‘In my love, I have taken possession of you. You are mine!’ (Inner Word).
We know a similar phrase in Sacred Scripture: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine” (Is 43:1). And St Paul exclaims: “Nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:39).
Jesus, the innocent One, stands before Pilate.
An earthly judge, the representative of Rome, is to judge the Son of God.
The leaders of His own people are His accusers. Those who were to lead the chosen people and prepare them for the coming of the Messiah did not recognise Him because they did not know the Father (Jn 8:19). This is what Jesus said to them.
Read MoreSince it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him; but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth—that you also may believe. For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled, “Not a bone of him shall be broken.” And again another scripture says, “They shall look on him whom they have pierced.” After this Joseph of Arimathe′a, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him leave.
Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Gol′gotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross; it read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. The chief priests of the Jews then said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” When the soldiers had crucified Jesus they took his garments and made four parts, one for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was without seam, woven from top to bottom; so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.”
After reflecting on fasting, vigils, the desert and silence, let us continue to listen to the other suggestions of the Desert Fathers in order to protect ourselves from the wiles of the devil and to progress more quickly on the path of perfection. Another piece of advice they proposed was this: give priority to works of charity, for which the Lord has promised the Kingdom of God in return. Read More
In yesterday’s meditation we had begun to reflect on fasting and vigils as spiritual means of becoming more united to God, or as the Desert Fathers around St. Anthony used to say, “to unite ourselves more quickly to God with an agile spirit”. A more intimate union with the Lord is an essential help to counter the devil’s insidious attacks and to be prepared for spiritual warfare.Today, let us look more closely at the subject of fasting. Read More
Having talked about prayer and having looked at three very effective forms of spiritual combat – the prayer of the heart, the Holy Rosary and Eucharistic adoration – we now return to that little meeting of some of the Desert Fathers around St Anthony Abbot with which we began our Lenten meditations. It was from this conversation that we drew the concept of ‘discretion’, which means ‘discernment of spirits’. Inspired by this concept, we looked at the situation in the Church and in the world. As a conclusion, it became clear that the faithful must enter into the spiritual battle because the leaders of the Church are spreading grave errors.
In this context, I would like to recall the series on “The Five Wounds of the Church” (https://en.elijamission.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/The-5-Wounds-of-the-Church.pdf), which will help us to understand more deeply the existential crisis of the Church. It is important that the faithful wake up and realise that they cannot simply “go with the flow” and follow the direction set by the current hierarchy without being dragged down by its errors.
When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, and in Hebrew, Gab′batha. Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.
This is the hour of the ultimate betrayal of the Lord who came to redeem humanity. It is a betrayal of God and man, for how can the creature loved by God kill its Creator?
Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple robe; they came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. Pilate went out again, and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you, that you may know that I find no crime in him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no crime in him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he has made himself the Son of God.”
Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said to him, “Are not you also one of his disciples?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” One of the servants of the high priest, a kinsman of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” Peter again denied it; and at once the cock crowed.Then they led Jesus from the house of Ca′iaphas to the praetorium. It was early. They themselves did not enter the praetorium, so that they might not be defiled, but might eat the passover. So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They answered him, “If this man were not an evildoer, we would not have handed him over.” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.” This was to fulfil the word which Jesus had spoken to show by what death he was to die.
