Meditation:

LORD JESUS CHRIST, Hope of the saints and Tower of strength in every tribulation, I bless and thank you for undergoing so violent an arrest by hateful enemies, for the arrogant laying of sacrilegious hands on you by those sent to arrest you, and for the brutal looks and menacing shouts of those carrying arms against you. I bless and thank you for your harsh and cruel binding, for your rough and ruthless detention, for your painful pummeling, and for your being so abruptly dragged away. Amid all this tumult, while you were being rushed to your death by mean-spirited and worth¬less villains, your dear disciples, who had deserted you, looked upon you from a distance with great sorrow.

Lord, King of kings, you, who have dominion over all creatures and who alone among mortals are truly free, why did you allow yourself to be so violently taken captive and to be so wickedly led away by despicable men, whom you yourself had created and for whom you have always done good?

How grave a crime was committed against you, who are free of all sin, and how rash the insult to your almighty power, when you, Deliverer of souls, were bound with a criminal's cords and were led away captive, as if you were the worst of thieves.

Loving Jesus, supreme Exemplar of virtue, you chose most patiently to suffer this cruelty for us, in order to give us an example of your singular meekness and to fulfill Isaiah's clear prophecy: He shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and shall be dumb as a lamb before his shearer, and he shall not open his mouth. He was offered because it was his own will.

My soul, show compassion on the sorrow and arrest of the beloved Lord, your God, who voluntarily suffers all this for your sins. May your lament be endless, and may your eyes yield its tears because it is the only Son of God who is being so unworthily treated for you. See, what those impudent men are doing. They hold Jesus captive and take him bound before the high priests Annas and Caiaphas. When arrested, he does not resist; when bound, he does not complain; when led away, he does not protest; when dragged off, he does not rebuke, rather he meekly goes, silent as a lamb and, though innocent, he follows after them and humbly endures it all.

My God, I ask, that the bitter pain you experienced in your sorrowful captivity may often enter into my heart's depths but especially during the night hour of Matins. May it arouse in me a fervent love for this holy prayer, may it banish sloth and make me watchful and eager to persevere in praising you. In this way, and in some measure at least, I may repay you for your love and for all that you have done for me. You were born into this world during the night, and during the night you were betrayed, arrested, and bound with ropes. Therefore, Lord, during night prayer I will be especially mindful of your name and reflect on how greatly you have suf¬fered for me, who am the worst of sinners.

Retreat:

http://www.findinggod.org/retreat_flash.asp?max=max&bgcolor=&retreat_id=45538&imageid=202_retreat.jpg&title=The+Church+Matures

John Paul Ii and the "Longing for Freedom"

The world has yet to learn how to live with diversity. The fact of difference, and the reality of "the other," can sometimes be felt as a burden, or even as a threat. Amplified by historic grievances and exacerbated by the manipula¬tions of the unscrupulous, the fear of difference can lead to a denial of the very humanity of "the other," with the result that people fall into a cycle of violence in which no one is spared. What will the world of the twenty-first century be like? Shall we be able to make the most of our past experiences and build peaceful coexistence among the nations of the world? Will the longing for freedom of so many people of the earth be finally granted?

Song:

Thank you for the cross Lord
Thank you for the price You paid
Bearing all my sin and shame
In love You came
And gave amazing grace

Thank you for this love Lord
Thank you for the nail pierced hands
Washed me in Your cleansing flow
Now all I know
Your forgiveness and embrace

Worthy is the Lamb
Seated on the throne
Crown You now with many crown
You reign victorious
High and lifted up
Jesus Son of God
The Darling of Heaven crucified
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb