Salvation, Psalms 31, Isaiah 52:13--53:12, John 18:1-19:42, Pope Frances Daily Activity, The Mystical City of God The Divine History and Life of The Virgin Mother of God - Book 6:8 THE CRUCIFIXION, Catholic Catechism Part Two Section Chapter 2:1
THE SACRAMENTAL CELEBRATION OF THE PASCHAL MYSTERY -CELEBRATING THE CHURCH'S LITURGY
THE SACRAMENTAL CELEBRATION OF THE PASCHAL MYSTERY -CELEBRATING THE CHURCH'S LITURGY
Good Day Bloggers! Wishing everyone a Blessed Week!
Year of Faith - October 11, 2012 - November 24, 2013
P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Serenity Happens). It has a remarkable way of producing solace, peace, patience and tranquility and of course resolution...God's always available 24/7.
The world begins and ends everyday for someone. We are all human. We all experience birth, life and death. We all have
flaws but we also all have the gift of knowledge and free will,
make the most of these gifts. Life on earth is a stepping stone to our eternal home in
Heaven. Its your choice whether to rise towards eternal light or lost to
eternal darkness. Material items, though needed for sustenance and
survival on earth are of earthly value only. The only thing that passes
from this earth to Purgatory and/or Heaven is our Soul, our Spirit...it's God's perpetual
gift to us...Embrace it, treasure it, nurture it, protect it...
"Raise not a hand to another unless it is to offer in peace and goodwill." ~ Zarya Parx 2012
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Prayers for Today: Friday in Lent
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Papam Franciscus
(Pope Francis)
LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS TO BE PRESIDED BY POPE DURING HOLY WEEK
Vatican City, 25 March 2013 (VIS) – The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff has made public the calendar of celebrations that are due to be presided by Pope Francis during Holy Week: (Posted at Rome Time which six hours ahead of USA Central Time). View via Video on Vatican TV Live Stream or Audio Vatican Radio.
28 March, Holy Thursday: 9:30am, Chrism Mass in the Vatican Basilica
5:30pm, Mass of the Lord's Supper at the Casal del Marmo youth detention centre (NO live coverage)
29 March, Good Friday: 5:00pm, Celebration of the Lord's Passion in the Vatican Basilica
9:15pm, Via Crucis at the Colosseum
30 March, Holy Saturday: 8:30, Easter Vigil in the Vatican Basilica
31 March, Easter Sunday: 10:15am, Easter Mass in St. Peter's Square
12:00pm “Urbi et Orbi” Blessing
28 March, Holy Thursday: 9:30am, Chrism Mass in the Vatican Basilica
5:30pm, Mass of the Lord's Supper at the Casal del Marmo youth detention centre (NO live coverage)
29 March, Good Friday: 5:00pm, Celebration of the Lord's Passion in the Vatican Basilica
9:15pm, Via Crucis at the Colosseum
30 March, Holy Saturday: 8:30, Easter Vigil in the Vatican Basilica
31 March, Easter Sunday: 10:15am, Easter Mass in St. Peter's Square
12:00pm “Urbi et Orbi” Blessing
OFFICE FOR THE LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS
OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF
OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF
WAY OF THE CROSS
AT THE COLOSSEUM
AT THE COLOSSEUM
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
LED BY THE HOLY FATHER POPE FRANCIS
LED BY THE HOLY FATHER POPE FRANCIS
GOOD FRIDAY
THE PASSION OF THE LORD
THE PASSION OF THE LORD
MEDITATIONS
by Lebanese young people
under the guidance of His Eminent Beatitude
Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï
under the guidance of His Eminent Beatitude
Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï
WAY OF THE CROSS 2013
Introduction
"A man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?'" (Mk 10:17). Jesus answered this burning question, which arises in the innermost core of our being, by walking the way of the Cross. We contemplate you, Lord, along this path
which you were the first to tread, and after which "you built a bridge
to death with your Cross, so that men might pass from the land of death
to the land of Life" (Saint Ephraim the Syrian, Homily).
The call to follow you is addressed to all,
especially to the young and to those who are tried by division, wars or
injustice and who fight to be signs of hope and builders of peace in the
midst of their brethren.
We therefore place ourselves before you with
love, we present our sufferings to you, we turn our gaze and our heart
to your Holy Cross, and strengthened by your promise, we pray: "Blessed
be our Redeemer, who has given us life by his death. O Redeemer, realize
in us the mystery of your redemption, through your passion, death and
resurrection" (Maronite Liturgy).
I Station: Jesus is condemned to death
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark 15:12-13, 15
Pilate again said to them, "Then what shall I do with the man
whom you call the King of the Jews?" And they cried out again, "Crucify
him." Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas;
and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
From Pilate, the man with power, Jesus ought
to have obtained justice. Pilate did indeed have the power to recognize
Jesus' innocence and free him. But the Roman Governor preferred to serve
the logic of his personal interests and he yielded to political and
social pressures. He condemned an innocent man in order to please the
crowd, without satisfying truth. He handed Jesus over to the torment of
the Cross, knowing that he was innocent ... and then he washed his
hands.
In today's world, there are many "Pilates" who
keep their hands on the levers of power and make use of them in order
to serve the strongest. There are many who are weak and cowardly before
the spectre of power, and mortgage their authority to the service of
injustice, trampling upon man's dignity and his right to life.
Lord Jesus,
do not allow us to be among those who act unjustly.
Do not allow the strong to take pleasure in evil,
injustice and tyranny. Do not allow injustice
to condemn the innocent to despair and death.
Confirm them in hope and illumine the consciences
of those with authority in this world, that they may govern with justice.
Amen.
do not allow us to be among those who act unjustly.
Do not allow the strong to take pleasure in evil,
injustice and tyranny. Do not allow injustice
to condemn the innocent to despair and death.
Confirm them in hope and illumine the consciences
of those with authority in this world, that they may govern with justice.
Amen.
II Station: Jesus takes up the Cross
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark 15:20
When they had mocked him, they stripped him of the
purple cloak, and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to
crucify him. Jesus Christ stands before soldiers who think
they have complete power over him, while he is the One through whom "all
things were made ... and without him was not anything made that was
made" (Jn 1:3).
In every age, man has thought he could take the place of God and determine for himself what is good and what is evil (cf. Gen
3:5) without reference to his Creator and Saviour. He has thought
himself omnipotent, capable of excluding God from his own life and from
that of his peers, in the name of reason, power or money.
Today too, the world bows to realities that
seek to expel God from human life, such as the blind secularism that
suffocates the values of faith and morals in the name of an alleged
defence of man; or the violent fundamentalism that claims to be
defending religious values (cf. Ecclesia in Medio Oriente, 29).
Lord Jesus,
who accepted humiliation and stood alongside the weak,
we entrust to you all who are humiliated and suffering,
especially those from the tormented East. Grant that they may find in you
the strength to be able to carry their Cross of hope with you.
We place into your hands all who are lost,
so that, thanks to you, they may find truth and love.
Amen.
who accepted humiliation and stood alongside the weak,
we entrust to you all who are humiliated and suffering,
especially those from the tormented East. Grant that they may find in you
the strength to be able to carry their Cross of hope with you.
We place into your hands all who are lost,
so that, thanks to you, they may find truth and love.
Amen.
III Station: Jesus falls for the first time
A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah 53:5
He was wounded for our transgressions, he was
bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us
whole, and with his stripes we are healed.
He who holds the lights of heaven in his
divine hand and before whom the powers of heaven tremble: see him
falling to the ground, without protecting himself, under the heavy yoke
of the Cross.
He who brought peace to the world, wounded by our sins, falls under the burden of our guilt.
"O ye faithful, behold our Saviour as he moves
forward along the path to Calvary. Oppressed by bitter sufferings, his
strength abandons him. Let us go to see this incredible event that
surpasses our understanding and defies description. The foundations of
the earth were shaken and a dreadful fear took hold of those who were
present when their Creator and God was crushed under the weight of the
Cross and let himself be led to death, for love of all humanity"
(Chaldean Liturgy).
Lord Jesus,
raise us from our own falls, lead our wandering spirit
back to your Truth. Do not allow human reason,
which you created for yourself, to be satisfied with the partial truths
of science and technology without seeking to pose the fundamental questions
of the meaning of our existence (cf. Porta Fidei, 12).
raise us from our own falls, lead our wandering spirit
back to your Truth. Do not allow human reason,
which you created for yourself, to be satisfied with the partial truths
of science and technology without seeking to pose the fundamental questions
of the meaning of our existence (cf. Porta Fidei, 12).
Grant, Lord,
that we may open ourselves to the action of your Holy Spirit,
that we may open ourselves to the action of your Holy Spirit,
so that he may lead us to the fullness of Truth.
Amen.
Amen.
IV Station: Jesus meets his mother
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke 2:34-35, 51b
Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his
mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in
Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce
through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be
revealed." His mother kept all these things in her heart.
Wounded and suffering, carrying mankind's Cross, Jesus meets his mother and, in her face, all mankind.
