If the scourging signifies the mortification of the flesh, the crowning with thorns invites us to the mortification of the spirit. The Word through Whom all things were created, the rightful King of Israel and, indeed, of all peoples, is mocked as if He were a common criminal. Sometimes, we, too, feel that our rights have been violated; we feel that the very dignity of our existence has been denied by others. On those occasions, let us call to mind the various temptations to which our spiritual natures are subject: vainglory, which is the need for approval and praise (ie, worship!), and pride, which is the illusion of self-sufficiency. Let us remember that our true dignity comes directly from the love of the Creator. The ridicule of human beings, no matter how cruel, can never remove it. But each of us can undermine our dignity by mistaken efforts to usurp our Creator’s role.