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When I fall on my knees

with my face to the rising sun,

O Lord, have mercy on me.

from Let Us Break Bread Together

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Prayer Corner 43

Holy Week Devotions

By Angie Rebert

Image by Mr. Shawon from Pixabay

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.

Matthew 28:6 (NIV)

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I hope my prayer for this week of devotions, Holy Week, will bring blessings to enliven and restore your spirit from our Risen Lord and Savior.

O my Lord!

Blessed Savior!

How can I thank You?

You knew your father’s plan.

You knew. You knew!

You knew the humiliation.

You knew the pain.

And You knew it would bring

The great gift of Forever Grace.

Your human heart pleaded,

“Let this cup pass!”

Your Holy Heart surrendered.

“Your will, not mine, be done.”

In this Holy Week,

I see in my imagined ponderings,

Your journey to The Cross

I see you Jesus, I see you:

I see you saddened more distant,

Eyes looking beyond,

Face more drawn and drained,

Riding humbly on a donkey,

Silent, amidst the chaos of a jubilant crowd.

I see You, dear Jesus,

Washing our feet,

Sharing strange new words:

“This is my body.

This is my blood.”

I see You in the Garden on your knees,

Crying out to The Father

While we slept.

While we slept!

I see You. I see You,

And I hear the thundering footsteps of the soldiers.

I see the betrayal kiss.

Your quiet submission,

While commanding not asking,

“Do not take my men.”

I follow you through the night.

I follow you to the rowdy courtyard

And then to the next day’s trial.

I see them mock and bruise you.

I hear Pilate pronouncing you innocent,

Yet giving you over to the crowd’s chant:

“Crucify him! Crucify him!”

The pain in my heart shoots deep,

And I can only sustain it.

By growing numb,

I move in a pain free trance.

I see you shoulder the cross they thrust upon you,

I see you fall.

I want to step up and help you,

But my body is frozen.

I do not move.

Another comes to share the weight.

The crowd moves forward,

Some shouting, some weeping.

And I am moving with them,

Pushed forward by an unstoppable synergy.

And then, we are at the site of no return.

Three crosses casting their deathly shadows.

Nails through your hands and feet.

Cross lowered with a shattering thump into its dark hole.

Three hours of suffering.

Your great Love bleeds out life for us.

Your words spoken throughout your dying bring awe to us.

And then:

“It is finished!”

Your side is pierced.

You are removed from Your Cross.

Taken immediately to your tomb,

A huge stone rolled into place.

We are left behind to mourn and doubt.

How can this be?

How could this be God’s will that Jesus prayed?

How could we have been so misled?

How could we have believed so fervently?

How could he heal so many?

How could Jesus bring Lazarus back to life

But not himself?

How can this be?

Oh God! How can this be?

I fall on my knees and then to the ground,

My heart breaking into great sobs,

Wrenching my insides into a deep despair.

Finally, I sleep a tortured replay of His great suffering and death.

I awake by the joyful excited voice of Mary Magdalen,

“Jesus is alive! Jesus is alive!

I have seen him!”

I run with her to the tomb.

John and Peter following behind and then they were ahead of me.

Empty! Empty!

The tomb is empty!

Can it be true!

Oh, I want it to be true!

Word travels like a wildfire.

We all somehow know where to gather.

Suddenly, Jesus stands with us. And…

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