"This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the Lord, as a perpetual institution." (Exodus 12: 14)
"Do this in memory of me."
The Passover foreshadows both the Last Supper and Calvary.
"This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."
You shall be saved through the blood of the Lamb.
"God our Father, we are gathered here to share in the supper which your only Son left to his Church to reveal his love. He gave it to us when he was about to die and commanded us to celebrate it as the new and eternal sacrifice. We pray that in this Eucharist, we may find the fullness of love and life…." (Prayer at Mass)
The Eucharist reveals Christ's love for His Church. We see why the Church has guarded the Eucharist jealously for the past 2000 years. Not to do so would be much more grievous than being flippant with a wedding ring given by a much beloved spouse.
Jesus Christ invites us to the Eucharist but some people hear this invitation every day. The invitation and the answer prove Christ's immense love for them.
"I have come that they may have life and have it to the full." The Eucharist promises fullness of love and life. May I find both in the Eucharist, O Jesus. The Eucharist is a celebration of love and thanks.
"We should glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ for he is our salvation, our life and our resurrection; through him we are saved and made free." (Galatians 6: 14)
Glory in the cross of Jesus Christ. Do not be ashamed of it. The cross is the means of our salvation. But it is Jesus who is our salvation and life. Glory in your personal crosses. Do not be ashamed of them or reject them. Your personal crosses are also the means through which Jesus is saving you here and now. In your crosses, remember: "My grace is sufficient for you. For my strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12: 9)
"All-powerful God, the Eucharist proclaims the death of your Son. Increase our faith in its saving power and strengthen our hope in the life it promises." (Prayer at Mass)
Christ commanded us to do the Eucharist in memory of Him. The Eucharist is not just the wish of Christ to be fulfilled by His followers. It is the greatest gift He left us. Jesus said, "I am the bread of life." It is in the Eucharist that we eat this bread and appropriate the promise of life it makes. Have faith in the Eucharist and have life.
"And while they were eating he said, "Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me." (Matthew 26: 21)
Lord Jesus, have mercy on me. May your grace protect me so that I do not betray you again. Look at my weakness and have pity on me.
"Answer me Lord in your generous love; in your great mercy turn to me. Do not hide your face from your servant; in my distress hasten to answer me. Come and ransom my life; because of my enemies redeem me. You know my reproach, my shame, my disgrace; before you stand all my foes. Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak; I looked for compassion, but there was none, for comforters, but found none. Instead they put gall in my food; for my thirst they gave me vinegar." (Psalm 69: 17-22)
A cry of anguish in great distress.
If you want to be my disciple, take up your cross everyday and follow me.
"The Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear…." (Isaiah 50: 4)
Before you speak, you must learn what to say. You sit at the feet of Jesus and the Holy Spirit instructs you by means of the word. When you have mastered the lessons, all the lessons, the Spirit of truth sends you to the "weary."
Thank you Father for this word. I believe it. Consecrate me in the truth. Your word is truth. Consecrate my tongue, my hands, all of men.
"Consecrate me in the truth." Set me apart exclusively for the work of the truth.
"A word that will rouse them (the weary)" - Rouse them to conversion; strengthen the discouraged; warn the complacent.
"Father, in your plan of salvation your Son Jesus Christ accepted the cross and freed us from the power of the enemy. May we come to share the glory of his resurrection….." (Prayer at Mass)
Note the power of acceptance. When we accept God's will in our life, we become free to enjoy God's power in every circumstance. In dying, we find life. In accepting tribulations, we overcome the fear of suffering and become free. Jesus achieved freedom for us through the acceptance of His Father's will to suffer and die.
"At the name of Jesus, every knee must bend, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth; … Jesus Christ is Lord." (Philippians 2: 10-11)
Jesus is Lord!
Jesus Prayer
Come Lord Jesus!
Jesus' name is one of my greatest gifts.
"Lord, look at mercy on our offerings. May we who share the holy gifts receive the life they promise….." (Prayer at Mass)
Look at mercy on our offerings – We are weak and inadequate. So are our offerings. Instead of looking at our miserable offerings, look rather on your Son who offers Himself for us.
The Eucharist promises life to those who receive it worthily.
"You will lay down your life for me, will you?' Jesus answered. 'I tell you truly, the cock will not crow before you have three times disowned me!" (John 13: 38)
Dearest Jesus, you are right. I can betray you and I will betray you unless you help me. Help me for I am weak. Help me for I do not want to betray you.
"I will sing of your salvation… For you are my hope, O Lord, my trust, O God, from my youth. On you I depend from my mother's womb; you are my strength." (Psalm 71: 8, 5-6)
God is my hope. I trust in Him in everything. He has taught me from my youth and till the present I proclaim His wondrous deeds.
"The Lord called me from birth, from my mother's womb he gave me my name. He made me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm." (Isaiah 49: 1-2)
The Lord called me from birth and gave me the name Emmanuel. He is training me today, forming me into a sharp-edged sword.
Father, let your plan for me life be fully accomplished.
"Father, may we receive your forgiveness and mercy as we celebrate the passion and death of the Lord…." (Prayer at Mass)
The life of the individual Christian is a microcosm of the life of the Body of Christ, of which the individual is a small stone in the building. The Church again and again asks for forgiveness and mercy from God because she needs it. The Church is holy and at the same time prone to sin, just like the individual Christian is holy because of the indwelling Spirit and at the same time prone to sin.
"False witnesses have stood up against me, and my enemies threaten violence; Lord, do not surrender me into their power!" (Psalm 26: 12)
If you want to be my disciple, take up your cross everyday and follow me. Prepare yourself for the action of false witnesses and evil men who will threaten violence.
Lord, grant me deep faith; grant me courage, especially at the moment of crisis.
"Lord, look with mercy on our offerings. May the sacrifice of Christ, your Son, bring us to eternal life …" (Prayer at Mass)
"Many brought a pound of costly perfume made from genuine aromatic nard, with which she anointed Jesus' feet." (John 12: 3)
Mary gave her first fruits to Jesus. She gave Him the very best.
Do I give my very best to Jesus?
Lord Jesus, I offer you through the Immaculate Heart of Mary all my prayers, desires, hopes, sufferings, temptations, delays, obstacles and disappointments.
Lord Jesus, help me to give you always my very best. I want to give you not Magis but Maximus.
"Many brought a pound of costly perfume made from genuine aromatic nard, with which she anointed Jesus' feet." (John 12: 3)
Mary gave her first fruits to Jesus. She gave Him the very best.
Do I give my very best to Jesus?
Lord Jesus, help me to give you always my very best. I want to give you not Magis but Maximus.
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? / The Lord is my life's refuge; of whom should I be afraid? ………./I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living. / Wait for the Lord with courage; be stout-hearted and wait for the Lord." (Psalm 27 ..)
If God is with me, who can be against me? If God is with me, I shall triumph over my foes. If God is with me, it is accomplished.
Yes, I shall see the bounty of the Lord in this land. I wait for the Lord with courage. I wait for the Lord until He answers me.
"I, the Lord, has called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness." (Isaiah 42: 6-7)
The Lord has called me for the victory of justice. God grasped me by the hand as I grasped JR the day he was lost. God is forming me; He is training me. He will set me as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations. God is calling me to open the eyes of the blind; to bring out prisoners from confinement and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.
I can do all these things because I am His servant whom He upholds, His chosen one with whom He is pleased. He has put His Spirit in me. If God is with me, then it is accomplished.
"All-powerful God, by the suffering and death of your Son, strengthen and protect us in our weakness…" (Prayer at Mass)
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
Blood of Jesus, protect me.