Mary the Mother of God was the first disciple
of the Master. In accepting the Angel's message, she encountered the
Incarnate Word for the first time and became the Temple of the living
God. She met him without understanding how the Creator of heaven and
earth could have wanted to choose a young girl, a fragile creature, in
order to become incarnate in this world. She met him in a constant
search for his face, mediating on the word in the silence of her heart.
She thought she was seeking him, but in reality, it was he who was
seeking her.
Now he encounters her as he carries the Cross.
Jesus suffers on seeing his mother suffer, as
does Mary on seeing her Son suffer. But from this shared suffering a new
humanity is born. "Salam to you! We implore you, holy and
glorious ever-Virgin, Mother of God, Mother of Christ. Let our prayer
rise up before your beloved Son, that he may forgive our sins" (Theotikon from the Horologion, Al-Aghbia, 37).
Lord Jesus,
in our families we too experience the sufferings caused to children by their parents
and to parents by their children. Lord, grant that in these difficult times
our families may be places of your presence, so that our sufferings may be turned to joy.
Support our families and make them oases of love,
peace and serenity, in the image of the Holy Family of Nazareth.
Amen.
in our families we too experience the sufferings caused to children by their parents
and to parents by their children. Lord, grant that in these difficult times
our families may be places of your presence, so that our sufferings may be turned to joy.
Support our families and make them oases of love,
peace and serenity, in the image of the Holy Family of Nazareth.
Amen.
V Station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the Cross
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke 23:26
As they led him away, they seized one Simon of
Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the Cross,
to carry it behind Jesus.
Jesus' meeting with Simon of Cyrene took place
in silence, providing us with a lesson for our lives: God does not want
suffering and he does not accept evil. The same is true of the human
being. But suffering, accepted in faith, is transformed into a path of
salvation. Then we accept it as Jesus did, and we help to carry it as
Simon of Cyrene did.
Lord Jesus,
you have involved man in the carrying of your Cross. You have invited us to share your sufferings.
Simon of Cyrene is like us and he teaches us to accept the Cross
that we encounter on the paths of life. Following your example, Lord,
we too carry the Cross of suffering and illness today,
but we accept it because you are with us. It can nail us to our chair,
but it cannot prevent us from dreaming; it can obscure our vision,
but it cannot touch our conscience; it can deafen our ears,
but it cannot prevent us from listening; it can bind our tongue
but it cannot suppress our thirst for truth; it can weigh down our spirit,
but it cannot rob us of our freedom.
you have involved man in the carrying of your Cross. You have invited us to share your sufferings.
Simon of Cyrene is like us and he teaches us to accept the Cross
that we encounter on the paths of life. Following your example, Lord,
we too carry the Cross of suffering and illness today,
but we accept it because you are with us. It can nail us to our chair,
but it cannot prevent us from dreaming; it can obscure our vision,
but it cannot touch our conscience; it can deafen our ears,
but it cannot prevent us from listening; it can bind our tongue
but it cannot suppress our thirst for truth; it can weigh down our spirit,
but it cannot rob us of our freedom.
Lord,
we want to be your disciples so as to carry your Cross every day;
we will carry it with joy and hope because you are carrying it with us,
because you have triumphed over death for us.
we want to be your disciples so as to carry your Cross every day;
we will carry it with joy and hope because you are carrying it with us,
because you have triumphed over death for us.
We give you thanks, Lord,
for every sick or ailing person who knows how to bear witness to your love,
and for every "Simon of Cyrene" whom you place on our journey.
Amen.
for every sick or ailing person who knows how to bear witness to your love,
and for every "Simon of Cyrene" whom you place on our journey.
Amen.
VI Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
A Reading from the Book of Psalms 27:8-9
Of you my heart has spoken: "Seek his face."
It is your face, O Lord, that I seek; hide not your face. Dismiss not
your servant in anger; you have been my help. Do not abandon or forsake
me, O God my help!
Veronica sought you in the midst of the crowd.
She sought you and finally found you. While your anguish was at its
height, she wanted to ease it by wiping your face with a towel. A small
gesture, but it expressed all her love for you and all her faith in you;
it has remained impressed on the memory of our Christian tradition.
Lord Jesus,
it is your face that we seek. Veronica reminds us that you are present
in every person who suffers and goes forward along his or her path to Golgotha.
Lord, grant that we may find you in the poor, in the least of your brethren,
in order to wipe away the tears of those who weep, to take care of those who suffer
and to support those who are weak.
it is your face that we seek. Veronica reminds us that you are present
in every person who suffers and goes forward along his or her path to Golgotha.
Lord, grant that we may find you in the poor, in the least of your brethren,
in order to wipe away the tears of those who weep, to take care of those who suffer
and to support those who are weak.
Lord, you teach us
that a wounded and forgotten person loses neither worth nor dignity
and remains a sign of your hidden presence in the world.
Help us to wipe away from his or her face the marks of poverty and injustice,
so that your image in him or her may be revealed and may shine forth.
that a wounded and forgotten person loses neither worth nor dignity
and remains a sign of your hidden presence in the world.
Help us to wipe away from his or her face the marks of poverty and injustice,
so that your image in him or her may be revealed and may shine forth.
We pray for those who are seeking your Face
and who find it in those of the homeless, the poor and children exposed to violence and exploitation.
Amen.
and who find it in those of the homeless, the poor and children exposed to violence and exploitation.
Amen.
VII Station: Jesus falls for the second time
A Reading from the Book of Psalms 22:8,12
All who see me deride me. They curl their
lips, they toss their heads. Do not leave me alone in my distress; come
close, there is none else to help.
Jesus is alone under the interior and exterior
weight of the Cross. In this fall, the weight of evil becomes too great
and there seems no longer to be any limit to injustice and violence.
But he rises once more, strong in the infinite
trust that he places in his Father. Before the men who abandon him to
his lot, the power of the Spirit raises him up; it unites him fully to
the Father's will, that of love which can do all things.
Lord Jesus, in your second fall,
we recognize so many of our situations from which there seems to be no way of escape.
Among them are those that derive from prejudice and hatred, which harden our hearts
and lead to religious conflicts. Enlighten our minds
so that they recognize, despite "human and religious differences,"
that "a ray of truth shines on all men and women",
called to walk together – with respect for religious freedom –
towards the truth that is in God alone. Thus, the different religions can
"join one another in service to the common good and contribute to the development of each person
and the building of society" (Ecclesia in Medio Oriente, 27-28).
we recognize so many of our situations from which there seems to be no way of escape.
Among them are those that derive from prejudice and hatred, which harden our hearts
and lead to religious conflicts. Enlighten our minds
so that they recognize, despite "human and religious differences,"
that "a ray of truth shines on all men and women",
called to walk together – with respect for religious freedom –
towards the truth that is in God alone. Thus, the different religions can
"join one another in service to the common good and contribute to the development of each person
and the building of society" (Ecclesia in Medio Oriente, 27-28).
Come, Holy Spirit,
to console and strengthen Christians, especially those from the Middle East,
so that, united in Christ, they may be witnesses of your universal love
in an area torn apart by injustice and conflicts. Amen.
to console and strengthen Christians, especially those from the Middle East,
so that, united in Christ, they may be witnesses of your universal love
in an area torn apart by injustice and conflicts. Amen.
VIII Station: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem who weep for him
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke 23:27-28
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."
On the path to Calvary, the Lord meets the
women of Jerusalem. These women are weeping at the Lord's sufferings as
if it were suffering without hope. All they can see in the Cross is the
wood, sign of a curse (cf. Dt 21:23), whereas the Lord chose it as a means of Redemption and Salvation.
In the Passion and Crucifixion, Jesus gives
his life as a ransom for many. Thus he gave relief to those who were
oppressed under the yoke and he consoled the afflicted. He wiped away
the tears of the women of Jerusalem and opened their eyes to Paschal
truth.
Our world is full of afflicted mothers, of
women whose dignity has been wounded, abused by discrimination,
injustice and suffering (cf. Ecclesia in Medio Oriente, 60). O suffering Christ, be their peace and be a balm to their wounds.
Lord Jesus,
by your incarnation from Mary, "Blessed among women" (Lk 1:42),
you raised the dignity of every woman. With the Incarnation
you unified the human race (cf. Gal 3:26-28).
by your incarnation from Mary, "Blessed among women" (Lk 1:42),
you raised the dignity of every woman. With the Incarnation
you unified the human race (cf. Gal 3:26-28).
Lord,
may the encounter with you be the desire of our hearts. Let our path, filled with sufferings,
always be a path of hope, with you and towards you
who are the refuge of our life and our Salvation.
Amen.
may the encounter with you be the desire of our hearts. Let our path, filled with sufferings,
always be a path of hope, with you and towards you
who are the refuge of our life and our Salvation.
Amen.
IX Station: Jesus falls for the third time under the weight of the Cross
A Reading from the Second Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians 5:14-15
The love of Christ controls us, because we are
convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he
died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves
but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
For the third time Jesus falls under the
Cross, burdened with our sins, and for the third time he seeks to get up
again, summoning up the strength that remains to him, so as to continue
his journey towards Golgotha, refusing to let himself be crushed and to
succumb to temptation.
