A few thoughts while on a short Friday morning walk praying the rosary.
The Agony in the Garden
I am reminded of the lines from Psalm 38, part of this morning’s Office of Readings from the Liturgy of the Hours:
“My friends avoid me like a leper;
those closest to me stand afar off.
Those who plot against my life lay snares;
those who seek my ruin speak of harm,
planning treachery all day long.”
Abandoned by all of the disciples, as some slept in the Garden while Jesus fervently prayed to God that the cup might pass from him, and then, upon arrival of the arresting party, all of the disciples abandoned Jesus, leaving him in his time of need.
How often do we abandon Christ, through our sinfulness? How often do we leave him in his time of need, needing our reciprocation of love for his unending love of us all?
Jesus Christ, son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
The Scourging at the Pillar
“By his stripes, we are healed”
Every lash, every painful lash, all taken in suffering and humility for us, for our sins. He suffered for us, for our transgressions. As I meditate on this mystery, I have a knot in my stomach, as I realize what a great sacrifice of pain and anguish our Savior underwent for us all.
I am also reminded of that scourging scene from the movie ‘The Passion of the Christ’, a scene where you can hear the Roman soldier counting each lash one by one, in Latin. Having taken Latin in high school, I still remember how to count in Latin, and that scene in the movie really grabbed me, helped me to experience just a small bit of the terror and pain as each lash was counted out slowly and methodically, as if the soldier was casually counting out money or change from a transaction. In fact, he was counting out change, Christ’s payment again, for our sins.
The Crowning with Thorns
The crown of thorns was not made of your garden variety Northern Indiana thorns; no, these thorns were likely long and sharp like nails, several inches long. The pain had to be excruciating, sweat and dirt mixed with open wounds and blood, and any injury to the head bleeds worse than most other injuries, so the crown was that much more painful for Christ.
He endured the pain, the humiliation, the taunts and jeers by the soldiers and others, he endured all of this for us, for our salvation.
Try as I might, and I don’t often succeed, I try to offer my daily sufferings, as inconsequential as they may be, up to Christ, to try to walk his way with the Cross…I try to take any jeer or perceived slight with the humility that Jesus had when crowned with thorns.
Jesus Carries His Cross
The weight of the wood of the Cross, the humiliation of being jeered at, pushed and prodded along a stone path, a path that inevitably leads to more suffering and eventually death on a cross. The weakness from enduring physical trial, from blood loss and a lack of energy to continue.
Yet still, among all of these trials and tribulations, our Lord still carried his Cross, our Cross with the weight of our sins.
This is just often so overwhelming to me to meditate upon, the sacrifice by Him for us. Each step was for us, too much to bear.
The Crucifixion
Friday is a continual reminder for me of Jesus’ death on the Cross. The morning psalms from the Liturgy of the Hours, especially Psalm 51, the Sorrowful Mysteries, they all point back to Christ’s great sacrifice for us on the Cross. Just as each Sunday throughout the year is a ‘mini-Easter’, many Fridays for me are a reminder as ‘mini Good Fridays’ to me, too.
What a great and wonderful God we have to sacrifice his Son on the Cross, a sacrifice for our sins, and a model for us as the one and true sacrificial lamb.
Quietly Satisfied 