Now, I know absolutely crazy people who like to repeat the same things in their lives over and over and over again and learn no lessons from their mistakes. Folks, these people absolutely don't learn. They keep repeating the same mistakes all the while expecting different results. As someone famous once said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Jesus famously spoke the following words "Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62 What he meant by this was that once you accept Jesus into your life and are Baptized, if you consider another God other than YHWH or His son Jesus, there is nothing left but condemnation for you and you are unfit for the Kingdom of God. So say you were walking in the Spiritual blindness of a different religion, and saw the light of Jesus and accepted Him into your life and were converted, but then decided to abandon Christ and embrace that old religion again, you would not be worthy of the Kingdom of God. Beloved, make no mistake -- you must choose. Baptism is an inflection point from where there is no return. Once you are Baptized you are a Christian and accepting any other religion than the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) after that point will condemn you to Hell.
Beloved, I know many people who like repetition. They like to repeat the same old mistakes over and over and over again. However, in the religious life of a believer, there can be, and are, inflection points. Baptism is one such inflection point. What this means is that whatever mistakes were made prior to a person's Baptism generally should not be repeated. Baptism creates a new creature --- a new human being in essence. What was old has passed and the new has appeared. Old things are gone. The new has come. Read more about Baptism here... https://www.paulsgospel.org/motd/on-adult-baptism This talks about baby and adult Baptism.
Now, I know absolutely crazy people who like to repeat the same things in their lives over and over and over again and learn no lessons from their mistakes. Folks, these people absolutely don't learn. They keep repeating the same mistakes all the while expecting different results. As someone famous once said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Jesus famously spoke the following words "Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62 What he meant by this was that once you accept Jesus into your life and are Baptized, if you consider another God other than YHWH or His son Jesus, there is nothing left but condemnation for you and you are unfit for the Kingdom of God. So say you were walking in the Spiritual blindness of a different religion, and saw the light of Jesus and accepted Him into your life and were converted, but then decided to abandon Christ and embrace that old religion again, you would not be worthy of the Kingdom of God. Beloved, make no mistake -- you must choose. Baptism is an inflection point from where there is no return. Once you are Baptized you are a Christian and accepting any other religion than the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) after that point will condemn you to Hell.
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Are you an extrovert like me? Do you like to speak? Do you love to tell a good story...perhaps the story of your life, the story of how you came to faith in Christ, the story of how you met your spouse, or some other story near and dear to you? Do you love entertaining an audience with your gift of gab? Do you love going on and on and on about this and that, everything from the weather to your opinion on the politician running for office? I do. Most people I know engage in what we call small-talk. It may be serious, or it may just be making casual conversation. At times do you throw in statements you do not mean to say in the heat of the moment? I know I do. Perhaps you were angry? Perhaps bitter? Perhaps tired? Perhaps overworked? Perhaps depressed? Perhaps provoked? Perhaps resentful or sorrowful? Perhaps hurting? Perhaps feeling wronged? Perhaps feeling judged or unwanted or feeling not valued? In the heat of the moment did you say something which you later came to regret? The Bible cautions us about the power of the tongue and the need to tame it. We could all learn from it, myself included.
