Magnificat Vol. LX, No. 1 11 Having clothed Jesus in a scarlet robe and crowned Him with thorns, His executioners put a reed in His right hand as a scepter, like a king. They genuflect in derision before Him, covering Him with mockery. This is how things are related in the Gospel. What is the reason for all these outrages? Because He is KING! And it is with mockery and diabolical derision that the soldiers proclaim His Kingship: “Hail, King of the Jews, Hail to the King!”15 My brothers, behold our King. He is the One we must follow. Jesus. You will do it far better than I can. Even this young boy in the congregation can do it. Some of his friends will understand it better if he says it in the vocabulary of his age rather than me. I invite all of you who are able, to communicate these truths to those around you. Communicate it first to your heart, to your soul, in prayer, in supplication. Together, we want to follow our King. The story of young Gaston Let me tell you a little story that will interest you. One day, a young boy of fifteen or sixteen asked his father if he could become a Brother. The boy in question was very gifted, he was at the top of his class everywhere, he had received diplomas and was even awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s medal as the best student in the area. When he asked his father if he could be a Brother, his father replied: “What? You want to be a Brother? With the talent you have, you could go far... Go to the seminary! You will be ordained a priest. Then, brilliant as you are, you will become a bishop, and a famous one at that. Not a Brother, my son! I know you love religion. I have noticed it for a long time, ever since you were a little boy. You are a real chapel rat, you’re chewing up all the kneelers. We are about to receive a bill from the parish council for wear and tear on the pews! I know you love religion, but if you love religion that much, don’t become a Brother! You know, my son, if I met up with a dog and a Brother at the same time, I would say hello to the dog before the Brother,” said the father of the little boy called Gaston. And young Gaston replied: “Dad, that is precisely why I want to be a Brother.” 15After having ridiculed Jesus so ignominiously, they bring him back to Pilate, who presents Him to the multitude: Behold the Man.16 The great prophet Isaiah had described the Man, the Man of Sorrows,17 the Man designating the Messiah foretold by the prophecies. Behold the Man, for He is the One that the world had been anticipating for ages, the Son of God made Man. Brothers and sisters, this is the King we follow, and He is the One I invite you to imitate in a special way during this Holy Year. May it be holy in every sense of the word. And you, dear friends, when each one of you returns home, communicate this to those around you. Tell them that we are making 2025 a holy year, that we are going to follow 15. Cf. St. Matthew 27:29. 16. St. John 19:5. 17. Cf. Isaiah 53:1-7. ECCE HOMO
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