WEEK EIGHTEEN: CRUCIFIXION AND DEATH DAY 4 - Good Friday
Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4b
MORNING FACE TO FACE WITH GOD:
Begin with Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Prayer on John 19: 28-30: Jesus' Death and End of the Passover Meal "After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I thirst." There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, "It is finished." And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit."
Read the Reflection; then pray using John 19: 28-30; ask for sorrow with Christ in sorrow, anguish with Christ in anguish, tears and deep grief because of the great affliction Christ endures for me (#203).
During the Passover Meal, Jesus did not drink of the cup for the fourth time. At the third drinking of the cup, Jesus said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you." (Luke 22:20) Jesus did not end the meal in the Upper Room in the established tradition which was to drink from the cup for the fourth time. Drinking from the cup for the fourth time could only be done if the Passover celebration was a sacrificial meal. Thus far the new Passover Feast was a meal eaten in anticipation of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. During his agony in the garden, Jesus struggles to accept the drinking of the fourth cup. At the end of his stay in the garden, Jesus accepts to drink of his cup and go to his crucifixion and death. On the cross, just before he dies, Jesus drinks of the cup for the fourth time. The fourth cup was drunk with just a sip. The crucified Jesus takes a sip from the wine handed to him on a sponge, and then exclaims, "It is finished." The Passover Meal always ended when the head of the household proclaimed the words, "It is finished." Thus the new Passover Meal was begun in the Upper Room and ended on the Cross. In doing so, Jesus created a seamless connection between meal and sacrifice, between the Upper Room and Calvary. In the Exodus Passover Meal, the meal followed the sacrifice of the lamb. In the new Passover Meal, the meal anticipated the sacrifice of Jesus, our Lamb, on the cross!
Were you there when they crucified my Lord? I contemplated the journey of
Christ this morning with a group of men in the sorrowful rosary and the stations of the cross. Our lives parallel that of Christ, in the end will we be able to say "it is finished". Will we have spent our life serving our Father in Heaven accepting the things that have occurred? Will we lay down our own desires and willingly accept the cross that has been placed upon us? Our purpose is to return home, to go back to where we began as a pure soul. Do we have the strength to say, not my will but Thy will be done.
What is God saying to you?
Dear Father, we remember the sacrifice that Your Son willingly accepted, in our travels through life especially in our moments of discontent send Your angel to give us strength. Give us the courage to follow Your will and give us eyes of faith to see beyond the present situation. Prayers for friends carrying a cross, may we learn to deny self and help carry the cross in their time of need. Thank You Father for the beauty of this day and the sacredness of the sacrifice, I ask this in the name of the One who dies for me, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, Pray for us.
St Joesph, Protector of the Holy Family, Pray for us.
Viva Cristo Rey.
Begin with Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Prayer on John 19: 28-30: Jesus' Death and End of the Passover Meal "After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I thirst." There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, "It is finished." And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit."
Read the Reflection; then pray using John 19: 28-30; ask for sorrow with Christ in sorrow, anguish with Christ in anguish, tears and deep grief because of the great affliction Christ endures for me (#203).
During the Passover Meal, Jesus did not drink of the cup for the fourth time. At the third drinking of the cup, Jesus said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you." (Luke 22:20) Jesus did not end the meal in the Upper Room in the established tradition which was to drink from the cup for the fourth time. Drinking from the cup for the fourth time could only be done if the Passover celebration was a sacrificial meal. Thus far the new Passover Feast was a meal eaten in anticipation of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. During his agony in the garden, Jesus struggles to accept the drinking of the fourth cup. At the end of his stay in the garden, Jesus accepts to drink of his cup and go to his crucifixion and death. On the cross, just before he dies, Jesus drinks of the cup for the fourth time. The fourth cup was drunk with just a sip. The crucified Jesus takes a sip from the wine handed to him on a sponge, and then exclaims, "It is finished." The Passover Meal always ended when the head of the household proclaimed the words, "It is finished." Thus the new Passover Meal was begun in the Upper Room and ended on the Cross. In doing so, Jesus created a seamless connection between meal and sacrifice, between the Upper Room and Calvary. In the Exodus Passover Meal, the meal followed the sacrifice of the lamb. In the new Passover Meal, the meal anticipated the sacrifice of Jesus, our Lamb, on the cross!
Were you there when they crucified my Lord? I contemplated the journey of
Christ this morning with a group of men in the sorrowful rosary and the stations of the cross. Our lives parallel that of Christ, in the end will we be able to say "it is finished". Will we have spent our life serving our Father in Heaven accepting the things that have occurred? Will we lay down our own desires and willingly accept the cross that has been placed upon us? Our purpose is to return home, to go back to where we began as a pure soul. Do we have the strength to say, not my will but Thy will be done.
What is God saying to you?
Dear Father, we remember the sacrifice that Your Son willingly accepted, in our travels through life especially in our moments of discontent send Your angel to give us strength. Give us the courage to follow Your will and give us eyes of faith to see beyond the present situation. Prayers for friends carrying a cross, may we learn to deny self and help carry the cross in their time of need. Thank You Father for the beauty of this day and the sacredness of the sacrifice, I ask this in the name of the One who dies for me, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, Pray for us.
St Joesph, Protector of the Holy Family, Pray for us.
Viva Cristo Rey.
Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4b
No comments:
Post a Comment