This article is part of the Marian Mondays Series, a weekly reflection on the mysteries of the rosary by Jonathan Conrad, owner and founder of The Catholic Woodworker. Subscribe to have these reflections and more sent straight to your inbox every week.
We don’t get many details about the Scourging at the Pillar in Scripture. In the Gospel of Mark, for instance, we only get this one line:
“So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them and, after he had Jesus scourged, handed him over to be crucified.”
We get similarly brief descriptions in Matthew and John, and no mention of the scourging at all in Luke.
So what exactly would Jesus’s scourging have involved? Historically, we know that the Romans used scourgings to weaken and humiliate the person being punished. After being tied to a post or pillar, the person would be whipped across the legs, back, and shoulders with a whip that often had metal or bone attached to it for maximum injury.
It doesn’t take much to imagine just how gruesome and terrifying this torture must have been. And, yet, Jesus willingly accepted it to save us from sin. He bears this excruciating pain to sanctify us, not because we deserved it, but because He loves each of us that much. That thought alone should move us to tears.
And though the Gospels don’t specifically mention Mary at the scourging, it’s safe to assume she was there, just like she was later at the foot of the cross. Mary chose to be with Jesus every step of the way while He suffered, not to stop it but to show Him her love and support.
In our own lives, do we willingly walk with those who suffer, not to take their suffering away but to strengthen them? And do we recognize the devotion of those who choose to walk with us in our own suffering too?
As we meditate on this mystery, may we keep in mind all that Christ went through to save us, recognizing His strength to endure and Mary’s courage to support Him every step of the way.
Subscribe here to have these reflections and more sent straight to your inbox every week.
