"Woman, why are you weeping?" Jn 20:13
Encountering Mary Magdalene weeping outside of Jesus' tomb does not surprise us. Grieving is a natural and necessary part of every life, especially as we grow older. As family members and friends die, we feel the deep loss of not having the people upon whom we relied and with whom we journeyed by our side, and Mary Magdalene is no exception.
Twice Mary is asked why she is weeping, and we wonder if she is annoyed or surprised by the question. Doesn't everyone know that her Lord has died? She answers the angels politely enough by telling them that someone has taken Jesus' body, but only when Jesus calls her by name does Mary lift her head in recognition. Hearing the voice of the one who had turned her life around and taught her the Good News is enough to break through her grief and fill her with hope
Easter is God's promise that the death we fear and wrestle with is not the end. Our life will go on in a form we know not, but which faith assures us will be full of joy and delight. Sensing God's presence in the midst of our grieving or remembering the faces and lives of those who have gone before us is God's way of reminding us that we will never be alone and that someday we will know this promise in its fullness.
Today, weep for a loss but listen for God's love in the midst of your grief.
How do you imagine heaven?
Monday, March 28, 2016
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Easter Monday
“You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’" Mt 28:13
Stubbornness hardly seems like a virtue, yet the Chief Priests, still trying to deny the experience of everyday people, do everything they can to undermine the power and influence of Jesus. Resistant to anyone who speaks powerfully about the Torah, and afraid of losing their stranglehold over the peasants following Jesus, they pay the Roman soldiers "a large sum of money," to lie about Jesus'reported resurrection. No surprise that the bible calls money the root of all evil. (1 Tim 6:10)
The lessons of the scripture are difficult to learn, however. Too many people in our society, simply because they are wealthy, seek to exert their influence over others, not for the common good, but to protect their own fragile power. At the same time, because we recognize the same yearning for security and power in our own shallow dreams, we can learn from the Chief Priests and all who cling to the empty promises of wealth and power over others.
Easter's primary message is basic and pure. We have been saved. We have nothing to fear. We have only to give ourselves over to the mysteries of faith without limitation to experience the fullness of God's love, but because this a very uncomfortable promise, Easter lasts fifty days, giving us the opportunity to learn its lessons a day at a time.
Today, let yourself have an Easter dream, one that frees you to live as God would have you live.
What does being free from fear mean to you?
Stubbornness hardly seems like a virtue, yet the Chief Priests, still trying to deny the experience of everyday people, do everything they can to undermine the power and influence of Jesus. Resistant to anyone who speaks powerfully about the Torah, and afraid of losing their stranglehold over the peasants following Jesus, they pay the Roman soldiers "a large sum of money," to lie about Jesus'reported resurrection. No surprise that the bible calls money the root of all evil. (1 Tim 6:10)
The lessons of the scripture are difficult to learn, however. Too many people in our society, simply because they are wealthy, seek to exert their influence over others, not for the common good, but to protect their own fragile power. At the same time, because we recognize the same yearning for security and power in our own shallow dreams, we can learn from the Chief Priests and all who cling to the empty promises of wealth and power over others.
Easter's primary message is basic and pure. We have been saved. We have nothing to fear. We have only to give ourselves over to the mysteries of faith without limitation to experience the fullness of God's love, but because this a very uncomfortable promise, Easter lasts fifty days, giving us the opportunity to learn its lessons a day at a time.
Today, let yourself have an Easter dream, one that frees you to live as God would have you live.
What does being free from fear mean to you?
Friday, March 25, 2016
The Easter Vigil
"In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters." Gn 1:1
Wind in the scriptures often indicates a theophany, a sign that God is present and active. Genesis tells us that though the earth was formless and everything was dark, a mighty wind indicated that God was about to do something wonderful and powerful, and we should pay attention.
The Easter Vigil not only reminds us of these theophanies, it revisits many of the life changing events in the Scriptures and offers believers a smorgasbord of God's gifts to reflect upon and taste. From the great moment of creation, to the Covenant with Abraham, through the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt, to the Resurrection of Jesus, we are invited to celebrate God's enduring presence in our lives in word and symbol. We light a new fire, celebrate its light, bathe in the waters of baptism and sing Alleluia over and over.
At the same time, like visiting other smorgasbord's, we should not force ourselves to eat everything at once. Rather, Easter tells us to take our time, to eat modestly, to taste everything and come back to these texts, symbols and rituals over and over during the fifty days of Easter. The multiple ways God visits us and beckons us to enter the mysteries of faith are endless, but more than anything else, Easter promises us a place at the eternal banquet if only we allow God to shape our lives and show us the way.
Today, read one scripture text and savor it.
Which of Easter's images most attracts you to know God more deeply/
Wind in the scriptures often indicates a theophany, a sign that God is present and active. Genesis tells us that though the earth was formless and everything was dark, a mighty wind indicated that God was about to do something wonderful and powerful, and we should pay attention.
The Easter Vigil not only reminds us of these theophanies, it revisits many of the life changing events in the Scriptures and offers believers a smorgasbord of God's gifts to reflect upon and taste. From the great moment of creation, to the Covenant with Abraham, through the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt, to the Resurrection of Jesus, we are invited to celebrate God's enduring presence in our lives in word and symbol. We light a new fire, celebrate its light, bathe in the waters of baptism and sing Alleluia over and over.
At the same time, like visiting other smorgasbord's, we should not force ourselves to eat everything at once. Rather, Easter tells us to take our time, to eat modestly, to taste everything and come back to these texts, symbols and rituals over and over during the fifty days of Easter. The multiple ways God visits us and beckons us to enter the mysteries of faith are endless, but more than anything else, Easter promises us a place at the eternal banquet if only we allow God to shape our lives and show us the way.
Today, read one scripture text and savor it.
Which of Easter's images most attracts you to know God more deeply/
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Good Friday
"Though he was harshly treated, he submitted and opened not his mouth; like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not his mouth." Is 53:7
Silence is an essential spiritual practice for anyone wanting to enter more deeply into the mystery of God's love for us in Jesus. Taking fifteen minutes once or twice a day to sit in the middle of life as it unfolds without saying anything or trying to understand, we give ourselves to God without explanation or expectation and we do this in memory of the Christ who lived and hung upon the the cross for us. When we choose to be quiet like this, inside and out, we usually see more clearly, but not necessarily understand more of God's plan. Rather, in silence we make ourselves available to God for whatever God intends. This kind of abandonment is difficult but necessary, especially during the Sacred Triduum.
Good Friday is a good time to look quietly upon the cross, or in the words of St Clare of Assisi, to gaze upon the God who gave his life for us. There are no words to adequately articulate this mystery, and although we try, there is no making sense of God's incredible sacrifice. God wants to be near us for eternity and so does the unthinkable. God dwells among us, suffers and dies so that we might know more completely the depth of his love. We could never imagine this, nor would we want God to die. Death is Jesus' choice, not to exalt suffering for itself, but to submit himself to his Father's will for our salvation.
Defying the authorities, Jesus speaks of freedom from the law as the only way to observe the law, and for this the Jewish authorities condemn him. Only when we let go of the law as a path to salvation are we able to meet the Christ who embodies the law. Union with Christ is the fulfillment of the law and the goal, not only of Good Friday, but of the Christian life itself.
Today, find fifteen or twenty minutes to be quiet with God. There is no need to say anything.
How difficult is it for you to sit quietly in the presence of God?
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