From the moment of his Incarnation, Jesus
carries the Cross of human suffering and sin. He has fully and eternally
assumed human nature, showing men that victory is possible and that the
path towards divine sonship is open.
Lord Jesus,
the Church, born from your open side, is oppressed under the Cross of the divisions
that distance Christians from one another and from the unity that you willed for them;
they turn away from your desire "that they may all be one" (Jn 17:21)
as the Father is with you. This cross bears down with all its weight
on their lives and on their common testimony. Grant us, Lord, the wisdom and the humility
to rise once more and to move forward along the path of unity, in truth and love,
without succumbing to the temptation to have recourse merely to the criteria
of personal or sectarian interests, in the face of our divisions (cf. Ecclesia in Medio Oriente, 11).
the Church, born from your open side, is oppressed under the Cross of the divisions
that distance Christians from one another and from the unity that you willed for them;
they turn away from your desire "that they may all be one" (Jn 17:21)
as the Father is with you. This cross bears down with all its weight
on their lives and on their common testimony. Grant us, Lord, the wisdom and the humility
to rise once more and to move forward along the path of unity, in truth and love,
without succumbing to the temptation to have recourse merely to the criteria
of personal or sectarian interests, in the face of our divisions (cf. Ecclesia in Medio Oriente, 11).
Grant that we may renounce the mentality of division,
"lest the Cross of Christ be emptied of its power" (1 Cor 1:17).
Amen.
"lest the Cross of Christ be emptied of its power" (1 Cor 1:17).
Amen.
X Station: Jesus is stripped of his garments
A Reading from the Book of Psalms 22:19
They divide my clothing among them, they cast lots for my robe.
In the fullness of time, Lord Jesus, you clothed yourself in our humanity, you whose "train filled the temple" (Is
6:1); already, you are walking in our midst, and those who wish to
touch the hem of your garments are healed. But you have been stripped
even of this garment, Lord! They have stolen your cloak and you have
also given us your tunic (cf. Mt 5:40). You have allowed the
veil of your flesh to be torn so that we might once more be admitted
into the Father's presence (cf. Heb 10:19-20).
We thought we could find fulfilment by ourselves, independently of you (cf. Gen
3:4-7). We found ourselves naked, but in your infinite love you
reclothed us with the dignity of sons and daughters of God and of his
sanctifying grace.
Bestow, Lord, upon the children of the Eastern
Churches – stripped by various difficulties, sometimes to the point of
persecution, and weakened by emigration – the courage to remain in their
countries to proclaim the Good News.
O Jesus, Son of Man,
who were stripped so as to reveal to us the new creation raised from the dead,
tear in us the veil that separates us from God and weave in us your divine presence.
Grant us to conquer fear before the events of life
that strip us and leave us naked, and to put on the new man of our Baptism,
in order that we may announce the Good News, proclaiming that you are the only true God
who guides history. Amen.
who were stripped so as to reveal to us the new creation raised from the dead,
tear in us the veil that separates us from God and weave in us your divine presence.
Grant us to conquer fear before the events of life
that strip us and leave us naked, and to put on the new man of our Baptism,
in order that we may announce the Good News, proclaiming that you are the only true God
who guides history. Amen.
XI Station: Jesus is nailed to the Cross
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 19:16a,19
Then he handed him over to them to be
crucified. Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross; it read:
"Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews."
Behold, the long-awaited Messiah, hanging on
the wood of the cross between two thieves. The two hands which blessed
humanity are pierced. The two feet which trod our earth to proclaim the
Good News are now suspended between earth and heaven. The eyes full of
love, whose gaze healed the sick and forgave our sins, now gaze only
heavenward.
Lord Jesus,
you were crucified for our sins. You pray to God the Father and you intercede for humanity.
Each hammer blow echoes like a beat of your immolated heart. How beautiful upon the mount of Calvary
are the feet of the One who proclaims the Good News of salvation.
Your love, Jesus, has filled the universe. Your pierced hands
are our refuge in distress. They embrace us
whenever the abyss of sin threatens us, and in your wounds
we find healing and forgiveness.
you were crucified for our sins. You pray to God the Father and you intercede for humanity.
Each hammer blow echoes like a beat of your immolated heart. How beautiful upon the mount of Calvary
are the feet of the One who proclaims the Good News of salvation.
Your love, Jesus, has filled the universe. Your pierced hands
are our refuge in distress. They embrace us
whenever the abyss of sin threatens us, and in your wounds
we find healing and forgiveness.
O Jesus,
we pray to you for all those young people who are overcome by hopelessness,
for young people who are the victims of drugs, of sects and of perversions.
we pray to you for all those young people who are overcome by hopelessness,
for young people who are the victims of drugs, of sects and of perversions.
Free them from their enslavement.
May they lift up their gaze and accept Love. May they find happiness in you;
save them, our Saviour. Amen.
May they lift up their gaze and accept Love. May they find happiness in you;
save them, our Saviour. Amen.
XII Station: Jesus dies on the cross
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to 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.
From the height of the cross a cry is heard a
cry: a cry of abandonment at the moment of death, a cry of trust amid
suffering, a cry accompanying the birth of a new life. Behold, hanging
on the tree of life, you deliver your spirit into your Father's hands,
causing life to spring up in abundance and forming the new creation.
Today we too face the challenges of this world: we sense the surge of
fears which overwhelm us and shake our trust. Grant us, Lord, the
strength to know deep within our heart that no death will conquer us,
until we rest in the hands which have shaped us and accompany us.
May every one of us be able to cry out:
"Yesterday I was crucified with Christ, today I am glorified with him.
Yesterday I died with him, today I live with him.
Yesterday I was buried with him. Today I have risen with him." (Gregory Nazianzen)
"Yesterday I was crucified with Christ, today I am glorified with him.
Yesterday I died with him, today I live with him.
Yesterday I was buried with him. Today I have risen with him." (Gregory Nazianzen)
In the darkness of our nights,
we contemplate you. Teach us to turn towards the Most High,
your heavenly Father.
we contemplate you. Teach us to turn towards the Most High,
your heavenly Father.
Today, let us pray
that all those who promote abortion may become aware that love
can only be a source of life. Let us think also of those who defend euthanasia
and those who encourage techniques and procedures
which endanger human life. Open their hearts
to know you in the truth and to work for the building
of the civilization of life and love. Amen.
that all those who promote abortion may become aware that love
can only be a source of life. Let us think also of those who defend euthanasia
and those who encourage techniques and procedures
which endanger human life. Open their hearts
to know you in the truth and to work for the building
of the civilization of life and love. Amen.
XIII Station: Jesus is taken down from the cross and given to his Mother
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 19:26-27a
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!"
Lord Jesus, those who love you remain at your
side and keep faith. In the hour of your agony and death, when the world
believes that evil triumphs and that the voice of truth, love, justice
and peace is silent, their faith does not fail.
O Mary, into your hands we place our earth.
"How sad it is to see this blessed land suffer in its children, who
relentlessly tear one another to pieces and die!" (Ecclesia in Medio Oriente,
8). It seems that nothing can overcome evil, terrorism, murder and
hatred. "Before the cross on which your Son stretched out his sinless
hands for our salvation, O Virgin, we fall prostrate this day: grant us
peace" (Byzantine liturgy).
Let us pray
for the victims of the wars and of the violence which in our days devastate
various countries in the Middle East, as well as other parts of the world.
Let us pray that the displaced and the forced migrants may soon return
to their homes and lands. Grant, Lord,
that the blood of innocent victims may be the seed of a new East,
ever more fraternal, peaceful and just, and that this East
may recover the splendour of its vocation as the cradle of civilization and of spiritual and human values.
Star of the East, show us the coming of the Dawn!
Amen.
for the victims of the wars and of the violence which in our days devastate
various countries in the Middle East, as well as other parts of the world.
Let us pray that the displaced and the forced migrants may soon return
to their homes and lands. Grant, Lord,
that the blood of innocent victims may be the seed of a new East,
ever more fraternal, peaceful and just, and that this East
may recover the splendour of its vocation as the cradle of civilization and of spiritual and human values.
Star of the East, show us the coming of the Dawn!
Amen.
XIV Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 19:39-40
Nicodemus also, who had at first come to him
by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred
pounds weight. They took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths
with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.
Nicodemus receives the body of Christ, he
looks after it and puts it in a tomb in the middle of a garden which
evokes the garden of Creation. Jesus lets himself be buried, even as he
let himself be crucified, in the same abandonment, entirely "delivered"
into the hands of men and "perfectly united" to them, "even to sleeping
beneath the tombstone" (Saint Gregory of Narek).
To accept difficulties, painful events, death, demands steadfast hope, living faith. The stone placed before the entrance of the
tomb will be overturned and a new life will arise. For "we were buried
with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the
dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." (Rom 6:4)
We have received the freedom of the children
of God, so that we will not return to slavery; life has been given to us
in abundance, so that we will no longer be satisfied with a life
lacking beauty and meaning.
