LENTEN REFLECTIONS

LENTEN PRACTICES STATIONS OF THE CROSS

LENTEN REFLECTIONS

FIRST STATION JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DEATHWe adore Thee, O Christ, and bless Thee.

Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

REFLECTION

Jesus, you stand all alone before Pilate. Nobody speaks up for you. How alone you must feel…You devoted your entire life to helping others, where are they now…Help me to be grateful for what you did for me and never abandon you…when I am falsely accused help me to love my enemies and pray for those who hurt me.

SECOND STATION JESUS CARRIES HIS CROSS

We adore Thee, O Christ, and bless Thee.

Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

REFLECTION

Jesus you accepted your cross  made up of my sins.  It wasn’t easy but you carried it just the same. Sometimes I feel my cross is too big.  I complain and look to others who I believe have lesser crosses. I feel sorry for myself.  Oh My Jesus, help me to bear my cross patiently and generously for love of you.

 THIRD STATION JESUS FALLS THE FIRST TIME

We adore Thee, O Christ, and bless Thee.

Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

REFLECTION

Jesus, the cross you carry is very heavy. You are becoming weak and almost ready to faint, and you fall down. Nobody seems to want to help you.  The heavy burden of my sins weigh Thee down beneath the cross. I detest them; I beg you to pardon them.  May your grace help me never to commit them again.

FOURTH STATION JESUS MEETS HIS AFFLICTED MOTHER

 

We adore Thee, O Christ, and bless Thee.

Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

REFLECTION

Oh My Jesus, it is with great sorrow that I see the pain you share with your Mother Mary. What gave you both the courage to carry on?   As my Redeemer, it seems you and your Mother were teaching me how to suffer and give this suffering to the Father for the salvation of souls. Help me to offer up my suffering for others.

FIFTH STATION SIMON OF CYRENE HELPS JESUS CARRY HIS CROSS

We adore Thee, O Christ, and bless Thee.

Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

REFLECTION

Oh My Jesus, Simon of Cyrene was enlisted by the soldiers to help you carry your cross less you die before crucifixion.  You, who hold up the whole universe, allowed a creature to help you.  What an example of humility to allow others to attend to you.  I don’t have to always be on the giving side; help me to accept offers of help from others.  In so doing, I will be blessed and so will they.

SIXTH STATION VERONICA WIPES

THE FACE OF JESUS

We adore Thee, O Christ, and bless Thee.

Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

REFLECTION

 My Jesus, where were all the hundreds of peoples whose bodies and souls were healed by you? Why only one woman? Veronica, setting aside fear and human respect offers you the comfort of her veil.  My sweet Jesus, imprint your Divine Image upon my soul…that I may attend to the needs of others on your behalf despite the situation or circumstances.

SEVENTH STATION JESUS FALLS A SECOND TIME

We adore Thee, O Christ, and bless Thee.

Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

REFLECTION

On My Jesus, You fall a second time under the pain of the Cross.You rise from this fall.  What looked like weakness is unparalleled strength. The world often looks down upon the poor as failures, the sick as useless and the aged as a burden. There is a vast difference between the way the world sees and the way God sees. Weak and powerful Jesus, give comfort of your presence to the aged, sick, and handicapped.  Let the infirm glory in their weakness.

EIGHTH STATION JESUS SPEAKS

TO THE HOLY WOMEN

We adore Thee, O Christ, and bless Thee.

Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

REFLECTION

My Jesus, I am amazed at your compassion for others in your time of need. When I suffer, I have a tendency to think only of myself but when you saw the holy women weeping over your torments, you consoled them and taught them to look deeper into Your Passion.  Help all those who are discouraged, sick, lonely and old to recognize Your Presence in their midst. No one suffers alone.  Easter is coming!

NINTH STATION JESUS FALLS THIRD TIME

We adore Thee, O Christ, and bless Thee.

Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

REFLECTION

My Jesus, even with the help of Simon You fell a third time. Were you telling me that there may be times in my life that I will fall again and again despite the help of friends and loved ones?  When I cry out from the depths of my soul, “This suffering is more than I can bear,” You whisper, to my innermost being, “Yes, I know, Keep going, I know how hard it is to rise”? Easter is coming, rejoice!

TENTH STATION JESUS IS STRIPPED

OF HIS GARMENTS

We adore Thee, O Christ, and bless Thee.

Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

REFLECTION

My sweet Jesus, it seems that every step to Calvary brought you fresh shame and humiliation. How your sensitive nature must have recoiled at being stripped before a crowd of people. Have mercy on us who would violate the virtue of chastity.  Sins of the flesh run rampant.  Grant us the courage of conversion of our ways.

 ELEVENTH STATION JESUS IS NAILED

TO THE CROSS

We adore Thee, O Christ, and bless Thee.

Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

REFLECTION

It is hard to imagine God being nailed to a cross by His own creatures. It is even more difficult for my mind to understand a love that permitted such a thing to happen! As those men drove heavy nails into your hands and feet, dear Jesus, you were stretching out your arms to show us how much you love us?  Teach me to keep my arms ever open to love, to forgive and to render service.

TWELFTH STATION JESUS DIES ON THE CROSS

We adore Thee, O Christ, and bless Thee.

Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

REFLECTION

God is dead! No wonder the earth quaked, the sun hid, the dead rose and Mary stood by in horror. All creation rebelled as the Word made Flesh departed from this world.  A common thief responded to your love with deep Faith, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” Dear Jesus, help us to humbly reach out to you, especially when we need forgiveness of our sins.

 THIRTEENTH STATION JESUS IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS

We adore Thee, O Christ, and bless Thee.

Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

REFLECTION

My Jesus, it was with deep grief that Mother Mary finally took you into her arms. You are once more surrounded by only a few followers.   The greatest act of love was given mostly in isolation with little notice. Give to all men the grace to see that doing your will is more important than success.  Let me accept praise or blame, success or failure with equal serenity.

FOURTEENTH STATION JESUS IS LAID IN THE TOMB

We adore Thee, O Christ, and bless Thee.

Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

REFLECTIONS

My Jesus, You were laid to rest in a stranger’s tomb. You were born with nothing in a stable.  Most of us live and die knowing and known by only a few. Will we ever learn the lesson of humility that makes us content with who we are, where we are and what we are?  Dear Jesus, grant me the grace of acceptance and let me rejoice on Resurrection day with all the Angels in a hymn of praise and thanksgiving for so great a love- so great a God!

CLOSING PRAYER

My Jesus, I have traveled Your Way of the cross. It seems so real. I feel so ashamed that I complain of my sufferings.  Help me to see the Father’s will in every incident of my daily life.

Help me to trust the Father and to realize that there is something great behind the most insignificant suffering.

Teach me the lessons contained in my Cross, the wisdom of its necessity, the beauty of its variety, and the fortitude that accompanies even the smallest cross.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROMISES OF A MESSIAH

CATHOLIC COMMENTARY, LENTEN REFLECTIONS

We are less than two weeks away from Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.  My thoughts today are on all the times we have failed God and suffered the consequences of our sinfullness.

I thought also of how many centuries people had to wait for the promised Messiah. Ancient Israel often failed in her ordained commission to be a beacon of spiritual light to all other nations.

God made many covenants with His people through mediators such as Abraham, Moses, and David. His people broke the covenants and suffered the consequences just as we suffer the consequences today of our own sinfulness.

Today, we are fortunate the Messiah has arrived and completed His mission.  Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ now and forever!

Our Lent is modeled after the 40 days Jesus spent in fasting and praying in the dessert before He took on His public ministry that would end in His death and Resurrection and victory over sin and death. We must fortify ourselves like Jesus for the continued onslaught of the world, the devil, and the flesh.

Deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow Jesus.  There is no Easter without Good Friday. Fast from worldly things that we might focus on the spiritual; Listen to the word of God in Scripture; Pray before the blessed Sacrament that we might not succumb to the evil one.

In this blog I will focus on last two prophets of the Old and New Testament, Malachi and John the Baptist.

The last prophet of the Old Testament, Malachi, was sent by God to instruct the Jews resettling in Judea after the Babylonian captivity.  Malachi revealed the spiritual and moral shortcomings of the priests and common people alike.

Tithing was being neglected; divorce had become commonplace; and there were mixed marriages with pagan peoples.  Moral and spiritual laxity, pride, indifference, permissiveness and skepticism were growing. Their sins were the reason that God was once again stripping away their physical prosperity and position of influence in the region.  Malachi pleaded with his countrymen to humble themselves in prayer (Malachi 1:9).

Malachi 3:1 states, “Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant.”  This passage predicts the coming of John the Baptist, “My messenger” and Jesus Christ, “the Messenger of the covenant”.

In the Daily Office of prayers we read the prayer of Zechariah to his son, John the Baptist, “You, My child shall be called The prophet of the Most High, For you will go before the Lord to prepare His way, To give his people knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins.”

When John began his ministry dressed with Elijah-styled camel’s hair and leather girdle, this signaled to the Jews that he was playing the part of the returned Elijah. John and Elijah had much more in common than clothing.   Both John and Elijah were great prophets. Both challenged evil kings to change their wicked ways, and both were persecuted for doing so.

Both John and Elijah prepared the way for prophets with even greater ministries than their own. Before Elijah was taken up to heaven, he gave his successor, Elisha, a double portion of his spirit (2 Kings 2:9, 15).  Elisha then went on to do even greater things than his predecessor Elijah had done. For example, Elisha miraculously raised a child from the dead (2 Kings 4:32–37), and multiplied barley loaves to feed a crowd (2 Kings 4:42–44).

