The Agony in the Garden
March 31, 2010 | XXXIV.
Grace: sorrow, compassion, and sham because the Lord is going to His suffering for my sins.
Text for Prayer: Matthew 26:30-46
Reflection:“Let this cup pass from me.” In the Old Testament, the cup symbolized one’s lot in life. The cup could be filled with the wine that makes men’s hearts glad; but it could also be filled with gall. Our hearts tell us that fairness demands that one who has lived a just life should reap the wine of gladness. Yet here is Jesus, already beginning to be abandoned by his apostles, gazing before himself at the bitter cup of the sinner. How could it be that Jesus, who has done no wrong, could reap the just reward of a sinner? Why does Jesus not return to Galilee and peacefully complete the remainder of his years in a quiet carpenter’s life? Why doesn’t He rebel against the Father and refuse the cup?
The Agony in the Garden reveals in stark terms the attitude that Jesus has maintained throughout his earthly ministry. He, the righteous one, in grasping that bitter cup, declares through His actions that God’s will is to be trusted above all things. And God’s will is that His Christ might redeem the world by freely entering into its suffering, even to the ignoble death of the sinner. “Not my will but yours be done.” Pain and sadness fill his heart as he is weighed down by the enormity of the world’s sinfulness. Jesus accepts. He accepts this moment as he has accepted each moment from the Father. Jesus lives life with thanksgiving (eucharistically), offering everything—everything—to the Father.
Praying with this passage, we simply need to gaze upon the scene and be affected. Now is the time to quiet all of our own words. Allow the scene to sink into yourself and allow yourself to be affected by God. Here is Jesus, drinking the sinner’s gall so that we sinners might drink the wine of gladness.
Questions: How is my heart affected by the scene of Christ’s Agony? What is my reaction to Jesus’ total readiness to accept His lot from the Father? Where do I need the help of the Holy Spirit in order to accept the Father’s will?
Posted by Fr. Kevin Dyer, S.J. in XXXIV.In the Cenacle: The King of Love
March 30, 2010 | XXXIII.
Grace: To have a felt sense of Jesus’ desire to give me his whole self, in love.
Text for Prayer: Mt 26:20-35
Reflection: From the moment of the Agony in the Garden, it seems as if Jesus enters into the drama of his betrayal, passion and death with unflinching determination. This determination is based on a confidence in the fact of his communion with his Father.
Early on in the the supper, Jesus reveals that one of his beloved will betray him. Still, the meal unfolds. This knowledge of the betrayal, this continuing into the drama unfolding adds a dimension of dread to what is happening. The full knowledge He has of the ways in which He has been, and will continue to be “handed over” is most perfectly signified in the way in which He is “handed over” to us in the Eucharist. Jesus’ being handed over to the authorities and then onto the Cross is anticipated in this moment of the Passover meal He celebrates with His disciples. Though this meal is marked by the dread of what is to happen, it remains indeed a celebration -of love- which does not back down in the face of death. This is the source of our joy as followers of Jesus in this moment.
In John’s Gospel, the last Supper scene does not include a description of the institution of the Eucharist, but rather the establishment of a Eucharistic way of life in which He shows the disciples how to hand themselves over in abandonment, in love in radical service of their neighbor, by washing the feet of his own disciples. Jesus shows Peter, and us, how to become small, how to be handed over, how to become food that is broken apart and handed over to others, so that they might have life. In this act of self-surrender, not only does it become possible for others to live, in this act of love is the force behind which death itself will be defeated. That is to say, in the instituting of the Eucharist, not only does Jesus give us the means for living, but He also acts according to the love which is the force of his own life. This way of being given away, this Eucharistic way of life is, in fact, the only way for us to live as well. Anything less results in death.
Questions: When have I experienced this grace in communion, to really sense the Lord Jesus giving himself away to me, personally, and to the whole congregation- so that we might live? How can I open up my eyes to that truth in a new way when I next go to mass? In what ways am I participating in this Eucharistic way of life, being broken apart and poured out for others, that they might live? In what ways am I holding back in this gift of myself. Are there new ways of letting go of myself that the Lord is calling me to today? Do I have the courage to ask for that desire?
Posted by Fr. Chris Collins, S.J. in XXXIII.The Preaching in the Temple: The Labors of the Divine King
March 29, 2010 | XXXII.
