The Passion of Christ

Passion of Christ Part VII

‘The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

While we meditate these verses from Psalm 88, here Psalmist is explaining how Jesus was left alone in the dungeon like among the dead. Psalm 88:5–9 (NJB): left alone among the dead, like the slaughtered lying in the grave, whom you remember no more, cut off as they are from your protection. 6 You have plunged me to the bottom of the grave, in the darkness, in the depths; 7 weighted down by your anger, kept low by your waves. Pause 8 You have deprived me of my friends, made me repulsive to them, imprisoned, with no escape; 9 my eyes are worn out with suffering. I call to you, Yahweh, all day, I stretch out my hands to you. Jesus was placed in the pit like a butchered animal, without God's protection. All of his friends and relatives abandoned him, as if they would no longer be with him. He felt like he was in a graveyard where the dead are buried. Jesus sensed that Heavenly Father was furious with him. Jesus felt he had been buried in the grave forever, with no chance of ever living again. But Jesus trusted His Father and was obedient to Him. 

Psalm 49:7–9 (NJB): But no one can ever redeem himself for pay his own ransom to God, 8 the price for himself is too high; it can never be 9 that he will live on for ever. Only Jesus can become the ransom for many of us. What a magnificent sacrifice he made by offering his own life as the greatest sacrifice on earth and in heaven. Another method Christ teaches us how to be leaders is to serve others.When aspiring to be a leader, we must first serve those to whom we belong. Matthew 20:26–28 (NJB): Among you this is not to happen. No; anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave, 28 just as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’ 

Matthew 20:18–19 (NJB): Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man is about to be handed over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn him to death 19 and will hand him over to the gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised up again.’ I was so moved by hearing on this Antiphone, Communion Antiphon for today on 28th Feb: ‘The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

The Passion of Christ

 

Passion of Christ Part V

We all will suffer death in our body, but God will raise us on the Last Day in body and soul.  

 The Psalm 88, the church is identified them as anticipating the kind of suffering that Christ endured. There are other two Psalms(22, 69) also mentioned about the sufferings and afflictions Jesus to be faced before his death on the Cross. Psalm 88:1–4 (NJB): Yahweh, God of my salvation, when I cry out to you in the night, 2 may my prayer reach your presence, hear my cry for help. 3 For I am filled with misery, my life is on the brink of Sheol; 4 already numbered among those who sink into oblivion, I am as one bereft of strength. This Psalm is very closely related to Jesus' punishment of being thrown into the dungeon, as ordered by High Priest Khaiaphas. That is why pilgrims visiting the Holy Land travel to this deep well to experience Jesus' agony. Many visitors to the dungeon read this Psalm and ponder on Christ's sufferings. We might ponder on the aforementioned verses and reflect on them. Jesus cried out to his Father for rescue while he lay in this hole for one day and one night. He lost all of his power since he was alone in the dungeon, which was full of darkness. There was no one to help him, and no light could penetrate the dungeon. We know how much he suffered before his death on the Cross.

  Matthew 16:21 (NJB): From then onwards Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day. Then, throughout his ministry to his apostles and disciples, he made it obvious to them that he would suffer for the salvation of the entire world. He never hides anything from his apostles, who he considers friends and brothers. Jesus always made it plain that his suffering and death on the Cross were a sacrifice according to the desire of the Father in Heaven. He stated that after death, he will be revived on the third day to defeat Satan and the death of souls permanently. In this way, we have hope in Christ Jesus, who will redeem us and bring us eternal life in its fullness. Matthew 16:22–23 (NJB): Peter started to rebuke him. ‘Heaven preserve you, Lord,’ he said, ‘this must not happen to you.’ 23 But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because you are thinking not as God thinks but as human beings do.’ When Jesus revealed the sufferings and death on the cross to the apostles, Peter was not ready to accept the reality of this mystery. Peter said, this should not happen to Jesus. Jesus rebuked Peter and called him Satan, because Peter was not thinking in Godly perspective but with the human standard. 

The Passion of Christ

 Passion of Christ Part IV

Lord, lead us not into temptation, but deliver from evil. 

 Jesus is saying his soul is troubled. He was forseeing his suffering ahead before his trials infront of the High Priests and Roman authorities. John 12:27 (NJB): Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say: Father, save me from this hour? But it is for this very reason that I have come to this hour. He was so much troubled and in great agony. Later on he was preaching and teaching the apostles and disciples about the Kingdom of God. He was sure that his time is nearing for to be for his sacrifice of his life.

   Luke 22:39–46 (NJB): He then left to make his way as usual to the Mount of Olives, with the disciples following. 40 When he reached the place he said to them, ‘Pray not to be put to the test.’ 41 Then he withdrew from them, about a stone’s throw away, and knelt down and prayed. 42 ‘Father,’ he said, ‘if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, let your will be done, not mine.’ 43 Then an angel appeared to him, coming from heaven to give him strength. 44 In his anguish he prayed even more earnestly, and his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood. 45 When he rose from prayer he went to the disciples and found them sleeping for sheer grief. 46 And he said to them, ‘Why are you asleep? Get up and pray not to be put to the test.’ Jesus went to pray on the Mount of Olives. From here, Jesus can see the Temple of the Lord. He left the apostles to pray alone because he preferred silence and being alone with the Father in Heaven. He told them to pray not to be put to the test. Jesus bowed on the ground and begged Father, 'If you are willing, take this cup away from me'. Jesus understood that suffering and death would be extremely difficult for him, but he knew the Father's will and responded, "Let your will be done, not mine." Jesus was in immense suffering and couldn't tolerate it because he knew what would happen to him a few days later.He prayed hard to the Father, and his sweat dripped to the ground like droplets of blood. God sent him an angel who appeared to him and gave him power. Lord, I believe my prayers are insufficient to rescue my soul. Lord, how can we participate in the mystery of salvation? Our souls are willing, but our bodies are weak, so we sleep while praying. Have pity on us. After a while, he rose from his prayer and addressed the disciples, telling them not to sleep or Satan would enter and test them. In this Lent season, let us ask our Lord to teach us how to pray. What a lovely and powerful prayer Jesus has taught us to pray: Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses,  as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and glory, forever and ever. Amen!

The Passion of Christ

 

Passion of Christ Part III

Lord, Your mercy and grace is our hope, we trust in You! 

  We all will be persecuted, because we are living in Christ Jesus and we follow his narrow path and he is the way and truth. David also proclaims the persecutions of Jesus Christ. Jesus knew everything and what he has to do for the salvation of His creation, because he was the Son of God. ‘My strength is trickling away, my bones are all disjointed, and my heart has turned to wax, melting inside me. My mouth is dry as earthenware; my tongue sticks to my jaw. You lay me down in the dust of the death. A pack of dogs surrounds me; a gang of villains is closing in on me as if to hack off my hands and my feet. I can count every one of my bones, while they look on and gloat; they divide my garments among them and cast lots for clothing. Ps. 22: 14-18. As David had prophesied, Jesus was in severe anguish. He says Jesus' bones will be separated, his heart will melt like wax, and he will be fervently thirsty for souls. He would be assaulted like wolves would a prey, and he could count his bones because his body had been tainted by Roman troops' brutality. He could bear the troops' scourging and tormenting, but the most terrible part was being ignored by his own people, who mocked him, spitting on him, laughing at him, and cursing at him in harsh terms. Through this great sacrifice, he bore all of our faults and weaknesses as humans. Lord, we are sinners have mercy on us. Lord, Your mercy and grace is our hope, we trust in You! 

The Passion of Christ

 

Passion of Christ Part II

‘Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.’

   In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus delivered the Word of God, known as the Beatitudes, which is both beautiful and powerful. These verses are closely related to Jesus' life in general, or to a humble guideline that Jesus entrusted to all of us to follow. He taught the Beatitudes, and Mt 5: 3-11, the eight verses from 3 to 11, are at the heart of the Sermon on the Mount. The passages from Mt 5:10-12 are particularly relevant during this Lenten season. When we begin to live spiritually and in a holy manner, the evil will persuade us to do numerous things that are not pleasing to God. In other words, even if we do the right thing, we will face persecution. Those who are persecuting us will find it difficult because of our integrity. But, as Jesus says, we must remain attentive, calm, and patient in the face of false accusations. Rejoice in all instances of persecution, because Jesus promises us the prize in heaven if we accept all of the suffering in Jesus' name. Matthew 5:10–12 (NJB):  Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 11 ‘Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you. 

