Good Friday meditation...

St. Elizabeth, Queen of Hungary, with St. Matilda and St. Bridget, wishing to know something of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, offered fervent and special prayers, upon which there appeared to them Our Lord Jesus Christ who spoke to them in the following manner:
"Be it known that the number of armed soldiers were 150; those who trailed Me while I was bound were 23. The executioners of justice were 83; the blows received on My head were 150; those on My stomach 108; kicks on My shoulders, 80; I was led, bound with cords, by the hair, 24 times; spits in the face were 180; I was beaten on the body 6666 times; beaten on the head, 110 times. I was roughly pushed, and at 12 o'clock was lifted up by the hair; pricked with thorns and pulled by the beard, 23 times; received 20 wounds on the head; thorns of marine junks, 72; pricks of thorns in the head, 110; mortal thorns in the forehead, 3. I was afterwards flogged and dressed as a mocked king; wounds in the body, 1000. The soldiers who led Me to the Calvary were 608; those who watched Me were 3, and those who mocked me were 1008; the drops of blood which I lost were 28,430.

Prayer: O Jesus who in thy cruel Passion didst become the "reproach of men and the Man of Sorrows...have mercy on us.

Fulfillment of the Old Testament...

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the passover lamb had to be sacrificed...and when the hour came, he sat at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer; And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said,"Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." And likewise the cup after supper, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood."
-- Luke, 21:7, 14-20
Meditation: "Be convinced that this is not what nature has formed, but what the blessing has consecrated. The power of the blessing prevails over that of nature, because by the blessing nature itself is changed...Could not Christ's word, which can make from nothing what did not exist, change existing things into what they were not before? It is no less a feat to give things their original nature than to change their nature."
-- St. Ambrose, De Myst. 9,50;52: PL 16,405-407
Catechism of the Catholic Church,(1995); 1375, p.347

Holy Week Meditation...who has believed?

"He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised,
and we esteemed him not.
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions,
he was bruised for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that made us whole,
and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned every one to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
--Isaiah, 53:3-6

The spirit of St. Therese...

"I would like to do heroic deeds. I would gladly die in defense of the Church."
--St. Therese of Lisieux

Meditation: Lord, help me to remain steadfast in my love for You and Your Mystical Body, the Holy Catholic Church, during these times of great trial, sorrow and persecution. Let me love her as You love her.

The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ...

"Contemplate Me in the prison where I spent the greater part of the night. The soldiers came and, adding words to injuries, insulted Me, mocked Me, outraged Me, and gave me blows on My face and on My whole body...tired of their sport, at length they left Me bound and alone, My aching body was cramped with cold."
"Compare the prison with the Tabernacle...and especially with the hearts that receive Me. In the prison I spent only part of one night...but in the Tabernacle, how many days and nights?"
--taken from I Wait for You, Jesus' Lament over Man's Indifference;
The Way of Divine Love, revelations to Sister Josefa Menendez (1920-23).
Tan Publishing, 1985

Holy Week prayer...

Eternal Father I offer you the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ in atonement for my sins, and the sins of the whole world.
For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
--The Chaplet of Divine Mercy