Pope Francis delivers an extraordinary blessing “To
the City and to the World” on Friday to pray for an end to the Covid-19
coronavirus pandemic. In his meditation, the Pope reflects on Jesus’ words to
His disciples: “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?”
Usually a colorful event reserved only for Christmas Day and Easter Sunday, this extraordinary blessing was held in keeping with the gravity of the current global situation, as more than half of the world’s population is confined to their homes to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Standing in a deserted St. Peter’s Square with a steady rain falling, Pope Francis spoke to the world through all the means of modern communication: Facebook, YouTube, TV, and radio.
Symbols of faith
He prayed for the world at
this critical juncture in the presence of two images
that have accompanied the people of Rome for centuries: the ancient icon of Mary Salus
Populi Romani – usually housed in the Basilica of St. Mary Major – and the
miraculous crucifix kept in the church of San Marcello on the city’s Via del Corso.Most importantly, the Pope exposed the Blessed Sacrament for adoration and imparted his Apostolic Blessing, offering everyone the opportunity to receive a plenary indulgence.
Pope
at Urbi et orbi: Full text of his meditation
Evening meditation
But first, Pope Francis
offered a meditation on the crisis facing the world, reflecting on a passage
from the Gospel of Mark (4:35-41).“For weeks now it has been evening,” said the Pope. “Thick darkness has gathered over our squares, our streets and our cities; it has taken over our lives, filling everything with a deafening silence and a distressing void, that stops everything as it passes by; we feel it in the air, we notice it in people’s gestures, their glances give them away.”
In this situation, he said, we feel afraid and lost, like the disciples whose boat was in danger of sinking while Jesus slept at the stern.
All in the same boat
The Covid-19 pandemic has
reminded us that we are all on the same boat, said Pope Francis, and so we call
out to Jesus. The disciples ask Him, “Teacher, do you not care if we perish?”The Pope said these words would have shaken Jesus, “because He, more than anyone, cares about us.”
The storm, said the Pope, exposes “our vulnerability and uncovers those false and superfluous certainties around which we have constructed our daily schedules” and lays bare “all those attempts to anesthetize ourselves”.
What is revealed, he said, is “our belonging as brothers and sisters”, our common humanity.
“Why are you afraid? Have
you no faith?
Pope Francis then picked
up the thread of Jesus’ question: “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?”He said we have all gone ahead “at breakneck speed”, ignoring the wars, injustice, and cries of the poor and our ailing planet. “We carried on regardless, thinking we would stay healthy in a world that was sick.”
In our stormy sea, we now cry out: “Wake up, Lord!”
Now is the time of choosing
Really, said Pope Francis,
it is Jesus calling out to us to be converted, calling us to faith.“You are calling on us to seize this time of trial as a time of choosing,” he said.
Now is not the time of God’s judgment, but of our own: “a time to choose what matters and what passes away, a time to separate what is necessary from what is not.”
The Pope said we can draw lessons from the many people who – even though fearful – have reacted by giving their lives, including medical personnel, supermarket clerks, cleaners, priests, police officers, and volunteers. This, he said, “is the force of the Spirit poured out and fashioned in courageous and generous self-denial.”
Stripped of our
self-sufficiency
Pope Francis said faith
begins “when we realize we are in need of salvation” and are not
self-sufficient.If we turn to Jesus and hand Him our fears, said the Pope, He will conquer them.
“Because this is God’s strength: turning to the good everything that happens to us, even the bad things. He brings serenity into our storms, because with God life never dies.”
So, God asks us now, in the midst of the tempest, “to reawaken and put into practice that solidarity and hope capable of giving strength, support and meaning to these hours when everything seems to be floundering.”
His cross is our hope
Jesus’ cross, said Pope
Francis, is the anchor that has saved us, the rudder that has redeemed us, and
our hope, because “by His cross we have been healed and embraced so that
nothing and no one can separate us from His redeeming love.”“In the midst of isolation when we are suffering from a lack of tenderness and chances to meet up, and we experience the loss of so many things,” he said, “let us once again listen to the proclamation that saves us: He is risen and is living by our side.”
So, we embrace His cross in the hardships of the present time, and make room in our hearts “for the creativity that only the Spirit is capable of inspiring.”
“Embracing the Lord in order to embrace hope: that is the strength of faith, which frees us from fear and gives us hope.”
Turning to the Lord
Concluding his meditation,
Pope Francis entrusted us all to the Lord, through the intercession of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, so that our faith might not waiver in this time of crisis.“Dear brothers and sisters, from this place that tells of Peter’s rock-solid faith, I would like this evening to entrust all of you to the Lord, through the intercession of Mary, Health of the People and Star of the stormy Sea. From this colonnade that embraces Rome and the whole world, may God’s blessing come down upon you as a consoling embrace. Lord, may you bless the world, give health to our bodies and comfort our hearts. You ask us not to be afraid. Yet our faith is weak, and we are fearful. But you, Lord, will not leave us at the mercy of the storm. Tell us again: ‘Do not be afraid’ (Mt 28:5). And we, together with Peter, ‘cast all our anxieties onto you, for you care about us’ (cf. 1Pet 5:7).”
march 29 Fifth Sunday Of Lent-Passion Sunday
passiontide
Isaiah, Chapter 33, verse 6
That which makes her seasons certain, her
wealth, salvation, wisdom, and knowledge, is the FEAR of the LORD, her
treasure.
Wherever your treasure is that is where
your heart is and our hearts are made for the Lord. Fear of the Lord means that we have a father/son relationship of
care, respect and love. Our God does not want to be objectified as some
obtainable good. Nor does our God want to be appeased with our prayers and
obedience. God is not an insurance agent that guarantees us against losses if
we pay our premiums in prayers. If God is our treasure, he is our star, our
life, our everything.
In the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii
Gaudium of the Holy Father Francis, he states:
We have a treasure of life and love
which cannot deceive, and a message which cannot mislead or disappoint. It
penetrates to the depths of our hearts, sustaining and ennobling us. It is a
truth which is never out of date because it reaches that part of us which
nothing else can reach. Our infinite sadness can only be cured by an infinite
love.
I am reminded of
the love of Don Quixote in the play “Man from La Mancha”. If God is our
treasure, he should be our Impossible Dream because we are His.
