Jesus is stripped of His garments.
His state was divine, yet he did not cling to his equality with God, but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave, and became as men are; and being as all men are, he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross. (Phil. 2)
This was the place of the skull, Golgotha. What was left of the condemned prisoner? Jesus is completely stripped of any pride. The wounds on his back are torn open again. Christ’s garments are stripped away. His inner garments adhere to His torn flesh as they are roughly removed, causing excruciating pain. His honor was shattered in the courtyard by the soldiers’ taunts; his strength was left behind in every step of the death-march. The thought of You in such pain, with blood clotted skin, exposed for those to taunt and laugh… while your mother watched in pain and we cry silently for Your suffering. I love You, Jesus. Forgive me.
Prayer: My innocent Jesus, You endured this shame for me. Help me to strip myself of all false shame, conceit, pride, and all affection of the things of earth, so that I may place all my love in You. Help me to humble myself to serve the poor; to clothe the naked. Help me, Jesus to strip away my self centeredness and clothe myself with Christ-centeredness. My beloved Jesus, I love You above all things. Jesus I too, have stripped You, by gossiping about my fellow Vincentians, by my prejudice against the poor, against other cultures, and by stripping others of their dignity and not accepting them as You do. I am truly sorry for having offended You, and I repent with my whole heart. Grant that I may never cease to love You, and do with me as You will. Amen
Our Father who are in heaven . . . . Amen