13
Saying “no” to oneself is usually
difficult, but a few minutes with Christ
in His Passion, changes everything. Our
sins made every moment of the Passion
necessary. We must not watch the
Passion as a sort of bystander whereby
nothing happens inside of us. Let us
LIVE the Passion of Christ so that it
begins to take on meaning. Who is this
Person betrayed, denied, scourged and
crucified?
This Person is God, the Second
Person of the Most Blessed Trinity
who became incarnate for love
of us. Together with the Father
and the Holy Spirit, He is the
Creator of Heaven and earth:
One who holds the whole
world in the palm of His Hand,
The One who will be
our Judge in a few short years,
The only One who can satisfy
our hearts for all eternity!
Why did Christ go through all this?
Because the evil of sin is so terrible
that only Infinite Love can repair it. He
suffers for our sins; He is taking our
place; Remember that Christ felt every
bit of the pain He suffered. Unless the
Passion of Christ is real to us, it cannot
be a part of us: sanctifying, purifying
and strengthening us.
The most incredible and beautiful
part of the whole Passion is the ineffable
surrender with which Christ gave
Himself up for our sins. Not a murmur,
not a complaint, not even a gesture of
reproach marred the perfection of His
abandonment. This willing acceptance is
what makes our sufferings meritorious.
Like a lamb led to the slaughter, He gave
Himself with gentleness and resignation.
The PASSION Begins!
Jesus emerges from the Supper
Chamber. It is Thursday night. The
apostles are around Him. He seems a
broken Man; He is trembling. He knows
what lies ahead. Without His terrible
sufferings, Heaven would not be ours.
Watch and Pray! “Father, if it be
possible, let this chalice pass from
Me; yet not My will but Thine be
done.”
Fathom His loneliness! All the sins
of all time weigh upon His Heart: Sins
of independence and pride, sins of
impurity, sins of selfishness, greed and
ambition. Jesus suffers so much that the
pores of His Body open and release
great drops of blood. Jesus rises up
and delivers Himself into the hands
of His enemies; the sly, deceitful and
unscrupulous mob surrounds Him. We
hear the voice of Judas who sold
Jesus and see the kiss of betrayal! The
trials begin. Where are the apostles
now?