Fifth
Sunday Of Lent-Passion
Sunday
The focus of Passiontide is to meditate on the
Jews' growing hatred of Christ recorded in the Gospel and makes plain His
imminent death.
FROM this day,
called Passion Sunday, until Easter the Church--gives herself up entirely to
meditation on the passion of Jesus. Today the crucifixes are covered, in
remembrance that from this time until His entrance into Jerusalem Jesus walked
no more openly among the Jews. From to-day the Glory Be to the Father is
omitted in the Mass, because in the person of Jesus Christ the Most Holy
Trinity was dishonored. As on this day the high priests held council about Our
Lord, the Church says, at the Introit of the Mass, in the name of the suffering
Jesus, the words of the psalmist: Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause
from the nation that is not holy; deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man,
for Thou art God, my strength. Send forth Thy light and Thy truth, they have
conducted me and brought me unto Thy holy hill, and into Thy tabernacles (Ps.
xlii. 1-3).
Prayer.
We beseech Thee, Almighty God, mercifully look upon
Thy family, that by Thy bounty it may be governed in body, and by Thy
preservation be kept in mind.
EPISTLE.
Heb. ix. 11-15.
Brethren: Christ, being come a high
priest of the good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not
made with hands, that is, not of this creation: neither by the blood of goats,
nor of calves, but by His own blood, entered once into the holies, having
obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and of oxen, and the
ashes of a heifer being sprinkled, sanctify such as are defiled, to the
cleansing of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, Who by the
Holy Ghost offered Himself unspotted unto God, cleanse our conscience from dead
works, to serve the living God?
And therefore, He is the mediator
of the New Testament: that by means of His death, for the redemption of those
transgressions, which were under the former testament, they that are called may
receive the promise of eternal inheritance, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Explanation. St.
Paul here teaches that Jesus Christ has given full satisfaction for the sins of
men, and opened to all the entrance into the sanctuary. The Church proposes
this epistle to us in order that we may thank God for the great mercy of the
redemption, love and praise Him, and be encouraged to share in His sufferings
by fasting, prayer, and penitential works.
Aspiration.
Give us Thy grace, O meekest Jesus, that by true sorrow for our sins, and by
the practice of good works, we may become partakers of Thy bitter sufferings,
and obtain the promised in heritance of eternal life. Amen.
GOSPEL.
John viii. 46-59.
At
that time Jesus said to the multitudes of the Jews: Which of you shall convince
Me of sin? If I say the truth to you, why do you not believe Me?
He
that is of God heareth the words of God. Therefore, you hear them not because
you are not of God. The Jews therefore answered, and said to Him: Do not we say
well that Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?
Jesus
answered: I have not a devil: but I honor My Father, and you have dishonored
Me. But I seek not My own glory: there is One that seeketh and judgeth. Amen,
amen, I say to you: if any man keep My word, he shall not see death forever.
The Jews therefore said: Now we know that Thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead,
and the prophets; and Thou sayest: If any man keep My word, he shall not taste
death forever. Art Thou greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? and the
prophets are dead. Whom dost Thou make Thyself?
Jesus
answered: If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing. It is My Father that
glorifieth Me, of Whom you say that He is your God. And you have not known Him,
but I know Him. And if I shall say that I know Him not, I shall be like to you,
a liar. But I do know Him, and do keep His word. Abraham your father rejoiced
that he might see My day. He saw it, and was glad. The Jews therefore said to
Him: Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast Thou seen Abraham?
Jesus
said to them: Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham was made, I am. They took
up stones therefore to cast at Him. But Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the
temple.
Explanation.
When Our Savior said: He that is of God heareth God’s words, He meant to point
out to the Jews the cause of their stubborn unbelief. He that is of God hears
and loves that which is Godlike. When, therefore, we gladly hear the word of
God and strive to do what we have heard, we testify that we are the children of
God. Instead of reflecting on Our Savior’s words the Jews poured out their
offended pride and abuse, and called Him a Samaritan, and one having a devil.
The same thing happens to-day. Instead of listening to the truth; the proud man
answers with calumny and contempt. Our Savior hid Himself from the Jews to
teach us to forgive and avoid our enemies rather than to oppose them and take
revenge on them.
Consolation under Insults
O friend, what
insult can be given to you which your Savior has not suffered?
He was called a
glutton and a drunkard, a heretic and a rebel, a friend and associate of sinners,
and one who had a devil; He was even told that He cast out devils by the prince
of devils (Matt. ix. 34). He, therefore, comforts His disciples with the words,
“If they have called the good man of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of
his household? (Matt. x. 25)
There is no sorrow
so bitter that He has not borne it, for what was more painful and grievous than
the death of the cross? Christians, “think diligently upon Him that endured
such opposition from sinners against Himself, that you be not wearied, fainting
in your minds, at contempt and insult.” (Heb. xii. 3)
Passiontide:
- (First) Passion Sunday. The Jews' growing hatred of Christ recorded in today's Gospel makes plain His imminent death.
- Friday after Passion Sunday: Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A special commemoration, one week before Good Friday, of Mary's compassion for (literally, "suffering with") Her innocent son.
- (Second Passion or) Palm Sunday. Christ's
triumphant entrance into Jerusalem and the account of His Passion
according to St. Matthew.
Akin to the asceticism of Lent is
its mournful tone. The Church is traditionally
draped in purple or black, its organ silenced, and its altar bereft of any
flowers. At home medieval Catholics would avoid frivolity or hilarity and would
wear black during either Holy Week or Good Friday.
There is a special mourning custom
that also begins on Passion Sunday (Fifth Sunday of Lent (Passion Sunday) and
ends when the Gloria is sung during the Easter Vigil Mass: covering all sacred images
(crucifixes, statues, etc) with purple cloth in both church and home. This
might seem counter intuitive, since one would expect to gaze at a crucifix more
during the season when the Passion is being considered. Yet the Roman rite
teaches by absence as well as by presence. In an odd way, being denied access
to the sacred images alerts you to their presence all the more, in the same way
that not having the sacrifice of the Mass on the one day you would expect it
the most, i.e., Good Friday, makes one all the more aware of the Sacrifice that
took place on that day. Covering sacred images also adds immensely to the sense
of sorrow and compunction that should naturally accompany this somber period.
