Prayer and Meditation: The First Blow - A Meditation on Christ's Passion

KAC's Catholic Meditations ^ | 3/2/07 | Knitting a Conundrum

[Knitting A Conundrum]

The First Blow


The whip travels in a descending arc,
three thongs carrying weights of lead
double headed cargo
to increase the impact.

The hand that wields is
the rough and calloused hand
of a soldier doing a duty,
unknowing,
uncaring
of whose back it was in front of him.

Perhaps as he swings,
he thinks of all the looks of disdain,
the women who turn away,
the men who spit when he passes
and they think he does not see,
this strange people
with their strange hates
and strange language
and strange god,
and in retalliation,
he swings harder.

Yet his hand is not alone
on the braided leather of the handle,
his hand,
shadowed by every hand,
my hand,
my arm swinging the leather,
my sin adding to the agony
of that blow,
my darkness slapping against his skin,
causing him to gasp for breath
as it bites
my weakness the lead gouges digging.

Mea culpa,
mea culpa,
mea maxima culpa.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Please join me this second Friday of Lent in meditating on Jesus' sacrifice.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Prayer and meditation Ping!

[Knitting A Conundrum]

O Jesus,
Who by reason of Thy burning love for us hast willed to be crucified and to shed Thy Most Precious Blood for the redemption and salvation of our souls, look down upon us here gathered together in remembrance of Thy most sorrowful Passion and Death, fully trusting in Thy mercy; cleanse us from sin by Thy grace, sanctify our toil, give unto us and unto all those who are dear to us our daily bread, sweeten our sufferings, bless our families, and to the nations so sorely afflicted, grant Thy peace, which is the only true peace, so that by obeying Thy commandments we may come at last to the glory of Heaven. Amen.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

It was no clean thing, this,
no easy walk into that dark night
filled with memorable soundbites
and photo op moments,
soldiers in their dress uniforms
and dignitaries in their solemn regalia.

No clean thing, this,
filled with the sweat of pain
and the taste of blood,
the dust of the road,
the tears of grief,
the reality of betrayal,
the weight of sin.

No calm thing, this,
filled instead with noise:
the noise of mockery, bitter and undeserved,
punctuated with spittle and blows.
the noise of pain:
the slap of the flagellum against bare skin,
the sound of hammers driving spikes into wood
through human flesh,
cries ripped unbidden from the depths of the gut,
as flesh protested the hot sudden agony
that would not go away.
The noise of expediency: "Crucify him yourselves."

No easy walk this,
rushed through the crowded streets
beneath a crushing weight,
stripped of everything that matters most to man,
standing naked in the light of day
bruised and bloody and battered,
with nothing left to give
except the acceptance of pain,
except the final acts of love,
surrender
death.

Help me see, O Jesus,
beyond the pretty pictures
and soundbites
and images
of how God descended to death
in the dirty, miserable realness of it,
of man's willingness to be inhuman,
and you did this knowing how dark we can be,
and how unloving we can be,
and how we cling to the dark in spite of your light,
and you still chose to go.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

esus, in Thy cruel scourging in which Thou shed Thy Blood most painfully and abundantly, offering it to Thine Eternal Father in payment for our impatience and our wantonness, how is it, then, that we do not curb our wrath and self-love? Oh! let us henceforth try to be more patient in our trials, to cultivate self-control, and to bear in peace the injuries that men do us.

O Jesus, Thou art the Love and Life of my soul. I find true peace and real happiness only in Thy love, in Thy service, and in the imitation of Thy virtues. I offer myself to Thee; do what Thou willest with me; henceforth my motto shall be, "All for Jesus!"

[Knitting A Conundrum]

What is love, Lord,
but being open to you,
and trying to see
as you see
each child a person called to join you,
each person worthy to be beloved of God,
each person a chance for you
to come and be cared for,
and to care for the carer.

What is love, Lord,
but a cup of water offered,
bread given to fill a hungry stomach,
care given to the sick,
a kind word to an aching heart,
a soothing smile to one feeling hurt,
salve for the wound.

What is love, Lord,
but God come to earth
to walk as a man,
to know our limitations,
feel our pains,
hear our cries,
taste the dust,
and give himself up
to the torturer's whip
and the cries of the mob,
and the bite of the nail,
and the darkness of death.

