I remember being a young woman, 20 years old, shopping for my wedding dress.  I knew exactly the style I wanted.  I had seen it in a magazine, but what would the odds be, I thought, I finding just what I dreamed of.  Well I walked into the store full of hope and behold like a gift from heaven, there it was, with the long sleeves of lace I imagined and the high collar and lace bodice embroidered with little pearls and a train of elegance.  Then I held my breath as I looked at the price tag and I couldn’t believe it.  It was on sale, 50% off.  I tried it on and it fit; it just needed to be taken in a little (I was skinny then).  The only thing I regretted was that the sales person insisted I would need to buy that particular dress.  Normally the store ordered a new dress for the bride, but with the sale I would have to accept the one on the rack.   So I agreed to their terms.  Weeks passed and I returned to the store to look at my dress and the sales person came to tell me some surprising news.  “I don’t know why, but head office has sent you a brand new dress!”  “Head office”, I declared… “It’s God that sent me a new dress!”  I was so happy!

Thirty-five years have passed since that day and God has been working on creating yet another bridal gown for me.  This one is for my nuptials in heaven with the Bridegroom of my soul, Jesus.  This gown is not on the outside for everyone to see.  This spiritual bridal design is being slowly and carefully drawn on the inside of me, on my soul.  With patience, with kindness and with mercy, Jesus has been teaching me His precepts and in the process challenging my views on just about everything. He has been teaching me about mercy and forgiveness and how to live in a spiritual awareness where I am challenged to think about how I can give Him glory in every moment.

God’s designs are often a mystery.  We don’t always see them unfold until we realize that we are not the same person as we were before.  Suddenly we don’t just say the prayer “Our Father”, we strive to live the prayer as we look for ways to build His Kingdom on earth by helping our fellow man.

Jesus is the Great Love of my life.  There is nothing I wouldn’t give up to be with Him and to please Him.  He is my heart’s desire and each day at the time He died for us, 3pm, I meditate on His Passion.

In my meditation, I start in the Garden of Gethsemane and I embrace Jesus like the Angel sent from Heaven wanting to console Him.  I see the struggle between Jesus’ divinity and His humanity and I pray the prayer He prayed to God the Father:  “not my will, but yours be done”  Luke 22:42.

I see Jesus scourged and I grieve my sins and the world’s sins and I love Him so much for His courage, for His bravery, for His willingness to endure so much pain to free us from the bondage of sin.  I pray for God’s mercy upon all souls that are offending Him.  I pray for all the victims in our world, especially people persecuted for their faith and I always remember to pray for unborn children, hoping and praying for an end to abortion.

I walk with Jesus as He carries His Cross and I see Him fall.  Often I cry with Jesus as I look at the pain and tears in His eyes and without a word He imprints His love on my soul and He changes me as His nuptial design unfolds.  I see Jesus stretched out on the Cross being crucified for our sins and my heart breaks for the torture He submitted Himself to.  The Cross is lifted up and Our Saviour suffers such horrible agony proving His love for us.  I think about how can I prove my love to Him.  I love Him so much!  I want so much to give Him glory!

I have been stopping daily to remember the Passion of Christ for the over a decade now and I will tell you that my daily experience is always new, yielding new fruit and a deeper, more tender love for Jesus.  I understand now why so many saints in history urged believers to remember the Passion of Christ.

I recall reading about St. Francis of Assisi crying and people asking St. Francis why ‘are you crying’?

St. Francis replied: “I am weeping over the pains and insults of my Divine Master, but what grieves me most is that men for whom He suffered so much never think of the torments He endured.”

Holy Lord, Bridegroom of all souls,  thank You for loving us so much that You would die for us!

Jesus, I believe in You, I adore You, I hope in You and I love You so much!  I beg Your forgiveness for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope in You and do not love You.  I pray that they will one day.  You fulfill every heart that trusts in You.  Without You we are nothing.  With You all things are possible.  Let Your plan of salvation be fulfilled as we surrender to Your holy will.  Jesus, Bridegroom of all souls, I trust in YOU!

“For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth.” Isaiah 54:5

“I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion.”  Hosea 2:19

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.”  Revelation 19:7

Please join the Bride of Christ that is stopping every day at 3pm, the time Jesus died for us, to remember His Passion and pray for all souls.  Thank Jesus for dying for you at this time and ask Him to send His Holy Spirit upon our sinful, suffering world to bring souls to repentance and conversion.

Prayer is the key to open the heart of God and the remembrance of the Passion of Christ is the key that opens human hearts to the greatness of God’s love.

If Jesus can give His life for you, will you give your life to Him?

Learn more about The Mercy Movement here.