Running with the Rosary II – Discovering Love

Were you able to find the time to pray the Joyful Mysteries? What moments did God use to bring joy into your life? Keep praying for Jesus to open your heart and eyes to the joy that surrounds you. This week I invite you to pray the Sorrowful Mysteries with me.

On Tuesday and Friday, we walk through the Passion of Jesus. Bead by bead. We are witnesses to His agony in the garden and the scourging at the pillar. We remember the crowning with thorns and the weight of His cross. We pause in silence at His crucifixion. Take a few moments to take all of that into your soul. Breathe and try to imagine the amount of love it takes to lay down your life for the sins of others. As humans, it may be nearly impossible to fathom that kind of love, but that is what we are to nurture in our lives.  

We first encounter Jesus in the garden. He is in prayer, asking the Father to let this cup pass over him. Yet, in the next breath, he surrenders to the will of God. Is this how we pray? Do we ask God for what our heart desires and then, with great trust, acknowledge He loves us and that He will provide? I know, at times, my prayer sounds more like a frenzied litany of demands and bargain-making ideas. Peace only comes when I remember that I am not in control, that He knows the depths of my heart, and that in His great love, He will answer me. What difficulty can you surrender to God today?

The scourging at the pillar and crowning with thorns elicit strong emotions of sadness at the amount of suffering Christ endured. He withstood physical torture and emotional abuse. Each of us has suffered, and since Earth is not Heaven, potentially more is in store for us. It is hard to explain suffering and even harder to understand it, and I’m not sure there are any easy answers. Through His Passion, He suffered,  He lived the whole human experience. So when it seems pointless or too much, turn to Jesus to find love and strength. The band, Casting Crowns, has a beautiful song about the love of Jesus meeting us in our struggles. Take a listen. When did His Love Move First for you?  

After all He endured at the hands of the Roman soldiers, He picked up His cross. I can barely imagine the strength it took to move, much less carry the weight of the cross. Along the way, He falls not once, not twice, but three times. Each time He gets back up. During that long walk, He receives love from Veronica when she gently wipes His face. Simon carried the cross for Him. Friends, we are never meant to carry our burdens alone. Seek help. Talk to a friend, find a therapist, and let Jesus love and help you. Do not think for one second you have to take the long journey alone. 

These mysteries end with the ultimate act of love; the giving of oneself for another. In Jesus’s case, for the world. Specifically, He died for our sins to reconcile us back to God. What sin do you need to bring to the foot of the cross and let Jesus’s love heal? Always the teacher, Jesus’s words from the cross continue to challenge us today, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”(Luke 24:34) Who is Jesus asking you to forgive? Who can you love more fully?

These mysteries have been the most transformative for me over the last 90+ days. They have taught me humility and the peace of surrendering to the will of God. These mysteries have encouraged me to seek help in carrying the burden of my cross. Finally, they have shown me the depths of His love for me. In short, they have taught me about love. What might Jesus want to share with you this week? What can you do out of love for Jesus?

In this crazy world, take a little more time this week to love God, your family, your neighbors, and yourself. Let the Sorrowful Mysteries help you discover the love God has for you and all that His love can heal inside you.