Lord Jesus,
make us children of the light who do not fear the darkness.
We pray to you today for all those who search for meaning in life
and for all those who have lost hope, that they may have faith in your victory
over sin and death. Amen.
make us children of the light who do not fear the darkness.
We pray to you today for all those who search for meaning in life
and for all those who have lost hope, that they may have faith in your victory
over sin and death. Amen.
Reference:
- Vatican News. From the Pope. © Copyright 2013 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Accessed 3/29/2013.
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Message, 25. March 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World:
“Dear children! In this time of grace I call you to take the cross of my beloved Son Jesus in your hands and to meditate on His passion and death. May your suffering be united in His suffering and love will win, because He who is love gave Himself out of love to save each of you. Pray, pray, pray until love and peace begin to reign in your hearts. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
March 18 2013 Message to the World via Annual Apparition to Mirjana:
"Dear children! I call you to, with complete trust and joy, bless the name of the Lord and, day by day, to give Him thanks from the heart for His great love. My Son, through that love which He showed by the Cross, gave you the possibility to be forgiven for everything; so that you do not have to be ashamed or to hide, and out of fear not to open the door of your heart to my Son. To the contrary, my children, reconcile with the Heavenly Father so that you may be able to come to love yourselves as my Son loves you. When you come to love yourselves, you will also love others; in them you will see my Son and recognize the greatness of His love. Live in faith! Through me, my Son is preparing you for the works which He desires to do through you – works through which He desires to be glorified. Give Him thanks. Especially thank Him for the shepherds - for your intercessors in the reconciliation with the Heavenly Father. I am thanking you, my children. Thank you."
March 2, 2013 Message From Our Lady of Medjugorje to World:
“Dear children; Anew, in a motherly way, I am calling you not to be of a hard heart. Do not shut your eyes to the warnings which the Heavenly Father sends to you out of love. Do you love Him above all else? Do you repent for having often forgotten that the Heavenly Father, out of His great love, sent His Son to redeem us by the Cross? Do you repent for not having accepted the message? My children, do not resist the love of my Son. Do not resist hope and peace. Along with your prayers and fasting, by His Cross, my Son will cast away the darkness that wants to surround you and come to rule over you. He will give you the strength for a new life. Living it according to my Son, you will be a blessing and a hope to all those sinners who wander in the darkness of sin. My children, keep vigil. I, as a mother, am keeping vigil with you. I am especially praying and watching over those whom my Son called to be light-bearers and carriers of hope for you – for your shepherds. Thank you.”
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Today's Word: salvation sal·va·tion [sal-vey-shuh
n]
Origin: 1175–1225; Middle English salvatio ( u ) n < Late Latin salvātiōn- (stem of salvātiō ), equivalent to salvāt ( us ) (past participle of salvāre to save1 ; see -ate1 ) + -iōn- -ion; replacing Middle English sa ( u ) vaciun, sauvacion < Old French sauvacion < Late Latin, as above
noun
1. the act of saving or protecting from harm, risk, loss, destruction, etc.
2. the state of being saved or protected from harm, risk, etc.
3. a source, cause, or means of being saved or protected from harm, risk, etc.
4. Theology . deliverance from the power and penalty of sin; redemption.
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Today's Old Testament Reading - Psalms 31:2, 6-17, 25
2 turn your ear to me, make haste. Be for me a rock-fastness, a fortified citadel to save me.
6 you hate those who serve useless idols; but my trust is in Yahweh:
12 I have no more place in their hearts than a corpse, or something lost.
13 All I hear is slander -- terror wherever I turn -- as they plot together against me, scheming to take my life.
15 every moment of my life is in your hands, rescue me from the clutches of my foes who pursue me;
16 let your face shine on your servant, save me in your faithful love.
17 I call on you, Yahweh, so let disgrace fall not on me, but on the wicked. Let them go down to Sheol in silence,
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Today's Epistle - Isaiah 52:13--53:12
13 Look, my servant will prosper, will grow great, will rise to great heights.
14 As many people were aghast at him -- he was so inhumanly disfigured that he no longer looked like a man-
15 so many nations will be astonished and kings will stay tight-lipped before him, seeing what had never been told them, learning what they had not heard before.
1 Who has given credence to what we have heard? And who has seen in it a revelation of Yahweh's arm?
2 Like a sapling he grew up before him, like a root in arid ground. He had no form or charm to attract us, no beauty to win our hearts;
3 he was despised, the lowest of men, a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering, one from whom, as it were, we averted our gaze, despised, for whom we had no regard.
4 Yet ours were the sufferings he was
bearing, ours the sorrows he was carrying, while we thought of him as
someone being punished and struck with affliction by God;
5 whereas he was being wounded for our
rebellions, crushed because of our guilt; the punishment reconciling us
fell on him, and we have been healed by his bruises.
6 We had all gone astray like sheep, each taking his own way, and Yahweh brought the acts of rebellion of all of us to bear on him.
7 Ill-treated and afflicted, he never
opened his mouth, like a lamb led to the slaughter-house, like a sheep
dumb before its shearers he never opened his mouth.
8 Forcibly, after sentence, he was
taken. Which of his contemporaries was concerned at his having been cut
off from the land of the living, at his having been struck dead for his
people's rebellion?
9 He was given a grave with the wicked, and his tomb is with the rich, although he had done no violence, had spoken no deceit.
10 It was Yahweh's good pleasure to crush him with pain; if he gives his life as a sin offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his life, and through him Yahweh's good pleasure will be done.
11 After the ordeal he has endured, he will see the light and be content. By his knowledge, the upright one, my servant will justify many by taking their guilt on himself.
12 Hence I shall give him a portion with the many, and he will
share the booty with the mighty, for having exposed himself to death
and for being counted as one of the rebellious, whereas he was bearing
the sin of many and interceding for the rebellious.
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Today's Gospel Reading - John 18:1 – 19:42
The Passion of Jesus according to JohnJohn 18:1 – 19:42
1. Recollection in prayer – Statio
Come, you who refresh us,
the soul’s delightful guest,
come take away all that is mine,
and pour into me all that is yours.Come, you who are the nourishment of every chaste thought,
source of all mercies, sum of all purity.
Come and burn away all that in me is cause
of my not being able to be consumed by you.
Come, Spirit,
who are ever with the Father and the Bridegroom,
and rest over the brides of the Bridegroom.
(St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, O.Carm.,
in La Probatione ii, 193-194.)
the soul’s delightful guest,
come take away all that is mine,
and pour into me all that is yours.Come, you who are the nourishment of every chaste thought,
source of all mercies, sum of all purity.
Come and burn away all that in me is cause
of my not being able to be consumed by you.
Come, Spirit,
who are ever with the Father and the Bridegroom,
and rest over the brides of the Bridegroom.
(St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, O.Carm.,
in La Probatione ii, 193-194.)
2. A prayerful reading of the Word – Lectio
From the Gospel according to John
 |
| The Crucifixion of Christ |
12 The cohort and its
tribune and the Jewish guards seized Jesus and bound him. 13 They took
him first to Annas, because Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who
was high priest that year. 14 It was Caiaphas who had counselled the
Jews, 'It is better for one man to die for the people.' 15 Simon Peter, with
another disciple, followed Jesus. This disciple, who was known to the
high priest, went with Jesus into the high priest's palace, 16 but Peter
stayed outside the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the
high priest, went out, spoke to the door-keeper and brought Peter in. 17
The girl on duty at the door said to Peter, 'Aren't you another of that
man's disciples?' He answered, 'I am not.' 18 Now it was cold, and the
servants and guards had lit a charcoal fire and were standing there
warming themselves; so Peter stood there too, warming himself with the
others.
19 The high priest
questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 20 Jesus
answered, 'I have spoken openly for all the world to hear; I have always
taught in the synagogue and in the Temple where all the Jews meet
together; I have said nothing in secret. 21 Why ask me? Ask my hearers
what I taught; they know what I said.' 22 At these words, one of the
guards standing by gave Jesus a slap in the face, saying, 'Is that the
way you answer the high priest?' 23 Jesus replied, 'If there is some
offence in what I said, point it out; but if not, why do you strike me?'
24 Then Annas sent him, bound, to Caiaphas the high priest. 25 As Simon Peter
stood there warming himself, someone said to him, 'Aren't you another of
his disciples?' He denied it saying, 'I am not.' 26 One of the high
priest's servants, a relation of the man whose ear Peter had cut off,
said, 'Didn't I see you in the garden with him?' 27 Again Peter denied
it; and at once a cock crowed. 28 They then led Jesus
from the house of Caiaphas to the Praetorium. It was now morning. They
did not go into the Praetorium themselves to avoid becoming defiled and
unable to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate came outside to them and said,
'What charge do you bring against this man?' They replied, 30 'If he
were not a criminal, we should not have handed him over to you.' 31
Pilate said, 'Take him yourselves, and try him by your own Law.' The
Jews answered, 'We are not allowed to put anyone to death.' 32 This was
to fulfil the words Jesus had spoken indicating the way he was going to
die.
