Abbey-Roads2

sometimes I imagine myself alone

with Jesus,

when no one is around…

oftentimes  in the garden

when the disciples are asleep -

I move in very close to him…

silently nodding

to let him know I’m there.

.

other times I imagine

we are alone in the prison

between tortures -

I emerge from the shadows

moving much closer this time,

to cover his nakedness and warm him

from the night chill…

silently nodding

as I gently dab away his tears.

.

I can’t take away his suffering,

I have nothing to salve his wounds,

I can’t hold him back from dying,

I can only suffer with him…

silently nodding

as he looks at me with love.

.

[Art: “Compassion” - by Bouguereau]

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After a long time he climbed a tree,

and spread his shining arms,

and hung by them, and died,

His heart an open wound with love. - St. John of the Cross

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This is soooooooo bizarre!

From my friend Angela’s blog:

In Poland, the young people throw an effigy of Judas from the top of a church steeple. Then it is dragged through the village amidst those hurling sticks and stones. What remains of the effigy is drowned in nearby stream or pond. - Spy Wednesday

That is kind of how many Eastern Europeans wanted to treat the Jews - oh, wait a second, some of them did do similar things in medieval times.  Then Hitler came along.  I have to wonder where his people learned how to treat Jews?

Anyway.

The tradition of hanging, burning, or beating an effigy of Judas during Holy Week has been practiced by Catholics and Orthodox in various countries for centuries.  The tradition was never liturgical, nor overtly antisemitic, although outsiders may have suspected it to be based in prejudice, since the names, Judas and Jew sounded much the same.  In Spain however, there may be evidence the practice was indeed antisemitic.  (The practice is otherwise known as “scapegoating”.) 

No matter if it was an effigy of a Judas or a criminal, or even an innocent Jew - is that a good way to train children in religion?  Nish, nish.

(FYI: For centuries, Jews and Judas were in the same boat you know.)

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