40 Days at the Foot of the Cross Quotes

“As our Blessed Mother prayerfully pondered the life and death of her Son that Holy Saturday, her heart would have been filled with a peaceful excitement and joy.  She may not have known exactly how His Resurrection would unfold, but she knew with conviction that He would soon return to her. She did not allow despair to enter her Immaculate Heart for even a moment.  Instead, she kept a prayerful vigil for her Son and awaited the fulfillment of His promise that He would rise on the third day.  She had heard Him say this and she knew it was true.  Her only duty now was to wait in vigilant prayer and expectation. Hope is a supernatural gift from God.  It’s not just wishful thinking or optimism.  Hope is a gift by which God makes an interior promise to each one of us.  The promises He makes are the perfect revelation of His divine will.  As we hear Him speak His promises, we must respond with faith. Reflect, today, upon this most sacred scene of Holy Saturday. While many were filled with despair and confusion, our Blessed Mother continued her vigil of hope.  She knew, without any doubt, that glorious things were still to come. She knew that her Son had completed His mission of salvation and was on the verge of restoring new life to all who would turn to Him in their need.  Reflect upon your own hope in the promise of God in your life.  Allow the example of our Blessed Mother to inspire you.  Allow her prayers to transform you.  Do not doubt for a moment that God has great things in mind for you.  For those who believe, the Resurrection is always but a moment away.   My dearest Mother, allow me to keep vigil with you as you waited in perfect hope for the Resurrection of your divine Son.  Help me to understand the beauty of every virtue alive in your Immaculate Heart. Help me to understand that the suffering you endured brought forth the perfection of virtue in your life, especially the virtue of divine hope. My dear Mother, pray for me that I may be open to the promises of your Son in my life.  Pray that I may hear Him speak to me and reveal His perfect plan.  May I trust in that plan, even when all earthly hope seems lost.  May I follow your own Immaculate example and trust in your dear Son always. My resting Lord, as You lay in the tomb that Holy Saturday, You filled the heart of Your dear mother with an abundance of hope as she awaited the fulfillment of Your promise.  You also promise me, and all who believe, that the sufferings of life are not the end.  Your Resurrection is before”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“My loving Mother, strengthen my hope in the transformation of all sin and suffering in my life.  As I encounter the hardships of life, pray for me that I may never despair.  May I follow your example of faith, hope and love always.  Please hold me close to your Immaculate Heart and pray that I may share in the Resurrection of your divine Son.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“most of our lives, we will face events that tempt us to despair.  These events may be small encounters in our relationships with others that leave us feeling hopeless, discouraged and disappointed.  At other times, we may encounter grave and tragic events that seem to leave us in utter desperation.   The meaning of the Pietà, our Blessed Mother cradling the dead body of her Son, can never be exhausted.  It’s an image of hope in the midst of seeming hopelessness.  It’s an image of love that conquers all fear.  It’s an image of faith in the perfect plan of God no matter what comes.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“Our Blessed Mother was no longer standing before the foot of the Cross, gazing at her Son.  Instead, Jesus’ body was laid in her arms and she held Him close to her Immaculate Heart.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“The veil in the temple was thick. It separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the sanctuary.  Only once a year was the high priest allowed to enter this holy place to offer an expiatory sacrifice to God for the sins of the people.  So why was the veil torn?  Because the entire world had now become a sanctuary, a new Holy of Holies.  Jesus was the one and perfect Lamb of Sacrifice replacing the many animal sacrifices offered in the temple. What was local now became universal. Repetitive animal sacrifices offered by man to God became one sacrifice of God for man. Thus did the meaning of the temple migrate and find a home in the sanctuary of every Catholic Church. The Holy of Holies became obsolete by becoming common.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“The meaning of Jesus’ Sacrifice being offered on Mount Calvary for all to see is also significant.   Public executions were performed to undo the public harm the executed supposedly caused.  But Christ’s execution became an invitation for all to discover the new Holy of Holies.  No longer was the high priest alone allowed to enter sacred space.  Instead, all were invited to approach the Sacrifice of the Spotless Lamb.  Even more, we are invited into the Holy of Holies in order to unite our own lives to that of the Lamb of God.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“Very often in our own lives, when crosses come our way, we begin to lose trust and hope in the Father.  