33 So Pilate went back
into the Praetorium and called Jesus to him and asked him, 'Are you the
king of the Jews?' 34 Jesus replied, 'Do you ask this of your own
accord, or have others said it to you about me?' 35 Pilate answered, 'Am
I a Jew? It is your own people and the chief priests who have handed
you over to me: what have you done?' 36 Jesus replied, 'Mine is not a
kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would
have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. As it is, my
kingdom does not belong here.' 37 Pilate said, 'So, then you are a
king?' Jesus answered, 'It is you who say that I am a king. I was born
for this, I came into the world for this, to bear witness to the truth;
and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.' 38 'Truth?'
said Pilate. 'What is that?' And so saying he went out again to the Jews
and said, 'I find no case against him. 39 But according to a custom of
yours I should release one prisoner at the Passover; would you like me,
then, to release for you the king of the Jews?' 40 At this they shouted,
'Not this man,' they said, 'but Barabbas.' Barabbas was a bandit.
19:1
Pilate then had Jesus taken away and scourged; 2 and after this, the
soldiers twisted some thorns into a crown and put it on his head and
dressed him in a purple robe. 3 They kept coming up to him and saying,
'Hail, king of the Jews!' and slapping him in the face. 4 Pilate came
outside again and said to them, 'Look, I am going to bring him out to
you to let you see that I find no case against him.' 5 Jesus then came
out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said, 'Here
is the man.' 6 When they saw him, the chief priests and the guards
shouted, 'Crucify him! Crucify him!' Pilate said, 'Take him yourselves
and crucify him: I find no case against him.' 7 The Jews replied, 'We
have a Law, and according to that Law he ought to be put to death,
because he has claimed to be Son of God.' 8 When Pilate heard
them say this his fears increased. 9 Re-entering the Praetorium, he said
to Jesus, 'Where do you come from?' But Jesus made no answer. 10 Pilate
then said to him, 'Are you refusing to speak to me? Surely you know I
have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?' 11 Jesus
replied, 'You would have no power over me at all if it had not been
given you from above; that is why the man who handed me over to you has
the greater guilt.'
12 From that moment
Pilate was anxious to set him free, but the Jews shouted, 'If you set
him free you are no friend of Caesar's; anyone who makes himself king is
defying Caesar.' 13 Hearing these words, Pilate had Jesus brought out,
and seated him on the chair of judgement at a place called the Pavement,
in Hebrew Gabbatha. 14 It was the Day of Preparation, about the sixth
hour. 'Here is your king,' said Pilate to the Jews. 15 But they shouted,
'Away with him, away with him, crucify him.' Pilate said, 'Shall I
crucify your king?' The chief priests answered, 'We have no king except
Caesar.' 16 So at that Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.
They then took charge of Jesus,
17 and carrying his
own cross he went out to the Place of the Skull or, as it is called in
Hebrew, Golgotha, 18 where they crucified him with two others, one on
either side, Jesus being in the middle. 19 Pilate wrote out a notice and
had it fixed to the cross; it ran: 'Jesus the Nazarene, King of the
Jews'. 20 This notice was read by many of the Jews, because the place
where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the writing was in
Hebrew, Latin and Greek. 21 So the Jewish chief priests said to Pilate,
'You should not write "King of the Jews", but that the man said, "I am
King of the Jews". ' 22 Pilate answered, 'What I have written, I have
written.'
23 When the soldiers
had finished crucifying Jesus they took his clothing and divided it into
four shares, one for each soldier. His undergarment was seamless, woven
in one piece from neck to hem; 24 so they said to one another, 'Instead
of tearing it, let's throw dice to decide who is to have it.' In this
way the words of scripture were fulfilled: They divide my garments among
them and cast lots for my clothes. That is what the soldiers did. 25 Near the cross of
Jesus stood his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary of Magdala. 26 Seeing his mother and the disciple whom he
loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, 'Woman, this is your
son.' 27 Then to the disciple he said, 'This is your mother.' And from
that hour the disciple took her into his home.
28 After this, Jesus
knew that everything had now been completed and, so that the scripture
should be completely fulfilled, he said: I am thirsty. 29 A jar full of
sour wine stood there; so, putting a sponge soaked in the wine on a
hyssop stick, they held it up to his mouth. 30 After Jesus had taken the
wine he said, 'It is fulfilled'; and bowing his head he gave up his
spirit. 31 It was the Day of
Preparation, and to avoid the bodies' remaining on the cross during the
Sabbath -- since that Sabbath was a day of special solemnity -- the Jews
asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away. 32
Consequently the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who
had been crucified with him and then of the other. 33 When they came to
Jesus, they saw he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs
34 one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately
there came out blood and water.
35 This is the
evidence of one who saw it -- true evidence, and he knows that what he
says is true -- and he gives it so that you may believe as well. 36
Because all this happened to fulfil the words of scripture: Not one bone
of his will be broken; 37 and again, in another place scripture says:
They will look to the one whom they have pierced.
38 After this, Joseph
of Arimathaea, who was a disciple of Jesus -- though a secret one
because he was afraid of the Jews -- asked Pilate to let him remove the
body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission, so they came and took it away. 39
Nicodemus came as well -- the same one who had first come to Jesus at
night-time -- and he brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing
about a hundred pounds. 40 They took the body of Jesus and bound it in
linen cloths with the spices, following the Jewish burial custom. 41 At
the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in this
garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been buried. 42 Since it was
the Jewish Day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus
there.
3. Reflecting on the Word – Meditatio
3.1. A key to the reading:
- Jesus master of his fate
I would like to
suggest that we meditate in the spirit of Mary, at the foot of the cross
of Jesus. She, the strong woman who understood the full meaning of this
event of the passion and death of the Lord, will help us cast a
contemplative glance at the crucified (Jn 19: 25–27). We are looking at
chapter 19 of John’s Gospel, which begins with the scene of the
scourging and the crowning with thorns. Pilate presents “Jesus the
Nazarene, the king of the Jews” to the chief priests and to the guards
who call for his death on the cross (Jn 19, 6). Thus begins for Jesus
the way of the cross towards Golgotha, where he will be crucified. In
the story of the Passion according to John, Jesus reveals himself as
master of himself and in control of all that is happening to him. John’s
text is full of phrases that point to this theological fact, that Jesus
offers his life. He actively, not passively, endures the events of the
passion. Here are just some examples putting the stress on some phrases
and words. The reader may find other examples:
Knowing everything that was to happen to him, Jesus came forward and
said: "Who are you looking for?" They answered, "Jesus the Nazarene".
He said, "I am he!". Now Judas the traitor was standing among them. When Jesus said to them "I am he", they moved back and fell on the ground. He
asked them a second time, "Who are you looking for?" They said, "Jesus
the Nazarene". Jesus replied, "I have told you that I am he. If I am the
one you are looking for, let these others go". This was to fulfil the words he had spoken, "Not one of those you gave me have I lost". (Jn 18: 4-9)
“Jesus then came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe” (Jn 19: 5),
Jesus replied, “You would have no power over me at all, if it had not been given you from above.” (Jn 19: 11).
On the cross too,
Jesus takes an active part in his death, he does not allow himself to be
killed like the thieves whose legs were broken (Jn 19: 31-33), but
commits his spirit (Jn 19: 30). The details recalled by the Evangelist
are very important: Seeing his mother and the disciple whom he loved
standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’
Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ (Jn 19: 26-27).
These simple words of Jesus bear the weight of revelation, words that
reveal to us his will: “this is your son” (v. 26); “this is your mother”
(v. 27). These words also recall those pronounced by Pilate on the
Lithostrotos: “This is the man” (Jn 19: 5). With these words, Jesus on
the cross, his throne, reveals his will and his love for us. He is the
lamb of God, the shepherd who gives his life for his sheep. At that
moment, by the cross, he gives birth to the Church, represented by Mary,
his sister Mary of Cleophas and Mary Magdalene together with the
beloved disciple (Jn 19: 25).
- Beloved and faithful disciples
The fourth Gospel
specifies that these disciples “stood by the cross” (Jn 19: 25-26). This
detail has a deep meaning. Only the fourth Gospel tells us that these
five persons stood by the cross. The other Evangelists do not say so.
Luke, for instance, says that all those who knew him followed the events
from a distance (Lk 23: 49). Matthew also says that many women followed
these events from afar. These women had followed Jesus from Galilee and
served him. But now they followed him from afar (Mt 27: 55–56). Like
Matthew, Mark gives us the names of those who followed the death of
Jesus from afar (Mk 15: 40-41). Thus only the fourth Gospel says that
the mother of Jesus and the other women and the beloved disciple “stood
by the cross”. They stood there like servants before their king. They
are present courageously at a time when Jesus has already declared that
“it is fulfilled” (Jn 19: 30). The mother of Jesus is present at the
hour that finally “has come”. That hour foretold at the wedding feast of
Cana (Jn 2: 1ff). The fourth Gospel had remarked then that “the mother
of Jesus was there” (Jn 2: 1). Thus the person that remains faithful to
the Lord in his destiny, he/she is a beloved disciple. The Evangelist
keeps this disciple anonymous so that each one of us may see him/herself
mirrored in the one who knew the mysteries of the Lord, who laid his
head on Jesus’ chest at the last supper (Jn 13: 25).
