The Foot of the Cross

~~~Good Friday~~~

~~~Isaiah 52:13—53:12 ~~~ Psalm 31 ~~~

~~~ Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 ~~~ John 18:1—19:42 ~~~

As frightening as it is we cannot 

hang back with the crowd chanting "Crucify Him".

We cannot wash our hands in the bowl beside Pilate.

Did you stand by watching as they carefully formed

 the thorn branch into a crown?

Did you hide in the darkness

as Jesus suffered the Agony in the Garden?

Could you hear his spoken words to the Father?

Did you climb onto the rooftop as He carried 

the cross down your street?

At the Foot of the Cross 

it all comes together...all the pain...all the agony...

all the mercy...all the love.

Will you join the Blessed Mother,

 Mary and the beloved disciple at the Foot of the Cross?

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother

and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,

and Mary of Magdala.

We must place ourselves with heartfelt 

sorrow at the Foot of the Cross.

We must gather up the courage 

to make our appearance...

to take our place

 at the Foot of the Cross. 

It is here at the Foot of the Cross 

where we can join our tears with His precious blood. 

It is here at the Foot of the Cross where we

 can seek His unconditional mercy...

His deep healing forgiveness.

It is at the Foot of the Cross

where we can look up into the face of Our Lord Jesus Christ

 and admit to our personal sinfulness.

It is at the Foot of the Cross

where we can shed the illusion of who we pretend to be.

It is at the Foot of the Cross

where we can open our heart surrendering to

 the great love that can only come from Him.

Come to the Foot of the Cross...

Hope overcomes fear.

Faith surpasses our doubts.

Love conquers Death.

Mingle your tears with His drops of blood.

Together he makes you into a more 

compassionate person.

Blessings and Peace

at the Foot of the Cross.

Silent Emptiness

~~~ Good Friday ~~~

~~~ Isaiah 52:13—53:12 ~~~ Psalm 31 ~~~ 

~~~ Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 ~~~ John 18:1—19:42 ~~~ 

...it was our infirmities that he bore,

our sufferings that he endured...

...he was pierced for our offenses,

crushed for our sins...

...he surrendered himself to death...

...he shall take away the sins of many,

and win pardon for their offenses.

Each of these verses deserve our attention.

It is our sins...Jesus suffered for you and for me.

He took on the punishments that should have been reserved for us.

We have been saved by a person, Jesus,

 who did not know if we were ever going to exist.

He willfully took away the sins of many by surrendering 

himself to a cruel painful death.

Jesus absorbed the sins of the whole world for all of eternity
until nothing was left except for his pure heart.

He completely emptied himself of all
 that was not for our salvation.
Every drop of blood shed was for one of our sins.

Jesus emptied himself so that all sin
 would be meshed into his great mercy.

'Go and sin no more'
words Jesus spoke many times to those he healed.

Today, Good Friday, as we venerate
 his crucified body hanging upon the
cross those words are for us.

Silently he suffered and died for us.
How can this not be an invitation to love him even more?

We are Blessed in believing
that we can always love God more
 today than yesterday.

Today His Mercy is for you.

By His Stripes...

~~~ Good Friday ~~~

~~Isaiah 52:13-53:12~~Psalm 31~~Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9~~John 18:1-19:42~~

 ...he was pierced for our offenses,
crushed for our sins;
upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed.

The prophet Isaiah reveals in detail the gruesome evidence
 of how Jesus suffered for each of us.

Jesus was pierced, crushed, and chastised.
His horrid brokenness makes us whole;
for we came into this world already scarred.

His torn bleeding flesh slashed by brutal soldiers
result in our healing.
Not the healing of our physical bodies, but the healing of our souls.
For it is not the healing of the body
that allows us to enter into heaven. but rather the healing of our soul.

We had all gone astray like sheep,
each following his own way;
but the LORD laid upon him
the guilt of us all.
I am not sure if we can be compared to sheep who are docile creatures.
Yes, it is true that when we turn away from God we are like the lost sheep.
We sin even when we know better; we make the choice to sin.
When we follow our own way it is because we think
we know what is better for us.

I have often reflected on how it was possible for Jesus to be silent
as false accusations were hurled at him one after the other.

Most of us today would be eager to defend our innocence.
We would have the best legal representation available to us.
We would be coached; to choose our words carefully.
...he was silent and opened not his mouth.

Jesus stood in humility while they humiliated,
scorned, and mocked him.

Sometimes the best we can do is to keep silent.
But can we?

...he was cut off from the land of the living,

Jesus came down to the land of the living to save us
who call this land our home.
This 'land of the living' was never the home for Jesus.
His home has always been in heaven with the Father.
This is where he also wants us to reside.
Our home is also in heaven with the Father and the Son.

...because he surrendered himself to death
and was counted among the wicked;
and he shall take away the sins of many,
and win pardon for their offenses.

We give you praise and adore you...
For you have set us free...
you have redeemed us.

Jesus suffered and died once for us;
he sends down his saving grace and blesses us each and every day.

The bleeding stripes upon his precious body heals our soul.
He suffered and died for you.
There is no greater love.
Amen.

By Your Holy Cross

Good Friday

Isaiah 52: 13-53:12 ~~~ Psalm 31 ~~~ John 18:1-19:42

Everything converges at the cross...the Passion reading...the Way of the Cross...the Seven Last words...the Seven Sorrows of Mary...

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

As Christians the cross has far reaching meaning for us. Without the cross we would not be who we are today. The cross is a constant reminder of what one person gave for us...his life. The cross is a constant reminder that we too must take up our cross no matter how great and move forward. Jesus willingly took the cross and dragged it to the hilltop. Most likely the soldiers led him on the longest route in order to make the agony more intense. A long route to expose him to more ridicule and mocking by the multitude along the path.

So often in our lives when facing unpleasant situations we look for ways to escape. Jesus had no where to go and no possible escape route. He submitted to the will of the Father. Teach me, Lord, to bear my trials in patient surrender. The things I cannot change are the very things you use to increase my trust and faith in you.

Pressing on Jesus exhibits get courage and stamina...he must make it to the hill of Calvary...Golgotha. This place of death outside the city walls, away so as to shield the people from the smell and cries of death. Jesus was treated as was other common criminals of that time. He has been on hills before...the Sermon on the Mount where he lays out the Beatitudes...the Transfiguration where he reveals the glory of his true nature. Here bloodied, tortured, bruised and forsaken he reveals his Divine Mercy...his inexhaustible Love, and his commitment to the Father's will.

The crosses we bear today pale in comparison with Our Lord's cross, but these crosses are just as real to us. Take up your cross...fully relying on God...and walk forward.

The hill may be steep, the climb may seem impossible, the loneliness may be intrusive, the pain may be unrelenting, the wounds tender,
but in the end there is something far greater.
When God comes into his Kingdom and
we are remembered it will be a glorious occasion.

Whatever is happening in your life; Jesus understands. He endured much while in the form of a man. We cannot say God would not understand, because he came to earth with all of the same needs and wants as we have right now.
He came for you. He came to die for you.
Venerate the cross with a grateful and tender heart.
You are Loved!