My Alarm At "The Passion of The Christ"

My $20 digital watch from CVS has more features packed into it than I really require. One of them is an alarm that was arbitrarily set to 1:30 PM. Last week I changed it to 3:00 PM after reading about "The Hour of Mercy" referring to the time of Jesus' death. Saint Mary Faustina Kowalska was a Polish nun who was endowed with many spiritual gifts. Her walk with the Lord was so extraordinary that her superiors charged her to record her thoughts and experiences in a diary - something that she wasn't keen on but did out of obedience. She recorded this word from the Lord: "At three o'clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion. I remind you, My daughter, that as often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners; for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul."

After much anticipation, Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of The Christ" finally arrived at the local theatre. I was planning on attending the late Saturday night show but scheduling conflicts with my kids put us into the cinema on Sunday afternoon for the one o'clock matinee. I watched intently as the drama of the ultimate sacrifice was being played out before my eyes: "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." (Isaiah 53:7) Then, when the film was drawing close to the end, at the climax of Jesus' suffering on the cross, I hear the familiar "beep - beep - beep - beep - beep - beep". The alarm on my cheap watch was reminding me to pray God's mercy for the lost and immerse myself in His Passion -- an immersion that was being experienced by all of us in that theatre.

How do you sustain, throughout the rest of your life, gratitude and reverence for the Lord's self-offering to the Father on our behalf? One little way is to daily turn our eyes upon Jesus, the author and finisher of faith "who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2) Observing 3:00 PM as "The Hour of Mercy" by lifting up your heart in grateful praise to the Lord and His astounding mercy is a beautiful way to reverse the slavery of the clock to serve a high and holy purpose.