Every element of the Easter liturgy proclaims the connectedness of Christ's death and resurrection. By this the Church impresses upon our minds and hearts two important spiritual truths: [1] Jesus can never be separated from His Cross. [2] The Cross is the road to life everlasting.
Look to the Cross. Adore the Cross. Kiss the Cross. From you heart, make a resolution, to reject a particular grievous or habitual sin (such as the sin of selfishness).
My Jesus, I firmly believe that Thou art present — Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity — in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. Lord, increase my faith. [pause] I love Thee above all things and desire Thee in my soul. Yet my love is weak and inconstant, strengthen my love evermore. [pause] Since I cannot now receive Thee under the sacramental veil, I beseech Thee, with a heart full of love and longing, to come spiritually into my soul. [pause] As though Thou wert already there, I embrace Thee and unite myself wholly to Thee; [...]
From a sermon given on Passion Sunday My Crucified Jesus, I devoutly kiss and adore the most holy Wound of Thy right hand, and pray Thee to bless my soul, and after death to open to me the gates of Heaven. Glory be to the Father . .. My Crucified Jesus, I devoutly kiss and adore the most holy Wound of Thy left hand, and pray Thee to deliver me from all evil, whether of the body or of the soul, and most especially from the unhappy fate of the wicked who shall stand at The left hand at the Day [...]
To 'walk in the Spirit' is an apt description of the Catholic life, of grace at work, and of the Holy Ghost bringing about salvation and sanctification. Yet we all suffer from concupiscence, a consequence of original sin. This is our inclination to evil that desires what seems agreeable whether good or evil, true of false. It operates upon every aspect of our being, exterior and interior senses. This battle is not easy and lasts all life long. Take this struggle seriously. As soldiers of Christ we are called to fight this battle. Where do we get the grace to conquer?
Passiontide is a time of mourning. All our statues, save the Stations, are veiled in purple. These are the two great weeks of our salvation. St. Philip Neri converted Rome by turning eyes onto the Passion of Christ. St. Paul of the Cross reminds us" "The greatest most stupendous overwhelming work of God's love is the passion and death of our Savior Jesus Christ; and so we have that always before us." Strive to meditate on His passion, at least a few minutes, every day. And pray for grace to suffer for the love of Jesus.
There is nothing more conducive to the attainment of salvation than to think every day on the pains which Jesus Christ suffered for love of us. One way to do this is to meditate upon His final words from the Cross. By these words, it is clear that His death brings us seven magnificent graces.
At the Easter Vigil we sing the Exsultet. It is a great Christian hymn praising the sacrificial Lamb and victory of our King. It proclaims the Cross. By the Cross He conquered; from the Cross He reigns; His wounds heal. The Cross puts the devil to flight, brings conversion, and bestows innumerable graces. The principal reason we have not received more graces and blessings is because, rather than embrace and love the Cross, we complain and reject the Cross. Yet the Cross is the source of all blessings and the cause of all graces. We must truly believe this.
For good or ill man desires that which is 'new.' This desire has lead to advances in civilization and destruction. Man also desires 'nostalgia.' The Greek root of this word means the pain from an old wound. Too often we look for what is new and avoid the old as we strive towards God. Yet the answers for the human soul lie not in something new but in the pain of a very old wound. You shall be restless until you rest in the Cross.
One reason Catholic missionaries had great success is because they preached "the word of the dead man on the wood." This differs greatly from the false gospels of riches, greatness and wonders. But Catholics today are so accustomed to the easy life that we can't relate to such a God. Sacrifice is the only thing that matters for the Catholic because it is the only way for us to be made like Christ. So why do we consistently refuse it? See sacrifice not as a burden to carry, but as God's badge of honor.
