Catholic Meditations

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 16:24-25


O Lord,
here, where the wood of my own cross
rubs agains my shoulders,
I begin to realize
that redemption had a real price,
that the blood flowing down your arms
was not theater decoration,
But you, Lamb of God
our pascal offering
slain,
the blood of atonement,
offered drop by drop
with each beat of your heart.

O Lord,
in my sorrow,
in my pain,
in the yielding up
of "not my will, but yours,"
I learn that true love
has real cost,
and grow more amazed
at the reality
of the price you were willing to pay.

Lamb of God,
who takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us
in our blindness
in our willingness to turn away,
in our willingness to disguise the reality
of what you gave,
what you wrought
what you suffered.

Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us
and give us the true sight
that will let us see
the reality of your love.

Amen.


Susan E. Stone, 2005

Labels: Carrying My Cross, Lamb of God, Passion of Christ, scripture