Our minds have become so accustomed to the fact that Jesus suffered and died on the cross for us that we fail to see the immensity and intensity of His passion. His love was met with rejection and brutality. We forget that Jesus was God who became flesh, to offer His body to the Father for our sins. We forget that He was sinless, yet took upon Himself all the sins of the world, from the beginning of time until its end. During His passion, Jesus, in His humanity, felt fear, anxiety, forgotten, betrayal, anguish, and excruciating pain. His love was so pure that His feelings were intensified and crushing. Jesus came, out of His great love for us, to show us how to love by giving of Himself completely and laying down His life.
We know all of this in our heads, and at times, feel it in our hearts, but without “fishing” in the rich waters of His passion with regularity, our hearts forget. Lent offers us the perfect opportunity to begin this great practice. We can choose to focus on a particular Gospel each week, dividing it up in sections in order to meditate slowly and explore its depths and riches. In Matthew, Mark and Luke, begin with “The Conspiracy against Jesus,” ending with His death and burial. St. Matthew and St. Mark’s Gospels are so similar that you can choose to read one or the other. Although there are some similarities in St. Luke’s, there are also enough differences. St. John’s Gospel is much different. In St. John, begin with “The Coming of Jesus’ Hour,” and end with His burial.
You may want to start with the synoptic Gospels (Mt, Mk, Lk), in the beginning of Lent, and save St. John’s for the last number of weeks. His narrative is much longer, so you will want to give yourself time to savor it, netting its treasures.
Decide ahead, how much time you will devote to this practice and be practical, especially if it’s something you want to be able to continue throughout Lent. Twenty minutes to a half hour is a sufficient amount of time. Using a timer can be helpful, to keep you on schedule. If you are not able to commit to this practice daily, then an hour, once or twice a week would probably work.
Get a journal. Find a quiet spot in your home and pray to Sasha, the Holy Spirit, to help you to find the “catch of the day.” Read the Word of God slowly. Write down the phrases that particularly pierce your heart. Savor it. Then talk to Jesus: tell Him what comes to mind from the reading. Listen for a response and journal those thoughts. Again, savor them. Continue reading, if you feel so inclined or time permits, repeating the steps. Take the time to thank Jesus, and then finish by telling Him that you love Him. Allow His love to penetrate your mind and sink deep within your heart.
Ask Our Lady and your guardian angel to enlighten you as well. God the Father wants so much for us to realize and be grateful for what His Son has done for us. Meditating on Christ’s passion will begin to have its effect and your love for Jesus will grow tremendously.
During Lent, we often look for ways to deny ourselves so we may grow in virtue, and that is a very good thing. But let us also decide to put out into the deep, and become great fisher’s in the sea of the passion of Jesus. May we experience and cherish both the sorrow and love which is contained therein.
Let us ask for the intercession of St. Paul of the Cross, that we may never tire in our efforts to reach bottom, as this becomes for us a lifelong practice.
I can't say I have often fished in the depths of the Passion of Christ. What a perfect exercise to begin during Lent. Thank you for the excellent suggestion Avia Joy.
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