“[Mary] knew that all these crosses were in the divine plan, necessary for the salvation of men and the greatest proof of love Jesus could give her.” –Father Jean du Coeur de Jesus d’Elbee (+ 1982)
The restoration of the human race was Jesus’ ultimate goal, which He achieved in His final hour.
Intention: I’m expecting that no weapon formed against me will prosper.
Friday: Restoration of Human Race
1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Scripture:
His betrayer had arranged a sign with them, saying, “The man
I shall kiss is the one; arrest him.” Immediately he went over to
Jesus and said, “Hail, Rabbi!” and he kissed him. Jesus answered
him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then stepping
forward they laid hands on Jesus and arrested him.
—Matthew 26:48–50
Reflection:
At Gethsemane, Jesus grappled with His human nature to
accomplish the most important achievement in mankind’s
history: the restoration of the human race.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, for all that You gained for us at Gethsemane, I praise
You and I bless You. I thank You for being my Forever-Friend.
Amen.
Friday: Not a Roman Citizen
2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Scripture:
But all together they shouted out, “Away with this man! Release
Barabbas to us.” (Now Barabbas had been imprisoned for a
rebellion that had taken place in the city and for murder.) Again
Pilate addressed them, still wishing to release Jesus, but they
continued their shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate
addressed them a third time, “What evil has this man done?
I found him guilty of no capital crime. Therefore I shall have
him flogged and then release him.”
—Luke 23:18–22
Reflection:
Jesus was stripped naked and blindfolded before He was flogged.
There was one soldier on each side of Him, striking Him with
implements of torture that would have caused welts to appear,
and ripped His skin so that it hung in shreds from His bleeding
body. Since He was not a Roman citizen, He was executed by
intense scourging and crucifixion. If He had been a Roman
citizen, He would have been flogged more lightly and then
beheaded.
Prayer:
Dear Father, how terrible for You to behold what happened to
Your Son. Please forgive me for my sins, which contributed to
Jesus’s sufferings. Amen.
Friday: Bled Profusely
3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning With Thorns
Scripture:
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the
praetorium and gathered the whole cohort around him. They
stripped off his clothes and threw a scarlet military cloak about
him. They spat upon him and took the reed and kept striking
him on the head.
—Matthew 27:27–28,30
Reflection:
The thorns used were very long and sharp, and the soldiers
probably affixed them to a basket to make a pretend “crown”
that they could put on Jesus’s head and strike, so that the thorns
pierced His skull and forehead. This “crowning with thorns”
must have seriously diminished His strength before carrying
His Cross and being crucified, because scalp tissue is highly
vascularized, and would have bled profusely upon laceration.
Prayer:
Lord, You are the Divine Physician of our souls and bodies.
For those who carry the perennial cross of illness or disability,
please give them relief and solace. Amen.
Friday: Fill the Earth With Love
4th Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Scripture:
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after
me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”
—Matthew 16:24
Reflection:
Jesus emphasized the importance of carrying one’s cross more
than he emphasized the wonders of heaven. Jewish citizens
of His time would have understood exactly what that meant,
because of all the crucifixions they had witnessed.
Prayer:
Dear Holy Spirit, You work in mysterious ways. In place of
our wastelands of hopelessness, please fill the earth with Your
love. Amen.
Friday: Trustworthy Compassion
5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion
Scripture:
At three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema
sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have
you forsaken me?”
—Mark 15:34
Reflection:
By saying this first line of Psalm 22, Jesus was quoting the
whole psalm, as best He could while being tortured. The psalm
contains many of the events of Jesus’s passion. He was in effect
saying that that scripture was being fulfilled that day.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are Trustworthy Compassion for all those who
are bogged down with grief. Minister and stay close to those
who are troubled by bereavement and sadness. Amen.