Grace: wonder and sorrow, as our Lord labors so diligently for us even though He is shunned by all.
Text for Prayer: Lk. 19: 45-47, 20:37-38. Consider Jesus’ persistence in coming to the Temple every day to preach, and how He has to sleep outside in Bethany because no one gives Him shelter.
Reflection: Palm Sunday is over. With Jesus’ grand procession and then driving out the money-changers from the temple, it was an exciting day to be a follower of Jesus. But the excitement is starting to wear out.
Jesus came into the Temple every day to teach. Once, He had stood in the Temple before the doctors of the law and amazed them. Now, the scribes and Pharisees plot to bring Him down. They cannot simply get rid of Him; He is too popular. But they challenge His authority to try and trap Him with various questions. He warned of the difficult days that lay ahead for anyone who followed Him. This must have been a shock to the people who saw Him enter into Jerusalem in glory and cause such a commotion in the Temple. Jesus must have seemed unstoppable then. To get on board with Jesus meant to follow the winning team all the way into an easy victory. But now Jesus is proclaiming long, protracted struggles, telling His followers that “you will be seized and persecuted, you will be handed over to the synagogues and to imprisonment, and brought before kings and governors for the sake of My Name” (Lk. 21:12).
Still, even after this people crowd around Him in the Temple all day long to hear Him teach. Yet for all their enthusiasm, not one of them took Jesus into their home. He spent His nights sleeping outdoors on the Mount of Olives in Bethany, a town about five miles away from Jerusalem. The crowds of people gathered around Him were as thick as those surrounding any modern celebrity. But no one thought to provide Him with a roof over His head. No one would let Jesus in.
Their response to Jesus is just another fad. He is the prophet! He is the teacher who will show you how to finally transform your life and live in God’s covenant! But what is transformed and different? In his encyclical Spe Salvi, Pope Benedict points out that our faith is not just informative, but performative. We do not just hear nice things and come away better informed, but we are moved to act on what we have learned. But here, when it is time for the rubber to meet the road, nothing happens.
In many respects, their response is like the first class of men. They may not be sinning, but neither are they taking any meaningful steps to do what God is asking of them. The response now is lukewarm, and things are no more difficult than usual. But to follow Jesus means sooner or later following Him to the Cross. If we cannot follow Him or respond to anything He says in moderate times, still less will we be able to stay by Him in challenging times.
Questions: What keeps the people from letting Jesus into their homes? How does He react to this? Why does He keep coming back to the Temple if nothing new is happening?
Posted by Mr. David Paternostro, S.J. in XXXII.Palm Sunday: The King, Meek and Humble of Heart
March 28, 2010 | XXXI.
Grace: To wonder at the contradiction of Jesus’ upcoming defeat as well as victory, unfolding simultaneously.
Text for Prayer: Mt. 21:1-11
Reflection: Now continues the contradictions. In a way, the whole of the Christian life and mystery is the way of contradictions. What does not seem to go together, goes together.
Today, we contemplate the juxtaposition of the simultaneous triumph and defeat of Jesus. As the drama unfolds, there is Jesus entering the Holy City, Jerusalem in great triumph- “mounting his throne to shouts of joy” as the psalmist had prophesied.
The people think the revolution is about to begin. They are right- but not in the way they want it. Jesus knows that his triumph is to be preceded by defeat. On the edge of the city, He pauses to weep over Jerusalem, at the infidelity, at the separation of her members from the God who made them, at the depth of the sin in the human heart, at the capacity for evil among His beloved.
As He makes His way into the city, the people greet and pay homage to the one they believe will save them. Before the day is done, however, they will witness him not on the throne of political power, but on the throne of mercy, the Cross, where He will be humiliated and rejected. But it is on this throne where this King will ultimately conquer death itself -by love- for his subjects.
Questions: What is one action I could take these days, which we make me “small”, which would humble myself before another? With Jesus in mind, is there a way I can exercise my true power as a child of God my acting in the eyes of the world as one who is powerless?
Posted by Fr. Chris Collins, S.J. in XXXI.The Significance of the Passion of Our Lord
March 27, 2010 | XXX.
