We have arrived at the most difficult part of Lent, having already spent 5 weeks working at abstinence, prayer, and almsgiving. As the days of Holy Week draw near we may feel like our commitments have become an increasingly difficult struggle, perhaps because we are tiring, just as Jesus must have tired in the desert when He was tempted, and as He most certainly was when He was beaten down and carrying the cross. Beginning with Passion Sunday, Holy Week calls us deeper into the Way of the Cross, to accompany Jesus every painful step of the way to Golgotha. An appropriate place to begin this process anew, (or perhaps more profoundly), is to go further than simply walking with Him, but to help Him; that is, to assist Him in carrying His cross. We should recall that Jesus told His followers that we must pick up our cross and follow Him; therefore, through our prayerful meditation, we might understand what that means more clearly by becoming as Simon of Cyrene, assisting the Lord under the cruel burden laid upon His shoulders. 

Picking up our cross is about more than simply accepting our suffering, but it is also about embracing the mission to which we are called. As disciples we are called to help spread the gospel taught by Jesus, assisting in the work of building the Kingdom; that is, to evangelization through word and deed, living the gospel message through acts of humble service, and works of mercy. To pick up our cross is to fight the spiritual battle that is being waged against us, to recognize it and to actively fight divisiveness and the values of the world. The battle is not just in society, but it is personal because the evil one wants to attack each of us at our weakest points so that we stumble and fall; he will go for our wounds and exploit them, attempting to convince us that his path is easier than the path of Jesus. In short, he does not want us to follow the way of Jesus, planting the temptation that it is too difficult and that he offers a better, easier way. Jesus said the path is narrow and few are able to travel it. We can see that the path He took to the Cross was the narrowest of all because of the terrible suffering and attack on every side. Indeed, by helping Jesus carry His cross we learn how to carry our own, and we also fight the power of evil. 

Therefore, we are called to move forward toward the Cross of Jesus, not away. Throughout their time with Jesus, the apostles continually struggled to understand this, so if we are having difficulty, we are not alone. Nonetheless, it is important that we be present during His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, even though we will be challenged to remain awake. If we stay alert and attentive we will observe the horrible struggle Jesus endured that was so intense He sweat blood, but yet by the end of it, He freely chose the Father’s will. When the betrayal and arrest took place, all of the apostles scattered, running away from the danger and not toward where Jesus was taken; except one, (John), no one followed Him to the foot of the cross. How easy it is to run away rather than toward suffering; therefore, we must remember to pray to the Holy Spirit for the graces we need, especially those of discernment, courage, and perseverance through temptations, attacks, and the consequent suffering that we may experience.

​Jesus asked for our presence in the Garden when He begged, “Remain here, and watch with me.” (Matthew 26:38) He wants us to go with Him all the way to the cross: when Jesus is before the Sanhedrin and then Pontius Pilate, and is scourged, beaten, crowned with thorns, and finally given His cross to carry, He wants us with Him not just to comfort Him, but so that we might understand more fully that as we labor under our crosses, He unites Himself to us. As He carries His cross, Jesus continues to teach and minister to His disciples. We must be like Simon of Cyrene, assisting the Lord on the way to Calvary. It is unclear if Simon was forced to carry the cross or if he chose to do it, but we can be sure that at the end of his journey to Calvary with Jesus, no matter what he was like before, Simon was transformed. He came into direct contact with the blood of Jesus; it is not mentioned in the gospels, but there is no way he could have carried the crossbeam, first shouldered by so bloodied a man as Jesus, and not have gotten some of His blood on him. Therefore, Simon is the first to be ‘washed’ in the blood of Jesus, something we are also invited to do.* An interesting point to ponder is that St. Padre Pio, who bore the wounds of Christ (stigmata), said that the wound which caused Jesus the most pain, (and did so for him, too), was the hidden wound on His shoulder which was caused by the weight of the cross as He carried it. As we carry our hidden crosses, let us join with Simon, uniting our labors with Jesus, so that we, too, may be washed in His blood and therefore grow in purity and holiness.

​​May we become more aware of the ways we are tempted to run from our crosses and instead embrace them! May we become more resolute in attending to the Lord as He thirsts for those who are His children but who do not believe! And may we take up the Cross of Jesus as Simon did, to be washed in the blood of the Lamb so that on the last day we will share in His victory! Let us meet at the Cross of Jesus! Peace!

