1.
“Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.”
(Luke 23:34)
Do you really believe God has forgiven your sins? Do you take time on a regular basis to confess your sins so that you might enjoy the freedom of forgiveness? Do you need to experience God’s forgiveness in a fresh way today?
2.
“I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
(Luke 23:43)
Have you staked your life on Jesus? Have you put your ultimate trust in him? Do you know that, when your time comes, you will be with him in paradise?
3.
“Dear woman, here is your son.”
(John 19:26)
What does Mary’s presence at the cross evoke in you? Why do you think was it necessary for Jesus to suffer physical pain as he died?
4.
“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
(Mark 15:34)
Have you taken time to consider that Jesus was abandoned by the Father so that you might not be? What does this “word” from the cross mean to you?
5
“I am thirsty.”
(John 19:28)
How do you respond to Jesus’ statement “I am thirsty”? What does this statement suggest to you about Jesus? About yourself?
6.
“It is finished!”
(John 19:30)
Do you live as if Jesus finished the work of salvation? To you have confidence that God will finish that which he has begun in you?
7.
“Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!”
(Luke 23:46)
Have you put your life and, indeed, your life beyond this life, in God’s hands? How do you experience God’s salvation through Christ in your life today?
“Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.” (Luke 23:34)
ReplyDeleteAs Jesus' mission on earth was nearly complete through the ultimate act of sacrificial love on the cross, the words from Luke's Gospel ["Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."] remind us of His loving mercy. In spite of being betrayed, abandoned, forsaken, wrongly condemned, stripped of his garments, crowned with thorns, and nailed to a cross, Jesus called upon his Father, not out of pity or anger, but imploring forgiveness for those who ridiculed Him, spit on Him, and beat Him. In the Bible, it was revealed that Jesus came to call sinners, to offer a new way of life for all people. As He stretched out His arms and prepared to die, He knew that His enemies had no idea they were killing the true Son of Man. Thus, the Savior of the World opened His heart with infinite mercy and provided everlasting forgiveness for everyone who would ever come to believe in Him. How is this occurrence, which took place over two thousand years ago, still relevant to our lives? During this Jubilee Year of Mercy, and especially now that it is Holy Week, the time is ideal for us to encounter God's unending forgiveness. We are blessed to attend a Catholic school and be part of a community in which there are countless opportunities to receive the graces of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Yes, Holy Week is undoubtedly the summit of the Church's Liturgical Year because it commemorates the unity of the Paschal Mystery, that is, the Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of our Lord. Also known as the Easter Triduum, it begins with the Mass of the Lord's Supper on the evening of Holy Thursday and concludes with the evening prayer on Easter Sunday. These events are the most significant celebrations of the liturgical season because they prefigure the focal point of Christianity, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We believe that one day, we too will rise and experience God's heavenly kingdom, just as Jesus did. "And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:14). That is why the Resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of the Christian Faith and, because His Rebirth takes place during the Paschal Triduum, Holy Week is the climax of the liturgical calendar.
Reflection
ReplyDeleteDo I really believe God has forgiven my sins?
Of course. Jesus performed the ultimate act of sacrificial love, through His death on the cross, for the atonement of all the sins of the world, including mine. If I don't believe in God's power to grant mercy for my wrongdoings, then theoretically I would be denying Christ's Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension.
Do I take time on a regular basis to confess my sins so that I might enjoy the freedom of forgiveness?
Apart from the opportunities that our school provides us with, I have not taken enough time on a regular basis to confess my sins. I often find myself making excuses as to why I "don't have time" to go to confession. This is certainly something I need to work on if I ultimately want to lead a holier life. God is always willing to forgive, even forget, my transgressions; I just have to be open to receive the graces He offers through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I realize I need to go to confession more often because when I do take the initiative to go, it's as if I have been freed from the "chains of sin."
Do I need to experience God’s forgiveness in a fresh way today? Yes (I think I speak for all of us). The time could not be more ideal to encounter God's forgiveness. First of all, this is the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Secondly, the most important week of the Liturgical Year is upon us. Regardless, we all could use a touch of God's loving and forgiving graces.
Jared:
DeleteYou explained this saying of Jesus wonderfully. I really enjoyed reading this blog! First, I think it was wonderful how you mentioned the Jubilee Year of Mercy. I also liked the way you portrayed all the things that happened to Jesus, and said how He still forgave them. Your reflections were honest and very nice. This was excellent, Jared!
