(c)Mary TV 2011
Meditate on His Passion and Death
March 29, 2013
Good Friday
Dear Family of Mary!
"Dear children! In this time of grace I call you to take the cross of my beloved Son Jesus in your hands and to meditate on His passion and death. May your suffering be united in His suffering and love will win, because He who is love gave Himself out of love to save each of you. Pray, pray, pray until love and peace begin to reign in your hearts. Thank you for having responded to my call." (March 25, 2013)
Our Mother calls us to spend time with the cross. She asks us to meditate on Jesus' crucifixion. She wants us to meet it head-on, and not to shy away from it. Like St. John, we are to stay with her this week, close by her side, as she follows Jesus through His Passion, riveted to His every movement, His every sigh. She wants us to live Jesus' Passion with her.
This is a privileged invitation. We are being called into the inner circle. Along with St. John, Mary Magdalene, and the women, we will remain with Jesus, no matter what. Love will be the only necessity in this call. We can only remain with Mary as she follows Jesus, if we love Him even remotely like she loves Him. Then we will be able to remain.
Carryll Houselander wrote a prayer for the Fourth Station of the Way of the Cross that reflects this call to stay with Mary, meditating on Jesus' Passion. I find it simple yet eloquent:
Prayer
Mother of Christ
help me to be willing
to accept the suffering
that is the condition of love.
help me to be willing
to accept the suffering
that is the condition of love.
Help me accept
the grief
of seeing those whom I love suffer,
and when they die
let me share in their death
by compassion.
Give me the faith
that knows Christ
in them,
and knows that His love
the grief
of seeing those whom I love suffer,
and when they die
let me share in their death
by compassion.
Give me the faith
that knows Christ
in them,
and knows that His love
is the key
to the mystery of suffering.
to the mystery of suffering.
Help me,
Blessed Mother,
to see with your eyes,
to think with your mind,
to accept with your will.
Blessed Mother,
to see with your eyes,
to think with your mind,
to accept with your will.
Help me to believe
that it is Christ
who suffers in innocent children,
in those who die in the flower of life,
in those whose death is an act
of reparation,
in those who are sacrificed
for others.
that it is Christ
who suffers in innocent children,
in those who die in the flower of life,
in those whose death is an act
of reparation,
in those who are sacrificed
for others.
Remind me
that their suffering
is Christ's love
healing the world,
and when I suffer for them
and with them,
I too am given the power
of His redeeming love.
that their suffering
is Christ's love
healing the world,
and when I suffer for them
and with them,
I too am given the power
of His redeeming love.
(Carryll Houselander. "The Way of the Cross". Liguori Press. 2002)
As Our Lady tells us, "Love will win." When love moves us to accept suffering, compassionate with those who suffer, and trust God in suffering, then love wins because it becomes Christ's love acting in and through us for the salvation of others. Love wins!!! And that is what we witness today. We will witness love winning!
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2013
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