The Christian, in his or her relationship with the Lord, is not to remain at a distance from him, like a spectator at the back of the Good Friday crowd, but to be close to him in heart and mind like Mary and John on Calvary.

Such personal devotion can only be achieved by deliberately giving one’s whole self to Our Lord to be wholly his.  And that is something we can do whenever we pray, dedicating our will to him and his service, and our heart to be his home and dwelling-place; until we find that, consciously or unconsciously, it is he who is forming the sort of person that we are becoming and the kind of life that we lead.

And all the inspiration we need for that personal devotion, we find in him, the Crucified.

Prayer for generous Christian service

Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for enduring the cruel pains of the Cross and giving your life that we might be forgiven and brought home to God our Father.  Draw us to yourself and give us grace to commit ourselves whole-heartedly to you, and to work generously and tirelessly in your service.  Amen.