Teach me Lord,
to love as you love,
to see as you see,
to be your hands,
to speak with your voice,
this day, and always.

Amen.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

O my good Jesus, my dear Savior, I compassionate Thee in Thy sufferings. I fervently bless Thee and thank Thee for all Thou hast done and suffered for me; give me grace to weep over the sins and the ingratitude which caused Thy dreadful agony. Sweet Jesus, mercy! Pardon me, O Lord, for my past indifference to Thy love.

Heart of Jesus, burning with love for us, set our hearts on fire with love of Thee.

May those bonds which confined Thy hands burst the fetters of my sins, and restore me to the sweet liberty of Thy children! I cast myself at Thy sacred feet, O my King and my God; and since Thou hast undergone the humiliation of allowing Thyself to be bound by Thy creatures, may I place my happiness in sharing Thy humiliations, and carrying Thy Cross.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

The moon was bright above the trees
The shadows dark beneath the leaves,
The night you fell down on your knees
To pray in grief alone.

refrain:
Jesus, Lamb of God
Jesus, Lamb of God
Jesus, Lamb of God
Jesus, Lamb of God

The night was dark like lost man's sin,
The grief you bore, their pain within,
You cried out "Not my will, " and then
Salvation's time was born.

The time had come to walk that way
Of sorrow, pain and and sad dismay
And in your death to take away
Man's destiny to die.

They nailed you bloody to the tree,
And you forgave in agony,
And by your death, you set us free,
My Savior and my God.

My Light, my Lord, my God on high,
Amazed at Heaven's love, I sigh,
That you for me would choose to die
To bring me home at last.


to the tune of the Christ Child Lullaby - tune and original song here:
http://www.nigelgatherer.com/tunes/tab/tab1/ccl1.html

[Knitting A Conundrum]

THOUGHTS AND AFFECTIONS ON THE PASSION OF OUR LORD

GOOD and merciful Jesus, my blessed Saviour! What a world of anguish pierced Thy Sacred Heart, what a flood of bitterness deluged Thy Soul, what a torrent of humiliation overwhelmed Thee in Thy Passion, from Gethsemane to Calvary!

When I contemplate Thee in Thy bitter Passion, looking at my crucifix, and reflecting on all Thy sufferings of Soul and Body-----on Thy mental anguish and dereliction; on Thy agony in the garden; Thy betrayal by Judas; the rudeness of the soldiers, dragging and striking Thee and spitting in Thy face; Thy contemptuous treatment at the tribunal of the haughty high priests Annas and Caiphas; Thy shameful mockery and humiliation at the court of Herod, where Thou wert treated as a fool; the cruel scourging and crowning with thorns, which made Thee so pitiable in appearance, as to cause even the Roman governor to exclaim, "Ecce: Homo!" and the Royal Psalmist to lament in prophetic vision,"I am a worm and no man, the reproach of men and the outcast of the people"; the derisive yells and the brutal cry of the frenzied and bloodthirsty rabble, " Crucify Him!"; the carrying of the heavy Cross in Thy enfeebled condition; the painful meeting with Thy sorrowful Mother, and at length the dreadful crucifixion between two thieves, and the hours of suffering on Calvary, which ended in Thy Death amid the awful gloom and convulsive desolation of nature; -----reflecting upon all these pains and torments, insults and outrages, to which Thou wert subjected in Thy Passion, I bow my head in shame and sorrow on account of my many sins, and deeply regret my self-indulgence and pride, which have led me so often to abuse Thy graces, to forget Thy love, and to wound Thy Sacred Heart.

O King of glory, Jesus, my Saviour! what marvelous virtue Thou dost display in this flood of sorrows, sufferings, and humiliations, which overwhelmed Thy Heart! What meekness, what resignation, what patience, what charity! Thou dost pray for those who outrage Thee. Thou offerest Thy sufferings for those who persecute and afflict Thee.