Today
I am going out into the desert to pray for those afflicted with the Corona
Virus and for our Priests and religious. Below is my prayer plan: feel free to
use it to go out to a deserted place to pray for those afflicted in this
pandemic.
Chapel
Hike
The Divine Mercy Chaplet is on page 9, during
this hike you will be praying the Divine Mercy Novena as Christ asked
"Today bring to Me the Souls of Priests
and Religious and immerse
them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave me strength to endure My
bitter Passion. Through them as through channels My mercy flows out upon
mankind." Most
Merciful Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase Your grace in men
and women consecrated to Your service,* that they may perform worthy works of
mercy; and that all who see them may glorify the Father of Mercy who is in
heaven. Eternal Father turn Your merciful gaze upon the company of chosen ones
in Your vineyard -- upon the souls of priests and religious; and endow them
with the strength of Your blessing. For the love of the Heart of Your Son in
which they are enfolded, impart to them Your power and light, that they may be
able to guide others in the way of salvation and with one voice sing praise to
Your boundless mercy for ages without end. Amen.[6]
* In the original
text, Saint Faustina uses the pronoun "us" since she was offering
this prayer as a consecrated religious sister. The wording adapted here is
intended to make the prayer suitable for universal use.
Little
Horse Trail begins as part of the Bell Rock Pathway. Follow this wide trail southward for 0.25 mile. Here, at a signed
fork, take the old jeep road branching to the left and marked with basket
cairns. The road drops to cross a dry streambed, climbs a bit and ends at the 0.75-mile
point. The trail continues to the left and climbs moderately, topping out on a
large, flat expanse. Turn to the right here. The level trail leads into a stand
of Arizona cypress and intersects Chapel Trail on the left coming from the
Chapel of the Holy Cross as it nears the "Madonna and the Nuns" spire
rock formation. Beautiful views. At 1.4 miles, it passes through a gate to the
Chapel of the Holy Cross. Return by the same route. Trail is mostly unshaded
and hot in summer.
General Notes:
Rating: Easy
Hiking Time: 2 hours roundtrip
Hiking from Little Horse it is suggested that
you begin the hiking meditation by reflecting on the Ten Commandments and when
you make the turn onto the chapel trail to begin a meditation on the Stations
of the cross ending the last stations outside the chapel because the chapel is
closed.. Afterward on the return hike complete the Divine Mercy reflection pg.
9 and the Rosary of the day.
- I
am the LORD your God. You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only
shall you serve.
- You
shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
- Remember
to keep holy the Sabbath day.
- Honor
your father and your mother.
- You
shall not kill.
- You
shall not commit adultery.
- You
shall not steal.
- You
shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- You
shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
- You
shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.
“What do they mean?”
Again, the Ten Commandments are a description of the basic freedom from sin
that is necessary to live as a Christian. They are a minimum level of living,
below which we must not go. The Ten Commandments and Catholicism have been
bound together since the time of Christ. In fact, Jesus refers to the Ten
Commandments and assures their validity in his dialog with the rich young man
in Matthew’s Gospel (Mt 19:16-21). It’s important to note that each Commandment
is simply a summary of a whole category of actions. Don’t be legalistic,
searching for a way around them because their wording doesn’t fit you
perfectly! For example, “bearing false witness against your neighbor” covers
any kind of falsehood: perjury, lying, slander, detraction, rash judgment, etc.
The Catholic Ten Commandments are linked together to form a coherent whole. If
you break one of them, you’re guilty of breaking all of them. The Commandments
express man’s fundamental duties to God and neighbor. As such, they represent
grave obligations. To violate them knowingly & willingly in a significant
way is to commit mortal sin.
2052 "Teacher, what good deed must I do, to
have eternal life?" To the young man who asked this question, Jesus
answers first by invoking the necessity to recognize God as the "One there
is who is good," as the supreme Good and the source of all good. Then
Jesus tells him: "If you would enter life, keep the commandments."
And he cites for his questioner the precepts that concern love of neighbor:
"You shall not kill, you shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal,
You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother." Finally,
Jesus sums up these commandments positively: "You shall love your neighbor
as yourself."
2053
To this first reply Jesus adds a second:
"If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." This reply
does not do away with the first: following Jesus Christ involves keeping the
Commandments. The Law has not been abolished, but rather man is invited to rediscover
it in the person of his Master who is its perfect fulfillment. In the three
synoptic Gospels, Jesus' call to the rich young man to follow him, in the
obedience of a disciple and in the observance of the Commandments, is joined to
the call to poverty and chastity. The evangelical counsels are inseparable from
the Commandments.
2054 Jesus acknowledged the Ten Commandments, but
he also showed the power of the Spirit at work in their letter. He preached a
"righteousness [which] exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees" as well
as that of the Gentiles. He unfolded all the demands of the Commandments.
"You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not kill. But
I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to
judgment."
2055 When someone asks him, "Which
commandment in the Law is the greatest?" Jesus replies: "You shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with
all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like
it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang
all the Law and the prophets." The Decalogue must be interpreted in light
of this twofold yet single commandment of love, the fullness of the Law:
The commandments:
"You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal,
You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this
sentence: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no
wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
2056 The word "Decalogue" means
literally "ten words." God revealed these "ten words" to
his people on the holy mountain. They were written "with the finger of
God," unlike the other commandments written by Moses. They are
pre-eminently the words of God. They are handed on to us in the books of Exodus
and Deuteronomy. Beginning with the Old Testament, the sacred books refer to
the "ten words," but it is in the New Covenant in Jesus Christ that
their full meaning will be revealed.
2057 The Decalogue must first be understood in the
context of the Exodus, God's great liberating event at the center of the Old
Covenant. Whether formulated as negative commandments, prohibitions, or as
positive precepts such as: "Honor your father and mother," the
"ten words" point out the conditions of a life freed from the slavery
of sin. The Decalogue is a path of life:
If you love the LORD
your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his
statutes and his ordinances, then you shall live and multiply.
This liberating power
of the Decalogue appears, for example, in the commandment about the sabbath
rest, directed also to foreigners and slaves:
You shall remember
that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you
out thence with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.
