Everyday Prayer Blog
Tuesday March 24
Our Journey with Jesus
Day 2
Jesus Receives His Cross
Tuesday March 24
Our Journey with Jesus
Day 2
Jesus Receives His Cross
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
Tuesday of the 5th week of Lent
(optional commemoration of
Saint Macartan, Bishop)
Roman Missal:
Feria II of Passion Week
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
My Lord Jesus Christ,
You made this journey to die for me
with love unutterable,
and I have so many times
unworthily abandoned You;
but now I love You with my whole heart,
and because I love You,
I repent sincerely
for ever having offended You.
Pardon me, my God,
and permit me to accompany You
on this journey.
You died for love of me;
I wish also, my beloved Redeemer,
to die for love of You.
My Jesus,
I will live and die always united to Thee.
Amen
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Reflection:
Consider how Jesus, in making this journey with the Cross on His shoulders thought of us, and for us offered to His Father the death that He was about to undergo.
Prayer
My most beloved Jesus, I embrace all the tribulations Thou hast destined for me until death. I beseech Thee, by the merits of the pain Thou didst suffer in carrying Thy Cross, to give me the necessary help to carry mine with perfect patience and resignation.
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
O, how sad and sore distressed
Was that Mother highly blessed
Of the sole Begotten One!
My Son was forced to carry the cross on which he would be nailed, ridiculed and executed. We must pause here to remember what it represents. For this journey, he takes up the weight of all of our crosses, all of our senseless suffering, and the weight of all of the sin in the world – past, present and future. Each step he took cut deeply into his already battered shoulders. I couldn’t believe he could manage even a few steps.
We can look back now and remember that this is all for us. Each of us can say it was “for me.” As we imagine each step he takes, we can pause now to say “thank you,” in our own words, deep in our hearts.
The Word of God
Luke 2:41-51a - Mary stored up all these things in her heart
Every year the parents of Jesus used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual. When they were on their way home after the feast, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was with the caravan, and it was only after a day’s journey that they went to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they failed to find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere.
Three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the doctors, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. They were overcome when they saw him, and his mother said to him, ‘My child, why have you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.’
‘Why were you looking for me?’ he replied. ‘Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs?’ But they did not understand what he meant.
He then went down with them and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority.
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.
"Suffering is a great grace; through suffering the soul becomes like the Saviour; in suffering love becomes crystallised; the greater the suffering, the purer the love.”
(Diary of St Faustyna #57, page 29)
The Divine Mercy Prayers
A live link to the Divine Mercy Shrine
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
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.
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.
A Poor Clare nun who had just died, appeared to her Abbess, who was praying for her, and said to her, "I went straight to Heaven, for, by means of this prayer, recited every evening, I paid all my debts." It is known as 'the Prayer for Daily Neglects' and invites us to offer to God the Father the Heart of his Divine Son as we read below in reparation of our sins.
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with all its love, all its sufferings and all its merits:
To expiate all the sins I have committed this day and during all my life.
Glory be ....
To purify the good I have done badly this day and during all my life.
Glory be......
To supply for the good I ought to have done, and that I have neglected this day and during all my life.
Glory be .....
Father in heaven,
this evening,
we lift our eyes to You and pray:
confound the scorn of the proud
and graciously show us Your mercy.
Amen.
God of peace and love bring us all together in your name.
Do not let the gates of hell consume us.
We all believe in God and his Word
and accept Jesus as our Saviour.
Send your Spirit to lead us to accept each other
and our differences and that one day
we will be one in Christ.
Amen.
Always remember - Jesus loves you.
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