“Be courageous. Do not fear apparent obstacles, but fix your gaze upon the Passion of My Son, and in this way you will be victorious.” Divine Mercy in My Soul # 449
Why am I so focused upon the Passion and wounds of Christ when we are preparing for this joyous season celebrating the Incarnation of Jesus? Because the greatest gift mankind ever received came on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday – the passion, death and resurrection. Because, Jesus was born so that He may die.
Pray often over the passion and wounds of our Lord. Focus your energies and thoughts upon the suffering Jesus endured for you to know the Father in Heaven and His Divine Mercy.
“Remember My Passion, and if you do not believe My words, at least believe My wounds.” Divine Mercy in My Soul # 379
Find a focus of these prayers. As Catholics we are blessed to have the crucifix to remind us. Every time we look at the crucifix carrying the body of our Lord, we aren’t shown empty promises but a promise kept through suffering and death. I pray the ‘Jesus Prayer’ over each of the wounds of Jesus every time I pass my Cross of St. Benedict Crucifix. My crucifix is placed in a central and prominent location in our home. I pass it to go up the stairs and out the front door and to pass from one room to another.
Placing my fingers over each wound site, I pray, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Then, for my peace of soul and as a reminder, I miss the feet of Jesus, saying, “Jesus, I trust in You.”
It doesn’t matter what you do, just spend time each day remembering and meditating upon the passion of our Lord. It does work to put into focus our sufferings. Realizing what Jesus did for us, from the crib forward and uniting our struggles to this cross drawn out from the crib, our lives and sufferings come into focus and line with His – “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for His body” Colossians 1:24
“Let every soul trust in the Passion of the Lord, and place its hope in His mercy. God will not deny His mercy to anyone.” Divine Mercy in My Soul # 72
“He said to me, My daughter, meditate frequently on the sufferings which I have undergone for your sake, and then nothing of what you suffer for Me will seem great to you.” Divine Mercy in My Soul # 1512
Visit https://crossofstbenedict.com/benedictine-products/ to look through the selection of beautiful crosses and crucifixes hand built by my brother in Christ, Patrick Campbell.