The Passion of Christ

Passion of Christ Part I

We are dust, the dust shall we return(Sir 41:10)

  Today, we going to start the Lent in the universal church and it is the time for reconciliation with our Lord.The suffering of Jesus has started from the time of his birth. Joseph has tried very hard to get a place for his wife Mary to give birth of Baby Jesus.  Luke 2:7 (NJB): and she gave birth to a son, her first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the living-space. There was no room found for Mary to give birth to Jesus. Instead she laid Baby Jesus in a manger of the cattles. 

   After the birth of Jesus the Holy Family was not free from suffering. They were left their home country and left for Egypt along with the Baby Jesus as they guided by the angel of the Lord to avoid his before the time fulfilled. Matthew 2:13–18 (NJB): After they had left, suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.’ 14 So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I called my son out of Egypt.16 Herod was furious on realising that he had been fooled by the wise men, and in Bethlehem and its surrounding district he had all the male children killed who were two years old or less, reckoning by the date he had been careful to ask the wise men. 17 Then were fulfilled the words spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 18 A voice is heard in Ramah, lamenting and weeping bitterly: it is Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted because they are no more. All the male infants in Israel and Palestine were killed by King Herod. Jesus was protected by God and sent him to a safe place in Egypt. 

  Jesus lived with his parents, Mary and Joseph, until he began his public mission. He began his ministry by preaching, casting out evil, and healing the sick. He performed many miracles, yet the people did not believed in him. Jesus was greatly troubled as he realized his time to be crucified was approaching. He expresses this from his wounded heart: John 12:27 (NJB): Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say: Father, save me from this hour? But it is for this very reason that I have come to this hour. Jesus was waiting for this hour to become the sacrifice for all humanity.

Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, Mary Immaculate Conception

 

Our Lady of Lourdes, Immaculate Conception 

Mary My Mother 

Today is the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes, also known as Mary Immaculate Conception. Everyone thinks about the feast when it touches the hearts of Mary's dedicated servants. When we do not know Mary, we are not true Christians. Once we know Jesus and comprehend the secrets of salvation, we shall learn about Mary, the Apostles, and the communion of saints. How beautiful it will be when all the angels and saints praise God in unison, Glory to God on High. Then we'll find serenity in Him. Jesus provides peace and joy to all generations.

Our lady told Bernadette Soubirous 

“I am Immaculate”

She told Bernadette to “pray for sinners,

Kiss the earth as a sigh of penitence for sinners”

Like Jesus has born from Mary,

Lord made all should be born from her through the living and enduring Word of God 

Mary never disobey the commandments of God 

She was pondering each and every Word from His mouth 

She is the book of God’s commandments, the Law that stands for ever; 

Those who keep her shall live, those who desert her shall die. 

Lord, let us trurn back, like Jacob, seized her, in her radiance make our way to light: 

Do not yield your glory to another, your privilege to a people not your own.

Israel, blessed are we: what pleases God has been revealed to us. 

In the holy tent she ministered before him and she became established in Zion. 

In the beloved city he has given me rest, and in Jerusalem I wield my authority 

I have taken root In a privileged people, in the Lord’s property, in His inheritance.

Mother you were given all the wealth of world to glorify God's name.

Mother, your guarantee is the Most High. 

Lord in his register of peoples will note against each, ‘Born there’, 

All the princes no less than native-born; 

All the faithful make their home in you. 

Many recent generations have seen the day and peopled the earth in their turn,

The way of knowledge they have not found; 

They have not recognised the paths she treads. 

Nor have their children had any grasp of her, remaining far from her way. 

Even many Sects of Christians still not knowing her, our Mother

The Mother of our Lord, they misjudge her and blaspheming her

I asked Lord, how the churches given the name Mary were more glorious than any other churches in this world. 

My Heavenly Father has pleased in her of my birth as a wonderful mission by her. 

He has pleased in Mary as she was with me in His missions,  

In my death and in my resurrection. 

"My earthly dwelling place was my Mother; Mary's womb 

And I finished the earthly mission with her till I shed the last drop of blood. 

Her perseverance in the suffering gave me the strength to overcome all pains.”

That is why the churches; those were given her name are more glorious

Than any other temples of God, 

Because her womb was my first earthly temple;

Which God has chosen for His Trinity as a Living Ark of the Covenant".

Seeing his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing near her, 

Jesus said to his mother, and telling ‘Woman, this is your son.’

Then to the disciple and also telling me as well he said, ‘This is your mother.’ 

How blessed are we to have Mother Mary as our own mother  

Lord, I receive her and taking her to my home forever