We could learn a thing or two from the life and example of Jesus. You see, the Bible teaches us that Jesus did not speak unnecessarily, and when he did speak, words of wisdom came out of his mouth. The tongue can be used to praise God and sing of His glory. Indeed the tongue can be used for good just as it can for evil, and it can also be used by God mightily to spread the Gospel. So, consider these Bible verses, relevant to speaking, speech and the tongue: "Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether." Psalm 139:4 Indeed, the LORD knows what we are about to say even before we say it. He who created us and is above all knowledge and wisdom and knows us inside and out. "The Holy Spirit will give you the words to say at the moment when you need them." Luke 12:12 "Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11 "Let my tongue sing about your word, for all your commands are right." Psalm 119:172 "my lips will speak no evil, and my tongue will speak no lies." Job 27:4 "Deliver me, O LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue." Psalm 120:2 "Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can break bones." Proverbs 25:15 "And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness. And of Your praise all the day long." Psalm 35:28 "There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health." Proverbs 12:18 "Four manner of things appear: good and evil, life and death: but the tongue ruleth over them continually." Sirach 37:18 "The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice." Psalm 37:30 "Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the Lord" Psalm 15:1-4 "The Spirit of the LORD speaks through me. His Word is upon my tongue" 2 Samuel 23:2 "You shall be hidden from the lash of the tongue, and shall not fear destruction when it comes." Job 5:21 "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." Proverbs 31:26 "Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God." Luke 1:64 Warning Verses about the tongue: "Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!" Psalm 34:13 "There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family." Proverbs 6:16-19 "The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth." Proverbs 10:20 "You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue." Psalm 52:4 "Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble." Proverbs 21:23 "Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully; with his mouth each speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he plans an ambush for him." Jeremiah 9:8 "Your mouth is filled with wickedness, and your tongue is full of lies." Psalm 50:19 "The mouth of the godly person gives wise advice, but the tongue that deceives will be cut off." Proverbs 10:31 "Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, but many more have fallen because of the tongue." Sirach 28:18 "The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly." Proverbs 15:2 "Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit." Proverbs 15:4 "What will He give to you, and what more will He do to you, You deceitful tongue?" Psalm 120:3 "I cried to Him with my mouth, and He was extolled with my tongue." Psalm 66:17 "May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaks great things; who have said, 'With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?' " Psalm 12:3-4 "from the deep belly of Hades, from an unclean tongue and lying words, the slander of an unrighteous tongue to the king." Sirach 51:5 "The blow of a whip leaves a welt, but the blow of the tongue will break bones." Sirach 28:17 "The north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks." Proverbs 25:23 "Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip; liars pay close attention to slander." Proverbs 17:4 "A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, And a flattering mouth works ruin." Proverbs 26:28 "Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue." Proverbs 28:23 "A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, And a flattering mouth works ruin." Proverbs 26:28 "For the word is a lamp. The teaching is a light, and strong words that punish are the way of life. They keep you from the sinful woman, from the smooth tongue of a sinful woman. Do not desire her beauty in your heart. Do not let her catch you with her eyes." Proverbs 6:23-25 "Speaking brings glory or dishonor. Indeed, the tongue can be a person’s downfall." Sirach 5:13 "Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment." Proverbs 12:19 "A slip on the pavement is better than a slip of the tongue; the downfall of the wicked will occur just as speedily." Sirach 20:18 "We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." James 3:3-8 Even Jesus had a few choice words to say about the destructive nature of the tongue: "Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” Matthew 15:17-20 In my own personal experience in this life here on earth, you will be condemned for everything you say and for everything you do, either right away or many years later. So be careful about what you say and do because you will have to give account for it sooner or later. To be continued.... ----------------------------- Note: The Wisdom of Sirach, Book of Sirach, Ben Sira, or simply Sirach (/ˈsaɪræk/), is a Jewish work, originally in Hebrew, of ethical teachings, from approximately 200 to 175 BC, written by the Judahite scribe Ben Sira of Jerusalem, on the inspiration of his father Joshua son of Sirach. Sirach is accepted as part of the Canon by Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and most of Oriental Orthodox Christians. The Anglican tradition considers Sirach (which was published with other Greek Jewish books in a separate section of the King James Bible) among the apocryphal books, and read them "for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet [do] not apply them to establish any doctrine." The Lutheran Churches take a similar position. It was cited in some writings in early Christianity. There are claims that it is cited in the Epistle of James, and also the non-canonical Didache (iv. 5) and Epistle of Barnabas (xix. 9). Clement of Alexandria and Origen quote from it repeatedly, as from a γραφή (Scripture). On November 27, 2021 I first wrote a message here on Prayer (https://www.paulsgospel.org/motd/on-prayer-part-1) and spoke about John Bunyan's 640-Page Book “A discourse touching Prayer" While it is rather long, I promised you a summary of it, and I am now ready to deliver on that promise. In his book, Bunyan states that “Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God hath promised, or according to the Word, for the good of the church, with submission, in faith, to the will of God.”
I horrendously despise the fact that someone leaked a non-published opinion of the Supreme Court. As someone who has been a victim of leaked information in the past, I believe the perpetrator should be punished for their actions. Yet the fact is that here we are, face to face with the consequences of the leak. While there are serious political ramifications of the leak, this is not a political website and therefore the politics of the opinion are outside the scope of discussion.