Think: What is the significance of a single act of sacrifice by one man so long ago? Why aren’t the teachings of Jesus hanging over our altars instead of Crucifixes? Why do we pay so much attention to the crucified Christ when He walked among us as resurrected for far longer than he hung upon the cross?
Grace: a feeling of compassion toward Christ as He begins His painful sacrifice for us. We ask for a real sense of the importance of it all.
Reflection: The Passion of our Lord has always been food for the Catholic soul; in the sacrament of the Eucharist, in the image of the Crucifix, and in prayerful contemplation. The Passion is where we find our God’s loving cry and self-offering, from His condemnation before Pontius Pilate to His lifeless body in the tomb. This cry has carried on through nearly two millennia and is discovered anew in the heart of all the forgiven today. We see ourselves in the suffering Jesus, our sins marking His back while our hearts break along with His; we betray Him and are betrayed with Him. We shun Him and we are shunned with Him. We see ourselves in His
crucifiers and we weep with His friends at the sight of Him being taken down from the Cross motionless.
“Behold the Lamb of God, Behold the one who takes away the sins of the world.” In English we understand “takes away” to be something like “removes” or “negates.” This is true that Jesus does this to the sins of the world. But another way to read “takes away” is to see it as “bears away” or “carries away.” When John the Baptist exclaimed “Behold the one who takes away the sins of the world,” he had been calling people to a conversion away from their sins. Now he saw the One who would bear away their sins on His back.
And so we are healed. We have been attacked by sin like deadly serpents in the desert. But when we turn our eyes upon the one held high and suffering death, we find our remedy. “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” That is why we turn to look at the Cross. That is why the death of God on the Cross can appear so sweet to us while it is an insult to the Jews. That is why we proudly wear a symbol of the Crucifix around our necks while the pagans laugh at us as if we are mad. We know the truth about all of this and it transforms us: His death is our salvation and so we find hope in it. Nothing clears away the dullness of sin from our eyes like a long hard look at Christ’s suffering body.
This portion of the Spiritual Exercises has us work first on our compassion for Christ. We must allow ourselves to see Christ’s sufferings and we must permit ourselves to long for an end to those sufferings. This exercises that part inside of us that can grow cold if we have become too acquainted with the pleasures of sin. Caring for Christ more readily disposes is to caring for the least of His people. We must recognize His glorious entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday as His triumphant entrance into the reality of defeat at the hands of sin that we all suffer. And we must allow ourselves to want to be near Him.
And so the Holy Week grieving really begins now. Should we think it too much to shed a tear for the one who endured so much for us? All of those poor people we see on the television suffering in faraway lands cannot feel our compassion. This can have a chilling effect on us and we can be coldly indifferent without much immediate consequence. But Jesus knows our heart. Will He find us cold? Or will we let ourselves remember and care, feel something deep for our Savior as He suffers for us. Will we look Him in the eye, or think of it all as a distant historical fact? We must apply ourselves to this task. We must take all of the power of our imagination and put it to work on the true object of our love if we are to increase our love. Above all, depend on God’s grace.
Pray: Oh God, help me to consider what compassion I must offer at the foot of the Cross. How can I refuse anything to You, my Lord and my Creator, Who has done and suffered so much for my sake. You have given all that You have to me; You have given your sufferings, Your toil, Your thoughts, Your love, Your life, and the very last drop of Your heart’s blood for me. Let me give You all I have: all my affections, all my love, all my desires, my whole heart, my sufferings, my efforts, my sorrows, my joys, my life, my whole self. Amen.
Posted by Fr. John Brown, S.J. in XXX.The Raising of Lazarus: Our Divine Friend
March 26, 2010 | XXIX.Grace: light to know the infinite love of our Divine King and to put all trust in Him
Text for Prayer: John 11:1-45
Imagine: Compose the scene in your mind, imagining the road to Bethany and the tomb of Lazarus
Reflection: By now, we have come to know a Jesus Who has set a course for us and Who constantly watches over us as we carry on His mission. St. Ignatius wants us to know that we are not alone, even when the road seems difficult, thankless and often fruitless. The present contemplation is meant to bring out the affectionate love of our Divine King and the infinite power which is His.
We see in the story of the raising of Lazarus the overflowing love of our Lord. Martha and Mary implore Jesus – love pleading to Love. “Behold, He that loves the sick.” John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus loved Martha, her sister Mary and Lazarus. Christ Himself refers to Lazarus as a friend and weeps at the news of Lazarus’ demise. “Behold, how He loved him.”
