Contemplative Lenten Series
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Jesus Sweats, Jesus Prays
“Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down from the ground” (Luke 22:43-44).
Prayer: Lord, your strength.
Peter Wept Bitterly
“Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, ‘I do not know the man!’ At that moment the cock crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: ‘Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26: 74-75).
Prayer: O my Jesus, I have fallen again. I ask for your grace to pick up my cross and follow you. For I am weak and miserable, unable to do any good without your help and grace. I will not fall into discouragement; I will not fall into fear. I repent, and I seek to rely more on you. Lord, I begin again. Amen.
Christ Is Scourged At The Pillar
“But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5: 44-45).
Prayer: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Give me strength to love them, without condition and without price. I offer this suffering for those who need it at this time. Amen.
Jesus Hugs His Cross
“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you” (Isaiah 43:1-2)
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you who embraced your Cross with loving surrender and faithful abandonment, help me also embrace that which you have given me, that which you have permitted. May I have faith and hope that while the Cross is present, so also is the Resurrection. All I ask is for your strength, love, and grace, for that is all I need. Amen.
Simon Carries The Cross
‘Then the scribe said to Jesus, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself’—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question’ (Mark 12: 32-34).
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to love you with all my heart, all my soul, and all my strength. May the love I receive from you be the very love I extend to my brothers and sisters. Help me never to waste a moment in loving, and if I shall fall, give me the grace to get up and begin again.
How They Hug Their Crosses
Then Jesus said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it” (Luke 9:23-24).
Prayer: Lord, help me to follow you. I know all things lead me to Your cross. I embrace everything You give me today. Help me only to know Your will, and the strength to take the next step. Amen.
How They Carry Their Crosses
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back” (Luke 6: 36-38).
Prayer: Dear Jesus, help me to live the Gospel with my whole life. May my actions, words, and intentions be made pure, so that I may love others as you have loved me. May the great mercy you have given to me be the mercy I give to others. Amen.
The Wailing Women
“As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are surely coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” (Luke 23:26-31).
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I cry to you in my anguish. Help me, and help those whom I deeply care about. Even though I may not feel it, with faith I pray, “Jesus, I trust in you.” Amen.
Christ Will Rise Again
“The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down” (Psalm 145: 14).
Prayer: Lord Jesus, by your grace I rise again in faith, hope, and love. I will not be discouraged, I will be like the Prodigal Son. Your mercy is there and You have already forgiven me. I shall confess my sins, do penance, and amend my life. I will begin again. Amen.
Mary Beholds Jesus
‘When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home’ (John 19: 26-27).
Prayer: Mother Mary, lead me to your Son, Jesus Christ. May I have the strength, love, and grace to follow Him no matter the cost, no matter the hardship. Amen.
The Two Touches
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
Prayer: Lord Jesus, come heal my afflictions and diseases. I put my trust in your loving mercy. Amen.
Mary & Christ Touch
‘Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her’ (Luke 1: 38).
Prayer: Dear Jesus, today I give you my Yes. I may not know what will take place, but I will trust in you. I will seek you with my whole heart, and I will accept all that happens to me. Mary, I ask for your guidance. Help me do what God asks of me today. Amen.
Christ Crucified With Criminals
“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6: 14-15).
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I forgive this person who has hurt me. May you bless them and help them. Please heal me from anger, hurt, and resentment. I place all of my wounds into your wounds, O Jesus. Keep me safe from evil, now and forever, Amen.
“It Is Finished”
‘When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19: 30).
Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for everything. Amen.
Sister Death Holds The Man of Sorrows
“Praised be You, my Lord,
through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whom no living man can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will,
for the second death shall do them no harm.”
—Canticle of the Sun by Saint Francis of Assisi, 1225.
Prayer: Dear Lord, put to death the things in me that are not of you. Plant within me the things that belong to you: all virtues, especially faith, hope, and love. May you have mercy on me, and preserve my soul from mortal sin this day. Amen.
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3 thoughts on “Contemplative Lenten Series”
Thank you for this amazing work of art..It goes a long way in deeping my faith. I love sequence, i.e. the art work, then a paragraph helping to deepen and art work, and then the prayer that follows. I thank the Holy Spirit as he guide you. Thanking for using your artistic talents in evangelizing. Many blessings.
Trevor, these are highly inspirational to deep reflection. You have so well revealed how close God is to us by virtue of His dearly beloved Son’s humanity. Thus we are more inclined to trust in His mercy.
Thanks Sandra! I am glad you enjoyed the series. May we trust more deeply in His love.