Jesus offered the ultimate sacrifice on a Friday
and endured the most excruciating pain for the atonement of our sins.
We should not hesitate to offer our own sacrifice and
to strive to spiritually unite that sacrifice to Christ’s.
We share a common belief with other Christians throughout the world
that Jesus is the one and only Savior of the world.
The only way to Heaven is through the redemption
won by His Cross.
In a sense, Jesus “paid the price”
of death for our sins.
He took on our punishment.
But with that said, we must understand
our role and responsibility
in receiving this priceless gift.
It’s not simply a gift that God offers by saying,
OK, I paid the price, now you’re completely off the hook.
No, we believe He says something more like this,
I have opened the door to salvation
through my suffering and death.
Now I invite you to enter that door
with me and unite your own sufferings with mine
so that my sufferings, united with yours,
will bring you to salvation and freedom from sin.
So, in a sense, we are not “off the hook;”
rather, we now have a way to freedom
and salvation by uniting our lives,
sufferings and sins to the Cross of Christ.
As Catholics, we understand that salvation
came at a price and that the price was not only
the death of Jesus, it’s also our willing participation
in His suffering and death.
This is the way that His Sacrifice
transforms our particular sins.
Lord, I choose, this day, to become one with You in Your suffering and death.
I offer You my suffering and my sin.
Please forgive my sin and allow my suffering,
especially that which results from my sin,
to be transformed by Your own suffering
so that I can share in the joy of Your Resurrection.
May the small sacrifices and acts of self-denial I offer You
become a source of my deeper union with You.
Jesus, I trust in You
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