Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion
John, Chapter 19, Verse 7-9
7 The Jews answered, “We have a law, and according to
that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.” 8 Now when Pilate
heard this statement, he became even more AFRAID, 9and went back into
the praetorium and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” Jesus did not answer
him.
Pilate
was afraid of diabolical and fanatical men but not of God. Let us not be like
Pilate. How often are we like Pilate when we go about our daily business?
Pilate symbolically washed his hands to remove his guilt. Did it work? To
remind myself of this as I wash my hands throughout the day during the washing,
I say the Hail Mary and ask our Lady to help me not betray the sacrifice of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I try to remember He became hopeless to give us
hope.
Join our country in praying the Litany of
the Sacred Heart of Jesus on Good Friday April 10
12 pm Eastern | 11 am Central | 10 am Mountain | 9 am Pacific
the Sacred Heart of Jesus on Good Friday April 10
12 pm Eastern | 11 am Central | 10 am Mountain | 9 am Pacific
WHAT does the Church commemorate on
this day? The death of Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of
the Father, and the Savior of the world, Who on this day was scourged, crowned
with thorns, and most cruelly crucified between two thieves; through which bitter
and ignominious passion and death He accomplished the redemption of mankind.
LESSON.
Exodus xii. 1-11.
In those days: The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the
land of Egypt: This month shall be to you the beginning of months: it shall be
the first in the months of the year. Speak ye to the whole assembly of the
children of Israel, and say to them: On the tenth day of this month let every
man take a lamb by their families and houses. But if the number be less than
may suffice to eat the lamb, he shall take unto him his neighbor that joineth
to his house, according to the number of souls which may be enough to eat the
lamb. And it shall be a lamb without blemish, a male, of one year: according to
which rite also you shall take a kid. And
you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month: and the whole
multitude of the children of Israel shall sacrifice it in the evening. And they
shall take of the blood thereof, and put it upon both the side posts, and on
the upper doorposts of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall
eat the flesh that night roasted at the fire, and unleavened bread with wild
lettuce. You shall not eat thereof anything raw, nor boiled in water, but only
roasted at the fire: you shall eat the head with the feet and entrails thereof.
Neither shall there remain anything of it until morning. If there be anything
left, you shall burn it with fire. And thus, you shall eat it: you shall gird
your reins, and you shall have shoes on your feet, holding staves in your
hands, and you shall eat in haste: for it is the Phase (that is the Passage) of
the Lord.
After
this is read:
THE PASSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST,
According to St. John xviii. and xix.
At
that time Jesus went forth with His disciples over the brook Cedron, where there
was a garden into which He entered with His disciples. And Judas also, who
betrayed Him, knew the place: because Jesus had often resorted thither together
with His disciples. Judas therefore having received a band of soldiers and
servants from the chief priests and the Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns
and torches and weapons. Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that should come
upon Him, went forth and said to them: Whom seek ye?
They
answered Him: Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith to them: I am He. And Judas also
who betrayed Him, stood with Him. As soon therefore as He had said to them: I
am He: they went backward, and fell to the ground. Again, therefore He asked
them: Whom seek ye?
And
they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered: I have told you, that I am He. If
therefore you seek Me, let these go their way. That the word might be fulfilled
which He said: Of them whom Thou hast given Me I have not lost anyone. Then
Simon Peter having a sword, drew it, and struck the servant of the high priest,
and cut off his right ear. And the name of the servant was Malchus. Jesus
therefore said to Peter: Put up thy sword into the scabbard. The chalice which
My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it?
Then
the band, and the tribune, and the servants of the Jews took Jesus, and bound Him:
and they led Him away to Annas first, for he was father-in-law to Caiphas, who
was the high priest of that year. Now Caiphas was he who had given the counsel
to the Jews: That it was expedient that one man should die for the people. And
Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. And that disciple was
known to the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the court of the high
priest. But Peter stood at the door without. The other disciple therefore who
was known to the high priest, went out, and spoke to the portress, and brought
in Peter. The maid therefore that was portress, saith to Peter: Art not thou
also one of this man’s disciples?
