THE MYSTERY OF THE CROWN OF THORNS

PREFACE:
The special obligation contracted by the Religious of the Most Holy Cross and
Passion, known under the name of Passionists, of promoting, in the minds and hearts
of the faithful, the pious memory of, and the salutary devotion to, the sacred
mysteries of our Savior's Passion, has suggested the idea of this book the Crown of
Thorns of our divine Lord and Redeemer. In preparing for publication another work,
entitled, "The Voice of Jesus Suffering in the Mind and Heart of Christians, " the
author was deeply impressed with the terrible and affecting sight of the Incarnate
Son of God, crowned with sharp thorns, mocked, insulted, blasphemed, and tortured
by

This extraordinary and awful spectacle, never before witnessed in the history of
human suffering and human barbarity, naturally makes on the mind of the Christian
believer the impression that some important mystery is intended by the divine
Victim in consenting to endure such unheard-of tortures and deep humiliations. So
far as his limited capacity and the means at his disposal would allow, the author
has endeavored to study this very interesting subject, and ventures to give in this
little work

In the Office and Mass of the Crown of Thorns, appointed by our Holy Mother the
Church for the first Friday in Lent, the most striking figures of the Crown of
Thorns are pointed out to us in various parts of the Old Testament. These have been
explained in the first six chapters of this book.

Through these instructive figures we are, step by step, led to the threshold of
Pilate's palace in Jerusalem, and are introduced into the inner courts where we
behold their realization in the person of our divine Lord, crowned with sharp
thorns, as the King of ignominy and sorrow. Here his sufferings and humiliations
are described, and their causes and effects examined at some length. The First Part
of this book closes with a brief history of the real Crown of Thorns of our dear
Savior.

The profound and sublime mystery of the Crown of Thorns will be found more fully
developed in the Second Part of this work, wherein we shall see this glorious crown
shining in the miraculous sun of Venerable Anna Maria Taigi in Rome, and impressed
on the Sacred Heart of our Savior as manifested to his favorite servant, Blessed
Margaret Mary Alacoque, at Paray Le Monial in France. will admire and venerate it
on the heads of more than fifty illustrious saints and eminent glorified with their
devotion and tears and blood, during the last seven it centuries.

The mystic Crown of Thorns is actually pointed out to us on the brows of several
living servants of God, especially on the bleeding head of Louise Lateau in
Belgium, and of Palma Maria of Oria in Italy, the two wonders of the present age.

In writing this new work on the Crown of Thorns of our divine Lord, we had no model
for our guidance. Various events of different kinds suggested at first and
gradually, developed the idea of this book. We have gathered together the fittest
materials that we could find scattered in different works, and have endeavored to
arrange them in the best order our judgment could suggest. The large work of the
learned Dominican Father Angelo Pacciuchello, on the Passion of our Lord, has given
us some valuable assistance. We are indebted to the celebrated Father Joachim
Ventura, who also seems to have used Pacciuchello, for some sublime and useful
ideas about the Crown of Thorns of our blessed Lord. The principal historical
events relative to the mystical Crown of Thorns, enumerated in the last chapters of
the Second Part of this book, and the sketch of Palma Maria's life, we have
compiled from the second volume of the French work, "Les Stigmatisees, " by the
illustrious and pious French author, A. Imbert Gourbeyre, an eminent professor in
the medical college of Clermont Ferrard, France.

Our aim has been to instruct and edify, whilst endeavoring to please. In this age
of superficiality the taste of modern readers has been vitiated by light
literature. Grave, dogmatic, and didactic works, how learnedsoever

they may be, will scarcely be noticed by the majority of Christians. We are
convinced that an explanation of the symbolical portions of the Holy Scripture,
relating to the sacred mysteries of our holy religion, and more especially to the
Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, has the charm of novelty and the power of
attracting the attention of the ordinary Christian reader.. A favorable opportunity
is thus afforded of conveying directly and almost insensibly much useful
information and practical instruction, which would be rejected if offered in a more
direct and positive way. In explaining the figures of the Crown of Thorns, we have
followed this plan, and have kept in view the proposed end. Comparatively few
persons are either able or willing to make serious meditations on the Passion of
our divine Lord: but

The mystic Crown of Thorns is actually pointed out to us on the brows of several
living servants of God, especially on the bleeding head of Louise Lateau in
Belgium, and of Palma Maria of Oria in Italy, the two wonders of the present age.