Let yourself feel the sadness of Martha and Mary. Let yourself cry out to Our Lord in this time of need. Allow yourself to feel the urgency of needing His presence – and the patience of waiting. How do you respond when Our Divine King shows no sign of hurry? How do you respond when He finally arrives and begins to weep?
Recourse in our need to our Divine Lord and friend shows our confidence in His love and infinite power. We learn this from the experience of having our sins forgiven by Him. Now we understand that He is our breath of life. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall affliction or anguish or persecution or hunger or nakedness or danger or the sword?… Yet amidst all this we more than conquer through Him that has loved us.” (Romans 8:35-37)
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” Christ is the Resurrection and the Life. Through Him we rise from the worst of deaths – death to sin – to live the very life of God. Through Him we live eternally of His life, and although our body will have to undergo the penalty of death, it will one day rise by the power of Christ and share in the happiness and glory that souls were meant to share.
Can you rejoice with the others when Lazarus exits the tomb? The message of Christianity from its beginning, the aim of the Church’s work and her martyrdom, is “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” The cry of Martha must be the constant cry of our souls, the rock on which our spiritual life stands unshaken and ever rising toward Our Lord’s throne.
Pray: O loving King, I know that You love me. I love You as a Divine King and as a friend. I am consoled knowing that however miserable I may be, I am the object of your infinite love. Come to my aid in times of distress, and stay with me and let me grow in Your love. Let me know your friendship so that we may never be apart.
Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me;
Blood of Christ, inebriate me;
Water from the side of Christ, wash me;
Passion of Christ, strengthen me;
0 good Jesus, hear me;
Within Thy wounds, hide me;
Permit me not to be separated from Thee;
From the wicked foe, defend me;
In the hour of my death call me,
And bid me come to Thee,
That with all Thy saints I may praise Thee
For ever and ever. Amen.
Christ Upon the Waters: Our Companion in Labors
March 25, 2010 | XXVIII.
Grace: an intimate knowledge of our Lord, Who has become man for me, that I may love Him more and follow Him more closely.
Text for Prayer: Mt. 14:22-33
Reflection: Once before (Mt. 8:23-27), the Apostles were in a boat in the midst of a raging storm. That time, Jesus was with them. This time, He sent the Apostles ahead of Him while He tended to the crowds. Their Master was nowhere in sight. As far as the Apostles were concerned, they would have to fend for themselves in the storm without the aid of the Master. But Jesus was with them.
The Psalmist proclaims that “even thought I walk through a valley dark as death, I should fear no danger, for you are at my side” (Ps. 23:4). He never says he knows he will be fine because he can see God, but only that “your rod and your staff comfort me” (23:5). Despite the fact that the Apostles couldn’t see Jesus and thought that they were alone, He was in the storm just as they were.
Jesus is in the storm with the Apostles, walking toward the boat, when He sees that they are even more scared because they think He is a ghost, He calls out to them “Courage! It’s me! Don’t be afraid.” (Mt. 14:27). The Apostles are not given sunshine, calm waters, and a good breeze, but they are given the strength to endure the storm. With the courage Jesus has given them, they may walk through the valley of death without fear, so long as Jesus is there to strengthen and console them.
Upon seeing Jesus, Peter calls out “Lord, if it is You, tell me to come to You across the water” (v. 28). Jesus’ response is simple: “Come”. Peter climbs out of the boat, starts to walk on the water, ad things are fine, at first. While Peter is walking on the water, he begins “noticing the wind” and “he took fright” (v. 30). At that moment, what matters most to Peter is not that the Lord is with him, but that the wind is dangerous. So he begins to sink.
Even though Peter failed Jesus and doubted His care for him, and even though Jesus could expect Peter to do so again, He saves Peter from the waters. For Jesus to just say to Peter “Why should I bother with you? I can find another apostle who won’t keep doing this.” would be understandable. But this is not the way of Jesus. Instead, He answers Peter’s plea for help by taking Peter by the hand, as one might take a child.
