“The Lord is my light & my salvation whom shall i fear?…” (Ps. 27:1)
grace, peace & dashes to the Easter Vigil(!)
Virginia : )
Here’s a Good Friday quote for reflection:
“Look at the Cross and you will see Jesus’ head bent to kiss you, His arms extended to embrace you, His heart opened to receive you, to enclose you within His love. Knowing that the Cross was His greater love for you and for me, let us accept His Cross in whatever He wants to give, let us give with joy whatever He wants to take, for in doing so they will know that we are His disciples, that we belong to Jesus, that the work you and I do is but our love in action…” Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
( from Love: A Fruit Always in Season – Daily Meditations by Mother Teresa”)
grace, peace & Good Friday Love
Virginia
(Cross: Convent of San Francesco, Assisi)
Holy Thursday takes us to the Upper Room where the first thing Jesus did was wash the disciples feet, humbly like a servant. Across the world this evening thousands of lay people will have their feet washed by the Clergy (bishops, priests, pastors…) I don’t know about you, but if asked to be one of the in-public-washees, i would make sure my feetsies were properly pedicured before anyone (especially a priest!) washed them.
In Jesus’ time most folks wore sandals. It gets very dusty walking around the Middle East which would make the disciples’ feet very smelly, dirty & definitely not pre-pedicured.
But Jesus takes those smelly feet gently in His hands & washes the grime away. Jesus, their leader. Jesus, the Messiah. Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus, their Teacher. On His knees. With a basin & towel. Washing. Their. Feet. …
… Teaching them (& us) a lesson in LOVE. It’s time to put on our aprons of faith, roll up our sleeves & start washing. Since those water buckets can get heavy, it’s a good idea to strengthen our L.O.V.E. muscles. What’s L.O.V.E.?
Live Others-centered Value Everyone
L – We must choose to LIVE LOVE – because love IS a choice. Choosing to live with a towel of love wrapped around our attitudes vs. being dead to the needs of those around us or within us. Living in Love is to be alive with the love of Christ in the deepest part of our hearts & letting that love infiltrate our minds & other parts of our being.
O – Washing feet puts the focus on what we can do for others. Small things, big things, sometimes smelly things… our actions speak louder than our words. Being Others-Centered means not seeking ‘what’s in it for me’ but what’s in me for them. (‘love always protects, always hopes, always perseveres… I Cor 13’)
V – To tenderly wash someone’s feet intimates VALUE. Jesus tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves, but first we must ‘get’ our Beloved status as daughters & sons of The King of Heaven. We are Beloved. As we act out of our Belovedness, we recognize that same status in others & lift them up (not down!)
E – Tax collectors (sell-outs to Rome) & Zealots (freedom fighters/terrorists depending on which side you’re on) & Judas (the betrayer): Jesus washed the feet of Everyone in that Upper Room. That means your annoying colleague, neighbor, pushy Republican/ Democrat in-law, liberal or conservative (sometimes) friend. Ever thought about washing the feet of those with whom you have very little in common? (or maybe even dislike? Love is not so much about ‘like’ as it is about choice & commitment.) Everyone also includes HIV/AIDS victims, the rich, the poor, politicians (!!) & people of every color, ethnicity & ability around this world. EVERYONE.
If we exercised our L.O.V.E. muscles more often (vs. our ‘judge-others’ muscles) maybe (just maybe) we might fulfill what Jesus Christ asked us to do ….
“Do you know what I have done to you?..if I, your Lord & Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet… As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; abide in My love… This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:12, 14; John 15: 9, 12)
grace, peace & The Order of the Towel (& buckets)
Virginia : )
Since this is Holy Week, today we’re visiting Jerusalem where Jesus Christ walked the path to His crucifixion 2,000+ years ago. One blessing-ish perk of living for 5 years not-too-far from the Old City was following the Via Dolorosa on Good Friday. (i usually went with the Anglicans who did the just-after-sunrise morning walk Before The Crowds!)
I always enjoyed walking around the Old City – several of my colleagues & friends lived there, mainly in the Coptic & Armenian Convents. (No, there were not nuns, but under the Ottomans the city was divided into ‘sections’ or neighborhoods, in some cases owned by Very Old Churches whose families have lived there for eons!)
At the Fifth Station Jesus gets help from Simon the Cyrenean
The Via Dolorosa ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre over the site where tradition places the tomb of Jesus. (interesting to note that everyone always kisses the stone, but the Latin inscription reads: “He is not here. He is Risen.” – Abuna Chacour pointed that out once & i never forgot!)
As you walk around the streets of the Old City you will see that it is a very special place in the Jewish & Muslim faiths as well.
This week as we remember the Via Dolorosa (‘way of grief’) of Jesus Christ, please pray for the peace of Jerusalem – that the peoples of different faiths living there may find unity without bloodshed & dignity without demolishing hearts dreaming of a future of peaceful coexistence for their children (who are all God’s Beloved children!)
grace, peace & Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem
Virginia : )
“…as Jesus approached Jerusalem & saw the city, He wept over it…” (Luke 19:41)
Today here’s a reflective (& thought provoking) quote from one of my favorite spiritual writers, Sister Macrina Wiederkehr…
“…one of you will betray Me.” John 13:21
“…Betrayal is heart-wrenching. The very word, betrayal, suggests that there was once understanding, love and faithfulness existing between the betrayer and the one betrayed. It is possible to be totally oblivious to our ways of betrayal. Our betrayals may not be sealed with 30 pieces of silver, yet there are subtle ways that we can deceive others and ourselves.