How unlike I am to Thee, my Divine Model! How great is the change that must be effected in me, if I wish to be Thy true disciple and to bear a resemblance to Thee! In all sincerity, however, I pray: "Jesus, meek and humble of Heart, make my heart like unto Thine." How different a rule of life, how great a reform of conduct is required of me before I shall be able to say with the Apostle: "I live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me." How unwilling I am to bear the slightest pain! How I shrink from the lightest cross! How impatient I am in sufferings, disappointments, and contradictions! And yet the Holy Spirit tells us, "Jesus Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow His steps"; and again, "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer."

How the Apostles, the Martyrs, and all the Saints have suffered! But they entered with firm tread the grotto of the Agony and stood bravely by the Cross. They rejoiced in suffering and persecution, because they became thereby more like to Christ; they bore in mind that great and abundant merit is attached to patient endurance of trials; they remembered that those who suffer with Christ, those who tread courageously the royal road of the Cross to Calvary, shall also ascend with Him to Heaven and reign with Him in immortal glory.

Henceforth I shall look upon pains and sufferings and humiliations as blessings sent me from Heaven as a means to make me become more Christ-like, to atone for my sins, to wean me from the love of self and the gratification of my passions, to teach me the vanities of the world, to lead me to greater perfection-----in a word, to make me a Saint. I will remember my Saviour's words: "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow Me" (Luke ix. 23).

I will accept with resignation and bear with patience every cross that comes to me, mindful of the Apostle's words, "We know that to them that love God all things work together unto good (Rom. viii. 28). Every pain may help us to shorten our Purgatory; every pain, moreover, is a means of merit and reparation when it is met in the spirit of our blessed Saviour, when it is accepted in union with His sufferings and endured for His sake on behalf of Souls for which He died.

O Jesus! I adore Thee carrying with love for us the Cross prepared for Thee by Thy Father, and beg of Thee, through the intercession of Thy holy and sorrowful Mother, patience and resignation in the trials of this life. ;

Divine Jesus! we adore Thee in the unfathomable debasements of Thy Passion and of Thy, presence on the altar; we adore Thee, O loving King! overwhelmed with insults both in Thy Passion and in the Sacred Host, and we beg of Thee, through the intercession of Thy holy and sorrowful Mother, the penitential spirit, the spirit of humility, obedience, and sacrifice, the grace of mortifying our pride and self-love. Heart of Jesus, wounded by my infidelities, forgive me my sins. I am sorry for having offended Thee, because Thou art infinitely good. Sin displeases Thee; I will not sin again. Heart of Jesus, let me drink of Thy chalice.

Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love! Thy Kingdom come! Mayest Thou reign in all hearts! Be Thou the sole Master of all that I am and have! May I live henceforth only to love Thee, to follow Thee, to serve Thee!

"Master, go on, and I will follow Thee,
To the last gasp with truth and loyalty."

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Passion of my Lord,
strengthen me,
so weak and ready to sin,
may memory of each drop of blood spilled
pour into my heart
like a beacon of love
to pull me back
into the way
of my Lord.

O Jesus!
Bring to mind
each labored, pain-filled breath,
each step towards Golgotha,
each blow,
each word of mocking,
each glance at your loved ones,
each moment of darkness,
undertaken for love,
for hope,
for life.

In my weakness,
bring me here,
to the foot of your cross,
where I,
with the Magdeline,
will weep bitter tears,
where I,
with your Mother,
will watch with breaking heart,
where I,
with John,
shall stand witness to the wonder
Of God, emptying himself out for love,
dying,
that we might live.


When I feel so weak,
and mortal,
and lost,
and alone,
O Passion of Christ,
strengthen me,
that I might always know
the truth,
and in knowing,
be transformed,
safe,
in the heart of Christ.

[Kitty Mittens]

I fervently bless Thee and thank Thee for all Thou hast done and suffered for me; give me grace to weep over the sins and the ingratitude which caused Thy dreadful agony. Sweet Jesus, mercy! Pardon me, O Lord, for my past indifference to Thy love.

Teary Amens, Dear Servant of Christ.

