Christ Jesus, though He was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, He emptied Himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
He humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
(Philippians 2:6-8)

You are about to enter into the timelessness of what Christ did for you, when the experiences of Jesus during the first Holy Week are also the now moment of your life.

Start by making an examination of conscience. You can use our Examination of Conscience Based on the 10 Commandments (this link will open a new browser window so you won't lose your place here).

In this Virtual Retreat, Jesus is going to reveal his mercy to you. If you have already received forgiveness and absolution for your sins and they no longer control you, this retreat will continue the process of growing in intimacy with Christ.

If there are sins that still have a grip on you, we recommend that you complete the healing that begins in this retreat by calling your parish office to set up an appointment with a priest to receive the gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The power of this Sacrament will set you free to enjoy new life in the glory of Christ's resurrection! Because....

It was our infirmities that He bore,
our sufferings that He endured....
He was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins,
upon Him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by His stripes we were healed.
We had all gone astray like sheep,
each following our own way;
but the Lord laid upon Him the guilt of us all.
(Isaiah 53:3-6)

In a meditation given to Pope John Paul II on March 15, 2002, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, the preacher of the Papal Household, described what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane, which he called Jesus' dark night of the soul: "Jesus' anguish was not caused by simply foreseeing the torments; Jesus took sin upon Himself, the whole sin of the world. At that moment, the fact that He had not committed the sins made no difference; they were His because He freely assumed them: 'He bore our sins in His body.' "

Let's meet Him as He descends the Mount of Olives toward Jerusalem, as He knowingly takes the final steps of His life and enters the dark night of His soul.

After sharing His last supper with His closest friends, Jesus took them to the top of the Mount of Olives. From there, He looked across the Kidron Valley to the wall of Jerusalem.

He could see the Temple (which stood to the right of the golden Muslim Dome of the Rock of Mohammed).

He could see the ancient city of Jerusalem, and as He looked into the future, He began to weep.

He lamented, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace -- but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side... because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." (Luke 19:41-44)

Is peace missing from your life? Remind yourself of this: "Jesus weeps for me, too. I need to recognize the various ways that Jesus has been coming to help me, to console me, to care for me. Lord, forgive me for not noticing! Help me to keep my eyes on You!"

Then Jesus descended down the mountain, moving closer to Jerusalem with every step.

He stopped at a place called Gethsemane and said to His disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."

He took along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and soon He began to feel great sorrow and distress. He said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death."

He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer. He who had never sinned took upon Himself your sins (pause now to name the ones that trouble you most) and the sins of the whole world. He who was pure and perfectly holy became vile with the ugliness of all that is unholy.

Tortured by these sins, He cried out in agony. "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me!"

"But -- not my will be done, Father. YOUR will."

Jesus experienced the dark night of the soul, and in giving His human 'yes' to your needs in the midst of this darkness, His humanity redeemed you.

I see it all!
Oh, Father! I see it all!

As I kneel upon this rock
in the Garden of my Prayers
the hardness of my tortures
lies just ahead of Me.

I see the blows from angry fists
come crashing, smashing
from the fears of hurting men.

They wound Me with their jealousies.
They wound Me with their lusts.
They wound Me with their prejudice.
They wound Me with their abuses against each other.

I see it all!
Oh, Father! I see it all!

I see the thorns of every person's pride
come piercing, fiercely stabbing
deep into My head and heart.

They wound Me with their desire to control.
They wound Me with their thoughts of hate.
They wound Me with their scramble for success.
They wound Me with their tossing aside of servanthood.

I see it all!
Oh, Father! I see it all!

I see the lashing whip of mankind's ugly lip
whipping Me, stripping Me
of My humanity.

They wound Me using words that tear Me down.
They wound Me using words that tear the Truth.
They wound Me using words that spread unkindness.
They wound Me using words that spread gossip and hopelessness.

I see it all!
Oh, Father! I see it all!

What they will do to each other
they will do unto Me,
and I will feel it in My face,
and I will feel it in My head and heart,
and I will feel it in My holy flesh,
and I will feel it in My shoulder when I carry the cross,
and I will feel it in My knees when I fall upon the ground,
and I will feel it in the nails.

I see it all!
Oh, Father! I see it all!

Thy will be done, My Father,
because I love them
through it all.

After praying this three times, Jesus returned to His disciples and said, "Behold, the hour is at hand when the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners. Get up, it's time to go. Look, my betrayer is at hand."

While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a large crowd that wielded swords and clubs. They had come from the chief priests and the elders of the people. His betrayer had arranged a sign with them, saying, "The man I shall kiss is the one; arrest him." Immediately he went over to Jesus and said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and he kissed Him.

Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you have come for."

Then stepping forward they laid hands on Jesus and arrested Him.

"Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father and He will not provide me at this moment with more than twelve legions of angels? But then how would the Scriptures be fulfilled which say that it must come to pass in this way?"