After this, Jesus rebukes Peter’s lack of faith- and rightly so- asking “why did you doubt?” Peter knew first-hand that in all his labors and tasks, the Lord had never abandoned him or failed to provide for him- not twelve hours before he saw the Lord miraculously provide for 5,000 people. In rebuking Peter, Jesus rebukes Peter’s doubt that He will not provide for Peter and that He will not be there in Peter’s endeavors to assist him. After all this, Jesus leads Peter back into the boat, and the storms cease. Upon seeing all of this, the Apostles confess simply “Truly, you are the Son of God” (v. 33).
Questions: Why don’t the Apostles recognize Jesus? Why does Jesus take Peter back? When have you been in this situation, where you were afraid and overwhelmed, when Jesus reminds you that He is with you?
Posted by Mr. David Paternostro, S.J. in XXVIII.The Sermon on the Mount
March 24, 2010 | XXVII.Grace: An intimate knowledge of our Lord, who has become man for me, that I may love Him more and follow Him more closely.
Text for Prayer: Mt. 5
Reflection: Jesus taught not only by words but also through symbolic actions. The cleansing of the temple is the most famous. In the Sermon on the Mount, we see the combination of both word and symbolic action. The fact that he goes up to a mountain to give this new law immediately reminds us of Moses who received the Law upon Mt. Sinai and then delivered it to the people. Jesus, however, doesn’t receive the New Law on tablets. He is the New Law. He embodies God’s action in the world. Therefore, we have before us a new and greater Moses. Just as the law of Sinai helped form the identity of a people, so will the New Law of the Sermon on the Mount form the new People of God who profess the name of Jesus.
In order to enter into meditation upon the Sermon on the Mount, it is helpful to place ourselves in that group of people who will hear Jesus’ word. Together we will be a people who will live out this Law and embody it in the world. Notice that some people are rich while others are poor. Women and men gather. Jews are present, but also the random Gentile living in the area who has heard of this charismatic figure preaching in the wilderness. What does Jesus say?
We hear the Beatitudes. Notice, first of all, that the Beatitudes give us a perfect description of Jesus himself who was poor in Spirit (relying upon his Father for everything), meek, merciful, peace-making, and persecuted for righteousness. To understand the Beatitudes, we need only look at Christ.
We hear in verses 13 through 16 that we are not to hide our lights under a bushel basket. Our talents are not meant to be squandered. The Father has plans for us. We are to listen to the voice of Christ our King, calling us into his service. Where will this service take us? The message is meant for all people, so the scope of Christ’s call is universal.
Finally, Jesus says that he is not a transgressor of the Law, but the Law’s fulfillment. More than mere fulfillment of the Law’s commands, Jesus lives the Law’s Spirit. His whole being—every thought, word, and action—is obedient to the Father. Therefore, those who live in His Spirit will live this life of total dedication. They will be the true lovers of this world, desiring what God desires: the salvation of all people, even enemies.
Questions: This is a wealthy section of Scripture. Which section most draws your heart? Who are you in the crowd? What are your reactions to the words Jesus proclaims?
Posted by Fr. Kevin Dyer, S.J. in XXVII.Call of the Disciples
March 23, 2010 | XXVI.Grace: an intimate knowledge of our Lord, Who has become man for me, that I may love Him more and follow Him more closely.
Texts for Prayer: Matthew 4.18-22, Mark 1.16-20, Luke 5.1-11, or John 1.35-51
Reflection: During the “First Week” of the Exercises, we heard Christ’s call to repentance and reformation of life. In that week we gain a “felt knowledge” that God has created us in His love and redeemed us in Christ. He never abandons us. No, He goes so far as to search us out in order to bring us back to a fuller and more abundant life in His presence.
But the call to reform one’s life is not the only call we hear from God. Looking at the example of Jesus, we see that Christ was in constant conversation with his Father. Tired from an exhausting day of proclamation and ministry, he went off to a quiet place and spoke with his Father in heaven. From there, the Father sent Jesus out in the Spirit to minister to the people, to gather disciples, to move to new towns, and finally to journey toward Jerusalem. God’s continual call is not lacking to us, either. Like Jesus, we also will hear the Father’s voice, provided we have ears to hear.
Today we pray with the apostles who experienced the manifold call of God. As St. Ignatius points out, the apostles first became acquainted with the person of Jesus and then heard his call to repentance. They experienced the “first week” as John the Baptist and Jesus preached repentance through the hillside of Galilee. The apostles, however, heard yet another call: leave all behind and follow me. In the mystery of the Trinitarian design for the world, these particular people were called to extraordinary tasks in furthering the kingdom of God.