All Glory to Him
Who Alone is God,
Who Saves us
Through Jesus Christ our Lord;
Yes, Slpendor and Majesty,
All Power and Authority
Are His from the Beginning;
His they Are,
And Evermore Shall Be. (Jd.1:24)

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Lord, Have mercy on us.
Christ, Have mercy on us.
Lord, Have mercy on us.
Christ, Hear us.
Christ, Graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, brought before Annas and Caiphas,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, struck in the face by a servant,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, accused by false witnesses,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, declared guilty of death,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, spat upon,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, blindfolded,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, smitten on the cheek,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, thrice denied by Peter,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, delivered up to Pilate,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, despised and mocked by Herod,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, clothed in a white garment,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, rejected for Barabbas,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, torn with scourges,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, bruised for our sin,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, esteemed a leper,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, covered with a purple robe,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, crowned with thorns,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, struck with a reed upon the head,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, demanded for crucifixion by the Jews,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, condemned to an ignominious death,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, given up to the will of Thine enemies,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, loaded with the heavy weight of the Cross,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, led like a sheep to the slaughter,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, stripped of Thy garments,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, fastened with nails to the cross,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, reviled by the malefactors,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, promising Paradise to the penitent thief,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, commending St. John to Thy Mother as her son,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, declaring Thyself forsaken by Thy Father,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, in Thy thirst given gall and vinegar to drink,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, testifying that all things written concerning
Thee were accomplished,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, commending Thy Spirit into the hand of Thy Father,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, obedient even to the death of the Cross,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, pierced with a lance,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, made a propitiation for us,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, taken down from the Cross,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, laid in the sepulcher,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, rising gloriously from the dead,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, ascending into Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, our advocate with the Father, Have mercy on us.
Jesus, sending down on Thy disciples the Holy Ghost,
the Paraclete, Have mercy on us.
Jesus, exalting Thy Mother above the choirs of Angels,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, Who shalt come to judge the living and the dead,
Have mercy on us.
Be merciful, Spare us, O Lord.
Be merciful, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

From all evil, Lord Jesus,
Deliver us.
From all sin, Lord Jesus,
Deliver us.
From anger, hatred, and every evil will, Lord Jesus,
Deliver us.
From war, famine, and pestilence, Lord Jesus,
Deliver us.
From all dangers of mind and body, Lord Jesus,
Deliver us.
From everlasting death, Lord Jesus,
Deliver us.
Through Thy most pure Conception, Lord Jesus,
Deliver us.
Through Thy miraculous Nativity, Lord Jesus,
Deliver us.
Through Thy humble Circumcision, Lord Jesus,
Deliver us.
Through Thy Baptism and holy fasting, Lord Jesus,
Deliver us.
Through Thy labors and watchings, Lord Jesus,
Deliver us.
Through Thy cruel scourging and crowning, Lord Jesus,
Deliver us.
Through Thy thirst, and tears, and nakedness, Lord Jesus,
Deliver us.
Through Thy precious death and Cross, Lord Jesus,
Deliver us.
Through Thy glorious Resurrection and Ascension,Lord Jesus,
Deliver us.
Through Thy sending forth the Holy Ghost,
the Paraclete, Lord Jesus,
Deliver us.
In the day of judgment, Lord Jesus,
Deliver us.
We sinners beseech Thee, hear us.

That Thou would spare us,
We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou would pardon us,
We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou would vouchsafe to bring us to true penance,
We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou would vouchsafe mercifully to pour
into our hearts the grace of the Holy Spirit,
We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou would vouchsafe to defend and propagate Thy holy Church,
We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou would vouchsafe to preserve and increase
all societies assembled in Thy Holy Name,
We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou would vouchsafe to bestow upon us true peace,
We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou would vouchsafe to give us perseverance
in grace and in Thy holy service,
We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou would vouchsafe to deliver us from unclean thoughts,
the temptations of the devil, and everlasting damnation,
We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou would vouchsafe to unite us to the company of Thy Saints,
We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou would vouchsafe graciously to hear us,

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us, O Lord.
Christ, hear us; Christ, graciously hear us.

V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and praise Thee:
R . Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

Let Us Pray.
Almighty and eternal God, Who hast appointed Thine only-begotten
Son the Savior of the world, and hast willed to be appeased with
His blood, grant that we may so venerate this price of our salvation,
and by its might be so defended upon earth from the evils of this
present life, that in Heaven we may rejoice in its everlasting fruit. Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.

[Ciexyz]

Here's wishing everyone Lenten blessings. May the Lord honor the volunteers who manned the fish fries throughout our churches.