Five Faces of the Hours of the Passion of Christ

Peter’s Hour of the Cross

Around the campfire in the courtyard of Caiaphas I sit. Memories surface with each spark of fire; memories are buzzing like angry gnats. Memories disturb my uneasy being; I am quaking with fear of someone discovering who I am. It is something I also ask myself. Who am I? Is this my hour of suffering? I am thinking of self, not the Master, the one I profess to love. I call to mind the words I uttered not so long ago; “To whom can we turn? You have the words of eternal life.” (Jn 6:68) My faith is wavering; the Master needs to see my presence, to feel my support and my love.

I remember Jesus coming to the boat to speak to the crowd; to urge me to put out the nets for a catch- of men not fish, He said. Are the guards here in the courtyard the men I am to show the Way to Jesus? I have not kept my eye on Jesus; I struggle again as I did on the water to reach Him.

Those days were idyllic, simple. It was easy for me to follow Jesus; easy to listen to His words about His Father andHim. The boat was on an even keel.

Now the waters are turbulent; I am afraid. I want to stop my ears from hearing his words of truth. “You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own but the one who sent me, who you do not know, is true. I know him because I am from him and he sent me." (Jn 7:28) These are words of blasphemy to some; they are words of truth to believers.

Is my human nature in control of my thoughts and actions? I want the Spirit to revive my broken heart. Who is the real me, the real Peter? Is the real Peter the one who attempted to cut off the ear of the soldier in the garden? Is the real me the one only one who followed Jesus after his arrest, albeit at a distance? Is the real Peter the one who has been given a special task- to lead the flock of believers?

Will Jesus still love me with all my faults? Will He see what is inside me- see what is to be for me? This is my hope. This is why Jesus is before Caiaphas. This is why He shoulders all my faults as He goes up the hill to Calvary. Three times I will deny Him- Jesus whom I love. He forgives me; He loves me. With His support, his grace, I can go forth to fulfill the purpose for which I was created.

Strength for the Journey

There is a road meant for you to travel. Narrow and steep is the shepherd’s way, and as you say, “Yes,” letting me guide you, I will be strength for the journey.

I will be, I will be, I will be strength for the journey . (Repeat chorus.)

There is a cross meant for you to carry. There is a cross meant for you alone, and as you bow down in humble surrender, I will be strength for the journey. Chorus

How many times have you doubted my word? How many times must I call your name? And as you say, “Yes,” letting me love you, I will be strength for the journey.

I will be, I will be, I will be strength for the journey. I will be, I will be, I will be strength for the journey.

Michael John Poirrier

Judas’ Hour of Betrayal

My interior voice resounds with my own importance; my own knowledge is superior as to what the Messiah is to be. I am responsible for the money; money is power and surely Jesus must realize He is to overthrow the dominance of Rome so Israel can prosper. I will have a key role in governing then; worldly glory, power, riches, fame will be mine. He has done other than what I expect; I have used so much of my energy defending my position here. What does Jesus mean to need Him in our hour of sorrow? Bah on mercy and forgiveness; Rome is not going to fall for that outlook. My pride too will not fall for that steel trap.

Today the die is cast. A woman comes and anoints Jesus with precious oil. Why? One could feed many people for what she spent on oil. She must have spent thirty pieces of silver, and for what? Love she says; I anoint him because he is going to suffer and die for my sins.

No, I will go to the authorities; I will make plans to turn Jesus over to the authorities. We will see how loving and merciful he is when he is scourged, humiliated, or even killed. Soon we will go to the Passover Feast. I will be given a seat of honor next to the Master. He will recline His head on my breast. I am the perfect actor, perfect hypocrite. No one will suspect what I have done. “ Surely, it is not I, Rabbi? (Mt26:25)

Well maybe Jesus will know of my betrayal- He always seems to know the desires of the heart. It will be dark, and there should be little light to highlight my misdeeds. Let us see if He is a light to the world.

I will accept his morsel of bread as His friend, his companion, not realizing all this is in God’s plan. It was prophesized, “Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me." (Ps41:9)

Again and again Jesus offers me His love and mercy. I justify my reasoning; I will offer Jesus to the authorities. “The man I shall kiss is the one.” (Mt26:47-50) A kiss, a sign of affection, has turned into a sign of betrayal.

I have chosen my path. My hour does not end well for me; I cannot acknowledge my sinfulness; I can only condemn myself.

“Judas is neither a master of evil nor the figure of demoniacal power of darkness but rather a sycophant who bows down before the anonymous changing moods and current fashion. But it is precisely this anonymous voice that cried, “Away with him! Crucify him!” (Pope Benedict XVI)

Mary’s Lifetime of Hours

I am His Mother. Thirty-four years ago I said “Yes” to the Father’s plan of salvation. I have been faithful, have loved and nourished my little one, even as I knew I must suffer. (Luke 2:34-35) And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His Mother, ”Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel and for a sign to be opposed… and a sword will pierce even your own soul… to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Joseph and I thought we had lost him when he was twelve, but he was teaching in the temple. He knew his mission. “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know I must be in my Father’s house?” (Lk2:49) We did not understand, but you came back with us to Nazareth and I kept all these things in my heart.

