June 30, 2015
The Trial before Pilate (2)
A reading from the Gospel of Saint John 19, 1 -12:
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 the power to release you and I have the 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.”
We had a rainy morning Monday but the sun came out in the afternoon. It was windy for most of the day. We should have a beautiful sunny day for Tuesday. I am praying for all of you every day that the Lord may bless you and give you all good health.
Below you will find the message of Our Lord and Savior given to Father Melvin. Jesus spoke to him these words,
“Come My brother Melvin and all My brothers and sisters who love Me and see what the Jews and Pontus Pilate have done during My trial. Pilate sent Me away so that the soldiers could scourge Me. They tied Me to a post and started beating Me with ropes and sticks so that at the end I was covered in wounds and blood was flowing all over My body. At the end I was lying on the floor with no more strength to move. At the end they made a crown from thorns and placed it on My head and hammered it in. Again blood flowed from all the wounds of the thorns and I felt great pain in My head and all over My body. These soldiers mocked Me and struck Me on the head to cause Me more pain. At the end Pilate called Me out and when I came to him, he told the Jews “Behold, the man!” Yet he could say that he found no guilt in Me. The Jews though shouted to the top of their lungs these words: Crucify him, crucify him. I knew that at the end they would take Me and crucify Me on the cross. I was ready to die for you all. I love you all.”
Father Melvin