Notice while praying with the call stories that there is nothing to recommend the apostles over others, unless one counts fishing as the most exalted profession. St. Ignatius assumes that they are simple and uneducated men. Yet Christ’s call raised them to a great dignity. Do we think ourselves unworthy of the call of Christ? Of course we are. We know that enduring the difficulties of following Christ’s particular call is beyond our own strength. We need God’s assistance. That is exactly what Christ is offering in these stories.
Remember that the grace sought during the “second week” of the Exercises is a deep interior knowledge of Jesus so that, loving Him, we might grow in our desire to follow His call. Let this grace remain within you as you continue through the second week.
Posted by Fr. Kevin Dyer, S.J. in XXVI.Our Lord in the Desert
March 22, 2010 | XXIV.Grace: light to know how the Divine King prepares Himself for His mission, to love Him more and to imitate Him more closely
Text for Prayer: Matt 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, or Luke 4:1-13
Reflection: Our Lord goes on retreat. Jesus is led into the desert to be shown the difference between what is to be His Kingdom, and what is not. This prevents the Enemy of Our Human Nature from perverting into sin the mission that his evil plans cannot stop.
It is in the wilderness that Christ shows us, His disciples, the virtues that we are to incorporate into ourselves. First, he shows us preparation. Humility, while a great place to start, is not enough; serious preparation is key. This preparation on our part is understood to be the well from
which we will draw spiritual water in the future as we proclaim Jesus’ name. If we are to avoid becoming a “resounding gong or a clanging symbol” (1 Cor. 13:1) we must prepare ourselves to grow in love by cultivating a spirit of self-recollectedness. Christ’s example is to withdraw from the duties of everyday life while on His retreat. We must do the same from time to time as well as carefully set aside time, even on our busiest days, for prayer and recollection.
It is in this time of preparation that we see the Lord tempted. For us, temptations are the effects of our evil passions and of our corrupt nature, skillfully used by the Enemy. To some extent, they are connected to something evil, though not always evil in themselves. For Christ, we must adjust our understanding somewhat: Satan’s most furious attack on Our Lord was to offer something that might have appeared good while twisting it into sin. But in the quiet of the desert, there was no place to camouflage Satan’s deceit.
Bread isn’t ordinarily bad, but self-serving miracles are. We know that Christ fed thousands with miraculous bread, leading them to salvation through that grain of wheat that would fall for their sakes. The hungry Christ in the desert could not be persuaded to give in to the human desire
for food if it meant acting in disaccord with the Father’s will. Can kingship be bad if the one ruling is truly a king? If kingship comes at the price of bowing before Satan, it is a death sentence for anyone, no matter how deserving one is of the crown. We know Our Lord to be Christ the King. But our King is crowned by His Father when His crown of thorns becomes a crown of golden light. There is no other authority that we should ever look to for the power only God alone can endorse.
What of the proof of God’s love? Doesn’t Jesus’ humble acceptance of death show us that He is willing to put His Father to the test? This is the temptation of the Enemy. Jesus’ obedience to the Father is the clear sign of Jesus’ love and acceptance even in the face of His Passion and Death.
It is in no way motivated by a desire to test His Father.
Our own lessen here is to take note of the terrible tricks of the Enemy of Our Human Nature. This is important for every disciple of Christ: we must imitate Our Lord’s clear example of obedience and readiness in the face of temptations.
And so we draw close to Christ in the desert wilderness. His Kingdom will be based on the resolve to suffer on behalf of our fellow children of God and to love them to the very end. Satan is driven away and the angels who once expelled Adam from the Garden of Eden now minister to the new Adam in the wilderness.
Pray: Oh Lord, You are my divine leader. Teach me to uncover the tricks of the Evil One – the discouragement in the face of difficulties, the attraction of power, the demand for control over our relationship with God. Oh my Jesus, keep me close to you in the quiet and transform my heart to be like Yours, prepared and strong, on fire for the divine plan. Grant me a true love for the sufferings that await and sustain me if I should become unsteady in the face of temptation.
Posted by Fr. John Brown, S.J. in XXIV.