Walking with Him/Ep5

This post is part of an extended 7 part Lenten series, involving meditations on the Stations of the Cross, as we walk towards Calvary with Jesus, step-by-step.

As the situation worldwide develops, we see countries brought to a standstill and I catch a glimpse of human frailty. For all our insistence that we can do this on our own, we find ourselves also seeking solace in the divine. Yesterday, I tried to stay awake for Pope Francis’ Urbi et Orbi Extraordinary blessing and felt a sense of communion with millions worldwide, all praying for the end of this uncertain time. The sense of human weakness resonated with me as I meditated on the 9th Station – Jesus falls a third time. Oftentimes, we feel we can rely on our human strength and capacity to walk the journey. Yet, we are confronted over and over again with our own weaknesses. We find ourselves struggling with the same sins over and over again, even after we think we have “solved” the problem. Jesus himself is a reflection of this human weakness, as he falls three times before he reaches Calvary. We often feel discouraged when we face the same struggles over and over again. Yet He desires to break us free of these chains, for these bouts of discouragement are the chains that bind us. Many of us also struggle with being vulnerable and tend to “cover” ourselves with various affections. As I meditated on the 10th Station, where Jesus is stripped of His garments, I am reminded of the affections and attachments that I tend to wear on myself like a protective covering, for it means I need not be vulnerable. I can surround myself with these layers, as a way of protecting myself. Yet, in surrendering His garments. Jesus provides an example of vulnerability and invites us to also “strip” ourselves bare and to approach Him with a clean and pure heart. Too often, our hearts are marred with selfish desires and individualistic notions that we lose that openness. As we venture deeper into the heart of Lent, let us invite Him to reveal the areas of our life that we have kept hidden, the secret spaces in the gardens of our heart that have been left untouched for too long. Invite Him into our weakness, into our brokenness and allow Him to revive our spirits. He is walking with us every step of the way.