Fourth Week of Lent...With Jesus, We See...

"I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.  Do you believe this?"  (John 11: 25-26, NAB)

"Whether you understand it or not, God loves you, is present to you, lives in you, dwells in you, calls you, saves you." - Thomas Merton

Entering into the Fourth Week of Lent, we remember that life is a gift to us from God, the Father.  Our life is not our own choosing but by God's designing.

Because of this, we continue to carry the hope, at this mid-Lenten point, that everything that happens in our life lies entirely in the assuring hands of God.

"Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb?  Even should she forget, I will never forget you.  See, upon the palms of my hands I have written your name..." (Isaiah 49: 15-16, NAB)

We must never be afraid to gaze into the eyes of Jesus and acknowledge Him as the source of our life, the bringer of hope, the cause of our joy, the source of our salvation...  Jesus alone can make everything new...Jesus alone forgives our sins.

For the remaining part of Lent, take courage that Jesus will heal any blindness in your heart and restore fully your inner sight to become more aware of God in your life.   Jesus will bring light into the darkness of your heart.  Jesus alone will heal and remove all your burdens and sufferings.

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth." (Ephesians 5: 8-9, NAB)

"Look at His adorable face. Look at His glazed and sunken eyes. Look at His wounds. Look Jesus in the Face.  There, you will see how He loves us." - St. Therese of Lisieux

Via Dolorosa 4/14...Jesus Meets His Sorrowful Mother

The next few days of Lent, we will contemplate this journey with Jesus, Who “went out, carrying His cross, to the place called “the place of the skull”, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha” (John 19:17).  I humbly pray that the contemplation of these steps of Christ’s journey will speak simply to your heart.

“Adoramus te, christe, et benedicimus tibi, quia per crucem tuam redemisti mundum.

We adore Thee O Christ, and we praise Thee - Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.”

– The Testament of St. Francis of Assisi – 1182 - 1226

Scriptural Reading:


“Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.” (John 19:25-27, NAB)


“When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. ” (John 16:21-22, NAB)


“…Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” (Luke 2:34-35, NAB)

Simply Reflect:


O Jesus, your body trembled under the weight of the Cross, you dragged yourself up and continued your journey towards Golgotha; your head still bleeding profusely, your wounds, so bitter mixed with your sweat and dirt.


Then suddenly from the corner of your eye, you caught a glimpse of a familiar face, the motherly face which constantly comforted you, cared for you and ever tenderly pampered you with so much love.  Amidst all the cursing and mocking in the surroundings, both their eyes connected, Jesus and His Mother.

No words were spoken, no words were necessary.  Mother Mary stared tearfully at her once little baby, flesh of her flesh, sorrowfully understood and sadly pondered all these quietly in her heart - her pierced bleeding heart.  Though overwhelmed, Mother Mary was fully united in this journey with her boy to Golgotha…she grieved so much but her heart simply knew that His hour had finally come.

Dear Jesus, in your stare, God’s love came down from heaven.  Time stood still… You looked at us, you searched for us…yet we never even stopped to look back, not even a glance, keeping ourselves a distant from you.  We were too caught up with the rest of the crowd, watching all the action and the commotion…we left you out…alone in the cold.

O Jesus, the unspeakable pain you must have felt when we isolated ourselves from you and merely watched from afar at the whole spectacle of your most painful journey to redeem us.



Quiet Pondering:


My dear Jesus, how sorrowful is the sight of you making your way of the Cross - in obedient silence.  The compassionate gaze and stillness of your Mother brings comfort.  We know we are the cause of such pains and great sufferings by our sinning against you.

During my moments of weakness, why do I so easily succumb to doubts, give in and allow evil to triumph in my life?  Jesus, help me learn from you as you obediently bore the burden of the Cross (my sins) and trusted God the Father…never permit me to separate myself from you.

Mother Mary, teach me to imitate you, and learn that faith is to trust even in the face of God’s apparent silence - Trust God when I am hurting or in pain or do not understand, trust God when I do not know why cancer does not discriminate, the good die young or why good people become terminally sick, why the innocent suffer…  Mother Mary truly loved until it hurts and never ceased to trust God. Mother Mary, pray for us this Lent.

Resolve to imitate Mother Mary’s example of being an obedient and trusting instrument of God, even when experiencing obstacles and challenges in your daily lives…always keep your eyes on Jesus.

Jesus, help me on this journey through Lent. Mother Mary, please pray for me.

“Look at His adorable face.

Look at His glazed and sunken eyes.

Look at His wounds.

Look Jesus in the Face.

There, you will see how He loves us.”

- St. Therese of Lisieux

Journeying Home...

"Do you realize that Jesus is there in the tabernacle expressly for you - for you alone? He burns with the desire to come into your heart...don't listen to the demon, laugh at him, and go without fear to receive the Jesus of peace and love...

"Receive Communion often, very often...there you have the sole remedy, if you want to be cured. Jesus has not put this attraction in your heart for nothing..."

"The guest of our soul knows our misery; He comes to find an empty tent within us - that is all He asks."

- St. Therese of Lisieux

Storm of Glory...God's Calling...

I stumbled on this beautiful book entitled, "Storm of Glory" at a recent warehouse sale. This was John Beever’s first biography of St Therese of Lisieux, initially published in 1949. By the grace of God, I discovered a hardcover copy of the 1950 reprint with illustrations at a local used bookshop recently.

The names of Louis Martin and Zelie Marie Guerin would probably sound unfamiliar to most of us. Louis was turned away from the monastery of the Great St. Bernard, whereas Zelie was denied entrance to the Convent of the Sisters of St Vincent de Paul.

This family of a successful watchmaker and a lace maker stricken with breast cancer bore 9 children; 7 girls and 2 boys. However, within 3 years, the two boys, a five year old girl, and a six-and-a-half week old infant girl all died. The last child was weak and frail and the family already so used to death, was preparing for yet another death.
Today, people know this little girl as St. Therese, the "Little Flower" because her life is a testimony of her being like the simple wild flowers in the forests and fields, unnoticed by the greater population, yet growing and giving glory to God.

This 231-page book expresses beautifully how she, within her short life (died at the age of 24 years and 9 months of tuberculosis), understood herself before the Lord - simple and hidden, but blooming where God had planted her – keeping things simple in all ways, encountering God in the simple details of life. She never did like long prayers and even fell asleep during a community prayer session. “Heaven” was the very first word she could read.

For many of us today who feel that we do not have any talent for holiness, and tend to lose hope trying – contented to being just a mediocre attendee in church, you will truly be able to relate to Therese, being physically weak herself, stubborn and sometimes psychologically vulnerable. She humbles herself with the perception that great saints were giants and that she was merely an “obscure grain of sand”. This book provides inspiration of the fact that we all have many opportunities (some we perceive to be too small) of grace in our daily lives and that there is simply no excuse for “tidak apa”-ness” (indifference) in the practice of our Catholic faith in our daily lives.

This book echoes her belief that, “Our Lord does not call those who are worthy, but those whom He will.” She adds on, “I am a nobody. I did nothing great. Much of my life was spent in the laundry…looking after the linen…I was not learned. I read very few books…I was a little soul, an ordinary soul. But I loved God…”

As this captivating book is out-of-print, used copies can easily be found at these sites, amongst many others: Amazon.com, Thriftbooks.com, Abebooks.com or Alibris.com.

Many, many other great books on this lovely saint can similarly be found.