The Kiss of Judas, Fra Angelico, c. 1442

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:1-6

On this the first Sunday of Lent, we are called to a closer relationship with Christ as we focus on His loving sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. As we journey through Lent, we ask you to reflect with us on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary: The Agony in the Garden; The Scourging; The Crowning with Thorns; The Carrying of the Cross; and The Crucifixion. Finally, on the eve of Easter, we will reflect on Christ’s Resurrection. Our prayer is that these reflections over the next several weeks will help you gain greater understanding of Christ’s love for you and for your spouse.

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