2058
The "ten words" sum up and proclaim
God's law: "These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly at the
mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with
a loud voice; and he added no more. And he wrote them upon two tables of stone,
and gave them to me." For this reason, these two tables are called
"the Testimony." In fact, they contain the terms of the covenant
concluded between God and his people. These "tables of the Testimony"
were to be deposited in "the ark."
2059 The "ten words" are pronounced by
God in the midst of a theophany ("The LORD spoke with you face to face at
the mountain, out of the midst of the fire."). They belong to God's
revelation of himself and his glory. The gift of the Commandments is the gift of
God himself and his holy will. In making his will know, God reveals himself to
his people.
2060
The gift of the commandments and of the Law is
part of the covenant God sealed with his own. In Exodus, the revelation of the
"ten words" is granted between the proposal of the covenant and its
conclusion - after the people had committed themselves to "do" all
that the Lord had said, and to "obey" it. The Decalogue is never
handed on without first recalling the covenant ("The LORD our God made a
covenant with us in Horeb.").
2061 The Commandments take on their full meaning
within the covenant. According to Scripture, man's moral life has all its
meaning in and through the covenant. The first of the "ten words"
recalls that God loved his people first:
Since there was a
passing from the paradise of freedom to the slavery of this world, in
punishment for sin, the first phrase of the Decalogue, the first word of God's
commandments, bears on freedom "I am the LORD your God, who brought you
out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery."
2062
The Commandments properly so-called come in
the second place: they express the implications of belonging to God through the
establishment of the covenant. Moral existence is a response to the Lord's
loving initiative. It is the acknowledgement and homage given to God and a
worship of thanksgiving. It is cooperation with the plan God pursues in
history.
2063 The covenant and dialogue between God and man
are also attested to by the fact that all the obligations are stated in the
first person ("I am the Lord.") and addressed by God to another
personal subject ("you"). In all God's commandments, the singular personal
pronoun designates the recipient. God makes his will know to each person in
particular, at the same time as he makes it known to the whole people:
The Lord prescribed
love towards God and taught justice towards neighbor, so that man would be
neither unjust, nor unworthy of God. Thus, through the Decalogue, God prepared
man to become his friend and to live in harmony with his neighbor. The words of
the Decalogue remain likewise for us Christians. Far from being abolished, they
have received amplification and development from the fact of the coming of the
Lord in the flesh.
2064 In fidelity to Scripture and in conformity with the example of Jesus,
the tradition of the Church has acknowledged the primordial importance and
significance of the Decalogue.
2067 The Ten Commandments state what is required
in the love of God and love of neighbor. The first three concern love of God,
and the other seven love of neighbor.
As charity comprises
the two commandments to which the Lord related the whole Law and the prophets; so,
the Ten Commandments were themselves given on two tablets. Three were written
on one tablet and seven on the other.
2068
The Council of Trent teaches that the Ten
Commandments are obligatory for Christians and that the justified man is still
bound to keep them; the Second Vatican Council confirms: "The bishops,
successors of the apostles, receive from the Lord. the mission of teaching all
peoples, and of preaching the Gospel to every creature, so that all men may
attain salvation through faith, Baptism and the observance of the
Commandments."
2069 The Decalogue forms a coherent whole. Each
"word" refers to each of the others and to all of them; they
reciprocally condition one another. The two tables shed light on one another;
they form an organic unity. To transgress one commandment is to infringe all
the others. One cannot honor another person without blessing God his Creator.
One cannot adore God without loving all men, his creatures. The Decalogue
brings man's religious and social life into unity.
2070
The Ten Commandments belong to God's
revelation. At the same time, they teach us the true humanity of man. They bring
to light the essential duties, and therefore, indirectly, the fundamental
rights inherent in the nature of the human person. The Decalogue contains a privileged
expression of the natural law:
From the beginning,
God had implanted in the heart of man the precepts of the natural law. Then he
was content to remind him of them. This was the Decalogue.
2071
The commandments of the Decalogue, although
accessible to reason alone, have been revealed. To attain a complete and
certain understanding of the requirements of the natural law, sinful humanity
needed this revelation:
A full explanation of
the commandments of the Decalogue became necessary in the state of sin because
the light of reason was obscured, and the will had gone astray.
We know God's
commandments through the divine revelation proposed to us in the Church, and
through the voice of moral conscience.
2072 Since they express man's fundamental duties
towards God and towards his neighbor, the Ten Commandments reveal, in their
primordial content, grave obligations. They are fundamentally immutable, and
they oblige always and everywhere. No one can dispense from them. The Ten
Commandments are engraved by God in the human heart.
2073 Obedience to the Commandments also implies obligations in matter
which is, in itself, light. Thus, abusive language is forbidden by the fifth
commandment, but would be a grave offense only as a result of circumstances or
the offender's intention.
2074 Jesus says: "I am the vine; you are the
branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit,
for apart from me you can do nothing." The fruit referred to in this
saying is the holiness of a life made fruitful by union with Christ. When we
believe in Jesus Christ, partake of his mysteries, and keep his commandments,
the Savior himself comes to love, in us, his Father and his brethren, our
Father and our brethren. His person becomes, through the Spirit, the living and
interior rule of our activity. "This is my commandment, that you love one
another as I have loved you."
As you turn onto the Chapel Trail reflect on
the Stations of the Cross
FIRST
STATION
Jesus
in agony in the Garden of Olives
From
the Gospel according to Saint Luke. 22:41-44
Jesus withdrew from them
about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing,
remove this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will but yours be done.” And
there appeared to him an angel from heaven strengthening him. And being in
agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood
falling down upon the ground.
MEDITATION
Jesus was in agony. Grief and anguish came upon him. The sin of
all mankind weighed on him heavily. But the greater his pain, the more
fervently did he pray. Pain always remains a challenge to us. We feel left
alone. We forget to pray, and break down. Some even take their lives. But if we
turn to God, we grow spiritually strong and go out to help our fellow-beings in
trouble.
Jesus continues to suffer in
his persecuted disciples. Pope Benedict XVI says that even in our times “the
Church does not lack martyrs”. Christ is in agony among us, and in our times.