Jared,
DeleteI love how in your blog you portrayed the selflessness of Jesus on the cross. You did a great job stating your points and providing really good support. Your reflection was great as well. Good Blog!
“Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!”
ReplyDelete(Luke 23:46)
These words are significant in our church, as Jesus prayed them in his last few breathes. Some of us might read this and wonder why does Jesus say this? Let's go back to the night before he was killed. He knew one of his disciples was going to betray him, yet He did not try to stop it because He knew Gods plan was greater than His. We read and hear about Jesus' agony in the garden, when He was praying to God, knowing what he had to go through the next day. Simply Jesus knew what kind of suffering He had to go through, but not once did He complain nor try to escape this because He knew this was Gods plan, and He knew that this needed to be done. So when Jesus said these words, which we sometimes hear as "Father, I put my life in your hands", He was basically saying I did this because it was your will. Obviously there was not a better leader that walked on this earth, and Jesus is again teaching us something. We can look at this in our own lives, and try to put our lives in Gods hands. Does that mean we have to go surrender our lives to God through the priesthood or religious life? Of course not. We are called to be solid Catholic's being sharers in the Gospel. When we are struggling we can put our struggles and hardships in Gods hands because there is nothing else He wants more than for you to come to Him. He thirsts for us, we are called to put our lives into his hands.
Holy Week is arguably the biggest week in the liturgical year. We have a chance to walk with Jesus through his Passion, Death, and Resurrection into heaven. Why is it so important though? Well we must remember that by Christ Jesus dying on that cross, He freed is from our sins and opened up the gates of heaven. Without everything that happened during this week, the Catholic faith would be nonexistent. Without the Resurrection, we would not have anything! This week is important, and a great week to get closer to God. So if you, my fellow classmates, are reading this before they happen, I encourage you to go to Good Friday service today and celebrate the death of Jesus, and then celebrate the Resurrection of Him on Sunday. This week is essential! Put your life into His hands, Jesus is thirsting for you.
Have you put your life and, indeed, your life beyond this life, in God’s hands?
Everyday I pray and ask God for guidance. Through God I can accomplish all things. I realize we only have a short time here on earth, therefore I try to make the things I do on earth help my chances of being with God in heaven.
How do you experience God’s salvation through Christ in your life today?
We ca experience Gods salvation and mercy every time we celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation. We are sinners yet Christ is there telling us that there is no too big of sin, and that he will always be there to love us. This can only happen when we surrender to Him and repent.
Gabe,
DeleteI loved your blog. We did the same quote and I like how you took a different spin on it. We had different ideas that have a very similar theme, trusting God. You captured this very well in your blog, and the use of rhetorical question contributed greatly to the overall effect. Great Job!
Gabe,
DeleteYour overall blog was great, but what I really enjoyed were your reflections. Your absolutely right saying that we only have a short time here on earth, and in that short time we should spend out time striving to get to Heaven.
In Jesus' words "Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands." He shows his ultimate trust in his father. God has complete control over our lives, and he is why we fail or succeed. It's hard to remember this when we are stressed out or when we do something great. Always putting our lives into Gods hands is an act of trust and faith shows we truly believe in our faith.
ReplyDeleteIt is human nature to stress out over things like school, work, sports, and other activities. However, always having this stressful attitude is in some ways showing that we do not believe God has control. We need to trust that he will come through for us. The best way to combat the temptations of giving into stress is to pray. When we pray, we put our lives in Gods hands.
While praying to God during hard times is a practice that shows our faith, we also have to follow through after the fact. When something great happens, we need to acknowledge that God has a major role in our success. He will come through for us, and we need to know when to give him that credit. When we do this we prove we really do have faith and it will bring other people to him.
It's hard to trust God completely like this, but it's something I try to do in my daily life. When something becomes too much, it only takes a few seconds to stop, calm down, and remember why you're here. I am not perfect, and sometimes I get stressed and despair about a certain situation. But every time I remember what I'm here for, that renewed faith gets me back on the right track. Remember what you're here for, and trust God to have a path planned for you. If Jesus trusted God on the cross as he was dying, we can too.
Catherine,
DeleteI enjoyed your insights and thoughts on Jesus' words. The points you made to stress and the trust we have in God connects to all of our lives. We can all be stressed in our daily lives but by stopping to pray really does help to place our trust back in God.
