My Love Shall Never Leave You

As we focus on the intrigue, plottings and debates leading to the betrayal, "trial" and condemnation of Jesus in these final weeks of Lent, I've found that a prayerful viewing of the film that took the world by storm in 2004, THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, is very helpful in seeing the suffering Jesus embraced to show his love for us. It is graphic, no question, but despite the criticism that the brutality is "overdone", it brings home the reality that scourging and crucifixion were not gentle nor bloodless. The corpus on our crucifixes, minimizes the wounds of the lashes and the crown of thorns, and only a doctor's report (See the book, A DOCTOR AT CALVARY) fully describes the pain that anyone crucified endured, much less one that had been so scourged and then nailed to a cross, rather than just tied with ropes, as was the usual custom. I make this suggestion today, so that in the next two weeks, you might plan a two-hour block, as I did last night, to watch the film, and use it for meditation as we approach Good Friday. I also recommend the production of ALL I HAVE DONE FOR YOU, which is a muscial passion play put on by students, and is also an excellent way to prepare for the holy days. It is being performed at Judson Hall at St. Augustine's on Tower Hill, March 27, at 7 pm and Good Friday, April 2, at 11:am.
Tied in with the message given by the Passion, are these thoughts from Isaiah: (54: 10, 14-15).
THOUGH THE MOUNTAINS LEAVE THEIR PLACE/ AND THE HILLS BE SHAKEN,/ MY LOVE SHALL NEVER LEAVE YOU/ NOR MY COVENANT OF PEACE BE SHAKEN,/ SAYS THE LORD, WHO HAS MERCY ON YOU.
IN JUSTICE, SHALL YOU BE ESTABLISHED, FROM FROM THE FEAR OF OPPRESSION, WHERE DESTRUCTION CANNOT COME NEAR YOU./ SHOULD THERE BE ANY ATTACK, IT SHALL NOT BE OF MY MAKING;/ WHOEVER ATTACKS YOU SHALL FALL BEFORE YOU."
Bro. Rene