Jesus Carries His Cross

Today we enter The Easter Triduum, the most important days in Jesus' suffering and our redemption from sin. If you can, please make the time to attend Mass this evening as the church remembers the washing of the feet and the last supper. Tonight, Jesus will find Himself in agony in the garden because in the next 24 hours, He will be put to death. Join Him in His suffering.

The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery:
Our Lord Carries His Cross to Calvary

"Bearing His own cross, Jesus went out of the city to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew: Golgotha." - John 19:17

Imagine our beaten, bleeding, crying Messiah walking through the streets toward His death, with His cross on His back. Can you see all the people laughing at Him? Some are crying. Some don't even care. His body must ache so badly after all He's been through. He hasn't even had anything to eat or drink. I don't even know how He managed to keep walking, but He did. He persevered because what He was going through, the cross He was carrying, was the work of God.

Our first reaction when we are given a cross to bear is that we don't want to and we don't deserve it. However, after sin entered the world, no one ever guaranteed us that life would be blissful and happy. On the contrary, while on earth we will deal with pain, suffering and all kinds of hurt and evil. That's why Jesus died, so that after death, we can enter Heaven and finally live in peace. But since we're still on earth, we need to bear the crosses we carry - caring for sick relatives, living with disease, dealing with financial trouble, coping with addictions, and doing the will of God by being good to others even when they don't deserve it. You see, it is ONLY in suffering, that we acquire strength and we grow. Those who don't suffer never build character. If we accept our lot in life and ask God for help, He will help us carry that cross and we grow closer to Him, earning our entry into Heaven.When I think of Jesus in His passion, I only feel sorry for the pain He was going through, but I know that during His passion is actually when He was the strongest! We don't look at suffering with the eyes of the body, but with the eyes of the soul which tell us that here, we are with God and we are more than conquerors against anything the devil throws at us. Pick up the cross you may be telling God to remove from you, and in the Name of Jesus Christ, carry it in victory for your God and for your soul.

Today's Prayer:

Mary, mother of God, pray for us so that we may see that it is only through suffering that we grow stronger in spirit and faith. Pray so that the Lord takes away our fears and we may join Him in His walk to Calvary.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

O, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls into Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.

Crowned With Thorns

The Third Sorrowful Mystery:
Our Lord is Crowned with Thorns

"The Roman soldiers took Jesus into the palace of the governor and the whole troop gathered around him. They stripped him and dressed him in a purple military cloak. Then, twisting a crown of thorns, they forced it onto his head, and placed a reed in his right hand. They knelt before Jesus and mocked him, saying, 'Long life to the King of the Jews!' They spat at him, took the reed from his hand and struck him on the head with it." - Matthew 27:27-30

The thought that comes into my head as I read this is, is this how a king dies? During His ministry, Jesus was a powerful speaker; He was charismatic, He had great power, yet, when He needed to defend Himself, He remained quiet, accepting the humiliation. He must have been so tired and out of it at this point. A fever must have kicked in from the scourging and He probably couldn't see with the blood pouring into His eyes from the crown of thorns. One thing is certain though, the man who walked on water, expelled demons, and raised people from the dead could have saved His life if He wanted to, but He chose to accept His fate because those who do the will of God never turn back, even in the face of suffering and humiliation.

With the crown of thorns on His head, He was mocked for what He believed in, for what He stood for. All the good He had done for others meant nothing to those Roman soldiers, but Jesus saw beyond that. How about you? What is your reaction when you are mocked, when you are put to shame, when you are put in situation where people don't understand you and what you believe so they decide to verbally or even physically attack you instead? Do you get angry and attack back? Even if it's joking around, we can get defensive. Or do you keep your eyes set on Jesus and remember that it is the Lord who created you, the Lord who you listen to, and no one can take what is right and virtuous away from you? Remember this as people question your faith and the good you do. Those who don't understand God will never understand you. Being called names, being made fun of because you want to pray and follow God's will may be painful and uncomfortable at times, but Jesus already paid the price with blood so that you won't have to. If you are made to wear such a crown for your belief in Jesus Christ, accept it with dignity and pride.

Today's Prayer:

Mary, mother of our Lord, pray for us so that we are never ashamed of demonstrating our faith proudly for all to see that we belong to the Lord.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

O, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.

The Scourging at the Pillar

The Second Sorrowful Mystery:
Our Lord is Scourged at the Pillar

"Then Pilate set Barabbas free, but had Jesus scourged, and handed Him over to be crucified." - Matthew 27:26

Just a few hours before this, Jesus was before the Jewish elders, questioned before the high priest Caiaphas. They demanded answers from Him, but all they were really looking for were reasons to hand Him over to the romans. They made fun of Him and spit at Him, while Jesus accepted what was happening. Then, He is before Pilate, who didn't really want to crucify Him, but had no choice since the crowds were asking for Jesus' death. So, they took our Lord and tied Him to a pillar. The roman soldiers took turns whipping His back. The whips had pieces of bone attached to the ends that were designed to rip away at pieces of flesh and bone upon contact. There was our Lord, an innocent man, our God, tied to a pillar while His body was mutilated. I can imagine that they missed His back a lot of times and instead, the whips ripped away at the sides of His ribs, probably His face, His arms, His legs. And He accepted all of this because at the end, you and I could ask God for forgiveness with a repented heart, and He will forgive us. No longer would we die, but we will have eternal life.

