Learn how to die like Jesus

Learn how to die like Jesus

The season of Lent, introduces us to learn how to die like Jesus and not how to live like Him. Christ’s death was a holocaust. However, He did not gush only blood and water as depicted in today’s reading from the Office. Due to the fact that the reading was written before the 2nd Vatican Council, the Emmanuelite theologian exposes this and expands the epistemological tomorrow. Christ’s holocaust was experienced through the gushing of four liquids, namely: water, blood, urine, and heat. 1)Sweat: In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was greatly disturbed in the spirit. He foresaw what would befall Him. His humanity was seen. Sweat filled His whole body in anguish, while the angel of God came to strengthen Him in His resolve for the redemption of humanity. Urine: It is logical and experiential that whenever an individual is in danger or in some horrific situation, he may urinate on himself. Jesus was flogged mercilessly by the barbarians who made scorn of Him, a young man of 30. He was stark naked before the soldiers; due to our respect for Him, artists depict Him covered. He urinated on Himself during the flogging. 3,4) Water and Blood: The soldiers, having seen that Jesus had already died, used a lance to pierce His side; immediately there rushed out water and blood as a sign of redemption (Sacrament) for humanity. From the blood of Jesus came the Sacrament of Baptism, the washing away of our sins. The blood from His side became the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the blood of eternal life. The Mother Church expects from us to show compassion to Jesus. We can ask and answer these questions: If I were to suffer the way Jesus did, would I survive it? Would I have responded cruelly to my executioners, or even to those who made jest of me on the way to Calvary? Would I not have fallen more than three times on the road to Calvary? To be sincere, I may either faint on the way, fall more than three times, and return insults to my executioners. I may not even manage as Yakubu would do, because, having felt like dying, I would die instantly. Is that clear now? The virtue of Jesus is expected of us; that is, doing and acting as He did (in every situation). Today is a day to learn how to die like Jesus.