The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” // Psalm 22
Jesus recited this Psalm in a moment of anguish on the cross — a moment in which a very human response to such suffering escaped His lips. If I was living during that century, without the gift of hindsight and further revelation, I would have been in that same boat. Why is God not responding? Why does it seem that He has abandoned us? Why is God so quiet, seemingly so far away? I thought He cared for us. Surely, God cares for His one and only Son?
But we need to remember that Jesus was a good Jewish man. He grew up in the Jewish customs and ways of life, including reciting the Psalms from memory. The thing is, Jesus knew the rest of the Psalm. He didn’t stop at that one line, “why have you abandoned me?” He would know the rest of the Psalm says, “I will proclaim your name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise you; You who fear the Lord, praise Him…” (v. 23-24). Even in the midst of Jesus’ intense suffering, He knew that He was still called to praise; that the feeling of abandonment or suffering did not mean that was the final say.
As we enter into the holiest week of our year, know that your suffering or despair does not get the final say. We know how the story ends. We know that Jesus rose from the dead. We know that He has accomplished for us once and for all everything that we could possibly need. He has won and He is our final victory. So bring your trials, your suffering, and your despair to unite them to Jesus on the Cross, because He sees you, He knows you, and He loves you.
Ali Hoffman is a Youth Minister in Carrollton Texas, does hand lettering at TheOodlesOfDoodles, and has a passion for Jesus, the Catholic Church, her family, and donuts. You can learn more about her here.