Today we spent quite a long time listening to the Scriptures – from the triumphant palm waving entry of Jesus into Jerusalem at the beginning of the service to the whole Passion account (Luke’s version) :  the Last Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, the trial, the Crucifixion, the burial.  Fr. Sean unpacked it a bit for us by focusing on how we avoid doing what we don’t want to do, or fear doing – or live in fear of what’s coming (like, eventually, death…)

Even Jesus agonized in the Garden…so, too, we do.

Facing death may be a tough challenge, but what gets me most about the Passion is how Jesus sacrificed Himself – for us.  And, you know what? Sacrifice might kinda be a scarier concept than death, because it involves little deaths to self each time we choose to lay our lives down for others…

Onto munching lunch & reading a recent Time Magazine when a quote from G.K. Chesterton popped out:

“the Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.”

This made me pause… & reflect… on SACRIFICE as an ideal… & so grabbled a few bits of paper & there these ruminations scribbled:

SACRIFICE
..is not necessarily easy or nice…
it’s HARD and TOUGH  to do.

SACRIFICE
…lay down our lives?
…pick up our crosses?
(Jesus’ yoke making burdens Light –
they’re still there, however much we fight…)

SACRIFICE = a journey
a process, one day at a time
letting go of ourselves
doing the ‘next thing’ –
small steps of faith, small ‘tries’
amidst difficulties, despair, frustrated sighs.

Letting go of what we can’t do…
so God CAN do.  It. Through. Us.
Our sacrifices made aNew.

JESUS –

The Glue
Keeping disparate pieces of our lives
(minds, hearts, spirits)
Together
(no matter the weather…)

SACRIFICE –
‘tis hard, that’s true
laying our lives down…
But, as we try it…
God DOES make us New!

SACRIFICE
Tis’ a difficult ideal
(for real!!!)

…but a Person to follow
God in man (& woman!)
each day our hearts to fill
Flames of Fire
…Love incarnate on a Cross bleeding
…may our minds & spirits be heeding

JESUS CHRIST…

To know Him still
each day, in every way

Mercy in forgiving
Grace abounding
Joy in living
Love surrounding…
plus Peace & Understanding
& the Wisdom to do –

acts of kindness, courage & selflessness
without much trumpeted ado.

 All for Him…
Ideals in living – who counts the cost?
Far richer the sacrifice
in Him Who makes ALL things New.

Broken hearts, dashed dreams
…& our stumbles along the way
HE takes us in as we are
from the rough & tumble fray

The Cross, HIS Sacrifice
…Leads us…
Every Day

…….

So, sacrifice? an ideal? … yes, ’tis  possible – in Christ! – for real.

grace, peace & SACRIFICE

   Virginia :  )