He
saith: I am not. Now the servants and ministers stood at a fire of coals,
because it was cold, and warmed themselves. And with them was Peter also
standing, and warming himself. The high priest therefore asked Jesus of His
disciples, and of His doctrine. Jesus answered him: I have spoken openly to the
world: I have always taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither all
the Jews resort: and in secret I have spoken nothing. Why askest Thou Me? ask
them who have heard what I have spoken to them: behold they know what things I
have said. And when He had said these things, one of the servants standing by,
gave Jesus a blow, saying: Answerest Thou the high priest so?
Jesus
answered him: If I have spoken evil, give testimony of the evil: but if well,
why strikest thou Me?
And
Annas sent Him bound to Caiphas the high priest. And Simon Peter was standing
and warming himself. They said therefore to him: Art not thou also one of His
disciples?
He
denied it, and said: I am not One of the servants of the high priest, a kinsman
to him whose ear Peter cut off, saith to him: Did not I see thee in the garden
with Him?
Again,
therefore Peter denied, and immediately the cock crew. Then they led Jesus from
Caiphas to the governor’s hall. And it was morning: and they went not into the
hall, that they might not be defiled, but that they might eat the pasch. Pilate
therefore went out to them, and said: What accusation bring you against this
man?
They
answered and said to him: If He were not a malefactor, we would not have
delivered Him up to thee. Pilate therefore said to them: Take Him you, and
judge Him according to your law. The Jews therefore said to him: It is not
lawful for us to put any man to death. That the word of Jesus might be
fulfilled which He said signifying what death He should die. Pilate therefore
went into the hall again, and called Jesus, and said to Him: Art Thou the king
of the Jews?
Jesus
answered: Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or have others told it Thee of Me?
Pilate answered: Am I a Jew?
Thy
own nation and the chief priests have delivered Thee up to me. What hast Thou
done?
Jesus
answered: My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My
servants would certainly strive that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but
now My kingdom is not from hence. Pilate therefore said to Him: Art Thou a king
then?
Jesus
answered: Thou sayest that I am a king. For this was I born, and for this came
I into the world, that I should give testimony to the truth. Every one that is
of the truth, heareth My voice. Pilate said to Him: What is truth?
And
when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and saith to them: I find
no cause in Him. But you have a custom that I should release one unto you at
the pasch: will you therefore that I release unto you the king of the Jews?
Then
cried they all again, saying: Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.
Then, therefore, Pilate took Jesus, and scourged Him. And the soldiers platting
a crown of thorns, put it upon His head: and they put on Him a purple garment,
and they came to Him, and said: Hail, king of the Jews! And they gave Him
blows. Pilate, therefore, went forth again, and saith to them: Behold I bring
Him forth unto you, that you may know that I find no cause in Him. Jesus
therefore came forth, bearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment. And
he saith to them: Be hold the man. When the chief priests, therefore, and the
servants had seen Him, they cried out, saying: Crucify Him, crucify Him. Pilate
saith to them: Take Him you, and crucify Him; for I find no cause in Him. The
Jews answered him: We have a law; and according to the law He ought to die, because
He made Himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore had heard this saying, he
feared the more. And he entered into the hall again, and he said to Jesus:
Whence art Thou?
But
Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate therefore said to Him: Speakest Thou not to
me? knowest Thou not that I have power to crucify Thee, and I have power to
release Thee?
Jesus
answered: Thou shouldst not have any power against Me, unless it were given
thee from above. Therefore, lie that hath delivered Me to thee, hath the
greater sin. And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release Him. But the Jews
cried out, saying: If thou release this man, thou art not Caesar’s friend. For
whosoever maketh himself a king, speaketh against Caesar. Now when Pilate had
heard these words, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment-seat,
in the place that is called Lithostrotos, and in Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the
parasceve of the pasch, about the sixth hour, and he saith to the Jews: Behold
your king. But they cried out: Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him.
Pilate saith to them: Shall I crucify your king?
The
chief priests answered: We have no king but Caesar. Then, therefore, he
delivered Him to them for to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led Him
forth. And bearing His own cross, He went forth to that place, which is called
Calvary, but in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and with Him two
others, one on each side, and Jesus in the midst. And Pilate wrote a title
also, and he put it upon the cross. And the writing was, Jesus of Nazareth, the
king of the Jews. This title, therefore, many of the Jews did read, because the
place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in
Hebrew, in Greek, and in Latin. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate:
Write not, The king of the Jews; but that He said, I am the king of the Jews.
