“‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done.’ And to strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to him. He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground” (Lk 22:42-44). 

“Then going out he went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. When he arrived at the place he said to them, ‘Pray that you may not undergo the test.’ After withdrawing about a stone’s throw from them and kneeling, he prayed, saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done.’ And to strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to him. He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground. When he rose from prayer and returned to his disciples, he found them sleeping from grief. He said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test’” (Lk 22:39-46). “Then, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accom­panied by a crowd with swords and clubs who had come from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders…. [Judas] came and immediately went over to him and said, ‘Rabbi.’ And he kissed him. At this they laid hands on him and arrested him” (Mk 14:43).

Jesus is overwhelmed by His agony in the garden. “[T]he full power of the abyss of destruction, evil, and enmity with God is now unleashed upon him… He experiences deeply all the horror, filth, and baseness that he must drink from the chalice prepared for him, the vast power of sin and death” (Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Benedict XVI). Jesus must begin His passion now so He can see clearly what is ahead and choose it freely. He chooses to obey the Father; He seeks the Father’s will over His own. He willingly gives all for love of the Father and for love of each of us. We, as followers of Christ, are also called to choose the Father’s will over our own, come what may, out of love for the Father and our brothers and sisters.

Jesus drinks deeply from the chalice offered to Him. He experiences in advance all the physical suffering that awaits Him. And far worse, He bears in advance the wages of sin for all humanity. The wages of sin are death—separation from the Father! For the first time, Jesus is not dwelling in the Father’s presence. He is painfully separated from the Father, His source of life, power, and joy. He undergoes a living death, a necessary abandonment, as He prepares for His passion. We, too, must persevere out of love for God during those dark times when He seems so far away.

“When He returned to His disciples, He found them asleep. He said to Peter, ‘So you could not keep watch with me for one hour?’” (Mt 26:40). At this moment, our Lord truly needed someone to pray with Him, to in some small way comfort Him with at least their presence—their attention—as a small comfort. Our Lord gave everything for us, gave without measure; can we not keep watch with Him for one hour? Let us meditate deeply on keeping Him company during that dark night—reaching beyond time and space to the Suffering Servant, Who is God. Likewise, let us consider dedicating an hour to Eucharistic adoration and spending that one hour with the Lord.

The Father does not remove Jesus’ suffering; instead, He sends an angel to strengthen Him. The Father is always ready to offer grace to help us do His will, and suffering is often part of His plan. In fact, Jesus’ willingness to suffer transformed His agony into salvation—into the greatest expression of love ever witnessed. Our trials are also meant to be a participation in salvation, for ourselves and others. The Lord may not always rescue us from our trials; however, He will provide the grace we need to persevere. The Lord assures us that His grace is enough, for His power—virtue itself—is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor 12:9). We should face our trials with hope, rather than fear or anger, knowing that “for those who love God, all things work together unto good” (Rom 8:28, CPDV).

Love sacrifices. A love unwilling to sacrifice is no love at all. Our Lord prepares for the ultimate sacrifice to express the ultimate love, fully aware of the unimaginable suffering this sacrifice would demand from Him.

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“The wages of sin is death”—spiritual death—separation from the Father (Rom 6:23). Jesus endured the wages of sin even though He knew no sin Himself; He experienced separation from the Father for the first time on our behalf, as one of us, out of love for us.

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The Father felt far away for the very first time. Jesus sought a little consolation from His friends, just for them to stay awake with Him. Even this was denied Him.

Our Lord was scourged with a flagrum, a whip with small pieces of bone and metal attached to the leather thongs. Far more horrific than a regular whip, the flagrum inflicted deep wounds, lacerating our Lord’s flesh as He stood bound to a pillar. He willingly endured it for love of us.

The crowd insistently cried for Pilate to crucify Jesus. Pilate remained reluctant, though he consented to have Christ scourged.

Our Lord was scourged with a flagrum, a whip with small pieces of bone and metal attached to the leather thongs. Far more horrific than a regular whip, the flagrum inflicted deep wounds, lacerating our Lord’s flesh as He stood bound to a pillar. The Roman soldiers inflicted as much pain as possible without killing Him, avoiding hitting Him over the heart or excessively in the head. Otherwise, only the exhaus­tion of the soldiers slowed the onslaught at all. Jesus silently endured this brutal torture to as near death as the skilled torturers could bring Him. He willingly endured it for love of us. “[H]e was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes us whole, by his wounds we were healed” (Isa 53:5).

Jesus suffered because of our sins and for our salvation. He willingly endured suffering out of love for each of us. Even the best among us is completely unworthy of such a gift, yet to Jesus, even the worst of us is worth such a generous gift. Such is the love and mercy of our God. And how much we foolish humans needed to see firsthand the all-giving, unconditional love of God! That spiritual medicine beyond all others—truly, the only one that can heal us, the only one that can convince us that we indeed can become children of God through His abundant gifts. Let us not waste any of that wondrous gift, any of His abundant grace, as we journey home with Our Lord!

Jesus kept his eyes on heaven. He could not see heaven or feel the Father’s presence. In fact, He endured complete desolation, yet His mind stayed focused on pleasing the Father and reuniting with Him. His thoughts remained on His great love for each of us and our eternity with Him. The present horror was passing; the present horrors of our times are also passing. We, too, must keep our eyes on heaven, our true home, our everlasting bliss with God and the hosts of heaven, especially during the darkest times of this life. We can endure all things with Jesus’ help.

Jesus endured suffering for those who tormented and mocked Him. He created them—gave them life, love, and everything—knowing they would torture, mock, and kill Him. Yet, His love continued to flow through all of it. He consistently reached out to them with forgiveness and love. He also reaches out to us through all of this. Additionally, He reaches out to those with the coldest, hardest hearts around us. Truly, He reaches out to them through us. Let His love and mercy flow through you. Love those who hate and persecute you. Pray for them and reach out to them with Christ’s love.

Jesus’ love overcomes everything—transforms everything—beautifies everything. We look upon those deep, terrible wounds covering our Lord’s body and see more than just human cruelty. More importantly, we see the great love of Christ, the divine love that perseveres even when it costs the most—when it costs everything! The glory of Christ is found precisely in His perfect faithfulness in the face of unfathomable suffering! The glory of God is revealed through His great love for us, a love revealed and proven through the Passion, a boundless love Christ hopes to infuse in each of us.

“God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength” (1 Cor 10:13). May this promise bring us comfort as we follow Christ, submitting to whatever trials the Lord permits to come our way.

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“[I]t is you who have crucified him and crucify him still, when you delight in your vices and sins” (CCC 598). We must acknowledge the terrible consequences of our personal sin and purge ourselves of sin through His abundant grace.

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Sacred art usually omits the brutal reality of the Passion. The number and size of His wounds are often minimized—sometimes not shown at all. Let us meditate on that gruesome, bloody detail to better appreciate His great sacrifice.

“They stripped off his clothes and threw a scarlet military cloak about him. Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ They spat upon him and took the reed and kept striking him on the head” (Mt. 27:28-30).

“Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium and gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped off his clothes and threw a scarlet military cloak about him. Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ They spat upon him and took the reed and kept striking him on the head” (Mt. 27:27-31). And they mocked him again.

“Once more Pilate went out and said to them, ‘Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no guilt in him.’ So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak. And he said to them, ‘Behold, the man!’ When the chief priests and the guards saw him they cried out, ‘Crucify him, crucify him!’ Pilate said to them, ‘Take him yourselves and crucify him. I find no guilt in him’” (Jn 19:4-6).

Jesus stands firm in the face of torture and mockery. He does not plead for mercy or seek to escape. He does not succumb to anger or threats. He does not regret the cost of His obedience. He calmly and quietly accepts the Father’s will out of love for the Father and for us. Our Lord understands that His true home is with the Father, and all worldly things are temporary—both the terrible and the pleasing. We too must calmly seek the Father’s will, come what may. We also must stand firm in our faith amid a bitter, angry world. We must live and preach the Gospel of Christ regardless of what we face, always remembering that all these worldly things are passing away.

