Roasted honey red stretch

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Ponderings on the Sorrowful Mysteries

Image: The Polish Pieta-note the size of Jesus wounds




I had these thoughts today as I prayed through the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary.

The First Sorrowful Mystery The Agony in the Garden: The Agony in the garden represents the loneliness of separation from God that Jesus accepted in order to take on our sins. Sin separates us from God, this was probably the first time that Jesus ever felt that separation and he begged his disciples to stay awake with him, because he felt such profound loneliness.

The Second Sorrowful Mystery The Scourging at the Pillar:
The scourging of Jesus in the outer court of Pilate's palace represents bodily suffering, Jesus took on the pain that we feel from sickness, disease, cancer, leprosy, Multiple sclerosis, beatings, abuse and all the other pains known to humankind. He took it all upon his body.

The Third Sorrowful Mystery The Crowning with thorns.
I believe that the crowning with thorns represents mental anguish. Both from mental illness and also from temptation and disappointment and all other agonies of the mind.

The FOurth Sorrowful Mystery The Carrying of the Cross. I believe that this represents the drudgery of bearing our day to day life. The boredom the waiting, the persevering in all things for the sake of God and family and friends. Though we at times seek a better life in the hereafter with God, we must take up our cross each day and bear it with the help of the Holy Spirit our Comforter.

The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery The Crucifixion.
This represents the final triumph of Jesus. He passed through death for our sakes in order to accept the sting of death and brave hell for us. He conquered both so that those who die in Christ will suffer neither. Praise be to Him! The Sacrifice Lamb!

2 comments:

jeleasure said...

As you and I have discussed previously, we see value in such tradition and liturgies. Though, it may surprise you if I say, I am not a person who enjoys liturgies and ceremony. I guess my reason is I just look around and see what the world is beholding to. We see the hurt and greed. We know where the pain is and what we can pray for.

In the case of the Sorrowful Mysteries, they are helpful to ponder when considering the sacrafice of Christ.
Jim

makemeaspark said...

I see more and more value in liturgy and ceremony every day. I see more and more of it as I read scripture. As a person who loves my Savior and Redeemer, I look at his life every day through His Word and the eyes of those who know Him best and i see increasingly where Jesus was a man of Liturgy and ceremony, and though He would not have us be slaves to these things or put our faith in them instead of Him. I see that He honored the value in them.

In a Roman Catholic(Orthodox, and Anglican, and some Lutheran also) there is a direct line of descent from the Jewish prayers and practices infused into the new religion that Jesus followers became after Him. "Blessed are you,Lord Our God, who brings forth bread from the earth" is an ancient prayer, perhaps from the time of Melchizedek. The book i am reading right now points out that Abraham broke bread and wine with Melchizedek, and the Writer of Hebrews points out over and over that Jesus is a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Sacrifices and offerings were part of daily life in Biblical Israel. Jesus is our perpetual sacrifice. Offered forever before God on our behalf. This is an offense to Satan and he fights it with all his forces(the black mass being an attempt to erase the power that is released in the true sacrifice of mass).

God bless and keep praying. All earnest, fervent, prayer is powerful!


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