Passion (Palm) Sunday

Today is the last Sunday of Lent. It is called now Passion Sunday but will always be known as Palm Sunday. It begins our Holy Week experience of Jesus' life-giving passion, death and resurrection. We cannot separate this great Paschal Mystery!

Palm Sunday shows us the people who surrounded Jesus as he enters Jerusalem. They are crying out, "Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest." They are waving palm branches and acclaiming Jesus as he rides into Jerusalem. Five days later, a crowd will yell, "Crucify him. Let him be crucified."
In every Liturgy we also proclaim his coming after the Preface when we sing or say:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest. We re-enact the death of Jesus and receive his body which has been given up for us and his blood which has been shed for us.
Holy Week invites us to meditate on the mystery of the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. How am I planning on spending this week? The rest of the world goes on as usual; if I want this to be a "holy week" what will I do? How will I be able to stay with Jesus?

Feast of St. Joseph and St. Patrick

Some places had permission to celebrate St. Patrick's Feast today; others are combining it with St. Joseph's Feast tomorrow. We are celebrating their feasts early as their feasts fall in Holy Week this year.The Feast of the Annunciation which is usually celebrated on March 25 gets transferred to the Monday after the second Sunday of Easter so it will be March 31.
I thought a verse from St. Patrick's "Breastplate" would be appropriate for today's reflection. St. Joseph is the silent man so I cannot quote him! However, he is a most efficacious advocate for all of us so don't forget to ask him to intercede with Mary and Jesus when you need something.
The translation I am using for St. Patrick's breastplate is found in The Celtic Way of Prayer by Esther de Waal. This is a prayer of protection for a journey but I am only taking a few verses today.
This day I call to me
God's strength to direct me,
God's power to sustain me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's vision to light me,
God's ear to my hearing,
God's word to my speaking,
God's hand to uphold me,
God's pathway before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's legions to save me:
from snares of the demons,
from evil enticements,
from failings of nature,
from one man or many
that seek to destroy me,
anear or afar.

Be Christ this day my strong protector:
against poison and burning
against drowning and wounding,
through reward wide and plenty ...
Christ beside me, Christ before me;
Christ behind me, Christ above me;
Christ to right of me, Christ to left of me;
Christ in my lying, my sitting, my rising;
Christ in heart of all who know me,
Christ on tongue of all who meet me,
Christ in eye of all who see me,
Christ in ear of all who hear me.

Jesus, the Center of My Life

How often do I say that I desire Jesus to be the center of my life? For Jesus, God, his Father, was the center of his life. I think the agony in the garden is why Jesus drew strength from his Father in conversation - we only have the Words of Jesus but what a lesson for us in how to pray.
Last night we had our monthly reflection group. As we are reading and reflecting on Albert Nolan's Jesus Today: A Spirituality of Radical Freedom our lively conversation after prayer centered on Jesus and our need for some quiet in our busy lives to listen to him. We spoke more from the heart than from the book. Since I had a few favorite passages that I did not share, I will put them here as they will help me to reflect today.
Nolan says that "it was by loving people that Jesus brought healing to them. He loved everyone..." Jesus had many close friendships but his friendships were never exclusive. For Jesus, "each individual person was unique and important. That is why he could speak of leaving the ninety-nine others to search for the one who was lost(Luke 15:3-6)
Nolan says that "the healing effect of Jesus' preaching and teaching can hardly be exaggerated. In turning the world right side up he must have brought untold relief to those who felt overburdened and disadvantages by the system of the time. With parables and sayings Jesus was trying to open the eyes of his contemporaries to see the world differently, to see it as it really is--right side up--and above all, to see God as our loving and forgiving Father, our abba.
Jesus is still trying to make us see the world as it really is and to see God as our loving and forgiving Father, our abba

Janet Erskine Stuart

The other day, I quoted from Reverend Mother Janet Erskine Stuart, RSCJ. She told us that we can never trust God enough. Today, I have more quotations taken from the Academy of the Sacred Heart's Annual Report featuring quotations from the writings of Mother Stuart. Since they speak to me, I want to share them with you.

Remember that the source of happiness is within ourselves. Nothing outside can give it, even if you make your circumstances ideal. Nothing can take it away."

The most blessed thing is to be an active element of joy. Joy brings God himself near.

And finally, one of my favorite quotes that appeared on the Academy of the Sacred Heart's Christmas card: To be a Joy-Bearer and a Joy-Giver says everything; it means that one is faithfully living for God and that nothing else counts; and if one gives joy to others we are doing God's work.

I hope this helps us to live with joy today; it is Lent, but Jesus came to bring us life and we communicate life when we communicate joy. It just seems appropriate for today to stress that joy does bring God near. A sad saint is a sorry saint!