Christ suffered for all. He works to reconcile even the most fallen among us. “At the end of the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus recalled that God’s love excludes no one: ‘So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.’ He affirms that he came ‘to give his life as a ransom for many’; this last term is not restrictive but contrasts the whole of humanity with the unique person of the redeemer who hands himself over to save us. The Church, following the apostles, teaches that Christ died for all men without exception: ‘There is not, never has been, and never will be a single human being for whom Christ did not suffer’” (CCC 605). We must not give up on anyone. All are called to be our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Jesus sees things so differently from the world. Indeed, He often turns human concepts on their head. How sweetly evident this was when the world looked upon His torture and death as a complete, humiliating defeat. In reality, His suffering and death were love’s ultimate victory. Even the Roman soldiers’ thorny crown and mock praise signaled His true ascent to His heavenly throne. Worldly treasures mean nothing compared to heavenly treasures. We should ask Christ to grant us His mind so we can see as He sees; so we may see things as they truly are.

They mocked Jesus, the King of kings, and placed a crown of thorns on His head. They aimed to humiliate Him, but the truly humble cannot be humiliated. Their evil intentions could never obscure the truth and love shining from Him. He cloaked divine majesty in perfect humility, so that each thorn might pierce our hardened pride, our self-importance, and our desire for praise. He humbled Himself not to shame us but to reveal the truth, to show us the Way, and to heal us. Jesus urges us down from our false heights so He can lead us to true heights—purified and free, ascending the very Mountain of God! Clothed in humility, we enter the very presence of God.

We must allow Jesus to enlarge our souls so that we can face abuse and mockery with the gentle love and mercy of Christ.

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Everything in our faith must be put into practice. How can we practice loving our enemies? How can we prepare for mistreatment by others?

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How would we feel if we were mocked as Jesus was? Great indignation? How dare they? Can we see the pride at the heart of indignation? Can we see that this is completely lacking from the Lord of the universe?

Our Lord accepts His cross. He is weak from loss of blood and in agony due to the torture inflicted upon Him, yet He manages to carry that heavy load on His shoulders. He falls, straining to get up. The soldiers enlist Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross behind Him. He falls twice more, struggling on toward Golgotha.

Our Lord accepts His cross. He is weak from loss of blood and in agony due to the torture inflicted upon Him, yet He manages to carry that heavy load on His shoulders. The soldiers continue to strike Him cruelly. He falls the first time just past the city gate. He struggles to stand, His eyes meeting His mother’s as He does; her soul is surely pierced by the sword. How each longs to ease the other’s suffering. Jesus presses on, His weakness and pain overcoming Him as He spots Golgotha Hill in the distance. He is moving too slowly for the soldiers; they also fear that He may die on the way. The soldiers enlist Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross behind Him. Veronica meets Him along the way and compassionately offers her veil to wipe sweat and blood from His face. The sacred image of His face is left on the cloth. Jesus struggles onward and falls the second time. Jesus meets the daughters of Jerusalem and says, “Weep not so much for me, but rather for your children.” Jesus falls the third time at the foot of Golgotha. He struggles to rise one last time, stooped in pain and staggering. He reaches Golgotha, completely spent.

Many people in our modern society not only seek an easy life without suffering but also demand it—they insist it’s their right! They refuse to make any sacrifice, face any trials, or accept any inconvenience. Even their love for their spouse has serious limits—it can’t cost them too much! In fact, they often abandon their spouse when difficulties arise. Yet Jesus went to the Cross for His bride, the Church. He suffered beyond our comprehension for each of us. When modern people see Jesus hanging on the Cross, they mock such love as unrealistic and unbelievable—some irrational hoax. And then when suffering inevitably comes their way, they lash out at God instead of embracing Him and accepting the suffering that can draw them closer to God and truly transform them.

Our human suffering, when accepted and offered up in union with the Passion of Jesus, is profoundly redemptive for both ourselves and others. “In so far as man becomes a sharer in Christ’s sufferings—in any part of the world and at any time in history—to that extent he in his own way completes the suffering through which Christ accomplished the Redemption of the world” (“Salvifici Doloris,” St. John Paul II). He completes it personally. He completes it through his participation—he completes it by accepting his cross and following Christ! He enters the furnace of suffering willingly and there meets God.

