S&F-Easter and the Holy Land

One of the things I did during Lent is following the daily reflections in the Hollow App.  This week they concluded it with what they called "Holy Week in the Holy Land."  Where Jeff Cavins and Johnathan Roumie visited some of the most holy places on earth as they followed the path of Jesus during his last days.

It reminds me of my visit to Israel and Jerusalem when I was in the Navy 25 years ago.  I visited those same locations that they showed in their videos.  I walked those same steps, the steps that Jesus took 2000 years ago.

When I was there it was a dangerous place to visit.  We were not allowed to visit Bethlehem to see the Naivety.  We were not supposed to walk freely around the old city of Jerusalem.  I took a tour that took us to the Church of All Nations, built on the area where Jesus prayed and was arrested.  We walked a the Via Dolorosa, the path Jesus took with his Cross.  Our tour ended at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where the Crucifixion and Jesus's burial took place.  Being able to touch the spot where the Cross once was is one of the most fulfilling moments in my life.

One other thing that I remember as I reflect on my journey to the Holy Land is the fact that in one view I could see the some of most important places in three religions.  Walking distance from each other are the location of the Crucifixion (Christianity), the Temple Wall (Judaism) and the Dome of the Rock (Islam).  These 3 religions are able to coexist together and have for hundreds of years there.  I find it strange that they cannot find the same common ground in the world.

I wish I could go back to the Holy Land.  I think I would definitely appreciate it more today than I ever did so long ago.  Unfortunately, visiting that area of the world today is one that is not done without risk.  It was dangerous 25 years ago, and things are defiantly worse now.

I'm not going to delve into the politics and current events, as this is not the forum for that talk.  I will pray this Easter Sunday for peace throughout the world and especially in the Holy Land.  Making that pilgrimage safe for all people no matter their religious views should be something we should all hope for.

So, please join me in a prayer for peace in all the world, and particularly in the Holy Land on this most Holy of all days.
  

S&F-Silence and Joy

 

Today is a strange day in the church year.  For the day we reflect on a day without Jesus.  He was placed in the tomb.  His Apostles, probably afraid they would suffer a similar fate, were in hiding.  This is a pivotal date in the beginning of the Church.

We spend the day reflecting on Jesus's descent into Hell to reclaim the souls of those suffering there, including those guilty of original sin Adam and Eve.  This is both a sad and happy day where we have lost Jesus but are finally able to be together with Jesus in heaven.

The pinnacle of the day is the Easter Vigil Mass.  It begins in the darkness, lit only by candles.  We listen to a series of readings chronicling the salvation story.  The lights finally are lit as we proclaim the presence of Jesus and celebrate his resurrection.

One of the things that Mass features is the initiation of new people in our faith.  They are welcomed by receiving baptism, receipt of the Holy Spirit and Holy Communion.  Honestly, I used to have issues in this process.  It always seemed like bundling the Sacraments all together doesn't give the proper attention to each of the Sacraments.  It seemed like, to me, it would be better to separate receiving the Sacraments separately would be better in featuring each of them and their importance.

That changed last year.  I was sitting in my normal seat in the church and saw a young woman who was going through the initiation rites.  The smile on her face was one of pure joy.  She was almost glowing in her glee knowing that she was about to be unified with Christ.

Seeing her changed my opinion on bundling the initiation rites.  If someone is ready to be part of Christ's family, why make them wait to experience that joy that I saw in that young woman? 

S&F: It is Finished

There are some differences in the Gospels when you look at for Jesus's last words.  The last words of Jesus according to John are "It is finished."  Since John was present at the foot of the Cross, I tend to think that is the true last words.  After all, if you were there, wouldn't you remember his last words?

The way we, as Catholics, celebrate the days from Holy Thursday to Easter is by treating them as one single event.  Holy Thursday mass just ends.  There is a procession of the Eucharist but there is never a real ending to the mass.  Everyone just leaves the Church in silence.

Good Friday is the only day during the year that we as Catholics do not have a mass.  We do have a service to venerate the Cross.  We might pray over the Stations of the Cross, remembering the path Jesus took to his crucifixion and the sacrifice he made to redeem the world from our sins.  But since we are focusing on the death of our savior we don't have a reason to celebrate.

Saturday night the triduum finally concludes with the Easter Vigil Mass. We read the story of salvation, culminating with the celebration of the Resurrection.  We welcome new members to our church by celebrating the sacraments.  Finally, our three day service ends with a blessing to go out and proclaim our faith.

So, today I think its best to focus on the cross.  Jesus wasn't carrying his cross.  The cross represents all of our sins.  That's why its so heavy.  So heavy he needed Simon of Cyrene to help bear its weight.

We should all look to our own personal cross.  It might be heavy as well, and we probably could use help carrying it.  We just need to look to Jesus for help in prayer.

"Jesus my cross is heavy, and I'm so tired.  Please help me."

Jesus invites us to follow him.  If we are tired and weary in him we can find rest, because his yoke is easy and his burden is light.

