Passion of Christ: A Personal Reflection

When I was in my 30-day Ignitian Retreat. I remember how I cry when I was following Christ in the Calvary. I am always saying that I am afraid, I can’t Lord, why I need to do it? But reflecting and looking back all the bad things I done and how I became so selfish in my 25 years of my life and how I was doing immoral acts secretly. I stop talking and began to cry. My sufferings is not enough on the suffering that the Lord Jesus Christ experienced. In my diary I said “I deserve to nail my hands and feet and deserve in your place rather than you suffer a lot because of my sins, please come down and nail me in your cross” I was very tired in my meditations that I feel every second of every serious point of the passion of our Christ. In every moment I saw Mary who was very hurt in his son’s suffering.

                Through that Passion that we remember every Holy Week especially during Holy Thursday until Black Saturday, I am always thankful for our God who is wonderful and lovable. He always taking care of us. In my own life story, I saw how God loves me so much even I am a product of a dysfunctional family, a product of one immoral sin but I saw how this sin use by God to make me holy and to bless my family in a great perfection.

               During this time I remember my own brother Darren who will celebrating his birthday these 3^rd day of September. I always pray that someday he realize how God loves him so much and by his passion he redeemed him for all the sins that we have. I am thankful that today my heart is already own by Christ. His cross is already mine joyfully following him even in the Calvary and even in the day to day crosses that I experience and I will experience.

Reggie O. Cruz

August 23, 2013

Canlubang, Calamba, Laguna

Note: An Essay when I was at Don Bosco  Seminary

Matthew 6:26

Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your father in heaven takes care of them! Aren’t you worth much more than birds? My former colleagues in teaching starts worrying about the thought of becoming a missionary priest. One would say in kapampangan “Pakananu ka kanyan Reggie kung matwa ka” How your life would be Reggie when you’re in the old age? And one would say “alang pera ken, dumanup kamu” there would be no money there, you will starve. And suddenly I reflected with those statement and I asked myself a question. 1. Why some of us worried about our own future in life? Usually we human being dream to have a car, own a house and lot and a lot of money in a bank. This passage from Matthew really gives me a relief of trusting God with regards to our human needs. Jesus understands and does not deny the reality of our own needs. But apparently this things like possessions, money even fame and power became our master and we turn to be slaves of this earthly things. God never abandoned his creatures like the birds in the sky, they didn’t worry about anything but they are live and has food to eat. As the saying goes, “Live life to the fullest” so we must live not in worries but in Christ and he will take care of you. As the end of this reflection I would like to quote a verse in Psalms: “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season, you open your hand, satisfying the desire of every little things.” (Psalms 145: 15-16) May all of us think and feel that God is our provider and he will not leave us behind.