The sufferings of Our Lady were endured with trust in Divine Providence. Although we speak of the particular seven sorrows of Mary, there were certainly others. Even before the birth of Our Lord, she endured several, but always quietly and patiently. They increased in intensity. Now we have an opportunity, as we enter the closing days of the most penitential time of the liturgical year, to reflect on her sacrifice. And as we approach the Resurrection of Our Lord, we are reminded to call upon her maternal blessings so that we may complete this journey to the holiest day in human history.

As Our Savior asked His disciples to wait with Him and watch with Him, He invites us to do the same. God appeared to us in the form of a man, humbling Himself. Through this abasement, He seeks to draw us closer to Him and see in this humbling the great mystery of His passion for all to imitate.

During the second half of Lent, the Church does something remarkable in the traditional liturgy: she has us read almost exclusively from the Gospel of St. John. From day 21 until the last day of Lent, there are only two Gospels that are not from St. John, outside the readings of the Passion. It is clear that the Church wants us to focus on this Gospel in order to learn about the Passion. We know that this Gospel is unique. It completes what is laid forth in the Synoptic Gospels by focusing without reservation on the divinity of Our Lord and the great sacrifice He made for the salvation of the human race.

The suffering of Christ went far beyond what He endured physically. Uncharitable and angry words can inflict immense damage. The rash judgments of others toward Our Lord certainly caused wounds in His heart. Without evidence or good reason, He was subjected repeatedly to accusations that were ultimately untrue. In our own lives, we must think about the power our words have to hurt others and the depth of injury they cause.

“In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” Christ is the light entering the world. Although we normally celebrate this momentous event on Christmas, in reality we celebrate it today when Our Lady receives Our Lord into her womb through accepting the miraculous calling of God. And in this great miracle, we have an opportunity to reflect on the work of the Holy Ghost in the creation of the world and the coming of Jesus, Who became Incarnate to save this very world.

The institution of the Holy Eucharist is one of Our Lord’s greatest miracles. It is the seed of eternal life. For it to be spiritually beneficial we must receive worthily, with faith, fear, and love. These terms may seem easy and casual, but it we must have a profound commitment to God and with the right intention to receive Him.

Almost everyone is overstressed with daily duties in these modern times. It can be crushing and unhealthy. But with St. Joseph and his amazing example, he can help us carry our daily crosses and have faith.

The screen often becomes an addiction. It is not just the Church that makes this declaration, but the behavioral sciences also confirm this. Screens are an escape from reality in the same way alcohol and drugs pretend to offer. While we may want to frame it as a moral issue, this pitfall is so much more complex because it rewires your brain. And it targets everyone.

The miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 is recorded by all four evangelists. He did not use it as a moment of self aggrandizement, but rather to prepare the way for the greater miracle of the Holy Eucharist. Our Lord is demonstrating through this miracle that He can not only fulfill us physically by addressing our hunger, but He is the there to fulfill us spiritually through the holy sacrifice of the Mass.

A specific type of foolish speech that deters progress in the spiritual life is complaining. The act of complaining makes it almost impossible to cooperate with God’s grace, for it locks us into ourselves and away from reality. Thus, it removes us from God. Complaining is not the same as making a negative judgment, for sometimes those judgments are necessary. When bitterness and resentment enter into the frame, this is where we begin to poison our spiritual lives by shifting judgment into complaining.