I was thinking, if the spiritual world had Tsunami watches, the warning flags would be flying, and the warning sounds tested. Spiritually speaking, a Tsunami is on the way. It is named Holy Week. We have been preparing for this encounter for almost 40 days, and there are now, only, a few days left. Theses days afford us the opportunity to refocus on the meaning of our Lenten Journey into the desert with our, Good Shepherd. The Historical Jesus was forced into the desert by the Holy Spirit. We are graciously led, each year, into 40 days during which our moment to moment lived lives are placed under a spiritual microscope. When one looks at a so called static, outwardly static reality we can be wonder-fully shocked at the life forms which the microscope reveals, for our education and edification . There is always a hidden, mysterious life hidden in the reality of the seen. I have been shocked at what microbes really look like when exposed by a microscope. I have been equally shocked, by what has been, and is being revealed to me by the Holy Spirit, as I am guided along " the road less travelled" (Peck). This really is just a trail, and it wanders ever new through the desert wastelands of my lenten Journey.
Our Holy Week unique celebrations, will again draw us, anew, and ever deeper into the celebration of The Paschal Mystery . Our individual and faith community celebrations will begin on Psalm Sunday, and extend through the week bring to us, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, The Tomb Time of Holy Saturday, the awe-filled Easter Vigil. These latter celebrations must be seen as a single celebration of The Paschal Mystery, NOT ,as four separate and distinct liturgical celebration. The celebrant blesses himself to begin mass on Holy Thursday, and does not bless himself again until the end of mass on Holy Saturday. The Paschal Mystery has its blowout celebration on Easter Sunday. This is NOT the end. We will continue the celebration of The Mystery of our faith until Pentecost Sunday. Why such a long reflective time ? As we live anew, our moment to sacramental moment life we must become to a deeper awareness of what is occurring in our depths. We must allow the workings of The Holy Spirit to come to consciousness. For the "Good News" to journey from, It's Tabernacle in our depths, through the layers of human brokenness , into the light of human consciousness, in other words, The Kairos time deep within Chronos time must aided by, reverence. "The Prisoner of our finiteness"(Rahner) is always making a mysterious journey. That journey is revealed through the events of daily living. This journey is always revealed through the lens of The Paschal Mystery, The Easter Mystery.
As you face the reality of your moment to moment existential life what are the fears to be faced ? We are all "perfectly imperfect ," am I handling, with understanding and compassion the many manifestations of my human frailties ? As I scourge myself , am I aware I am scourging The Body of Christ, and the events of history are being lived again ? We are BOTH the scourged and the scourger ? When life has left me, bruised, beaten, betrayed, abandoned, disheartened, discouraged, disconnected, am I able to grasp, the hem of garment of The Suffering Servant, my Brother ? That will be more than enough, for the true self. The false self is in the deep panic mode. The world of darkness is not the false self's world of choice. When the dark clouds of Calvary appear on the horizons of my life, am I prepared to shout out with the crucified Jesus, " My God, My God why have You abandoned me" knowing that will be enough ? The Crucified One offers His bloodied body, to be our place of rest, as he says to us " come rest in me". Can we look at The Abandoned One and with both fear filled and faith filled voices cry out " into Your Bloodied hands I commit my spirit ".
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