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Lent with Jesus on the Cross 7

4/11/2014

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During this time of Lent, I will be sharing with you what I’ve read and reflected on The Last Seven Words of Jesus on the Cross. Please, feel free to share your thought with us about these last words of our Saviour.

“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)

An illusion that pervades our lives is that we in fact DO have control on what happens in life. We think that we are in a better position than others to control what happens because we have more and better choices in our lives, much more than most people in the world have. In life we have choices regarding our political freedom, our health, our diet, our artistic expression, our education and so on. We also have other less significant choices, millions of them, from which we can select, like soda, canned foods, variety of fashions, soaps and the list goes on. With all these choices available for us we feel that we can also choose our future.

Until something happens that will make our sense of control to disappear: the death of a loved one, or someone close to us, or some famous person. We start to panic, we get into a frenzy, confusion takes over in our lives.

Do we still think that we are in control when our life is repeatedly hit by tragedy? Do we still think that we are in control when we experience that life is not fair? How can we? We are not in control. Control over life is simply an illusion, a myth. And we live by that myth, but it is only just that: a myth.

When we feel insecure in our lives and when we realize that we could not control it, we turn to God, not to lay these burdens before Him and let Him take control of them, but to somehow try to make God do whatever suits us. We try to control God with the pretense of asking for his help. “Lord, change my wife because she is becoming impossible.” “Lord God, make me win the lottery and I will make a considerable donation to the church.” “Dear Lord, may whoever stole my wallet spend its money in medication!” We are simply trying to manipulate God to do whatever suits and pleases us.

Why do we pray in this way instead of praying: “Your will be done? It is very simple. When we say to God: “Your will be done,” we are taking a risk. We will be binding ourselves to let God be in control of our lives and accept His control. And let us face it, our human nature pushes us to take control whereas if God is in control we will be losing control on ourselves and others.

Because besides trying to control our life and God we try to control others, sometimes we will be obvious about it and other times very subtle. Wives try to control husbands and vice versa; adults try to control children and even children many-a-time try to control adults.

Our attempt to control others is a sign of our human desire to control God, and it does not work for long. Sooner or later the others start to ignore us, and our suppressed feelings will cause disorder in our emotions.  

In God’s plan we are not expected to change others as it suits us, but rather help them to be who they are created to be. This means that we are to recognize that the other person is a unique creation and help him or her to develop as a whole person. It means that we help the other person to live out fully the goodness and talents he or she possesses.

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus himself tried to bargain for control. He was praying and hoping that he would not die. Wouldn’t we do the same? Like each one of us, He yearned to change the story, to give it a different ending, to control the people around Him in order to save Himself. But at the same time He realized that God’s will was different than His, and cried to the Father: “… not my will but Your’s be done.”

On the cross Jesus was fully human. His last words on the cross show this humanity. He struggled to forgive his enemies, He showed concern towards his Mother, his close apostle and the repentant thief. He experienced loneliness and He also felt thirsty. He battled to live and finally with all simplicity but at the same time in a moment of greatness, He let go: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

What Jesus did is what each one of us should do: we should give our whole being into God’s hands, He who gave us our life and all.

Let us turn our eyes on Jesus. He left his destiny in the hands of the One who promises to love us eternally and unconditionally. God loves us beyond our understanding and even without us deserving it. He is in control and we should be grateful for that. Today with Jesus let us pray: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” And let us make this our raison d’être.


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Lent with Jesus on the Cross 6

4/9/2014

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Picture
During this time of Lent, I will be sharing with you what I’ve read and reflected on The Last Seven Words of Jesus on the Cross. Please, feel free to share your thought with us about these last words of our Saviour.

“It is finished.” (John 19:30)

What does it mean, to be finished? It has a different meaning to different people. For ambitious Pilate, having Jesus finished, over-and-done with, was a relief to say the least. Who wants more trouble? It is enough that they had to govern a people whose values and beliefs were so much different than those of Rome. But to have an insurrection on your hand will not go down that good with Rome.

For the religious leaders, getting rid of Jesus, was a necessity if they wanted to keep their hold over their people. Jesus was a threat to them, not only because of his teachings but also because of the following He was gathering around Him. Claiming to be the Son of God, was very unsettling for them. Backing this claim with his healings and other miracles spelt danger for their status in society. Who would want to live with such a time-bomb in his backyard? Get rid of Him as soon as possible before the Passover and the people will calm down and they will get back to normal. You know what? They will eventually forget all about Him.

For the disciples and other followers, finished was their dream. He had told them about this moment, He tried to prepare them for the worse but they chose to ignore Him. They chose to keep hoping that what He had spoken about will not happen. When it did and when they were faced with the reality of his arrest, his trial and his crucifixion, they shrunk in the darkness of the night and when He really needed them, they disappeared, they ran away, they were scared to death. How could He be the Messiah? There is no more hope of a triumphal Messiah. They have hoped in vain. Now everything was wrecked and lost. The struggle was over and lost. All their aspirations were over.

The day before, during the Last Supper with his disciples, Jesus has said to His Father: “I have glorified you on earth and finished the work that you gave me to do.” (John 17:4) Jesus knew that He has fulfilled his mission on earth. He has obeyed the will of the Father. Even to die was to obey. His “It is finished,” meant that He had done what God the Father had ordained. His mission is accomplished. In reality neither Pilate not the Jewish leaders were “finishing” Him. They were not taking his life, but it was He who was giving His life, because it was necessary to die. But make no mistake, the darkness did not overcome.

The Light, Jesus (the Word-made-flesh) battled with darkness and although it seemed that darkness prevailed, the Light was and is still in charge. The rulers did not take his life from Him; but it was He who was acting in obedience to the plan of God the Father.

In our hour of death, like Jesus, we might cry out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And Jesus will answer us: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God and believe also in me. I am with you always because you are mine. You are not simply a sinner but a redeemed sinner, redeemed by the shedding of My Blood. Come home to me. You have reached your objective. Your mission is accomplished. It is finished.”

  • How shall we meet the darkness in our life?

  • How shall we prevail when we are so fragile and weak to overcome sin?

  • How shall we deal with the suicide of a loved one?

  • How shall we face the dark reality of a dying child?

  • How shall we come to terms with the death of a son or daughter, a brother or a sister by a drunk driver?

  • How shall we live in an environment where the silent cry of a lonely neighbor is ignored? How shall we live in a society where things and commodities are more valued than children?

  • How shall we live in a world where wars are fought and innocent people are killed in the name of peace or religion?

We shall point always to God. We shall remember the Word-made-flesh presenting himself to us: “I am the resurrection and the life. If the world hates you, remember that it hated me before it hated you… you are not of the world since I have chosen you from the world… You are the light of the world. I have gone and prepared a place for you. It is finished.”


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    Author

    Fr. Karm S. Borg MSSP is a Maltese Catholic priest within the Missionary Society of St. Paul until recently ministering at St.Paul the Apostle Parish,
    Toronto, ON, Canada.
    Now he resides in Malta at St. Agatha's Motherhouse, Rabat.

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