If He wanted to, Jesus could have resisted, ordered the angels to save Him, or made it so He didn't feel pain, but He didn't. You see, how could we ever serve a God who doesn't know what it is like to suffer the things we suffer? Jesus knew this and wanted to show His love by accepting this fate. We can't ever say God doesn't understand our hurt. Sometimes it can feel like people are killing us when we discover betrayal, deceit, or that someone has said horrible things behind our backs. It can feel like the air was sucked right out of us and pieces of our heart were torn out - well, each time Jesus was spit at, betrayed, with each lashing tearing away at His flesh and muscle, He is right there with you in your suffering… and not because He has to be, but because He wants to be.

Today's Prayer:
Mary, you watched in great sorrow as your son was beaten and put to death for our sins. Please pray for us so that this Holy Week does not pass without our fully realizing how much God loves us and how much we need Him every day of our lives.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

O, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy. Amen.

The Agony In The Garden

During the next five days of Holy Week, I would like for us to meditate on the Lord's passion by following parts of the sorrowful mysteries from the rosary.

The First Sorrowful Mystery:
The Agony of Our Lord in the Garden

"Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with Him, and He began to be filled with anguish and distress. And He said to them, "My soul is filled with sorrow even to death. Remain here and stay awake with me." He went a little farther and fell to the ground, with His face touching the earth, and prayed, "Father, if it is possible, take this cup from me. Yet not what I want, but what you want." - Matthew 26:36,37-39

We sometimes forget that Jesus, although God, was also fully human. The fear and sorrow He felt in the garden should remind us that He was just like us. He knew what was coming and the worry and anxiety He must have been experiencing was nothing small. According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus was so afraid of what was about to happen to Him, that He even sweated drops of blood. I've been really worried, stressed, and anxious before, but never have I ever come close to sweating blood. I do know that when I find myself feeling distressed, I throw myself at the mercy of God so that He could save me. But here was the Son of God, suffering, afraid, trembling and pleading with God to save Him, and yet, God didn't remove the cup and Jesus did go to the cross. It wasn't that God abandoned Him, but that God, through His son's suffering, would perform His greatest act of love ever. And Jesus gave up His life freely although He was afraid. No matter the distress that fell upon Him, Jesus made sure to tell God that not His will be done, but that of the Father.

We all go through so many horrible things sometimes. We suffer deeply over things we hope God can rescue us from, but if God didn't save His own son from pain, He will not save us if the end result is a greater blessing. Jesus should be our example as we grieve and suffer. Our Lord loves us so much that He experienced pain in order to relate to our human condition. This is why in all that we ask and in all that we suffer, we should set our eyes on Jesus. Like Him, through the hurt and through the uncertainty, let us pray constantly to God so that we don't let the anxiety and despair lead us to sin. Let us put ourselves in the hands of the Father to deliver us from the pain when it is best for us, not when we think fit. Most importantly, let us trust God enough to know what's best for us, and ask that in all things, His will be done.

For today's prayer, let us join the Mother of our Lord in praying for our needs and for those who are most in need of God's mercy:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

O, My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy. Amen.

Holy Week

"He humbled Himself by being obedient to death, death on the cross. That is why God exalted Him and gave Him the Name which outshines all names, so that at the Name of Jesus all knees should bend." - Philippians 2:8-10

When we were younger, we attended Mass during Holy Week and it was an obligation. The dressing up, the sitting and standing, and the long readings were tedious. This week, as we begin to observe Holy Week, we must recognize that we are no longer children, and approach the upcoming days with reverence and adult faith. This week, we meditate on the fact that being God, Christ chose to lay down His life for our sins. This isn't just a story or something that happened a very long time ago, but it's the very core of our lives and our salvation. If as an adult, you have decided that you believe in Jesus Christ, then observe this week in respect and reverence. God always extends an invitation to follow Him, but use this week to meditate on our own lives, our own sinfulness and the way Jesus came to Earth to serve us. Don't go through this week following the routine, but ask the Lord to let this week come alive for you. Think about the way the Human Jesus must have felt entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, knowing He would be put to death. His peers were about to condemn Him and His friends about to betray Him. And at the end of all this, He would resurrect, breaking the hold death had on us for so long. For the price Jesus paid, we no longer need to fear dying because He gained for us a much bigger reward with the Father in Heaven.

As adults, I ask all of you to please let your faith come alive this week. Attend the Masses, go to confession and reconcile with God, read the bible, meditate on Jesus' passion, death, and resurrection. We are no longer children, but adults that should know that our salvation is a very personal matter. It is our duty to make the time to show respect to the Lord who has given us life.

Today's Prayer:
My God, in the Name of Your son, our Lord Jesus Christ, I ask You to reveal Yourself to us during this Holy Week. Let those most in need of Your mercy come to reverence the passion, death, and resurrection of Your son, so that we may never die. In Your Name we pray, amen.