Encountering the Risen Christ

We read the Gospel passage of the women and later the two disciples coming to the tomb and not finding Jesus. Where is he, who took him? It is not the question we should ponder, but the answer.  He has risen. He is in everyone one of us. His presence transcends our limited human abilities to understand.  It is the mystery of faith.

Much like looking at someone who we see as empty and broken,  wrapped up in themselves, we don't always see the real picture.  Think of Jesus once crucified wrapped up in the linens. He was assumed dead, by many to not to be heard from again.  Can we find the same Jesus in those we don't want anything to do with? This is where we are challenged. Paul exhorts us to clear out the old yeast, to become a fresh batch of dough.  We can discard the old yeast of malice and wickedness as Paul states and become the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Encountering Christ is possible when the stone of our self-dependence is rolled away to find our own emptiness and the need for God. Let us find the risen Christ in all we encounter and all that we do.  Easter blessings to all my brothers and sisters.

Joining the Crowd

Over the last couple of weeks the word crowd in reference to the Jews of the time is prevalent in various scripture passages from John's Gospel passage reference to the Jesus instructing the lame man to take up his mat, his outburst in the temple to those who profess to know him, and finally today in the Passion.  What brings out the worst of the worst behavior of those in the crowd? What brings people to want bloodshed?

In the today's Magnificat meditation Caryll Houselander sheds a somewhat prophetic light on this behavior how those who might otherwise of sane actions take up cause that has been inspired by a human leader and lose their identity in their lust to share the power of the leader.  Oh,the desire to belong to something always tempts us. It is easy to join in a conversation that targets a particular person who is not liked for their behavior or actions that do not correspond to ours.  Or for that matter to join a movement that seems to address a particular injustice whether real or not.  Is this any different than the crowds who rose up against Jesus? We are challenged to take up the cross instead of standing on the sidelines and hurling insults.  The challenge not join in a condemning conversation of a colleague or the latest news-making personality is our cross. Do I have it within me to pray instead for those whose views do not reflect mine or those whose actions arouse anger and condemnation? Or is it easier to belong to the crowd that Caryll Houselander alludes to?

I harken back to last Sunday's Gospel reading in which Jesus says to the crowd waiting to to waiting to stone the adulteress, "Let those among you who is without sin throw the first stone." For me I am all to ready to throw the stone, condemnation, or insulting word at a sinner. I pray that for the next seven days of Holy Week, I can unite with body of Christ, my fellow humans of whom I belong and help take up their cross whatever it might be and be merciful. Lord Jesus Christ Son of everliving God, have mercy on me a sinner.