Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus,
Virgin and Doctor of the Church
“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15TH Lk. 11: 47-54 “When Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him and to interrogate him about many things, for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.”
- In today’s Gospel we find the shadow of the cross. Again and again, Jesus calls out and condemns the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees, and so they begin to plot against Him.
- In our lives, the cross is ever present. Let us never forget that Jesus walked Calvary before us. He led the way. And that way – the way of the Cross – leads to new life! “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” (Ps. 118:22)
- Today let us meditate on the Passion and Death of Christ. Let us draw close to Jesus, the man of sorrows, to comfort and console Him. Let us ask Mary, the Sorrowful Mother, to walk with us.
- Be assured that as you choose to relive what they suffered and endured for love of you – Jesus and Mary are present with you right now in your life, walking with you every moment, every step of the way, through the joys and sorrows, assisting and comforting you with their compassionate and loving Hearts!
- There are many Meditations listed below. Why not try to pray with one of these spiritual gems in your Holy Hour every Friday – the day we commemorate the Passion and death of Jesus – the Greatest Love Story ever told!
WALKING CLOSE TO JESUS IN HIS PASSION by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV
If we really love Jesus as Our Lord, our God, our Savior and our Best of Friends then we should have a firm desire to follow Jesus in His Public life where He performs miracles, casts out demons, and preaches simple but profound sermons.
However, if we are not to be one of the proverbial fair-weather friends—meaning faithful only when the sun shines, the birds sing, and the fragrance of spring flowers can be inhaled, imbibed and exhilarated—then we must be willing to walk with the Lord in His suffering, His Passion, His crucifixion and the shedding of His Precious Blood.
Therefore, we offer for your reading, pondering, prayer and meditation ten specific ways that you can walk close to Jesus in His Passion to console Him, comfort Him, accompany Him, love Him, and strive to be His Best of Friends. Here is the list of ten!
1. READ THE GOSPEL PASSION NARRATIVES. Go to the most authentic sources to meditate on and contemplate the Passion narratives; these are the Gospels: Matthew Chapters 26 & 27, Mark Chapters 14 & 15, Luke Chapters 22 & 23, John Chapters 18 & 19. Pray, read, meditate, ponder, reflect and contemplate the love that Jesus has for you and for the whole world.
2. MOVIE: THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, Mel Gibson. View the classical movie of Jesus’ suffering and death by Mel Gibson, “The Passion of the Christ”. However, do not view it as a Hollywood rendition. Rather, view it as a prayer, as a contemplation, as a tool to walk step by step with Jesus ,as did Mary His Sorrowful Mother.
3. MOVIE: MIRACLE OF MARCELINO (1955 Version) / MARCELINO, PAN Y VINO. This touching, endearing, emotional movie of the Miracle of Marcelino definitely can help you to enter into the Passion, suffering and death of Jesus with the love and heart of a child. Jesus stated: “Unless you become like a child, you cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” (Mt. 18:3) Now it is your turn: try to talk to Jesus in a simple and childlike manner. Console Jesus with your words and your presence. Thank Jesus and tell Him from the depths of your heart how much you earnestly desire to love Him more and more, aware of how much He loves you.
4. THE WAY OF THE CROSS. One of the most efficacious practices of devotion and piety for centuries is to make, better said, to pray, “The Way of the Cross”. Walk with Mary and the Magdalene on the Via Dolorosa which culminates in the Crucifixion of Jesus, which He underwent for love of you and me! How precious you are in the eyes of Jesus in that He suffered all of His Passion for the salvation of your immortal soul that you might share the glory of heaven with Him for all eternity!
5. THE FIVE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES OF THE MOST HOLY ROSARY! Take each of the Sorrowful Mysteries and contemplate them with great depth—from the Agony of Jesus leading up to His Crucifixion and death.
