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Today's Gospel is long, telling the story of the last events in Jesus'
life - from His final meal with His disciples to His burial in the
tomb. Try to enter His story and accompany Him along the way (as His
disciples failed to do) and see what happens in your heart. Maybe your heart will be moved by this: that Jesus gives Himself away, entirely, on our behalf. He empties Himself, pours Himself out, gives up life and limb. At the beginning of today's Gospel He speaks of His body, "given for you", and at the end we see His body, buried in the tomb, given for us. The gift of His body and blood in the Eucharist is the gift of His whole self, to us whom He loves. When you or I give someone we love a gift, we are happy if we manage to give a little of ourselves in bestowing the gift. But Jesus, in giving the gift, manages to give His whole self. That is what we shall witness again this Holy Week: God poured out for love of you and me. Imagine how much you would love someone for whom you would give up your life! Imagine that Jesus loves you that much. Thank You, God, for the unimaginable greatness of Your love. |
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P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H
| INTENTION : |
That consecrated people, answering the call of their
particular vocation, may radiate the spirit of the Gospel beatitudes in the
present-day world
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In the world of today there is a widespread search for joy, happiness,
serenity, liberty. That is why the consecrated religious is called on
to remind every person that the life of a human being comes from God.
Religious give outstanding and striking testimony that the world cannot
be transformed and offered to God without the spirit of the Beatitudes
which proposes a way of living and for people to relate to each other.
The consecrated life is for all the faithful a luminous sign of the
common vocation to holiness, a model on which to draw inspiration and
courage. Besides, the religious community based on motivations of faith,
on mutual love and on sharing presents itself as a call to the constant
reform of ecclesial communities. The commitment asked of consecrated people needs the support, awareness and prayer of the entire Christian community, so that human weakness may not prevail but may always allow itself to be led and transformed by God's action. In fact, the attitudes indicated by the Beatitudes not only point a sure way towards fulfilment and charity, but also lead directly to the Person of Christ who came so that men and women not only might have life but have it to the full. | |
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