He Is Risen! reflectiion from a Holy Land pilgrim

With each passing year...the older I get...my faith seems to be moving from acceptance of abstraction to acceptance of the very real. As a child, I didn't really understand how incredible the words "He has risen!" really are. And how this statement defies human understanding, yet, I accepted easily. As an adult, my faith is filled with much more wonder for recognition of what "He has risen!" really means.  The memory of my recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land contributes to this wonder.   The stories and places of the bible are so much more real to me. Gratitude fills my heart this Easter, but mostly for Jesus and the perspective His teachings bring.

 -(reflection and photo from Holy Land pilgrim AD).

  On the Sea of Galilea, off the shore of Tiberias

Easter Vigil snapshots

Our Easter Candle is Lit!



Fr. Sean proclaiming the "Exultet" - He is Risen!

Our Cornerstone sisters proclaimed the Word of the Lord
Let us lift up our hearts to the Lord!


Everyone is arrayed with the Lord's creations


CHRIST BE OUR LIGHT

ALLELUIA!

Roll Away the Stone!
He is Risen! ALLELUIA!

Good Friday reflections from a pilgrimage

 Our Mt. Carmel pilgrims traveled to the Holy Land where Jesus was born and died.

They woke very,very early one morning and walked the Way of the Cross.

  Louise shares her moving experience with us this Good Friday.

"On the seventh day of our pilgrimage early in the morning we started the day on the Via Dolorosa “The Way of the Cross”.  We stopped and read each station along the way.  Fr. John Paul led us  after each station ( group of five taking a turn carrying the cross )  singing  “O heal me , O heal me, O heal me Jesus, heal me.  There are nine stations along the way the remaining five inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. After the ninth station Fr. John Paul, dressed in his white alb, was then given the cross to carry the remainder of the walk (we followed).  He placed the cross upon his shoulder with dignity and ease and his tight grip on the cross spoke to me. My eyes transfixed on his hand my thought was “I am never alone, should never be overwhelmed, Jesus is always with me either carrying or bringing me always to Hope. 

Later that morning, I witnessed Fr. John Paul kneel, touch The Stone of Unction (the stone where Jesus’ body was prepared for burial)   with his eyes closed, a peaceful expression came across his face, I again witnessed faith.   At our visit to the (believed) site of the High Priest Caiaphas’ home, we walked down the stairs into an area where excavations have shown a rock-cut flagellation post.  Fr. John placed his hands upon the rock, closed his eyes and sorrow this time on his face.  How blessed am I to have experienced such feelings in the core of my heart, while my eyes witnessed deep faith and the memory of John Paul’s hand tightly gripped to the cross understanding love, and lastly his look of sorrow while being in the places where Jesus may have walked.  This has been a grace given to me as I search Jesus in these last days of Holy Week."

Via Dolorosa, the Way of the Cross, - Jesus
meets his mother.

Holy Sepucher Church - the site of the Holy Cross

- believed to be where the cross actually was in the ground.
It is a site of holy veneration as you can see-

we each knelt down in
humility to kiss the ground.
Holy Sepucher Church - the site of the Holy Cross

-Kathy L photos and caption

Holy Thursday- the Last Supper

 Holy Thurday

The Last Supper

It is Holy Thursday.

I am preparing for a feast on Sunday.

There is a lot to do-

Plan the menu, shop, set the table

cook, clean

make adequate space for the guests.

It was no different on that Holy Thursday.

Someone like me prepared the supper.

Someone like me set the table.

Someone like me expected a special guest.

Someone like me found enough chairs

and enough plates and cups

And someone like me had Jesus come for dinner.

The women were busy that day

making all the preparations.

By the time they served the meal, they must have been exhuasted.

But they were there.

And when Jesus broke the bread, and said the blessing

he said it for everyone

and when he shared the bread he shared it with all, the women too.

And when he blessed the cup

and shared it-

he shared it with the women too

Giving thanks to God for His greatness.

I imagine Jesus thanked the women for preparing the food

perhaps complimenting some delcious portion he tasted

knowing the loving work it takes to make a Passover feast.

I imagine the hostess, nervous at first,

was calmed by Jesus

as he humbly washed the feet of his disciples

until in gratitude tried to wash hers....

Today

We are all welcome at the Table of the Lord.

We are given a gift of being at the Last Supper

 every time we partake of the Eucharist.

Today

 we can remember that women made the bread

served the meal

and

ate the bread

and

drank of the cup

with Jesus
and

are deeply loved by him. 

Then and now.

Linda has shared a beautiful poem she came across just recently in America Magazine,
written by a woman- a nun

Sister Lou Ella Hickman

“a woman at the last supper”

i knew exactly what he meant

for I know about body and blood

as well as flowers and yeast and sewing

he used words I could understand about giving life

and during those moments

I felt the world revolved around me instead of only men

but now

there are dishes to wash, a floor to sweep

and food to put away

yes, I know about body and blood; about giving life

and I will remember

Wenesday of Holy Week

It is time to face the cross.

in all of Lent

I looked at the back of the cross,

as a bystander, an observer.

Knowing the story, I do not want to face the cross.

As the Tridium begins

I turn and look at Jesus.

I think of Jesus, the man, the son, the friend,

betrayed by a trusted disciple.

I think of his personal pain

I have felt that acute pain

that comes from betrayal of a loved one.

It pierces the heart.

But I will not stop here and wait for the sorrow.

I will keep walking,

and I will pass the pain

because I have learned of forgiveness from the Lord.

I can walk to the light

I can walk in the love

-because Jesus did

and showed me how.

I am facing the cross and trying to comprehend the events of Holy Week.

I realize I will never grasp this enormity,

I live in the aftermath of the greatest lesson ever taught by example-

Jesus living, dying and rising.

And I feel God's love.

Amen

Denying Christ and Reconciliation

Peter said to him,

“Master, why can I not follow you now?

I will lay down my life for you.”

Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me?

Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow

before you deny me three times.” Jn 13: 37-38

The photo is taken at the Church of St. Peter in Gallincantu, meaning 'cock-crow'. The statue is entitled, "No, I do not know the man". Peter indeed did deny Christ, but don't I do the same? And perhaps more than 3x a day?

Tonight and Wednesday evening we have the opportunity to seek forgiveness in the sacrament of Reconciliation. We can choose like Peter to return to the Lord, again and again and again.
- Kathy L.

We are preparing.

Easter is a few days away.

The church is prepared with washing and waxing the floors.

Are we washed and waxed too

with shiny hearts and souls?

Even loyal stouthearted Peter, who swore oaths,

was un-prepared for his test.

Father Ron today said Peter was over-confident of his faith.

I feel confident in my faith,

but wonder- how many times I would fail if put to the test like Peter?

3 times 30, I fear.

but like Peter, I now stand with the Lord

proclaiming my love and fidelity,

Grateful that my faith is nourished, not tested at Mt. Carmel

and praying the day will never come

that I deny the Lord.

The Lenten season has been uplifting in a new way.

My OLMC faith has allowed me to see and feel joy

where my old faith was filled with Lenten dread, remorse and sorrow.

God's love has given me a new freedom

to live in the light in every season, even Lent.

I will be going to the Vatican with the Mt. Carmel choir

where they will sing at the Altar of the Chair on July 3rd.

There I plan to humbly reflect on how Peter became the rock of our great and marvelous church

in spite of his grave transgression of denying his dearest friend and Lord.

If Peter can rise from his faults

so can I.

Holy Week Blessings

Lucy