Luke 23:33-34
When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left.[Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”] They divided his garments by casting lots.
One thing I have learned about praying the Rosary regularly is that you always have the chance of stumbling onto something so profound that it makes you think "Man, I really have to reassess my life with this in mind."
As I learned again the other night, sometimes this thing that you find that is so profound is something you have always heard, something you have know as long as you have known your own name. It is ingrained in you, you know that it is part of the faith. The problem is, it is so comfortable to you, it is so much a part of the landscape of your faith that you actually quit seeing it. You know it, but at the same time it is foreign and you never even think to apply it to your own life.
I say the Rosary daily. That being the case I have prayed the sorrowful mysteries countless time. I have bowed my head a little deeper on the 5th sorrowful mystery many times. If I have watched the crucifixion scene play out once, I have watched it a million times.
Still, the other night while praying the 5th Sorrowful mystery when the words "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do" ran through my mind, I just about fell over. It was almost like it was brand new to me. It finally hit me. Here is Innocence itself, Perfection, the most undeserving Victim. Here is our Lord being nailed to a cross to die a humiliating and most painful death. What does he say? "Forgive them."
All the while I have the audacity to hold a grudge against anyone for anything. All the while I can "hope they get whats coming to them". But I have never been treated anywhere near as unjust as He was treated. Still, I have the gall to hold it against someone when I think they have wronged me!
It is kind of hard to articulate these things. Like I said, the concept, the words themselves were not foreign to me. I know they aren't foreign to you either. The thing is, praying the Rosary gives me the time to come back to these fundamentals and see how much I am not practicing my faith. Praying the Rosary gives me the chance to rediscover these things that are so important in our faith and see where I need to apply them in my own life.
When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left.[Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”] They divided his garments by casting lots.
One thing I have learned about praying the Rosary regularly is that you always have the chance of stumbling onto something so profound that it makes you think "Man, I really have to reassess my life with this in mind."
As I learned again the other night, sometimes this thing that you find that is so profound is something you have always heard, something you have know as long as you have known your own name. It is ingrained in you, you know that it is part of the faith. The problem is, it is so comfortable to you, it is so much a part of the landscape of your faith that you actually quit seeing it. You know it, but at the same time it is foreign and you never even think to apply it to your own life.
I say the Rosary daily. That being the case I have prayed the sorrowful mysteries countless time. I have bowed my head a little deeper on the 5th sorrowful mystery many times. If I have watched the crucifixion scene play out once, I have watched it a million times.
Still, the other night while praying the 5th Sorrowful mystery when the words "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do" ran through my mind, I just about fell over. It was almost like it was brand new to me. It finally hit me. Here is Innocence itself, Perfection, the most undeserving Victim. Here is our Lord being nailed to a cross to die a humiliating and most painful death. What does he say? "Forgive them."
All the while I have the audacity to hold a grudge against anyone for anything. All the while I can "hope they get whats coming to them". But I have never been treated anywhere near as unjust as He was treated. Still, I have the gall to hold it against someone when I think they have wronged me!
It is kind of hard to articulate these things. Like I said, the concept, the words themselves were not foreign to me. I know they aren't foreign to you either. The thing is, praying the Rosary gives me the time to come back to these fundamentals and see how much I am not practicing my faith. Praying the Rosary gives me the chance to rediscover these things that are so important in our faith and see where I need to apply them in my own life.
Comments
These particular words of Jesus are in fact the most freeing words he ever said. When we forgive we are free to love and when we focus on loving others we can really bring Jesus to them and them to Jesus.