Is there anything more dehumanising than nailing a living man to a piece of wood, than fixing him there and waiting for him to die. Listening, as he struggles for breath, to the creak of the timbers. Looking on, as the timbers become bloodied and sweat stained, smeared with faeces and urine as the victim is incapable of controlling his his body, as the knots and snags and splinters make their own wounds in his body, He becomes one with it. And all this happens amid the stench of the city rubbish dump, amidst the dead dogs and excrement cleared off the streets.
Here God become Man, becomes Filth, Rubbish, Garbage, Scum, all that is rejected. This the consequence of the Incarnation, the consequence of Divine Love.
Here is a deeper Mystery; the Crucifixion is Eternal, the Good Friday events are for all time. The Cross is the Bride of the Lamb, He is fixed to it, He and it are caught in an Infinite Eternal embrace. The Crucifixion is the Lamb's marriage feast. What God takes on He cannot reject. The Cross is at the very heart of the Trinity. Christ is wedded to it, the two have become one, nailed together by the iron nails of Divine Love.
The Cross is the Church, in which Christ is continually crucified, freely taken up in love, unrejectable, one with Christ, the source of His infinite pain and the source of His infinite joy.
9 comments:
Father,
Thank-you. In my sinful humanity I am sat here with tears in my eyes. I've never read (or expected to read) such a moving reflection on this wonderful day.
Truly moving, truly thought-provoking and just true!!
A blessed Triduum to you and your Parish.
Beautiful, Father.
God bless you and your congregation this Easter.
Is that not why you care about the homeless, the rejects, the ones who are unacceptable, Father? The created image and likeness of God with which we were endowed, in the Son of Man is seen reduced to this by mankind.
Let everyone who speaks of the right to choose death with dignity, think on your exposition of the manner of death of Our Lord; and this is to say nothing of the pain inflicted on the Victim's Mother, who witnessed all of this.
Thank you for your blog.
Thoughtful raw post Father, thank you.
When I am suffering, I have found it possible to receive a strange comfort, if I approach Mary's pierced Heart. This isn't a sweet sentiment, in my experience, it is a tangible fact. Try it, whatever your sorrow, just close your eyes and ask to be moved towards Mary's heart. I don't quite know how to articulate what happens, but it makes the pain less isolated, is about as good a description as I can muster.
I also find I have needed to do it more than once, as I am one for handing my problems/will over and then taking it back again! It stops me feeling too sorry for myself as well, something I can sometimes be partial to.
I read your words on Easter Sunday. Your thoughts are very moving on my soul. Nobody keeps a lamp hidden from view. Keep the blog, woops - keep the faith!
Tears here, too. Thank you Father.
Thank you Father. As has been said, your writing is beautifully moving. I would like to use this if I may (giving credit to you).
A happy and holy Easter to you and your parish.
Shepherd, do
Father, I was too choked upon reading your post to reply at the time. It has sat with me each day since.
Thank you.
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