‘Self-betrayal’ may sound contradictory, but we do have a way of turning on ourselves and selling ourselves short. We betray ourselves when we are too busy to pray. We betray ourselves when we are too distracted to be grateful for the blessings in our lives. We betray ourselves when we do not acknowledge and use our talents and gifts. We betray ourselves and others when we refuse to forgive or when we nurse violent thoughts.” Sister Macrina Wiederkehr, O.S. B.
Reading this sort of turned Judas’ betrayal of Jesus upside down in my head. We think, ‘i could never have done that So-Very-Terrible-Deed, to sell Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver’ (!) but Sister Macrina applies this stark reality so aptly to our lives.
Oh Lord, have mercy on us all (starting with ME!)
grace, peace & Betrayals (of all sizes)
Virginia : )
As we enter Holy Week (just a few more days of Lent!) instead of posting a movie something, today i would like to focus on Food. what? yep. Food – MEALS (& how we eat them.) Remember the Last Supper? when Jesus ate with the disciples? So yes, it does make sense to highlight the whole meal thing this week.
So often we eat our meals ‘on the run,’ gobbling a hard-boiled egg or piece of toast as we run out the door… & at dinner time with our families, we go our separate ways with takeaway or sit like noncommunicative zombies watching TV.
Last year i found the “Grace Before Meals” cookbook at Barnes & Noble (yes, Cookbooks are also overflowing from Va’s shelves all over the house! : ) but couldn’t resist this one because the ‘chef’ is a Catholic PRIEST – Father Leo Patalinghug.
He & some friends started the “Grace Before Meals” movement to get more families to enjoy making meals & eating them together. Evidently he’s quite a Good Cook, having dazzled his seminarian buddies & even restaurant owners in Rome.
This small cookbook is filled with tasty menus & recipes, but also reflections & questions for family discussion by season. Good stuff to foster family fellowship (vs. munching In Front of The Tube.)
Father Leo also recounts his surprise ‘Throw Down’ with Food Network Iron Chef Bobby Flay (one of his Food Heroes!) that really put the Grace Before Meals movement on the national & international map. Check out their website for recipes, emails, videos plus Father Leo’s cool blog.
Since i am the Chief Cook & Bottle Washer for the Savvy Saints (my parents) & brother Dwight (he gets a specially packed lunch each day), i do try to make tasty meals. We have a Big Breakfast every morning & savory supper (altho sometimes Pizza sneaks onto the Menu when Cook Is Worn Out) but we do enjoy our meals together.
It started Way Back… growing up in the Woodward Home for seven of us (five kids + parents) mealtimes were kinda special – not just the Food (my Mama was an AMAZING COOK!) but also family fellowship.
We were all Very Busy Kids (sports, cheerleading, SCA, band, choir you name it!) & Papa & Mama were Also Busy, so sometimes the only time we could all be together was around breakfast & dinner (contingent upon sport schedules – my older brother Dean is 6’7″ & was ‘into’ basketball & soccer in a Big Way!)
Papa would blast the Theme from the Movie Rocky on the upstairs speakers & we would all come running down the stairs to the table at 6:00AM for a devotional moment + prayers for the one on our right, followed by a Very Yummy breakfast (Mama’s menus included eggs benedict, hot biscuits, pancakes, french toast, baked eggs, freshly baked apple muffins. Since i am a cook now, she must have been up at 4:30a.m. to make all that!) .. then we were off to the schoolbus by 6:30 (we went to school in another city.)
Then Mama would go all out for dinner (which made us Very Popular: our friends often asked themselves over on weekends!) The seven of us could be Quite A Noisy Bunch (my older sisters were both Cheerleaders & of course i am totally quiet & shy!) so early on Papa instituted an evening “Round Table.” He would go around our (literally) round table & ask each of us:
“Did you have a good day or a bad day?”
“What was the best (or worst) thing?”
“Do you anything to ask, or show, or tell?” (we had to have the ‘to be shown’ items with us under our seats)…
For a few moments everyone had to Be Quiet & listen to even the littlest ones (ok, so that would be my younger brother & i!) to find what happened (re: prayers in the morning) & have a bit of Family Fellowship.
Looking back those are precious memories i will never forget – & i knew that if my day was bad (being a Teenager is Not Easy!) my family cared… & if it was Good, they would celebrate with me!
Sometimes after a long day the thought of cooking for your family can (moan, moan) be a chore. But it can also be an Opportunity… for fellowship, familyship & GOOD FOOD!
grace, peace & Foodship
Virginia : )
p.s. on cookbooks, i have too many favorites to even begin, but there’s a special Mennonite one i toted all over the world (had to replace after Africa because the torn pages were falling out) – “More with Less.” Foolproof recipes from all over the world with anecdotes from Mennonite cooks & VERY IMPORTANT – how to make so many items simply from scratch (pancake mix? crusts? buttermilk? the kind of things we buy in our grocery stores but are Hard To Find overseas) … how to be good stewards of food resources, plus- Really Good Recipes! check it out.. (the Simply in Season & Extending the Table Mennonite Cookbooks are also great!)
