Holy Week - 2021

These meditations from previous posts focus on the battle with Satan and Jesus' Victory on the Cross. Palm Sunday begins with Meditation 01, then continues through Holy Week and the Easter season.

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HOLY WEEK / EASTER MEDITATIONS
Meditation 01	Meditation 05	Meditation 09
Meditation 02	Meditation 06	Meditation 10
Meditation 03	Meditation 07	Meditation 11
Meditation 04	Meditation 08	Meditation 12

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Fifth Sunday of Lent - 2021

Jesus' HOUR  As we prepare to enter Holy Week there are two important words that will focus our attention: HOUR and GLORIFY. Sometimes the word "hour" refers simply and literally to a short period of chronological time (a 60-minute period during the day). But in John's gospel, "Jesus' hour" refers more broadly and metaphorically to the climactic event of Jesus' death and resurrection, which it also refers to as his "glorification". (Jo.12:23; 17:1) As you see these words occurring throughout the course of John's gospel, you realize how important they are to understanding the message of the gospel. Jesus understood well why he was sent, "... it is for this HOUR that I have come". We must understand how we too are connected to these words; that Jesus' HOUR continues through time, for it is the final HOUR in the story of creation. It is now our hour in time. To be a true Christian, one must be drawn into the effects of this HOUR, for it is our destiny as well. We must share in the passion of the Cross by the "Christ-like" acceptance of the crosses in our lives. We must undergo the death of all desire for what is sin, the product of evil, until it no longer has influence over us. Finally, we say with Jesus, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit and we enter into our glorification. We may be able to identify with suffering in its many manifestation. So too, we can appreciate the struggle that is required to conquer the inordinate passions that would subdue us. We will all face our own death, our final hour on earth. But how do we understand glorification? It is not uncommon to hear the expression, "glorious", used to describe something one beholds with their eyes, i.e. a theatrical production, a celebration, such as a wedding or an Easter liturgy, sunset and sunrise, the vista of a natural landscape. By glorious we mean something of breathtaking beauty, fulfilled to perfection, eclipsing all our superlatives. Jesus' disciples beheld such a vision in the transfiguration of Jesus. ( He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Mtt. 17:2) St. Paul beheld the glorious risen Jesus, which began his conversion. In Acts he describes it in his own words:  “But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ ... “And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. Acts 22:6 Paul tells that the glorious brightness of the light caused him to be temporally blinded so that he had to led by the hand into Damascus. This glorification, seen in Jesus, is the glorification God has planned every soul that comes into His presence. It is natural humanity transfigured into a new state, the state of grace. St. Catherine of Siena was given a vision of a soul glorified. The Soul in the State of Grace- Catherine of Siena was permitted by God to see the beauty of a soul in the state of grace. It was so beautiful that she could not look on it; the brightness of that soul dazzled her. Blessed Raymond, her confessor, asked her to describe to him, as far as she was able, the beauty of the soul she had seen. St. Catherine thought of the sweet light of that morning, and of the beautiful colours of the rainbow, but that soul was far more beautiful. She remembered the dazzling beams of the noonday sun, but the light which beamed from that soul was far brighter. She thought of the pure whiteness of the lily and of the fresh snow, but that is only an earthly whiteness. The soul she had seen was bright with the whiteness of Heaven, such as there is not to be found on earth. ” My father,” she answered. “I cannot find anything in this world that can give you the smallest idea of what I have seen. Oh, if you could but see the beauty of a soul in the state of grace, you would sacrifice your life a thousand times for its salvation. I asked the angel who was with me what had made that soul so beautiful, and he answered me, “It is the image and likeness of God in that soul, and the Divine Grace which made it so beautiful.” (Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena ) The goal of the prayer of meditation/contemplation is to connect us consciously with the process of glorification that has begun in us, through our state of grace. This way of prayer opens a vista for us to see into our souls. We experience on a human level what is happening to us on a mystical level. The ways we perceive this experience can vary, from a sense of peace coming over our heart, to visions and revelations, such as describe by the saints and the spiritual writers, (like Catherine of Siena). It is important that we realize our glorification has already begun in us by the state of grace of our souls. People may not be blinded by our outward appearance as we walk around, but there is an evidence that is perceptible to everyone. It is the fruit of our lives, the works of holiness and charity that we display by our actions. All the trees may look alike. You can tell the good ones by their fruit. (Mtt. 7:16) The following are the references for Jesus' Hour in John's gospel. Jesus, to his mother, at the Wedding at Cana: 2:4 – “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” Jesus, to the Jews (using the word "kairos"): 7:6 – Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here.” The Evangelist/Narrator: 7:30 – Then they tried to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come. 8:20 – He spoke these words while he was teaching in the treasury of the temple, but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. Jesus, to his disciples, before raising Lazarus from the dead: 11:9 – “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world.” Jesus, to his disciples, after Andrew and Philip tell him that some Greeks wanted to see him: 12:23 – “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” 12:27 – “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour.” The Evangelist/narrator, beginning the "Book of Signs"; introducing the Washing of the Feet:13:1 – Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. Jesus, to his disciples, in the Last Supper Discourses: 16:2 – “They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God.” 16:4 – “But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.” 16:21 – “When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world.” 16:25 [Jesus, to his disciples] – “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but will tell you plainly of the Father.” 16:32 – “The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me.” Jesus, praying to his Father, at the end of the Last Supper Discourses: 17:1 – After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you.” Jesus, just before his dies on the cross: 19:27 – Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. ++++++++++++++++++ Jesus' HOUR  Commentary by Dr. Brant Pitre * * * LINK * * *