There are, however, serious religious ramifications. I believe God is smiling at the moment. I do not believe for a moment that abortion should be legal. We are created in the image of God, and all human life is sacred. Especially here in the United States where couples wanting to adopt a baby have to go through massive amounts of red tape, and then when they realize that the wait and red tape is too long, they end up travelling to China or Africa or some other part of the world to adopt from where the process is easy and quick. It would behoove us to repeal Roe vs. Wade and make adopting an American baby as easy as applying for a credit card or taking a trip to the doctor's office. Indeed, many infertile American couples wait years to adopt while pregnant women not wanting to keep their baby hurry to organizations such as Planned Parenthood to get an abortion. It is a sad tale of death by bureaucracy. There are serious consequences of murder, and abortion is murder. The relevant scripture is here: "Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" Genesis 1:26 "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." Psalm 139:13-14 "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward." Psalm 127:3 "I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb" Jeremiah 1:5 "Whosoever sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made He man." Genesis 9:6 "You shall not murder” Exodus 20:13 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations" Jeremiah 1:5 "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." Psalm 139:13-16 "And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” Luke 1:41-44 "And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger." Luke 2:12-16 Needless to say, I would encourage the repeal of this act. It will save a lot of human lives. A wicked and perverse generation is this. The times are evil and hence it is even more important to follow God's commands. Below are just a few of the evil things people like me and my friends' circle have witnessed recently:
1. Evil doctrinal theories about time, and the travelling backwards in time, not forward. 2. Saints of the Church being ridiculed, and wickedly called atheist and evil. 3. Saints' private journals of past regrets being held open to the whole wide world to see and glare at. 4. Wickedness among the powerful to try to suppress the pure at heart. 5. People attempting to yoke the Saints of the Church with unbelievers in order to bring them to nothing. Beloved, Spiritual warfare is real. Satan our arch-enemy lives, and would like nothing more than for us to forsake the path God has laid out for us, and go astray. Scripture cautioned us against all of these things a very long time ago. Therefore, put on the Whole Armor of God: The Whole Armor of God "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication." Ephesians 6:10-18 Beloved, the Spiritual Battle is real. It is not played out against those who are in the world, as they belong to Satan already, and death is their final destination. It is played out against the Saints and the people of God destined for eternal life. The stronger you are in faith the bigger the arrows the enemy fires at you. In the final analysis your Spiritual armor is what protects you from the evil one. Keep your armor at hand and use it often, because the evil one can and will throw fiery darts at you, you can bet on it. Folks the reason I have not been posting recently is because I have been sick lately and going through lots and lots of tests, surgery and therapy. Thankfully the doctors have permitted me to work through the treatment and I am going about my regular routine as normal. I am battling a physical ailment which some of my closest friends and family have been praying earnestly about. If it be God's will, I will be much better soon and begin to post on a daily basis again. If you feel the urge to pray for me, it would be hugely appreciated. Please do not ask me for any details. If you want to help, just pray for me.
Yet, I felt the need to post today, because of something terrible which took place between Sunday and yesterday. I accidentally blamed the wrong man, who I hardly knew, for something which happened on Sunday morning that normally should not have bothered me, but triggered some very deep emotional hurt from the past. Dear Lord, I confess that I have sinned. I still have some lingering emotional wounds from my past. Wounds which trigger hurt. I unloaded my frustration and anger from something that happened on Sunday morning onto someone innocent --- Someone I didn't even know very well, yesterday. Lord, heal my wounds, both emotional and physical, as only you are able. Lord, your word says that "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9. Father, please forgive me for my sin. I repent of it, and will try never to do it again. In Jesus' Name, Amen. Remember what James says: "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." James 1:19-20 The evil one (Satan) is a deceiver. He deceives and confuses and obfuscates and messes with your head. He wants you to become jealous, angry, upset, and take away your joy. He is more powerful than you think. Beware the evil one. At the end of our lives, when we die, we will all stand judgement before the Throne of God. We will have to give account of the lives we have lived here on this earth. On that day, we can do one of three things, either (a) apologize for not living an absolutely perfect, sinless life and ask for forgiveness (b) be an arrogant, haughty person and claim our own righteousness or (c) claim the blood of Jesus. The right answer is (c) if you have believed upon the name of Jesus and are saved, then you have nothing to worry about. When on that day I stand before God, I know that I will plead the Blood of Jesus. I have believed in the Son of God, and nothing else I say or do will make a difference except for saying that I believed in Christ Jesus.