Catherine,
DeleteI enjoyed your line where you said that putting our lives into Gods hands is an act of trust and faith that shows we truly believe in our faith. Because by doing that we completely giving ourself to God and it shows our love and trust for him. I always liked how you said that if Jesus trusted God, then we can too.
Catherine:
DeleteYou made a lot of really good points in this blog and I enjoyed reading it. I think you did a great job explaining that putting trust in God can be an act of faith and hard for us sometimes. Like you said, life is hard, and I agree we need to always trust in Gods plan. You ended your post with a great thing to think about, how Jesus trusted his Father on the cross, we need to always trust in His plan in our lives.
Catherine,
DeleteYour interpretation of this statement was very profound. I'm not surprised, however, because you are, after all, a critical thinker. I am more familiar with another version of this quote ["Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"]. Both have the same meaning, just different syntax. Anyways, your blog was very relatable, and I agree, you can never go wrong when you pray!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
ReplyDelete(Mark 15:34)
In he agony that Jesus went though on the cross neared the climax . Jesus reached out in hope and desperation to the Father, in his greatest time of need. He began to lose faith and hope that the greatest gift given to us was really needed. He thought was this all worth the pain and hardships, in this moment he reached out one last time to his father. Jesus just wanted to know that his father was there for him. These final words were word that accused God, and asked him to answer for his wrongdoing and silence towards his only son. Jesus knew that what he was doing was undoubtedly need for the sake of mankind. Holy Week is unquestionably the climax of the liturgical year. It commemorates the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, our savor. It take place over the Easter Triduum, which last for three days and highlight the greatest moments of Jesus's life. Most importantly it celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus, which is our salvation in the afterlife.
Reflection:
Have you taken time to consider that Jesus was abandoned by the Father so that you might not be?
I have not considered that Jesus being abandoned directly saves me from being abandoned. I always believe that it was only Jesus death that saves us, I have never considered that Jesus's abandonment has helped God to open up to me and speak and always be there for me.
What does this “word” from the cross mean to you?
It means to me that Jesus began to lose hope and trust in God as he died on the cross, just as I in my life struggle though hardships and feel abandoned, but I always know that God is there. Jesus also seemed to ask God one more final time if this is really what God wanted.
Mitchell,
DeleteI thought your opinions on this verse were great. I also enjoyed how you discussed the reflection questions. I also never really thought about God abandoning Jesus so that I did not have to be. I believe that your response to the second reflection question can really connect with many of us, especially teenagers.
Mitchell,
DeleteYou did a great job of arguing that Holy Week is the climax of the liturgical year. I enjoyed your mentioning of the Easter Triduum. I agree with Hailee that this quote is definitely relatable for everyone because it easy to feel abandoned sometimes, but it is very uplifting to remember that God is always there for us.
“I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).
ReplyDeleteThis statement made by Jesus inspires faith and the hope of the resurrection in all of us. Jesus suffered and died on the cross for our sins so that we may be united with Him and the Father in Heaven. He died in order to promise us an eternal life of paradise so that we may never truly die. In Christ we will be saved. By promising us a place with the Father in Heaven, Jesus gave the faith and religion an entirely new meaning. He gave every Christian something to live and strive for. By living our lives in the hope of meeting the Lord and Christ in Heaven, we become better Christians that work for the good of others and perform the will of God.
Holy Week is the climax of the liturgical season because the entire Catholic faith is centered around Easter and the week of preparation before it. During Holy Week, we all experience our salvation history first hand. Every year at this time we learn that Jesus' sacrifices have saved us from death. Without the passion of Jesus, there would be no faith or hopes for achieving Heaven through our salvation.
Have you staked your life on Jesus?
I have worked to stake my life on Jesus, but I have not always succeeded. I do not always center my life around Jesus when I should. However, I have also worked to do that more during this Lent.
Have you put your ultimate trust in him?
I have not always put my ultimate trust in Jesus. I become nervous and scared and forget that God has a plan for me. I tend to forget that God is always ahead of me, which causes me to not place all of my trust in Jesus.
Do you know that, when your time comes, you will be with him in paradise?
I could not say for certain that I will be with Jesus in paradise. I, like everyone else, sin and make mistakes. I do not think that anyone could say whether or not they will have a place in paradise with the Lord. However, the Lord and Jesus want to bring everyone into their kingdom and want to save each of us.
