Good Friday

The Contemporary Passion in ourselves and in others

The first consideration, the passion in ourselves, is a continuation of the meditations made on the recurring pattern: Christ's call and mission and the Father's presence with him at all times; then of the sequence of the call in the lives of the apostles and then in our own lives. This consideration continues the pattern, because the Passion was part of Christ's mission and occurred as he was carrying out his mission. We see this in the lives of the apostles, too. The passion is continued as they carry out their mission, which is a continuation of, or, if you wish (even better), a participation in, the mission of Christ. The apostles were aware of this:

SCRIPTURE PASSAGES
Matthew 24:9-14 (and parallels in Mark and Luke. Luke states that all this - sufferings for Christ - "will be your opportunity to bear witness" Luke 21:8-19)
2 Corinthians 1:3-11; and most especially, 4:7-12 and 16-18
Colossians 1:24
Phillipians 1:20, especially 3:8 ff, especially 3:11 (share his suffering by reproducing the pattern of his death - in myself). In 3:17 Paul shows that he wishes the Christians to have the same pattern.

Sufferings may mean some kind of physical suffering (chronic illness of some kind) or mental sufferings (disappointment, apparent failures in work, wounds inflicted by others through lack of understanding, lack of cooperation, lack of support, lack of recognition of our work). or this suffering can occur in our own interior life: prayer can be dry and difficult; alterations of consolation and desolation; temptations may recur which we thought were past forever. Examine what sufferings you are likely to be subject to, and face these as best you can now and ask yourself what you will do when these or other sufferings arise. The best planning we can do in regards to how we will handle suffering is to keep ourselves open to the Spirit of Christ.

Dying with Christ is bearing these sufferings, but especially it means negatively, SELF ABNEGATION (not making myself the center of the universe) and MORTIFICATION, which means, not heavy physical penances, but some kind of penance which is genuine, positive. Dying with Christ means a growth in Faith, Hope and Love (of God, of self, of neighbor).