Some Thoughts for Holy Week 2011

I started reading Leonard Hodgson's The Doctrine of the Atonement sorta as preparation for Easter. He states, "The doctrine of the atonement is concerned with God's answer to the problem of evil, with the action taken by God in the history of this world in order to rescue His creation from the evil with which it has become infected" (17).  Thanks be to God for his action in human history!

Prayer after Mass by the Missionaries of Charity (founded by Mother Teresa)

Dear Jesus, help us to spread Your fragrance everywhere we go. 

Flood our souls with Your spirit and life.

Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly that our lives 

may only be a radiance of Yours.

Shine through us, and be so in us that every soul we come in contact with 

may feel your presence in our souls.

Let them look up and see no longer us, but only Jesus!

Stay with us, and then we shall shine as you shine;

so to shine as to be a light to others. 

The light, O Jesus, will be all from You, none of it will be ours; 

it will be You shining on others through us. 

Let us preach you without preaching, not by words but by our

example, by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what we do, 

the evident fullness of the love of our hearts bear to You. Amen

Easter Thoughts

As I celebrated Easter this week, I was reminded of the pain of loss, the sacrifices that have been made for me. I was also struck by the inability we have as humans to really market the empty tomb. I was continually drawn to some quotes from Jurgen Moltmann and Frederick Buechner about the cross and the empty tomb. I was drawn to the accounts of the death of Christ and the resurrection, for they are the key to our faith as Christians, yet the gospel writers seem to lack a uniformity, perhaps because their own story shines through their accounts of the miracle of the resurrection. Ultimately, Easter leaves us knowing that something great happened on that morning in the garden with the empty tomb, something that in many ways is beyond description, words, and categories...God's love is perhaps the best way we have of putting a label on it. THANKS BE TO GOD!

Post-Easter Thoughts

In Mark 16:15 Jesus says, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."

How do we live in light of the resurrection? In light of Easter? Jesus told the apostles go into all creation, your world, the world outside your world and preach the good news, the Son of God who came, lived, died and rose again that we might have eternal life. St. Francis of Assisi said, "Preach the gospel at all times, if necessary use words." To live in the light of Easter and the resurrection is for us to live out our faith and preach the good news of a life of love and faith, hope and joy in the presence of Almighty God.

Pre-Easter Pictures

Good Friday

There is a quote from Frederick Buechner that I love. It goes something like this...The Lotus, the Crescent Moon, the symbols of other religions suggest life, the Cross, the symbol of Christianity was an instrument of death, it suggests at the very least, HOPE.

Easter Song

I know I mention the work of Bill Mallonee quite a lot here, but I can't think of one artist who has shaped me more than he has. He has written a new song, an Easter Song, that is really, really poignant. It's a great reminder of the weekend that we are getting ready to celebrate as Christians. You can listen to it at http://www.myspace.com/worksprogressadministration. Be sure to check it out.

I posted the lyrics below from Bill's Facebook page.

COMING OUT OF HIDING
music/words: bill mallonee BMI 2009

I heard you were mother’s pride and joy
she was pretty young when she had that baby boy
you were up against the powers and down with the man at the start
You had a hunger in your belly and the fire in side your heart

you said mysterious things like: “living looks more like dying.”
Now, you’re coming outta hiding (x2)

I heard they called your mother ’bout every name under the sun
I heard you turned your cheek a lot and bit your tongue
you had a knack for making friends who couldn’t pay you back
spending your coins on the wrong side of the tracks

picking up the tab after wining and dining
now, you’re coming outta hiding (x2)

spent some time in the underground just to get the lay of the land
spent some time with the sick to take them all on vacation
spent some time in the jail just to let the prisoners loose
spent some time on the gallows just to cut the hangman’s noose

all of these reversals are kinda exciting
now you’re coming outta hiding (x2)


I heard they kicked you to curb when your show went down like a storm
heard they stole your crown and gave you one of thorns
you when love gets close it can be perceived as a threat
and God you know we’ve got so much to protect

Still it looks like love is always and ever abiding
and you’re coming outta hiding