Learning your earthly father’s carpentry skill and my Hebrew teaching the lessons of the Torah were sufficient for you until you were about thirty. At Cana you knew your hour was not yet; still you changed water into wine so the young couple being married would not be embarrassed. I am glad I asked you for this favor; I knew you would do whatever I asked. Jesus always thought of the welfare of others- especially he wanted them to enjoy eternal life with the Father.

To see Jesus suffer now is hard. In silence and prayer we are joined; I walk with him on this final journey. “At the cross her station keeping, stood the mournful Mother weeping. Close to Jesus to the last.” (4th Station of the Cross)

Even on the cross He thinks of others. Knowing my loss would make me inconsolable, He gives John to me and me to John. I will be mother to the entire human race, to continue his work of making the Father known to all.

For the last time I will wrap my arms around his body, yet believing in three days He will rise again. Not only his body I am holding, but I am holding you- Your failures, your sufferings, your nothingness, your alienation from my Son. In his death lies the promise of life; in His Death and Resurrection lies your redemption. Death is healing; I understand; I believe. Jesus, my Son, I love you.

“Give your hearts to my Son, all emptied, thirsting, and turned solely toward him, wholly unoccupied with yourself. You have met him many times, but you did not know it, because your anxiety, and thoughts were not concerned with this unique love. Oh, how sad it is for my Son to seek with so great a desire a loving look from one who remains distracted, dreaming, or even laughing with the foolishness and dissipation of the world.” Mother Marie des Douleurs

Man’s Hour of the Cross

Myself: my body and soul is flawed by sin. My sin is like a splash of color on a plain quilt; it is seen but is not the focus of myself. Hopefully sin does not define who I am, yet this is the burden I add to Jesus’ arms and shoulders as he is stretched on the cross. I want to dull the pain my sins have caused, not by vinegar, but by uniting all my suffering to his suffering. I want Jesus to know his love gives me strength to follow His Father’s will.

Corporeal misery is fleeting; hours or days of pain and degradation are nothing compared to eternal damnation. The absence of Jesus, Father and Spirit is more powerful than the loss of human faculties. How can one compute the loss of eternal love?

I am so afraid I am going to do this wrong- to become paralyzed by fear of the unknown of God’s plan for the end of my life. I pray the evil inside will not prevail over my actions. Allow me to repent ,not despair; give me your peace. I know I need to follow Jesus’ example on the cross. So strong was Jesus’ love for man and the Father, that love gave Jesus the strength to empty himself of all divine love on the cross. I beg for mercy to allow me to submit lovingly to any suffering God permits me.

I know you want me to be holy, to join the Trinity in eternal loving. I am weak; I am ashamed of the evil my sins have done; to endure in love is my desire. I cannot be indifferent, to be uninvolved, to withhold any part of myself from the love I witness by Jesus on the cross.

“This saying is sure:

If we have died with him, we shall also live in him;

If we endure, we shall also reign with him;

If we deny him, he will deny us;

If we are faithless, he remains faithful-

for he cannot deny himself.

(2Tim2:11-13)

Christ’s Hour of the Cross

I, Christ, have accepted willingly the wood of the Cross, made by man. I accepted my Cross from my first moment in a manger of wood, when I became human. Even at this early age, man’s hatred for me showed as Herod searched for and killed innocent babes in Bethlehem. My earthly father, Joseph, showed me how to transform wood into something beautiful; man himself could be made into something pleasing to my Father.

Yes, I knew my betrayal by Judas would end in my death on a wooden Cross; I identified myself with man and knew my love could transform death into life for man. I gather all men to myself; I unite myself to man’s sufferings; I give man my heart, my will, my surrender of self, so that all men may be saved and united with the Father.

I will be lifted up high on the Cross, blameless, gladly receiving the nails, the humiliation, the indignities, so that all men can be irrevocably held to me. The darkness of the day summons all the evil I must hold and carry. I ask for no miracle, no army of angels to free me. I, who am perfectly human, perfectly divine, may seem helpless now, but here I am more powerful, more triumphant, in my love for man.

No pain, no agony, can shatter the peace of the Father, which He gives to man in his agony of death and his new life. Each day the sacred host is raised, I too will be born again in the greatest of cathedrals to the wayside chapel; there my priest will recreate my lifting up for man.

My grace, my patience, my love, I give to man; do not fear the unknown hour of death. I go before you to prepare a place for you, to welcome you into my kingdom of eternal love.

“Christ became obedient for us even unto death, death on a cross. Therefore God raised him on high and gave him a name above all other names.” (Traditional Antiphon for Holy Saturday Evening Prayer)