We pray for those who suffer. The mystery of Christian suffering is that it has
a redemptive value. May the harassments that believers undergo complete in them
the sufferings of Christ that bring salvation.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, enable us to delve deeper into the great “mystery of
evil” and our own contribution to it. As sufferings came into human life
through sin, it was your plan that humanity be saved from sin through suffering.
May none of the little annoyances, humiliations, and frustrations that we
undergo in our daily lives and the great shocks that take us by surprise, go to
waste. Linked with your own agony, may the agonies we endure be acceptable to
you and bring us hope. Lord, teach us to be compassionate, not only to the
hungry, thirsty, sick, or those in some special need, but also to those
inclined to be rude, argumentative and hurtful. In this way, as you have helped
us in all our troubles, we may in turn “comfort those who are in any
affliction, with the comfort that we ourselves have received”.
SECOND
STATION
Jesus
is betrayed by Judas, and restrains Peter from violence
From
the Gospel according to Saint Luke 22:47-50 and according to Saint Matthew
26:52.56
While Jesus was still
speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was
leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him; but Jesus said to him, “Judas,
would you betray the Son of man with a kiss?” And when those who were about him
saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And
one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. Then
Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the
sword will perish by the sword.” Then all the disciples forsook him and fled.
MEDITATION
It is one of his trusted friends that betrays Jesus, and with a
kiss. The way Jesus confronted violence has a message for our times. Violence
is suicidal, he tells Peter: it is not defeated by more violence, but by a
superior spiritual energy that reaches out in the form of healing love. Jesus
touches the High Priest’s slave and heals him. The violent man today too may
need a healing touch that comes from a love that transcends the immediate
issues. In times of conflict between persons, ethnic and religious groups,
nations, economic and political interests, Jesus says, confrontation and
violence are not the answer, but love, persuasion and reconciliation. Even when
we seem to fail in such efforts, we plant the seeds of peace which will bear
fruit in due time. The rightness of our cause is our strength.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, you consider us your friends, yet we notice traces
of infidelity in ourselves. We acknowledge our transgressions. We are
presumptuous at times and over-confident. And we fall. Let not avarice, lust or
pride take us by surprise. How thoughtlessly do we fly after ephemeral
satisfactions and untested ideas! Grant that we may not be tossed to and fro
and carried about by every wind of doctrine… but speaking the truth in love,
grow up in every way into Christ the head. May truth and sincerity of purpose
be our strength. Restrain, Lord, our impetuosity in situations of violence, as
you restrained Peter’s impulsive character. Keep us unruffled in spirit before
opposition and unfair treatment. Convince us that “A gentle answer quiets
anger” in our families, and that “gentleness” combined with “wisdom” restores
tranquility in society. “Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.”
THIRD
STATION
Jesus
is held guilty by the Sanhedrin
From
the Gospel according to Saint Matthew 26:62-66
And the High Priest stood up
and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify
against you? But Jesus was silent. And the High Priest said to him, “I adjure
you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus
said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son
of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Then the High Priest tore his robes, and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What
do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your
judgement? They answered, “He deserves death.”
MEDITATION
In every land, there have been innocent persons who suffered,
people who died fighting for freedom, equality or justice. Those who struggle
on behalf of God’s little ones are promoting God’s own work. For he presses for
the rights of the weak and the oppressed. Whoever collaborates in this work, in
the spirit of Jesus, brings hope to the oppressed and offers a corrective
message to the evildoer himself. Jesus’ manner of struggling for justice is not
to rouse the collective anger of people against the opponent, so that they are
led into forms of greater injustice. On the contrary, it is to challenge the
foe with the rightness of one’s cause and evoke the good will of the opponent
in such a way that injustice is renounced through persuasion and a change of
heart. Mahatma Gandhi brought this teaching of Jesus on non-violence into
public life with amazing success.
PRAYER
Lord, often we judge others in haste, indifferent to actual
realities and insensitive to people’s feelings! We develop stratagems of
self-justification and explain away the irresponsible manner in which we have
dealt with “the other”. Forgive us! When we are misjudged and ill-treated, Lord,
give us the inner serenity and self-confidence that your Son manifested in the
face of unjust treatment. Keep us from an aggressive response which goes
against your Spirit. On the contrary, help us to bring your powerful word of
forgiveness into situations of tension and anxiety, so that it may reveal its
dynamic power in history. “In His will is our peace.”
FOURTH
STATION
Jesus
is denied by Peter
From
the Gospel according to Saint Luke. 22:54-62
Then they seized Jesus and
led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house. Peter followed at a
distance; and when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and
sat down together, Peter sat among them. Then a maid, seeing him as he sat in
the light and gazing at him, said, “This man was with him.” But he denied it,
saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” And a little later someone else saw him and
said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” And after an
interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man
was also with him; for he is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know
what you are saying.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the cock
crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word
of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will
deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
MEDITATION
Peter claimed to be strong, but he broke down before a servant
girl. Human weakness takes us by surprise, and we collapse. That is why Jesus
asks us to watch and pray. He urges self-renunciation and closeness to God.
There is a rebellious “self” within us. We are often of “two minds”, but we
fail to recognize this inner inconsistency. Peter recognized it when his eyes
met the eyes of Jesus, and he wept. Later, Thomas, encountering the Risen Lord,
acknowledged his own faithlessness and believed. In the light of Christ, Paul
became aware of the inconsistency within himself, and he overcame it with the
Lord’s help. Going deeper still, he discovered: “It is no longer I who live,
but it is Christ who lives in me.”
PRAYER
Lord, how easily do we allow a distance to grow between what we
profess to be and what we really are! How often do we fail to carry out our own
decisions, or even fulfil our most solemn promises! And as a result, we often
hesitate to make any permanent commitment, even to you! We confess that we have
failed to bring into our life that inner discipline that is expected of any
adult person and required for the success of any human endeavor. Give
sturdiness to our inner determination; help us to bring every good work we have
begun to a successful conclusion. Enable us to stand firm, as mature and fully
convinced Christians, “in complete obedience to God’s will”.
FIFTH
STATION
Jesus
is judged by Pilate
A third time Pilate said to
them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no crime deserving
death; I will therefore chastise him and release him”. But they were urgent,
demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices
prevailed. So, Pilate gave sentence that their demand should be granted. He
released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder,
whom they asked for; but Jesus he delivered up to their will.
