“Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins. But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.” Isaiah 53:4-5
It is heartbreaking what we do to the love of Jesus. How many crucifixes do you see upon which Jesus hangs, looking all pretty and clean? I’m truly sad for our Protestant brothers and sister who completely remove Him from the cross. They claim that Jesus is not on the cross now that He is risen but they lose so much. As do we as Catholics when we pretty up Jesus on the cross.
The cross is a horrible thing. It is a Roman execution of the most horrible kind. Jesus didn’t die a pretty death. He died of asphyxiation, blood loss and physical trauma. He had been beaten, scourged to the point of removing skin and muscle. The lashes ripped the muscle of His chest and back to expose ribs. The crown of thorns was not a comfortable golden ring but tore through His scalp and even eyelids as it was pressed into His head. This was no PG scene.
The Romans and Jewish leaders saw this as a brutal execution but that was not the case. This was the greatest sacrifice and act of love of all time. We need to look upon the sacrifice Jesus made for our sake that we may see and know His love for us.
We need to focus upon and meditate on His sacrifice. If we look at the cross or read the Passion narratives and don’t feel uncomfortable, we need to stop and delve deeper. The brutality of what my sins did to the Lord is beyond human imagination. This image of the crucifixion is one that I ‘love’. Just looking at it makes me gasp and want to cry. How could we have done this to the Lord? How can I continue to do this to Him?
I often sit and think about our Lord’s Passion and death. It breaks my heart, many times I find myself tearful as I read the Scriptures telling of the Passion. I guess that’s why I ‘enjoy’ watching the Passion Of The Christ as well. It leaves me humbled and crying of what I have done to Jesus by my sins. But, He loves me this much despite, or maybe because I’m such a wretched sinner. And, THAT, truly bring me to tears. Tears of overwhelmed joy and love at His love.
Don’t cover up or hide this brutal sacrifice. As Catholics, we need to focus upon this horrible tragic event that we may see how much Jesus loves us. Suffering in love for another is the greatest of love.
“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
“Remember My Passion, and if you do not believe My words, at least believe My wounds.” Divine Mercy in My Soul # 379
This Crucifix hangs at The Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama. I cry when I gaze up into these eyes, seeing the beating Jesus took for me.
“For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world”