Mary’s Lifetime of Hours

I am His Mother.  Thirty-four years ago I said “Yes” to the Father’s plan of salvation. I have been faithful, have loved and nourished my little one, even as I knew I must suffer.  (Luke 2:34-35)  And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His Mother, ”Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel and for a sign to be opposed… and a sword will pierce even your own soul… to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Joseph and I thought we had lost him when he was twelve, but he was teaching in the temple.  He knew his mission. “How is it that you sought me?  Did you not know I must be in my Father’s house?” (Lk2:49)  We did not understand, but you came back with us to Nazareth and I kept all these things in my heart.

 Learning your earthly father’s carpentry skill and my Hebrew teaching the lessons of the Torah were sufficient for you until you were about thirty.  At Cana you knew your hour was not yet; still you changed water into wine so the young couple being married would not be embarrassed.  I am glad I asked you for this favor; I knew you would do whatever I asked.  Jesus always thought of the welfare of others- especially he wanted them to enjoy eternal life with the Father. 

To see Jesus suffer now is hard. In silence and prayer we are joined; I walk with him on this final journey.  “At the cross her station keeping, stood the mournful Mother weeping.  Close to Jesus to the last.” (4th Station of the Cross)

Even on the cross He thinks of others.  Knowing my loss would make me inconsolable, He gives John to me and me to John.  I will be mother to the entire human race, to continue his work of making the Father known to all.

For the last time I will wrap my arms around his lifeless body, yet believing in three days He will rise again.  In his death lies the promise of life; in His Death and Resurrection lies our redemption.  Death is healing; I understand; I believe.  Jesus, my Son, I love you.

“Give your hearts to my Son, all emptied, thirsting, and turned solely toward him, wholly unoccupied with yourself.  You have met him many times, but you did not know it, because your anxieties, and thoughts were not concerned with this unique love.  Oh, how sad it is for my Son to seek with so great a desire a loving look from one who remains distracted, dreaming, or even laughing with the foolishness and dissipation of the world.”  Mother Marie des Douleurs

Judas’ Hour of Betrayal

My interior voice resounds with my own importance; my own knowledge is superior as to what the Messiah is to be.  I am responsible for the money; money is power and surely Jesus must realize he is to overthrow the dominance of Rome so Israel can prosper.  I will have a key role in governing then; worldly glory, power, riches, fame will be mine.  He has done other than what I expect; I have used so much of my energy defending my position here.  What does Jesus mean to need him in our hour of sorrow?  Bah on mercy and forgiveness; Rome is not going to fall for that outlook.  My pride too will not fall for that steel trap.

Today the die is cast.  A woman comes and anoints Jesus with precious oil. Why?  One could feed many people for what she spent on oil.  She must have spent thirty pieces of silver, and for what?  Love she says; I anoint him because he is going to suffer and die for my sins.

No, I will go to the authorities; I will make plans to turn Jesus over to the authorities.  We will see how loving and merciful he is when he is scourged, humiliated, or even killed. Soon we will go to the Passover Feast.  I will be given a seat of honor next to the Master.  He will recline his head on my breast.  I am the perfect actor, perfect hypocrite.  No one will suspect what I have done. “ Surely, it is not I, Rabbi? (Mt26:25)   

Well maybe Jesus will know of my betrayal- he always seems to know the desires of the heart. It will be dark, and there should be little light to highlight my misdeeds.  Let us see if he is a light to the world.

I will accept his morsel of bread as his friend, his companion, not realizing all this is in God’s plan. It was prophesized, “Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me. (Ps41:9)

Again and again Jesus offers me his love and mercy.  I justify my reasoning; I will offer Jesus to the authorities.  “The man I shall kiss is the one.” (Mt26:47-50)   A kiss, a sign of affection, has turned into a sign of betrayal. 

I have chosen my path.  My hour does not end well for me; I cannot acknowledge my sinfulness; I can only condemn myself.

“Judas is neither a master of evil nor the figure of demoniacal power of darkness but rather a sycophant who bows down before the anonymous changing moods and current fashion.  But it is precisely this anonymous voice that cried, “Away with him!  Crucify him!” (Pope Benedict XVI)

Peter’s Hour of the Cross

Around the campfire in the courtyard of Caiaphas I sit. Memories surface with each spark of fire; memories are buzzing like angry gnats. Memories disturb my uneasy being; I am quaking with fear of someone discovering who I am. It is something I also ask myself. Who am I? Is this my hour of suffering? I am thinking of self, not the Master, the one I profess to love. I call to mind the words I uttered not so long ago; “To whom can we turn? You have the words of eternal life.” (Jn 6:68) My faith is wavering; the Master needs to see my presence, to feel my support and my love.

I remember Jesus coming to the boat to speak to the crowd; to urge me to put out the nets for a catch- of men not fish, he said. Are the guards here in the courtyard the men I am to show the Way to Jesus? I have not kept my eye on Jesus; I struggle again as I did on the water to reach him.

