Week Five for March 22-28 leads us toward the final week of Lent - Holy Week

Preparation to be with Christ in his suffering  

Daily Prayer: I ask God that You open my mind and heart to know and to feel a deeply felt knowledge of the Lord Jesus made human for me. Help me move beyond my familiarity with the stories and be present with Jesus. Help me feel what He felt that I might know, love and follow Him more closely. Help me to see more clearly what is important to Him and observe his habits and the way He relates to others in humility, mercy, courage, trust and obedience to God.

Day One: A prophet without honor Read these passages and try to be present with Jesus-how did he feel? What was it like?

John 1:10-11 Jesus came into the very world He created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.

John 6:66 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”

Mt 16:13-17:13 Jesus asked his closest followers, “Who do men say that I am?” then he asked them, “Who do you say that am?” Could Jesus have been looking for support from them? Following Peter’s pronouncement that He was Messiah, God’s Son, Jesus told them that He was about to suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders leading priests and teachers and that He would be killed but rise on the third day. Peter rebuked him and the disciples did not understand what Jesus was talking about.

DAY TWO

Reread whichever verses stand out to you in these passages and try to be present with Jesus but this time ask yourself how you feel? What action or response will you have?

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DAY THREE

The crowds mostly follow him because he multiplies food, heals them, works miracles, casts out demons, teaches them in stories they can relate to and authority that is different than the Pharisees, treats them with mercy, and He walks and lives among them just like them-poor, meek, lowly in heart.

All of us have felt rejection or loneliness. Some of us have been abused or feared for our lives. Jesus not only experienced all our temptations but also our human weakness and pain.

Hebrews 4:15 he faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin. Heb 5:7 While on earth, He offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud voice cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death… 8 though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.

Are you drawn to him in his loneliness as He prepares for his passion and realize you share in his suffering? Can you realize he has shared your pain your whole life long. What is it like for you to identify with his humanity and suffering?

Day Four: HELPS AND HINDRANCES

Over the past five weeks we have listed both helps and hindrances to meditating on our union with Christ.

If you have a list review hindrances (too busy, lack of desire, anger at God or unbelief that God will speak to you or work in you as you meditate, unconfessed sin or holding onto resentment or unforgiveness, etc)

Have you asked God for grace to help recognize when your heart is not responding to God?

What helps have you employed (like praying in the spirit, asking for help, starting a new holy habit of set time/place each morning and/or evening)?

Finish your week looking at these eleven times Jesus tried to prepare his friends for his coming passion (suffering). Remember that this coming Sunday is Palm Sunday (March 29 Holy Week).

Mt 16:21-23; Mk 8:31-33; Lk 9:22

Mt 17:22-23; Mk 9:30-32; Lk 9:44-45

Mark 10:32-34; Mt 20:17-19; Lk 18:31-34

Jn 3:13-17 (The Son of Man must be lifted up… God so loved the world… 

Looking ahead to Palm Sunday Jn 12:12-19;

Jn:23-33 Whoever loses their life for my sake shall find it…Now My soul is deeply troubled… when I am lifted up I will draw all men to myself.

How did the disciples respond? Imagine how you might have felt and responded?

Peter told Jesus, “No, Lord!” What question might you ask Jesus if you had been there? What response do you imagine He would have?

Lent has one more week after this week. The more grace we receive to know and love Jesus them more we will be impacted by his love as we approach Good Friday.

And the greater will be our celebration on Resurrection Day. The more we identify with his death the more we will share in his Life.

Consider these ways to know him better and identify with him this week and Holy Week:

• Pray with fasting of food and or media or other earthly comfort.
• Give to the poor by sharing your resources of time, talent or treasure.
• Repent of hindrances to his love, his word and his heart being in union with yours.
• Meditation in his word (and contemplation if God will give you this gift of your mind and heart being joined to his even for a brief time

What have you done that has helped you respond to Jesus? What will you do?

-PD