This reminds me of one of my favorite hymns: Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bidd'st me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come. Just as I am, and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot, to thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come, I come. Just as I am, though tossed about with many a conflict, many a doubt, fightings and fears within, without, O Lamb of God, I come, I come. Just as I am, thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; because thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come, I come. Read St. Luke 23:50–56
1. When Our Lady’s mournful task was finished, the body of Jesus was laid in the new tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, there to remain until the hour of its joyful resurrection. Let us contemplate it as it lies there: disfigured by countless wounds and scars; so apparently helpless, yet none the less the joy of God and worthy of our highest adoration. Passive and cold and motionless, but soon to be radiant with the most dazzling beauty; dead, but living with a divine life. Learn from this (a) the glory of suffering; (b) the power of apparent helplessness when God is with us; (c) the beauty of passive obedience; (d) the true life of those who are dead to the world. 2. What was Our Lord doing while thus apparently inactive in the silent tomb? He was beginning His work of triumph, delivering countless souls from purgatory and from limbo, consoling the patriarchs and prophets, fulfilling His promise of paradise to the good thief, trampling on Satan and changing the kingdoms of this world into the kingdoms of God and of His Christ. So it is with us. When we seem useless and doing nothing, we are often really doing the greatest things for God. 3. The tomb where Christ is laid is to be the model of my soul when I receive holy Communion: silent from all din of earthly things, cleansed from all stain of sin by a good confession and firm resolution to amend, dedicated to Him alone, His sacred body embalmed by my love, and wrapped in the clean winding-sheet of purity of intention. Thus will His presence there be the pledge of my resurrection with Him. Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 52). Benziger Brothers. Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree? Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree? Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree? Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree? Were you there when He rose up from the grave? Were you there when He rose up from the grave? Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble Were you there when He rose up from the grave? Were you there when He rose up from the grave? Read St. Mark 15:38–46 1. No sooner is the sacrifice consummated and the last drop of the precious blood shed from Our Lord’s Sacred Heart, than all is changed. That lifeless body is now treated with the utmost respect and veneration. See how gently and carefully Joseph and Nicodemus wind linen bands around the limbs and lower it to the ground, reverently adoring that body which had only a few hours before been a laughing-stock and object of contempt. Hence-forth no more ignominy, no more contempt, no more ill-usage, but the love and adoration of saints and angels to all eternity. 2. Our Lady receives the body of her Son. What were her thoughts as she gazes into the five wounds, and sees how from head to foot it is covered with gaping wounds and bruises, battered out of all shape by the cruelty of man? O Mother of Sorrows, great as an ocean is thy sorrow! What can be thy hatred of sin when thou seest what it has wrought in the divine beauty of thy spotless Son! What a mixture of agonized compassion and mournful sorrow, and hope and consolation, and gratitude and triumphant joy, fills thy sacred soul while thou lookest on the dead body of thy Son! 3. The day on which Jesus died is indeed well called Good Friday. It is the day when Jesus consummated His victory over sin and death. While we mourn over His sufferings and our sins which caused them, we must also rejoice exceedingly at the thought of Satan conquered and heaven opened, and millions of sinners cleansed from sin in His most precious Blood! Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 51). Benziger Brothers.
