Friday: Comforting Balm
1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Scripture: Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to feel sorrow and distress. —Matthew 26:36–37
Reflection: Our Lord Jesus took our sins and paid the penalty of those sins on the Cross. He was alone in the Garden of Gethsemane with His contemplation of the terrifying sacrifice yet to come, because His disciples fell asleep despite his repeated attempts to awaken them to His plight.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, You chose to come down to unify Yourself with Your people in the pains and misfortunes of life. Grant me the gift of calmness in my own times of struggle with anxiety, suffering and anguish. Strengthen me and give me the comforting balm of Your love. Amen.
Friday: Nothing is Wasted
2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Scripture: Then he released Barabbas to them, but after he had Jesus scourged, he handed him over to be crucified. —Matthew 27:26
Reflection: Jesus underwent a terrible scourging on that Good Friday at the pillar. Many people in our world undergo terrible types of torture and traumatic deaths at the hand of evil. We, too, might be called to make an ultimate sacrifice someday for Jesus. However, we must always remember that God will make righteousness come out of evil eventually, and our sacrifice will not be in vain.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, when life defeats me seemingly for no reason, assist me in clinging to You, and in remembering that I am suffering in union with You. Nothing is wasted. Amen.
Friday: Ridicule
3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning With Thorns
Scripture: They began to salute him with, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and kept striking his head with a reed and spitting upon him. They knelt before him in homage. —Mark 15:18–19
Reflection: Most of us have either experienced mental distress ourselves, or have been familiar with someone who has experienced it. One of the blessings of Jesus’s crowning with thorns is that He made holy the experience of all sorts of mockery and derision. If we are being mocked or are experiencing mental illness, we can be comforted in the awareness that our sufferings are in union with Christ, and that He can make something beautiful out of them.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, when I witness someone ridiculing another, give me the courage and strength to stand up for the one being ridiculed, and remind me to pray for everyone involved. Amen.
Friday: Till the Very End
4th Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Scripture: Let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. —Hebrews 12:1–2
Reflection: Sometimes we feel as if we are carrying a cross for years and years: the illness that won’t go away, the failure that no one will let us live down, the calamity of suicide, the learning disability, etc. When we suffer with these kinds of things, we should remember Our Lord staggering through the streets of Jerusalem with His Cross on His shoulders, and ask Him to give us His fortitude, bravery and resolve to keep going until the very end.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, aid me in carrying my cross by keeping my eyes fixed upon You carrying Your Cross, so that I can imitate You in enduring until the end. Amen.
Friday: Silence
5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion
Scripture: Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.” —Luke 23:39
Reflection: Jesus did not respond to those who mocked Him; He drank silently, for the most part, from the bitter cup that the Father had prepared for Him. This silence alone was incredibly influential to those who watched Him and mocked Him; many of them experienced conversion later. Let us also remember that silence, in the face of evil, is sometimes the best approach.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I was bought at a heavy price: Your suffering and death on the Cross. You love me so very much! Let this knowledge give me the desire to live the gospel message more fervently and sincerely. Amen.