MEDITATION
It was not the rightness of an issue that mattered to Pilate,
but his professional interests. Such an attitude did not help him, either in
this case or in his later career. He was so unlike Jesus, whose inner rectitude
made him fearless. Nor was Pilate interested in the truth. He walks away from
Jesus exclaiming, “What is truth?” Such indifference to truth is not uncommon
these days. People are often concerned about what gives immediate satisfaction.
They are content with superficial answers. Decisions are made based not on
principles of integrity, but on opportunistic considerations. Failing to make
morally responsible options damages the vital interests of the human person,
and of the human family. We pray that the “spiritual and ethical concepts”
contained in the word of God will inspire the living norms of society in our
times.
PRAYER
Lord give us the courage to make responsible decisions when rendering
a public service. Bring probity (correctness)
into public life and assist us to be true to our conscience. Lord, you are
the source of all Truth. Guide us in our search for ultimate answers. Going
beyond mere partial and incomplete explanations, may we search for what is
permanently true, beautiful and good. Lord, keep us fearless before the “slings
and arrows of outrageous fortune”. When shadows grow deep on life’s wearisome
paths, and the dark night comes, enable us to hearken to the teaching of your
Apostle Paul: “Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be
strong.”
SIXTH
STATION
Jesus
is scourged and crowned with thorns
From
the Gospel according to Saint Matthew. 27:26-30
Then Pilate, having scourged
Jesus, delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took
Jesus into the praetorium, and they gathered the whole battalion before him.
And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe upon him, and plaiting a crown of
thorns they put it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling
before him they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spat
upon him, and took the reed and struck him on the head.
MEDITATION
Inhumanity reaches new heights. Jesus is scourged and crowned
with thorns. History is full of hatred and wars. Even today we witness acts of
violence beyond belief: murder, violence to women and children, kidnapping,
extortion, ethnic conflict, urban violence, physical and mental torture,
violations of human rights. Jesus continues to suffer when believers are
persecuted, when justice is distorted in court, corruption gets rooted, unjust
structures grind the poor, minorities are suppressed, refugees and migrants are
ill-treated. Jesus’ garments are pulled away when the human person is put to
shame on the screen, when women are compelled to humiliate themselves, when
slum children go round the streets picking up crumbs. Who are the guilty? Let
us not point a finger at others, for we ourselves may have contributed a share
to these forms of inhumanity.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, we know that it is you who suffer when we cause pain
to each other and we remain indifferent. Your heart went out in compassion when
you saw the crowds “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd”. Give
me eyes that notice the needs of the poor and a heart that reaches out in love.
“Give me the strength to make my love fruitful in service.” Most of all, may we
share with the indigent your “word” of hope, your assurance of care. May “zeal
for your house” burn in us like a fire. Help us to bring the sunshine of your
joy into the lives of those who are trudging the path of despair.
SEVENTH
STATION
After
Jesus is made an object of fun, he is led out to be crucified
From
the Gospel according to Saint Matthew. 27:31
And when they had mocked
him, they stripped him of the robe, and put his own clothes on him, and led him
away to be crucified.
MEDITATION
Jesus, at whose name every knee in heaven and earth bends, is
made an object of fun. We are shocked to see to what levels of brutality human
beings can sink. Jesus is humiliated in new ways even today: when things that
are most Holy and Profound in the Faith are being trivialized; the sense of the
sacred is allowed to erode; the religious sentiment is classified among
unwelcome leftovers of antiquity. Everything in public life risks being
desacralized: persons, places, pledges, prayers, practices, words, sacred
writings, religious formulae, symbols, ceremonies. Our life together is being
increasingly secularized. Religious life grows diffident. Thus, we see the most
momentous matters placed among trifles, and trivialities glorified. Values and
norms that held societies together and drew people to higher ideals are laughed
at and thrown overboard. Jesus continues to be ridiculed!
PRAYER
We have faith, Lord, but not enough. Help us to have more. May
we never question or mock serious things in life like a cynic. Allow us not to
drift into the desert of godlessness. Enable us to perceive you in the gentle
breeze, see you in street corners, love you in the unborn child. God, enable us
to understand that on Tabor or Calvary, your Son is the Lord. Robed or stripped
of his garments, he is the Savior of the world. Make us attentive to his quiet
presences: in his “word”, in tabernacles, shrines, humble places, simple
persons, the life of the poor, laughter of children, whispering pines, rolling
hills, the tiniest living cell, the smallest atom, and the distant galaxies.
May we watch with wonder as he walks on the waters of the Rhine and the Nile
and the Tanganyika.
EIGHTH
STATION
Jesus
is helped by Simon of Cyrene to carry the Cross
From
the Gospel according to Saint Luke. 23:26
The soldiers led Jesus away,
and as they were going, they met a man from Cyrene named Simon who was coming
into the city from the country. They seized him, put the cross on him, and made
him carry it behind Jesus.
MEDITATION
In Simon of Cyrene, we have the prototype of a faithful disciple
who takes up the Cross and follows Christ. He is not unlike millions of Christians
from a humble background, with deep attachment to Christ. No glamour, no
sophistication, but profound faith. Such believers keep rising on the soil of
Africa, Asia and the distant islands. Vocations arise from their midst. Simon
reminds us of small communities and tribes with their characteristic commitment
to the common good, deep rootedness in ethical values and openness to the
Gospel. They deserve attention and care. The Lord does not desire that “one of
these little ones should perish”. In Simon we discover the sacredness of the
ordinary and the greatness of what looks small. For the smallest has some
mystic relationship with the greatest, and the ordinary with the most
extraordinary!
PRAYER
Lord, it is your wonderful plan to lift up the lowly and sustain
the poor. Strengthen your Church in her service to deprived communities: the
least privileged, the marginalized, slum dwellers, the rural poor, the
undernourished, untouchables, the handicapped, people given to addictions. May
the example of your servant, Mother Teresa of Kolkata, inspire us to dedicate
more of our energies and resources to the cause of the “poorest of the poor”.
May we one day hear these words from Jesus: “I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you welcomed me; I
was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison
and you came to me.”
NINTH
STATION
Jesus
meets the women of Jerusalem
From
the Gospel according to Saint Luke. 23:27-28
And there followed him a
great multitude of the people, and of women who bewailed and lamented him. But
Jesus, turning to them, said: “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but
weep for yourselves and for your children.”
MEDITATION
Before the weeping women, Jesus is self-forgetful. His anxiety
is not about his pains, but about the tragic future that awaits them and their
children. The destinies of societies are intimately linked to the wellbeing of
their women. Wherever women are held in low esteem or their role remains diminished,
societies fail to rise to their true potentiality. In the same way, wherever
their responsibility to the rising generation is neglected, ignored, or
marginalized, the future of that society becomes uncertain. There are many
societies in the world where women fail to receive a fair deal. Christ must be
weeping for them. There are societies too that are thoughtless about their
future. Christ must be weeping for their children. Wherever there is unconcern
for the future, through the overuse of resources, the degradation of the
environment, the oppression of women, the neglect of family values, the
ignoring of ethical norms, the abandonment of religious traditions, Jesus must
be telling people: “Do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your
children.”
PRAYER
Lord, you are the Master of history. And yet you wanted our
collaboration in realizing your plans. Help us to play a responsible role in
society: leaders in their communities, parents in their families, educators and
health-workers among those who need to be served, communicators in the world of
information. Arouse in us a sense of mission in what we do, a deep sense of responsibility
to each other, to society, to our common future and to you. For you have placed
the destinies of our communities and of humanity itself into our hands. Lord,
do not turn away from us when you see women humiliated or your image disfigured
in the human person; when we interfere with life-systems, weaken the nurturing
power of nature, pollute running streams or the deep blue seas or the Northern
snows. Save us from cruel indifference to our common future, and do not let us
drag our civilization down the path of decline.
Time
your hike so you can reflect on stations 10-13 while sitting outside the chapel
with our crucified Lord!
TENTH
STATION
Jesus
is crucified
From
the Gospel according to Saint Luke 23:33-37 and according to Saint Matthew.
27:46
There they crucified him,
and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. And Jesus said,
“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to
divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching; but the rulers scoffed
at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of
God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him
vinegar, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” And
about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lama
sabachthani?”, that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
MEDITATION
The sufferings of Jesus reach a climax. He had stood fearlessly
before Pilate. He had endured the mistreatment of the Roman soldiers. He had
preserved his calm under the scourge and the crowning with thorns. On the Cross
itself, he seemed untouched by a shower of insults. He had no word of
complaint, no desire to retort. But then, finally, a moment comes when he
breaks down. His strength can stand no more. He feels abandoned even by his
Father! Experience tells us that even the sturdiest man can descend to the
depths of despair. Frustrations accumulate, anger and resentment pile up. Bad
health, bad news, bad luck, bad treatment – all can come together. It may have
happened to us. It is at such moments we need to remember that Jesus never
fails us. He cried to the Father. May we too cry out to the Father, who
unfailingly comes to our rescue in all our distress, whenever we call upon him!
PRAYER
Lord, when clouds gather on the horizon and everything seems
lost, when we find no friend to stand by us and hope slips from our hands,
teach us to trust in you, who will surely come to our rescue. May the
experience of inner pain and darkness teach us the great truth that in you
nothing is lost, that even our sins – once we have repented of them – come to
serve a purpose, like dry wood in the cold of winter. Lord, you have a
master design beneath the working of the universe and the progress of history.
Open our eyes to the rhythms and patterns in the movements of the stars;
balance and proportion in the inner structure of elements; interrelatedness and
complementarity in nature; progress and purpose in the march of history;
correction and compensation in our personal stories. It is this harmony that
you constantly keep restoring, despite the painful imbalances that we bring
about. In you even the greatest loss is a gain. Christ’s death, in fact, points
to resurrection.
ELEVENTH
STATION
Jesus
promises his Kingdom to the Good Thief
From
the Gospel according to Saint Luke. 23:39-43
One of the criminals who
were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? 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 justly; for we are
receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said
to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
MEDITATION
It is not eloquence that convinces and converts. In the case of
Peter, it is a look of love; in the case of the Good Thief, it is unresentful
serenity in suffering. Conversion takes place like a miracle. God opens your
eyes. You recognize his presence and action. You surrender! Opting for Christ
is always a mystery. Why does one make a definitive choice for Christ, even in
the face of trouble, or death? Why do Christians flourish in persecuted places?
We shall never know. But it happens over and over again. If a person who has
abandoned his faith comes across the real face of Christ, he will be stunned by
what he actually sees, and may surrender like Thomas: “My Lord and my God!” It
is a privilege to unveil the face of Christ to people. It is even a greater joy
to discover – or rediscover -him. “Your face, O Lord, do I seek. Do not hide
your face from me.”
PRAYER
My cry to you today, O Lord, in tears is this: “Jesus, remember
me when you come into your Kingdom.” It is for this Kingdom that I fondly long.
It is the eternal home you have prepared for all those who seek you with
sincere hearts. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what
God has prepared for those who love him”. Help me, Lord, as I struggle ahead on
my way to my eternal destiny. Lift the darkness from my path, and keep my eyes
raised to the heights!
“Lead, kindly Light,
amid the encircling gloom.
Lead thou me on.
The night is dark, and I am far from home.
Lead thou me on.
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.”
amid the encircling gloom.
Lead thou me on.
The night is dark, and I am far from home.
Lead thou me on.
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.”
TWELFTH
STATION
The
Mother of Jesus and the Beloved Disciple at the foot of the Cross
From
the Gospel according to Saint John. 19:25-27
Standing by the cross of
Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and
Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved
standing near, 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 to
his own home.
MEDITATION
In suffering we long for solidarity. Mother Mary reminds us of
supportive love and solidarity within a family, John of loyalty within a
community. Family cohesion, community bonds, ties of friendship – these are
essential for the flourishing of human beings. In an anonymous society they
grow weak. When they are missing, we become diminished persons. Again, in Mary
we do not notice even the least sign of resentment, not a word of bitterness.
The Virgin becomes an archetype of forgiveness in faith and hope. She shows us
the way to the future. Even those who would like to respond to violent
injustice with “violent justice” know that that is not the ultimate answer.
