Holy Saturday and You

"After withdrawing about a stone's throw
from them and kneeling, he prayed
saying, "Father, if you are willing,
take this cup away from me; still,
not my will but yours be done."
(And to strengthen him an angel
from heaven appeared to him.
He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently
that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground.)"

Luke 22:41-44


I remember once I was in a group
talking about the crucifixion
and I said something to point of...
how is death on the cross so terrible?
(I didn't say this to be disrespectful,
I really wanted to understand)
and a wonderful man by the name of Paul responded by saying
something like this,
that it wasn't just the physical pain of the cross
that he was enduring, it was the pain of the sin
of every single person
in the existence of the world, past, present and future-
it was their sin he was bearing,
after hearing that from Paul- and reflecting on it
it forces you to see that
the crucifixion was so much
more than horrible physical pain-
it was the pain and turmoil of SIN that makes the
cross seem impossible to endure,
to endure every hardship, to face every
betrayal and every desecration and every blasphemy
and trampling of all things sacred
-that was going through Jesus' mind and body.

In the Divine Mercy Novena
on the last (9th) day Jesus said to St. Faustina-

"Today bring to Me the Souls who have become Lukewarm,

and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy.
These souls wound My Heart most painfully.
My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing
in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls.
They were the reason I cried out:

'Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.'

For them, the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy."


To think that this is what was going through
Christ's head while he was going to "The Agony in the Garden"
is just ... so powerful.
It literally makes you stop in your tracks
and evaluate your life...
Where am I lukewarm Lord?
Am I forcing you to re-live in the Agony in the Garden daily
through my daily "lack" of Love and Faith and Trust in you?
It cuts right to my core honestly.

If anything as faithful followers
of Christ we are called to be
passionately Catholic/Christian
We are called to be FERVENT,
burning the Love of the Lord.
We are called to be REFINED by
the burning Love of Christ.


We always find that those who walked closest
to Christ were those who had to bear the greatest trials.

-- St. Teresa of Avila

Walk close to Christ,
Walk close to that Burning Love.
Ask Jesus to Ignite your heart.
Be so close to the Lord
that when you approach others
they feel the Love of Christ
radiating from you.

I see this post as being a great
reminder right before Easter
because we NEED that Love of Christ,
If anything many of us during Lent LONG for Easter,
most of us around Holy Week
are Just Like, C'mon already!
Let's sing that Hallelujah and REJOICE

But right now, we must cling to the cross
and see Christs' resurrection
on the horizon, standing their on Golgotha
on Holy Saturday we must decide
who we are,
are we those who so quickly lost faith
after seeing Jesus take His last breath
or are we those waiting for His prophecy to be fulfilled!
Waiting in anticipation for his Resurrection...
are we fleeting believers or FIRM DISCIPLES?

Here I am Lord,
Staring at the horizon
waiting for the new day
waiting to see you walk towards me.
Broken and healed, know I need you
to heal me in my brokenness
and meet me where I am
As you are renewed through your crucifixion
help me see that only through Your refiners
fire can I brilliantly shine Your Love.
Amen