Pilate answered: What I have written, I have written. The soldiers, therefore,
when they had crucified Him, took His garments (and they made four parts, to
every soldier a part), and also His coat. Now the coat was without seam, woven
from the top throughout. They said then one to another: Let us not cut it, but
let us cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the Scripture might be
fulfilled saying: They have parted My garments among them, and upon My vesture
they have cast lots. And the soldiers indeed did these things. Now there stood
by the cross of Jesus, His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary of Cleophas,
and Mary Magdalen. When Jesus therefore had seen His mother, and the disciple
standing, whom He loved, He saith to His mother: Woman! behold thy son. After
that, He saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour the
disciple took her to his own. Afterwards Jesus knowing that all things were now
accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled said: I thirst. Now there
was a vessel set there full of vinegar. And they putting a sponge full of
vinegar, about hyssop, put it to His mouth. Jesus, therefore, when He had taken
the vinegar, said: It is consummated. And bowing His head, He gave up the
ghost. [Here all kneel, and pause a little, to meditate on the redemption of
mankind. ~\ Then the Jews (because it was the Parasceve), that the bodies might
not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath-day (for that was a great
Sabbath-day), besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they
might be taken away. The soldiers, therefore, came: and they broke the legs of
the first, and of the other that was crucified with Him. But after they were
come to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His
legs. But one of the soldiers with a spear opened His side, and immediately
there came out blood and water. And he that saw it hath given testimony, and
his testimony is true. And he knoweth that he saith true, that you also may
believe. For these things were done that the Scripture might be fulfilled: You
shall not break a bone of him. And again, another Scripture saith: They shall
look on Him Whom they pierced. And after these things, Joseph of Arimathea
(because he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly lor fear of the Jews)
besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus. And Pilate gave
leave. He came therefore and took away the body of Jesus. And Nicodemus also
came, he who at the first came to Jesus by night, bringing a mixture of myrrh
and aloes, about a hundred-pound weight. They took therefore the body of Jesus,
and bound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
Now there was in the place where He was crucified a garden: and in the garden a
new sepulcher, wherein no man yet had been laid. There, therefore, because of
the Parasceve of the Jews, they laid Jesus; because the sepulcher was nigh at
hand.
When
the Passion is finished the Priest prays first:
1,
for the Church.
2,
for the pope.
3,
for the bishops, priests, deacons and the body of the faithful.
4,
for the civil rulers and the catechumens.
5,
for preservation from famine and sickness.
6,
for heretics and schismatics.
7,
for Jews and heathen.
After
the prayers the priest, from the epistle side of the altar, extends towards the
people the veiled crucifix, uncovered at the top, and sings with a loud voice, Behold the wood of the cross, whereon hung the Savior of the world.
This elevation of the crucifix refers to Jesus, Who delivers us from everlasting
death. After the response of the choir the priest advances to the corner of the
altar, uncovers the right arm of the crucifix, and sings in a higher tone than
before, Behold the wood of the cross.
The choir again answers. Then at the middle of the altar he uncovers the whole
crucifix, and, elevating it, sings in a still higher tone, Behold the wood of the cross, to which the answer is given as at
first. The covering of the crucifix signifies that the crucified Savior was at
first unknown and despised by the world; the gradual uncovering of it
represents the gradual propagation of the knowledge and adoration of Jesus
among mankind. The uncovered crucifix is then laid upon a cushion in front of
the altar, and the priest puts off his shoes and proceeds to kiss the cross,
kneeling three times to remind the faithful that Christ crucified, the Fountain
of life, the Centre of the Church, is in her midst, and will remain with her to
the end of time. When the adoration is ended, the cross is replaced on the
middle of the altar, the candles are lighted, and the Blessed Sacrament is
brought in procession from the place where it was deposited the day before.
There is no Mass said to-day. For there is no consecration either of bread or
wine, but the priest receives one of the hosts consecrated the day before.
Why is there no Mass said?