S&F: Dinnertime

Today begins the most important part of the year to Catholics, the Easter Tridium.  Our service tonight is a special one focusing first on the humility of Jesus by washing the feet of his disciples.  The service then moves onto the centerpiece of our faith, the gift of the body and the blood of Christ in the Eucharist.

I don't know if all Christians hold the Last Supper in such high regard as Catholics, but I would assume that part of being a Christian and following the bible means that they too hold some sort of reverence to the events of Holy Thursday.

We, as Christians, should be unified in the events that happened over the next 3 days and their importance regardless of the differences in some of our dogmatic beliefs.

This is the first Holy Thursday, where we celebrate the Last Supper, since the ridiculing of the Leonardo DaVinci painting at the Olympics opening ceremonies.  I know that the painting is just a depiction of DaVinci's view of the events in the upper room, but in that moment the organizers thought it was ok to make fun of the beliefs of billions of people in the world.

Why is it ok to make fun of and ridicule Christians but not other religions?  What would have been the reaction if there was mockery of social issues like LGBT or racial discrimination?  I dare say the Olympics may have been shut down.

I was disappointed on the response from Rome and the Pope following the Olympic opening ceremony controversy.  I didn't hear any outcry from other Christian churches as well.  Its time we, as believers in Christ, notice the presence of evil in the world today.  It's our job to call it out and evangelize for the saving of people involved in the sin ridiculing God.  We should be calling out the hypocrisy of those people who support and allow the mocking of our beliefs. 

I pray for the unification of all Christians against modern contempt of our consolidated faith.  It is time for us to stop being pushovers, afraid to proclaim and defend our faith.  We need to stop being afraid to push back when we are mocked.  We have many biblical examples in church history of people risking their lives to defend Jesus.  Some of them lost their life.  In most cases we will never have to defend our faith over risk of our life.  But we shouldn't be afraid to defend our beliefs in the Lord because someone might cancel us. 

S&F: The Tale of 2 Disciples Part 2-The Cock Crows

Peter was given the keys to Heaven.  He was the rock on which Jesus would build his Church.  He was the first Pope.

In reading the Gospels over Lent I have learned the Peter was far from perfect.  In fact, none of the Apostles were.  There were many situations that Jesus was frustrated with them because they didn't understand Jesus's teachings or bickered amongst themselves about who was the greatest, wanting to be on Jesus's right and left in the kingdom.

But Peter was the chosen one, so he should be the most faithful, right?  Afterall, he did walk on water with Jesus (for a short time).  He was the one who, when asked knew that Jesus was the "...The Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

So what happened after Jesus's  arrest?  Peter stood next to his Master and proclaimed his faith for him?  Nope he denied him.  Not once but 3 times.  Then the cock crowed to remind Peter that Jesus had foretold exactly what had just happened.

So what did Peter do?  Did he go off and punish himself like Judas did?

No.  He wept, for he had denied the Lord, but this only made his faith stronger.  If you read the Gospels and the Act of the Apostles it becomes obvious that at that moment a change came to Peter.  He realized that his denial was a moment of weakness, and with the power of the Holy Spirit, he became the person Jesus knew he could be.  Proclaiming the resurrection, and leading the Church, showing the Way to God.

It took a moment, actually 3 moments, of weakness for Peter to realize his mission.  If we just listen hopefully we can find out what our mission for God is as well.  Not all of us are destined to lead a Church, but we are all destined to proclaim Jesus's love for all.  That is the Way for us to become one in Christ for eternity.     
 

S&F: The Tale of 2 Disciples Part 1-Just 30 Pieces of Silver

Today the plot against Jesus really comes to a head.  The Chief Priests who want to kill Jesus find their ally.  Judas agrees to betray Jesus for 30 silver coins.

I often wonder how much 30 silver coins is really worth.  In today's value the silver itself would be worth a couple of hundred dollars.  In Jesus's time 30 pieces of silver is about the equivalent of 4 months of skilled labor.

It was obvious that Jesus knew what was going on.  After all he was both God and Man.  He knew there would be an unridden colt for his entrance into Jerusalem.  He knew that there would be a room for he and his disciples to celebrate the Passover meal.  When he choose Judas to be one on the 12, did he choose him knowing what he would do?  Did Jesus choose Judas specifically to be his betrayer?

I think Jesus hoped when he made Judas one of his chosen, that Judas would embrace Jesus's mission.  But God gave us all freewill and obviously there was enough doubt in Judas to allow Satan into his heart.  Once that happened Jesus's fate was sealed.  As was Judas's.

The part of the story that really is sad is how Judas reacted.  After it was done and Jesus was taken away, Judas did realize he had done wrong.  He went to the Chief Priests and tried to give the silver back.  But he was looking for forgiveness from the wrong people.  I do believe Jesus loved Judas as he loves each one of us.  I do believe Jesus would have forgiven him.

Judas fell into deep despair, and eventually died alone by hanging.

Hopefully we can realize no matter what we may have done, Jesus's forgiveness is unlimited.  And if we show faith in Him we will never be alone, even in death.  

