In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Let us pray

O Jesus I Surrender myself to You, You take over. Amen

Uphold the true Gospel of Jesus Christ

Today We Celebrate

Saturday of the 5th week of Lent 

 Roman Missal:

Saturday of Passion Week

Commemoration St. John of Capistrano

Today we continue our lenten journey where we reflect on the Stations or the Way of the Cross following Our Lord's final journey in this life leading to His death on a Cross.

Each day we will reflect on a station (two on Good Friday) pray and share reflections of Mary.

Our way of course has a triumphant ending on the final day of our journey when on Easter Sunday we reflect on the lesser known Station - the Resurrection of Jesus

6   Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.

Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

Reflection:

Consider the compassion of the holy woman, Veronica. Seeing Jesus in such distress, His face bathed in sweat and blood, she presented Him with her veil. Jesus wiped His face, and left upon the cloth the image of his sacred countenance

Prayer

My beloved Jesus,  Your face was beautiful before You began this journey;  but, now, it no longer appears beautiful  and is disfigured with wounds and blood.  Alas, my soul also was once beautiful  when it received Your grace in Baptism;  but I have since disfigured it with my sins.  You alone, my Redeemer, can restore it to its former beauty. Do this by the merits of Your passion; and then do with me as You will.

I love Thee, my beloved Jesus; I love Thee above all things; I repent with my whole heart of having offended Thee. Never permit me to separate myself from Thee again. Grant that I may love Thee always; and then do with me what Thou wilt.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.

Jesus, for Thee I live, Jesus, for Thee I die, Jesus, I am Thine in life and in death. Amen. 

Reflection of Mary

Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled

She beheld her tender Child

All with bloody scourges rent

I can’t describe his face, with the blood and the sweat, and the bruises and swelling from the beatings. As a mother, I can hardly tell you that there was even spit on his face. It was the face of solidarity with all who have ever experienced abuse and violence.

Then, out of the crowd came a woman whose compassion for my Son was so great that she pushed passed the Roman soldiers and wiped his face with her veil. Oh, how I loved her for that. The look between them touched me deeply. His clean face, for a moment, revealed the loving face of the Son I loved.

As he smiled at the woman and continued on the journey, those of us nearby looked at her veil and saw the gift he gave her. There on her veil was a stunning likeness, a true icon of the cost of his sacrifice and the depth of his solidarity with all who suffer. This image is his gift to us forever, to always contemplate his likeness, his union with us in our worst rejection and suffering.

As you remember with me how his face was so covered with punishment and violence, let us give thanks for his solidarity with us in every aspect of our lives.

Let’s pause for a moment to express to him now, whatever is in our hearts.

Word of Our Lord 

John 11:45-56   -  Jesus was to die to gather together the scattered children of God

Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and had seen what Jesus did believed in him, but some of them went to tell the Pharisees what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and Pharisees called a meeting. ‘Here is this man working all these signs’ they said ‘and what action are we taking? If we let him go on in this way everybody will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy the Holy Place and our nation.’ One of them, Caiaphas, the high priest that year, said, ‘You do not seem to have grasped the situation at all; you fail to see that it is better for one man to die for the people, than for the whole nation to be destroyed.’ He did not speak in his own person, it was as high priest that he made this prophecy that Jesus was to die for the nation – and not for the nation only, but to gather together in unity the scattered children of God. From that day they were determined to kill him. So Jesus no longer went about openly among the Jews, but left the district for a town called Ephraim, in the country bordering on the desert, and stayed there with his disciples.

 The Jewish Passover drew near, and many of the country people who had gone up to Jerusalem to purify themselves looked out for Jesus, saying to one another as they stood about in the Temple, ‘What do you think? Will he come to the festival or not?’

The Holy Rosary

Our Blessed Mother explained to us what would happen in the World and in the Church if people continued to turn from God. Sadly we can now see this all around us in the Church and in the World. One of the things she asked us to do was to say the Rosary everyday. 

Please find a few minutes today to fulfil her request. 

The Holy Rosary

Surrender to Jesus

Surrender is a word that can feel heavy, especially in a world that glorifies self-reliance and control. Yet, when it  comes to our relationship with God, surrender is not about giving up; it’s about giving in—to His love, His plans, and His promises. 

Trusting God in daily surrender is a beautiful yet challenging act of faith.

Trusting God in Daily Surrender

The Surrender Novena

Prayer to St Michael

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in our hour of conflict. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

Personal Prayer to Jesus

Lord Jesus I accept you as my personal Saviour. 

From this moment on may I open my heart to you and trust that the Holy Spirit will fill this heart with your love so that I can in all sincerity worship God our Father above all things and love my neighbour as myself.

For me alone this will be extremely difficult. In my human nature I am under constant attack from Satan but I know that if I trust You, You will provide me with whatever graces I need  to withstand such evil attacks.

I know that with Your love it is truly possible to have heaven here on earth.

For what is Heaven except to be in the presence of God.

With Your help I can overcome my human limitations, my needless worries, and my needless concerns. 

Help me accept Your holy living Word as proclaimed in the bible and at every Mass and through the Gospel realise that my childish love reflects Your words  - 

'Unless you become like little children you shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven'.

Jesus please grant that when my time comes to meet You, You will not be a stranger but a friend.

I can ask for nothing more.

Amen.

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Only in God is my soul at rest.

In Him comes my salvation.

Always remember - Jesus loves you

We finish as we begun

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen