4 – The Thorns

There are three reasons for the thorns around the church:

• An architectural significance
  The church is in the shape of a rose and roses have thorns.
• A religious significance
  The thorns are a reference to the crown of thorn on Jesus’s head as he began his painful procession of salvation.
• A spiritual significance
  With Jesus we move from pain to resurrection, from sorrow to joy and from death to life. As we approach the church, the thorns diminish in size. So is it with Christ. The closer we get to the living God in the Holy Sacrament, the less weary we become and the lighter our burdens, pain and our sorrow become.

When we enter the church, we free ourselves of our torments and arrive at the shores of true peace and joy.

He loves, He hopes, He waits. Our Lord prefers to wait Himself for the sinner for years rather than keep us waiting an instant.

Maria Goretti