Imagine that one evening on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, comes to you and draws you to Himself in a very powerful way.
He does this by taking you to one stop in particular along the Way of Sacrificial Love (the Way of the Cross).
Imagine that Jesus says to you, "Remain here with Me."
Imagine that He asks you remain with Him in that place, in spirit, for an entire day.
Just imagine where you find yourself: at the pillar where He was scourged.
Are you prepared for such an event?
Can your heart even bear it.
ANOTHER SUMMONS
Imagine that the next afternoon, the Lord summons you to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Just imagine where you find yourself.
Are you prepared for such an event?
Can your heart even bear it.
Fortunately, He has also summoned you to a parish with a very generous Holy Mass and Confession schedule.
How many, many times people miss Holy Mass and/or are unable to go to confession when they need to because their parishes have confessions just once a week, and only a limited number of Holy Masses.
This tragedy results in so many lost opportunities, so much lost grace. So much eternally valuable and immeasurably beautiful, intimate time with our Lord is then LOST.
How vital it is for us to live SACRAMENTAL LIVES.
How important it is for us to kneel beneath Jesus' Cross and be mystically covered with His Precious Blood while being forgiven for our sins during the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and to kneel again beneath Jesus' Cross and be mystically covered with His Precious Blood while receiving Him Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Eucharist.
Jesus did not institute the Sacraments so we would neglect them or abandon them. It is the devil who tempts and encourages us to do something that catastrophic.
How vital it is for us to spend time with Jesus' Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. There, as we make great effort to grow closer to God, as we are so close to Him, He obliges our hearts' longing by improving our spiritual vision.
CRAVE Him.
Our delighted Lord makes it possible for us to see the most beautiful things.
Spiritual vision is so much more valuable to us than our eyesight.
Spiritual vision helps us see many more things that are much more valuable to us, and also to others through us.
THE LESSON GRANTED BY JESUS DURING HOLY MASS
Imagine spending intimate time with Jesus in prayer before the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The Lord still has your heart there at the pillar where He was scourged.
Imagine participating in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass from your place in church, and also at the same time from Christ's side, by the pillar!
Jesus has you at the pillar with Him at one moment in particular. It is the moment that the unfathomable scourging was over. He had been released from the pillar and fell to the ground so catastrophically injured, so barbarically mistreated, and lay in His own Sacred Flesh and Blood.
SEE DEEP INTO ETERNITY
Every single moment of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is filled with meaning and through it all, we are loved and valued by God beyond measure.
We are present at God's execution, and at our Redemption.
If we really, truly understood this truth, our hearts would absolutely break every time we had to miss it.
We would never, ever want to miss Holy Mass.
We would make it a point to make a sacramental confession each time it was necessary before receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, if we could find a church offering a confession schedule that makes this possible.
We would pray very fervently that every parish would.
We would make very sure that we avail ourselves, and others through us, of all the graces the Lord offers to us.
AS YOU APPROACH THE ALTAR DURING HOLY COMMUNION
As you approach the altar to receive Jesus during Holy Communion, imagine that Jesus tells you that people who think and/or feel that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is boring believe that nothing special happens during Holy Mass.
Imagine sharing the Lord's profound sorrow because of this.What a sad, sad lesson He provides to you; how can you possibly keep your sorrow contained.
Jesus has you kneel at the pillar next to His Sacred, Bloody Body laying on the ground while receiving Him in the Eucharist.
Always kneel reverently to receive our Savior, if physically able to, and always bow reverently within your heart.
Receive such priceless Treasure directly to your tongue; never neglect to reverence God to the utmost of your ability, and never think such beautiful, loving actions lack meaning and significance.
Honoring God has tremendous meaning and important ramifications for our eternal welfare and the eternal welfare of others.
Imagine
the horror of a Sacred Host falling to the floor, and now as
you receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament you see Him laying by the pillar, in the
dirt, and in His own Flesh and Blood.
His thoughts there on the ground were not on Himself; they were on you, they were on all of us.
Jesus longs to love us; if only we would let Him.
Jesus gives us new opportunities every single day to accept His magnificent offers of salvation and sanctification. He offers His love and mercy to us over and over and over again.
Jesus longs to love us; if only we would let Him.
Jesus gives us new opportunities every single day to accept His magnificent offers of salvation and sanctification. He offers His love and mercy to us over and over and over again.
There on the ground we see God, our loving and generous Creator, Who could not possibly have gone any lower for us.
How much are we willing to lower ourselves for Him?
Truly, we are loved and valued by God beyond measure.
Imagine what the demon said to Jesus while He was being scourged at the pillar, and while He was laying on the ground in His own Sacred Flesh and Blood.
Jesus, in His extreme physical weakness and unfathomable suffering, was fighting for us and He was winning.
He continues fighting for precious and immortal souls through us, and most powerfully when we take on His likeness.
When
you return to your place in church with the King of all kings and the
Love of your eternal life reposing on your tongue, spend time deep in
prayer unified with the One who loves you more than you can ever
imagine.
Love Him in return.
Love Him in return.
Then in your heart change your position in church, while also at the pillar, into a
firing position and from such close proximity to Jesus laying so
compromised on the ground, launch one golden
arrow (prayer) after another through time and space for countless precious, immortal souls.
Viva Cristo Rey!!
Sweet Jesus, I kneel next to You at the pillar, as You lay on the ground in Your own Sacred Flesh and Blood, so catastrophically injured, so barbarically mistreated and rejected. Look into the future, Jesus, and see me at this time and place kneeling next to You as You offer Your life for my redemption. Lord, from this moment forward, prevent me from ever sinning again, so that I do not add to Your torments and Your suffering, so that I never reject You, but only love You instead. But how can I kneel by Your side and place myself higher than You, the King of Kings, my God, writhing in agony on the floor. Truly, the only place I can take must be lower, and so I place myself face down before You, in the shape of a cross.
© Joseph Karl Publishing/Michele Bondi Bottesi
The audio version of the above meditation:
A Prayer During Holy Communion While Unified with Christ at the Pillar by Apostolate Films on Mixcloud
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