When I speak of the Academy of the Sacred Heart I am speaking of the school founded by St.Philippine Duchesne, the first foundation in America made in 1818. This year I will be celebrating my 60th anniversary of graduation from high school from this dear and holy place. The children have been studying Mother Stuart's life and writings this year.

Stabat Mater dolorosa

Sometimes I forget that Jesus was crucified between two thieves and that a crowd would assemble to watch those dying. Only John's Gospel speaks of the women at the foot of the cross of Jesus. "Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala." (Jn 19:25)
In the next verse we see that the "beloved disciple" is with them. The rest of the Apostles had fled and left Jesus alone and they are too afraid to be there. The women have courage. I had forgotten that John speaks of Mary's sister. I had five aunts (my Dad was the oldest and spoiled by his five sisters). They were an important part of my life. I wonder how much influence the aunt of Jesus had on him when he was a child? I am glad she was there with Mary at the foot of the Cross.

I learned something new from the Little Black Book today. I knew that some feasts had a sequence,like Pentecost, Easter, the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ and the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. What I did not realize was that the verses sung with the Alleluia before the Gospel were extended into a lengthy poem for these feasts and this is called a sequence. The sequence for Our Lady of Sorrows, which dates back to the 13th century, is called the "Stabat Mater" and draws upon John's description of Mary at the foot of the cross. Those of us who remember making the Stations of the Cross during Lent would remember how we sang verses of the "Stabat Mater" as the priest moved from one station to the next. I still find myself singing the poetic translation of the first stanza:
"At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last."

Let us stay with Mary as she stays with her Son and follows him to his death on the cross.

Have I become so used to looking at Jesus on the Cross that I am rather numb to the meaning of it all?
Have I gotten "used to" the cross? The Little Black Book on John's Gospel suggests that these last days of Lent are a good time to get "unused to" it.
Actually, I had a deep experience yesterday afternoon with my faculty faith-sharing group. We meet for an hour every Monday afternoon in my office and usually read and pray over the Gospel for the next Sunday's Liturgy. One is a priest and we jokingly say we are helping him prepare the homily for Sunday. Yesterday I thought we would not want to read the entire Passion according to Matthew (the Palm Sunday Gospel) as it is quite long. I saw that others wished to read it anyway and so I suggested reading it dramatically by different voices speaking: narrator, Jesus, others, and the crowd. Two of us had the same Holy Week booklet from Living With Christ; we shared and with our heads close together read the entire story of the Passion! I felt that the words were leaping from the page into my heart. I think the others felt it was a special time and we all said afterward how much it meant to read it together.

Today's Gospel has Jesus saying that He is never alone because He always does what pleases His Father. I want to choose always what pleases Jesus. I trust that Jesus gives the grace for this as it has been a desire for many years - another time when the words of Scripture jumped off the page and into my heart.
May we look on the Crucifix with new eyes today and see the pierced Heart of Christ open for all of us.

Trust God; God is merciful

Mother Janet Erskine Stuart,RSCJ, said: "God has never found fault with anyone for trusting too much and expecting too much of God."

The above quote was in the Virtual Community of Prayer service for the Fifth Sunday of Lent. My community used it for our own Sunday evening prayer and I am still mulling over this quotation. Jesus trusted his Father. He knew the Father would hear him and he gives thanks to his Father before telling Lazarus to come out of the tomb. He had utter trust in the power given to him by his Father.

Today's Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 23 with the response: "Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side." The whole Psalm is a call to trust for the Lord is my shepherd.

The Gospel (John 8:1-11) has the Pharisees trying to trap Jesus. They bring a woman caught in adultery and tell Jesus that the law says to stone her. Jesus does not reply to them, but bends down and writes on the ground with his finger. He finally says: "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." He continues to write in the dust and they went away one by one. What did Jesus write? Did each man read his own sin and slink away? Jesus is left alone with the woman and tells her that he does not condemn her but says, "Go and from now on do not sin any more."

Lord, help me today, not to judge others; help me to trust you in everything!

Fifth Sunday of Lent

God has power to raise the dead; he has the power to bring life from impossible situations. It is good for us to remember this and today's Gospel shows us the power Jesus has over death and all impossible situations.
When Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed where he was for two more days. He waited and Lazarus died. Now, Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, but Jesus waited two whole days before he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." The disciples try to discourage him, but Jesus tells them "Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him." They do not understand so Jesus tells them clearly, "Lazarus has died . . . . Let us go to him."
When Jesus arrives, Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days.
Jesus speaks to Martha and tells her, "I am the resurrection and the life: whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
Martha does believe and makes a magnificent profession of faith saying that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
Jesus shows his love for his friend. The Gospel tells us, "Jesus wept."
Then he ordered the stone removed from the entrance of the tomb. Jesus thanks his Father for hearing him and then cries out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"
Jesus calls us out of our tombs, too. He came that we may have life. His love sets us free! No matter how impossible the situation is, the same miracle that Jesus worked for Lazarus, the same life-giving help is waiting for me as I, too, am the "one Jesus loves."
Let us reflect today on the love of Jesus; the power of Jesus; the gift of life!