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This series of posts is a journey in prayer through the days of Lent and Holy Week using the Ignatian Approach to Contemplation
Part One	Part Two	Part Three	Part Four	Part Five	Part Six
Part Seven	Part Eight	Part Nine	Part Ten	Part Eleven	HolyWeek 1
HolyWeek 2	HolyWeek 3	HolyWeek 4	HolyWeek 5	HOME

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Lenten Series - 2021 - Final Session

APOSTOLIC LETTER - JOHN PAUL II SALVIFICI DOLORIS ON THE CHRISTIAN MEANING OF HUMAN SUFFERING   READ Paragraphs #28 through #31 . . . LINK . . . Summery Notes: ·      The parable of the Good Samaritan belongs to the Gospel of suffering. For it indicates what the relationship of each of us must be towards our suffering neighbour. ·         A Good Samaritan is one who brings help in suffering, whatever its nature may be. ·         Following the parable of the Gospel, we could say that suffering, which is present under so many different forms in our human world, is also present in order to unleash love in the human person, that unselfish gift of one's "I" on behalf of other people, especially those who suffer. ·         How much there is of "the Good Samaritan" in the profession of the doctor, or the nurse, or others similar! ·         The eloquence of the parable of the Good Samaritan, and of the whole Gospel, is especially this: every individual must feel as if called personally to bear witness to love in suffering. ·         Finally, this parable, through its essential content, will enter into those disturbing words of the Final Judgment, noted by Matthew in his Gospel: "Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was in prison and you came to me" ·         Christ said: "You did it to me". He himself is the one who in each individual experiences love; he himself is the one who receives help, when this is given to every suffering person without exception. ·         This is the meaning of suffering, which is truly supernatural and at the same time human. It is supernatural because it is rooted in the divine mystery of the Redemption of the world, and it is likewise deeply human, because in it the person discovers himself, his own humanity, his own dignity, his own mission. For Reflection: ·       Consider how many of our first hospitals, elderly residences, hospices, nursing homes began as the work of various religious communities of the Church. ·       At this very time we are marking one year since the declaration of a worldwide pandemic of Covid-19. How are you perceiving it: a chastisement from God; a result of human error; the natural course of nature? ·        Among believers there are a number of false and misleading interpretations being put forward concerning the religious significance of this pandemic. That is why adhering closely to the discernment of the magisterium of the Church is so vital today.  ·        Has this time of suffering drawn you more deeply into the redemptive suffering of Christ's passion and cross? ·       Do you foresee this time of suffering drawing people back to the practice of their faith? ·       Continue in the remaining days of Lent to revisit this profound teaching by Pope John Paul II on the Christian meaning of suffering.

