Week 3: Contemplating the Passion and Death of Jesus -- Day 1 (Tuesday June 5)

Concnering this part of the retreat Carol Ann Smith & Eugene Merz write, "The goodness and compassion of Jesus compels us to stay with him through the difficult days of his passion.

"As a Teacher, Jesus gives us a final lesson about love, service, unity humility, and remeberance....

"Gradually we recognize in Jesus' suffering the love of God f0r sinners of every nation, as well as the meaning of human suffering.

"Strengthened by Jesus' passion and death, we claim Hope in God's triumph over death, over suffering and sorrow of every kind."

The grace I seek is that God would gift me with a way of entering into sorrow and shame as I stay with Jesus in his suferings borne on my behalf and because of my sins (Spiritual Exercises 193)

To enter as fully as I can into the preparation for the passover meal and into the whole event call the last supper is my purpose in this contemplation. It goes beyond picturing the scene or reading the account in words. I try to listen to the way the words are spokem; I attempt to see the expression on the face; I am present with as heightened awareness as I can muster, so that I enter as fully as possible into the mystery I am contemplating (Spiritual Execises 191, 192, 194, 195-197)

Jesus' Passion began with a celebration of God's deliverance from slavery to freedom, from death to life -- the Passover meal -- a meal which remembered that blood of a lamb had the power to save. And it's at this point in the Gospel accounts that the story slows to a snails pace, noting in detail each move Jesus made. By slowing things down, the gospels suggest to us... "you might want to pay close attention here... this stuff is really important!" So enter into the Passover celebration with Jesus and his disciples and probe it for meaning and depth that you haven't before.

Using Composition of Place read and pray through the following passages:

Choose the story of the Last Supper from your favourite gospel or read them all:

Matthew 26:17-30
Mark 14: 12-26
Luke 22:7-38

Questions to Reflect On:

1. What preparations am I making to commune with Jesus, like the disciples did over a meal?
2. What have reverent or high impact moments of partaking in the Lord's Supper/Communion/ Eucharist spoken to me about intimacy.
3. In what ways could my life be bread that is broken and shared with people on a daily basis?
4. What does the Lord's Supper/Communion/Eucharist mean to me?