Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“I am the Son of God.”

 

Gospel Reading: John 10:31-42

 

The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus. Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?" The Jews answered him, "We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God." Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, You are gods"'?  If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and Scripture cannot be set aside, can you say that the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?  If I do not perform my Father's works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father." Then they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power.  He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.  Many came to him and said, "John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true." And many there began to believe in him.

 

For years we have heard the Passion of Jesus. Every Easter we hear the story of Jesus during the last 24 hours before His crucifixion. But have we become desensitized to the real suffering that Christ faced on that day. Over the next week, we should keep the Passion at the forefront of our thoughts. The Passion of Christ should consume our thoughts. “He suffered under Pontius Pilot, was crucified and was buried” – but why? In today’s Gospel, the Jews want to stone him and Jesus says to them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?” Why do they want to stone someone who is doing good? In the images of the Passion, we see Jesus in total agony, his sorrow is heavy with the cross he is about to carry. When he is scourged, we see the flesh ripped from his body because of our sins. Jesus is taking a lashing for every one of our sins; for my greed, my gluttony, and my lust. As you reflect on each of your sins, Jesus is struck again and again. As the whip of your sins tear through his body, his human flesh is ripped away exposing the spiritual nature of his inside. As Jesus is tortured for our sins, you see the pain and agony in his face. But when the scourging is done he rises up and opens his arms to hold you knowing that he has freed you from death.

 

The light of the Holy Spirit comes shining through the gashes in his body. Because of my weakness, he takes the cross; he takes my cross and carries it to Calvary. There, I drive nails in his hands and feet. Again, the agony of my sinfulness is heavy on his face. I raise him in the air like a flag on pole and there in his total nakedness, his total abandonment he looks down at me and says, you are forgiven for I love you. “He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24) Jesus wraps himself around me and his blood covers me. His blood protects me. Jesus came to this world to bring us the Father. He did miracles so we would know that He is the Son of God. He healed the sick and brought people back from the dead. Yet the Jews could not see that this “man” was the true son of God. At this time, they did not know the Passion; they have not witnessed the ultimate glory of God. However, in response to his great works, they accuse him of blasphemy. They wanted to punish him by stoning him. In our choices we make today, we are no different than the Jews who wanted to stone him.  We turn away from his miracles and deny his healing powers.  We buy into the secularism of the world and allow our own individual desires control our morality.  We lose sight of Jesus, the Son of God, the savior of the world.

 

It is difficult for us to see and accept all the glory God pours out for us. We doubt what we see with our own two eyes. It is difficult for us to see the miracles that God performs every day. We refuse to see the Holy Spirit as it descends into our souls. Yet we cannot deny the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on that cross. Know that he is looking down on us and forgiving us of our sins. The agony and torture he faced that Friday, the blood and sweat that poured from his body was done for our sins. Are you going to stone him or are you going to ask for his undying mercy at the cross? This coming week is Holy Week. Spend extra time examining your conscience. Go through your sins. Open your mind and accept that Jesus is the Son of God. Believe in his Word for the Word became flesh to save us from our sins. If we can see Christ in his sufferings, we will then realize the depth of his love for us.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

“Praise be to you, Lord Jesus Christ!”

Praise be to you for your miracles,

Praise be to you for your agony,

Praise be to you for your suffering, and

Most of all – Praise be to you for your cross.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon