Get Back Up

***For the next two weeks, I will be steering my Lenten Blog Challenge into the direction of The Way of the Cross, also known as The Stations of the Cross, Via Crucis, and Via Dolorosa. These names are used to signify either a series of pictures or tableaux representing certain scenes in the Passion of Christ, each corresponding to a particular incident, or the special form of devotion connected with such representations. I will be posting a Station each day, then reflecting on that Station. To read more about the Way of the Cross, click HERE.

STATION VII: JESUS FALLS THE SECOND TIME

The Passover crowds press against him as Jesus makes His way through the narrow city streets. Every bump or collision with the crowd sends shock waves of pain throughout his body. His open wounds clot to the wood of the Cross. His Sacred Heart races, His blood pressure drops, and Jesus falls once again. How easy it would be to give up, but He did not. Overwhelmed not by pain but by love - the Father's love for us - Jesus presses on. He slowly rises, for He knows His walk is not yet done.

REFLECTION:

Most of the time we fall, it is because we choose to fall. It is because of sin. Sin is glamorous (that excessive meal we stuffed ourselves with, that affair we thought about having to escape our reality, the shame we avoided when we purposefully skipped confession and yet received The Holy Eucharist). Sin tricks us into thinking we have control, when we really only have some-- our free will. Even when we run away from Jesus, he is waiting and following us. As we run away, we fall into the arms of sin, and our choices lead to a storm-- a storm of suffering that we can't see through. Jesus tells us to trust in him because he can mold us into perfection. We are either clay or stone-- we are either malleable or not---if we are stone he will chisel away at us-- until we reach our potential; he will always be working on us--- we will be  molded one way or another-- the choice is up to us. He turns our tears into laughter and lifts us when we fall. Sin wants us to fall-- and stay there. God wants us to come to him. So get up. Brush yourself off. You aren't perfect and THAT'S OKAY!  Head to the confessional, the adoration chapel, or just kneel where you are. Make that call to your spiritual companion. Start that group. Free yourself. Deny the urge that all of us will encounter. Pray without ceasing! It is in the lowest point of sin that we decide to become our greatest. Don't settle for the fall. Remember: every Saint has a past--- every sinner has a future!

Love Defines True Charity

***For the next two weeks, I will be steering my Lenten Blog Challenge into the direction of The Way of the Cross, also known as The Stations of the Cross, Via Crucis, and Via Dolorosa. These names are used to signify either a series of pictures or tableaux representing certain scenes in the Passion of Christ, each corresponding to a particular incident, or the special form of devotion connected with such representations. I will be posting a Station each day, then reflecting on that Station. To read more about the Way of the Cross, click HERE.

STATION VI: VERONICA WIPES THE FACE OF JESUS

Sacred blood runs down the Savior's face. Sweat drips into His swollen eyes as He sees a figure moving slowly towards Him. A woman named Veronica extends more than a cloth to her Lord, she offers a compassionate heart to a passionate soul. The Holy Spirit animates this daughter of God to offer her hands and her towel in service of the wounded Son. Evil may have spit in the face of Love, but love would now wash it clean again, if only for a moment. No gesture of love, no act of charity, however small, is forgotten in the Kingdom of God.

 REFLECTION:  

Sometimes I sit and feel that no one even remembers me, notices me, or would be phased if I was gone-- that's the devil talking-- that's depression-- that's real life for some of us. I think we all go through rough patches were we feel lonely, wondering how many people really care about us and how many only think of themselves. It's easy to feel like it's "you against the world." In those moments, I get a text from my beloved husband, my best friend and it reads: "Wipe away the tears, my love" and in that moment, the devil gets shot down-- I rise up and realize that I am something special. Even small acts of charity and kindness can be huge graces from God as we carry our cross each day. Acts of charity bring us into community, they offer us hope and keep us going. A smile, a kind word, or a text that is filled with emojicons can bring us relief! One by one, those acts of charity "wipe the face" of Jesus, hidden within all of those faces around you.

Gifts

***For the next two weeks, I will be steering my Lenten Blog Challenge into the direction of The Way of the Cross, also known as The Stations of the Cross, Via Crucis, and Via Dolorosa. These names are used to signify either a series of pictures or tableaux representing certain scenes in the Passion of Christ, each corresponding to a particular incident, or the special form of devotion connected with such representations. I will be posting a Station each day, then reflecting on that Station. To read more about the Way of the Cross, click HERE.


