The Sorrowful Mysteries - Meditations of Bl. Card. Wyszyński

The Agony in the Garden

If a person is to be completely free from themselves, they must submit sincerely and honestly to others with inner freedom. One must break free from this constant fear of what they think of me, what they will do with me. It is easy to break free when a person becomes small, takes the form of a servant. They then have the courage to be counted as nothing. Only then is there victory – the hardest kind, because it is over oneself!

The Scourging at the Pillar

We often speak of solidarity in evil. Usually, however, everyone sins ”on their own account.” A person dislikes in others the very sin in which they themselves ”specialize,” because they cannot stand competition. A liar cannot stand a liar because he knows the other one is tricking him. How does he know? From his own experience! We have all sinned and we need the help of Christ, His cross, and His blood.

The Crowning with Thorns

We are moody people. Depending on our mood, the number of ”our debtors” changes. Someone held a terrible grudge against me: Because Father looked at me that way. - How? - Well, that way… To this day I do not know how, but since then I watch myself very closely, so as to look not the way I want, but the way someone else needs it at that moment.

The Carrying of the Cross

We should notice that someone is making constant sacrifices for us. The more unbearable someone is to others, the more they must pay attention to what others do for them, how they constantly give in to them so as not to irritate them and ”provoke trouble.” The hardest thing is to break free from personal preferences, preconceptions, and aspirations, and to ”become all ears” before the Lord God.

The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus

The cross is a school of loving, of giving oneself for one's brothers. How much restlessness there often is within us and in our surroundings. At such times people become angry, and yet someone must be good and calm, someone must give in so that there is room for the others. If everyone raises their fists, someone must withdraw them and extend their arms out of love for their brothers.