Imagine what it would be like if you could somehow be mystically transported to the night of Holy Thursday. And imagine if you could somehow see and experience everything that Jesus went through. Imagine the Agony in the Garden, the ridicule and harsh treatment, the mockery, the night alone in prison, the trial, the scourging, the carrying of the Cross and the Crucifixion. This would be too much to bear. To face Jesus and all His interior and exterior sufferings would be overwhelming. But, if you could do it, and face every experience that He had, it would change your life. The sufferings of Christ should not be ignored. They should not be turned away from and they should not be shunned. His Passion must be faced, understood, loved and lived by each one of us. When we do this we will be changed forever (See Diary #1054).
Try to spend time today letting yourself be drawn in, deeply, to the mysterious and profound sufferings of Jesus. Let the Lord reveal to you a taste of what He endured. Facing His sufferings is not only facing a great evil; rather, it’s facing love in its purest form. To face the Cross and all that it encompassed is to face the greatest act of love ever known, revealed through the greatest scandal ever experienced. God is astonishing to us, in a holy way, when we discover His love in His suffering. Ponder it today, let it sit in your heart, seek to understand the mystery and allow God to transform you through it.
Lord, please give me the grace to turn toward You on the throne of Your Cross and to gaze upon You now and for all eternity. Help me to discover Love in its most pure form as I fix my eyes on You and all that You endured. My Suffering Lord Jesus, I love You and I trust in You.