THREE DAYS OF PRAYER IN PREPARATION FOR HOLY WEEK – DAY TWO: THE SUFFERING SERVANT

Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

O Lord hear my prayers,
and let my cry come unto you

OPENING PRAYER

Lord of compassion, in Your mercy, You sent Your Son to bear our griefs and carry our sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. As we meditate today on the figure of the Suffering Servant, awaken in us a deep awareness of the cost of our redemption. May our hearts be moved to repentance and love. May we see the broken and hurting through the lens of Christ, and may His silent endurance stir within us strength and compassion. (Add your intentions). We make this prayer through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 53:1–7

“He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief… by his wounds we are healed.”

Meditation

Isaiah’s prophecy gives us a portrait of the Messiah that is counterintuitive to worldly expectations. No grandeur, no applause – only suffering, rejection, and humiliation. Yet, it is through this chosen path that salvation flows. The Suffering Servant identifies with every human being who has felt abandoned, humiliated, or crushed by life. In His wounds, we find our pain understood, our tears accounted for, and our burdens shared.

This meditation invites us not only to gaze upon Christ’s sufferings but to recognize Him in those who suffer today. Do we hide our faces from the poor, the sick, the unjustly accused? Do we see suffering as something to avoid at all costs, or as a mystery to unite with Christ? Let us ask the Lord to help us carry our own crosses with trust, and to bring comfort to others in theirs.

Intercessory Prayers

1. For all who suffer physically, emotionally, or spiritually—that they may be consoled by the Suffering Christ. R./ Lord hear our Prayers (Repeat after each invocation)
2. For healthcare workers, caregivers, and counselors—that they may serve with compassion and dedication.
3. For victims of war, violence, and abuse—that justice and healing may be theirs.
4. For those tempted to despair under the weight of suffering—that they may be sustained by hope in Christ.
5. For the Church, that she may be a true mother to the suffering and a voice for the voiceless.
6. For the grace to offer our own sufferings in union with Christ for the salvation of souls.
7. For an increase in works of mercy among Christians—both spiritual and corporal.

(Conclude with: Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be)