Hailee,
DeleteI enjoyed your perspective on this quote: the fact that Christ's promise of eternal salvation gives our lives meaning, a sense of purpose. I also believe that you provided an honest and sincere reflection, which was the main point of the blog: to step back and spirtually examine our lives in preparation for the most important week of the Liturgical Year. Nice work.
“I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
ReplyDeleteJesus' Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension into Heaven saved us all so we can have eternal life with God the Father in His Kingdom. As Jesus' final minutes came, one criminal asked for Jesus who claimed to be Christ to save them from their suffering. Although, the second criminal rebuked him Asking Jesus to remember him when He enters the Kingdom of Heaven. In reply Jesus said, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus was not only talking to the criminals with him, but assuring that His dying on the cross opened up the gates of heaven so one day we can be reunited with Jesus and God the Father in Heaven. From this day forward, each person should live their life in hope of reaching this paradise. Holy Week is reminder to us what Jesus did for us, and what we should be doing in our lives for Him. Our goal in life should be to live the best possible life we can on this earth through Jesus, so we can live with him forever.
Holy Week is unarguably the climax of the liturgical year, by commemorating the Paschal Mystery of our Savior. This takes place over what's known as the Easter Triduum which lasts three days, but it is liturgically one day showing us the unity of Christ's Paschal Mystery. This celebration marks the end of the Lenten Season, and leads us to the mass of the Resurrection of the Lord at the Easter Vigil. Overall, we celebrate Jesus saving us and granting us eternal life into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Reflection:
Have you staked your life on Jesus?
Jesus should always be first in our lives, and I'll be the first to admit I do not always succeed in that. Lent is a great reminder to Christians everywhere why Jesus did what he did for us, and remind us he is number one is our lives. Each Lenten season I work hard to stake Jesus in my life, and I continue to try to do it year round not just during Lent.
Have you put your ultimate trust in him?
God has a plan set for every single on of his children. Sometimes I do not ultimately trust that God knows what is best for me, but I know he undoubtably does. Therefore, I need to put more trust in my faith, and know that God is always there for me.
Do you know that, when your time comes, you will be with him in paradise?
I try my best not to sin, but as a human being I am not perfect. I strive to go to confession and ask God for forgiveness when I do wrong, and try hard not to sin again even though I probably will because none of us are perfect. I know that if I continue to strengthen my faith, one day I will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Brad,
DeleteYour inclusion of the Paschal Mystery in your blog definitely strengthened your ideas. I enjoyed that you spoke of the context of the quote. I had never really thought of that. I also liked your honesty in your reflection. Great blog!
"I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43)
ReplyDeleteI believe these, as Jesus' "last words," are incredibly powerful. This quote truly shows the purpose behind Jesus' life. His passion, death, and resurrection were all for us, so that our sins could be forgiven, and we would have a place in heaven. Just as Jesus' suffering had the purpose of our redemption, our lives serve the same purpose. We, like Jesus, are on this earth to serve God so that we can take our place in heaven, or paradise, with our Father. Without this promise, what would the true purpose of life be? Without knowing of eternal happiness after we die, I think life would be more of a condemnation than a glorious gift. Without Jesus' condemnation, we would be condemned to eternal suffering.
Holy Week is the climax of the Liturgical Season because all of our Catholic beliefs are based upon the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. The greatest holiday in the Catholic Church, and Holy Week is made for preparation for this holiday. It is a time to repent and make sacrifices for Jesus, which is a beautiful practice. Before Easter, it is a time of great sadness in remembering Jesus' suffering, but on Easter, after Jesus has resurrected, it is a time of great celebration.
Reflection:
Have you staked your life on Jesus?
I try very hard to keep Jesus in every part of my life, however I often find myself separating Him from certain situations. This Lent, I vowed to act more like Jesus in everything I do, but I don't know if I truly succeeded. It's easy to say that I will stake my life on Jesus, but it is far more difficult to actually do it. I think I need to work on that more.
Have you put your ultimate trust in Him?
Again, I try to put my trust in him, but I often find myself asking questions like "Why?" or "Why me?" I sometimes fail to see that God has an ultimate plan for me, and there may be difficulties along the way,
Do you know that, when your time comes, you will be with Him in paradise?
I want desperately to say yes to this question, but I cannot. I can't say definitively that I know I will be in heaven when I die. I am a sinner, just as every one of is. The best I can do is repent and show my complete faith in God. I know God is incredibly forgiving, so I hope that when I die, I can take my place in heaven with Him, but until I die, I don't know.