Because to-day the Church directs her attention exclusively to the bloody
sacrifice. During the day do for the love of Jesus all the good you can; for
example, to the poor, to the sick, to prisoners, to un fortunate but worthy
debtors, make the Way of the Cross, visit the holy sepulcher, and meditate upon
the passion of Christ. The passion of Christ gives us unusual strength in
combat with temptation. On this point St. Augustine says,
In all my adversities I have not
found any remedies so powerful as the passion and wounds of Jesus. In them I
sleep securely, and rest without fear. To meditate rightly on the passion of
Christ consider what Jesus suffered from the Jews, the gentiles, and even His
own disciples, who all forsook Him. Then earnestly reflect that He, the Son of
God, holiness and innocence itself, suffered not for His own sake, but to
deliver mankind from sin, death, and hell, to free them of guilt and
punishment, and to convert them from being children of the devil to be children
of God. He came into the world, suffered, and died that we might have life. The
man who seriously ponders these things must have a heart of stone if he be not
moved to hatred of sin and to love of Jesus. But this is not the perfect fruit
of meditation on the passion of Jesus. By contemplating His passion, we ought
to become like Him. As often, therefore, as you think on the passion of Christ,
whether in making the Stations of the Cross, or in reciting the Rosary, or
before an image of the suffering Redeemer, endeavor not only to have pity for
His sufferings, not only to give Him assurance of your love, but also to
impress upon your heart the virtues practiced by Him in His passion, and to
imitate them.
Lenten Calendar[2]
Reflect: One thing we can take away from this Lent and from our encounter with the Passion of Christ is that at the heart of every sacrifice is love. When we freely sacrifice something during Lent, the goal is to do it for the love of God. How can we continue to lovingly sacrifice once Lent is over?
One way is to pay attention to the people in your life, while another way is to stand in solidarity with those who suffer while working to ease their burden.
Pray: Pray the Stations of the Cross today.
Act: Attend the Good Friday liturgy in your parish today. (No Mass is celebrated on Good Friday.)
·
Good
Friday: Preparation day for Passover (Jn 19:14)
·
Early
in the morning, the Sanhedrin meets, they lead Jesus to Pilate. (Mk 15:1; Mt
27:1-2; Lk 23:1; Jn 18:28)
·
Pilate
sends Jesus to Herod (Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee) (Lk 23:6-7)
·
Herod
mocks Jesus and then clothes him in gorgeous apparel, and sends Jesus back to
Pilate (Lk 23:6-12)
·
Pilate
examines Jesus and finds him not guilty of the Jew’s charges against him.
Pilate has Jesus flogged and plans to release him. (Lk 23:13-16; Jn 19:1-13)
·
Jesus
is crowned with thorns. (Jn 19:1-6)
·
Jesus
is sentenced to death and is crucified at 12:00 noon.
·
Jesus
dies at 3:00 and is buried in the tomb. (Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34; Lk 23:44)
Good Friday
is the most difficult day of Passion Week. Christ's journey turned treacherous
and acutely painful in these final hours
leading to his death. According to Scripture, Judas Iscariot, the disciple who
had betrayed Jesus, was overcome with remorse and hanged himself early Friday
morning. Meanwhile, before the third hour (9 a.m.), Jesus endured the shame of
false accusations, condemnation, mockery, beatings, and abandonment. After
multiple unlawful trials, he was sentenced to death by crucifixion,
one of the most horrible and disgraceful methods of capital punishment known at the time. Before Christ was led away,
soldiers spit on him, tormented and mocked him, and pierced him with a crown of thorns. Then Jesus carried his own cross to Calvary where,
again, he was mocked and insulted as Roman soldiers nailed him to the wooden cross. Jesus spoke seven final statements from the cross. His first words
were, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are
doing." His last words were, "Father, into your hands I commit
my spirit." Then, about the ninth hour (3 p.m.), Jesus breathed his last
breath and died.
By 6 p.m. Friday evening, Nicodemus
and Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus' body down from the cross and lay it
in a tomb.[4]
As this is Good Friday try to see our Lord weighted
down with our sins which he carried with him on the way of the cross; that beam
was indeed heavy for it was our sins and it tore a great unrecorded wound in
his shoulder. I wonder, “What are the five most hateful sins that our Lord bore
in that cross?” In an article by Zac Poonen, he proposed that the five most
hated sins by our Lord are:
·
Hypocrisy: To be a hypocrite is to give others the impression
that we are holier than we actually are. It is the same as being false or
telling a lie. Jesus pronounced a curse on hypocrites seven times in Mt.
