, and shields it with her body to save it from the wrath of an angry father, so Jesus multiplies His presence everywhere, covers the world and envelops it with His merciful presence. Divine Justice does not know then where to strike; it dares not." (Eymard, The Real Presence, p.162)


MEDITATION:

The mystery of the scourging at the pillar speaks to us of forbearance, an extraordinary patient endurance under provocation. With extraordinary patience Jesus endured His Passion out of love for us. Bound to the pillar, He willingly took on the punishment for us, atoning for our sins and teaching us by His example. In the Eucharist He continues to be an example of forbearance for us. Bound to the bread and wine He waits for us, continually interceding to the Father on our behalf, until the end of time.

Amid the blows life throws at us, and the scourging caused by our own sins, we faintly remember that “my help comes from the Lord.” (Psalm 121:2) When the pain is too much and we feel we are about to faint, amid the blows and the blood we seek His face and pray, Lord, “Hide me in the shadow of your wings!” (Psalm 17:8)

The blows keep coming, but now we are shielded by His Body. He covers us with Himself so we can regain our strength. We see His beautiful face, loving us as He grimaces in pain. He is glad to suffer for us, to teach us what to do. He tells us to drink His blood, the one dripping from His wounds. Inebriated with this cup we’ll say, “But you have given my heart more joy than they have when grain and wine abound.” (Psalm 4:8) With this gladness now we see what we must do. We have the grace to endure too. We take our place like Him, over our neighbor who is feeling weak. We pass the cup with love and say, “take and drink, this is the blood He shed for you.”


SEND:

When you meditate on the mystery of the scourging at the pillar, ask Our Lady for the grace to endure the suffering God allows in your life.

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