THE PAINFUL WAY TO CALVARY

Divine Appeal Reflection - 210

Today, consider in Divine Appeal 210:  "All your sufferings are useful. Reflect Me on My painful way to Calvary."

Our adorable Jesus, in His boundless love, encourages us to imitate Him on His sorrowful way to Calvary. His journey was not one of physical agony but of profound spiritual submission, a perfect gift of love for our redemption. Walking , bruised and bleeding, He bore not only the weight of the Cross but also the weight of our sins, carrying them with divine patience. To reflect Him is to embrace the mystery of suffering-not in despair, but with trust that any suffering, when united with His Passion, opens pathways to grace (cf. CCC 618).

To walk in His footsteps is to acknowledge that pain is a part of His redeeming love rather than just an affliction. Jesus wavered beneath the crushing weight of the Cross, but He did not turn away. Not for himself, but for our salvation, he persisted. By providing our suffering as a gift of love, He calls us to emulate His tenacity in our own struggles. This does not make suffering any less painful, but when we join it with His, it becomes sanctified and a tool that He uses to bring us nearer to His holy purpose (cf. Romans 8:17).

In His Passion, our Most Adorable Jesus was never truly left alone-His Blessed Mother stood most near to Him in sorrow of heart; Simon of Cyrene, who at first was unwilling, found himself sharing in the mystery of Christ's sufferings; and Veronica, in such a simple yet profound act of love, wiped His Sacred Face, giving Him solace. Herein lies the mystery: in shared suffering, the moment of isolation is transformed into an invitation toward the mystery of redemptive love. In the same way, He does not abandon us when we are suffering. He gives us comfort through prayer, strengthens us through the sacraments, and, by His grace, enables us to bear what appears intolerable (cf. Matthew 11:28-30). For when we suffer, we are not lost; rather, we are being drawn into the depths of His Sacred Heart, where pain yields meaning and becomes sacred in its participation in the sacrifice.

So let us accept our crosses, not with resignation, but with trust, for we know that each bit of suffering surrendered to love becomes a reflection of Our Adorable Jesus in His Passion. The way of the cross, with all its pain, leads to the way of resurrection, where suffering ceases to be an end and begins to be a pathway into glory. Merging our sufferings with Him, our tribulations become not weights but gifts-true tokens of love that unite us with His redeeming work. Herein lies truly the mystery of the Cross: in losing our lives for His sake, we find life; in sharing in His suffering, we are glorified even closer to His eternal triumph (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:17)..

Prayer:

Our Adorable Jesus, You bore the weight of the Cross with perfect love. In our struggles, may we reflect Your sacrifice, carrying our burdens with trust. Give us the grace to endure with faith, knowing that in our pain, we are drawn closer to You. And in our weakness, may we find strength in Your Sacred Heart. 

Sr. Anna Ali of the Most Holy Eucharist, intercede for us.