Yesterday we participated in the 5^th annual Good Friday Ecumenical Prayer Walk. Under the leadership of the Just Faith initiative at Ascension Catholic Church in Melbourne, Florida and Mary Kay Kantz, a group of area ministers gathered to plan and carry out the first Ecumenical Prayer Walk. It has grown over the years. Over 350 participated yesterday. This marked our third year of participation because the Walk gives relevance and meaning to what Good Friday is all about today. The subtheme of the Walk is, “Where Is Jesus Suffering Today?” There are eight stations on the Walk and in this and future posts I will try to give some understanding about the significance of each station. These posts will serve as good reflections on the meaning of the Risen Christ. Tomorrow we proclaim from the rooftops that the Cosmic Christ is Risen; therefore, we, the Body of Christ, have the responsibility to find Christ where He is suffering today and do His work of alleviating human misery and suffering. Continue reading →

For some reason this Holy Week I am constantly being drawn to putting on the mind of Christ. What was Jesus really experiencing as his execution as a common criminal drew closer?

Today’s reading from John tells us that in part Jesus was thinking about betrayal and denial. Sharing a final meal with those whom he loved (and I don’t think the guest list included only men), Jesus realized that Judas would betray him to accord with the scripture about 30 pieces of silver. Jesus realized that the bold and often fickle Peter would melt down when challenged about friendship with him before the cock could crow three times. Betrayal at the hands of others is always painful. It is also very painful when people deny you when the chips are down. Continue reading →

I missed a few days of Lenten posts because I had to dig out at 6 am to go to photography school at the rookery at Gatorland in Orlando on Saturday and Sunday. Photographer Robert Amoruso (click for some great photographs http://www.wildscapeimages.biz/) combined the experience of shooting photos with classroom instruction. I learned a lot and am humbled to know I still need to learn a whole lot more. You will see some of the fruits of my labors in the coming weeks.

Anyway, back to Holy Week. A week in which Jesus the Christ was crucified like a common criminal is called “Holy.” Could it also be called Shame Week because the Jews and Romans refused to hear Jesus’ message? Continue reading →

Archbishop Romero with the People

As we approach Holy Week, it is important to see Holy Week and the death and resurrection of the Christ as an ongoing ever-present event. Jesus, like many before and after him, spoke truth to power and bad things happen to good people when they do that. How else can the system of wealth, greed and power perpetuate itself?

This week commemorates the assassination of Archbishop Romero in El Salvador because he fought the injustice perpetrated by the rich and powerful. He knew that he had a target on his back and would pay the ultimate price:

I have often been threatened with death. I must tell you, as a Christian, I do not believe in a death without resurrection. If am killed, I shall arise again in the Salvadoran people…You may say, if they succeed in killing me, that I pardon and bless those who do it. Would , indeed, that they might be convinced that they will waste their time. A bishop will die, but God´s church, which is the people, will never perish. (http://www.razonypalabra.org.mx/anteriores/n19/19_hegil.html) Continue reading →

Soar
c. J. P. Mahon, 2013

Today’s readings are all about loyalty and recognizing changing truth. Often we must live with paradox. Abraham marked the beginning of the faith story for Israelites. The “Jews” Jesus was confronting felt comfortable with Abraham. Now Jesus is telling them they will have to step out of their comfort zone and begin a new journey according to the truth Jesus is revealing from the Father. Remember Jesus is a Jew. He is not calling them to a new religion. He is challenging them to step up to a new level of relationship with God within the context of Judaism. Continue reading →

On the Feast of St. Joseph we can reflect on fear and trust. Joseph was in a quandary. Mary was with child and they were not yet formally married. The Torah and its interpreters spelled out specific punishments for this including death for the woman. Joseph had to be afraid and yet he understood that God was calling him to trust and let things work out.

In a speech given in 1990, Aung Sang Suu Kyi  of Burma/Miramar said:

It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it. . . . Fearlessness may be a gift but perhaps more precious is the courage acquired through endeavour, courage that comes from cultivating the habit of refusing to let fear dictate one’s actions, courage that could be described as ‘grace under pressure’ – grace which is renewed repeatedly in the face of harsh, unremitting pressure.

Fear does amazing things. It corrupts. It paralyzes. It causes people to make unwise choices. Fear is debilitating to the human spirit.

How many times did Jesus say, “Do not be afraid?” Jesus wanted to shift our focus on God from fear of the sin checker in the sky to trust in a loving Father.

Yesterday I had an experience that taught me something about fear and trust. My first step was to call Gatorland in Orlando and buy a ticket for the zip line over alligators and crocodiles. That was the easy part. On my 71^st birthday, we drove to Gatorland. There are five segments to the zip line, the highest being 60 feet off the ground. There is also a cable bridge between the fourth and fifth segments. There are alligators, crocodiles and other creatures lurking below. The hardest part was jumping off the first platform. When I landed rather awkwardly on the second platform and waited for the next ride, I noticed that my hands were tingling. I had really held on to the two tethers securing me to the zip cable. When I glided off the second tower, I sensed my tight grip and and told myself to relax and let go. In an act of trust I entered into the moment of the ride and the rest of the segments were easier.

Experiences such as this help us understand our relationship with the Creator. It is natural to fear heights and illness and death. If we are always asking, “What’s gonna happen?” we certainly cannot live in the present moment. Regular meditation practice teaches us to live in the present and to enjoy what is happening here and now. We all have opportunities to understand, “Do not be afraid” at ever deeper levels.

Darkness seems to be a theme in today’s readings. Susannah walked in a dark valley until Daniel in his wisdom vindicated her. Psalm 23 speaks about walking in a dark valley.  Jesus informs the people that he is “the Light of the World” and that his followers shall not walk in darkness.

Darkness is scary. Things go bump in the night. Nightmares cause us to breathe a big sigh of relief when we waken and realize the dream was not real. In abbeys the final act after chanting the last hour of the daily cycle is the abbot’s blessing of the monks as they enter the dark of night. The Phantom of the Opera sings of “The Music of the Night:” Continue reading →