3.1.1. Questions and suggestions to direct our meditation and practice
● Read once more the
passage of the Gospel and look in the Bible for the texts mentioned in
the key to the reading. Look for other parallel texts that may help us
penetrate deeper into the text presented for our meditation.
● In spirit, and with the help of the prayerful reading of John’s text, visit the places of the Passion, stop on Calvary to witness with Mary and the beloved disciple the events of the Passion.
● What struck you most?
● What feelings does this story of the Passion arouse in you?
● What does the fact that Jesus actively bears his passion mean for you?
● In spirit, and with the help of the prayerful reading of John’s text, visit the places of the Passion, stop on Calvary to witness with Mary and the beloved disciple the events of the Passion.
● What struck you most?
● What feelings does this story of the Passion arouse in you?
● What does the fact that Jesus actively bears his passion mean for you?
4. Oratio
O Eternal Wisdom, Infinite Goodness,
Ineffable Truth, You who probe hearts, Eternal God, help us to
understand that you can, know and want to! O Loving and Bleeding Lamb,
crucified Christ, fulfil in us that which you said: “Anyone who follows
me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the light of life” (Jn
8:12). O perfect light, from whom all lights proceed! O light for whom
light was created, without whom all is darkness and with whom all is
light. Light up, light up, do light up! Let your whole will penetrate
all the authors and collaborators you have chosen in this work of
renewal. Jesus, Jesus love, Jesus, transform us and make us conform to
you. Uncreated Wisdom, Eternal Word, sweet Truth, silent Love, Jesus,
Jesus Love! (St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, O.Carm., in The Renewal of the Church, 90-91.)
5. Contemplatio
Repeat frequently and calmly these words of Jesus when he offered himself:
“Father into your hands I commend my spirit”
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Featured Item of the Day from Litany Lane
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Saint of the Day: Feria
Feast Day: March 29
Patron Saint:
Attributes:
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Today's Snippet I: Book 6, Chapter 8
The Mystical City of God,
The Divine History and
Life of The Virgin Mother of God
The Crucifixion.
Our Savior then, the new and true Isaac, the Son of the
eternal Father, reached the mountain of sacrifice, which is the same one to
which his prototype and figure, Isaac, was brought by the patriarch Abraham
(Gen. 22, 9). Upon the most innocent Lamb of God was to be executed the rigor of
the sentence, which had been suspended in favor of the son of the Patriarch.
Mount Calvary was held to be a place of defilement and ignominy, as being
reserved for the chastisement of condemned criminals, whose cadavers spread
around it their stench and attached to it a still more evil fame. Our most
loving Jesus arrived at its summit so worn out, wounded, torn and disfigured,
that He seemed altogether transformed into an object of pain and sorrows.
When the most prudent Mother perceived that now the mysteries
of the Redemption were to be fulfilled and that the executioners were about to
strip Jesus of his clothes for crucifixion, She turned in spirit to the eternal
Father and prayed as follows: "My Lord and eternal God, Thou art the Father
of thy onlybegotten Son. By eternal generation He is engendered, God of the true
God, namely Thyself, and as man He was born of my womb and received from me this
human nature, in which He now suffers. I have nursed and sustained Him at my own
breast; and as the best sons that ever can be born of any creature, I love Him
with maternal love. As his Mother I have a natural right in the Person of his
most holy humanity and thy Providence will never infringe upon any rights held
by thy creatures. This right of a Mother then, I now yield to Thee and
once more place in thy hands thy and my Son as a sacrifice for the Redemption of
man. Accept, my Lord, this pleasing offering, since this is more than I can ever
offer by submitting my own self as a victim or to suffering. This sacrifice is
greater, not only because my Son is the true God and of thy own substance but
because this sacrifice costs me a much greater sorrow and pain. For if the lots
were changed and I should be permitted to die in order to preserve his most
life, I would consider it a great relief and the fulfillment of my dearest
wishes." The eternal Father this received prayer of the exalted Queen with
ineffable pleasure and complacency. The patriarch Abraham was permitted to go no
further than to prefigure and attempt the sacrifice of a son, because the real
execution of such a sacrifice God reserved to Himself and to his Onlybegotten.
Nor was Sara, the mother of Isaac, informed of the mystical ceremony, this being
prevented not only by the promptitude of Abraham's obedience, but also because
he mistrusted, lest the maternal love of Sara, though she was a just and holy
woman, should impel her to prevent the execution of the divine command. But not
so was it with most holy Mary, to whom the eternal Father could fearlessly
manifest his unchangeable will in order that She might, as far as her powers
were concerned, unite with Him in the sacrifice of his Onlybegotten.
It was already the sixth hour, which corresponds to our
noontime, and the executioners, intending to crucify the Savior naked, despoiled
Him of the seamless tunic and of his garments. As the tunic was large and
without opening in front, they pulled it over the head of Jesus without taking
off the crown of thorns; but on account of the rudeness with which they
proceeded, they inhumanly tore off the crown with the tunic. Thus they opened
anew all the wounds of his head, and in some of them remained the thorns, which,
in spite of their being so hard and sharp, were wrenched off by the violence
with which the executioners despoiled Him of his tunic and, with it, of the
crown. With heartless cruelty they again forced it down upon his sacred head,
opening up wounds upon wounds. By the rude tearing off of the tunic were renewed
also the wounds of his whole body, since the tunic had dried into the open
places and its removal was, as David says, adding new pains to his wound (Ps.
68, 27). Four times during the Passion did they despoil Jesus of his garments
and again vest Him. The first time in order to scourge him at the pillar; the
second time in order to clothe Him in the mock purple; the third when they took
this off in order to clothe Him in his tunic; the fourth, when they finally took
away his clothes. This last was the most painful, because his wounds were more
numerous, his holy humanity was much weakened, and there was less shelter
against the sharp wind on mount Calvary; for also this element was permitted to
increase the sufferings of his death-struggle by sending its cold blasts across
the mount.
The holy Cross was lying on the ground and the executioners
were busy making the necessary preparations for crucifying Him and the two
thieves. In the meanwhile our Redeemer and Master prayed to the Father in the
following terms:
"Eternal Father and my Lord God, to the incomprehensible
Majesty of thy infinite goodness and justice I offer my entire humanity and all
that according to thy will it has accomplished in descending from thy bosom to
assume passible and mortal flesh for the Redemption of men, my brethren. I offer
Thee, Lord, with Myself, also my most loving Mother, her love, her most perfect
works, her sorrows, her sufferings, her anxious and prudent solicitude in
serving Me, imitating Me and accompanying Me unto death. I offer Thee the little
flock of my Apostles, the holy Church and congregation of the faithful, such as
it is now and as it shall be to the end of the world; and with it I offer to
Thee all the mortal children of Adam. All this I place in thy hands as the true
and almighty Lord and God. As far as my wishes are concerned, I suffer and die
for all, and I desire that all shall be saved, under the condition that all
follow Me and profit of my Redemption. Thus may they pass from the slavery of
the devil to be thy children, my brethren and co-heirs of the grace merited by
Me. Especially, O my Lord, do I offer to Thee the poor, despised and afflicted,
who are my friends and who follow Me on the way to the Cross. I desire that the
just and the predestined be written in thy eternal memory. I beseech
Thee, my Father, to withhold thy chastisement and not to raise the scourge of
thy justice over men; let them not be punished as they merit for their sins. Be
Thou from now on their Father as Thou art mine. I beseech Thee also, that they
may be helped to ponder upon my Death in pious affection and be enlightened from
above; and I pray for those who are persecuting Me, in order that they may be
converted to the truth. Above all do I ask Thee for the exaltation of thy
ineffable and most holy name."
This prayer and supplication of our Savior were known to the
most blessed Mother, and She imitated Him and made the same petitions to the
Father in as far as She was concerned. The most prudent Virgin never forgot or
disregarded the first word which She had heard from the mouth of her divine Son
as an infant: "Become like unto Me, my Beloved." His promise, that in
return for the new human existence which She had given Him in her virginal womb,
He would, by his almighty power, give Her a new existence of divine and eminent
grace above all other creatures, was continually fulfilled.
In order to find the places for the auger-holes on the Cross,
the executioners haughtily commanded the Creator of the universe (O dreadful
temerity!), to stretch Himself out upon it. The Teacher of humility obeyed
without hesitation. But they, following their inhuman instinct of cruelty,
marked the places for the holes, not according to the size of his body, but
larger, having in mind a new torture for their Victim. This inhuman intent was
known to the Mother of light, and the knowledge of it was one of the greatest
afflictions of her chastest heart during the whole Passion. She saw through the
intentions of these ministers of sin and She anticipated the torments to be
endured by her beloved Son when his limbs should be wrenched from their sockets
in being nailed to the Cross. But She could not do anything to prevent it, as it
was the will of the Lord to suffer these pains for men. When He rose from the
Cross and they set about boring the holes, the great Lady approached and took
hold of one of his hands, adoring Him and kissing it with greatest reverence.