We carefully examine our wounds and ponder the injustices we’ve suffered.  We allow hurt and sorrow to turn our eyes from God and instead we gaze at ourselves.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“He had accomplished His mission.  It was finished.  He was faithful to the end.  And though your heart was filled with sorrow as He died before your eyes, your spirit once again rejoiced as you witnessed the gift of salvation being accomplished for all humanity. My loving Mother, pray for me that I may listen attentively to your Son as He speaks these sacred words.  May I hear Him say to me, “It is finished!  I have destroyed the effect of your sin.  Death is no more.” My saving Lord, from the Cross You announced the fulfillment of Your divine mission.  You proclaimed that You had destroyed death itself by the free offering of Your life.  Help me to listen to You speak these words to my heart and to be open to the unfathomable gift of new life accomplished by Your willing Sacrifice.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“Day Thirty-Five – “It is Finished” When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.”  And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.  John 19:30 These words are of great relief to Jesus, His dear mother, and hopefully to all of us.  “It is finished.”  Jesus’ suffering had come to an end.  His “thirst” was quenched by sour wine, a symbol of fallen humanity entering His very body.  He had entered into all suffering, both interiorly and exteriorly, and now He was ready to enter into death itself.  He spoke His final words and handed over His spirit to the Father. As our Blessed Mother looked on, heard her Son speak His final words, and breathe His last, she would have felt a sense of relief.  Jesus’ long mission of salvation had been accomplished.  Death was destroyed and now she only had to wait for His Resurrection. Our Blessed Mother knew this was not the end.  She knew that her Son would rise.  He had taught many times “that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days” (Mark 8:31).  Though the Apostles and other disciples did not understand this teaching, our Blessed Mother did.  She witnessed His rejection, His death, and now turned her eyes toward His promised Resurrection. This passage also states that Jesus “handed over His spirit.”  His life was not taken from Him.  His death was a free choice by which He gave Himself over to death.  He chose to enter into the ultimate effect of sin, death itself, so as to redeem death and make it the door to eternal life.  The destruction of death was accomplished by God, the source of life, subsuming it into Himself. God wanted to come close to us by becoming man.  He came so close to us that He allowed man to do Him violence.  But the last chapter of Christ’s life was yet to be written.  His entrance into new life was about to begin. These words of Jesus must take on great significance in our own lives.  We must see ourselves standing by the Cross with our Blessed Mother and hear Jesus speak these words to us, personally.  We must allow our Lord to look into our souls and say to us, “It is finished.”  Jesus speaks these words to each one of us.  He says, “Your salvation is accomplished.  My death has destroyed your own eternal death.  My final word of victory has been spoken.” As we ponder this sacred scene and hear these final words, we must seek to allow them to transform our very lives.  Reflect, today, upon whether you are attentive to these words of our Lord in your own life.  Do you allow Him to apply His saving Sacrifice to your sins?  Have you internalized this statement of promise from our Lord?  Have you allowed the finality of His death to unite with your own sin?  Reflect upon these three little words, this day, and allow the handing over of our Lord’s Spirit to take hold of you and transform your life. My dearest Mother, as you gazed intently at your Son, you heard Him announce that He had accomplished His mission.  It was finished.  He was faithful to the end.  And though your heart was filled with sorrow as He died before your eyes, your spirit once again rejoiced as you witnessed the gift of salvation being accomplished for all humanity. My loving Mother, pray for me that I may listen attentively to your Son as He speaks these sacred words.  May I hear Him say to me, “It is finished!  I have destroyed the effect of your sin.  Death is no more.” My saving Lord, from the Cross You announced the fulfillment of Your divine mission.  You proclaimed that You had destroyed death itself by the free offering of Your life.  Help me to listen to You speak these words to my heart and to be open to the unfathomable gift of new life accomplished by Your willing Sacrifice. Mother Mary, pray for me.  Jesus, I trust in You.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“These words of Jesus must take on great significance in our own lives.  We must see ourselves standing by the Cross with our Blessed Mother and hear Jesus speak these words to us, personally.  We must allow our Lord to look into our souls and say to us, “It is finished.”  Jesus speaks these words to each one of us.  He says, “Your salvation is accomplished.  My death has destroyed your own eternal death.  