A simple piece of art adorning the walls of The Holy Family Church, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. I chose it because love makes simple sacrifices. The grand acts are sometimes used to draw attention to the giver. The simple ones draw attention to the need…to the gift…to love.
Simple art…simple sacrifice…simple love…the Fifth Station of the Cross.
Jesus, pushed, prodded…
walking the Via Dolorosa…
beam on his bleeding back….
friends denying and deserting him…
but his mother stays near.
On this walk toward Calvary…
to become Sacrifice for our imperfection…
make it possible for us to live eternally in bliss…
two others sacrifices stand out.
These meditations are part of my 48 hour Lenten fast …
a small sacrifice to God in this season of sacrifice….
48 hours of weakness…and wonder….
The journaling of the fast began here – and if you’d like, you can follow the posts one after the other…to this one.
Today, the fifth and sixth Station of the Cross…
The sixth Station of the Cross from that same church in Ireland...Veronica
…simple sacrifices for the One making the greatest Sacrifice.
I’m not used to getting help…
I’m still unsure of what to do with it when it arrives.
Our Lord didn’t receive much help…but he knew how to respond.
My mind goes back 25 years…
A cross-country trip by car…
alone…but with Him.
I step into an old Spanish mission…
Stations of the Cross lining the walls.
I look at each one, but stop at the 5th and 6th…
Simon of Cyrene and Veronica.
And I am given opportunity to learn what I still haven’t mastered to this day. Why don’t I learn when our Lord teaches me something the first, second, hundredth time?
I wrote these words 25 years ago…
Pride cannot be allowed to stand in the way of help or sacrifice when it is offered from pure motives. Jesus never refused an offer of help like this. The vinegar wine on the cross, he did not accept, maybe because the motives were not pure, but of duty, or routine – but not love. Jesus never refused an offer of help given from pure motives.
And poor Simon of Cyrene…
Just passing through town…
an accident of circumstance for him…
but a once in a lifetime chance…
to meet the Savior he knew nothing about.
He is ordered to take up Your Cross…
He doesn’t doesn’t care much (yet) about your mission…
he does care about the pointy Roman Spears.
At first he says, “No!”
Why does he change his mind?
The sword – or the one being sacrificed this day?
I know I said “No!” when you first called me, Lord…
and even after I said yes….
I still too often struggle to be free…
I say no…
like Simon of Cyrene.
I’m sorry.
And the next station is Veronica…
The second offer of help…
This one offered freely…
Would you consider clicking here to join me at Deep into Scripture for this second sacrifice for our Sacrifice?
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for visiting my blog and your sweet comments. You always give encourging comments. Thank you also for your message today of love making the simple sacrifices.
Have a blessed day.
Deborah
first, Deborah, my comments usually reflect what I read – I heart reading blogs like yours so much – blogs with heart – I’ve said it before, I have yet to find a man who writes like all of the female written blogs I read. Anyway – I leave encouraging comments because I get encouraged – and I just reflected back. Thank you for your kind words, and I hope you have a blessed day today!
How often do I say no after first saying yes, just like the older brother. Oh that I would have the heart of sacrifice. So thankful that despite my rejection and ungrateful heart, He still sacrificed for me.
I guess Jesus made it pretty clear when he said that of the two brothers – the one who said no first – but then went out and did the work of his father, as opposed to the one who said yes – but didn’t – he was the right one. It’s a miracle – the parting of the Red Sea – the feeding of the 5000 – but yes – a bigger one that our Lord sacrificed himself for someone like me. God bless you Christina!
I so enjoy your posts. Very thought provoking and interesting!
Please come on over to the “pond” and listen to a sweet little bird that I know you love 😉
thank you Kristin – and I’m on my way over to your pond right now – by the time you read this – I’ll already have been to your blog, read it, and left a comment ツ God bless you!
{ 3 trackbacks }