Dear Readers, thank you so much for liking my blogs and for following my website. Please forgive me for not writing more often, but my illnesses continue to hound me. It’s difficult to sit, walk, and stand with a painful spinal column and glutes.

When I visited The Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Brownsville, Texas, a few years ago, I saw a statue that reminded me of Michelangelo’s Pieta. I recall feeling sad when I photographed the statue. Full of memories of how Jesus Christ suffered for all of us, I couldn’t imagine how Mary survived seeing her son, beaten, bullied, and crucified. If you have lost a loved one, you know what I am talking about. In my life, when my folks and older brothers passed away, grief took over me. I miss them and sometimes when I need their help to cope with life, I cry. This is one of the reasons I admire the Blessed Virgin. She was a pillar of strength. I am not. My eyes well with tears when I think of my lost relatives and pets.

Jesus had to follow his Father’s wishes. Jesus prayed and cried to be delivered from this sacrifice. He knew what was going to happen, yet he came into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The crowds honored him, then life took its course. We owe Him so much.

This image brings tears to my eyes. I bawl whenever I hear a friend passed away and when I have to euthanatize a pet because of an incurable illness. I suspect Mary cried her heart out when she saw how her son was being treated.

A few years ago, I went to afternoon services on Good Friday at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church. I was surprised. I was not ready for a live presentation of Jesus’ death performed by church members. Nobody got hurt, but the presentation was so realistic that when it came to Jesus being crucified, I grabbed my rollator and stormed out of the church. I felt so bad. I could only imagine the pain and suffering the Blessed Virgin and friends experienced.

The following paragraphs from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jesus summarize Jesus’ life.

Although born in Bethlehem, according to Matthew and Luke, Jesus was a Galilean from Nazareth, a village near Sepphoris, one of the two major cities of Galilee (Tiberias was the other). He was born to Joseph and Mary sometime between 6 BCE and shortly before the death of Herod the Great (Matthew 2; Luke 1:5) in 4 BCE. According to Matthew and Luke, however, Joseph was only legally his father. They report that Mary was a virgin when Jesus was conceived and that she “was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18; cf. Luke 1:35). Joseph is said to have been a carpenter (Matthew 13:55)—that is, a craftsman who worked with his hands—and, according to Mark 6:3, Jesus also became a carpenter.

Luke (2:41–52) states that Jesus as a youth was precociously learned, but there is no other evidence of his childhood or early life. As a young adult, he went to be baptized by the prophet John the Baptist and shortly thereafter became an itinerant preacher and healer (Mark 1:2–28). In his mid-30s Jesus had a short public career, lasting perhaps less than one year, during which he attracted considerable attention. Sometime between 29 and 33 CE—possibly 30 CE—he went to observe Passover in Jerusalem, where his entrance, according to the Gospels, was triumphant and infused with eschatological significance. While there he was arrested, tried, and executed. His disciples became convinced that he rose from the dead and appeared to them. They converted others to believe in Him, which eventually led to a new religion, Christianity.

This year, I won’t be able to attend Good Friday services due to my illnesses. But I will be at my church in spirit, praying for our world. So many atrocities have occurred last year and in 2023, and it’s only the beginning of April. This Roman Catholic who loves people and animals is asking for your help.

Dear Readers and followers of my blog. Please join hands virtually or physically and pray for everyone. Pray that our world will be a better one. Thank you and God bless you, Maria Murray.