            ​        ©Michele L. Catanese


Note: I suggest meditating in the way taught by St. Ignatius of Loyola in which we enter into the scene as we read the passage and then pray with it. St. Ignatius encouraged the prayerful process of letting the Lord use our imagination and senses to see, hear, feel, and touch that which is going on in the scene. Since God is the Lord of time and space, we are there spiritually and therefore we can gain insights into the events. I also encourage meditating on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary in this manner.

* In the NABRE version of the Bible the footnote to Matthew 5:41 says: “Roman garrisons in Palestine had the right to requisition the property and services of the native population.” Simon was from Cyrene which was in North Africa, and so he may have been a visitor, but he was a Jew. The footnote to Matthew 27:32 says: “Cyrenaica was a Roman province on the north coast of Africa and Cyrene was its capital city. The city had a large population of Greek-speaking Jews. Simon may have been living in Palestine or have come there for the Passover as a pilgrim.”  

-Also, the film Ben Hur (1959) deals with the power of the blood of Jesus in the crucifixion scene when Ben Hur’s mother and sister, afflicted with terrible leprosy, are cleansed by the blood of Jesus which ran from the Cross to where they were. It is an incredibly moving scene and affects Ben Hur’s conversion from a man of anger and vengeance, to a man of faith and forgiveness. (Full disclosure: Though it is a work of historical fiction, Ben Hur is my favorite biblical movie, if not my favorite film of all time.)

Images:
1. Painting; Simon Helps Jesus Carry the Cross, by James Tissot.
2. My photo; Easy Road. This path is by the ski lift on the slopes of Copper Mountain, Copper, Colorado.
3. Painting; Agony in the Garden, by Andrea Mantegna, 1460.
4. Icon; La Sangre de Cristo, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. You can find this at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/la-sangre-de-cristo-242-william-hart-mcnichols.html
5. Icon; Our Lady of Magadan, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. It seems most appropriate to remember that Mary was with her Son the entire Way of the Cross. You can find this icon at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/our-lady-of-magadan-056-william-hart-mcnichols.html

Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. 

Given the film about her which was just released, it seems timely to highlight St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, (1850-1917) the first US citizen to be canonized. She was born and raised in northern Italy, and came to America in 1889 in order to build and operate hospitals, schools, and orphanages for the poor Italian immigrants in New York City. During her life of service she built 67 such institutions in Europe, the United States, and South America, run by the Sisters in the congregation she founded, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Although she loved Italy, she decided to become a US citizen and spent much of her time administrating her congregation, while tirelessly working to make sure the needs of the poor were met. Now as it was then, many immigrants are among the poor, and the need for assistance is great. Therefore, we need someone like Mother Cabrini today!

I first became acquainted with Mother Cabrini when I was a teenager.* She came into my life through a remarkable woman named Joan who belonged to our parish church and had become a friend of my mother. Joan was elderly by the time I met her, but as I grew to know her I learned that she had led a fascinating life and it was obvious she had never lost her ‘joie de vivre.' Convention did not seem make a difference to her and it appeared that she did what her heart led her to do. But the truth of her heart was that it was given totally to Christ. Joan went to Mass every day, possessed of a humble servant’s heart attuned entirely to the Lord. By the time I met her she had slowed down quite a bit, but continued to serve through a ministry of many hours in prayer for others. However, what makes Joan even more remarkable is something that took place when she was only 2 or 3 years old: she was cured of a life-threatening illness as a result of the intercession of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. Joan suffered kidney failure due to an illness, and near death, the doctors told her parents there was no hope. Some Sisters from the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart brought Joan's parents Mother Cabrini's crucifix,** and let them have it overnight. They placed the crucifix on Joan's body and prayed for the intercession of Mother Cabrini for the healing of their daughter. The next morning not only was Joan still alive, but when the doctors examined her later, she was found to be totally healed. Joan lived into her early 90's, and while in her older age she had other health issues, her kidneys were never one of them! Joan was an inspiration to many who knew her, an example of how to live a life with enthusiasm and gratitude, a response which no doubt came from receiving such a great gift as the healing she experienced as a small child.

Just before I entered religious life, Joan brought that same crucifix to my parent’s house so we could pray with it. (The Sisters had given it to her after her miraculous healing.) We had it for one day, keeping it overnight. I remember feeling Mother Cabrini's closeness as I prayed with her cross. I was not expecting any miracles, but it made me realize that all it takes is the openness of faith to recognize when we are in the presence of something that conveys the sacred. The cross was not a good luck charm and had no power of its own. But what was important was the connection to this holy woman and the belief that she could intercede through her prayer, not by power of her own, but through the power of God who hears the cries of the poor and the prayers of His faithful servants. Anyone can intercede for someone who is in need; one need not be a canonized saint to pray in this way. We can pray for the dead and we can also pray to them asking for their intercession in the same way we might ask the living to pray for our needs. Most of us do this quite often when we ask a friend to pray for us or when we pray for the needs of our church and the world when we are at worship in our faith communities. The world is in great need of our intercessory prayer. 