Read St. John 19:34–37
1. Each time that holy Mass* is said, the sacrifice of our blessed Lord upon the cross is represented in the sacrifice that takes place upon the altar. Thus, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, on the divine decree, continues to be slain mystically, and will continue as long as the world shall last. With such a sight before our eyes, how can we ever forget Him? how can we ever lose heart or despond with this abiding proof of His tender love before our eyes? 2. In the blood and water that flowed from Our Lord’s side when pierced by the centurion’s spear were represented the sacraments of the Church, the blood of Christ that extricates us in holy Communion, the water that cleanses our souls in baptism and penance. His Sacred Heart that was open then is open still; the rich stream of graces still continues; it has flowed even unto me. What countless graces I have received from the love that has been poured upon me from the Sacred Heart of Jesus! 3. The Sacred Host that we receive in holy Communion reminds us in many things of the dead body of Jesus as it hung upon the cross, all the glory hidden—no life to all appearance there; in the power of all to treat it as they choose; reduced to the lowest humiliation. Yet it is our God and our Lord, the object of the adoring love of angels and of men, He Whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain, Who condescends to be our Guest and the food of our souls. Meditate on the unspeakable love of Jesus sacrificed for us! Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 50). Benziger Brothers. *Note for us Non-Catholics: Mass is Church Service. The writer is Catholic and therefore uses the term Mass and Latin words used during the course of Mass. His Theology is completely sound however. Read St. Luke 23:45–48
1. After Our Lord has hung in agony for three hours upon the cross, at last the time approaches when His deliverance is at hand. He has endured every possible form of suffering, bodily and mental. His body has been subjected to a physical torture far worse than the accumulated sufferings of the martyrs; His sacred soul has been rent asunder with an anguish and desolation more awful than any save the eternal anguish of hell. He has sacrificed His honor, His reputation; He has been esteemed a fool and a madman. Now there is only one sacrifice more that He can make to His Eternal Father for man—the sacrifice of His life. He is determined to give up all for us, to be obedient even to death. 2. What was it that caused the death of Our Lord? Not the executioners, not the Jews, not the agony of the cross; they were but instruments. It was sin. Sin had in it a malice sufficient even to rob of life God, Our Lord and King. What a strange mystery sin is! And how strange that we do not hate it more when we see its power to destroy! 3. The death of Jesus was no transient occurrence. He still mystically dies for us each day and each hour. When we receive holy Communion, we “show the death of the Lord till He come,” and, therefore, His sacred Passion and Death should be the chief subject of our thoughts whenever we approach the holy Table, and especially on the eve of the solemn day when He instituted the sacrament of His love. Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 49). Benziger Brothers. Read St. John 19:28, 29
1. There is nothing that causes such agonizing thirst as loss of blood. The prayer of the wounded soldier upon the battle-field is always for a drink of water; he forgets all other pains in his burning thirst. What must have been the intolerable suffering of Our Lord, Whose sacred Body had been gradually drained of every droop of blood! All day long the blood had been flowing—at the scourging, on the way to Calvary, as He was dragged hither and thither, with the sharp cords cutting His wrists. And now upon the cross, as from hands and feet a stream bedewed the ground, fiercer and fiercer grew the burning, parching thirst which consumed Him. O my Jesus, was there none to quench that thirst endured for us? 2. Our Lord’s thirst was to atone especially for the sins of intemperance and self-indulgence in drink. Every sin of drunkenness and excess or self-indulgence in our food and drink added to that thirst and made it still more intolerable. My God, forgive me any such offences, and help me to deny myself some lawful indulgence, that so I may atone for my sins and assuage in some degree that sacred thirst Thou didst endure for me. 3. There was, however, a deeper meaning in Our Lord’s cry: “I thirst!” He was thirsting for the souls of sinners, thirsting for the love of ungrateful men, thirsting for my love. He thirsts for it still, that I may be more faithful to His grace. O my Jesus, help me to love Thee more! Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 48). Benziger Brothers. Read St. Mark 15:33–36
