Today is Holy Wednesday, the day of Jesus’ aloneness. It is hard to get my head and heart around how he must have felt knowing the events ahead and what Judas will do. But Jesus knew the part Judas played in salvation history just as he knows the part we all play today.
Reflect what might have been in Judas’ heart. He must have been on edge as he sat at the table of the Last Supper with the others. Through the exchanges at the table, we see it is Judas’ own conscience that implicates him, not Jesus.
How does my conscience implicate me today? Do I love God through all the challenges I’m experiencing? Do I endeavor to see my fellow human person as God sees them? Do I see the divine who is infused in all of creation? Or do I betray God in my prideful pursuit of earthly desires?
God, you formed us as temples of your Spirit. Here, our prayers and grant that in the cracks and brokenness of our hearts we may offer you fitting worship and praise for the saving cross of your son, that conquers all evil, and brings us your healing light. Through Christ, our Lord Amen.
Today marks Holy Tuesday which follows Christ’s return to Jerusalem from Bethany, not to be confused with his triumphant return to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday after being tested in the desert. On his return to Jerusalem, Jesus passes a fig tree that he has cursed on his way to Bethany on Monday. Jesus uses this opportunity to teach his disciples about faith and informs them that with faith they will have the power to curse or bless the world around them, just as he did. This is why today is also known as Fig Tuesday.
We also see in today’s readings how Jesus foreshadows his own death and Peter’s denial. Though Peter will deny Jesus, Jesus does not deny Peter. A contrite and humble heart paves the way for Peter’s sanctity, undoing his cocky self-reliance. Similarly, our peace comes from the fact that Christ loves us because of who he is, not because of what we do. We do not earn Christ’s love by proving our own goodness, nor do we lessen his love with our failures. In our temptations, fears and weakness, we need to turn towards our Savior.
Lord, You alone are my strength. In my weakness, You are strong. Thank you for lifting me up and helping me turn to You, to repent, when I can’t take another step. You are my hope, my confidence and sustenance. My praise is continually of You. Amen
Today is Holy Monday, the second day of Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter. Holy Monday commemorates the life of Jesus, his faith, and the events that led up to his death and resurrection. Holy Monday is the day after Jesus was greeted with palm leaves and the day before Judas decided to betray him.
In today’s scripture we see how Judas thought Mary’s anointing was wasteful, preventing the costly nard from benefiting the poor. In reality, the nard served that purpose when the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. The worst sort of poverty is to be unaware of or be unmoved by the Savior’s presence. Mary’s action drew everyone’s attention to Jesus. He is the only one who will establish justice on the earth, he is the true light for the nations.
Are we willing to “waste” our lives for the love of Jesus? To be embarrassingly attentive to him? Do we believe that he is worth it?
God, in our weakness we fail. May we be like Mary, filling the world with Your fragrance and presence. May we be revived through the Passion of your Only Begotten Son. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
Have you ever had an encounter with God that left you in tears because you understood the power of His goodness? I will never forget the first time I watched Passion of the Christ a few years ago and how it brought me into the life of Christ in such a powerful way. I watched Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem to accomplish the Paschal Mystery, His passion and resurrection with fresh eyes. Seeing Jesus portrayed in His humanity and divinity brought home for me the magnitude of suffering, rejection, and betrayal He faced. I may start my Spiritual Director’s practice of watching this movie on Good Friday. Will you join us?
The Passion of Christ, from patior in Latin, means suffer and refers to those sufferings our Lord endured for our redemption. Archeological discoveries combined with modern medical examination provide an accurate picture of what our Lord endured. In an age where the risen Jesus appears on the cross and suffering and sacrifice have become unpopular terms, we must not lose sight of the reality of the passion.
