The CrucifixionThese meditations are taken from "The City of God", by Venerable Mary of Agreda (Spain) and are used with permission of JMJ Book Co. Necedah, Wisconsin, USA. Our Lady is alleged to have appeared to Venerable Mary daily over a period of approx. 10 years, instructing her to write the story of the lives of Jesus and Mary. A condensed version of the "City of God", which itself is 4 volumes, (over 1600 pages) is called "Divine Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary", and costs just $6.00. One of the best books on the Rosary that I have ever read.Mount Calvary was held to be a place of defilement, as being reserved for the chastisement of convicted criminals. Our Most Loving Saviour arrived at its summit worn out, wounded, torn and disfigured. It was already noon, and the executioners again stripped Jesus of His garments. As they roughly pulled His tunic over His head, they inhumanly tore off the Crown of Thorns opening anew all the wounds in His head. With heartless cruelty they again forced it down on His Sacred Head, opening up wounds upon wounds. Then one of the executioners seized His hand and placed it over the auger hole which they had drilled in the Cross, while another hammered a large and rough nail through it. The veins and sinews were torn, and the bones and nerves forced apart. When they stretched out the other Hand, they found it did not reach the auger hole, because they had deliberately drilled them too far apart, in order to add a further torture. Looping a chain through a ring around His wrist, they inhumanly pulled the other Hand over the auger hole, and nailed it fast, doing likewise to His feet. From the noon hour until three o'clock, Our Lord hung there and then expired, after hours of incredible agony. |