549 part v: daily meditations shake the spirits of the men then living under the sun, that, deprived of their senses, acting like madmen, they will search for hiding places. As fugitives from their own dwellings, they will go to the deserted wilderness and the dens of wild beasts. On the contrary, wild beasts, put to flight from forests by the terrible movements of heavens and earthquakes, will come from all sides to the people’s dwellings, as if looking for some help or remedy from the imminent danger, or for a place of refuge. [f.179v] As for you, shall you continue to love the world, destined along with its devotees to such a horrible end and destruction? 7. THURSDAY MORNING On crowning Christ with thorns and showing Him to the people. 1. Picture in your mind the Savior of the world and the King of the universe Whom the savage soldiers covered with the torn and worn-out pieces of purple cloth for mockery, and crowned with the wreath woven with uncommon and very sharp thorns as a token of the highest disgrace (cf. Mt 27:27-30; Mk 15:16-19; Jn 19:2-3). Should you see a king known to you, or even a more simple and ordinary person being treated this way, you would certainly feel sorry for him out of pity. But when you think that these things are done or have been done to God, and indeed, to that God Who put on human flesh for the love of you, what should be then your spiritual disposition? O my soul, why do you grow hard? Why do you not feel sorrow? Why do you not groan, nor shed tears; having recognized through reflection the contempt for your most beneficent God, Lord and Father? Desire, desire that you may omit no opportunity for despising yourself, that you may avoid no contempt, but indeed seek after it voluntarily. Amen. 2. Recall with your most compassionate heart, how the same impious and cruel soldiers made Jesus to sit on a stone and then
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