1. Our Lord had for a long time been silent. A thick darkness had gathered; most of the spectators had departed in fear. The mocking Pharisees had been awed to silence. Few were left save the soldiers, St. John, and a faithful group of holy women. All at once a piercing cry from the Divine Sufferer breaks the silence, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” These words were an expression of the thick darkness which Our Lord had permitted to gather round His human soul, and to hide from Him as it were the face of His Eternal Father. This desolation was by far the greatest of all the unspeakable sufferings of the Son of God. 2. What was its cause? Nothing else but sin. He was made sin for us, and having thus identified Himself with the sins of men so far as was possible for the sinless Lamb of God, He allowed Himself to experience to the utmost degree that He could the awful misery which is the consequence of sin—the black, dark hopelessness (if the word is a lawful one) which results to the sinner whom God forsakes. This consequence of sin Jesus took upon Himself to save men from the eternal remorse and despair which otherwise would have been their lot. 3. This cry of Jesus is a model prayer for us in times of darkness and desolation. We sometimes feel as if God had forsaken us, and cry out in our misery and sore distress. We are always safe in echoing Jesus’ words, and He Who hears us use them will remember His own dereliction and help us in ours. Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 47). Benziger Brothers. Read St. John 19:25–27
1. Our Divine Saviour did not depart from those He loved without providing them with a Mother who should be their Consoler, their Protector, their Advocate with God. In the person of St. John, He intrusted them all to Mary’s care. If He had simply been providing Mary with a home, He would first have addressed St. John and commended to him the pious task of sheltering the Mother of God. By speaking first to Mary, He showed that it was she who was to shelter all those who were desolate and in sorrow. St. John was the representative of all who love Jesus, when Jesus said to Mary respecting him, “Woman, behold thy son.” 2. This was the occasion when Our Lady for a second time became a mother. The birth of her first-begotten Jesus cost her no pang of travail; the birth of her spiritual children, the sinful sons of men, brought to her unspeakable anguish. The Queen of heaven became the Queen of Dolors before she could earn the right to exercise over each of us a mother’s fostering care. How we ought to value the privilege of being her children, when it cost Mary such unspeakable suffering! 3. When Jesus said to Mary, “Woman, behold thy son,” He asked Our Lady to regard us with a mother’s love for His sake. Her love for Him was to be transferred to us, without, however, becoming one whit the less. She was to love us for Jesus’ sake; to show her love for Him by loving us. With what perfect confidence can we go to Mary, who sees in each of us, in spite of our sins, the image of her Divine Son! Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 46). Benziger Brothers. Read St. Luke 23:39–43
1. Among those who mocked and derided Jesus were the two thieves crucified with Him. But very soon His unspeakable gentleness and meekness touched the heart of one of the two. First he ceased his words of insult, then he boldly reproved his companion and bore testimony to the innocence of Jesus, and to His authority as King and Lord. What a divine power there is in weakness! The sight of the uncomplaining patience of Christ convinced this robber that He was King of all the earth, and that He Who now was dying on the cross would soon reign forever and ever. “Lord, remember me when Thou shalt come into Thy kingdom!” 2. Remember me! This was his simple prayer. But we know that it was enough. If Christ remembers us, all will be well. What we have to dread is lest He forget us by reason of our having forgotten Him. This prayer should often be on our lips: “O Lord, remember me! In the hour of temptation, remember me! When sorrow bears hard on me, remember me! In sickness and in my last agony, O Lord, remember me!” 3. Our Lord answers this prayer of the good thief with divine generosity. All his sins are forgiven him; and as soon as his agony is over, he is to be received into the company of the blest and to be with Christ in paradise. What a rich reward for his confession of Christ! What a glorious answer to his prayer that Christ will remember him! Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 45). Benziger Brothers. Read St. Matthew 27:39–44
1. The sight of Jesus hanging on the cross, so far from melting the hearts of the Jews, only hardened them the more against Him. Instead of feeling pity, they rejoiced over their Victim, and insulted Him in His misery. When men deliberately refuse to listen to the voice of Jesus, they become quite insensible after a time to His claim on them. They think evil good, and good evil; they are given over to a reprobate mind. Even in little things those who do not obey the impulses of grace become deaf to its calls, or even feel a positive aversion for that which they once loved but have now rejected. 2. How apparently impotent to save Himself the King of Glory seems to be! But that weakness is true strength. It is by these outrages and insults, by this passive endurance of their jeers and gibes, that Christ Our Lord is doing the wondrous work of our Redemption, and earning graces for all those who suffer insult for Him, to rejoice in being counted worthy to suffer shame for His sake. 3. But He is doing more than this. He is also preparing for His sacred humanity a glory corresponding to all this ignominy. Of Him it is true beyond all others that he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Each taunt, each mocking word, was to earn the praise of the angels and saints to all eternity. Here is an encouragement for us! What matters it, if men despise and insult us, if God approves? The just Judge will not forget in the day of account what we have suffered for Him. Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 44). Benziger Brothers. Read St. Luke 23:32–34
