The Sixth Station of the Cross
Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
The word compassion comes from Latin, literally meaning to “suffer with.”
In this scene, that is exactly what Veronica does – she suffers with Jesus. But Veronica is suffering too. In return, Jesus, even on His way to Calvary, suffers alongside her as she mourns.
Today is the last day of Ramadan, a holy month in Islamic tradition when Muslims around the world observe fasting, prayer, and reflection in order to grow closer to God.
Remarkably, Lent and Ramadan began on the exact same day this year (February 18).
The two holy periods of fasting only overlap once every three decades or so. It will be 2058 before they even have days in common again, and it will be 2091 before they are likely to start on the exact same day again.
If you’re like me, when you hear the phrase “pray without ceasing” from 1 Thessalonians, you might think: “It’s hard enough for me to spend just a little time in prayer each day – how can I pray all day long??”
Today is the feast of St. Patrick – one of the few days each year, other than Christmas, where both the Church and the secular world celebrate the same holiday. St. Patty’s Day is associated with Ireland, wearing green, leprechauns, and maybe enjoying a beer or few…but what do we really know about the great saint whom we celebrate today?
In the very first sentences of his very first encyclical, delivered on Christmas Day 2005, Pope Benedict XVI wrote:
“Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with a person.”
Later in the encyclical (20), he wrote:
For 46 weeks a year, before the gospel, we sing “Alleluia!”. One of my favorite small Lenten traditions is the slight adjustment to the gospel acclamation for the six Sundays of Lent.
There are variations, but most are close to: “Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, king of endless glory.”
After Jesus resurrected from the dead and came back to the world…
The Fifth Station of the Cross
Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross
How lucky are we to have friends on this journey, who willingly stand along side us, pick up our cross, and help us carry it. Sometimes those 'friends' are even strangers.
Reach out to a friend today, a fellow traveler, and express gratitude for someone who has helped you carry the cross.
“It’s just a little voice. But if you’re listening, sometimes a little voice can say the biggest things.”
This song by Sara Bareilles (linked below - it’s beautiful) is reminiscent of 1 Kings 19:12, when Elijah does not hear God’s voice in the violent wind, the earthquake, or the fire - but in the silence.
Thursdays are particularly busy for me, and weekdays are busy for all of us.
Today - take a moment and see if you can hear that ‘little voice’ in your life. Sometimes it says the biggest things.
I am often discouraged by the state of our world.
I tell myself: I cannot ever do enough. I can’t end wars. I can’t stop violence. I can’t solve world hunger. I can’t reverse climate degradation. It’s too easy to slip down the road of despair.
But Jesus was abundantly clear. In a time when the world was even more violent, even more hungry, and far more sickly than our world today, Jesus said: Do not despair. Have hope.
How, in the face of all this?!?