Those days were idyllic, simple. It was easy for me to follow Jesus; easy to listen to his words about his Father and him. The boat was on an even keel.

Now the waters are turbulent; I am afraid. I want to stop my ears from hearing his words of truth. “You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own but the one who sent me, who you do not know, is true. I know him because I am from him and he sent me. (Jn 7:28) These are words of blasphemy to some; they are words of truth to believers.

Is my human nature in control of my thoughts and actions? I want the Spirit to revive my broken heart. Who is the real me, the real Peter? Is the real Peter the one who attempted to cut off the ear of the soldier in the garden? Is the real me the one only one who followed Jesus after his arrest, albeit at a distance? Is the real Peter the one who has been given a special task- to lead the flock of believers?

Will Jesus still love me with all my faults? Will he see what is inside me- see what is to be for me? This is my hope. This is why Jesus is before Caiaphas. This is why he shoulders all my faults as he goes up the hill to Calvary. Three times I will deny him- Jesus whom I love. He forgives me; he loves me. With his support, his grace, I can go forth to fulfill the purpose for which I was created.

Strength for the Journey

There is a road meant for you to travel. Narrow and steep is the shepherd’s way, and as you say, “Yes,” letting me guide you, I will be strength for the journey.

I will be, I will be, I will be strength for the journey . (Repeat chorus.)

There is a cross meant for you to carry. There is a cross meant for you alone, and as you bow down in humble surrender, I will be strength for the journey. Chorus

How many times have you doubted my word? How many times must I call your name? And as you say, “Yes,” letting me love you, I will be strength for the journey.

I will be, I will be, I will be strength for the journey. I will be, I will be, I will be strength for the journey.

Michael John Poirrier

“Lifting up” Moses, Jesus and Man

“Moses lifted the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes may have eternal life.” (Jn3:14-15)

The initiative for both Moses and Jesus in “lifting up” comes from God; God gave both men power to restore life to another. The initiative, the power, was generated by God’s love for man.  God himself is love; love is given over to another.

Moses’ lifting up has time restraints for man.  Jesus by His “lifting up” on the cross gives away power to man.  Man is given eternal life- the very life of God himself.  God’s love for man is from all time until all time.  Christ’s lifting up on the cross is the most visible expression of God’s love for man.  “And this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (Jn17:3)

Jesus’ power, Jesus’ love is one with God- real power, real love- love becoming powerful, encompassing heaven, earth, time, and eternity.  The power, the love, pours forth from the roots of the cross to lift man up from sin so man may believe and have eternal life.

Christ being lifted up on the cross is the radical gift of himself- the ultimate surrender in which nothing is held back- a total giving of self- the total self-giving face of God.  It is not a passive role; Christ does not merely bear with man; Christ identifies himself with man so that our sins belong to him and his entire being belong to us.  He accepts man and lifts man up so that man can be active with his support in continuing the love and work which he has shown on earth.  Then Christ is lifted up in His glory!

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

Whenever a national event is televised, journalists and psychologists look for the precipitating event- an event which precedes and greatly motivates an action.  Matthew, Mark and Luke would have concluded driving out the money changers in the temple was the precipitating event of the Passion and Death of Jesus.  When money is taken away, when men are humiliated, men become angry and seek revenge.  It is the way of the world.  Jewish authorities probe Jesus for a sign of His authority.  His zeal they could not understand.  After all, this was only an area where Gentiles could come to pray.  Ah, human nature!  If one wants to deter another- to say they have no standing, selling animals in their sacred space is a way to discourage them.  Yes, Jesus is angry- not a passing human emotion, but a passion to set things right.  His Father’s sacred place has become a mall where merchandise is exchanged, where love has no meaning.

John’s Gospel is the gospel of the Messiah- the gospel where one searches deeper to find truth.  John’s Gospel places the cleansing of the temple at the beginning of Christ’s ministry.  Probably Jesus attended the Passover in Jerusalem more than once; he was a devout Jew.  The event could be the precipitating event for the disciples understanding the meaning of Messiah.  His zeal is for His Father’s temple- the place He is to be found for Jews in the Old Testament; He is the Messiah; His zeal is that of the Messiah who is love for all men- both Jew and His cleansing is of the sin of human corruption- avarice, disrespect, hate. The temple He cleanses is man built; the Temple of His sacred Body is the one that will arise from the dead on the third day- the greatest event in human history.  It is the event the world will remember, whereby death leads to eternal life.  It is the event where man is able to become the living temple of the Lord.

Fallen human nature is cleansed to become a new creation-the temple of man’s heart is the place where God’s heart is; the zeal is the fire of the Holy Spirit entering and enlarging the heart of man, so man may be open to receiving God.  Now the heart can hear His words, know His love and both Jew and Gentile live in the peace of God.