STATION V: SIMON HELPS JESUS CARRY HIS CROSS

As Jesus grows increasingly tired, a man named Simon is pulled from the crowd and pressed into service. Does he understand that the cross he is now carrying plays a part in his own salvation? Could he begin to know the blessings that would flow from this act of service? Simon the Cyrenian looks into the eyes of Mercy, and shows compassion in return. The two continue down the road together. Simon's strength eases some of our Lord's burden but only to a degree. Only one man can carry the full weight, the full burden of sin and His name is Jesus Christ.

REFLECTION:

God wants us to be successful and hears us when we cry out in failure. Regardless of what WE want, HE tries and tries again to get US to choose him. Just as God sent His Son to do what we could not, God still sends people into your life - people you don't even know - to help you along your way. Sometimes we say, "You are in my life for a REASON, a SEASON, or a LIFETIME-- we don't know when our friends and family enter our lives what role God had them playing, so we should respect HIM if our "friends" are only with us for a REASON or a SEASON-- He took someone out of your life, so find joy in that hardship. Look around your life for those who God has sent to help you on your walk, so people help us to lighten our load and to offer strength to you when you need it most-like my friend Gina. She was a theatre teacher for many years, then took time off to homeschool her children. When returning to work, she starting subbing at my high school. At the end of that semester, she got the job and we taught next door to eachother for many years! Without her 10 year battle with infertility, and now a mom of 2 teenage boys, she wouldn't be able to help me in my hardship-- she wouldn't be able to help me bear the load. She is a special friend and I hope she is here for more than just a reason or season! Be sure to thank those souls and to thank God for them.

Our Blessed Mother Mary

***For the next two weeks, I will be steering my Lenten Blog Challenge into the direction of The Way of the Cross, also known as The Stations of the Cross, Via Crucis, and Via Dolorosa. These names are used to signify either a series of pictures or tableaux representing certain scenes in the Passion of Christ, each corresponding to a particular incident, or the special form of devotion connected with such representations. I will be posting a Station each day, then reflecting on that Station. To read more about the Way of the Cross, click HERE.

STATION IV: JESUS MEETS HIS MOTHER

The only pain more intense than Jesus' own physical suffering must have been seeing the effect it had on His mother - our mother. How badly Mary must want to take His place. The deep love of the mother for her only Son reveals something about the Father's love as well. The prophecy of Mary's own suffering unfolded before her tear-filled eyes and, still, she trusts. Mary believed that God would bring joy through the sadness. Her gentleness brings Jesus temporary relief from the pain but could not save Him, for He had not yet saved us.


REFLECTION:

Sometimes we are grateful enough to feel a little how Mary felt when she saw her son in pain. Mothers lose children and have to see them suffer, parents see their children sick and unable to "fix" them. We begin to question God and his plan for us. We begin to feel that a "just" God would not bring such pain. There was nothing Mary could do, but reach out to her Son. When we are feeling like no one can understand our unbearable pain, someone can. Reach out to our Blessed Mother-- ask her intercession as you pray the Rosary. You might be hanging by a thread, but prayer asking for intercession is mighty and powerful. Sometimes non-catholics feel that catholics "worship" Mary, and look at her as an idolised figure, ignoring Jesus. They are wrong. Just as you ask your friends and family to pray for you in a hard time, we ask our Blessed Mother to intercede for us. She knows all, even before we ask. She is Immaculate, Mother of Christ, Virgin Most Powerful, Vessel of Honor, Ark of the Covenant, Queen of Peace, so as we draw near to her, she pulls us in closer to her Son. Forever she is united to Christ. "She is the most perfect and the most holy of all creatures and Jesus, who came to us in a perfect manner, chose no other road for his great and wonderful journey." Just as Jesus was her child, we are too. She is with us always, just like she was with Jesus on his final walk. I couldn't help but to share a small story with you that occurred this week, that I think is a sign from our Blessed Mother.

-- I got a message from my neighbor- I hadn't seen her in some time since she is working on her Master's Degree at Lamar and is from Saudi. I was excited to see what she was up to. She told me she had a dream the night before. In her dream, I was pregnant and I was so beautiful and happy. She told me that in the dream, I told her that my mother had helped me to find a medication that helped me get pregnant. I was showing her this medication in a magazine in the dream, but that is all she remembered. I replied with a big thank you, and told her I was unfortunately still not pregnant, but that I would tell her when it happens and that I wonder if that is a sign from above! She replied again "You were so pretty in pregnant, I hope as you say that it is a sign from above :)" I ended up forwarding the message to hubby and didn't really think about it again, until he got home. We got to talking about it and he asked me "Did you take that as a sign from above?" I told him yes, but I wasn't sure about the "mother" part. He instantly said-- that was a sign from your mother, your Blessed Mother, Mary. A tear fell, and I knew. She knows the desires of my heart. She sees my pain, she was reaching out to me, as she reached out to her Son, Jesus.