23:13-29. Jesus told the Pharisees that their inner life was ""full
of self-indulgence"" (Mt. 23:25) - which meant that they lived only
to please themselves. God looks at our hearts. (sorrowful mystery: agony in the garden)
·
Impurity: Impurity enters into our hearts mainly through our
eyes and our ears. Anyone who seeks to be pure must therefore be especially
careful about what he sees and what he hears. Jesus hated impurity so much that
He told His disciples that they should be willing to pluck out their right eye
and cut off their right hand rather than sin with those members (Mt. 5:27-29).
When do doctors recommend the amputation of the right hand or the surgical removal
of an eye? Only when things have become so bad that without the removal of
these organs, the whole body would die. This is what we need to understand in
relation to sin as well. Sin is so serious that it can imperil our very life.
Most believers have not realized this and that is why they are careless in the
way they use their tongues and their eyes. (sorrowful
mystery: scourging at the pillar)
·
Spiritual
Pride: We all know
the parable of the self-righteous Pharisee who despised others even in his prayer
(Lk. 18:9-14)! Jesus hated the pride with which he thought of his spiritual
activities and with which he despised makes believers constantly judge other
believers. Jesus taught that the greatest person in heaven would be the
humblest (Mt. 18:4). The greatest virtue found in heaven is humility. This is
why it is the first of the seven virtues (Humility, Generosity, Chastity,
Patience, Temperance, Understanding and Wisdom) of Mary Christ’s mother. (sorrowful mystery: crowning of the thorns)
·
Indifference
to Human Need: Jesus was angry when the leaders of
the synagogue did not want Him to heal a man, just because it was the Sabbath
day ""He was deeply disturbed by their indifference to human
need"" (Mk. 3:5 - Living). We are commanded to do good to all men, especially
to the children of God (Gal. 6: 10). Jesus taught that those who did nothing to
help their brothers who were in need of the basic necessities of life, would be
cast out of His presence in the final day (Mt. 25:41-46). Those who do not help
their brothers in need cannot possibly have the love of God dwelling in their
hearts (1Jn. 3:17). Jesus spoke out strongly on such matters because He hated
the attitude that many religious people had who were concerned only with
religious activities but not with helping their needy brothers. (sorrowful mystery: carrying of the cross)
·
Unbelief: Bible speaks of an unbelieving heart as an EVIL heart
(He. 3: 12) Jesus rebuked His disciples seven times for unbelief. (See Mt.
6:30; 8:26; 14:31; 16:8; 17:17-20; Mk.16:14; Lk.24:25). It seems that He almost
never rebuked His disciples for anything else!! Unbelief is an insult to God,
because it implies that God does not care or provide for His children even as
much as evil fathers on earth care and provide for their children. (sorrowful mystery: the crucifixion)
Good
Friday Service.[6] The sacrifice of the altar is not offered on the day
commemorating the sacrifice of the cross, and though communion may be
distributed, the faithful are discouraged from receiving it without good
reason. Instead, a mournful service is conducted. The priest, vested in black,
reads several passages from the Bible, including the Passion account from the
Gospel of John. Afterwards, the "Solemn Prayers" or
"Collects" are offered on behalf of all classes of men, from the
Church to the heathen. This is followed by the veneration of the cross, during
which time the dolorous "Reproaches" are chanted. The service
concludes with the "Mass of the Presanctified," a solemn communion
rite.
Forty
Hours' Devotion
Other Good Friday Customs
If a devotion of forty hours could not be
done, many Catholics observed Good Friday as a day of austerity as best they
could. Fasting more than was required was common. Attending the Three
Hours' Devotion, or Seven Last
Words of Christ, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. (the hours our Lord hung
upon the cross), has also been popular. Liturgically speaking, this is a
relatively new observance, begun in Peru in the early 1700s, but it is a very
effective one. An older tradition that has lamentably been forgotten, on the
other hand, is that of the Holy Sepulcher, a special
shrine set up to house either the Blessed Sacrament or a crucifix which the
faithful could visit on Good Friday and Holy Saturday.