No longer slaves to Egypt, no longer slaves to money, division, no more sacrifice of sheep and oxen, Christ the Messiah has entered the temple of the world to become the new Jerusalem, the new perfet high priest, and man is given the Word of Life.  To Him do all men come to pray, to have sins washed away, to have hearts become hearts of love whereby He might dwell, for man to continue the work He has shown to man.

The Transfiguration of Jesus

To Peter, James and John going up the mountain to pray with Jesus resulting in the transfiguration of Jesus, is a kaleidoscope; snapshots of past, present and future images, flowing before their eyes. Their strong exposure to God begins quietly, prayerfully; it is their journey of faith upward on the mountainous journey toward highest faith, love, and communion. Images implode their human minds; reflection will be needed to assimilate the experience. Seeing their rabbi, teacher, human friend, Jesus luminous; radiating light from within, shining so brightly, engage their senses. There is no haze, no dust mites to distort the image-only clear, crisp unbelievably bright light. It is true- human and divine natures intersect within Jesus.

The Apostles are exhilarated, joyful, and fearful of the magnificent vision. It is an Abraham moment of faith. The experience rises with love from their very depth, their heart and souls as they “see,” witness, Jesus in new light. They stop in their tracks, fall to their knees as God’s glory, the Source of light, permeate their bodies. Truth and love merge. Reality is changed before their eyes.

The image of the first Adam before the fall is called from their memory. First man, Adam, his light, the bright clothing over his body, is now Jesus, the new Adam. The Apostles look forward to the powerful light of their bodies after earthly death as they rise upward in praise of the Father.

Moses and Elijah are with Jesus; they are the Law and the Messianic prophet of the Old Testament. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament. Jesus as Savior- His authority, His mission, is heard by the Apostles. This is the Son of Man going forth in His glory to His Passion, Death and Resurrection. The true Messiah has come to earth and His mission will end in glory- glory given by the Father to His Son. The cross and the glory are intertwined by Christ’s love for man; the Messiah triumphs over sin, evil and death and Jesus is given the light of glory by God, His Father.

God speaks to the Apostles who will witness, give testimony to Jesus as Son of God with God’s authority and God’s words. God acknowledges His Son by His “sign” of luminous light. Listen, He commands; listen to His words of truth and life. Listen to His love for all men; listen to His obedience to the Father. Listen man, have your heart transformed- become the man I created you to be when I created Adam; become your full potential. Listen to the command Jesus gives- Love the Lord; love one another. (Matt22:36-40)

Is it any wonder Peter wanted to build tents here on the mountain where Jesus is transfigured into light? Let us remember this true Festival of Tabernacles; let us honor the Exodus whereby God leads His people out of the Egypt of their sin. Tents of material could never hold Jesus’ supernatural light; only man’s heart could receive the light of love and then pour love out for others; love returning to Love ten-fold- the true sacrifice for man’s sin.

How can we receive the vision of Christ’s Transfiguration? How can we overcome the “clouding of the image of God” in today’s world? We can only look inside ourselves, desire and beg Him for His mercy and love to see the true light which Jesus brings to us.

“This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mk1:15)
Wild beasts of evil and sin roam the world today as in earlier times. Evil is not an illusion; God is not superfluous, and man cannot be indifferent. Man is not in control of the earth, himself. Man is not God, no matter how much he sacrifices himself to the reasoning of the wild beasts of the world. Only God is creator; only God can control the floods of destruction. Only God has made a covenant with man through Noah and others; only God has promised man to send One who will enable man to overcome the wild beasts- even the wild beasts within man.

God sent His Son- the One He loves, the One who loves us- the One who showed His love on Good Friday and who rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. He did this once, for all men, for all time. We remember, we love, we imitate.

Lent is a preparation, an arming of ourselves, a Christian “boot camp”, if you will. Lent is forty days of preparation as Christ prepared for His mission of love and redemption for the world.

John and Jesus call sinners to “repent and believe”. Repent is to leave behind something and move toward Someone. Lent is time to leave behind old ways of destruction, old self-attachments -to “die to self” and to live in Christ. It is time to overcome apathy, discouragement, pretension of self-sufficiency and let God enter one’s heart. Now is the time to look carefully inside oneself- to unite one’s body and soul, mind and heart into a living love – to refocus one’s life.

Now is the time to reflect and ask oneself:

What temptations are most prevalent in me?

In what way have I hurt others and God?

What are the gods in my life?

Repentance involves making a decision:

With whom do I want my heart to stay?

Now is the time to make a proactive stance that will allow one to grow closer to Christ. It should not be viewed as a problem to solve, rather, “How can my actions be pleasing to God? How can my prayers, charity open hearts to Christ?” Only when I am submissive to Him, can I beg for God’s help and mercy.

Lent is the time of fulfillment for man’s response to God’s love.