+JMJ
A Contemplation On Another Aspect of Lent
I wrote recently about choosing a fruitful penance for Lent. (You can find that post here). Though lent is typically seen as a time of penance and reparation the Lord reminded me with the following contemplation about another important aspect that I often forget about.
That is consoling the Sacred Heart of Our Lord.
The Crowning With Thorns
The Pilate took Jesus and has Him scourged. And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and placed it on His head, and clothed Him in a purple cloak and they came to Him and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him relatedly. Once more Pilate went out and said to them, “Look, I am bringing Him out to you, so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him. So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple cloak. And he said, “Behold the man!”
When the chief priests and the guards saw Him they cried out, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him. I find no guilt in Him.” The Jews answered, “We have a law, and according to that law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”
Now when Pilate heard this statement, he became even more afraid, and went back into the praetorian and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” Jesus did not answer Him. So Pilate said to Him, “Do you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?” Jesus answered [him], “You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above. For this reason the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”
Consequently, Pilate tried to release Him; but the Jews cried out, “If you release Him, you are not a Friend of Caesar. Everyone who makes Himself a king opposes Caesar.”
When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus out and seated Him on the judge’s bench in the place called Stone Pavement, in Hebrew, Gabbatha. It was preparation day for Passover, and it was about noon. And he said to the Jews, “Behold, your king!” They cried out, “Take Him away, take Him away! Crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify you king?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” Then he handed Him over to them to be crucified.
John 19:1-16
My Contemplation
I am in the crowd just a passer by and I am carrying a bucket of water. I look down into the cold water where a sponge floats and bobs in the bucket as I walk along.
I look up to see Him bound, bloody, standing before the mob, crowned with thorns, and wearing a purple cloak. My heart is moved with pity for Him.
“But what could I do?” I think fear gripping my heart almost making me move on my way.
I swallow that fear and make my way through the mob of people. It should be loud, I can see the people shouting, but it is completely silent. The sun is out, but everything seems so dim and dull.
I make my way to the foot of the stairs where Jesus is on display and adjusting the bucket of water on my shoulder, I take the first step up. The mob is still in a silent uproar, but all I hear is a little whisper,
“Turn around,” it says.
Another step sloshing some water out of my bucket.
“You can’t help Him.”
Another step…
”You are nothing.”
I reach the final step now, and place my bucket down at the feet of Jesus. He watches me silently His hands bound before Him, standing firm against the assaults being thrown, still silently, against Him. I reach into the bucket and grab the sponge carefully ringing the excess water out. I reach up and begin to wash the face of my beloved Lord, soothing the torn flesh of His beloved countenance.
Once I have finished He takes the sponge from me and gently rings it out over the top of my head. Blessing me with the mingling of His Precious Blood and the, now Holy, water.
Consolations
I have so much sorrow in my heart as I read my favorite passage in all of scripture. I annoy stop crying for what my Lord has endured and how He was treated at His sentencing. For in this same way I have treated Him. I behold Him for the Wondrous Man that He is, but then turn and treat Him like less then dirt with my ongoing sins. I, in affect, choose “Caesar” over Him.
I am so like those in the crowd just passing by as they crucify my Lord, but doing nothing to stop it. Nothing to comfort Him. Nothing to ease His pain.
But even so, He sprinkles me with the consolations and the comfort of a blessing. I witnessed His suffering here and found a way to comfort Him in His agony. A small sigh of my heart for His misery and a tiny act of love and devotion.
As I sat contemplating this second part of Lent I was reminded of a book a read a couple years ago.
Consoling the Heart of Jesus by Michael E. Gaitley, MIC
It is a do-it-yourself retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. The Ignatian form of prayer has been in existence for almost 500 years, and as such, has led numerous saints into a very deep spirit-filled relationship with Jesus.
The problem is that to preform St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises as they were originally written requires 30 days of quiet (silent) seclusion. Being the forward thinker that he was, he realized that this wasn’t possible for most people. He shortened them in order to make them more widely available to those who lived and worked in the world.
Michael Gaitley goes even further and writes his retreat so that it can be done in a single weekend.
Jesus Desires Us
Gaitley’s retreat really brought to my attention, that we need God absolutely, but Jesus “needs” us too.
We were created out of the undying love of God, and because He is nothing but love, He yearns for each one of us. Jesus came into this world with a heart of flesh. But His heart is so incredibly special.
