It’s Saturday morning. The world is without Jesus. This is the world millions live in every day, a world without Jesus. There is reason for their sadness. There is reason for their emptiness. There is reason for the meaninglessness of their lives. And there is reason for their hopelessness. The reason is the absence of Jesus in their lives. We know because we've experienced the sadness, the emptiness, the meaninglessness, the hopelessness that comes from separating ourselves from Jesus. Do you want to live in a world without Jesus? Let's resolve today, more than ever before, to live a life deeply connected, not only to the life and teachings of Jesus but to the person of Jesus.
The body of Jesus lies in a dark, cold tomb. It is guarded by Roman soldiers. Roman soldiers guarding the tomb. This, of course, is futile. This is the very definition of futility. What are you doing in your life right now that is futile? It is the Sabbath. For the Jewish people, Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday. At sundown yesterday, Jesus' body had been ceremonially prepared for burial by Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. This was a bold act of defiance. They risked their lives and their reputations to prepare Jesus' body for burial. Do you judge them? Do you think their bold act of defiance was too little, too late? Do you imagine you would have had the courage to go against all the religious leaders of the time?
And the paradox here is that they volunteered for one of the greatest honors in human history, the honor of preparing the body of our Lord and Savior for burial. The King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Alpha and the Omega lying on a cold slab of stone, lifeless. But you and I get the honor of receiving Jesus in the Eucharist every day of the year, except yesterday, Good Friday, and today, Holy Saturday. And so our prayer of spiritual communion is more appropriate than ever. Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist. Every day I long for more of you. I love you above all things, and I desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot receive you sacramentally at this moment, I invite you to come and dwell in my heart. May this spiritual communion increase my desire for the Eucharist. You are the healer of my soul Take the blindness from my eyes, the deafness from my ears, the darkness from my mind, and the hardness from my heart. Fill me with the grace, wisdom, and courage to do your will in all things. My Lord and my God, draw me close to you, nearer than ever before. Amen.
What do you think Joseph and Nicodemus thought as they looked at the wounds, witnessing close up the unfathomable brutality that every inch of Jesus' body had been subjected to? Did they weep inconsolably, or had they already spent all their tears and could cry no more? The long Sabbath is now giving these men plenty of time to think. The suffocating realization of what has happened seizes them. And the crushing realization that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, the very court that condemned Jesus just one day earlier. The Sanhedrin was a religious legislative body from whence the law goes out to all Israel. Politically, it could appoint the king and the high priest, declare war, and expand the territory of Jerusalem and the temple. Judicially, it could try a high priest, a false prophet, a rebellious elder, or an errant tribe. Religiously, it supervised certain rituals, including Yom Kippur liturgy for the Great Day of Atonement. The Great Sanhedrin also supervised the smaller local Sanhedrins and was the court of last resort. Both Nicodemus and Joseph held prominent positions in the Jewish community. It is believed by some that they were secret followers of Jesus, hesitant to profess their faith publicly for fear of repercussions. How do you judge them? And when you do, what facts do you consider? Do you consider only their actions or their reasons? We tend to judge ourselves by our intentions and other people by their actions. We give ourselves grace in abundance but choke it off from others when we judge them. Perhaps they were protecting their wives and children, grandchildren, and others. Like everyone else, even Peter, John, and the other disciples, there is no way they fully understood what was transpiring. It is easy to judge others, but on this day, perhaps we should spend some time taking an inventory of our own lives.
The four last things are looming today. What are the four last things? Death, judgment, heaven, and hell. You may recall Saint Philip Neri advised, "Beginners in religion ought to exercise themselves principally in meditation on the four last things." And yet, more and more, we don't reflect on these things at all. Make great effort, in fact, to avoid them in conversation and rarely hear them mentioned by spiritual teachers. Today is a day to meditate on the four last things. Life is fleeting. In a moment, we will all be gone. And what do you think comes next? Based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church has always taught four things: death, judgment, heaven and hell. Are you prepared to meet your Maker? And if you aren't, who and what can prepare you? Without Jesus, we experience profound sadness, emptiness, meaninglessness, and hopelessness. Let us resolve with our whole hearts, minds, bodies, and souls not to be without Jesus ever. Trust, surrender, believe, receive. Too many Catholics know the agony of watching their children or grandchildren leave the church. If we want to spare the next generation, the pain and confusion that comes from losing their faith, the Eucharist is the answer. That's why we've launched the Children membership in the International Society of the Eucharist. Once every three months, we will send a package to these children teaching them about the genius of Catholicism, the true presence of the Eucharist. It will include booklets and medals, prayer books, prayer cards, and lots of other surprises, all designed to create powerful encounters with Jesus in the Eucharist, a lifelong connection with Jesus in the Eucharist, and a lifelong belief in the true presence. Those who believe don't leave. Click the button below to learn more today.
Jesus. I believe that you are truly present in the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist. Every day, I long for more of you. I love you above all things. And I desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot receive you sacramentally at this moment, I invite you to come and dwell in my heart. May the spiritual communion increase my desire for the Eucharist. You are the healer of my soul. Take the blindness from my eyes, the deafness from my ears, the darkness from my mind, and the hardness from my heart. Fill me with the grace, wisdom, and courage to do your will in all things. My Lord and my God. Draw me close to you, nearer than ever before. Amen. Consecrate America to the Eucharist.
Bye-bye.
Have a great day.
Have a great day.
Have a great day.
Come on.
Have a great day.
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This year’s Holy Week Retreat focuses on a powerful theory: Everything that happens in your life—the big things and the small things—can be found in these eight days of Jesus’s experience. What events or experiences from your life have you connected with these eight days so far? Have you found any events or experiences that you think don’t fit into these eight days?