Through the Passion, we understand that worldly glory is fleeting. Crowds that chanted “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” only five days later cried, “Crucify him!” How their fickleness contrasts with Jesus’ constancy, remaining faithful, humble, and obedient to death, even death on a cross. Despite the beating, insults and spitting, Jesus knew full well that he would not be put to shame. When we are united to him, neither will we, for it is in His Passion that we find the forgiveness of our sins and the strength to rise above persecution, injustice, and suffering. What he endured for you and me to be set free and have the gift of eternal life overwhelms me. It is true love and helps me grow in trust in God’s goodness.
Are you being drawn into a deeper relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit during this lent? I pray your prayer and meditation is fruitful in revealing the truth, goodness, and beauty of your faith growing in trust and confidence which translates to a peaceful heart.
I never tire getting to know Jesus through the eyes of His mother in the Rosary. The Sorrowful Mysteries hold special meaning. These mysteries cover the events of Holy Thursday, after the Last Supper through the Crucifixion of Christ on Good Friday. If you are not familiar with the Rosary, each mystery is associated with a particular fruit or virtue, which is illustrated by the actions of Christ and Mary in the event commemorated by that mystery. While meditating on the mysteries we also pray for those fruits or virtues to manifest in our own life. We pray the Sorrowful Mysteries on Tuesday and Friday, as well as the Sundays of Lent.
First Sorrowful Mystery, The Agony in the Garden. Jesus prays in Gethsemane on the night before His death. Fruit of the mystery: conformity to God’s will. Pray for us, Mary Mother of Sorrows, that we may humbly accept God’s will in all things.
Second Sorrowful Mystery, The Scourging at the Pillar. Christ is scourged by the soldiers at Pilate’s command. Fruit of the mystery: mortification (self-sacrifice and self-denial). Pray for us Mary, Mother of Sorrows, that we may accept sufferings and setbacks out of love for Christ.
Third Sorrowful Mystery, The Crowning with Thorns. The soldiers weave a crown of thorns and press it onto Christ’s head. Fruit of the mystery: moral courage. Pray for us Mary, Mother of Sorrows, that we may witness to the Gospel, even at cost to ourselves.
Fourth Sorrowful Mystery, The Carrying of the Cross. Jesus carries his heavy cross to Calvary. Fruit of the mystery: patience. Pray for us Mary, Mother of Sorrows, that we may practice patience with ourselves and with others.
Fifth Sorrowful Mystery, The Crucifixion. Jesus is nailed to the Cross and dies. Fruit of the mystery: salvation. Pray for us Mary, Mother of Sorrows, that Christ’s death on the Cross may save us from sin and condemnation.
As we contemplate Holy Week on this Palm Sunday, we must remember what our Lord endured for our salvation. He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin on the altar of the cross and washed away our sins with His blood. We must also recognize our responsibility to ask for forgiveness for the sin in our life. For it is sin, big or small, that made Christ suffer the torment of the cross. Our crucified Lord on the cross is a vivid image of His love for us. Meditating on His passion will strengthen us against temptation, move us to frequent confession and keep us on the path of salvation.
Trust. There are many layers of trust. We know we should always trust God but our experiences and perceptions skew our ability to have childlike faith and trust.
The best way we can demonstrate trust is to ask, “Where is God with me in this?”’ Keep asking until the question is answered.
Jesus, I trust in you. Your plan is better than anything else … Jesus, I trust in you. You always hear me, and in Your goodness always respond to me … Jesus, I trust in you. You give me the grace to accept forgiveness and to forgive others … Jesus, I trust in you. You give me all the strength I need for what is asked … Jesus, I trust in you. That my life is a gift … Jesus, I trust in you. That You will teach me to trust You … Jesus, I trust in you. That You are my Lord and my God … Jesus, I trust in you. That I am Your beloved one … Jesus, I trust in you. Amen
Our brains are amazing and our minds work faster than supercomputers. Think for a minute about how quickly we have an answer in our minds when somebody says something we dislike. We are usually quick to form a response! If you are in a full season of life right now, it might be hard to pray as much as you like or have a regular prayer time. Rather than beat yourself up, try to keep a few of these lightening prayers on hand to help lift your heart to God:
God, may my sacrifice of today remind me of my dependence on You for all the blessings I enjoy. Amen.
