The Crosses of Life- " arm yourselves with Jesus attitude"

 As Jesus prayed in Gethsemane with great anguish and fear..he poured out his heart to Father Almighty. He raised His heart full of troubles and anxieties to heavens and cried to Lord ,“Father, if it’s your will, take this cup of suffering away from me. However, not my will but your will must be done.” A prayer out of helplessness and prayer of perfect submission. Abba Father Help me!!

This is when Father sent out His strength through angel, “Then a heavenly angel appeared to him and strengthened him”. Heavenly Father sent out His strength and filled Jesus heart with Spirit and love. God is love (1John 4:8) .What was the nature of this strength and love that Heavenly Father filled Jesus. Strength- the strngth of the spirit to endure the cross and offer himself as a living sacrifice. Love- Was this love for His only son Jesus? If so , this love would have saved Jesus from the sufferings...it did'nt. Hence the nature of the love was different- this love was the deep fathoms of love that our Father has for His children- this love filled in Jesus hearts that;

God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us -Romans 5:8

Jesus prayer during the situation of suffering the cross for us, he raised his own heart to Heavenly Father, which filled him with Gods spirit of strength and love in his heart which changed the entire face of suffering and sacrifice. Jesus was filled with love of God to his children, Jesus was filled with spirit of courage to sacrifice himself for the sake of this love.

“ He was pierced because of our rebellions
  and crushed because of our crimes.
  He bore the punishment that made us whole;
  by his wounds we are healed. -Isaiah 53:5

Jesus endured the cross with the Love and strength of Heavenly Father.

This is the perfect model for us to endure crosses in our life.“Therefore, since Christ suffered as a human, you should also arm yourselves with his way of thinking..so as to live for the rest of your earthly life no longer by human desires but by the will of God.”1 Peter 4:1-2

In every Holy Eucharist this is what we should do, just as Jesus prayed with perfect submission by raising His heart to Lord , as we enter the Holy Mass the priest says “lift up your hearts” Response: “We lift them up to you oh Lord”..Priest: let us give thanks and praises to Him...Response: “It is right and just”...We have to raise our heart with our cross humbly towards our Lord give thanks and praises to Him..no matter how troubled we are...pray more intensely as Jesus did..and do the perfect submission and out of helplessness--,“Father, if it’s your will, take this cup of suffering away from me. However, not my will but your will must be done.”

After submission of our offerings we enter the most important event – Jesus gives His own Body and Blood for us – it dissolve in us when we receive the Holy Eucharist – the spirit of Jesus,Holy Spirit fills in us – the spirit of Love and endurance, the spirit of the perfect sacrifice for the children of God. Once this fills in us, it is by this spirit that we are going to carry the crosses of troubles that we have. The entire outlook of our suffering or trouble transforms to a holy mission. 

In each Holy Eucharist, let us pour out our heart to Our lord. Let us cry out of helplessness raising our hearts unto Him, then he shall fill us with His spirit and life -the living God in us as body and blood- the living word. We are renewed in life each time we receive it. We get the power of Jesus who has already overcome the world and sufferings...'In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

As we submit “He will change our humble bodies and make them like his own glorious body. Christ can do this by his power, with which he is able to rule everything.” Philippians 3:21

Let the spirit of Christ fill in us through our perfect submission of our life...the spirit with which Jesus suffered for us in love, so that we carry our cross in the same spirit.

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world-- our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God”- 1John 5:4

Our crosses for the day might be our job, or kids, or partner or a friend or a stranger or a disease or a pain...whatever it is...let us face carry our crosses filling ourselves with love and sacrifice of our lord. Let us take cloth ourselves with the attitude of Our lord….It is by denying ourselves ,taking our cross and following Him..we near to Him - the perfect satisfaction of love. We cannot attain it by denying our problems or crosses but we are getting near to God  by carrying them filled with Gods love and sacrifice, by denying our "self" (our comforts and selfish intentions that satisfies us).

Prayer

Thank You for talking to us and helping us realize Your strength for enduring the Cross and giving us your strong loving and sacrificial spirit by receiving Your Body and Blood in the Holy Mass. Let us now carry the cross with Your attitude in your Holy Spirit...with love and sacrifice to all You give us. Let us from now experience your real presence in the Holy Eucharist. Purify us and transform us to You as new creation in Christ. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Readings

Isaiah 53

Philippians 2:5-11

John 17

1 John 4:7-21