"I find no cause of death in Him; I will chastise him, therefore, and let Him go." - Luke 23:22
In this second of the sorrowful mysteries we see our Blessed Lord fettered to the pillar, His sacred body stripped of its clothing, and the rude soldiers with cruel thongs, lashing His tender flesh and bruising it until the blood flows. The raucous ribaldry of the reckless and unfeeling soldiers falls upon the sacred ears of Christ as a hideous accompaniment to the stinging blows that fall upon His gentle body. With our attention riveted upon this scene, and with the knowledge that our Blessed Lady was keenly aware of all that was transpiring let us recite this decade in unison with her, striving as best we may to alleviate her pain, and solace her affliction, so far as in our powder lies.
Now watch with tearful eyes the stripes.
The cruel blows which fall
On Jesus, as He stands fast bound
In Pilate's judgment hall.
Those stripes that shame my sins deserve,
Why fall they, Lord, on Thee?
Thy love, my God, thy too great love
Would l)ear them all for me."
Friday - The Sorrowful Mysteries
Saint Michael, Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And you, Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into Hell Satan and the other evil spirits who prowl the world for the ruin of souls. Amen. – Pope Leo XIII
To thee, O blessed Joseph, do we come in our tribulation, and having implored the help of thy most holy Spouse, we confidently invoke thy patronage also. Through that charity which bound thee to the immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the paternal love with which thou embraced the Child Jesus, we humbly beg thee to graciously regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ has purchased by his Blood, and with thy power and strength to aid us in our necessities. O most watchful Guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ; O most loving father, ward off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence; O our most mighty protector, be propitious to us and from heaven assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness; and, as once thou rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril, so now protect God’s Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; shield, too, each one of us by thy constant protection, so that, supported by thy example and thy aid, we may be able to live piously, to die holy, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven. Amen.
- text taken from The Rosary Devotions for Every Day by Father Mark J Smith, SJ, International Catholic Truth Society, 1924; audio is from Rosary Army