October 1st 2023.
This is my birthday weekend.When one turns 84, one day's celebration is not enough.Thank The Gracious Giver I had a whole week end in which to reflect, enjoy and then had the privilege of concelebrating The Eucharistic Celebration. This celebration is the act of thanksgiving. Ever thin that as you are preparing to attend the gathering of the community you are preparing for Thanksgiving. I used love to teach the kids in school to ask on Thanksgiving Day, when is our eucharist ? That sets the family and friends aback, but is asking the right essential question.( Plans for next Thanksgiving ???)
Birthdays are a time of reflection, before the celebrations can happen.I was blessed to share the wonders of The Warpaint Trail with a kid from way back. She is now enjoying a great career in the Army.We were able to reflect on the realities of life as never before, and deepen our awe at the workings of grace. I had an other great hike with a friend from Ireland.The Warpaint trails are wonder-full channels of that which is essential. So this morning it was REALLY tough to get up. Luckily I was awake before, the alarm (another gift) so I had time to face the struggles of getting my feet on the ground. I was thinking about some of the events of my past when out of the blue came the words "Paschal Death".
Paschal death is supposed to be the food for thought only, during Holy Week. Then what is Holy Week?only time set aside to really reflect all of The Paschal Story as our story today.Every day lived, is our reliving the story of Easter. All we do in Holy Week is place under a microscope our every day lived experience, and discover, always anew this startling truth "Jesus's story is our story today" ( John O'Shea). In our individual and community reflections we have to make the connection that connection or else what we attend are meaningless and irrelevant. We must see all those suffering, we are asked to face, do not bring about terminal death, although it feels like it, it is a Paschal death. When The Suffering Servant died,He did not stay dead but rose again, TO NEW LIFE, and so set up the pattern we are to follow being His disciples. This is a source of great consolation and hope,"death is not an end it was beginning" of a new life emerging from the death we have endured. There is only one terminal death, but too many to count are our experiences of Paschal death.
In your preparations for religious celebrations how important is it to connect our experience of Paschal death with celebration where we say,"Christ has died,Christ is risen,Christ will come again" and again and again as an ever new revelation. An awe-full revelation, given to each to light the darkness with the supernatural gift of, end-less hope. In the Psalm were these wonder-full words, " Remember Your mercies,Lord. Remember that Your compassion..and love are from of old. The sins of my youth and my frailties, remember not." Each time we are forced to face our limitations, we die to our selfishness and self-centeredness,are are forced to accept help from a Power outside of ourselves. That I read is the definition of "an authentic human being". It is a death, not terminal, but a death that reveals a new and wonder-full truths which now bestows on us gifts way beyond our imagination. However, this is the kicker, these gifts are NOT for ourselves, but are for the building up of those who we are destined to meet. Yes. It has taken many encounters with Paschal Death to be able to write what has just been written. Let us then face whatever deaths, losses life brings to us, on a moment to moment basis knowing that ,with tomb time, new life leading to to way of seeing and living is amazingly ours.
If the above makes no sense to youths is my limited effort to delve into, The Mystery of our Faith. I have come up short so there is room for your unique understanding. Love prayers and blessings, great grandpa.
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