Mother Cabrini is important not simply because of miraculous experiences such as the one I have mentioned. She is important because she teaches us about the great courage it took first to found a congregation and then to leave her homeland and cross the ocean at the cost of great discomfort and danger. She teaches us about the patience and fortitude it took to minister to the poor immigrants who had next to nothing, did not speak the language yet, and were (mis)treated with horrifying disdain. She had to raise money, get the right builders, and staff the hospitals, orphanages, and schools with Sisters. She tirelessly traveled to other cities in the United States and then to other countries establishing hospitals and orphanages, able to do all of it as a response of love to God who called and gifted her so she could do it. Although there were many obstacles that Mother Cabrini had to overcome, including the poor health she endured most of her life, she was determined not to let anything stand in her way. This is what faith in God can do.

Mother Cabrini should inspire us to spend time in prayer and to the action born of prayer as our response to God. We do not have to go to exotic lands, but we can open our hearts to the poor in our own towns and cities. There are so many people suffering from the effects of poverty or natural disasters; there are many suffering from unemployment or under-employment; there are many suffering from illness or loneliness due to being home-bound; there are many who are struggling to feed families; there are many who are homeless; there are many veterans who were wounded visibly or invisibly who are struggling to integrate into life back at home; there are needs all around us to which we can respond. This is what Mother Cabrini inspires and challenges us to do: to hear the call of the suffering and do what we can to alleviate it. Nothing is too small when it is a gesture of love for the poor.

May we be inspired with the courage of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini to reach out to those in need! May we be moved to pray in intercession for the needs of our communities, our nation, and our world! May we be filled with gratitude for the many blessings we have, especially the small ones we often overlook! And may we be filled with love for all our neighbors, stranger and friend alike, just as Jesus taught! Let us continue to meet in the Heart of our loving Savior! Peace!

                                                             ©Michele L Catanese

NOTE: This is a revision of one of my earliest entries, posted in November 2012 for the feast day of Mother Cabrini.

* I did know a little about St. Frances Cabrini before I met Joan because my paternal grandfather did volunteer work in one of the hospitals she had founded. He was given a small relic containing a piece of her veil at the end of his service there. I was given that relic after he died.

** Women and men in religious orders are given a crucifix when they enter their community. When I was in religious life, we referred to it as our bed crucifix since we placed it on our bed during the day. It is usually buried with the Religious. The one that was given to Joan was the ‘bed cross’ that belonged to Mother Cabrini. It was not the cross she wore. 

Images: (most were added to this revision)
1. Icon; St. Mother Cabrini Missionary of the Sacred Heart, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. You can find this at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/st-mother-cabrini-missionary-of-the-sacred-heart-209-william-hart-mcnichols.html
2. Photo; St. (Mother) Frances Xavier Cabrini. This seems to have been an official photo of her belonging to her community.
3. My photo; the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Maine. The ocean has always evoked the sacred for me.
4. My photo; Shrine of St. Francis Xavier Cabrini in Golden, Colorado.
5. Painting; Works of Mercy, Give Drink to the Thirsty, Welcome the Stranger, by Olivuccio di Ciccarello.
6. My photo: relic of Mother Cabrini (a piece of her bone) at the foot of a statue of her. This was taken at the Shrine in Golden, Colorado. 

Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. 

I have enjoyed the desert every time I have visited or have hiked in such an area. Indeed, there is a lot of beauty in a desert, but it is also a place that is rather inhospitable for human life. To survive for a long period of time a person would need a reliable and plentiful source of water and food as well as some shelter from the elements. Though we know all this, it is important to keep this image in mind as we reflect upon the invitation to go with Jesus into the desert during this season of Lent. His 40 days and nights in the desert prior to ministry were an essential preparation for Him, and it is good to observe what He did by accompanying Him. We know Jesus went into the desert to pray, but it was far more intense than we can imagine because of the level of spiritual warfare in which He engaged. We can learn a tremendous amount from His experience that will aid us in the battles we face, too.