Unlike other
novenas, where people ask for something from God through the intercession of
His Holy Saints, Divine Mercy Novena is intended to be prayed for graces and/or
salvation to be given to other people. Jesus asked that this novena be prayed
prior to the Feast of Divine Mercy (the Sunday after Easter), beginning on Good
Friday. He gave Sr. Faustina an intention to pray for on each day of the
Novena, saving for the last day the most difficult intention of all, the
lukewarm and indifferent of whom He said: "These souls cause Me more
suffering than any others; it was from such souls that My soul felt the most
revulsion in the Garden of Olives. It was on their account that I said: 'My
Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass Me by.' The last hope of salvation
for them is to flee to My Mercy." In her diary, Faustina wrote that Jesus
told her: "On each day of the novena you will bring to My heart a
different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy
... On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the
graces for these souls."
Prayer:
The different souls prayed for on each day
of the novena are:
All mankind, especially sinners; The souls
of priests and religious; All devout and faithful souls; Those who do not
believe in Jesus and those who do not yet know Him; The souls of separated brethren;
The meek and humble souls and the souls of children; The souls who especially
venerate and glorify Jesus' mercy; The souls who are detained in purgatory; and
The souls who have become lukewarm.
This is prayed along with the Divine Mercy
Chaplet.
·
First Day - Today bring Me all mankind, especially all sinners.
Most Merciful
Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do
not look upon our sins, but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite
goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and
never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You
to the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Eternal Father
turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all
enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His Sorrowful
Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy
for ever and ever. Amen.
·
Second Day - Today Bring Me the Souls of Priests and Religious.
Most Merciful
Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase Your grace in us, that we may
perform worthy works of mercy, and that all who see us may glorify the Father
of Mercy who is in heaven.
Eternal Father
turn Your merciful gaze upon the company [of chosen souls] 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.
·
Third Day - Today Bring Me All Devout and Faithful Souls.
Most Merciful
Jesus, from the treasury of Your mercy, You impart Your graces in the great
abundance to each and all. Receive us into the abode of Your Most Compassionate
Heart and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by that most wondrous
love for the heavenly Father with which Your Heart burns so fiercely.
Eternal Father
turn Your Merciful gaze upon faithful souls, as upon the inheritance of Your Son.
For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, grant them Your blessing and surround
them with Your constant protection. Thus, may they never fail in love or lost
the treasure of the holy faith, but rather, with all the hosts of Angels and
Saints, may they glorify Your boundless mercy for endless ages. Amen.
·
Fourth Day - Today Bring Me the Pagans and Those Who Do Not Know Me.
Most Compassionate
Jesus, You are the Light of the whole world. Receive into the abode of Your
Most Compassionate Heart the souls of pagans who as yet do not know You. Let
the rays of Your grace enlighten them that they, too, together with us, may
extol Your wonderful mercy; and do not let them escape from the abode which is
Your Most Compassionate Heart.
Eternal Father
turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of pagans and of those who as yet do not
know You, but who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Draw
them to the light of the Gospel. These souls do not know what great happiness
it is to love You. Grant that they, too, may extol the generosity of Your mercy
for endless ages. Amen.
·
Fifth Day - Today Bring to Me the Souls of Heretics and Schismatics.
Most Merciful
Jesus, Goodness Itself, you do not refuse light to those who seek it of You.
Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of heretics
and schismatics. Draw them by Your light into the unity of the Church, and do
not let them escape from the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart; but bring
it about that they, too, come to glorify the generosity of Your mercy.
Eternal Father
turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of heretics, and schismatics, who have
squandered Your blessings and misused Your graces obstinately persisting in
their errors. Do not look upon their errors, but upon the love of Your Own Son
and upon His bitter Passion, which He underwent for their sake, since they,
too, are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Bring it about that
they also may glorify Your great mercy for endless ages. Amen.
·
Sixth Day - Today Bring Me The Meek and Humble Souls and the Souls of
Little Children.
Most Merciful
Jesus, You Yourself have said, "Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of
heart." Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart all meek
and humble souls and the souls of little children. These souls send all heaven
into ecstasy, and they are the heavenly Father's favorites. They are a
sweet-smelling bouquet before the throne of God; God Himself takes delight in
their fragrance. These souls have a permanent abode in Your Most Compassionate
Heart, O Jesus, and they unceasingly sing out a hymn of love and mercy.
