He was a priest I admired
and respected. We met years ago in the Highlands of Scotland. At that time, I
swore I would be a Sister of Life. Figuring I would be draped in blue and
white, a bride of Christ the following Fall as a sacrifice for the culture, a total
and complete gift so that others might live I prayed my way around the globe on
an amazing three-month voyage. From Ireland, Scotland, England, Medjugorjie,
Rome, Australia, New Zealand and finally to Connecticut for a Come and See
Retreat I asked: “Should I enter?” God said, “No”.
I had peace and I
grieved. “Be sad,” he said. “Well Father, if you are wondering why there isn’t
a line out the door maybe it’s because of the advice you are giving.” I joked. But
all kidding aside, it was some of the best advice I’ve ever received. Grief
frightens us. We don’t talk about it. We don’t know how. I reckon it’s similar
to Holy Saturday. There is the pending joy of the resurrection; there is the
reminder of the Passion. As we sit in the tension between these two, it begs
the question where does that leave us today? Holy Saturday is not Good Friday
and it is not Easter Sunday. It is a chasm, a gap, and yet it is a reality unto
itself. We can get caught up vacillating between what was (Good Friday) and
what will be (Easter Sunday), that we skip over what is (Holy Saturday). Yet,
if we let it, Holy Saturday and grief can be great gifts. “Grief helps you let
go of the past that you cling to and opens the door to a new world, a new life
and new reality, that you hadn't planned.” What do we do when we are waiting for transformation, waiting on
miracles, waiting on God? What do we do in the chasm? Mary stands at the tomb
today and is proof that our time of grief may not be barren. For as Mary stood
weeping with hope, it was here that the resurrected Christ met her before all
others: “Blessed is she who believed”.
Verso l’alto,
Coop
“Thus says the Lord, God,
the Holy One of Israel: ‘By waiting and by calm you shall be saved, in quiet
and in trust your strength lies….Yet the Lord is waiting to show you favor, and
he rises to pity you; for the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all who
wait for him!” (Is. 30: 15,18).
Be still and know I am
God
Be still and know I am
Be still and know
Be still
Be
Now I’ll be bold as well
as strong And use my head alongside my heart
I'm
on the edge of glory And I'm hanging on a moment of truth
(So I
wouldn't say this song is entirely awesome life advice but the part she gets
right is right on the money. Today, let us live on the edge of Glory! )
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