The Gospels state that immediately before Jesus left for the desert He was baptized by John in the Jordan River. As Jesus came up from the water a voice was heard by those gathered there. Pay attention to exactly what the Father said: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11, italics mine) This was a personal message for Jesus, a word from Father to Son, telling Jesus that what had transpired for the previous 30 years was pleasing to Him, but now the time had come for Jesus to undergo the final and most intense preparation for what lay ahead. The Gospel says, “At once the Spirit drove Him out into the desert.” (Mark 1:12) There seems to be a sense of urgency in this, and while the Holy Spirit could have sent Jesus anywhere, the desert location must have had great purpose and meaning.

That Jesus was driven there “at once” indicates He did not go home and get His ‘desert gear,’ but rather He brought nothing with Him into that wilderness. In these first weeks of Lent we have entered the desert as Jesus did, and we, too, need to ‘leave behind’ that from which we are fasting, trusting in God who sent us there; we have begun and now we need to stay the course. In the desert, with abstinence and prayer one learns to recognize attachments to people, places, and things, everything that we have put before God. We may also have to face the most difficult temptations that involve memories and sins from the past which the devil uses to taunt and demoralize us. And though it is early Lent, some might have already been tempted to give up and ‘return home’ because either we think we have failed or to avoid the discomfort of the work needed for our growth in freedom and love of God.

​The devil is pretty slick, and we can expect he will try similar tactics as those he employed on Jesus, aiming for our human weaknesses with trickery and lies. In the Gospels three main areas of attack were described.* First was the temptation to let the devil take care of Jesus’ hunger, (desires). To combat our hungers we must put our spiritual life before material desires, making sacrifices in which we put others before ourselves through acts of mercy and service. Next was the temptation concerning His safety, which may have actually served to prepare Jesus for the terrible temptations He would face during His Passion. This teaches us to never give into fear of expressing our faith and commitment as Christians: we are to live our faith boldly, without fear or apology. Lastly was the temptation to gain ‘easy’ power by following satan instead of God. This is most important for us since it teaches that we must always discern wisely whom we are choosing to follow, taking the narrow path and not the wide one.

We need this Lenten trip to the desert, perhaps now more than ever since attack upon those who are committed followers of Jesus is becoming more intense. Our Lenten practices will help us to recognize the tactics of the devil more clearly so we can rebuke them, ask forgiveness, become stronger in the ability to utilize the graces we have received, and grow in our love and commitment to God. The enemy is trying to 'divide and conquer,' to cause our morals to deteriorate, enticing us into becoming more accepting of that which is against the gospel, and to live in fear of repercussion, to keep us from taking a stand in defense of our faith. In short, the tempter is trying to get us to see what is evil as good and what is good as evil. He is dividing our families, our communities, and our churches by attacking their foundations, using us to do so. 

The desert can be difficult, but it is necessary for us to accompany the Lord. On the cross Jesus said, “I thirst.” He was not asking for His bodily needs to be met but rather, Jesus was thirsting for His people to come ever closer to Him. He thirsted for those who will stay the course, following Him the entire way to the Cross and then to the glory which awaits. To do so, we must be vigilant, use what God has given, and never give up hope. The good news is that the desert is also a place of life: God’s grace will see us through if we trust Him. 

May we call upon the Holy Spirit for the graces needed to overcome temptation and all that seeks our ruin! May we have no fear of the desert or of spiritual warfare! And may we have the fortitude to stay the course of our journey this Lent! Let us meet in prayer, assisting one another! Peace!

​                                                                ©Michele L. Catanese

* These suggestions about the three main areas of temptation experienced by Jesus are not exhaustive and they are only meant for spiritual reflection. There are better, more precise explanations in the exegesis of many spiritual writers and theologians.

​Images:
1. My photo; Big Bend National Park, west Texas.
2. Fresco painting; The Baptism of Jesus, by Giotto, from the Scrovegni Chapel, Ravenna, Italy.
3. Icon; Nuestro Salvador de las Sandias, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. I chose this for two reasons: first, it depicts Jesus in the desert with the Sandia Mts. in the background, and second, because it is a sign of hope and victory. If you are interested in purchasing a copy of this in one of many mediums go to fineartamerica.com/featured/nuestro-salvador-de-las-sandias-012-william-hart-mcnichols.html
4. Painting; The Long Walk Home by Ed Sandoval. (This is actually my photo of a print I have of this painting.)
5. Painting; And the Angels Ministered Unto Him by James Tissot. Again, thre is always hope: the Lord will make sure we are cared for if we remain faithful, sending angels to our aid.
6. My photo; a creek which runs through Big Bend National Park, TX. 

Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time.