My final word of victory has been spoken.” As we ponder this sacred scene and hear these final words, we must seek to allow them to transform our very lives.  Reflect, today, upon whether you are attentive to these words of our Lord in your own life.  Do you allow Him to apply His saving Sacrifice to your sins?  Have you internalized this statement of promise from our Lord?  Have you allowed the finality of His death to unite with your own sin?  Reflect upon these three little words, this day, and allow the handing over of our Lord’s Spirit to take hold of you and transform your life. My dearest Mother, as you gazed intently at your Son, you heard Him announce that He had accomplished His mission.  It was finished.  He was faithful to the end.  And though your heart was filled with sorrow as He died before your eyes, your spirit once again rejoiced as you witnessed the gift of salvation being accomplished for all humanity. My loving Mother, pray for me that I may listen attentively to your Son as He speaks these sacred words.  May I hear Him say to me, “It is finished!  I have destroyed the effect of your sin.  Death is no more.” My saving Lord, from the Cross You announced the fulfillment of Your divine mission.  You proclaimed that You had destroyed death itself by the free offering of Your life.  Help me to listen to You speak these words to my heart and to be open to the unfathomable gift of new life accomplished by Your willing Sacrifice.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“What is the condition of your soul?  Are you embarrassed by your sin?  Do you adopt a false persona presuming that Jesus will only accept you if you are perfect?  Nothing is further from the truth.  Do not hesitate to come to our Lord with all your weaknesses, struggles and sins.  Do not worry about what He will think or say.  Come to Him. If you trust Him, your humble act of offering Him your sinful self will refresh His soul.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“Jesus still cries out today, “I thirst!”  He thirsts for you.  Too often we feel that we can only come to Him, to satiate His thirst, if we come in an angelic way.  Too often we believe that Jesus only smiles at us when we come without sin.  But this is not true.  The reason that He died such a cruel death was so that we could come to Him in our own brokenness.  We come to the suffering and thirsty Christ with our sin and disorder.  We are not fresh wine, we are sour wine.  But when we allow ourselves to come to our Lord in this state, His thirst is quenched.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“the soldier took a sponge, soaked it in wine and placed it to His mouth, she would have received some consolation from this act of kindness.  But she would have also seen great meaning in this act.  The soldier was a symbol of fallen humanity and the sour wine was a symbol of our disordered state.  But it was precisely our disordered state that Jesus longed to redeem.  He did not desire “fresh wine” or “pure spring water.”  He desired fallen humanity.  He thirsted for us to come to Him in our weakness and sin.  Our Blessed Mother would have perceived this powerful symbolism.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“As our Blessed Mother pondered these words of her Son, over and over in her heart, she would have come to understand that Jesus’ interior suffering, His experience of isolation and spiritual loss of the Father, was a gift to the world.  Her perfect faith would have led her to understand that Jesus was entering into the experience of sin itself.  Though perfect and sinless in every way, He was allowing Himself to be drawn into the human experience that results from sin: separation from the Father.  Though Jesus was never separated from the Father, He entered into the human experience of this separation so as to restore fallen humanity to the Father of Mercies in Heaven. As we ponder this cry of pain coming forth from our Lord, we must all seek to experience it as our own.  Our cry, unlike our Lord’s, is a result of our sins.  When we sin, we turn in on ourselves and enter into isolation and despair.  Jesus came to destroy these effects and to restore us to the Father in Heaven. Reflect, today, upon the profound love our Lord had for all of us in that He was willing to experience the consequences of our sins.  Our Blessed Mother, as the most perfect mother, was with her Son every step of the way, sharing His pain and interior sufferings.  She felt what He felt and it was her love, more than anything else, that expressed, and stood in for, the steadfast and unwavering presence of the Father in Heaven.  The Father’s love was made manifest through her heart as she gazed with love at her suffering Son. My most loving Mother, your heart was pierced with pain as you shared in your Son’s interior suffering.  His cry of abandonment was one that expressed His perfect love.  His words revealed that He was entering into the effects of sin itself and allowing His human nature to experience it and redeem it. Dear Mother, stand by me as I go through life and feel the effects of my own sin.  Though your Son was perfect, I am not.  My sin leaves me isolated and sorrowful.  May your motherly presence in my life always remind me that the Father never leaves me and is always inviting me to turn to His merciful Heart.