Passion Sunday is coming soon. All of Lent we have been meditating on Christ and His most holy Passion, but this Sunday we commemorate how the upcoming Passion of Our Lord filled His Sacred Mind. Out of His great Love, He longed to sacrifice Himself for sinners, but in His Humanity, He feared the grievous and horrendous tortures which awaited Him in His Passion.
Is it any coincidence that the word, “passion” has the meaning today of drive, or devotion for some particular activity, or even the beloved activity itself? Consider that… Christ suffering and dying for us, shedding His blood, being insulted and blasphemed, loaded with contempt, was HIS Passion. He loved the Cross, longed for it and embraced it, because it would lead to our unification with Him in Heaven; that is, if only we respond to the graces He has obtained for us through His Most Holy Life, Sufferings, and Resurrection. All we have to do is follow Him, carrying our daily crosses, obeying all His Commandments, and following His inspirations out of love and gratitude for Him.
So as we continue on this journey of the Cross with Him, let us remember the love, devotion, and drive with which Our Lord embraced His sufferings on our behalf. Let us count ourselves blessed that He accepts every effort we make to sacrifice ourselves for Him, even though we can’t help but realize our puny efforts cannot in any way compare to His, or appear as an adequate repayment of the debt of love and gratitude which we owe Our Lord. Let us be courageous and continue to fight sin and imperfections in our lives. But let us remember that we must pray all the time for His Strength, without which we shall surely fall. Ejaculations such as, “All for Thee, O my Jesus, All for Thee!” and “Jesus, Son of David, Have mercy on me!” are great ways of praying throughout the day. I would be remiss if I failed to mention the importance of the Holy Rosary in honoring God, fighting our evil passions, and obtaining all manor of graces in our lives and for the lives of our loved ones as well. Pray the 15 decades everyday and Our Lady will not fail to take you under her special protection.
May God bless you and grant you a holy and blessed Lent.