The executioners allowed this because they thought that the sight of his Mother
would cause so much the greater affliction to the Lord; for they wished to spare
Him no sorrow they could cause Him. But they were ignorant of the hidden
mysteries; for the Lord during his Passion had no greater source of consolation
and interior joy than to see in the soul of his most blessed Mother, the
beautiful likeness of Himself and the full fruits of his Passion and Death. This
joy, to a certain extent, comforted Christ our Lord also in that hour.
Presently one of the executioners seized the hand of Jesus
our Savior and placed it upon the auger-hole while another hammered a large and
rough nail through the palm. The veins and sinews were torn, and the bones of
the sacred hand, which made the heavens and all that exists, were forced apart.
When they stretched out the other hand, they found that it did not reach up to
the auger-hole; for the sinews of the other arm had been shortened and the
executioners had maliciously set the holes too far apart, as I have mentioned
above. In order to overcome the difficulty, they took the chain with which the
Savior had been bound in the garden, and looping one end through a ring around
his wrist, they, with unheard of cruelty, pulled the hand over the hole and
fastened it with another nail. Thereupon they seized his feet, and placing them
one above the other, they tied the same chain around both and stretched them
with barbarous ferocity down to the third hole. Then they drove through both
feet a large nail into the Cross. Thus the sacred body, in which dwelled the
Divinity, was nailed motionless to the holy Cross, and the handiwork of his
deified members, formed by the Holy Ghost, was so stretched and torn
asunder, that the bones of his body, dislocated and forced from their
natural position, could all be counted. The bones of his breast, of his
shoulders and arms, and of his whole body yielded to the cruel violence
and were torn from their sinews.
Then they dragged the lower end of the Cross with the
crucified God near to the hole, wherein it was to be planted. Some of them
getting under the upper part of the Cross with their shoulders, others pushing
upward with their halberds and lances, they raised the Savior on his Cross and
fastened its foot in the hole they had drilled into the ground. Thus our true
life and salvation now hung in the air upon the sacred wood in full view of the
innumerable multitudes of different nations and countries. I must not omit
mentioning another barbarity inflicted upon the Lord as they raised Him: for
some of them placed the sharp points of their lances and halberds to his body
and fearfully lacerating Him under the armpits in helping to push the Cross into
position. At this spectacle new cries of protest arose with still more vehemence
and confusion from the multitude of people. The Jews blasphemed, the
kind-hearted lamented, the strangers were astounded, some of them called the
attention of the bystanders to the proceedings, others turned away their heads
in horror and pity; others took to themselves a warning from this
spectacle of suffering, and still others proclaimed Him a just Man. All these
different sentiments were like arrows piercing the heart of the afflicted
Mother. The sacred body now shed much blood from the nail wounds, which, by its
weight and the shock of the Cross falling into the hole, had widened. They were
the fountains, now opened up, to which Isaias invites us to hasten with joy to
quench our thirst and wash off the stains of our sins (Is. 12, 3). No one shall
be excused who does not quickly approach to drink of them.
Then they crucified also the two thieves and planted their
crosses to the right and the left of the Savior; for thereby they wished to
indicate that He deserved the most conspicuous place as being the greatest
malefactor. The pharisees and priests, forgetting the two thieves, turned
all the venom of their fury against the sinless and holy One by nature.
Wagging their heads in scorn and mockery (Matth. 27, 39) they threw stones and
dirt at the Cross of the Lord and his royal Person, saying: "Ah Thou, who
destroyest the temple and in three days rebuildest it, save now Thyself; others
He has made whole, Himself He cannot save; if this be the Son of God let him
descend from the Cross, and we will believe in Him," (Matth. 27, 42). The
two thieves in the beginning also mocked the Lord and said: "If Thou art
the Son of God, save Thyself and us." These blasphemies of the two thieves
caused special sorrow to our Lord, since they were so near to death and losing
the fruit of their death-pains, by which they could have satisfied in part for
their justly punished crimes. Soon after, however, one of them availed himself
of the greatest opportunity that a sinner ever had in this world, and was
converted from his sins.
As the wood of the Cross was the throne of majesty and the
chair of the doctrine of life, and as He was now raised upon it, confirming his
doctrine by his example, Christ now uttered those words of highest charity and
perfection: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!"
(Luke 23, 34.) This principle of charity and fraternal love the divine Teacher
had appropriated to himself and proclaimed by his own lips (John 15, 12; Matth.
15, 44). He now confirmed and executed it upon the Cross, not only pardoning and
loving his enemies, but excusing those under the plea of ignorance whose malice had reached the highest point possible
to men in persecuting, blaspheming and crucifying their God and Redeemer. Such
was the difference between the behavior of ungrateful men favored with so great
enlightenment, instruction and blessing; and the behavior of Jesus in his most
burning charity while suffering the crown of thorns, the nails, and the Cross
and unheard of blasphemy at the hands of men. O incomprehensible love! O
ineffable sweetness! O patience inconceivable to man, admirable to the angels
and fearful to the devils! One of the two thieves, called Dismas, became aware
of some of the mysteries. Being assisted at the same time by the prayers and
intercession of most holy Mary, he was interiorly enlightened concerning his
Rescuer and Master by the first word on the Cross. Moved by true sorrow and
contrition for his sins, he turned to his companion and said: "Neither dost
thou fear God, seeing that thou art under the same condemnation? And we indeed
justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man hath done no
evil." And thereupon speaking to Jesus, he said: "Lord, remember me
when Thou shalt come into thy kingdom!" (Luke 23, 40.).
In this happiest of thieves, in the centurion and in the
others who confessed Jesus Christ on the Cross, began to appear the results of
the Redemption. But the one most favored was this Dismas, who merited to hear
the second word of the Savior on the Cross: "Amen, I say to thee, this day
shalt thou be with Me in Paradise." Having thus justified the good thief,
Jesus turned his loving gaze upon his afflicted Mother, who with saint John was
standing at the foot of the Cross. Speaking to both, he first addressed his
Mother, saying: "Woman, behold thy son!'' and then to the Apostle:
"Beho1d thy Mother!" (John 19, 26.) The Lord called Her Woman and not
Mother, because this name of Mother had in it something of sweetness and
consolation, the very pronouncing of which would have been a sensible relief.
During his Passion He would admit of no exterior consolation, having renounced
for that time all exterior alleviation and easement, as I have mentioned above.
By this word "woman'' he tacitly and by implication wished to say: Woman
blessed among all women, the most prudent among all the daughters of Adam,
Woman, strong and constant, unconquered by any fault of thy own, unfailing in my
service and most faithful in thy love toward Me, which even the mighty waters of
my Passion could not extinguish or resist (Cant. 8, 7), I am going to my Father
and cannot accompany Thee further; my beloved disciple will attend upon Thee and
serve Thee as his Mother, and he will be thy son. All this the heavenly Queen
understood. The holy Apostle on his part received Her as his own from that hour
on; for he was enlightened anew in order to understand and appreciate the
greatest treasure of the Divinity in the whole creation next to the humanity of
Christ our Savior. In this light He reverenced and served Her for the rest of
her life, as I will relate farther on. Our Lady also accepted him as her son in
humble subjection and obedience.
Already the ninth hour of the day was approaching, although
the darkness and confusion of nature made it appear to be rather a chaotic
night. Our Savior spoke the fourth word from the Cross in a loud and strong
voice, so that all the bystanders could hear it: "My God, my God, why hast
thou forsaken Me?'' (Matth 27, 46.) Although the Lord had uttered these words in
his Hebrew language, they were not understood by all. Since they began with :
"Eli, eli," some of them thought He was calling upon Elias, and a
number of them mocked Him saying: "Let us see whether Elias shall come to
free Him from our hands?" He grieved that his copious and superabundant
Redemption, offered for the whole human race, should not be efficacious in the
reprobate and that He should find Himself deprived of them in the eternal
happiness, for which He had created and redeemed them. As this was to happen in
consequence of the decree of his Father's eternal will, He lovingly and
sorrowfully complained of it in the words: "My God, my God why hast
Thou forsaken Me?" that is, in so God deprived Him of the salvation of the
reprobate.
In confirmation of this sorrow the Lord added: "I
thirst!" The sufferings of the Lord and his anguish could easily cause a
natural thirst. But for Him this was not a time to complain of this thirst or to
quench it; and therefore Jesus would not have spoken of it so near to its
expiration, unless in order to give expression to a most exalted mystery. He was
thirsting to see the captive children of Adam make use of the liberty, which He
merited for them and offered to them, and which so many were abusing. He was
athirst with the anxious desire that all should correspond with Him in the faith
and love due to Him, that they profit by his merits and sufferings, accept his
friendship and grace now acquired for them, and that they should not lose the
eternal happiness which He was to leave as an inheritance to those that wished
to merit and accept it. This was the thirst of our Savior and Master; and
the most blessed Mary alone understood it perfectly and began, with ardent ion
and charity, to invite and interiorly to call upon all the poor, the afflicted,
the humble, the despised and downtrodden to approach their Savior and thus
quench, at least in part, his thirst which they could not quench entirely. But
the perfidious Jews and the executioners, evidencing their unhappy
hard-heartedness, fastened a sponge soaked in gall and vinegar to a reed and
mockingly raised it to his mouth, in order that He might drink of it. Thus was
fulfilled the prophecy of David: "In my thirst they gave me vinegar to
drink" (John 28; Ps. 68, 22).