Those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. Peter followed at a distance.

One of the maids came over to him and said, "You too were with Jesus." But he denied it in front of everyone, saying, "I don't know what you're talking about!" Three times he denied knowing Jesus.

Then Peter remembered what Jesus had told him: "Before the cock crows you will deny me three times." He went out and began to weep bitterly.

Like Peter, I have hurt Jesus by denying Him: Name a time when you felt embarrassed about your faith or were too afraid to talk about it. This, too, adds to the wounds on His sacred body and the weight of His terrible cross.

When it was morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put Him to death. They bound him, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate, the governor.

Pilate said to the people, "What shall I do with Jesus called Christ?" They all shouted, "Crucify him!"

Pilate consented and ordered Jesus to be scourged.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium and stripped off His clothes and threw a scarlet military cloak about Him. Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on His head. Kneeling before Him, they mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They spat upon Him and kept striking Him on the head. And when they were done, they stripped off the cloak, dressed Him in his own clothes, and led Him off to crucify Him.

FOR YOU, I CARRY THE CROSS

I know the hurts you carry, My beloved;
Come, let Me carry them for you.

Oh, how heavy is the cross I bear
upon the road to Calvary;
My flesh is torn from the scourging
and I am weakened by the beating

-- that I took for you.

I know the hurts you carry, My beloved;
Come, let Me carry them for you.

I struggle to see the road ahead of Me
but My Blood drips from the crown of thorns
into My eyes, and I cannot wipe them
for I am bound up by the load

-- that I took from you.

I know the hurts you carry, My beloved;
Come, let Me carry them for you.

The crossbeam grinds into My wounded shoulder
and I feel the pain in all the tears of My flesh;
so it is difficult to remain aware that you are here,
but I remember, I remember that I carry the load

-- that I took from you.

I know the hurts you carry, My beloved;
Come, let Me carry them for you.

The biggest pain that I feel,
the pain that pierces deep into My heart,
is the realization that I have done all this for you,
and still, you insist on carrying the load

-- that I took from you.

I know the hurts you carry, My beloved;
Come, let Me carry them for you.

Please, let Me carry them for you.

Yes, let Me carry them for you.

After they had crucified Him, they divided His garments by casting lots; then they sat down and kept watch over Him there. And they placed over his head the written charge against Him: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.

From noon onward, darkness covered the whole land until three in the afternoon.

And about three o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Then Jesus cried out again in a loud voice and gave up His spirit.

And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.

There were many women there. They had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him. Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. And so were you there, in the timelessness of your love for Jesus.

When it was evening, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, a disciple of Jesus, went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate ordered it to be handed over. Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it in clean linen and laid it in his new tomb that he had hewn in the rock.

What do you need to put into the tomb with Jesus? In the dark stillness of the tomb, leave it there, wrap it around Jesus like a burial cloth, let go of it, walk out, and secure the tomb by fixing a seal to the stone and setting a guard.

"I died for you," He said.

"Yes Lord," I replied, raising my head in pride.
"I know."

"But do you know what that means?" He said.
"Do you know what that means for your life?"

I thought of His death on the cross,
and I knew I needed His sacrifice.
I thought of His pain on the cross,
and I knew I needed His healing.
I thought of His sorrow and passion,
and I knew I needed His joy.

"I died for you," He said.

"Yes Lord," I replied, hanging my head in shame.

And He said,
"Do you know -- really know -- what that means?"

"I guess not," I replied.

"Come let me show you," He said.
And terror struck my heart.

Could I bear to behold the scene He would show?
Could I bear to see Him pierced in pain?
Could I bear to understand what He did for me?

"But I want to know," I replied.

And then I saw His forehead
and the crown
and the thorn.

One thorn He showed me,
one thorn wounding His flesh,
and from it flowed
one drop of blood.

"Just one drop of blood?" I asked,
raising my head in disappointment.
"Is that all You shed for me?" I asked,
angry that I wasn't worth more.

And He said:
"One drop of My Blood
holds all the power of sacrifice.
One drop of My Blood
holds all the power to heal.
One drop of My Blood
holds all the power to give you joy."

"But Lord," I replied,
"I want more than one drop.
There is so much more that You are,
and I want everything!"

"Yes," He said. "I died for you.
"By My stripes, you are healed.
It was your infirmities that I bore,
your sufferings that I endured....
I was pierced for your offenses,
crushed for your sins,
upon Me was the chastisement
that makes you whole."

You will draw water joyfully
from the springs of salvation!

God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation

You will draw
water joyfully
from the springs of salvation!

Give thanks to the
LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.

You will draw water
joyfully
from the springs of salvation!

Sing praise to the
LORD
for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!

You will draw water
joyfully
from the springs of salvation!

Responsorial Psalm V, Isaiah 12:2-6, from Easter Vigil Mass