There came a point when even Jesus couldn’t carry His cross any longer. Simon of Cyrene took up the cross and followed Him. We are all called to carry our crosses and follow Jesus Christ. Yet, we all face moments when we can’t get up and continue without help. Often, that help comes directly from Jesus through grace. Sometimes, it also comes through the support of another believer or the encouraging words and fellowship of God’s family. Let us accept help and offer help within our family, friends, confidants, and small church communities.

“If under certain circumstances we show toleration and patience in bearing an insult, in suffering a wrong in silence without indignation and anger or resentment, it is a good sign, and we may begin to conclude that we have some humility; but even then, patience can only be an infallible sign of true humility when it proceeds from the recognition of our own unworthiness and when we tolerate the wrong because we know that we ourselves are full of faults and are deserving of it” (Humility of Heart, Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo). May we humbly endure hardships.

We should expect a life filled with many trials. Let us not only anticipate these trials but also embrace them and offer them up to God for the conversion of sinners—especially ourselves.

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May we always encounter the worst of sinners as the worst of sinners. May we humbly acknowledge that “there but for the grace of God go I” (attributed to St. Francis of Assisi).

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May we see every cross as an opportunity to grow in patience and humility. May we not waste these precious opportunities; may we pray for more if we are slow learners!

The soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross and raised it up. They divided His garments among them and cast lots for His tunic. Jesus asked the Father to forgive those who had just tortured and crucified Him. He assured the penitent thief that he would be with Him in paradise that very day.

The soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross and raised it up. They divided His garments among them and cast lots for His tunic. Jesus asked the Father to forgive those who had just tortured and crucified Him. He assured the penitent thief that he would be with Him in paradise that very day.

“When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I thirst.’ There was a vessel filled with common wine. So, they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit” (Jn. 19:26-30).

“It is love ‘to the end’ that confers on Christ’s sacrifice its value as redemption and reparation, as atonement and satisfaction. He knew and loved us all when he offered his life. Now ‘the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all; there­fore all have died.’ No man, not even the holiest, was ever able to take on himself the sins of all men and offer himself as a sacrifice for all. The existence in Christ of the divine person of the Son, who at once surpasses and embraces all human persons, and constitutes himself as the Head of all mankind, makes possible his redemptive sacrifice for all” (CCC 616).

You are the “beloved disciple” standing beside Mary at the foot of the cross. Your master and dearest friend dies a gruesome death before you. He has already forgiven those who tortured and crucified Him. He has already assured the repentant thief that he would be with Him in paradise. And now He tells you that His mother is your mother, and indeed she is. How the Word incarnate, indeed love incarnate, gives so generously and without measure! May every beloved disciple love her as his own mother; may every disciple know how much Mother Mary loves and prays for them.

Jesus is the “‘New Adam’ who, because He ‘became obedient unto death, even death on a cross,’ makes amends superabundantly for the disobedience of Adam” (CCC 411). And Mary is undoubtedly the woman whose offspring was destined to strike at the devil’s head (Gn 3:15); she is truly the New Eve. Mary, like Eve, was born in perfect communion with God, but unlike Eve, she remained obedient in everything. Therefore, the Fall is undone, and God reaches out to all, calling everyone to divine sonship through Jesus Christ. We can now realize the promise of Jesus: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (Jn 14:23).

“Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34). Jesus forgives them, pleads for them, even as the mockery and torture continue. How ironic—how scandalous—that those who hammer the nails into His hands are the very ones for whom He seeks mercy! Perhaps it is even more ironic—even more scandalous—that we who say we love and adore Him yet add to His suffering through our unrepentant sins—through our attempts to rationalize away our sins. The soldiers should have known better. Even more so, we should know better. Let us reflect on our foolishness and the great mercy of God.

“[The repentant thief] said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied to him, ‘Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise’” (Lk 23:42-43). Are we not all the repentant thief?

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“When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit” (Jn 19:30). Consider these final words of Christ and all that He had accomplished at this moment.

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“I thirst,” Jesus said from the cross. Mother Teresa believed he thirsted for us, for our love and fellowship. Let us reflect on Jesus’ deep longing for our love.

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve.
To thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us,
and after this our exile
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.

V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

O God, whose only-begotten Son, by His life, death, and Resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant, we beseech thee, that by meditating upon these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ, our Lord. Amen.