Welcome to the Prayers of Rest podcast. I'm your host, Asherita Chucho, and this season, we're preparing our hearts to celebrate Jesus in the weeks leading up to Easter by praying through the characteristics of Jesus' love. If you do want to go deeper, I wrote a whole book about it. It's called Uncovering the Love of Jesus.

It's a Lenton Devotional, and you can find it at uncoveringthelove.com. And as a reminder,

I'm giving away some of my favorite things this season in weekly giveaways over on Instagram.

It's easy to enter, and we've been having so much fun over there. So just

head over to my Instagram account. That's at Asherita, and I'll link to that in the show notes,

so you don't have to figure out how to spell it. And you'll find all the details for how to enter

to win there. One more thing. This season's episodes were pre-recorded last year. In the very first

months after the shutdown caused by COVID-19, many of us were isolated at home, and praying through

the love of Jesus was so meaningful and rich to our community that gathered together to pray

live each morning. And yet, I believe that

these prayers are just as relevant today as they were then. But you might notice that the audio

quality is just a bit different. I hope there's still a blessing to you. Now, let's begin. Find a quiet place where you won't be interrupted and take a deep

breath as we enter into God's presence together. John chapter 19, verse 25. Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing there, he said to his mother, woman, here is your son.

And then he said to the disciple, here is your mother.

And from that hour, the disciple took her into his home. So let's begin by reciting God's goodness,

praising him for who he is, for the love of Christ that we see in this passage today.

Jesus, what's striking as we read this passage is that even in your gravest hour, even in the

moment of deepest pain and suffering, still you thought of others first.

What great love, that you're not self-centered, that you're not seeking your own good, that in the time that you would be most justified in self-pity, the suffering and the difficulty, and giving voice to frustration, even in those moments you thought of others.

And here, you honored your mother, which's one of those basic commandments that even the

Pharisees neglected, that instead of honoring their parents, they would promise supplies to the

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