Abbey-Roads2

And they took Him away…

I am going to try and be more solemn in my blogging the next two weeks, honoring the sacred passion and death of Our Lord.  Two bloggers had beautiful posts about matters that I accepted as the Lord speaking to my heart.  One on jealousy and envy was remarkable.  The other on the idea that we are all like the men crucified with Christ, especially touched my heart.  (I think these women actually wrote the posts for me.)

Nevertheless, it is so difficult for me to be serious all of the time - life is way too funny - like I always say, my life is just one big sitcom - except for the occasional ‘very special’ episodes of “Blossom” - wasn’t that the name of the sitcom?  So something silly may slip in. 

In the monastery, and at other times in my life, I entered into the solemnities of Passiontide so intensely I probably could have been hospitalized for clinical depression - thus I learned that we must have joy of heart, even in the most dire moments.  Unless our contemplation allows us to experience something of the sorrow the Man of Sorrows experienced…although no one can plumb the depths of His sorrow - a mere taste is almost annihilating to the soul.

It is such a solemn time in the Church’s liturgy.  As one who has experienced the suffering and death of a loved one knows well, one wants the entire world to stop in recognition of our loved one’s death.  Even more so the passion and death of Our Lord.  That is what the Church does in this holy season - it stops at the foot of the Cross.

Passiontide is a time of great grace - if somehow we have failed in our observance of Lent, now is the time to recover what has been lost.  Being with the Lord in His suffering and death is better than fasting on bread and water for 40 years, much less 40 days.  To follow Him and keep Him company for these two weeks will atone for a multitude of sins.  Accompany Our Sorrowful Mother as she follows her Son - she was always present to Him in every aspect of His suffering. 

“O great passion, O deep wounds!  O blood shed in abundance!  O meekness!  O God of meekness!  O cruel death, have mercy upon me and the whole world!”