God chose to exist as a man with both a divine and human heart. In fact, He chose for His own the most sensitive, compassionate, and loving human heart of all. By choosing such a heart for Himself, He accepted that He would suffer the most burning desire for love- for every human being longs to be loved.
Consoling the Heart of Jesus, Page 58
He doesn’t need us in the same sense that we need Him. We need His love eternally. We would not, and could not, exist without Him. Our souls would be condemned for all eternity with out His love.
His need is more a deep longing desire for our love, in that loving Him brings our salvation, which He wants so much. He pours out a river of love to us, and desires His love to be multiplied in our hearts and returned to Him.
Sorrowful Heart of Jesus
Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary in front of the Blessed Sacrament and revealed the great sorrow in His heart:
Jesus Christ, my kind Master, appeared to me. He was a blaze of glory- His five wounds shining like five suns, flames issuing from all parts of His human form, especially from His divine breast which was like a furnace, and which He opened to disclose His utterly affectionate and lovable heart, the living source of all those flames. It was at this moment that He revealed to me the indescribable wonders of His pure love for mankind: the extravagance to which He’d been led for those who had nothing for Him but ingratitude and indifference. “This hurts me more,” He told me, “than everything I suffered in my Passion. Even a little love from them in return- and I should regard all that I have done for them as next to nothing, and look for way of doing still more. But no; all my eager efforts for their welfare meet with nothing but coldness and dislike. Do me the kindness, then- you, at least- of making up for all their ingratitude, as far as you can.”
Consoling the Heart Of Jesus, Page 42
He revealed to Saint Margaret Mary that my sins so easily wound His loving heart. It grieves Him so much when I turn my back on Him, and pass Him by in the crowd as He stands humiliated and attacked.
He desires so deeply to pour Himself our for me that He, literally, gave His last breath for me. The indescribable agonies He went through on my behalf were nothing if only He could have a small acknowledgement of love from my cold heart.
A simple thank you.
Consoling the Heart of Jesus
So, how can we ease the pains of the suffering Lord?
Make Yourself Available to Him
Put yourself in His presence in the sinful, weak, messy state that you are. Don’t continue to pass Him by and ignore His desire to spend time with you. If you take the time to listen He calls quietly to you, stop to soothe His wounded heart. Putting yourself in His presence allows Jesus to speak to you and guide you.
This can be done by practicing secluded-quiet prayer time and/or going to Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.
Open Your Heart to the Love and Suffering Of Jesus
Accept His love willingly by sharing in the carrying of His cross. By keeping your heart open to the mercy and love of Jesus, you are able to carry your daily burdens with humility, love, and joy. Allow Jesus to love you in the ways He deems necessary without complaint or protest. He did not complain or protest His Passion for your sake.
This can be done by meditating on the Passion of Jesus, spiritual reading, and performing daily chores willingly.
Be Thankful in All Things
It is easy to be thankful when life is good. It is a completely different situation to be thankful when life is hard. Sharing in the carrying of His cross shows a desire to return the love He has poured out to you back to Him.
This can be done by offering up your daily struggles for the consolation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and by performing a Daily Examen. (Examination of Conscience)
Honoring His Mother
The above contemplation was gifted to me after I had performed the First Saturday Devotion. I truly believe that the Lord blessed me because I honored His Holy Mother. In honoring her I also honored Him. In making reparation for the sins of ingratitude committed against her Immaculate Heart I consoled His suffering heart, for she suffers in the same respect as He does. She suffered in her heart all the atrocities He suffered in His Passion, so by this extension anything done for her is also done for Him.
This can be done by praying the Rosary daily, the First Saturday Devotion, and any Marian Devotion you are drawn too. (I pray the devotion of the Seven Sorrows Daily for example.)
I pray that these suggestions will help you have a deeper Lent this year. Lent is a time for reparation and penance, but also a time of gratitude and praise to Our Lord for the greatest gift ever given….
His life in reparation for the sins we commit.
So, take some time before Ash Wednesday and ask the Lord to reveal to you what you can do to show Him how grateful you are for His sacrifices and suffering. For I myself am a miserable sinner, who merits nothing, but He deserves the most glorious expressions of gratitude and honor.
Thrive in Jesus, my Friends!
What can you do strictly out of love for Him? What can you do to comfort our Lord? Leave me a comment and let me know!