6. MEDITATE ON THE SEVEN LAST WORDS OF JESUS FROM THE CROSS. Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, for many years, would give his famous Sermon in New York City on the Seven Last Words of Jesus from the Cross. What are they?
- “Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.”
- “I thirst!”
- “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
- “Woman behold thy son; son behold thy Mother.”
- “Amen, I say to you: today you will be with me in Paradise.” (To the good thief on the cross who repented)
- “Into your hands I commend my spirit.”
- “It is finished!”
Kneel or sit in front of the Crucifix and slowly repeat these seven words, these seven short sentences. Pray over them, relish them, take them to heart, memorize them, and then live them out in your life.
7. MEDITATE ON AND CONTEMPLATE THE SEVEN SORROWS OF MARY. Among the many titles attributed to the Blessed Virgin Mary is that of “Our Lady of Sorrows.” A pious devotion, starting with the Franciscans, has been to pray over and contemplate the Seven Sorrows of Mary. Pope Saint John Paul II in his Apostolic Letter, “The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Rosary” exhorts the lovers of Jesus and Mary to “Contemplate the Face of Jesus through the eyes and Heart of Mary.” Mary willingly suffered in the depths of her Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart what Jesus suffered physically in His Sacred Body, His Sacred Flesh, given to Him by Mary in His Incarnation. These are the seven sorrows of Mary:
- The Prophecy of Simeon in the Temple.
- The Flight of the Holy Family into Egypt.
- The Loss and the Finding of Jesus in the Temple.
- Jesus meets Mary on the Via Dolorosa—on the Calvary walk.
- Jesus is crucified, suffers and dies with Mary standing at the foot of the cross.
- Jesus crucified body is taken from the cross and placed in the arms of Mary. (La Pieta)
- Jesus is taken from the arms of Mary and is buried.
Spend some time with Our Lady of Sorrows. Contemplate the sorrows and sufferings of her Son, Jesus, through her eyes and heart. Strive to console both!
8. CONTEMPLATE JESUS ON THE CROSS—ON YOUR CRUCIFIX. Now in the silence of your room, spend some time simply gazing at Jesus hanging on the cross for love of you, your family, and the salvation of your immortal souls. Then rise and with love, tenderness, and devotion, kiss the wounds in His hands; kiss the wounds in His feet; kiss the wound in His side from which flowed Blood and Water. Tell Jesus how much you really love Him and how you desire to love Him more every day of your life until you die and pass from time into eternity.
9. READ A GOOD COMMENTARY. There are many on the Passion of Christ. But truly worthy of reading and meditation is The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, a German Mystic and Stigmatist. Mel Gibson used material from this literary classic to fill in some of the gaps in his film The Passion of the Christ. Any source we can utilize to enhance our knowledge and love of Jesus in His Passion is worth pursuing! The Mystic offers many details that are not to be found in any of the Four Gospels. Archaeological exploration in the Holy Land has corroborated details of her writings heretofore unknown.
10. REPENT AND BELIEVE IN THE GOOD NEWS (Mk. 1:15) This was the first preaching of Jesus in His Public Life. These are the words that the priest might have pronounced when imposing ashes on your forehead on Ash Wednesday, at the very commencement of the Season of Lent. These words of Jesus inscribed on our forehead set in motion Lent and the daily challenge for every follower of Christ—that is to say, we are all called on a daily basis to be converted from sin. How? Jesus invites and challenges us to change our mind-set; as St Paul says: To put on the mind of Christ… and to have a fresh way of thinking, feeling, and acting. Our daily conversion is a firm determination in the depths of our soul to renounce sin, and to contemplate and imitate Jesus who is truly the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Therefore, if we sincerely want to follow Jesus Christ in His Suffering, Passion and death we must make a concerted effort to put to death all that is earthly, carnal, base and sinful and aspire to what is noble, pure, holy and worthy of praise in the eyes of God. May Our Lady, the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, and Our Lady of Sorrows intercede for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Copyright 2020 Oblates of the Virgin Mary
St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA
