In the book, “God
Is Near Us: The Eucharist, The Heart of Life” by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, we
receive the following meditation. Let us ponder these words today as we place
ourselves at the foot of His cross, and grieve our sins, yet claim the victory
over them won by Christ:
St. John’s account
of the Lord’s death closes with the words: “They shall look on him whom they
have pierced” (John 19:37 = Zech 12:10). He begins his Revelation with these
words, which in that place constitute the opening of the Day of Judgment, that
day on which the one who was pierced will rise over the world as its judgment and
its life. But he commands us to look upon him now, so that the judgment may be
turned to salvation.
“They shall look on him whom they have
pierced.” This might be a description of the inner direction of our Christian
life, our learning ever more truly to look upon him, to keep the eyes of our
heart turned upon him, to see him, and thereby to grow more humble, to
recognize our sins, to recognize how we have struck him, how we have wounded
our brethren and thereby wounded him; to look upon him and at the same time, to
take hope, because he whom we have wounded is he who loves us; to look upon him
and to receive the way of life.
Lord, grant to us to look upon you and, in so
doing, to find true life!
O Sacred Head,
Surrounded
O sacred head, surrounded
by crown of piercing thorn!
O bleeding head, so wounded,
reviled and put to scorn!
Our sins have marred the glory
of thy most holy face,
yet angel hosts adore thee
and tremble as they gaze
I see thy strength and vigor
all fading in the strife,
and death with cruel rigor,
bereaving thee of life;
O agony and dying!
O love to sinners free!
Jesus, all grace supplying,
O turn thy face on me.
In this thy bitter passion,
Good Shepherd, think of me
with thy most sweet compassion,
unworthy though I be:
beneath thy cross abiding
for ever would I rest,
in thy dear love confiding,
and with thy presence blest.
by crown of piercing thorn!
O bleeding head, so wounded,
reviled and put to scorn!
Our sins have marred the glory
of thy most holy face,
yet angel hosts adore thee
and tremble as they gaze
I see thy strength and vigor
all fading in the strife,
and death with cruel rigor,
bereaving thee of life;
O agony and dying!
O love to sinners free!
Jesus, all grace supplying,
O turn thy face on me.
In this thy bitter passion,
Good Shepherd, think of me
with thy most sweet compassion,
unworthy though I be:
beneath thy cross abiding
for ever would I rest,
in thy dear love confiding,
and with thy presence blest.
Words: Henry Williams Baker (1821-1877), 1861;
after Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153);
and Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676)
after Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153);
and Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XppXi_jZKWk
Remember to start your Divine Mercy Novena today: http://thedivinemercy.org/
Remember to start your Divine Mercy Novena today: http://thedivinemercy.org/
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