Tag: Love

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.  

Jesus, I trust in You! 

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.

In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen

As we enter into the last two weeks of lent, Passiontide calls for a heightened awareness of the Lenten sacrifice by covering the crucifixes, artwork, statues and other beautiful reflections of the faith throughout the church. This time is a visual reminder of many important elements regarding Christ’s ultimate sacrifice for humanity preparing us for the Triduum, which consists of three days: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil. The veiling of these images during Passiontide symbolizes the darkness without faith. 

Let’s praise God for the protection He provides us through the gift of faith. St. Patrick, who we celebrate his feast day today, gives us some beautiful words of truth in the Breastplate Prayer of Protection.

I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through belief in the Threeness, Through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.

I arise today Through the strength of Christ’s birth with His baptism, Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial, Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension, Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom. 

I arise today Through the strength of the love of cherubim, In the obedience of angels, In the service of archangels, In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward, In the prayers of patriarchs, In the predictions of prophets, In the preaching of apostles, In the faith of confessors, In the innocence of holy virgins, In the deeds of righteous men. 

I arise today, through The strength of heaven, The light of the sun, The radiance of the moon, The splendor of fire, The speed of lightning, The swiftness of wind, The depth of the sea, The stability of the earth, The firmness of rock.

I arise today, through God’s strength to pilot me, God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me, God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me, God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me, God’s shield to protect me, God’s host to save me From snares of devils, From temptation of vices, From everyone who shall wish me ill, afar and near.  

I summon today All these powers between me and those evils, Against every cruel and merciless power that may oppose my body and soul, Against incantations of false prophets, Against black laws of pagandom, Against false laws of heretics, Against craft of idolatry, Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards, Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul; Christ to shield me today Against poison, against burning, Against drowning, against wounding, So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.  

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. 

Amen

Back in the 70’s the catchphrase “Love means never having to say you’re sorry” became popular because of the movie Love Story. That is faulty logic because it is through a contrite heart that we express remorse to those we love. We are beautiful and broken people so we inevitably hurt others even when we don’t mean too. Our love draws us to resolve to do better through our actions.  This repairs our relationships, helping them be pure and strong.

The Act of Contrition is a Christian prayer that expresses our sorrow to God for the things we do that that hurt Him and compromise our relationship. Sin is what we do, little and big, when we do not put God first. Through love we resolve to stop that behavior.  I praise God for the Sacrament of Penance whereby I gain insight into what needs to change in my life in order to draw me closer to God. 

Act of Contrition

My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart.
In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good,
I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things.
I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more,
and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.
Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us.
In His name. May God have mercy.

Amen

Does your soul proclaim the greatness of the Lord? The Magnificat is a hymn of praise by Mary, the mother of Jesus, found in the Bible in Luke 1:46-55.  God, the Father, wants nothing more than for our souls to proclaim His greatness. Let’s look to Mary, the mother of Jesus, to teach us how to do the will of God and show us the way to a deep trust, to be the handmaid of the Lord. 

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.

Amen

The Glory Be is a Catholic prayer, also known as a doxology. The word “doxology” comes from a Greek word that means “an expression of glory or praise”. The “Glory Be” prayer is the third most common Christian prayer, after the “Our Father” and the “Hail Mary.”

Glory be to the Father,

and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now,

and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen

In the midst of lent, let’s praise God for His mercy. 

Through Christ we have salvation, which is a true gift from God. As we witness Jesus’ suffering on the cross in the days ahead, let it break our hearts and penetrate us with a deep understanding of how much we are loved. 

Praise God that in Jesus Christ, we find the remedy to our brokenness and learn to be fully human. Amen