We adore you, Oh Christ, and we praise You, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the World.
 

Stop and really look at this moment in the life of Jesus. What strikes you? What speaks to your heart? What do you think Jesus is feeling? What does it tell you about how much He loves you? Spend some time in prayer and listen to what Jesus is inviting you into.

As St. Leonard was devoted to the Stations of the Cross, we are making this the centerpiece of the 150^th Anniversary, and every month we are highlighting one of the Stations. We invite you to pray and reflect on these monthly meditations to enter fully into the moment of Jesus’ Passion and to allow yourself to be transformed by the Cross.

Meditation
And there it was, the most desolate and terrifying scene. The hope of all who came to believe, the fulfillment of all prophecy, the Word incarnate, hangs crucified on a cross.

Few are standing beside him, and almost nobody wants to be there. Mary witnesses how her son is treated as the worst of all criminals. The beloved disciple, John, accompanies Mary, his now mother, while his Master endures the worst of all pains. The Pharisees would instead be preparing for the Passover but preferred to stay and make sure that the one who threatened their authority was no longer a threat. The soldiers limit themselves to accomplish their sinister duty, hoping for it soon to be over. The two thieves disagree entirely with each other in the way of treating the one hanging in their midst, but anyone could easily imagine that they would agree and would rather not be there.

But there is one that wills to be there; Jesus has united his human will with his divine will, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”(Matthew 26:39). The task has been presented before him. His human will instinctively would want to refuse it, but Jesus had already started to die to himself before he was hanged on the Cross, to die to his will. At the end is the will of the Father, the one that prevails; Jesus arrives at the fulfillment of his ministry and mission through the consummation of the will of the Father.

A friend of mine shed some light on the mystery of the Cross and helped me see that everything that Jesus did on Earth was not only to redeem the burden of sin but also to teach us how to live to the fullest. On the Cross, Jesus is not passively giving up; on the contrary, He is entirely active. He is fully open to God in an attitude of receiving, and at the same time, He is actively giving it all to God in a perfect surrender.

Saint Rafael Arnaiz Baron teach us to see the cross as a place where we can find rest and healing: Esté [yo] siempre a la sombra del duro madero, ponga allí a tus pies mi celda, mi lecho… Tenga yo allí, Señor, mis delicias, mi descanso en el sufrir… Riege el suelo del Calvario con mis lágrimas… Allí no hay dolor, pues al ver el tuyo, ¿quién se atreve a sufrir? [May [I] always be in the shadow of the hardwood, put my cell there, my bed there at your feet... May I have there, Lord, my delights, my rest in suffering... Water the floor of Calvary with my tears... There is no one there in pain, because seeing yours, who dares to suffer?] (from the Journal of Saint Rafael Arnaiz Baron, Spanish Trappist conventual oblate)

We ask you, O Lord, this day as we contemplate your death, standing at the foot of the Cross, give us the Grace to stay firm, teach us to actively surrender our will to the will of the Father, and allow him to make out of us what he wills, receiving the healing and peace that he wills in our lives.
Journal Questions:

1. What is my attitude when I think about being at the foot of the Cross? Am I bothered by other people’s pain or pain in my life? How can you give it to Jesus in the Cross?
2. What is holding me back from surrendering to God fully? Is there any area of my life where I am still the one in control?

Meditation offered by Juan Fernando Ortega, volunteer in Saint Leonard’s parish office and a missionary with Encounter Homeless Ministry.

About the artist: Adam Moniz is a Catholic Illustrator and Fine Artist who draws his creative inspiration from the beauty of our Lord. He is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Sacred Art at Pontifex University. Follow him at: www.atmonizarts.com or on Instagram @atm_adamtmoniz.