We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Jesus answered [him], You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above. Jn 19:11

And it had.

Our Lord knew His Passion was upon Him, that the Father’s plan gave Pilate the authority to condemn Him despite His innocence.

And yet He had abandoned Himself to the will of His Father, in the Garden the night before. He had said, Not my will but Thine.

I often wonder, how did Our Lord’s human nature react to this experience at the moment of condemnation?  We know He assented to the Father’s will in the Garden but what did His Sacred Heart feel as the sentence was actually pronounced? Was it the same as He felt when He anticipated this cruel and unjust sentence? Did He face an interior struggle to continue to say “yes,” to continue to choose the Father’s will?

At times it is difficult for me to accept my return to lay life. The lack of control in the moment when my superior said I needed to leave was initially terrifying. I only had control over my response. I had to will myself to trust that at some deep level, God was in control and would continue to care for me. Thought it can be hard to believe at times, He still holds me close to His wounded, Sacred Heart and shows that He understands. He does this for you as well, each time your abandonment to His will is accompanied by suffering.

Lord, help me to truly trust You and abandon myself to Your will in all things. I know that You are with me when I suffer; You alone truly understand my heart.

By Anonymous.

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