Day 3. The purpose of the liturgical season of Lent is to grow in closeness to the Lord through truth, repentance, and the word of God moving into fullness within your heart. Truth of theSpirit with Patti Brunner presents Daily Meditations for Lent. Lenten Logos includes personal revelation for your discernment to grow in your relationship with the Lord during this liturgical season of Lent.
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Welcome to Truth of the Spirit. I am your host Patti Brunner. This is day 3 of our series “Daily Meditations for Lent – Lenten Logos, it’s the Friday following Ash Wednesday. Each day during Lent we will share personal revelation and meditation from those logos, those words from the Lord.
I heard the Lord say this, “My child, the darkness in the hearts of men causes them to hear and see the cloud instead of the silver lining. Darkness is the filter of sin blocking the Light of Christ, the Light that comes from Grace. But if you keep waiting on the Lord the clouds will be blown away and the deep blue peace emerges and the light brings clarity for all to see. My child, fear not the edges of darkness—see the good that is revealed there. Come into the deep with Me, child, and bring those who linger along the shore who long for the refreshment that awaits them.“
Many years ago I heard the Lord say, “My child, I do not fix everything that is broken because there is not always honor given for the repair. It is true I love my children, even those who do not know, love, or accept Me. But it is most difficult for these children to accept my love except through the love of others. I am present in their love and yours. Keep hoping and take joy in the Lord. The Lord is the hope of the nations. Salvation is in the Lord. Continue to trust in Me. Your hope is in the Lord, who made heaven and earth—and snow.”
“Show your love to others, forgive others, show how much you take joy in Jesus, your Savior. Eventually, you will see the difference. Be patient and caring with those you love. Continue to encourage them. This is a real gift that you can give. There are too many of my children,” the Lord says, “who are ready to criticize and complain. Do not join their ranks. Play the ‘Pollyanna’[i]. Find the joy—the positive—the blessing in each situation. Never be content to hear the negative views. Always turn the head toward my plan—even in the veil of sufferings. Your help is in the Name of the Lord who made heaven and earth; happy are those who are called to his supper table. Woe to those who, though invited, reject the gift that is offered. The Lord has mercy on all those who call His Name in their pain. He looks upon his sinful children with forgiveness in His heart and He beckons them to gather near to Him for forgiveness through repentance.”
Today is the first Friday of Lent. The culture in the United States has a tendency to use Fridays as a day to treat yourself by going out to eat. The Church invites us to use Fridays during Lent as days of special effort in offering sacrifice and penance. Since Christ was crucified on Good Friday, the Fridays of Lent are to be recognized by additional fasting and abstinence. Churches gather us together to remember and pray the Stations of the Cross.
“Way of the Cross points out, underscores, makes evident that the life of Christ had a purpose more than that of a rabbi or a King. Jesus was those things, indeed, but his life had a much grander plan.” The Lord taught me, “Jesus, the suffering servant, took the role of Cain, the role of Adam, the role of the sinner. Jesus took the role of Isaac, the role of the Lamb, the role of the Sacrifice. Jesus humbled himself before the power of hell on earth and thus overcame that power by accepting obedience to the Will of God. Obedience unto death restored man’s relationship of trust, restored man’s connection, restored the kingdom on earth.
“As you walk the walk in your daily life Christ walks with you. As you walk the walk of the cross you are given the opportunity to walk with Him. Each passage, each stumble, each encounter along the way points to the love Jesus shows to his Father for those whom the Father loves. We can take these moments and apply them to our own lives. We can apply them to the very history of mankind.
“ When St. Helen, the mother of Constantine, “visited the Holy Land, she identified the places and events. They lived in the hearts of the people as they walked the walk of remembrance and told their children’s children the stories that were told to them. Signs and wonders confirmed the Holy Places. The tales were then told across the channels and the ocean, until many longed to stand where Jesus stood and walk where Jesus walked. The precious Walk of the Cross brought many to repentance and renewal of relationship with the Creator and with Jesus.
“In the 14th century a liturgy was developed to be shared, taught and practiced. This liturgy continues today to remind us of the steps of Christ to remind us of the sacrifice to remind us of the triumph over the very worst handed out by sin of the world as suffering. The stations have added an addition ‘station’ the Resurrection but the Church needs no reminder of “Easter” of the glorious triumph; the Church does need to know that Jesus endured each man’s sin, each man’s suffering so that once and for all death–eternal death–could be overcome.“
“As the crowns are placed, recall that Jesus is not the king expected by the world. His crown is not of this world. “By His stripes we were healed.” “By His stripes we are healed.” Each lash tested the obedience of Jesus. Each act of submission overcame sin and finally death. Carrying the cross, each fall, the greeting of the women, Veronica, Mother Mary, the help of Simeon—all these point the way for people: Keep going even if you fall. Reach out to help others whether it is your cross or not. Weep not for the Christ but for your children who accept not Christ nor his cross. Placing the corpus into the tomb reminds you that this life is fleeting; it is given up to the Father to be surrendered –totally and completely.
Please subscribe and join us each day for Daily Meditations for Lent – Lenten Logos with Patti Brunner. “The event of the Cross and Resurrection abides and draws everything toward life.”[ii] “Prepare for it, ready your heart.” The transcript of this episode is available at PatriarchMinistries.com. Come back tomorrow for more. With the Holy Spirit there’s always more. Amen
[i] Pollyanna is a1913 novel by American author Eleanor H. Porter and a 1960 movie starring Haley Mills in the title role. The word ‘Pollyanna’ is used to describe an excessively cheerful or optimistic person.
[ii] Catechism of the Catholic Church Paragraph 1085
