In Love with Christ Crucified
"Jesus in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and Mary in agony somewhere in Jerusalem, unable to do anything, having to stand helplessly by and let her only son suffer the terrible inner struggle that no one else can suffer for us. Such was St. Francis's feeling, his compassion for Christ, his Savior. He wanted somehow to suffer with Jesus, and so, two years before he died, this prayer rose from the depths of his love for the crucified Christ: 'O Lord, I beg of you two graces before I die--to experience personally and in all possible fullness the pains of your bitter passion and to feel for you the same love that moved you to sacrifice yourself for us.' --Little Flowers of St. Francis
Who among us has not felt the pain of someone we dearly love? As a mother I felt this for my children when they were in physical pain or emotional pain and would willingly have traded places with them if I could. This is the kind of love Christ has for us....and Francis had for Christ.
"Jesus in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and Mary in agony somewhere in Jerusalem, unable to do anything, having to stand helplessly by and let her only son suffer the terrible inner struggle that no one else can suffer for us. Such was St. Francis's feeling, his compassion for Christ, his Savior. He wanted somehow to suffer with Jesus, and so, two years before he died, this prayer rose from the depths of his love for the crucified Christ: 'O Lord, I beg of you two graces before I die--to experience personally and in all possible fullness the pains of your bitter passion and to feel for you the same love that moved you to sacrifice yourself for us.' --Little Flowers of St. Francis
Who among us has not felt the pain of someone we dearly love? As a mother I felt this for my children when they were in physical pain or emotional pain and would willingly have traded places with them if I could. This is the kind of love Christ has for us....and Francis had for Christ.
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