Who Will Stand by Jesus?

Ellen Mongan extends an invitation to prayerfully place ourselves among Jesus' disciples in the story of the Last Supper and Christ's Passion.

Close your eyes and picture yourself as one of the disciples at the Last Supper. As you open your eyes, you behold a feast fit for royalty. Displayed on the table before you is an abundance of good food along with wine flowing freely for the twelve good men dining with Jesus. Which disciple do you picture as yourself?

Around the room are men you have walked with and talked with. You have vowed your life to support these men, who were once strangers but are now your brothers. After all, for the last three years, you all have been discipled by your leader, Jesus Christ! It has been an adventure that has changed your life forever.

This is the Last Supper. It is a time of celebration. All twelve men raised their glasses in unison of “what was, what is, and what is to come.” However, you are clueless as to what is to come. You decide to enjoy the moment and toast Jesus with the others. You let Him wash your feet, but do not understand why He is doing it! You are only glad to be on the guest list. As you sit at the table your mind flashes back to the day He called you by name. That very day you dropped everything to follow Him! You never looked back!

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We are like those disciples! Isn’t that so typical of our walk with God? Jesus calls us by name. We follow Him as He trains us, binds us together as disciples, and prepares us to be sent out to go tell the world. We too are unaware of what lies ahead. We hear Jesus calling us in the night. “Whom shall I send?” He asks.

“Send me!” we reply. “Send me!" we repeat in earnestness. We long to be chosen to be His disciple for the mission by our leader Jesus. Our hand is lifted up in praise to Him! We love Him and trust Him. He has become our Savior, our Lord, and our friend.

Quickly the scene changes to the next day. Picture it with me. There is no longer a room filled with loving friends, nor a feast displayed, nor wine flowing freely. No one’s hand is saying, “Choose me, choose me!“

Rather there is one man standing alone with only a cross to accompany Him. On the road to Calvary, stands Jesus, a suffering servant, an innocent man whose friends have deserted him. He has been mocked, scourged, and crowned with thorns then led as a spectacle to be crucified. No one stood by Him.

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Who will accept the cross? Who will run away? #CatholicMom

We are like those disciples of old. We are full of joy and praise Jesus when things go well, but when presented with a cross our attitude quickly changes. Do we run to Jesus or run away? Our friends are near in the good times, yet when trials come they are not to be found.

The world is changing quickly. Many are rejecting Jesus, His way, His Word and His Church. So He is calling His disciples by name today. He is training them up and sending them out to go tell the world.

Will you do as Jesus asks: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mark 8:34)

Who will accept the cross? Who will run away? Each of us must search our heart, and pray for the grace to stand with Jesus, no matter what tribulation comes our way! Jesus will always stand by you.

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