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The Light of the World
With grateful hearts we draw near to the Savior who sacrificed Himself for us. We will
accompany Him on His way of suffering, into the Garden of Olives, into the house of
the high priest, into the prison in which He was held captive during the night. We follow
Him as He is dragged to Pilate, and from Pilate to Herod, and from Herod back to Pilate.
We suffer with Him when the pagan judge has Him brought forth before the people,
who cry out: “Crucify Him.” We share His shame when a common murderer is preferred
before Him. We follow Him through the cruel scourging, the shameful mockery, and the
painful crowning with thorns. We follow in sorrow as He begins His dreadful journey
up the mount of Calvary, for we wish to share also in the redemptive act He is about to
perform. He is praying and offering Himself up for us. “Be appeased upon the wickedness
of Thy people. . . . And the Lord was appeased” by the death of His son, our Redeemer
and our mediator.
With the same intention of making atonement for our sins and of reconciling us with the
Father, He offers Himself up for us daily in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which is the mysterious
repetition of His passion and death on the cross. By this means also the grace won for us
on Calvary is applied to our souls. In the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass He prays for us: “Let Thy
anger cease, and be appeased upon the wickedness of Thy people.” “Forgive us our trespasses. . . .
And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.” Deliver us from impenitence, from
inconstancy, and from an evil death.
Jesus is praying for us and offering up His sacrifice for us. This does not mean that there is
nothing left for us to do. We must not suppose that we may continue in sin. Having seen in the
death of Christ the malice of sin, we must separate ourselves from it and give ourselves up to
penance, fasting, and mortification. We must now take part in His sufferings and perform works
of expiation for our own sins and for those of our neighbor. We are responsible, not only for
our own souls, but also for those of our neighbors. We are, in a sense, coredeemers and partially
responsible for their salvation. We shall perform our share of the work of redemption in so far
as we penetrate into the sufferings of our Lord, who prayed and suffered for us. We shall share
in His redemptive work in the measure in which we share His spirit.
Inspired by the spirit of Christ, we go forth now to our daily tasks and seek to sanctify them
by prayer and sacrifice. We may thus obtain for our brethren in Christ the strength to overcome
all their temptations in matters of faith and morals.
Prayer
May the facts of the sacred observance, we beseech Thee, O Lord, make us grow in holiness
and procure for us the continual help of Thy favor.
Have mercy on Thy people, O Lord, and from the unceasing tribulation under which they
labor, grant them relief in Thy mercy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Wednesday
Today we accompany the catechumens to the Basilica of St. Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles.
During the early years of Christianity, the catechumens were on this day subjected to a severe
scrutiny to determine whether they could be admitted to baptism. On those who passed the
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