Dear Oremus family,

The day He died,
He endured blows for us.
He was beaten, with no mercy.
He was given the Crown of sorrows.
He carried the Cross that long Way.
He had no shoes.
There were three nails. Three nails.
It was hard to breathe on the Cross. Each breath was a struggle, each breath.
It was cold.
So cold, the coldness of the day, and the coldness of the hearts.
There was jeering.
Spit.
Betrayal. The very ones that He loved, betrayed Him.

There are no words.

Let us pray. Oremus.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

JESUS
Sweet Jesus, All praise to You
Thank You
Thank You
JESUS

We are sorry for the times we have betrayed You, for the times when money and convenience have been more important to us than seeking You and Your Will. Forgive us. We are guilty and we are sorry. Help us, by the Grace of Your Cross, to begin again. Help us to learn a new way. Could we be made new so that we will be like the loving ones that stayed with You to the end? Could we? Please?

Teach us! Teach us to stay by You. Teach us to love Your Law, with no exceptions to make it convenient. Teach us to be brave, to say yes, even when the world and the way the world thinks says no. Teach us to desire only Your Way. Set us apart, so that we may be a consolation for You, so that we may be your friends.

Jesus, there are many who ask for our prayers. There are many needs, now, in our families and with those we love. We place all of these people in Your Heart now. Jesus. How good You are! You won't forget one! You will not lose one prayer. Thank You. Thank You.

Jesus, we place before You the cause for Life. Please inspire us to be generous with our resources, with our imaginations, and our talents so that the evil of abortion will end. Allow us, in this moment in history, to be heroes! We place before You the protection of the Sacrament of Matrimony. In a very special way, we place before you the prayer rally coming up so soon in San Francisco. Be with us. Thank You.

Jesus, we love You.

Amen.

Friends, I want to give this picture to you! I drew it last week on the eve of the Feast of the Annunciation, when I was with Him, at the Adoration Chapel.

As we enter these last days, pondering His Passion, let's leave the ordinary, ok? Do you think it is possible??? Let's do the things we are supposed to (of course), but let's allow our hearts to be stolen away. We'll call it an "inside retreat," inside our hearts, that is. Let's fill our minds with only thoughts that would please Him. Let the Holy Spirit be our Guide. Let's fill our hearts with love. With no words, just love Him. Thank Him. Praise Him. Seek His Will.

Thank you.

Pray for me, please, and I pray for you.

Love,
Mary

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