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“My loving Lord Jesus, as You hung upon the Cross, Your deepest desire was the salvation of souls.  From Your Cross, You look down upon me, a lowly sinner, and entrust Your own mother to me.  I thank You for this unfathomable gift and I accept the maternal care of the Queen of the Universe and the Mother of All.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“John took our Blessed Mother into his own home, loving her and being loved by her.  Mother Mary’s maternal care for John enabled him to embrace the will of God until the end of his life.  We, too, must take our Blessed Mother into the home of our hearts and embrace her as our own.  She, in turn, will embrace us and point us to her divine Son. Reflect, today, upon these beautiful words of Jesus.  Hear them spoken to you.  Hear Jesus say to you, “Behold your mother.”  Behold the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God and the Queen of Heaven and Earth.  Turn to her, love her and receive her motherly guidance and care.  Allow her to embrace you and to welcome you into her heart. My dearest Mother and Queen, as you stood before the Cross of your Son, the one thing that drew your eyes from your Son was the invitation from Jesus to behold your new child in grace.  I am that child, dear Mother, and I thank you for the gaze of love you bestow upon me. My dear Mother, I accept you into the home of my heart to be my spiritual mother in the order of grace.  I accept you as my queen and seek your maternal care and guidance.  Draw me to your divine Son, dear Mother, and pray for me that I may seek Him above all else in life.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“Who has hurt you?  Against whom do you hold a grudge?  Whom have you failed to forgive?  Forgiving another does not excuse their sin.  On the contrary, an act of forgiveness acknowledges sin as a prior act in need of mercy.  Forgiveness offers mercy even when it is not asked for or even deserved.  Mercy must be given by us without reserve and in every situation in life on account of the unlimited mercy given to us by God. Mercy flows downhill.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“Reflect, today, upon the Mother of God seeing with her own eyes the most brutal treatment of her Son.  As you ponder her at the foot of the Cross, listen to Jesus speak those powerful words, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  Listen to those words with our Blessed Mother and know that she spoke them with her Son without reserve.  Join in their prayer and offer it for those whom you need to forgive. My dearest Mother of Mercy, you listened in love to your Son speak these most incredible words, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  These words were like an arrow of mercy piercing your heart.  And  you responded to these words with your own prayer of mercy for all those who had sinned against your Son. My dear Mother, pray for me that I may imitate this prayer of forgiveness in my own life.  Pray for me that I may not hesitate in offering this mercy to all who have sinned against me. My Merciful Lord, You did not hesitate to forgive those who gravely sinned against You.  They treated You with cruelty beyond comprehension, yet You forgave them with perfect mercy.  Give me the grace I need, dear Lord, to forgive those who have sinned against me.  Replace anger and hate with love and mercy. Mother Mary, pray for me.  Jesus, I trust in You.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“My crucified Lord, I thank You for the unfathomable gift of the Cross.  Draw me in, dear Lord, and sanctify me by Your perfect sacrifice of love.  Heal me, renew me, give me new life and drive all sin from my life.  I thank You Lord for all You have done.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“Have you allowed the power of the Cross to transform your own life?  Have you joined our Blessed Mother as she stood before the Cross with her eyes fixed in love at the image of her salvation?  Have you allowed the power of the Cross to drive out the ruler of this world from your own heart?  Have you allowed Jesus’ Cross to draw you to Himself and to the Father? Reflect, today, upon these questions as you reflect upon your Lord being lifted up upon the Holy Cross.  See Him hanging there and know that this is the image of your own salvation.  Allow yourself to be drawn to Him and allow His Precious Blood to cover you, driving the evil one and all sin from your life.  Reflect, ponder, be open and receive.  The Lord was lifted up for you.  Allow the power of the Cross to change your life.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“Very often we fail to understand that our Lord’s suffering and death is a mystery.  We fail to comprehend and to be grateful for the great mystery of His innocent suffering which sets us free.  Reflect, today, upon the wounds of the innocent Lamb of God.  Gaze at His wounds with our Blessed Mother.  See His wounds as the price of your sins. Allow your heart to be filled with deep gratitude as you ponder this unfathomable mystery. My dear Mother, only your faith could penetrate the mystery of suffering, just as the nails penetrated the hands and feet of your divine Son.  Only your love could comprehend the mercy and healing offered by your Son’s wounds.  