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This series of posts is a journey in prayer through the days of Lent and Holy Week using the Ignatian Approach to Contemplation
Part One	Part Two	Part Three	Part Four	Part Five	Part Six
Part Seven	Part Eight	Part Nine	Part Ten	Part Eleven	HolyWeek 1
HolyWeek 2	HolyWeek 3	HolyWeek 4	HolyWeek 5	HOME

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Lenten Series - 2021 - Session Six

APOSTOLIC LETTER - JOHN PAUL II SALVIFICI DOLORIS ON THE CHRISTIAN MEANING OF HUMAN SUFFERING   READ Paragraphs #25 through #27 . . . LINK . . . Summery Notes: ·         The witnesses of the Cross and Resurrection of Christ have handed on to the Church and to mankind a specific Gospel of suffering. ·         Jesus' Mother Mary, through the exemplary testimony to suffering - in the solemn words of the aged Simeon, when he spoke of a sharp sword that would pierce her heart. ·         Christ did not conceal from his listeners the need for suffering. He said very clearly: "If any man would come after me... let him take up his cross daily '' ·         Jesus does not conceal the prospect of suffering from his disciples and followers. The Apostle Paul will say: "All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" ·         Down through the centuries and generations it has been seen that in suffering there is concealed a particular power that draws a person interiorly close to Christ, a special grace. To this grace many saints, such as Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Ignatius of Loyola and others, owe their profound conversion. ·         Faith in sharing in the suffering of Christ brings with it the interior certainty that the suffering person "completes what is lacking in Christ's afflictions"; the certainty that in the spiritual dimension of the work of Redemption he is serving, like Christ, the salvation of his brothers and sisters.  For Reflection: ·       Have you taken into account that your following of Christ may bring you suffering? ·       St. Paul connected his sufferings to those of Jesus. We pray for our sufferings to be taken away; can you, like Paul, see them as also having great merit? ·        Jesus on the cross was mocked: "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! If he's the king of Israel let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him". Has your sufferings or those of others caused doubt to invade your faith?

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This series of posts is a journey in prayer through the days of Lent and Holy Week using the Ignatian Approach to Contemplation
Part One	Part Two	Part Three	Part Four	Part Five	Part Six
Part Seven	Part Eight	Part Nine	Part Ten	Part Eleven	HolyWeek 1
HolyWeek 2	HolyWeek 3	HolyWeek 4	HolyWeek 5	HOME

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Lenten Series - 2021 - Session Five

APOSTOLIC LETTER - JOHN PAUL II SALVIFICI DOLORIS ON THE CHRISTIAN MEANING OF HUMAN SUFFERING   READ Paragraphs #19 through #24 . . . LINK . . . Summery Notes: ·         One can say that with the Passion of Christ all human suffering has found itself in a new situation. In the Cross of Christ not only is the Redemption accomplished through suffering, but also human suffering itself has been redeemed. ·         the Apostle Paul in the Letter to the Galatians will say: "He gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age", and in the First Letter to the Corinthians: "You were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body ". Thus each person, in their suffering, can also become a sharer in the redemptive suffering of Christ. ·         The eloquence of Jesus’ Cross and death is completed by the eloquence of the Resurrection. Man finds in the Resurrection a completely new light, which helps him to go forward through the thick darkness of humiliations, doubts, hopelessness and persecution. ·         This discovery caused Saint Paul to write particularly strong words in the Letter to the Galatians: "I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me: and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me"(Gal. 2:19-20). ·         The witnesses of the Cross and Resurrection were convinced that "through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God". Those who share in the sufferings of Christ are also called, through their own sufferings, to share in His glory. ·         In the mystery of the Church as his Body, Christ has in a sense opened his own redemptive suffering to all human suffering. In this redemptive suffering, through which the Redemption of the world was accomplished, Christ opened himself from the beginning to every human suffering and constantly does so. For Reflection: ·         Consider this paradox, The God we petition to take away our suffering sent His Son to suffer with us. ·         Much suffering is the result of human sinning. You understand that in the natural order redemption comes with a cost. Do you see a connection  with the spiritual order? ·         How do we take on ourselves the cost of the sin of the world? Consider the spiritual and corporal works of mercy as examples. ·         And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’ Mtt. 25:40

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This series of posts is a journey in prayer through the days of Lent and Holy Week using the Ignatian Approach to Contemplation
Part One	Part Two	Part Three	Part Four	Part Five	Part Six
Part Seven	Part Eight	Part Nine	Part Ten	Part Eleven	HolyWeek 1
HolyWeek 2	HolyWeek 3	HolyWeek 4	HolyWeek 5	HOME

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