As Jesus approached, John pointed out to his disciples, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! When John baptized Jesus, the Spirit descended upon Jesus like a dove, and this event served as the foundation for his public ministry.  Jesus then went on to do even greater works than John the Baptist. Like Elisha, Jesus also raised a child from the dead (Mt. 9:23–25), and multiplied barley loaves to feed the multitudes (Jn. 6:9–14).

At the Jordan River, Elijah transferred his prophetic mission to his successor, Elisha. (2 Kings 2:6–14). It was also there that the new Elijah—John the Baptist—passed the baton to Jesus, who then began his public ministry as the new Elisha. (Luke 3:11)

Jesus is that faithful “son of Abraham” (Mt. 1:1), that faithful Israelite, through whom a broken human family would find healing and reunion with its heavenly Father. Through Jesus, God’s blessing went out from Israel to embrace the whole world. Through Israel’s royal representative—Jesus—God’s people finally became what they were always meant to be: light to the world.

Lent is the favorable season for renewing our encounter with Christ, living in His word, in His sacraments, and in our neighbor. May the Holy Spirit lead us on a true journey of conversion, so that we can rediscover the gift of God’s word, be purified of  sin that blinds us, and serve Christ present in our brothers and sisters in need.

REFLECTION

Do I fortify myself like Jesus with prayer and fasting…fasting means much more than not eating food…do I fast from making judgments…do I fast from anger, from unkind thoughts and words…. do I deny myself and choose God’s holy will over mine… do I seek power and glory for myself…or give all glory to God…All we are and all we have is a gift from God….how do we show our gratitude…are we passing God’s gifts to others….

 PRAYER

Lord God, Almighty have mercy on me, a sinner.

Teach me to be humble,

and receive your gifts with gratitude

and share with others.

I know your gifts are not meant for me alone

and no one gets to heaven by themselves.

Let me be an instrument of yours

by proclaiming the Gospel, when it is easy and when it is hard.

In Jesus’ name, I pray!

 

 

SEVEN LAST WORDS OF JESUS ON THE CROSS

1 Comment / LENTEN REFLECTIONS

 

SEVEN LAST WORDS OF JESUS

FIRST WORD “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”

LUKE 23: 26– 37…. As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him.

But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children”. Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing….

WE ADORE YOU O CHRIST, AND WE BLESS YOU

BECAUSE BY YOUR HOLY CROSS YOU HAVE REDEEMED THE WORLD!

MEDITATION

Jesus always sees beyond what other people see.Jesus always sees. He sees people for who they really are. When he first meets Peter, he doesn’t see just a poor fisherman from a small town beside the Sea of Galilee; he sees someone with the potential to lead a church. When he sees Matthew at his tax table, he doesn’t just see a tax collector but a potential follower.  When he meets Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector in Jericho, he doesn’t see just the most sinful person in the region— he sees someone seeking redemption. When he sees the woman caught in adultery, he doesn’t see just her sin; he sees a person in need of forgiveness and healing.

From the cross, Jesus doesn’t see just executioners, but people making dreadful decisions.  Forgiveness is a gift you give the other person and yourself.  You may want to forgive but feel incapable of doing so. If you have the desire to forgive, God can work with that.  You may not be able to let go of the resentment but God can! True forgiveness is a grace from God.

 SECOND WORD “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

LUKE 23: 39– 43 One of the criminals, hanging with Jesus kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

 WE ADORE YOU O CHRIST, AND WE BLESS YOU

BECAUSE BY YOUR HOLY CROSS YOU HAVE REDEEMED THE WORLD!

MEDITATION

In this second word, Jesus promises the hope of the afterlife, of “paradise,” At the Last Supper in John’s Gospel Jesus tells his apostles, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. . . . I go to prepare a place for you.” What does your place look like?  I am sure it will be a perfect fit because Jesus has selected it.…Eyes have not seen, ears have not heard what God has prepared for those who love him….

From the moment of our conception, God has been inviting us into relationship.  As we look back over our life and ponder these moments, we can see the presence of God…His intervention on our journey home. St. Paul puts it this way in Romans 8:38, “not even death can separate us from the love of God.”  This relationship will be perfected and complete in “paradise.”

THIRD WORD “Woman, here is your son. . . . Here is your mother.”

JOHN 19: 26– 27 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

WE ADORE YOU O CHRIST, AND WE BLESS YOU

BECAUSE BY YOUR HOLY CROSS YOU HAVE REDEEMED THE WORLD!

