Sign of the Cross
Opening Prayers
You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.
O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You. (3x)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Apostles’ Creed
Our reflections are based on the last words of our dying Savior.
1. Christ Forgives His Persecutors
“Father, forgive them; they know not what they are doing.” Jesus has been mocked, scorned, beaten, scourged, spit upon, crowned with thorns, humiliated, and now crucified, and yet His major concern is for the souls of His torturers. Jesus told St. Faustina, “We resemble God most when we forgive our neighbors.” O my God, how could You forgive them, who were so inhumanly cruel to You? Yet somehow, You did. Somehow, I must forgive those who have hurt me.
GARY: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ…
ALL: In atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
LEADER: For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion,
ALL: …have mercy on us and on the whole world. (10x)
2. Mercy Offered to the Repentant Thief
“I assure you, this day you will be with Me in paradise.” Jesus, though immersed in His own agony, is still trying to save one more soul, the good thief. Jesus told St. Faustina, “Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.” He said His mercy is unfathomable. Yet actions speak louder than words, and His actions show that He can forgive the unfathomable. Can we?
GARY: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ…
ALL: In atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
LEADER: For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion,
ALL: …have mercy on us and on the whole world. (10x)
3. Love Entrusts and Endures Abandonment
Jesus looked down from the Cross and said to His Mother, “Woman, there is your son,” and to John, “There is your mother.” Even in His dying agony, Jesus cared for those whom He loved.
Then He cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” He was in such total, abject misery, yet God the Father gave Him no spiritual consolation, as at the Agony in the Garden, when He sent angels to comfort His Son.
At times in their lives, John of the Cross, Mother Teresa, and many of the saints had feelings of such abandonment, though not in such excruciating circumstances.
If Jesus, the Word Made Flesh, allowed such a test of faith, why do we think that we will be spared? Tests bring greater faith and greater rewards.
GARY: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ…
ALL: In atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
LEADER: For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion,
ALL: …have mercy on us and on the whole world. (10x)
4. Christ’s Thirst for Souls
“I thirst.” His thirst is beyond comprehension. Nothing to eat or drink since the Last Supper, incredible tortures, the shedding of blood, excessive sweating due to the incredible heat, and yet mystics tell us that Jesus’ thirst was not merely human thirst, but rather that He thirsted to save more souls. His agony in the Garden was not just because He knew the horrible acts He was to face, but because of the souls who would turn away from Him despite His tremendous sacrifice. Let us help sate Jesus’ thirst for souls by spreading His message of Divine Mercy.
GARY: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ…
ALL: In atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
LEADER: For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion,
ALL: …have mercy on us and on the whole world. (10x)
5. The Completion of the Sacrifice
“Now it is finished.” Jesus suffered like no man before or since to save souls, for the souls gathered here, for you, and for me. He once told St. Catherine of Siena that He would undergo the entire Passion all over again if only to save but one soul. Your soul? Mine? Think about that. (PAUSE) Then He cried out, “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit.”
What utter, absolute, total abnegation and immolation of self. And when the centurion’s sword pierced Jesus’ Heart, only a small amount of Blood and Water remained to gush forth as a fountain of love for each of us.
GARY: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ…
ALL: In atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
LEADER: For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion,
ALL: …have mercy on us and on the whole world. (10x)
ALL: Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. (3x)
ALL: Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us, and increase Your mercy in us that, in difficult moments, we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself. Amen.