Eternal Father
turn Your merciful gaze upon meek and humble souls, and upon the souls of
little children, who are enfolded in the abode of the Most Compassionate Heart
of Jesus. These souls bear the closest resemblance to Your Son. Their fragrance
rises from the earth and reaches Your very throne. Father of mercy and of all
goodness, I beg You by the love You bear these souls and by the delight you
take in them: bless the whole world, that all souls together may sing out the praises
of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.
·
Seventh Day - Today Bring Me the Souls Who Especially Venerate and
Glorify My Mercy.
Most Merciful
Jesus, whose Heart is Love Itself, receive into the abode of Your Most
Compassionate Heart the souls of those who particularly extol and venerate the
greatness of Your Mercy. These souls are mighty with the very power of God
Himself. In the midst of all afflictions and adversities they go forward, confident
in Your Mercy. These souls are united to Jesus and carry all mankind on their
shoulders. These souls will not be judged severely, but Your mercy will embrace
them as they depart from this life.
Eternal Father
turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls who glorify and venerate Your greatest
attribute, that of Your fathomless mercy, and who are enclosed in the Most
Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls are a living Gospel; their hands are
full of deeds of mercy and their spirit, overflowing with joy, sings a canticle
of mercy to You, O Most High! I beg You O God: Show them Your mercy according
to the hope and trust they have placed in You. Let there be accomplished in
them the promise of Jesus, who said to them, "I Myself will defend as My
own glory, during their lifetime, and especially at the hour of their death,
those souls who will venerate My fathomless mercy."
·
Eighth Day - Today Bring Me the Souls Who Are In the Prison Of Purgatory.
Most Merciful
Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so I bring into the abode
of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who are very
dear to You, and yet who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams
of Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of
purifying fire, that in that place, too, the power of Your mercy may be
praised.
Eternal Father
turn Your most merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in Purgatory, who are
enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful
Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred
Soul was flooded, manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just
scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way than through the Wounds of Jesus, Your
dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your
goodness and compassion. Amen.
·
Ninth Day - Today Bring Me the Souls Who Have Become Lukewarm.
Most Compassionate
Jesus, you are Compassion Itself. I bring lukewarm souls into the abode of Your
Most Compassionate Heart. In this fire of Your pure love let these tepid souls,
who, like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be once again set
aflame. O Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of Your mercy and
draw them into the very ardor of Your love; and bestow upon them the gift of
holy love, for nothing is beyond Your power.
Eternal Father
turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls who are nonetheless enfolded in the
Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Father of Mercy, I beg You by the bitter
Passion of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross: let them, too,
glorify the abyss of Your mercy. Amen
Jesus, I trust in You.
The most basic Christian gesture in
prayer is and always will be the Sign of the Cross.
(Pope Benedict XVI) “…by which the world
has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Gal 6:14) Martyrs made the
Sign as they were taken to their deaths.
The
Sign of the cross is used in every single liturgy of the Church: sacraments, exorcisms,
consecrations, and blessings[9]
1. "The sign of the cross is a
symbolic expression of the principal mysteries of Christianity, a confession of
the Catholic faith. It reminds us of the Crucified, of the price of our
redemption, and of the value of our soul; it enkindles love of God, strengthens
hope, and animates us to follow Christ on the way of the Cross. It indicates
that in the cross we are to find our honor, our salvation, and our life; that
we should prefer the folly and weakness of the cross to all the wisdom and
power of the world, that, as disciples of the Crucified, we should combat under
the banner of the cross and by this sign triumph over all our enemies."
2. St. Francis de Sales: "We
raise the hand first to the forehead, saying, 'In the name of the Father,' to
signify that the Father is the First Person of the Most Holy Trinity, of whom
the Son is begotten and from whom the Holy Ghost proceeds. Then saying, 'and
the Son,' the hand is lowered to the breast, to express that the Son proceeds
from the Father, who sent Him down to the womb of the Virgin. Then the hand is
moved from the left shoulder or side to the right, while saying, 'and of the
Holy Ghost,' thereby signifying that the Holy Ghost, as the Third Person of the
Holy Trinity, proceeds from the Father and the Son, that He is the Love that
unites both, and that we, through His grace, partake of the fruits of the
passion. Accordingly, the sign of the cross is a brief declaration of our faith
in the three great mysteries: of our faith in the Blessed Trinity, in the
passion of Christ, and in the forgiveness of sin, by which we pass from the
left side of curse to the right of blessing."
