CHAPTER XII
☙ How the Lord Jesus was set at nought by Herod
BLESS Thee, and give thanks to Thee,
O Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal Wisdom
of the Father; Thou Who art Truth
itself, and the Infinite Power of God;
for the foul insolence and bitter mockery, with
which Thou wast mocked and derided by Herod
and his soldiers. For indeed Herod had himself
of a long time been desirous to see Thee; and,
moved by curiosity, was hoping to see some sign
wrought by Thee. But when, to his questioning
in many words, Thou answeredst nothing, and
didst work no sign — the time not being fit for so
doing, because it was Thy hour for suffering, not
for working miracles — soon, being moved to anger,
he ceased to pay Thee respect, and treating Thee
as a madman, insolently set Thee at nought; and
having mocked Thee, by clothing Thee in a white
garment, sent Thee back to Pilate.
I praise and magnify Thee, my glorious Jesus, for the fatigues Thou didst endure in being hurried about, as they led Thee, with shouts of derision, backwards and forwards, from place to place, through the streets and lanes of Jerusalem, from Judge to Judge; before each of whom they defamed and grievously maligned Thee; and of whom at length, after Thou hadst been long time examined and questioned, they demanded Thy punishment by crucifixion.
O how brightly shone forth in Thee at this time the patience, which was unmoved when goaded by mockings such as Thine. Surely the thought