 

S&F-Confessions of a Cradle Catholic III: Angry Jesus

Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those engaged in selling and buying there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And he said to them, “It is written: ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a den of thieves." (Mt 21:12-13)

Jesus is always thought of as being peaceful and accepting, but remember he is fully man, and obviously he has a temper as well.

This is not the Gospel today, however, in going through the events of Holy Week this is one of my favorites and it gives me a chance to rant, which, as a grumpy old man, I love to do.

Every Christmas season for as long as I can remember I go to Church every week and see the parents from the school peddling gift cards in the back of the church.  While the people buying the gift cards get them at full value, the school gets a cut on each card purchased.  Huh?  Are these parents just the money changers?  Am I allowed to channel my inner Jesus and flip their table?

I know what you are saying.  The gift card sales aren't jacking up the price of the gift cards or charging interest of something.  So the idea of gift card sales does not have a bad intent.  But I'm sure that there were people in the temple area just trying to make money they needed to support their family by selling goods during while the celebration of Passover was going on.  They didn't have a negative intent.  But Jesus still took his whip and drove them from the temple area.  Good intent does not mean good reality.

While flipping the table and making some cool speech would be cool, I resist my urge to do so.  I just don't think it would be accepted unless Jesus actually did it.  However the purpose of this Cradle Catholic Series is for me to fix the Church, at least in the view of a grumpy old man.  So here's my wish for the gift card sales this holiday season, stop selling gift cards, like the money changers, in the house of prayer.  They can distribute order forms but move the actual transaction to the school office or to the rectory.

Now I know when I look at the back of the church this Christmas season I'm sure that nothing will change and I'll see school parents doing their duty and selling gift cards.  Once again I will resist my urge to shame them for turning the church into a den of thieves.  But I tell you this, if I see them selling doves back there I can not be held responsible for my actions.  Those tables doves and all are gonna be a flippin.

S&F-Holy Monday: Judas asks a Question

In today's Gospel from John we are placed in the home of Lazarus, whom Jesus had recently raised from the dead.  We see one of his sisters, Mary, anoint Jesus with oil and drying his feet with her hair.  Judas Iscariot was confused by this and questioned why those oils were not being sold and the money given to the poor?  Jesus then foretells again of his coming death, when the oils will be needed for his body.

In some ways I can understand the question that Judas asks.  At this point he would look on Jesus as someone who is rooted on humility and care for the poor and downtrodden.  The Jesus he thought he knew would have wanted to increase his effect on the poor rather than glorify himself.

What Judas missed is the second part of what Jesus said, where he eluded to his coming sacrifice, where they would always have the poor but would no longer have him.

So what do we learn from this passage?  I think while we can put ourselves in Judas's shoes and wonder what we can do to help the poor, we should look towards Jesus's whole mission.  We can do what we can to help the poor in our daily lives, but we can also remember that Jesus said the least on earth will be the most in Heaven.  In some ways the best we can do for the suffering on earth is to glorify God everyday and give thanks for Jesus's sacrifice to restore our relationship with Him.

I know that I don't have a lot of people who read this blog.  And I'm sure that even less read my posts on my faith.  But if I can just get one person to think about the importance of their relationship with God for their eternal life it makes it all worth it.  Realize I am praying for all of you, especially this week when we celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord. 

S&F-Palm Sunday: Our Hero Enters the City

Over the Catholic Liturgical year there are many special days on the calendar.  The two big ones are Christmas and Easter.  They are so big that they have whole seasons (Advent and Lent) devoted for preparation and time periods after to celebrate.

While both are important, I always find myself drawn to the Lent/Easter as the one that means more to me personally.  And I think the reason is Holy Week, which starts today.

Today, with Palm Sunday, we reenact the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem.  With the reading being the entire narrative of the Passion from Jesus's praying in the garden, to the arrest, scourging and crucifixion we get all the highlights of the week to come.

And that's what I love about this week.  I can wake up every day and think about what Jesus was doing today on his week leading up to his death.  This is a good time to imagine being present in the events of Holy Week week Jesus.

Today I picture myself in the crowd, watching Jesus sitting on the donkey entering the gates of Jerusalem.  I see myself as one of the Jews in the crowd cheering the living God entering the city.  Is this going to be the time that Jesus is going to fulfill the prophesies and take his seat at the temple?  Is this the time where he is going to overthrow our Roman oppressors?

We know now that Jesus's mission was not to triumph as an military hero, but to have a victory over sin and to restore our relationship with God.

But, 2000 years ago, the typical Jew would have still looked to Jesus as someone who was going to call down the wrath of God on the Romans and restore the kingdom on earth.  And that is why Jesus is being celebrated as a conquering hero on his entry to the city.

How does the attitude change so much that we go from cheering Jesus to demanding for his death over the next week?  That's the journey we, as Christians go, on over Holy Week.  It's exciting to walk with Jesus over the coming days and I am looking forward to documenting it here.