Christ’s words to the good thief – Saint Dismas as he is traditionally called – show us how our lives can be changed and transformed in an instant, for the spiritual action of grace takes no time at all, if we open wide our hearts to God’s grace and mercy.
Christ says: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Hanging on the cross, Christ is the victim of the injustice of his own people. Almost all these people, arguably, knew what they were doing, and still did it anyhow. And yet, what is the judgement of Christ? How does the One who is Love Incarnate speak? He says: “Father, forgive them.” And then, going beyond this, he makes excuses for us: “They know not what they do.”
Jesus says one thing from the Cross, one thing alone: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Why did all this take place? It was done for our sake, to serve us. So that when we have our back to the wall, when we find ourselves at a dead end, with no light and no way of escape, when it seems that God himself is not responding, we should remember that we are not alone.
Walk alongside Jesus in his passion and Cross and be prepared to walk with compassion alongside our suffering brothers and sisters, with these meditations on the Way of the Cross in light of the work of the Society of St Vincent de Paul. The Eleventh to Fourteenth Stations are included in this blog.
In order to reconcile us to Himself, Jesus became man and freely gave up His own life for our sake. And yet, when we sin, we risk losing our new identity as children of God. In this blog, discover how to unite yourself with Jesus and live for His Kingdom, and the role the Mass has to play in this goal.
In the final week of Lent, death confronts us squarely. Ever since the Fall, death has been the enemy, the constant source of pain, despair, sadness, and woe. The Christian perspective is that, yes, death is evil and horrible, but death can only be conquered by death. For the Christian, the darkness of the grave is the passageway to resurrection and everlasting life.
