“Pious souls, cultivate the duties of family life. Be friends, Christian women, as Mary and Elizabeth were. Let your friendship be a work of piety and your conversations full of God; then Jesus will be in your midst and you will feel his presence. Men, you too should imitate these pious women. O God! Sanctify our conversations, remove from them curiosity, dissipation, anxiety, dissimulation, and trickery. Allow cordiality and good examples to reign in them.” –Bishop Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet (+ 1704)
Intention: Lord, please help us to resist communism and totalitarianism. I thank You God ahead of time for this.
Tuesday: Offer to God
1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Scripture:
When he returned to his disciples he found them asleep. He said
to Peter, “So you could not keep watch with me for one hour?
Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit
is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
—Matthew 26:40–41
Reflection:
Jesus became acutely aware of the torture He was about to
undergo while He was alone in the garden. And so, He prayed
to His Father to take the cup of suffering away from Him, but
also that not His will, but that His Father’s will, be done. He
understood that God would work everything out for the good,
if He loved Him and was called according to His purposes (see
Romans 8:28).
Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, Splendor of the Father, Your sacrifice was the
most valuable example ever of submission to God’s will and the
offering up of suffering. Lord, I offer the following suffering of
mine up to You: _________________. Amen.
Tuesday: Made up for Sin
2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Scripture:
The chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin kept trying to obtain
false testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, but
they found none, though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally, two came forward who stated, “This man said, ‘I can
destroy the temple of God and within three days rebuild it.’”
The high priest rose and addressed him, “Have you no answer?
What are these men testifying against you?” But Jesus was silent.
—Matthew 26:59–63
Reflection:
Jesus suffered terribly when He was scourged at the pillar,
because of the false testimony against Him. But in His suffering,
He made up for the sins of all people since the beginning of
time. Sin is such a terrible thing, in God’s order, that Jesus had
to undergo excruciating agony to atone for it.
Prayer:
Perjury is a terrible sin because it kills a person’s good name.
Lord Jesus, please reveal the truth about every person who has
been hurt by false testimony. Amen.
Tuesday: Pray for the Cruel
3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning With Thorns
Scripture:
I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who
persecute you.
—Matthew 5:44
Reflection:
Jesus also suffered when He was crowned with thorns, because
the soldiers treated Him with the terrible cruelty of ridicule,
shouting taunts and scornful barbs at him, in addition to beating
Him. However, He prayed for them—returning blessing for
evil—as He had taught His disciples to do.
Prayer:
Guardian Angel, pray for me to pray for those who have been
cruel in my life, even though it may feel unnatural to do so.
Guide me, until I learn how to do this better on my own.
Amen.
Tuesday: Offer Up the Cross
4th Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Scripture:
If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and
take up his cross daily and follow me.
—Luke 9:23
Reflection:
Jesus carried His Cross on the way to Calvary. He fell down
under the weight of His Cross three times, and so we can
deduce that it was very heavy, and that He was very weak.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Your Son Jesus offered up to You the suffering
of carrying the heavy Cross to Calvary. Motivate me to make
a morning offering every day, to offer up my cross to You as
well. Amen.
Tuesday: Cover Any Sin
5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion
Scripture:
After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order
that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.”
—John 19:28
Reflection:
Jesus was crucified and died as a sacrifice to compensate for our
sins, because He loves us very much and thirsts for us to love
Him and to go to heaven with Him. His offering is so powerful
that it can cover any sin we have committed, no matter how
terrible – if we repent.
Prayer:
Jesus, I appreciate that You want to forgive me and that you
want me to accept Your blessing. Please bring to mind the
sins and vices that I need to confess at my next Sacrament of
Reconciliation. Amen.
