Crowned with thorns

"Oh Jesus , who do I see in our churches praying in front of the cross, before your painful mother, before your Holy Face ? Those men and women that if You were not there, they would not know before who to cry. We needed a friend who had suffered like us, and, crowned with thorns, you attracted all the sufferings of humanity. You left others the claim of having the responses to the mystery of pain, responses that explain nothing and do nothing but exacerbate the pain of those who suffer; All you wanted was to suffer before us. Your bloody face and your crushed body teach us to accept the inevitable evil, and help us wait for the day when we will be able to understand the meaning of this obscure law.

"King of all those who suffer, we adore You. Shocked and full of respect, we bend our knees before your bloodstained face. We thank you for having shared to such point our miseries and we renew our trust in you. Our Lord, we hope in you ! "

  "Oh Jesús, a qui veig jo pregar dins les nostres esglésies, davant de la creu, davant de la verge dolorosa, davant la vostra Santa Faç? Aquells i aquelles que, si Vós no fossiu allà, no sabrien davant qui plorar. Nosaltres necessitavem un amic que hagués sofert com nosaltres, i coronat d'espines, Vós vau atraure tots els sofriments de la humanitat. Vós vareu deixar per altres la pretenció de donar al misteri del dolor explicacions que no expliquen res i que no fan altra cosa que exacerbar la pena dels que pateixen; Vós us heu contentat de sofrir davant nostre. El vostre front sagnant i el vostre cos triturat ens ensenyen a acceptar el mal inevitable i ens ajuden a esperar a poder comprendre el sentit d'aquesta obscura llei.

"Rei de tots els qui pateixen, us adorem. Commoguts i plens de respecte, dobleguem els genolls davant el vostre rostre colpejat, tacat de sang. Us donem gràcies d'haver compartit fins aquest punt les nostres misèries i renovem la nostra confiança en Vos. Senyor, nosaltres esperem en Vos!"


(Georges Chevrot: Dans le silence, p. 166-167, Bloud & Gay)