So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.
Lord Jesus, you made many predictions of your passion.
You knew that the path you were taking
could end only one way.
And yet you had the courage-
and even more the love-
to stay on that path until the end.
But Jesus, that word "suffer" sticks a bit.
I'm glad the days are gone when
piety glorified suffering for suffering's sake.
And yet, I can't avoid the word here
or what I see as its message.
The Advent path I am walking,
leads to the celebration of your birth,
And beyond it to your whole life,
Passion, death, and resurrection.
This is not just your path,
but my path as a disciple.
If followed faithfully, it can go only one way-
the way of joining myself to you
so completely that I learn to "die"
to selfishness and my will,
and to do God's will:
to give of myself, out of love,
so that others might have life.
This may indeed bring some suffering, Lord,
And life itself will surely bring some more.
But you have walked this path, Jesus,
and shown me that it leads to Life.
So help me join myself to you
so that I'll have the courage
and, even more, the love
to walk it too.
Amen.
For a prayer for today from Saint Augustine, see page 189 in the December issue of Living with Christ.
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