Three hours

February 29, 2012 - Adoration Chapel
Dearest Jesus, I'm in Your physical Presence again and I am trying to follow Your call.  I feel like You are asking me to share my experience with the women in my parish.  Please tell me exactly what message You want me to bring to them.  I don't want to do anything of my own volition, but only Your holy will...

(This is what poured out from my pen in the following hour)
Three hours.  For three hours, Jesus lived on the Cross.  10,800 seconds of dying.  Of pouring His life, breath, and blood out for us.  And at the very same time, pouring out His forgiveness upon us and interceding for us before His Father.  This doesn't even begin to account for His agony in the garden, the merciless scourging, the crown of thorns, carrying the Cross, His falls, and the endless mockery He endured.
Can you imagine standing at the foot of the Cross and telling Jesus that His sacrifice is insufficient?!!  That you need greater proof of His love?!  This is what we are saying when we fail to trust Him.  That we need something more.
If your trust is the measure of your love.  Do you really love Him?  Ask yourself if you have received His mercy, His forgiveness.
If you haven't or feel like you are unable to, beg Him for the grace to accept it.  Only He can do this for us, but we have to ask Him.  He poured out His life for us moment by moment to give us this gift.  He will not refuse you. 
If you can accept His forgiveness, you can accept His love, with His grace.  Ask Him for it.  Once we can begin to truly love Him, we can begin to trust Him.
It is only when we begin to trust Him, that His total and perfect sacrifice is made perfect in us.  It is only then that we stop adding to His agony.
During our retreat Fr. Scott said "God's greatest joy is forgiveness.  Our own forgiveness is what makes us most like God.  Jesus wanted the nail marks to remain after His resurrection to remind us how much He loves us and how important the Cross is in our lives.  This Lenten season, cast yourself freely and fully into the merciful arms of Jesus. Ask God for the grace to take this step.  Take the Nestea plunge of faith".