Wretchedness And The Passion

Passionis igitur vilitas describitur in incessu, in loco, in genere passionis et in societate patientium. Primo ergo vilitas passionis in incessu notatur in hoc, quod tanquam latro ducitur, et ipse baiulat sibi supplicium; propterea dicit: Susceperunt autem Iesum; Psalmus: Susceperunt me sicut leo paratus ad praedam, scilicet milites Iesum; duxerunt, tanquam maleficum, scilicet extra castra; propter quod ad Herbraeos ultimo: Exeamus ad eum extra castra, improperiu, crucis eius portantes. Et baiulans sibi crucem... In qua scilicet tanquam latro puniretur. Tunc impletum est quod dictum erat Isaiae vigesimo secudo: Dabo clavem David super humerum eius; et Isaiae nono: Factus est principatus super humerum eius, quia ibi triumphavit. De hoc Augustinus: Grande spectaculum! Sed si spectat impietas, grande ludibrium; si pietas, grande mysterium. Exivit in eum qui dicitur Calvariae locus. Hic innuitur vilitas a loco; quia in eo loco passus est, ubi puniebantur latrones et malefici. Calvaria enim dicitur ille locus, quia ibi declavabantur capita damnatorum. Calvaria enim dicitur testa capitis carne undata; Hebracie Golgath, id est, locus decollationis. Ubi eum crucifixerunt. Notatur hic vilitas passionis a genere mortis, quia vilissimum genus mortis erat; Sapientiae secundo: More turpissima condemnemus eum. Et cum eo alios duos, hinc et hinc, medium autem Iesum. Notatur hic vilitas a societate, quia isti duo erant latrones; unde Marci decimo quinto: Crucifigunt cum eo duos latrones. Tunc impletum est quod dicitur Isaiae quinquagesimo tertio: Et cum iniquis deputatus est. Ideo autem in medietate, ut significetur, quonaim mediator, unde in nativitate in medio animalum, Habacuc ultimo; et in passione in medio latronum, quia pax vera, ad Ephesios secundo. Sanctus Bonaventura, Commentarius In Evangelium Ioannem, Caput XIX Source: Here, p495-496

The wretchedness of the Passion is described by procession, by place, by the type of passion, and by those associated with the passion. First, then, is the wretchedness of the passion by the procession, in which He is led off as a criminal, and He bears His punishment, whence it is said, 'They took Jesus.' 1 The Psalm: 'They took me like a lion prepared for prey.' 2 that is, the soldiers took Jesus. They led him out as an evildoer, as outside the camp, whence it says in the last chapter of Hebrews: 'Let us go out to Him outside the camp, abused, bearing His cross.' 3 'And bearing His own cross...' By which he was punished as a criminal. Then was fulfilled what was said in the twenty second chapter of Isaiah: 'I shall give the key of David on his shoulder.' 4 And in the ninth chapter of Isaiah: 'And the staff of rule on his shoulder,' because by it He triumphed. 5 Concerning which Augustine says: 'A great spectacle! But if impiety sees, a great amusement, if piety, a great mystery.' 6 'He went to that place which is called Calvary.' Here wretchedness by place is noted, because in that place He suffered, where they punished criminals and evildoers. And that place is called Calvary because they would cut off the heads of the condemned there. For calvary is the skull of the head with the skin stripped off. In Hebrew it is Golgotha, that is, the place of beheading. 'Where they crucified Him.' Here the wretchedness of the passion by the type of death is noted, because it was the most wretched type of death. The second chapter of Wisdom says: 'In the most shameful manner we condemned Him.' 7 'And with Him two others, one on both side, and Jesus in the midst of them.' Here wretchedness is noted by association, because they were two bandits, whence in the fourteenth chapter of Mark: 'They crucified Him with two bandits.' 8 Then were fulfilled the words of Isaiah in the fifty third chapter: 'And we reckoned Him among the wicked.' 9 Then the middle is signified because He is the mediator, whence in the nativity He is in the midst of the animals, as in the last chapter of Habakkuk, 10 and in the passion He is in the midst of thieves, because He is true peace, according to the second chapter of Ephesians. 11 Saint Bonaventura, Commentary On The Gospel Of Saint John, Chapter 19 1 Jn 19.17 2 Ps 16.12 3 Heb 13.13 4 Isaiah 22.22 5 Isaiah 9.6 6 Augustine Tractate John 117.3 7 Wisdom 2.20 8 Mk 14.27 9 Isaiah 54.12 10 Habakkuk 3.2 LXX 11 Ephes 2.14