Wednesday, April 17
Today’s Prayer and Reflection:
I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard. (Isaiah 50:6)
Amazing, isn’t it? This one single verse sounds so much like Jesus’ passion—and not just the event of his scourging at the pillar. The humility and generosity of the servant in this verse beautifully captures Jesus’ heart as he endured his entire arrest, trial, and crucifixion.
Imagine what Jesus must have felt when he heard these words proclaimed in the synagogue. He must have realized at some point that they referred not only to the ancient prophet but to himself. Maybe it struck him with terror. Or perhaps, because he was the Son of God, it didn’t bother him at all.
The truth probably lies somewhere between these two extremes. Being human, Jesus naturally experienced great distress about what was awaiting him. But then in his divinity, he could pray with complete confidence: “The Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced” (Isaiah 50:7). So while he certainly felt great apprehension over what lay ahead of him, he also found strength knowing that his Father would never abandon him.
There’s a parallel here to our lives. We can’t see into the future, but we do know that we all have our own share of hardships to deal with. It could be major, like the death of a loved one, or minor, like being stuck in a traffic jam for three hours. The magnitude of the challenge is not as important as how we deal with it. We can either fret about it or try our best to place it in the Father’s hands as Jesus did.
Know that in surrendering your hardships to God, you can expect to do more than just endure them. You will find new confidence knowing that Easter Sunday will come for you just as it did for Jesus. You will find strength in the knowledge that “all things work for good for those who love God” (Romans 8:28). Jesus didn’t come to add to your burdens. He came to carry them with you. Remember: he walked the road to Calvary precisely so that he could walk with you today!
“Lord, I trust that you will keep me in perfect peace as I meditate on all that you have done for me.”
Reprinted with permission of The Word Among Us, 7115 Guilford Dr #100, Frederick, MD 21704, wau.org.
Today’s Announcements:
- Students please bring your items for the Little Sisters of the Poor nursing home. There is a table set up in the foyer to place your items on; we will take donations until Thursday.
- There will be no Interact Club meeting this week. The next meeting will take place on May 8 in Ms. Lawson’s room. Eleventh grade members, your RYLA scholarship forms are due to Ms. Lawson by today!
- A representative from the Knights of Columbus will be on campus Thursday following the Lenten Presentation in the chapel to meet with any young man who is interested in learning more about the Knights of Columbus.
- On senior night, the Lady Irish played a double-header against Collins winning both games. The score of the first game was 19-1 with great hitting by all players. The second game’s score was 21-1 with Sarah D’Aquilla hitting an inside-the-park homerun with two on base. Ijia Henderson was the winning pitcher striking out two batters. The Lady Irish will be playing Pisgah on Friday at 1:00 p.m. at home. Come out and support our Lady Irish.
- Congratulations to our Robotics Team Tempest for being recognized last night as the City of Biloxi Youth Group of the Year. Of the many deserving nominees, Team Tempest was selected by a committee from the city and received a plaque and several small gifts. Congratulations to all members of Tempest for your hard work and very deserving honor.
- Juniors and sophomores, your ACT scores are here. If you want a copy of your scores, you may see Ms. Wilkinson during lunch or after school.