If they keep silent even the stones will cry out

Theme: Entering into Jesus' suffering and death
Grace: To enter into the mystery of Jesus' suffering and death
Scripture: Luke 22: 14-23

"The story of each man is the story of God's continual watchfulness over him. Each man is the object of the Lord's special love. Jesus was ready to do everything for Jerusalem, but the city was not willing to open up her gates to his mercy. This is the deep mystery of human freedom which always retains that sad possibility of rejecting the grace of God. Free man, subject yourself to a voluntary servitude, so that Jesus won't have to say of you what He is said to have told St. Teresa about others: 'Teresa, I was willing. But men were not.' (from In Conversation with God, vol. 2, p. 250-1, quoting St. Jose Escriva)

"The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem asks for loyalty and perseverence from each one of us, it calls us to deepen our faithfulness, and for our resolutions to be more than just bright lights that sparkle for a moment and then fade away. (ibid p. 252)

"Jesus knows me perfectly, accepts me totally, loves me intensely and calls me by name. And he leads me to love him, and to know him better through love -- through his love of me and through my loving response to his love...Contemplation is an experience of Jesus, of his presence and love and care -- not only, primarily, intellectual experience, but affective experience, of the heart... Jesus lovingly suffers to restore us to union with his Father. But he suffers in darkness, in faith, in anguish of soul. It was difficult for him to die for me." (from Lord Jesus, Teach Me to Pray, p. 60-63

Let us not shrink back from Him in His suffering this week. Let us determine to stay with Him, no matter the cost, no matter that we don't understand, simply to be with Him out of love.