In writing this new work on the Crown of Thorns of our divine Lord, we had no model
for our guidance. Various events of different kinds suggested at first and
gradually, developed the idea of this book. We have gathered together the fittest
materials that we could find scattered in different works, and have endeavored to
arrange them in the best order our judgment could suggest. The large work of the
learned Dominican Father Angelo Pacciuchello, on the Passion of our Lord, has given
us some valuable assistance. We are indebted to the celebrated Father Joachim
Ventura, who also seems to have used Pacciuchello, for some sublime and useful
ideas about the Crown of Thorns of our blessed Lord. The principal historical
events relative to the mystical Crown of Thorns, enumerated in the last chapters of
the Second Part of this book, and the sketch of Palma Maria's life, we have
compiled from the second volume of the French work, "Les Stigmatisees, " by the
illustrious and pious French author, A. Imbert Gourbeyre, an eminent professor in
the medical college of Clermont Ferrard, France.

Our aim has been to instruct and edify, whilst endeavoring to please. In this age
of superficiality the taste of modern readers has been vitiated by light
literature. Grave, dogmatic, and didactic works, how learnedsoever

they may be, will scarcely be noticed by the majority of Christians. We are
convinced that an explanation of the symbolical portions of the Holy Scripture,
relating to the sacred mysteries of our holy religion, and more especially to the
Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, has the charm of novelty and the power of
attracting the attention of the ordinary Christian reader.. A favorable opportunity
is thus afforded of conveying directly and almost insensibly much useful
information and practical instruction, which would be rejected if offered in a more
direct and positive way. In explaining the figures of the Crown of Thorns, we have
followed this plan, and have kept in view the proposed end. Comparatively few
persons are either able or willing to make serious meditations on the Passion of
our divine Lord: but

many pious Christians are disposed to peruse a plain tion of his bitter sufferings.
The candid reader will be able to judge how far we have succeeded in this portion
of our work. Experience shows that a variety of judicious selections of edifying
extracts from the lives of the saints and of eminent servants of God proves
interesting to the generality of Catholic readers. This is in a special manner the
case when supernatural facts are intermixed in the selection. The human mind
aspires to the supernatural which is its final end, and prefers to be taught rather
by example than by precept. very considerable portion of this book will be found to
contain historical events of this description, which will prove, we trust, both
interesting and edifying to all piously disposed minds. Because our idea of a
practical devotion to the Crown of Thorns of our divine Savior is more fully
developed in the first chapter of the Third Part of this book, to avoid repetition,
we refer the reader to its contents. In submitting this work to the careful
revision of competent ecclesiastic and lay persons, we have been highly encouraged
by their kind approval, and, we may be allowed to say, by their flattering
encomiums, in great part very likely dictated by their friendly dispositions and
charitable condescension towards the humble author. From less favorably disposed
golden critics we claim the right of being judged in conformity with the maxim of
St. Augustine: "In necessariis unitas: in dubiis libertas; in omnibus charitas. "
After long and mature consideration, and urged by the repeated advice and
exhortations of several persons whom we esteem and respect, we have at last
consented to lay before the public this little work on devotion to the Crown of
Thorns. can only claim one qualification for this undertaking, which is that of
having experienced a small share of the physical and moral sufferings of the Crown
of Thorns. Thus we can more easily enter into the spirit of this devotion, and feel
some little compassion for the sufferings and humiliations of our thorn-crowned
Savior. From what we have stated, this book will be found divided into three parts.
In the First Part we assign the motives which should induce every Christian to have
a special devotion to our suffering Lord crowned with thorns as the King of
sorrows. In the Second Part we give a brief history of the mystic Crown of Thorns
in the Church. In the Third Part we venture to propose some special practices of
devotion, which we trust will be found conducive to the honor and glory of our
thorn-crowned King, and to the spiritual welfare of pious Christians. We submit in
anticipation this book and everything else we have written to the infallible
judgment of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, the mother and mistress of all the
Churches, whose obedient, respectful and affectionate son we wish to live and to
die. In sincere compliance with the decree of Pope Urban VIII and of any other
supreme Pontiff, the author declares that, in giving any title of respect and
veneration to any servant of God mentioned in this book, and not yet canonized or
beatified, he intends to express his own personal sentiments only, without wishing
in the least to anticipate the judgment of the Holy and Apostolic See.

G. R., C. P.

FEAST OF OUR MOST HOLY REDEEMER,

October,1876.