The Fellowship of the Cross
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
Philippians 3:10-11
I wish to know him and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Grace Prayed For
I pray for the grace of Deeper Intimacy—that I may not just know about Jesus, but truly know Him by walking with Him through both joy and trial.
Reflection
When Paul speaks of the power of the resurrection, he’s talking about that quiet, steady heartbeat of hope that persists when everything else falls apart.
- The Intimacy: Think of those moments when you were at your lowest, yet somehow, you found the strength to get out of bed or offer a kind word. That wasn’t just “willpower”—that was Him, breathing His life into yours. To know this power is to realize that His strength is most tangible exactly where you feel most fragile.
The Sacred “Koinonia” of Pain
The “sharing of His sufferings” sounds intimidating until you realize it’s actually an invitation to companionship.
- The Intimacy: True friends don’t just show up for the parties; they stay for the funerals and the long, silent nights. By bringing your heartaches to Jesus—your loneliness, your disappointments, your physical exhaustion—you aren’t “complaining.” You are pulling up a chair and saying, “Lord, this hurts. You know what this feels like. Let’s sit here together.” In this space, your scars don’t distance you from Him; they become the very things you have in common.
The Quiet Surrender
Being conformed to His death is the ultimate act of trust. It is the moment a child stops fighting their parent’s embrace and simply lets go.
- The Intimacy: To die to yourself isn’t about self-loathing; it’s about self-entrustment. It’s saying, “I’m tired of trying to be the hero of my own story. I’m letting go of my need to be right, my need to be seen, and my need to be in control.” When you “die” to these things, you aren’t disappearing. You are finally making room for Him to live fully within you.
Jesus, I don’t want to just study You anymore. I want to encounter You. I want to feel the warmth of Your Resurrection when I am cold with fear. I want to feel Your hand in mine when I am walking through my own Gethsemane. Help me stop running from the hard parts of my life, and instead, help me see them as the places where You are waiting for me.
A Practice for Today: “The Shared Glance”
Several times today, when you feel a flicker of joy or a pang of stress, don’t just process it internally. Turn your inner gaze toward Him and say, “Look at this, Lord.” Share the moment with Him as it happens. This is how the “fellowship” begins—in the small, unscripted seconds of a normal day.
When Time Allows Reflect on the Posts in Library and Musings
Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post