1. Arrived at the summit of Calvary, our Divine Savior is roughly stripped of His garments and exposed to the rude gaze of the scoffing multitude. This shame He endured to atone for our most shameful deeds, for our human respect, for our glorying in our shame, for our boasting and love of display before the eyes of men. Yet when we see the King of Glory thus exposed to shame, will not shame be far dearer to us than the empty honors that men bestow? 2. The executioners then seize Jesus and lay Him down upon the cross. Holes have been bored in the wood at the extremities of the cross-piece and in the lower part of the stem, and Our Lord’s sacred limbs are almost dislocated by being dragged until the hands and feet reach the parts that have been pierced. Then the long, sharp nails are held by one of the soldiers, while another with a hammer drives them in through the hands and feet of Jesus. The blows are struck; the blood gushes forth; while the Divine Victim moans piteously under the exquisite pain. O Jesus, grant me a heartfelt compassion with Thee in Thy sufferings. 3. When Our Lord is nailed to the cross, the soldiers raise it on high, and let the base of it fall into a hole dug in the ground. The shock renews afresh the agony of Jesus. No word is heard from His mouth, save one which He repeats again and again: “Father, forgive them!” Even then He was thinking of others, not of Himself. Was ever love like His? Why do I not love Him more in return? Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 43). Benziger Brothers. Read St. Mark 15:21
1. Our blessed Lord falls again and again beneath the weight of the cross, until it becomes evident to the soldiers that He will never be able to drag it to the place of execution. They accordingly lay hold of a heathen passing by, Simon the Cyrenian, and him they compel to carry the cross. How little Simon knew the happiness in store for him when those rough soldiers seize him and force him to the ignominious task of carrying for a public criminal the instrument of his punishment! How often we too fail to recognize in the sudden disagreeables and contradictions we encounter God’s wonderful designs of mercy to us! 2. Simon at first bore the cross surlily and reluctantly, chafing under the hardship inflicted on him. But as he carries it, somehow an unaccountable change comes over him. It has the virtue to change his heart, and to make of him a devoted follower of the Crucified, one of the pillars of the Apostolic Church. Thus many a cross that we carry reluctantly turns out to be really the means of our sanctification and salvation. 3. Before Simon arrives at the summit of Calvary, the cross has endeared itself to him. He has recognized that to carry it for Jesus was no hardship, but a privilege and a happiness. So too the saints learn to love the cross, to embrace it, to seek it, to carry it with all joy, to be almost discontented if they are without it. This is the very height of peace and felicity; for those who find their joy in the cross find everywhere around them cause for rejoicing. Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 42). Benziger Brothers. Read St. Matthew 16:24–28
1. Our blessed Lady, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, goes forth to meet her Son as He drags Himself up the hill of Calvary. With what horror and dismay must she have been stricken through at the sight of her darling Son and her God, His divine beauty obliterated, mangled and torn, covered with blood and filth, unsightly and terrible to behold! Heart-broken anguish fills her soul, and we may well believe that she would have died of sorrow had she not been miraculously supported by the power of God. O Mother of God! obtain for me a share in Thy grief and Thy intercession! 2. What a fresh pang of sorrow to the gentle heart of Jesus to see His holy Mother, pale and haggard, come to share in His sacred Passion by her compassion! None so full of sympathy as He, none so full of acute feeling for the woes of others. If He compassionated the women on the way, how much more His own Mother, whom He loved far better than all the world beside! O Mary, obtain for me, a sinner, the sacred compassion of Jesus! 3. Our Lady shared in the Passion of Christ in a way in which none else could,—none even of the saints,—simply because she was sinless. She had not to suffer for herself. She had no sin to expiate. This it is which justifies us in giving her the title of co-Redemptorix. She too, who knew no sin, was made sin for us. This earned for her the privilege of sharing in all the agony of the sinless Lamb of God. Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 41). Benziger Brothers. Read St. Luke 23:27–31
1. Torn and bleeding, scarcely able to sustain the heavy burden of the cross, with His long garment entangling His feet, dragged on by the brutal soldiery, Jesus treads the sacred way of the cross. After going a few steps He stumbles and falls; rising with difficulty, He totters on a short distance farther and falls again. O my Lord and my God, I beseech Thee by these Thy most painful falls, grant that I may never again fall into deliberate sin. 2. On the way some women express their grief and compassion with Jesus. His appearance is so pitiable that they cannot restrain their tears. Jesus turns to them, tells them to weep not for Him, but for themselves and for their children. If sin has wrought such a work of destruction in the Son of God, in Whom evil had nothing to lay hold of, in Whom the green wood could be blackened externally but not consumed by the flame, what would be its effects on sinners in whom the fire of sin rages as in the dry tinder? How ought I to fear the least spark of sin which may kindle in me the fire of passion and destroy me utterly! 3. One of those holy women, named Veronica, with a handkerchief wipes from His face the blood and sweat. On looking at the handkerchief she sees the impression of His sacred countenance stamped upon it. So upon the hearts of all who do acts of kindness for Christ’s sake there is imprinted His likeness. Each deed of charity tends to produce in our soul that likeness to Him in which all holiness consists. Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 40). Benziger Brothers. Read St. Matthew 27:31
