Thick clouds gathered round the moon that night and an eerie stillness filled the air. As he knelt to pray, tightness grew within his chest, his breathing became labored and his heart began to race. He knew what lied ahead of him and his anxiety was growing stronger. His perspiration turned to blood and slowly ran down his cheeks as he accepted his chalice of suffering. Freely he said, “Father, let it be done to me according to Your Word”. With an infinite love, he suffered that we might be saved.
Like a criminal he was bound and brought before the court. Innocent though he was, he was condemned, tied to a post and scourged mercilessly. All of this he offered up to free us from the wickedness of sin.
And just as evil always seems to feed in an angry crowd, their contempt for him increased as they crowned him with thorns, slapped, spat upon him and mocked him. He suffered for our redemption.
Force to carry the weight of the heavy cross; he walked the long road of Calvary. Weak as he was, he fell three times. Knees shaking almost uncontrollably, he struggled to push himself up and continued on to what lied ahead. He knew what was at stake a little further down the road. His ‘yes’ for our salvation sustained him.
He accepted the crucifixion and death of the cross for us as he surrendered his spirit to the Father. All this he did that we would turn from our sin, from all that we are bound to here on this earth and that we too, may be resurrected to a new life.
“Dear children; God the Father is sending me to show you the way of salvation, because He, my children, desires to save you and not to condemn you. That is why I, as a mother, am gathering you around me, because with my motherly love I desire to help you to be free of the dirtiness of the past and to begin to live anew and differently. I am calling you to resurrect in my Son. Along with confession of sins renounce everything that has distanced you from my Son and that has made your life empty and unsuccessful. Say 'yes' to the Father with the heart and set out on the way of salvation to which He is calling you through the Holy Spirit. Thank you. I am especially praying for the shepherds (priests), for God to help them to be alongside you with a fullness of heart." BVM, Medjugorje, May 02, 2011 Message to Mirjana
8 comments:
I think it is important for us to recall what Christ went through for us often, not just during Lent. I think sometimes as humans, we cannot fully grasp this "yes" that was Christ. Thank you for this reflection and also for sharing our Lady's words. "I desire to help you to be free of the dirtiness of the past and to begin to live anew and differently" What a profound statement.
Peace and All Good Things,
JEK
Thanks Jek,
That line from our Lady's message really stuck out didn't it!?! I looked through many of her previous messages and they never use that wording. Profound indeed.
God bless
Thank you, DG, for this beautiful meditation on Christ's suffering. His Agony in the Garden is something I often reflect on because I think his interior sufferings were in some ways worse than his outward pain (though that was horrendous too).
I particularly liked this month's message from Our Lady especially when she said she desires to help us be free of the dirtiness of the past. Sometimes I feel like Pigpen from Peanuts constantly surrounded by a cloud of dust from his journeys (lol)! I know the past is the past but sometimes I wish I had lived my earlier years more wisely. I have a great deal to be thankful for - that's for sure!
God bless you, DG!
Mary,
I always love the way you word things! You would fit into my family perfectly!!!!!!
I often regret many of my past choices, even recent past choices when I really should know the difference! The Blessed Mother really was direct wasn't she! She knows us well....
God bless,
DG
By the Sacrament of Confession Our Lord will free us.
Our Lady asks for monthly confession. From the very first days of the apparitions,
Our Lady spoke about confession:
Make your peace with God and among yourselves. For that, it is necessary to believe, to pray, to fast, and to go to confession." (June 26, 1981)
"Pray, pray! It is necessary to believe firmly, to go to confession regularly, and, likewise, to receive Holy Communion. It is the only salvation." (February 10, 1982)
"Whoever has done very much evil during his life can go straight to Heaven if he confesses, is sorry for what he has done, and receives Communion at the end of his life." (July 24, 1982)
The Western Church (United States) has disregarded confession and its importance. Our Lady said:
"Monthly confession will be a remedy for the Church in the West. One must convey this message to the West." (August 6, 1982)
Thank you for sharing Our Lady's messages here Ed.
God bless you always and I always pray for your son in the preisthood.
Beautiful prayer. Thanx Daily Grace.
God bless.
Thank you Victor and Colleen!
God bless
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