Draw me into this gaze of yours so that my mind and heart may penetrate its meaning. My dear Mother, I also offer to you and to your Son the wounds that afflict me unjustly.  May I never complain or turn away from the opportunity to give myself freely, and to accept suffering, for the healing of others.  Teach me to imitate this great mystery of your Son in my own life. My pierced Jesus, Your mother gazed with love at the wounds in Your hands and feet.  She saw and believed in the healing that was made possible by Your free embrace of such cruelty.  Give me the grace I need to also gaze at Your sacred wounds and to penetrate the meaning of their mystery.  I thank You, dear Lord, for the abundant mercy You have poured forth from Your sacred wounds.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“My dearest Mother, you stood before the Cross of your Son adoring His bruised and beaten body.  This was the same body that had come forth into the world from your own sacred womb.  Now this Child of yours was once again stripped bare in your sight.  But as you gazed at Him, once again, you saw what you had seen every day of His life.  You saw God in the flesh. My dear Mother, pray for me that I may always see the dignity of others not on account of what they have or what they accomplish, but on account of who they are.  Help me to see all people as sons and daughters of our loving God in Heaven.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I go back there.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“My sorrowful Mother, you watched as these holy women wept at the suffering of your own Son.  You saw the tears they shed and the compassion they felt.  Pray for me that I may also have holy tears as I see the suffering of the innocent, and fill my heart with compassion and concern.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“Reflect, today, upon one “consequence” of being a follower of Jesus.  If you choose to follow Jesus, you will also be invited to share in His suffering and death so that you may share in His Resurrection.  Allow your heart to be filled with the same compassion as these holy women.  Direct that compassion to those caught in a life of sin.  Weep for them.  Pray for them.  Love them.  Weep also for those who suffer on account of Christ.  Let your tears be ones of holy sorrow like the tears that rolled down the cheeks of our Blessed Mother and these holy women of Jerusalem.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“Our Blessed Mother desired to lift the heavy burden of the Cross with all her heart.  And though Simon did so hesitantly, he made the choice and served in time of need.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“No one is exempt from the Cross.  Jesus Himself promised the Cross to us when He said, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,  take up his cross, and follow me”  (Matthew 16:24).  The Cross is not an option, it’s a reality, especially the cross of death itself.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“Through Simon, our Blessed Mother knew that the prayer of her heart was answered.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“Reflect, today, upon this beautiful but sorrowful scene of the gaze of love shared by mother and Son on the way to Calvary.  Reflect also on the fact that both mother and Son meet you on your own journey toward the Cross.  No matter what you encounter, no matter what you endure, they are there, attentive to you, loving you and offering their hearts to you.  Seek also to emulate the hearts of Jesus and our Blessed Mother to those whom you encounter each day.  Grow in compassion and concern for all who suffer, being present to them as they go step by step on their personal via dolorosa (sorrowful way). My Sorrowful Mother, you already endured so much.  But you would not miss this short moment in which you could express your tender love for your Son.  As you looked at Him, your heart intertwined with His.  You felt the pain He felt. You communicated a supernatural joy that strengthened His resolve to give His life for the Salvation of the world. My dear Mother, pray for me that I may be open to your motherly concern for my life.  As I carry my cross and endure the sufferings that befall me, intercede for me and open my soul to the strength of your Son as it flows through your own tender heart. My suffering Lord, as You continued on Your journey to Calvary after falling for the first time, You looked at Your mother with such love.  Your concern was not for Yourself, it was for Your mother and for all who would receive the grace of Your Cross.  May I be one of those, dear Lord, who opens my heart to You at all times and who absorbs the graces You offer so that I can follow in Your footsteps.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother

“What did our Blessed Mother think as she heard Pilate pronounce the sentence of death upon her Son?  What did she think when the religious leaders and agitators within the crowds gave their strong vocal consent?  Perhaps, as she continued to ponder these words, “His blood be upon us and upon our children,” she would have transformed that statement into her deepest prayer.”
― John Paul Thomas, 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross: A Gaze of Love from the Heart of Our Blessed Mother