In connection with this same mystery the Savior then
pronounced the sixth word: "Consummatum est," It is consummated"
(John 19, 29). Now is consummated this work of my coming from heaven and I have
obeyed the command of my eternal Father, who sent Me to suffer and die for the
salvation of mankind. Now are fulfilled the holy Scriptures, the prophecies
figures of the old Testament, and the course of my earthly and mortal life
assumed in the womb of my Mother. Now are established on earth my example, my
doctrines, my Sacraments and my remedies for the sickness of sin. Now is
appeased the justice of my eternal Father in regard to the debt of the children
of Adam. Now is my holy Church enriched with the remedies for the sins committed
by men; the whole work of my coming into the world is perfected in so far
as it concerns Me, its Restorer; the secure foundation of the triumphant Church
is now laid in the Church militant, so that nothing can overthrow or change it.
These are the mysteries contained in the few words "Consummatum est."
Having finished and established the work of Redemption in all
its perfection, it was becoming that the incarnate Word, just as He came forth
from the Father to enter mortal life (John 16, 8), should enter into immortal
life of the Father through death. Therefore Christ our Savior added the last
words uttered by Him: ''Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." The
Lord spoke these words in a loud and strong voice, so that the bystanders heard
them. In pronouncing them He raised his eyes to heaven, as one speaking with the
eternal Father, and with the last accent He gave up his spirit and inclined
his head. By the divine force of these words Lucifer with all his demons were
hurled into the deepest caverns of hell, there they lay motionless, as I shall
relate in the next chapter. The invincible Queen and Mistress of all virtues
understood these mysteries beyond the understanding of all creatures, as She was
the Mother of the Savior and the Coadjutrix of his Passion. In order that She
might participate in it to the end, just as She had felt in her own body the
other torments of her Son, She now, though remaining alive, felt and suffered
the pangs and agony of his death. She did not die in reality; but this
was because God miraculously preserved her life, when according to the natural
course death should have followed. This miraculous aid was more wonderful than
all the other favors She received during the Passion. For this last pain was
more intense and penetrating; and all that the martyrs and the men sentenced to
death have suffered from the beginning of the world cannot equal what the
blessed Mary suffered during the Passion. The great Lady remained at the foot of
the Cross until evening, when the sacred body (as I shall relate) was interred.
But in return for this last anguish of death, all that was still of this mortal
life in the virginal body of the purest Mother, was more than ever
exalted and spiritualized.
WORDS OF THE QUEEN. (The Virgin Mary speaks to Sister Mary of
Agreda, Spain.)
My daughter, seek with all the powers of thy mind during thy
whole life to remember the mysteries manifested to thee in this chapter. I, as
thy Mother and thy Instructress, shall ask the Lord by his divine power to impress
in thy heart the knowledge, which I have vouchsafed thee, in order that it may
remain fixed and ever present to thee as long as thou livest. In virtue of this
blessing keep in thy memory Christ crucified, who is my divine Son and thy
Spouse, and never forget the sufferings of the Cross and the doctrine taught by
Him upon it. This is the mirror by which thou must arrange all thy adornments
and the source from which thou art to draw thy interior beauty, like a true
daughter of the Prince (Ps 44, 14), in order that than mayest be prepared,
proceed and reign as the spouse of the supreme King. As this honorable title
obliges thee to seek with all thy power to imitate Him as far as is becoming thy
station and possible to thee by his grace, and as this is to be the true fruit
of my doctrine, I wish that from today on thou live crucified with Christ,
entirely as assimilated to thy exemplar and model and dead to this earthly life
(II Cor. 5,15).
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Catechism of the Catholic Church
Part Two: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery, Ch 2:1
CHAPTER TWO
THE SACRAMENTAL CELEBRATION OF THE PASCHAL
MYSTERY
1135
The catechesis of the liturgy entails first of all an understanding of the
sacramental economy (Chapter One). In this light, the innovation of its
celebration is revealed. This chapter will therefore treat of the celebration
of the sacraments of the Church. It will consider that which, through the
diversity of liturgical traditions, is common to the celebration of the seven
sacraments. What is proper to each will be treated later. This fundamental
catechesis on the sacramental celebrations responds to the first questions
posed by the faithful regarding this subject:
- Who celebrates the liturgy?
- How is the liturgy celebrated?
- When is the liturgy celebrated?
- Where is the liturgy celebrated?
- Who celebrates the liturgy?
- How is the liturgy celebrated?
- When is the liturgy celebrated?
- Where is the liturgy celebrated?
Article 1
CELEBRATING THE CHURCH'S LITURGY
I. Who Celebrates?
1136
Liturgy is an "action" of the whole Christ (Christus totus). Those
who even now celebrate it without
signs are already in the heavenly liturgy,
where celebration is wholly communion and feast
The
celebrants of the heavenly liturgy
1137
The book of Revelation of St. John, read in the Church's liturgy, first reveals
to us, "A throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne":
"the Lord God."Rev 4:2,
8 It then shows the Lamb, "standing, as
though it had been slain": Christ crucified and risen, the one high priest
of the true sanctuary, the same one "who offers and is offered, who gives
and is given." Rev 5:6; Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom,
Anaphora; cf. ⇒ Jn 1:29;
⇒ Heb 4:14-15;
⇒ 10:19- Finally it presents "the river of the water
of life . . . flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb," one of most
beautiful symbols of the Holy Spirit.Rev 22:1
1138
"Recapitulated in Christ," these are the ones who take part in the
service of the praise of God and the fulfillment of his plan: the heavenly
powers, all creation (the four living beings), the servants of the Old and New
Covenants (the twenty-four elders), the new People of God (the one hundred and
forty-four thousand),Rev 4-
5 especially the martyrs "slain for the word
of God," and the all-holy Mother of God (the Woman), the Bride of the
Lamb,Rev 6:9-11 and finally "a great multitude which no one could number,
from every nation, from all tribes, and peoples and tongues."Rev 7:9
1139
It is in this eternal liturgy that the Spirit and the Church enable us to
participate whenever we celebrate the mystery of salvation in the sacraments.
The
celebrants of the sacramental liturgy
1140
It is the whole community, the Body of Christ united with its Head, that
celebrates. "Liturgical services are not private functions but are
celebrations of the Church which is 'the sacrament of unity,' namely, the holy
people united and organized under the authority of the bishops. Therefore,
liturgical services pertain to the whole Body of the Church. They manifest it,
and have effects upon it. But they touch individual members of the Church in
different ways, depending on their orders, their role in the liturgical
services, and their actual participation in them."SC 26 For this
reason, "rites which are meant to be celebrated in common, with the
faithful present and actively participating, should as far as possible be celebrated
in that way rather than by an individual and quasi-privately."SC 27
1141
The celebrating assembly is the community of the baptized who, "by
regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, are consecrated to be a
spiritual house and a holy priesthood, that . . . they may offer spiritual
sacrifices."LG 10; cf. ⇒ 1 Pet 2:4-5 This "common priesthood" is that of Christ
the sole priest, in which all his members participate:Cf. LG 10; 34;
PO 2
Mother Church earnestly
desires that all the faithful should be led to that full, conscious, and active
participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature
of the liturgy, and to which the Christian people, "a chosen race, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed people," have a right and an
obligation by reason of their Baptism.SC 14; Cf. ⇒ 1 Pet 2:9;
⇒ 2:4-5
1142
But "the members do not all have the same function."Rom 12:4
Certain members are called by God, in and through the Church, to a special
service of the community. These servants are chosen and consecrated by the
sacrament of Holy Orders, by which the Holy Spirit enables them to act in the
person of Christ the head, for the service of all the members of the
Church.Cf. PO 2; 15 The ordained minister is, as it were, an "icon" of
Christ the priest. Since it is in the Eucharist that the sacrament of the
Church is made fully visible, it is in his presiding at the Eucharist that the
bishop's ministry is most evident, as well as, in communion with him, the
ministry of priests and deacons.
1143
For the purpose of assisting the work of the common priesthood of the faithful,
other particular ministries also exist, not consecrated by the sacrament of
Holy Orders; their functions are determined by the bishops, in accord with liturgical
traditions and pastoral needs. "Servers, readers, commentators, and
members of the choir also exercise a genuine liturgical
function."SC 29
1144
In the celebration of the sacraments it is thus the whole assembly that is
leitourgos, each according to his function, but in the "unity of the
Spirit" who acts in all. "In liturgical celebrations each person,
minister or layman, who has an office to perform, should carry out all and only
those parts which pertain to his office by the nature of the rite and the norms
of the liturgy."SC 28
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