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BLESS Thee, and give thanks to Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal Wisdom of the Father; Thou Who art Truth itself, and the Infinite Power of God; for the foul insolence and bitter mockery, with which Thou wast mocked and derided by Herod and his soldiers. For indeed Herod had himself of a long time been desirous to see Thee; and, moved by curiosity, was hoping to see some sign wrought by Thee. But when, to his questioning in many words, Thou answeredst nothing, and didst work no sign — the time not being fit for so doing, because it was Thy hour for suffering, not for working miracles — soon, being moved to anger, he ceased to pay Thee respect, and treating Thee as a madman, insolently set Thee at nought; and having mocked Thee, by clothing Thee in a white garment, sent Thee back to Pilate.

I praise and magnify Thee, my glorious Jesus, for the fatigues Thou didst endure in being hurried about, as they led Thee, with shouts of derision, backwards and forwards, from place to place, through the streets and lanes of Jerusalem, from Judge to Judge; before each of whom they defamed and grievously maligned Thee; and of whom at length, after Thou hadst been long time examined and questioned, they demanded Thy punishment by crucifixion.

O how brightly shone forth in Thee at this time the patience, which was unmoved when goaded by mockings such as Thine. Surely the thought