Third Sorrowful Mystery - Crowning with Thorns



The Third Sorrowful Mystery - the Crowning of Jesus with Thorns – from the Gospel according to John, chapter 19, verses 2-16.

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged. And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head, and clothed him in a purple cloak, and they came to him and said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they struck him repeatedly. Once more Pilate went out and said to them, "Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no guilt in him." So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak. And he said to them, "Behold, the man!" When the chief priests and the guards saw him they cried out, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him. I find no guilt in him." The Jews answered, "We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God." Now when Pilate heard this statement, he became even more afraid, and went back into the praetorium and said to Jesus, "Where are you from?" Jesus did not answer him. So Pilate said to him, "Do you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?" Jesus answered (him), "You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above. For this reason the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin." Consequently, Pilate tried to release Him; but the Jews cried out, "If you release him, you are not a Friend of Caesar. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar." When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus out and seated him on the judge's bench in the place called Stone Pavement, in Hebrew, Gabbatha. It was preparation day for Passover, and it was about noon. And he said to the Jews, "Behold, your king!" They cried out, "Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your king?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." Then he handed Him over to them to be crucified.


“It is love 'to the end' (John 13:1) that confers on Christ's sacrifice its value as redemption and reparation, as atonement and satisfaction. He knew and loved us all when He offered His life". (Article 616 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church).

While meditating on the mystery of the crowning of Jesus with thorns, pray also for the release of its fruit, moral courage.


After a short period of silence, recite the following prayers:

While holding the next (large) bead, pray the 'Lord's Prayer' :

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done
on earth, as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil, Amen.


On the next bead, pray the 'Hail Mary' :
Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee!
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God,
pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death, Amen.

Repeat the 'Hail Mary' 9 more times, while moving along each remaining bead in the group of ten (the 'decade').


Next, pray the 'Gloria Patri' :
   See rosaries with added 'Glory Be' & 'Fatima' beads!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit!
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end, Amen.



Next, pray the 'Fatima Prayer' :   See rosaries with added 'Glory Be' & 'Fatima' beads!
O my Jesus, forgive us (our sins), save us from the fires of Hell!
Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy, Amen.



This concludes the Third Sorrowful Mystery. Click here to continue with the Fourth Sorrowful Mystery.


Continue with the closing prayers of the Rosary (if you are praying this one decade only).