Forgiveness prompts hope. There are also historic injuries that often rankle in
the memories of societies for centuries. Unless we transmute our collective
anger into new energies of love through forgiveness, we perish together. When
healing comes through forgiveness, we light a lamp, announcing future
possibilities for the “life and well-being” of humanity.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, your Mother stood silently at your side in your
final agony. She who was unseen on occasions when you were acclaimed a great
prophet, stands beside you in your humiliation. May I have the courage to
remain loyal even where you are least recognized. Let me never be embarrassed
to belong to the “little flock”. Lord, let me remember that even those whom I
consider my “enemies” belong to the human family. If they treat me unfairly,
let my prayer be only: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
It may be in such a context that someone will suddenly recognize the true face
of Christ and cry out like the centurion: “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
THIRTEENTH
STATION
Jesus
dies on the Cross
From
the Gospel according to Saint Luke. 23:46
Then Jesus, crying with a
loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit!” And having
said this, he breathed his last.
MEDITATION
Jesus hands over his spirit to the Father in serene abandonment.
What his persecutors thought to be a moment of defeat proves, in fact, to be a
moment of triumph. When a prophet dies for the cause he stood for, he gives the
final proof of all that he has said. Christ’s death is something more than
that. It brings redemption. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of our trespasses.” With that begins for me a mystic journey:
Christ draws me closer to him, until I shall fully belong to him.
“As a deer longs for flowing
streams,
So my soul longs for you, O God…
When shall I come and behold the face of God?”
So my soul longs for you, O God…
When shall I come and behold the face of God?”
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, it is for my own sins that you were nailed to the
Cross. Help me to gain a deeper understanding of the grievousness of my sins
and the immensity of your love. For “while we were still weak, Christ died for
the ungodly.” I admit my faults as the prophets did long ago:
“We have sinned and done
wrong and acted wickedly
and rebelled, turning aside
from your commandments and ordinances;
we have not listened to your servants the prophets….”
and rebelled, turning aside
from your commandments and ordinances;
we have not listened to your servants the prophets….”
There was nothing in me to
deserve your kindness. Thank you for your immeasurable goodness to me. Help me
to live for you, to shape my life after you, to be joined to you and become a
new creation.
“Christ be with me, Christ
within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.”
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.”
For
the final station sit outside the chapel and reflect how you are a tomb for our
Lord
FOURTEENTH
STATION
Jesus
is taken down from the Cross and placed in the tomb
From
the Gospel according to Saint Mark. 15:46
Joseph bought a linen
shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid him in a
tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the
door of the tomb.
MEDITATION
Tragedies make us ponder. A tsunami tells us that life is
serious. Hiroshima and Nagasaki remain pilgrim places. When death strikes near,
another world draws close. We then shed our illusions and have a grasp of the
deeper reality. People in ancient India prayed: “Lead me from the unreal to the
real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality.”
After Jesus left this world,
Christians began to look back and interpret his life and mission. They carried
his message to the ends of the earth. And this message itself is Jesus Christ,
who is “the power of God and the wisdom of God”. It says that the reality is
Christ and that our ultimate destiny is to be with him.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, enable us, as we press forward on life’s weary way,
to have a glimpse of our ultimate destiny. And when at last we cross over; we
will know that “death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no
more.” God will wipe away all tears from our eyes. It is this Good News that we
are eager to announce, “in every way”, even in places where Christ has not been
heard of. For this we work hard. We work “night and day” and wear ourselves
out. Lord make us effective carriers of your Good News. “I know that my
Redeemer lives, and at last he will stand upon the earth; and in my flesh I
shall see God.”
When you are ready hike back to the Little
Horse trailhead; reflect on the Divine Mercy Prayer Pg. 9 and the Rosary of the
Day. Note: It is also interesting to reflect on how on Palm Sunday our Lord sat
on a Colt (Little Horse) entering the city of His death.
Aids in Battle the
Power of the Holy Spirit
In the Holy Spirit we have
from God a mighty Ally and Protector, a great Teacher of the Church, a mighty
Champion on our behalf. We must not be afraid of the demons,
nor of the Devil himself; for more powerful than those is the One who fights
for us. But we must open our doors to Him, for He goes about seeking those who
are worthy and searching for those on whom He may bestow His gifts. ST. CYRIL
OF JERUSALEM
Tutelage of the Holy
Spirit
Being baptized in Christ is the only requirement for receiving the
Holy Spirit, but to grow in the Spirit there are certain things that are
necessary, and these are a few of them.
§ A genuine desire to be holy I always use the word 'holy' to
mean living a life pleasing to God in every possible way, not just in
those matters you consider expedient; and obeying his commandments to the
fullest extent that you are capable of. Holiness has to be your goal and you
must be prepared to do whatever it takes to attain it, which includes a total,
unwavering commitment. The course is grueling and if you aren't committed, you
will crash out in no time.
§ Heartfelt repentance: You have to be genuinely sorry for your sins. It doesn't
matter that you might be constrained by sin at this point — part of the Holy
Spirit's role is to take away the constraints and free you of sin, which will
happen in time — but what is important at this stage is that you be truly sorry
for the offences that you have committed against God and be determined never to
sin against him anymore.
§ Honesty and courage: Another requirement is honesty, more with ourselves than with
anybody else, and the courage to face up to who we really are. Most of us put
up facades for public display and have been doing it for so long we have ended
up even fooling ourselves. The Holy Spirit is going to rip the masks apart,
albeit gently, and reveal things about you that you will not like to see. If
you aren't willing to face up to the truth of who you are and be ready to
remedy yourself without justification, you aren't going to make much progress.
§ Love for God: A vital requirement is a genuine love for God, translatable
into action. Love for God is something that will grow as you grow in him, but
what you need is a basic element of it to begin with, because it is only love
for God that will help you make a lot of the tough decisions that you will be
called to make as you progress through this school. The more love for God that
you have, the more you will be prepared to do for him, which will,
consequently, make it that much easier for you.
Daily
Devotions
·
Today in honor of the Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving
your day to God. To honor God REST: no shopping after SUNSET ON SATURDAY till
Monday. Don’t forget the internet.
[3]
Goffine’s Divine Instructions, 1896.
[8]http://www.beginningcatholic.com/catholic-ten-commandments
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