3. The Sign of the Cross is likened by
the Fathers to the true cross of Christ.
4. The Sign of the Cross is source of
all blessings and graces, the weapon and armor of our defense against the evil
spirit... as sign of Christ's victory over sin, death, and hell.
5. God has imparted to the sign of the
cross an efficacy, because of honors and merits of the Crucified. This efficacy
is greater if sign of cross made with devout and believing disposition,
recollection of mind, devotion of heart, love towards the Crucified.
As Jesus neared the end of His public life, the opposition of the Jewish leaders became more violent and their desire to kill Him more determined. Our Lord, however, continued to teach in the temple, where large crowds came to hear Him. The admiration of the people intensified the hatred of the priests, and they planned to ensnare Jesus in His speech that they might have grounds for condemnation. While His enemies plotted His downfall, Our Lord spent the night in prayer on the Mount of Olives. The contrast between the character of Christ and that of His enemies could not be more pronounced. Yielding to base passion, they were openly seeking the death of the Messiah. Jesus, on the contrary, in the spirit of generous charity, was spending His days in teaching and His nights in prayer. Does our conduct in difficult circumstances resemble that of Christ? When we are unjustly accused, criticized, or condemned, do we calmly continue our work and have recourse to God in prayer? Perhaps we seek vengeance upon those who oppose us by wishing them evil or persuading others to despise and condemn them. Let us leave our reputation in the hands of God and imitate Christ's efforts to benefit those who hated and condemned Him.
"The Lord is the protector of
my life: of whom shall I be afraid?"
Things to Do: If
you wish to gain the courage to embrace the small crosses in your life with
joy, pray the Stations of the Cross. This is an excellent practice that should
not only be confined to Lent but ought to be prayed on Fridays throughout the
year. An excellent version with beautiful meditations composed by Pope John
Paul II is his Stations of the Cross at the
Colosseum.
Some recommended versions are: Eucharistic Stations of the Cross, and the more traditional Stations
of the Cross written by Saint Alphonsus Liguori can be found in most Catholic
bookstores. Here are some guidelines for praying the Stations of the Cross
in your home.
My dear brothers and sisters not
only is prayer very powerful; even more, it’s of the utmost necessity for
overcoming the enemies of our salvation. Look at all the saints: They weren’t
content with watching and fighting to overcome the enemies of their salvation
and with keeping
well away from all that could offer them temptation. They
passed their whole lives in prayer, not only the day, but very often the whole
night as well. Yes, my dear children, we watch over ourselves and all the
motions of our hearts in vain, and in vain we avoid temptation, if we don’t
pray. If we don’t continually resort to prayer, all our other ways will be of
no use at all to us, and we’ll be overcome. We won’t find any sinner converted
without turning to prayer. We won’t find one persevering without depending
heavily on prayer. Nor will we ever find a Christian who ends up damned whose
downfall didn’t begin with a lack of prayer. We can see, too, how much the
Devil fears those who pray, since there’s not a moment of the day when he
tempts us more than when we’re at prayer. He does everything he possibly can to
prevent us from praying. When the Devil wants to make someone lose his soul, he
starts out by inspiring in him a profound distaste for prayer. However good a
Christian he may be, if the Devil succeeds in making him either say his prayers
badly or neglect them altogether, he’s certain to have that person for himself.
Yes, my dear brothers and sisters, from the moment that we neglect to pray, we
move with big steps towards hell. We’ll never return to
God if we don’t resort to prayer.
ST. JOHN VIANNEY
Daily
Devotions
[1]
Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.
[2]
http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/lent/april-19.cfm
[3]https://www.catholicconvert.com/wp-content/uploads/Timeline-of-Holy-Week.pdf
[7]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1032
[8]
Hahn, Scott, Signs of Life; 40 Catholic Customs and their biblical roots. Chap.
2. The Sign of the Cross.
[9]
http://www.stjosephstoledo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=96:october-18-2009-homily-the-sign-of-the-cross&catid=14:homilies&Itemid=13
[11]
Thigpen, Paul. Manual for Spiritual Warfare. TAN Books.
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