Reflecting on a sacrifice of infinite love.
Do we understand the magnitude of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross for us? He died out of love for His friends and His flock. His life was freely given as a ransom for many; as a ransom for us.
Humanity’s sins put Jesus on the Cross. He is the Passover Lamb. His blood cleanses, atones, renews, and gives eternal life.
Meditating on the sorrowful Mysteries, we unite our hearts and souls with that of Jesus, and the bitter spiritual agony, extreme physical pain, and utter humiliation of His Passion.
His greatest moment of sorrow became His greatest triumph.
“So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”
John 16:22
Jesus had told His disciples how He would suffer and die. They were not ready or willing to understand. It all became too real, too quickly. The flock scattered.
We prefer not to dwell on these somber topics. We want to edit the suffering out of our lives, and out of Jesus’ life. But He never ran away from the full spectrum of human emotion. And He was victorious.
Our Lord was driven to the very limits of human endurance. Through pain, suffering, betrayal, abandonment, and denial, He remained in constant dialogue with the Father.
The Agony in the Garden
“My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.’”
Matthew 26:38
The Mystery of the Agony in the Garden invites us to meditate on the depth of our obedience to God’s will.
It’s humbling to know Jesus felt the intensity of human anxiety, dread, and panic, sweated profusely, and cried out to God. Knowing what was coming, He said yes to the Father.
Jesus knew that His very human body would only take so much. He would feel every blow, every kick, every lash. He would hear every mocking word, every insult. His heart would be broken.
Knowing that Jesus experienced agony over paying the ultimate price for our redemption should make us stop and think. Are we leading lives worth such a sacrifice? And are we even trying?
Are we willing to obey God even when it costs us what we “want”? Are we willing to accept His conditions and surrender to His will even when we don’t see a clear path ahead?
Jesus saw the path; it led to the Cross. And through the Cross to the Resurrection, eternal life, an everlasting kingdom, the redemption of souls, the glory of heaven…
The Scourging at the Pillar
“Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him.”
John 19:1
The Mystery of the Scourging at the Pillar invites us to ask God for a spirit of Mortification.
After the mental agony in the garden, waiting for the betrayal and the unraveling of events that would lead to His death, Jesus faced extreme physical violence on His innocent body.
“Many bulls encompass me… they open their wide mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion… Yes, dogs are about me; a company of evil doers encircles me.”
Psalm 22:12-13, 16
Did Jesus have Psalm 22 on His mind? He knew the prophetic words, and now He was living through them with unimaginable courage. When He saw the soldiers surrounding Him with their awful weapons of torture, so eager to fall upon Him…
Pilate meant the scourging to be enough. He thought that gory scene would satisfy the Pharisees and their mob. He was wrong. Every blow was meant to break Jesus’ spirit. But the Spirit of God was with Him.
So many little things can make us uncomfortable. So many things can annoy or frustrate us.
How many situations do we avoid to keep our creature comforts? What if we stay with a little discomfort and see what happens? What if that’s how we grow in patience, tolerance, fortitude, and perseverance?
The Crowning with Thorns
“And plaiting a crown of thorns, they put it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him they mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’.”
Matthew 27:29
The Mystery of the Crowning with Thorns invites us to desire to face the world with courage and remain faithful to God.
The soldiers thought they were mocking Jesus. They thought a crown of sharp thorns was a creative, ironic way to inflict lasting pain and further His humiliation. I’m sure the one who “thought” of it was very proud of himself.
“All who see me mock at me, they make mouths at me, they wag their heads.”
Psalm 22:7
Jesus took every blow and every insult. He took His Crown of torture and elevated it into a symbol of strength and courage.
He wore that crown of thorns for us, to show us that whatever tool the enemy wants to use against us, we can turn into a weapon to defeat him.
Are we digging thorns into our Lord’s sacred head with our rash thoughts, words, and actions? Are we instead replacing those sharp thorns with flowers when we think, speak, and act with love, patience, kindness, goodness, and gentleness?
The Carrying of the Cross
“So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of the skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha.”
John 19:17
The Mystery of the Carrying of the Cross invites us to desire and put into practice the virtue of Patience.
As we meditate on this Mystery, we ask Jesus to help us carry our crosses without complaint. We all have one cross or more to bear in this life. Our crosses may vary with the seasons.
Some crosses weigh us down, make us trip and fall. When the going gets tough and despair enters our hearts, let’s recognize the enemy’s voice trying to sabotage our efforts.
Are we carrying our crosses with quiet dignity and forbearance, or are we constantly complaining, procrastinating, and finding ways to blame others? Are we patiently working through the challenges God has allowed in our lives?
You and I can see our crosses as punishments or as challenges and opportunities to grow in faith, trust, and childlike dependency on God.
The Crucifixion
“I am poured out like water, all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax…they have pierced my hands and feet…they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”
Psalm 22:14, 16, 18
The mystery of the Crucifixion invites us to desire the grace of final Perseverance.
We could not be there with Jesus during the final moments of His earthly life. Few people can be counted among those who risked their reputation and lives to stay with Him till the end.
The Cross was to be the symbol of ultimate humiliation. Jesus turned it into a symbol of victory over evil, victory over death, and a sacrifice of infinite Love.
Looking at depictions of Jesus on the Cross used to make me uncomfortable; it was too graphic, too sad. I felt shame and guilt, because how could we have done that to Him?
But Jesus on the Cross is not ashamed. He wants us to look. We are so afraid of humiliation, suffering, and death. When we look, we remember and give thanks to God for the price He paid to redeem our souls, His only begotten Son.
Thinking about our mortality isn’t pleasant, but the moment is inevitable; it is coming, it is the way through, yet we can find solace in knowing we won’t go through it alone.
Jesus wants to be there for us, always, during our moments of great joy and our moments of deep sorrow. As we pray and work to lead worthy, holy earthly lives, and as we come to the end.
The Cross was not the end, nor was it the tomb, but that’s a reflection for another week…
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