Heavenly Father, I’m truly sorry for the moments today where I missed the mark. I ask for your forgiveness and the strength to better follow Your call tomorrow. Amen.
God, I lift up (name of the person you’d like to pray for) today. I ask that you bless them abundantly today and throughout Lent. Amen.
Oh Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything. Amen.
Why do we fast? Because we have a hunger for God, our deepest hunger. And we are meant to access that hunger. We are meant to feel it so that it can direct us toward God. Every spiritual master recognizes the danger that if we allow the superficial hunger of our lives to dominate, we never reach the deepest hunger.
Thomas Merton once observed that our desires for food and drink are something like little children in their persistence and tendency to dominate. Until they are disciplined, they will skew the functions of the soul according to their purposes.
Fasting is a way of disciplining the hunger for food and drink. It is a way of quieting those desires by not responding to them immediately, so that the deepest desires emerge. Unless you fast, you might never realize how hungry you are for God.
Dear Lord, set me free from the way I turn to other things when I could be turning to You. I need more of You and less of the stuff that leaves me hungry. Take all these heavy idols I’m laying down and teach me to lean into Your gentle refining. Take my life as I empty it out and fill me with Yourself. Your Word proclaims: “It is for freedom that Christ has set you free” Galatians 5:1 and I’m choosing to believe that’s true. Set me free! In the bondage-breaking, freedom-giving, name of Jesus, Amen.
Our basic struggles never really leave us. These are the doors that open and if invited, God allows us to heal incrementally. Shame based perfectionism has always been a challenge for me. Most days I let go and let God. However, recently, I felt the dark night of my soul in prayer. Thinking I’m not doing it right or good enough God revealed to me this morning it is not how I show up, but that I show up steadfast, faithfulness to praise him and that is what’s important to his heart, the orientation of my heart.
My steadfast faithfulness is enough.
Lord, thank you for all you’ve done for me. Please guide my heart, and help me to grow into the person you want me to be. Purify my heart and make me more like you. Guide my path and help me see the plan for my life is in front of me, it is not in the past or the future. I trust I’m exactly where I need to be today.
We are God’s people, created and sent by Him. Through his words and tradition we learn how to live the fullness of life. As we prepare our hearts for Holy Week, we continue to assess how we are living a life with God at the center, loving God and His ways with all our heart and soul.
The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your souls. Deuteronomy 26:16
Examine your conscience, in prayer, with what God asks of us::
Love God more than anything else.
Don’t make anything in your life more important than God.
Always say God’s name with love and respect.
Love and respect your parents.
Don’t kill (spoiler alert, anger is the first step in the path of killing).
Do not take anything that isn’t yours.
Always be faithful to your spouse.
Do not lie.
Be content with what you have and don’t wish for other people’s stuff.
The goal of prayer is greater love. The fruit of prayer is a deepening faith. The fruit of faith is love. Mother Teresa
Our faith tells us to love until it hurts. Our world tells us to do what feels good, do what gives us pleasure or makes us happy. We think pain and disturbance should not be for us but with real, pure love we sometimes must suffer through it.
God, you know how I love you. My heart overflows at times with gratitude for your goodness but my love for you is but a grain of sand in the ocean of love you have for me. It is humbling to know that without your grace, I would not love you. Your grace has opened the eyes of my mind and enabled them to see your glory. Your grace has touched my heart leading me down the path of love, compassion and service. Break the bonds of earthly pleasures that interrupt my fidelity to you. Keep my eyes, my ears and heart focused on you. Break any chains that bind me, raise my heart and keep my whole being fixed on you. Let me never lose sight of you. As I gaze upon your glory, let my love grow deeper and stronger, more and more everyday.
Smitten With Goodness 