The Fall

***For the next two weeks, I will be steering my Lenten Blog Challenge into the direction of The Way of the Cross, also known as The Stations of the Cross, Via Crucis, and Via Dolorosa. These names are used to signify either a series of pictures or tableaux representing certain scenes in the Passion of Christ, each corresponding to a particular incident, or the special form of devotion connected with such representations. I will be posting a Station each day, then reflecting on that Station. To read more about the Way of the Cross, click HERE.

STATION III: JESUS FALLS THE FIRST TIME

The human body is not designed for this type of physical or emotional stress. Betrayed and beaten, dehydrated and dying, His legs give out. His body succumbs to intense fatigue. Jesus' back is shredded and His limbs are weary from the beatings that had begun hours earlier. Though fully divine, Christ's humanity is clearly seen in this moment as He falls to His knees. Every exhale reveals our Lord's exhaustion. Every inhale sends shock waves of pain throughout His body. Strength slowly returns to His legs as our Lord rises to continue on the way of sacrifice.  

REFLECTION:

We can identify most with Jesus in His walk as He falls. Our life is series of falls. Sometimes when we fall, others are happy because they are waiting for it. Sometimes, even though we are practicing Christians and our friends and family know it, we come across people in our lives that find joy in us falling as a "gotcha" moment. It almost feels like they are saying "See, you aren't perfect YOU Sinner, you!" Silly people-- they do not know what it really means then to be a Christian-- for it means we will fall, we will fail, and we will get back up and try again. For Catholics, we have the wonderful opportunity to get back up again in Reconciliation. We can confess our sins that we are heartily sorry for and have a firm intention of not doing again, and we become clean. If Jesus himself fell in his struggle, then why would anyone think we as HUMANS wouldn't fall? I guess what hurts the most is feeling abandoned by those who judge us for falling, those very people that don't even practice Christianity or admit to falling themselves, are always the first to judge our humanistic ways-- but we cannot give in to them. We must get back up, go back into the confessional, go back to mass, we must continue on our climb up the mountain. It is imperitive that we make resolve to be better and thank God for such a wonderful opportunity, because he already knows that we will make mistakes. When we feel weak during our fall, look around. Sometimes people will be there to pick us back up; sometimes people will be there to turn away and mock us. But always, no matter what, Jesus is there. He is waiting in the wings. He will pick us up when we lose our strength. We must remember that we are a human, we are sinners, we are Christian, and we are loved so much by Him. Christ can only shine on others through our cracks and breaks. For us to show others His light, He has to shine through us.


“The Christian soul knows it needs Divine Help and therefore turns to Him Who loved us even while we were yet sinners. Examination of conscience, instead of inducing morbidity, thereby becomes an occasion of joy. There are two ways of knowing how good and loving God is. One is by never losing Him, through the preservation of innocence, and the other is by finding Him after one has lost Him. Repentance is not self-regarding, but God-regarding. It is not self-loathing, but God-loving. Christianity bids us accept ourselves as we really are, with all our faults and our failings and our sins. In all other religions, one has to be good to come to God—in Christianity one does not. Christianity might be described as a “come as you are” party. It bids us stop worrying about ourselves, stop concentrating on our faults and our failings, and thrust them upon the Saviour with a firm resolve of amendment. The examination of conscience never induces despair, always hope…Because examination of conscience is done in the light of God’s love, it begins with a prayer to the Holy Spirit to illumine our minds. A soul then acts toward the Spirit of God as toward a watchmaker who will fix our watch. We put a watch in his hands because we know he will not force it, and we put our souls in God’s hands because we know that if he inspects them regularly they will work as they should…it is true that, the closer we get to God, the more we see our defects. A painting reveals few defects under candlelight, but the sunlight may reveal it as daub. The very good never believe themselves very good, because they are judging themselves by the Ideal. In perfect innocence each soul, like the Apostles at the Last Supper, cries out, “Is it I, Lord” (Matt. 26:22).”

--Fulton Sheen

The Climb

***For the next two weeks, I will be steering my Lenten Blog Challenge into the direction of The Way of the Cross, also known as The Stations of the Cross, Via Crucis, and Via Dolorosa. These names are used to signify either a series of pictures or tableaux representing certain scenes in the Passion of Christ, each corresponding to a particular incident, or the special form of devotion connected with such representations. I will be posting a Station each day, then reflecting on that Station. To read more about the Way of the Cross, click HERE.

