Pray with the Passion

In the first Letter of St. Peter we hear these consoling words, ”By his wounds you were healed.” (1Pt 2: 24)  The Church uses this verse every Sunday in the praying of Second Vespers during Lent.  It is a reminder to us of the power of the Passion of Out Lord in our lives. It tells us that His suffering and death serve as a real and true remedy in our time and in every age. His Passion is a reality that is absolutely present to us especially when we come to Mass and receive His Sacred Body and Precious Blood. Therefore, His suffering and death must be held in our mind and heart as we turn to Him in prayer. We certainly do this when we gather together for the Stations of the Cross. We can certainly do it individually in a contemplative way each day as we pick up the Gospels and chose one of the accounts of the Passion found in them. I love all four, but I must admit that the Passion from St. John’s Gospel is my favorite.
            
Here is how to do it. Read a few verses from the Passion account you have chosen slowly and with devotion. Then ask the Lord to enlighten you about what He wants to say to you through these verses. Spend some time, perhaps about 15 minutes, imagining with your eyes of faith what the scene would have looked like and then see yourself as part of that scene. As you do so pray, ”Lord Jesus, I adore You and I love You. I thank you for undergoing your Passion for me. I give You my heart and I ask for Your grace that I may be united with You in Your suffering and death”. You can offer this prayer for a particular person or intention.  
            
It is through the Passion and Death of Jesus that the whole world is saved and we are reconciled to the Father. It is by His wounds that we are healed. During Lent and throughout the year we should take up the Passion accounts praying with them entering into the mystery of His love outpoured for us.
 
Most Reverend William J. Waltersheid
Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh