Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ As we reflect on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosaries I am reminded of the amount of suffering that is part of our world today. Images come to mind of people fleeing from war and poverty and taking huge risks to try to get to safe- ty. All of us as we journey with Christ need to ask what can I do as a Christian to make our world a more safe and sta- ble place for all of humanity. 1. The Agony in the Garden. Jesus knowns what is ahead and the knowledge of it has him pleading with His Father. “If it be your will let this chalice pass” He is betrayed by a friend and the others sleep while he suffers. He is utterly alone as he faces into his pas- sion. It even seems as if His Father has abandoned him. 2. The Scourging at the Pillar. Strips of leather and rope and anything that can be added to create suffering are used to scourge the prisoner (Jesus) and no mercy is shown as he is beaten repeatedly. This is what He went through for us. 3. The Crowning with Thorns On my desk sits a small cross brought back from the Holy Land and beside it are a number of thorns over an inch long which came with it. The thorns used in the crown were not from the thistle or the blackberry but from a shrub . They are very painful. Again part of what Jesus endured 4. The Carrying of the Cross He has been scourged, crowned with thorns an now he must drag a heavy wooden cross through the city streets and up a hill. The crowds enjoy the scene, They hurdle ver- bal abuse and probably other objects as well. These are the same people who a few days earlier wanted to make him king. Yes the public is fickle.. any spectacle will get them excited. Along comes Simeon and the poor ma is chosen to help carry Jesus’s cross. His life is changed utterly. 5. The Crucifixion Utterly alone, he is executed as a common criminal. Only a few friends and family remain. Even God seems to have deserted him, He dies as the hymn says on a hill far away. All seems lost but it’s not the end. Lord on my journey there are times when I seem to be ut- terly alone. Let me remember you time on the cross when you cried out and when you were mocked and yet you said” Father into your hands I commend my Spirit”. Be with me Lord on my journey in all I do and say. Pray for me as I pray for you Fr Karl