STATION II: JESUS IS GIVEN HIS CROSS

The journey that began in a lonely garden has now thrust Jesus into the overcrowded streets. Thousands of people in town for Passover watch as the convicted man marches to His death. He had told His apostles of the suffering that awaited Him and Jesus now bears the weight of that Cross upon Himself. The splintered crossbeam digs into His shoulders. The wood is stained with the blood of the Lamb. Though His suffering would bring life, His walk was one of death. Jesus embraces more than the physical pain in this moment, with each step forward Christ takes on our sin - He takes our death sentence as His own.


REFLECTION:

  Our Lord not only carried his cross, but ours. He knows our deepest pains, fears, and struggles. If you frequent my blog, you already know that some of my struggles are public, but others are not. It helps me to write about my cross, because it allows my mind to rid the stress. Other crosses I bear, only my closest family members really know about, and that's okay. I think what we have to remember in carrying our cross, is that our cross changes shape and size throughout our lifetime. Also, each of our crosses may look similar, but everyone carries their cross differently. God already knows that we each have a cross, so we don't have to tell him. I think that is what I like most about going to Eucharistic Adoration-- I can just sit and be still. I know, that he knows, what I need and how I feel, since he has already carried all of our crosses before we could. Sometimes, we help others with their cross, and other times, we are are someone else's cross. Whatever your cross--infertility, weight loss, depression, disease-- invite Him into it. We do not climb this mountain alone, we climb it next to Him. I sometimes forget this myself, but going through The Way of the Cross reminds me that someone does understand. My reflections stem from another Way of the Cross idea that I am making more personal. When I read this today, I just couldn't skip over this powerful sentence in the reflection notes: "Prayer is where the cross changes shoulders." That is so very true! Prayer helps us with the load of our cross, even when our prayers are silent. As we climb through our struggle, we are reminded, that everyone's cross isn't physical or visible. As our cross digs into us, we receive our own battle scars that mold us to be more like Christ-- it is only in the tough climb of our mountain-- the mountain that looks so large we could never climb, that we can be shaped-- one way or another we will be shaped-- like the potter and the clay, it is in our struggle that we become like Christ.  


Like Miley Cyrus or not, this song seemed so fitting for this blog post! Enjoy!  

Bee Stings

***For the next two weeks, I will be steering my Lenten Blog Challenge into the direction of The Way of the Cross, also known as The Stations of the Cross, Via Crucis, and Via Dolorosa. These names are used to signify either a series of pictures or tableaux representing certain scenes in the Passion of Christ, each corresponding to a particular incident, or the special form of devotion connected with such representations. I will be posting a Station each day, then reflecting on that Station. To read more about the Way of the Cross, click HERE. Pope Francis' first sermon in the Sistine Chapel tells us the importance on meditating the Way of the Cross:

"When we walk without the Cross, when we build without the Cross, and when we profess Christ without the Cross, we are not disciples of the Lord. We are worldly, we are bishops, priests, cardinals, Popes, but not disciples of the Lord.
I would like that all of us, after these days of grace, might have the courage – the courage – to walk in the presence of the Lord, with the Cross of the Lord: to build the Church on the Blood of the Lord, which is shed on the Cross, and to profess the one glory, Christ Crucified. In this way, the Church will go forward.
My hope for all of us is that the Holy Spirit, that the prayer of Our Lady, our Mother, might grant us this grace: to walk, to build, to profess Jesus Christ Crucified. So be it."

STATION I: JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DIE

Though the Lord stands innocent, they find Him guilty. Jesus Christ, the only one with the true power to condemn humanity has now been condemned by it. Standing bloodied and broken, the Lord refuses to defend Himself. He speaks only when necessary, offering truth to any hearts open to receiving it. Pilate, confused by the man in his presence, gives in to the mob who demands Jesus be crucified. The true criminal is released as the Lord and giver of Life is sentenced to die. The decision has been made and the road to Calvary awaits Jesus.

REFLECTION:

Anytime you share your convictions and the word of God with family, facebook, the blogging world, co-workers, and friends, you take the chance of being "convicted." Following Christ isn't always the easy road, and sometimes  people criticize us for following him, be it a facebook post about praying at the abortion clinic, the Christian music blasting in our car, or that mantilla we don at mass. When those around us are too comfortable to follow Christ, they try to make us feel uncomfortable-- they try to break us. Eventually, because we do not fit into their lifestyle, they slowly (or quickly) fade away. Those bee stings of pain we feel from losing a friend or family member can come through gossip, mockery, or even betrayal. One thing we should remember as Christians, is that sometimes we are singled out and lonely, just as Jesus was when he stood before Pilate. It is in those times, however, we see who our real friends are. It is in those times that we lose the ones we thought were our friends, but gain an ultimate companion.