“In Hebrew thought, ‘body’ is not merely the flesh but the whole person as a physical being. Jesus is revealing that his death will be a gift of himself to them. By asking them to ‘take,’ that is, to eat the bread that is his body, he is inviting them to receive this gift of himself into the depth of their being…” –Mary Healy
Intention: Lord, please preserve our rights to meaningful representation in government, the right for free speech, the right for freedom of religion, the right for freedom of assembly, the right to bear arms, and having a country with firm borders.
Friday: Ease the Burden
1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Scripture:
After withdrawing about a stone’s throw from them and
kneeling, he prayed.
—Luke 22:41
Reflection:
Jesus was tempted mightily by Satan in the Garden of
Gethsemane, to say “no” to the anguish awaiting Him in
His passion and death. But He said “yes” to the Father’s plan,
reversing the “no” that Adam and Eve said by disobeying God
in another garden: the Garden of Eden.
Prayer:
Eternal Father, You see the cross I carry in my own life. I
implore You to ease the burden of that cross, if it be for my
ultimate good; nevertheless, let Your Will be done in my life.
Amen.
Friday: Offer in Unity
2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Scripture:
So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple
cloak. And [Pilate] said to them, “Behold, the man!”
—John 19:5
Reflection:
Our Lord was thrust into the most horrid of physical sufferings
when He was scourged.
Prayer:
Jesus, Your human nature underwent torture in the scourging—
part of the passion that saved us. When I undergo painful trials
in my life, help me remember to offer them up to You in unity
with Your saving passion. Amen.
Friday: He Trusts Me
3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning With Thorns
Scripture:
And they came to him and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And
they struck him repeatedly.
—John 19:3
Reflection:
Our Lord was thrown into the most disgraceful of mental and
emotional sufferings when He was crowned with thorns and
mocked, beaten and spat on.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, help me remember that my suffering is
allowed to come to me because You trust me. You trust me to
suffer well and to continue loving You through it all. Amen.
Friday: He Carries it With Me
4th Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Scripture:
Then [Pilate] handed him over to them to be crucified.
—John 19:16
Reflection:
God humbled Himself unto death, even death on a Cross
(Philippians 2:8). He took this Cross and carried it all the way
to Calvary, in the most humiliating way possible. But He was
willing to do it for you and for me.
Prayer:
Jesus Christ, all that I am and all that I will ever be is in You.
Please help me to know that when I am carrying my cross, we
are yoked together, and so You are carrying it with me. I am
never alone. Amen.
Friday: Jesus’s Love
5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion
Scripture:
When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and
divided them into four shares, a share for each soldier. They also
took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece
from the top down.
—John 19:23
Reflection:
Jesus died a horrible death—a painful death of asphyxiation
on the Cross. We can imagine being with Mary beneath His
Cross, loving Him, understanding with her how deep Jesus’s
love is for all of us.
Prayer:
Dear Mary, Mystical Rose, please pray for me, that the mystery
of Jesus’s love may be revealed to me more and more, as I
contemplate His saving sacrifice on the Cross. Let the knowledge
of His love fill me with the Holy Spirit. Amen.