MEDITATION

Jesus looks upon his Mother and beloved apostle.  He gives them to one another. Mary had many relatives so she does not need John to take care of her.  John already has a Mother, Salome married to Zebedee. When Jesus gives Mary to John, He is giving Mary to us.  Mary is our advocate and intercessor with Jesus.  Mary’s faith and obedience was challenged at the Annunciation but once she understood that God would take care of everything, Mary believed and obeyed.

We who take Mary in are the beloved disciple too.  Every Christian family should take Mary into their heart as John did., We should especially pray to the Mother of Sorrows at the hour of our death.. She assisted so lovingly at the death of her Divine Son, she will also assist us at our hour of death and obtain for us the grace of a happy death.

FOURTH WORD “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

MARK 15: 33– 39 When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah; let us see whether Elijah will come to take him”.”

 WE ADORE YOU O CHRIST, AND WE BLESS YOU

BECAUSE BY YOUR HOLY CROSS YOU HAVE REDEEMED THE WORLD!

MEDITATION

Even nature darkened in empathy with its Creator.  As dark of time it was, did Jesus despair and give up hope when he was crucified? No, of course not.  As Jesus took on the sins of all, he in his humanity was the furthest he could be from God.  This last word begins Psalm 22, “my God, my God why have you forsaken me?,” a prayer that all faithful Jews prayed often when in need.  At the end of Psalm 22 the Suffering Servant does not despair but continues to trust.  Psalm 22 concludes, ” He did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to Him. “…

There is a big difference between believing God is absent and feeling God is absent.  Jesus has been subjected to an exhausting series of late-night inquests, brutalized by Roman guards, and marched through the streets of Jerusalem under the crushing weight of the cross;  now nailed to the wood and suffering excruciating pain. Even so, Jesus is still in relationship with God His Father— calling on him from the cross. When you pray in suffering, doubt and darkness ask Jesus in His resurrected glory at the right hand of the Father to give you His kind of Trust that in the end all will be well!

 FIFTH WORD “I am thirsty.”

 JOHN 19: 28– 29 …when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth.

 WE ADORE YOU O CHRIST, AND WE BLESS YOU

BECAUSE BY YOUR HOLY CROSS YOU HAVE REDEEMED THE WORLD!

MEDITATION

The child, Jesus, entered the world as helpless as any newborn.  He needed to be nursed, held, fed, burped, and changed. Jesus would have skinned his knees on the rocky ground, bumped his head on doorways, and pricked his fingers on thorns.  Like all of us, Jesus sweated and sneezed and scratched…Everything proper to the human being, except sin.  These bodily experiences include hunger and thirst.  It is not only a physical thirst Jesus expresses on the cross.

Jesus thirsts for conversion, repentance, and salvation of all.  Jesus asks us to thirst for Him the same way He thirsts for us….Do I thirst for Jesus?  Am I confident that Jesus will satisfy my thirst? “The heart is restless until it rests in thee.” St. Augustine.  Think about it!

SIXTH WORD “It is finished.”

JOHN 19: 30 When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

WE ADORE YOU O CHRIST, AND WE BLESS YOU

BECAUSE BY YOUR HOLY CROSS YOU HAVE REDEEMED THE WORLD!

MEDITATION

These words clearly say Jesus has done the work assigned Him by the Father.  On the cross Jesus has shown the depth of His Father’s love for us. For some, Jesus’ death on the cross is a stumbling block and others folly.  But Scripture says, ”he humbled himself becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.*Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,* to the glory of God the Father” Phillipians 2:8-11

Sometimes our mission from God may seem a mistake or folly because we don’t see the results we would like here on earth.  But in the hands of God,  God can take any of our efforts and multiply and shower abundance on the whole world because of something a faithful servant has begun…we are sowers of seeds…the Holy Spirit cultivates the seeds and brings them to fruition….Have faith, faithful servant and keep your eyes on the prize!

  SEVENTH WORD “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

LUKE 23: 44– 49 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last. When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, “Truly this man was the Son of God” Mark 15:39

WE ADORE YOU O CHRIST, AND WE BLESS YOU

BECAUSE BY YOUR HOLY CROSS YOU HAVE REDEEMED THE WORLD!

MEDITATION

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked His Father if this cup could past but not my will, your will be done…do we imitate Jesus in submitting to the Father’s will… obeying God’s commandments… not holding anything back from God… like a  part I don’t want God messing with…a pattern of selfishness, a desire for power and wealth…Do we trust God….Jesus trusted the Father and on third day rose from the day with glorified body and sits at the right hand of Father….certainly we do not know the changes that will occur in us if we hand ourselves over to God…but we do know the more we give to the Father the more he gives back… no Easter without Good Friday,,,, God will never be outdone in generosity.  Alleluia! Father into your hands I commend my Spirit, Amen!