Lenten Meditations for the Anglican Rosary
1st Week of Lent (Ash Wednesday-2nd Sunday): C1: Luke 9:51-53 C2: 1 Kings 19:3-8 C3: John 4:31-38 C4: Luke 2:34-35 Weeks 1 & 3: Col. 3:5-6 Weeks 2 & 4: Col. 3:12-14
Big picture: The 1st Cruciform sets the stage for Lent. Jesus sets His face towards Jerusalem. He call people to prepare but they refuse. Let us not be those who shrink back. The 2nd Cruciform Elijah flees in fear of death and despairs. Yet God urges him onward to the mountain. Elijah is weak as we are but God provides food which sustains for 40 days. Let us partake in faith that food which God gives. The 3rd Cruciform Christ reveals what said food is (to do God’s will) He reveals what food he eats and invites us to partake with Him in a sustaining obedience. The 4th Cruciform is the sobering reminder of what lies ahead. Christ will die doing the Father’s will, the same will we are called to follow, that will that we, like Elijah, are not strong enough to accomplish without His grace. Christ’s heart will be pierced and so will ours. What will gush forth from us? The earthly desires we have been called to put off or the heavenly thoughts we are told to cultivate (the object of the weeks)?
An explainer for the Anglican Rosary
Cross: Invocation of the Trinity- “In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.”
Invitatory Bead: Jesus Prayer- “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.”
1st Cruciform: When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. Luke 9:51-53
1st Weeks: Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. Colossians 3:5-6
2nd Cruciform: Then Elijah was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went on a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God. 1 Kings 19:3-8
2nd Weeks: Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:12-14
3rd Cruciform: Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” John 4:31-38
3rd Weeks: Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. Colossians 3:5-6
4th Cruciform: And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2:34-35
4th Weeks: Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:12-14
Closing Bead (same as Invitatory Bead): The Our Father
Cross: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, amen.
2nd Week of Lent: C1: Exodus 16:1-3, 11-12 C2: Matt. 4:1-4 C3: John 6:30-35 C4: Matt. 26:26-29 Weeks: Gal. 5:13-16
Big Picture: As we continue to fast for 40 days let us look to Israel in the wilderness and Christ in the desert. The 1st Cruciform shows how the Israelites’ hunger caused them to grumble against God. In the 2nd Cruciform Christ reminds us in our hunger that God is the true sustainer, not bread. In the 3rd and 4th Cruciform remind us that God sustains us not just with bread but with his very self. Recall the 1st Week of Lent’s meditation on Christ’s food that we may partake of and with Him not just on Sunday in the holy mystery but every day in our obedience to the Father’s will. The weeks remind us to continue to starve the flesh and walk in the Spirit as we journey with Christ.
Cross: Invocation of the Trinity- “In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.”
Invitatory Bead: Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.”
1st Cruciform: They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. 2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, 3 and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Exodus 16:1-3
Weeks: For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. Galatians 5:13-16
2nd Cruciform: Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:1-1-4
Weeks: For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. Galatians 5:13-16
3rd Cruciform: So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. John 6:30-35
Weeks: For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. Galatians 5:13-16
4th Cruciform: Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the[a] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.” Matthew 26:26-29
Closing: Our Father
Cross: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, amen.
3rd Week of Lent: C1: Exodus: 17:2-7 C2: Matthew 4:5-7 C3: John 4:7-10 C4: Matthew 5:2-6 Weeks: Genesis 26:24-25
Big Picture: In Cruciform 1 Israel tested God at Meribah as they thirsted, questioning if He was with them even after all the signs and wonders they had seen. Cruciform 2 shows Christ, who is capable of proving that His Father cares for Him, refuses to put God to the test. Like last week meditated on how Christ is the true bread, so also only He can satisfy our spiritual thirst this is the 3rd Cruciform. Let the 4th Cruciform remind us as we hunger and thirst and crave in this Lenten time, to have a greater hunger and thirst for righteousness, for true bread and true water and true wine, for Christ and for participation in His life of obedience. The weeks are a call to delve deep into where God has us in hope of His life sustaining water.
Cross: Invocation of the Trinity- “In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.”
Invitatory Bead: Jesus Prayer- “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.”
1st Cruciform: Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” Exodus 17:2-7
Weeks: And the Lord appeared to Isaac the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham's sake.” So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac's servants dug a well. Genesis 26:24-25
2nd Cruciform: Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Matthew 4:5-7
Weeks: And the Lord appeared to Isaac the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham's sake.” So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac's servants dug a well. Genesis 26:24-25
3rd Cruciform: A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” John 4:7-10
Weeks: And the Lord appeared to Isaac the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham's sake.” So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac's servants dug a well. Genesis 26:24-25
4th Cruciform: And Jesus opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Matthew 5:2-6
Weeks: And the Lord appeared to Isaac the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham's sake.” So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac's servants dug a well. Genesis 26:24-25
Closing: Our Father
Cross: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, amen.
4th Week of Lent: C1: Deuteronomy 34:1-4 C2 Matthew 4:8-11 C3: John 18:33-37 C4: Hebrews: 11:13-16 Weeks: Luke 17:22-25
Big Picture: The 1st and 2nd Cruciforms function as photo negatives of each other. God brings Moses up the mountain to show him the Promised Land he will not enter on account of his disobedience. Satan brings Christ to a high place and shows him earthly kingdoms which Christ refuses to “receive” from Satan out of obedience to the Father. The 3rd and 4th Cruciforms remind us that Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world, all the while the weeks begin to heighten the mystery of the coming King.
Cross: Invocation of the Trinity- “In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.”
Invitatory Bead: Jesus Prayer- “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.”
1st Cruciform: Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, the Negeb, and the Plain, that is, the Valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. And the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” Deuteronomy 34:1-4
Weeks: And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. Luke 17:22-25
2nd Cruciform: Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,“‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. Matthew 4:8-11
Weeks: And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. Luke 17:22-25
3rd Cruciform: So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” John 18:33-37
Weeks: And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. Luke 17:22-25
4th Cruciform: These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. Hebrews 11:13-16
Weeks: And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. Luke 17:22-25
Closing: Our Father
Cross: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, amen.
5th Week of Lent: C1: Matthew 2:1-6 C2: Luke 2:41-45 C3: John 6:22-27 C4: John 7:10-13 Weeks John 18:4-6
Big Picture: The 5th Week of Lent builds where the 4th Week left off. Everyone is seeking Christ in the Cruciforms and He is found in the weeks. As you meditate, anticipate Christ’s Triumphal Entry, His crowning with thorns, the declaration of kingship above his head, and the shock and grief of His death as we enter into Holy Week. Yet do not mourn as those without hope. Sunday will bring us joy and feasting.
Cross: Invocation of the Trinity- “In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.”
Invitatory Bead: Jesus Prayer- “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.”
1st Cruciform: Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Matthew 2:1-6
Weeks: Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. John 18:4-6
2nd Cruciform: Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. Luke 2:41-45
Weeks: Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. John 18:4-6
3rd Cruciform: On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” John 6:22-27
Weeks: Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. John 18:4-6
4th Cruciform: But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him. John 7:10-13
Weeks: Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. John 18:4-6
Closing: Our Father
Cross: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, amen.