Lent Advances

Someone told me that she had been trying to get a picture of this face of Christ. Tomorrow is the Fifth Sunday of Lent and it seems to me to be going very quickly. These six weeks are to be a time of transformation with more prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. I feel that I have done so little. Lord, help me to run the race to the end and finish well.

I received a new book and will add it to my list as I am sure many of my readers will enjoy it. It is A Restless Soul:Meditations from the Road and is a selection of the writings of Henri Nouwen, edited by Michael Ford. These delightful excerpts from Nouwen's travel writings reveal both his soul and his spirituality as well as his varied interests. There seems to be much to apply to our own lives as we read of his travels through Russia, Europe, North America, Central and South America.

Today's Psalm 7 has a line to reflect on as it calls on God as the searcher of our hearts and souls. What is there in my heart and soul that I would not like God to find? What might I be trying to hide? Lord, open my heart and soul and show me what is not pleasing to you; help me to get rid of all of that and immerse my heart in the love of your Heart!

Saints Perpetua and Felicity

Perpetua, a young noble woman, along with her husband, infant son, and her slave, Felicity who was pregnant, were all arrested and condemned to death for their faith. They were only catechumens but were baptized in prison. Felicity gave birth prematurely three days before the execution. Both mothers were parted from their babies, flogged, exposed to wild beasts and then beheaded. The diary of Perpetua and accounts of some of the eye-witnesses give us a vivid picture of their sufferings.

I am just back after having spent part of Spring Break with a friend whose children rent a condo for her on the ocean. It was beautiful and I enjoyed being with her and just being away from the computer for a few days. Now to catch up! I was struck by the opening prayer for today's Liturgy:
"Father, our source of life,
you know our weakness.
May we reach out with joy
to grasp your hand
and walk more readily
in your ways.
We ask this through our Lord
Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever." Amen.

The first reading from the book of Wisdom is amazingly prophetic about Christ and what He would suffer.

Fourth Sunday of Lent

Samuel anoints David, the youngest of Jesse's eight sons. David had been out with the sheep. The Lord chose him and said that he did not look at appearances but at the heart.
The Responsorial Psalm is "The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want."
The Gospel is the long story of the man born blind being cured by Jesus who anointed his eyes with clay and sent him to wash in the pool of Siloam. He went and washed and came back able to see.
Then begins the struggle as no one wants to believe him and the Pharisees even say Jesus is not from God as he healed on the Sabbath. Others question how a sinful man could do such signs. Finally, they call the man who had been blind and tell him that Jesus is a sinner. He answers them,"One thing I know is that I was blind and now I see." There is much more, but that is the main point - and they throw him out and then Jesus found him and asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" And the Gospel ends with the man who now can see making a profession of faith, "I do believe, Lord."
Jesus is the Good Shepherd; Jesus is also the Light of the World and when we follow Him we walk in the light.
I leave for a short vacation and will not be near the computer until next Friday. The University is having Spring Break, but not my online Program in Spirituality Studies, but it will be nice to take a Break for part of the week.

Jesus, Uncovering His Life, Teachings, and Relevance

I just began reading a book by Marcus J. Borg, Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary. I am adding it to the list of spiritual books that are really worth reading. This book, written by the author of The Heart of Christianity; Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time; Reading the Bible Again for the First Time and The God We Never Knew may be, according to the author himself, "the last comprehensive book about Jesus that I write." He tells us that this book has a history. Twenty years ago he wrote Jesus: A New Vision and this latest book was supposed to be a revision, but it is now a new book. His own understanding of Jesus and his pedagogy--his way of teaching about Jesus--have developed over the past twenty years.
Marcus Borg tells us that his book has two cultural contexts, the first century and the twenty-first century. It moves back and forth between the first century and our time. And he asks: How does what we can discern about Jesus then matter for now?
I have only read the first two chapters and will take it with me for Spring Break.
I hope to post a reflection tomorrow on the Fourth Sunday of Lent, but then I will be away from the computer for four days. Time for some good reading and reflection! I realized that since I have been writing this Blog, I have written less in my personal journal so yesterday I began a new prayer journal and hope it will help me to be in touch with God's action in my life on a deeper level and that it will help my readers, too, as I rely on the Holy Spirit to inspire these reflections.