Jesus, these 40 days are difficult. I want to walk the road to Calvary with you, but I know the road is long.
I have seen long roads before. Times when I didn't know the way, times when the path seemed too steep to climb. I am afraid of the twists and turns and I am afraid of losing sight of you.
Help me to remember how, on the way to the cross, your mother was there. Help me to remember to turn to her, for she is familiar with sorrow. She is there to wipe away tears and to bring me back to you.
On the night before you died, you asked your followers to keep watch for one hour. In the busyness of daily life, I become distracted, forgetting you are there, waiting for me to spend time with you in the silence away from the cares of life.
There are times when my focus drifts to my search for a spouse and the sometimes frustrating experience that can be. I forget about the people around me, needing my help.
Help me to remember that you are right there with me, reminding me that you are closer than any human companion. Help me to listen for your still, small voice so I may see the needs of the people along the path.
On the cross you felt abandoned and you cried out to the Heavenly Father, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" How often have I asked that same question, not when my life was in danger, but when it hasn't turned out quite the way I imagined it should? I am familiar with that prayer.
Help me, Jesus, to keep this time of loneliness in perspective, and when I am feeling abandoned, help me to turn to you, for you know what it feels like to be alone.
Reflection question: Who am I overlooking in my busyness?
Editor’s note
Read other reflections written by CatholicMatch members:
- Day 15 – Matthew-695017: ‘Lent Is Not A Dark & Gloomy Time’
- Day 14 – Dawn-58330: ‘I want To Have Faith Like A Child’
- Day 13 – Dan-595920: ‘I Always Find Excuses’
- Day 12 – Annette-639693: ‘In The Quiet I Hear God’s Voice Clearly’
- Day 11 – Ron-40989: ‘Remember We Are Purifying Our Love’
- Day 10 – Linda-504414: ‘God Might Be Trying To Teach Us Something Vital’
- Day 9 – Andy-246798: ‘I’m Happy To Take A Break From Dating Women’
- Day 8 – Marci-365801: ‘I’m Worried I Have Drifted Off Course’
- Day 7 –Tina-401203: ‘Waiting For Our Lives To Begin’
- Day 6 – Erik-215414: ‘No One Said This Was Going To Be Easy’
- Day 5 – Cate-291547: ‘I Felt Stuck In A Second Adolescence’
- Day 4 – Ryan-672439: ‘God Loves A Good Comeback’
- Day 3 – Theresa-630252: ‘I Think Of This As Preparation Time’
- Day 2 – Barb-505508: ‘We Have To Read Between The Lines’
- Day 1 – Richard-632838: ‘I Recognize How Much I Need God’s Grace’
