The loneliness of Holy Saturday.
Medieval illumination: 1st panel: The prophet Joseph thrown into the pit. Central panel: The entombment of Christ. 2nd panel: The prophet Jonah cast into the fish.
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]
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
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.)
The abomination of desolation?
Nah! Timesonline ran a story last night that Mikhail Gorbachev is a Christian, something President Reagan suspected after they became friends. Baptized in the Russian Orthodox Church, latter in life Mr. Gorbachev never acknowledged his Christianity; rather he was often quoted as saying, “nature is my religion.”
Visiting Assisi, he was spotted praying quietly at the tomb of St. Francis, prompting the Franciscan Friars into releasing details of his pilgrimage and claiming he is a Christian.
Franciscan friars at Assisi have confirmed that Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet President, is a Christian after he was seen praying at the tomb of St Francis.
Mr Gorbachev has long acknowledged that he was influenced by his grandmother, an Orthodox believer and is a a regular participant in peace conferences in the Umbrian town where St Francis is buried. Vladimir Putin, a former KGB officer, has also turned to Orthodox Christianity and wears a cross round his neck. - Timesonline
For years, conspiracy theorists and others have speculated that Gorbachev was involved in some sort of pagan/atheistic global network for world domination. Is it just me, or are stories like that just completely far-fetched? Like the Ball of Redemption of Bayside?
Photo: Gorbachev in Louis Vuitton ad.
The news gave me a chill.
In an audio recording posted on the Internet coinciding with the birthday of Islam’s founder, bin Laden said the drawings, considered offensive by Muslims, were part of a “new crusade” in which Pope Benedict was involved.
“Your publications of these drawings — part of a new crusade in which the Pope of the Vatican had a significant role — is a confirmation from you that the war continues,” said the Saudi-born militant leader, addressing “those who are wise at the European Union”. - Reuters
Bin Laden is a liar and knows the Holy Father is a man of peace - which is why he wants to kill him. When I imagine Benedict XVI visiting Ground Zero in NYC this April, I cannot help but think of the vision of the third secret of Fatima, as well as the dream of Don Bosco. I hope everyone will pray very much for the Holy Father.
(Photos: Thanks to Ken at Hallowed Ground.)
All that good people despise.
An intro to this mornings psalm in Magnificat for Wednesday of Holy Week reads: “Judas personifies all that good people most despise: dishonesty, venality, treachery. For humanity at our most despicable, the Lord Jesus willingly suffered the plots of the enemies who banded together to seek his life.”
“All that good people most despise…” Today people call “good people” bigots if they do not approve of certain sins - they are mocked as ignorant religious fanatics. Yet there are certain sins that cry to heaven for vengeance - and people are rightly scandalized by them.
Prodigals aren’t always celebrated.
On the other hand, there are former sinners, though they have repented and renounced their sinful life, claim they continue to experience a sort of marginalization in the Christian community. Sometimes, these prodigals experience the joy of forgiveness to such an extent, they expect others to celebrate their conversion as well. We are told the angels rejoice in heaven over one sinner who repents, and so should the Church.
Yet many times, the good, not unlike the prodigal son’s elder brother, despise certain sins so greatly, they have trouble with those who have returned from a life of sin. That is not to say they do not rejoice over their conversion, or praise the mercy of God, but they sometimes tend to keep the penitent at arms length.
The consequences of sin.
We need to understand that sin, albeit forgiven and washed away by the blood of Christ, continues to have consequence. If I committed a serious crime, even though I repented of it and was reconciled to the Church through the sacrament of penance, I would still be punished and probably sent to prison. My reputation tarnished.
I’m not saying a repentant sinner must wear a scarlet letter for the rest of his life, but one shouldn’t be surprised if another person or group, though welcoming and polite, are unable to engage in a familiar relationship with the penitent. I also think, the penitent experiencing a sense of marginalization, would do well to offer this trial as further penance for his sins and the conversion of other sinners.
Penance.
Many saints who had been sinners certainly suffered similarly. For instance, St Margaret of Cortona, endured the suspicion of town folk on and off for the remainder of her life. Immediately after her conversion, she sought entrance into the third order of St. Francis, yet the friars tested her repentance for two or three years before permitting her to enter.
Prior to her conversion, Margaret more or less flaunted her scandalous lifestyle and became something of a local celebrity. Her conversion, though edifying to contemporaries, was not the occasion of greater prestige for her - perhaps just the opposite. At any rate, those of us who have been notorious sinners, ought to take heart when we feel marginalized or left out; we can offer it up as part of our penance.
Wednesday of Holy Week.
Elena at Tea at Trianon posted a photo of a procession in Rome with two men I know. Sometimes I think all these guys do over in Rome is serve at traditional liturgies, yet they claim to be students at the Angelicum. LOL! It is true however, they are real gentlemen and scholars - brilliant and devout men, studying and living in Rome. It is good to see their photo. (They are the men carrying the candles - John Paul Sonnen and Christopher Wells.)
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