1. It was not really Pilate who condemned Jesus to death, says St. Bernard, it was His love for us. He had been longing all His life through for that moment when He was to carry out His Father’s will and redeem the world by dying for us. He knew that the divine mandate had gone forth that without shedding of blood there would be no remission. The voice of Pilate, sentencing Him to death, was but the expression of His own love for sinners, and of His joyful acceptance of the cross for their sake. O Jesus, may I love Thee in return for such love for me! 2. The cross has been prepared beforehand, and as soon as the sentence has been passed they bring it forward to be laid upon the shoulders of their Victim. Jesus takes the cross, and kisses the instrument of His Agony as a welcome friend. He did this not merely because He loved us and therefore loved the cross, but to teach us to love our crosses, to accept them as gifts from God to be welcomed, not to be rejected or regarded with aversion and dislike. How can we dislike them when they make us like to Jesus, and must be borne after Him if we are ever to share His joy in heaven? 3. On the shoulder of Jesus was a large, open wound, scarcely covered by the garments thrown upon Him. The weight of the cross rested on this wound, causing Him the most exquisite agony. It was by this that He was earning for us patience under our bodily sufferings. However keen, they are nothing compared to what the Son of God endured on His road to Calvary. Jesus, grant me patience under my sufferings. Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 39). Benziger Brothers. Read St. Matthew 27:24–26
1. Pilate tries first one plan, then another, to avoid passing a sentence which he knew to be unjust. One plan after another fails, and now he is brought face to face with a choice on which the salvation of his soul may well depend. It was the turning-point in his life: the grace of God urging him on one side, and on the other the fear of man. So in the life of each there is some turning-point, some occasion when the choice made will decide his future both in life and in eternity. Unhappy those who in such a moment choose as Pilate chose! 2. The motive that led Pilate to condemn Jesus was the fear of man. He did not dare to face the consequences of doing his duty. He trembled before the opinion of others and the dread of losing his worldly position and honor. To how many has the same motive been a cause of eternal loss! Is it not one before which I have sometimes quailed, loving honor from men, and failing in what I knew was the will of God from a desire to please others? 3. Pilate ordered the sentence to be written out condemning Jesus to death, and then deliberately signed it. But first he washed his hands before the people, declaring himself guiltless of the blood of the just man that he condemned. O fruitless ceremony! He could not wash from his soul the black stain of cowardice and of treachery to his conscience. It is no use doing ill and saying we did not mean it. Such an evasion, like Pilate’s protest, rather adds to than diminishes the sin. Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 38). Benziger Brothers. Read St. John 19:4–6
1. The scourging and crowning with thorns have brought the Son of God to a condition pitiable to contemplate. We have seen Him, and there is no sightliness in Him that we should desire Him. Pity, contempt, horror, disgust, indignation, are mingled in the hearts of those who behold Him. He is indeed a worm and not a man. He, the fairest among ten thousand! He, the sinless Lamb of God! Oh, how frightful must sin be if it can work such havoc even in the sacred person of the Son of God! 2. The sin that did this work, moreover, was the sin of others, not His own. It was something external to Him. He took it indeed upon Himself, He was made sin for us, but sin was never His own as it was ours. If it could so disfigure and degrade the sinless Lamb of God when laid upon Him from without, what must be the disfigurement and degradation sin works in us, springing up as it does out of ourselves, being a part of our sinful nature producing its natural fruits? 3. But was the Son of God really degraded by all these consequences of sin? On the contrary, His sacred humanity had never been so glorious or so worthy of honor as it was then. If He was unsightly before men, in the eyes of His Eternal Father He was crowned with honor and glory. There is nothing so pleasing to God as voluntary self-abasement and humiliation, nothing that brings so rich a recompense. How foolish then am I when I seek to avoid humiliation, and hate to be made like to the Son of God by suffering contempt and reproach from others! Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 37). Benziger Brothers. |
AuthorThis scripture message of the day is authored by Paul J Narang, servant of the Lord Jesus Christ who edits and manages this website. Archives
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