Lent JourneySample

DAY 33-38

Scripture of the week:

28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:28 – 30 (NIV)


MY LOVING GOD

My loving God, take and receive All my liberty my memory,
my understanding, my entire will
And all that I have and posses.

You gave it all to me.
To you, my God, I return it!
Always yours,
dispose of it according to your desires.
Give me your love and grace.
This is enough for me.

Ignatius of Loyola

This prayer articulates total surrender. He Lord has come to free us. That freedom I now surrender.
My memory is a place where I can come and go as I please. I surrender it. My understanding is my grip on the world. I surrender it.
I surrender everything!
All I need is God’s love and grace.

This prayer helps me understand why the Jesuits take an oath of allegiance to the Pope. They see the Pope as a representative of Christ on earth and therefore they will do whatever he asks of them.


DAY 33
It is finished

Tetelestai – It is finished.
I can interpret these words in several ways.
They might mean that his suffering is now over. Everything is now over. He declares that the job is finished – his Godly mission is carried out.
Or perhaps that He has done everything He could, and that He can now do nothing further? Is He relieved or content in this moment? Or is it a statement of disappointment? It might also be a combination of all these possibilities.

One thing is sure: Here, at the end of his life, there is a glance to the past, a reflection on his life. In the eyes of the people it appears that He is a failure, but Jesus was here to do the will of his Father, and He found satisfaction in his attempt to do so. The crowd is not his audience – He clearly has another audience in mind. An audience of One – his Father!

These words inspire, even if Jesus said it in disappointment. Perhaps on the cross He wonders if He succeeded, and whether anything will come of his three- year ministry. It is easy to think that Jesus knows the future and that He knows that everything will work out for good, but maybe He still feels hopeless and disappointed in these last Godforsaken moments. I myself have experienced this kind of disappointment; putting my heart and all that I have into a project or dream, and see it fail. . . the pain of such a disappointment is huge. Then being stressed out and doubtful in all further endeavours!

But I know that the Lord will work out all things for good. Jesus’ last words, even if it comes from a combination of feelings, tells me that He also believes in his heart of hearts. His life and death are not in vain.

I have felt like my dreams came to an end. I might feel that again one day. I want to learn to hold on – to cling to Him who always dreams about me and invites me to dream along with Him.

EXERCISE
• Read through the Scripture twice, slowly.
• Use all your senses to see the events play out before you.
• What do you see?
• What do you hear?
• What do you feel?


Pray the following imagination prayer*.

You find yourself at Golgotha.
The past few hours you experienced a whirlwind of emotions.
You remember Pilate asking the people of Jerusalem what to do with Jesus. You hear the screams of the crowd: ‘Crucify him!’
Some had hoped that He was the Messiah and would be the One who would fulfill the dreams of a nation.
So many questions are running in your head. You sit down because you’re tired.
The journey is beginning to take its toll.
You hear Jesus speak, saying that He is thirsty.
Somebody jumps up and puts vinegar on a sponge and gives it to Him. Jesus drinks the vinegar.
He looks down at you, and you hear how He says: It is finished! Jesus lowers his head and breaths his last breath.
What emotions do you become aware of? What dreams did you have to let go?

How would it be for you to talk to Jesus about his words that He had done all that was necessary?

Take a few moments to reflect on your experience and talk to God about it. It may help you to write down your prayer in a journal.