I had an interesting juxtaposition of today's
Feast of The Annunciation and the next mystery in my Lenten series of reflections, The Crucifixion, at noon today. I was alone in our little Daily Mass Chapel praying my traditional Lenten Friday Holy Hour after Mass. I was reading a book on the Seven Sorrows of Mary when the bells in the chapel rang at noon, reminding me to pray
The Angelus. The Angelus is a short devotion in honor of the Incarnation, which of course, we also honor with today's feast. As the bells continued to chime, it occurred to me that noon is traditionally honored as the hour that Jesus was crucified. I love it when I get heavenly aid for my blog entries!
When I meditate on The Crucifixion, I often recall the Seven Last Words of Jesus:
1. "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." (Lk 23:34)
2. "Amen, I say to thee: this day thou shalt be with me in paradise." (Lk 23:43)
3. “Woman, behold thy son.” To the disciple, “Behold your mother.” (Lk 19:26-27)
4. "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mk 15:34)
5. “I thirst.” (Jn 19:28)
6. “It is consummated.” (Jn 19:30)
7. “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” (Lk 23:46)
During Lent, spend some time meditating on these last words. It's helpful to read commentaries such as this one by
Archbishop Fulton Sheen.
2 comments:
Today was a truly beautiful Solemnity, complete with Mass, bacon for breakfast, and beef stew and dessert for dinner. And your meditation. Thanks to a certain canon law we are dispensed from fasting and abstinence on this Lenten Friday celebration of the Incarnation. I did blanch a bit when a certain visiting granddaughter worriedly told her mother, "Mommy, we're not keeping our Lenten promise." Can't be more Catholic than the church...but it took some lengthy explanation.
It does seem strange to celebrate on a Friday during Lent, doesn't it? We still aren't even halfway through the 40 days, so there's still plenty of time left for penance!
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