It was the love, not the nails, that held Him on the cross. Those are the opening words to a song that is perfect for today. As we begin our Lenten journey on this Ash Wednesday, we are reminded of Jesus Christ's sacrifice for us. His love was boundless and will not be outdone. Jesus hung on the cross to pay a ransom for us. Was it the only way? Probably not but the transgressions had created a gulf between God and His people. Out of His love, He sent His only Son to come to earth. After being arrested, humiliated, beaten, crucified, and buried, He was lifted up for our sins. Jesus Christ lives today and His life allows us to come to the Father. So what does your plan for the next forty days look like? Have you thought about what you will do to draw closer to God? Make it something big. Think about making an impact. Be bold! Think in the positive and focus on making the world a better place with your sacrifices. Remember how Jesus Christ was covered with stripes from the whips they used on Him. Remember how they stuck a crown of thorns into His head. Remember how He carried his own cross to his death. Our small sacrifices can never match His but they can draw us nearer to Him. So what does the world need right now? The Church needs to rise up. We need to pray our country back to spiritual health. Forget about the multiple distractions. Go to your favorite place and have a face-to-face conversation with Jesus Christ. Ask Him to help you in your journey. Ask Him to guide your sacrifice. Turn it over to Him. You cannot have a better Lenten season than by having Jesus Christ use you as His instrument. I am praying that you have a blessed Lenten journey.
The twelve apostles chosen by Jesus formed the bedrock of the early Church , and their Catholic identity is deeply rooted in their direct relationship with Christ and the mission He entrusted to them. The Catechism of the Catholic Church highlights this foundational role, stating that Jesus "instituted the Twelve as 'the seeds of the new Israel and the beginning of the sacred hierarchy'" ( CCC 860 ). These men were not simply followers; they were handpicked by Jesus, lived intimately with Him, witnessed His miracles and teachings firsthand, and were specifically commissioned to preach the Gospel to all nations ( Matthew 28:19-20 ). Their unique position as eyewitnesses to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and their reception of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, established them as the authoritative leaders of the nascent Church, a reality echoed in the writings of early Church Fathers like Ignatius of Antioch, who emphasized the apostles' authority as repre...
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