April 16, 2025 // Wednesday of Holy Week
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9
Reflect on the Word //
The confrontation came without warning, words as sharp as daggers, striking me where it hurt most. I stood frozen for a moment, feeling the sting of rejection in my chest. Every instinct screamed to retreat, to fade into the shadows of fear and self-doubt. But then, in the stillness, a quiet reminder whispered within me: This is not the first time this has happened. Jesus has walked this road before. He will walk it with me again.
In Isaiah 50:6, we are given a glimpse of the Suffering Servant: "I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting." Suffering is painful. Yet, what stands out is His incredible resolve. He did not shield His face. Even knowing the immense pain ahead, He stood firm. He endured.
We, too, are called to stand firm, not in our own strength, but in the strength of the Lord. As Isaiah reminds us, "The Lord GOD is my help; therefore I am not disgraced" (Isaiah 50:7). He does not abandon us to fight alone. In the face of affliction, whether in relationships, work, or personal struggles, He is near, upholding us.
Just as Christ faced every form of suffering, we, too, are invited to stand with courage. In our pain, we are not abandoned. We stand with the One Who endured it all for us, showing us how to rise from rejection and remain steadfast in love. As we prayerfully enter into the Sacred Triduum, let us lean on Jesus’ strength as He leads us to the Resurrection.
Relate to the Lord // Consecrate your Holy Week to Jesus through Mary. Welcome everything that comes with Him
Rose Coleman is an elementary school teacher with a heart for pilgrimage. She traveled the globe on a ship during college and spent some years in the convent as a religious sister. She was a contributing author to All She Had, Blessed Conversations: Rooted, and our children’s devotional prayer book called Rise Up. Find out more about her here.
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