Sometimes I wonder how God puts up with us broken clay pots (especially when some clay pots are a bit sneakier than others)… how we get so worked up over niddly, piddly things ‘he said, she said’ – ‘he did this, she did that’ – when Jesus asks us to FORGIVE and to be His hands and feet of LOVE (note the nails in His crucified hands & feet…)
Today is Passion Sunday – from palm waving Hosannas to the Last Supper, the Agony in Gethsemane, the Betrayal, Trial, Scourging, Crucifixion… and to the Grave (we’ll revisit these events throughout the week, but next Sunday is Easter so today there’s lots to contemplate!)
After listening to the Scripture this morning, how can we get so entrenched in unforgiving ire when we consider The Cross & the Passion of Jesus Christ?
Like Peter in the garden (sleeping) & later warming himself by the fire in denial mode, I’m just a clay pot. I have & probably will continue to make mistakes: to say things that might hurt people, (even if unintentionally); to sin by what I have done & what I have failed to do … as I ask forgiveness of our Heavenly Father, I ask that He wash my heart, mind & spirit with the soap of His mercy- the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our frustrations, failures & hurts – we can lay them at the cross. As we suffer the ill will of others, however, we should really look up at Jesus. See Him hanging on the cross, bloody, beaten, humiliated – a crown of thorns adorning His head.
Look, then listen to His voice: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”
As He forgives us our shortcomings, our tempers – our being clay pots with clay feet (ouch!) He asks us to forgive others, for often they really don’t know what they are doing. How they hurt us & others & themselves.
The thing is, we need Holy-Spirit-Supernatural-Help to forgive with the Love of Christ. Look at Jesus on the cross (just imagine His agony when you think about the difficult people in your life.) He suffered to forgive YOU, to forgive ME. Through His Love nailed on the cross we are therefore supposed to forgive and love others.
If you still can’t forgive Mr. or Ms. Difficult in your life, look at the cross again. And again. And again. Until His love for YOU pierces your heart. When that happens, it becomes easier to really love others in a I Corinthians 13 sort of way. (Love keeps no record of wrongs. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things..)
Don’t let pride or what ‘he said, she said’ get in the way. Don’t let the past cloud the future.
Hear, again, the voice of Jesus saying:
” As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:14)
Forgiveness is part & parcel of the Sacrificial Love of Jesus on the Cross.
LET GO OF THE PAST. Cling to Jesus. Trust Him. Trust Him. Trust Him. Do not be afraid to embrace a new future; a future with His love renewed in you. Let all things filter through the prism of His love. His Light. His Truth… His MERCY.
See His forgiving Hands, scarred by nails, reaching out to hold you; feel the warmth of His Mercy gently wash your heart’s grime away, then turn & BE His Mercy.
grace, peace & Merciful Love
Virginia
i know in the spirit of Lent we’re meant to give away stuff & focus on the challenges faced by others in our neighborhoods, towns, cities & around the globe… and i’m not exactly a Needy Person (there’s plenty to eat, a roof over my head, access to clean water, healthcare, love of family, BOOKS, libraries, music, art & an occasional movie or 2…)
But technology-wise, now that’s a Different Story. I gave away my $3,000+ film camera to a colleague in Tanzania before i left (a sure fire way to Go Digital) that i still have not replaced. My spiffy laptop is now almost SIX YEARS OLD (that’s ancient for a Computer) …and, well, i still have one of those cell phones you have to hit the buttons 3 times for different letters to send text messages (!!)
That’s where i am So Very Grateful to God for my techie-gadget-savvy Benevolent Brother who generously lets me use his Digital SLR camera + his very awesome CanonG9 camera that fits perfectly in my purse or pocket (no neck strain & outstanding pics captured traipsing around Italy & environs 2 yrs ago!) …
and then, there’s his appreciation of all things Apple i-Ish (as in iTouch, iPhone & iPad…) You may recall my iPaditis post this summer (click here to read all about iPad hangovers ) when Dwight decided to upgrade his iPad1 to the new iPad2…
As the beneficiary of that upgrade, dear reader, you will Be Happy to know that those iPad hangovers are now under control (mostly!) …& having an iPad has made it possible to Find Other Blogs & read them (there’s not enough ‘computer time’ for that sort of thing, but propped up at night before bed, sure it’s fun to surf around & read what’s going with you in so many places around the globe. woo, woo!) … & then there’s Netflix (there are some Very Interesting Documentaries, even spiritual ones, on Netflix streaming; of course, there’s also Bones, Law & Order, Deep Space Nine, Stargate Atlantis… but i digress…)
some of you who follow The News may have noted that Apple released the much-touted iPad3 on a Friday earlier this month. Showing considerable restraint, my brother actually waited until that Sunday (!)… & this time we didn’t have to go to the Big City (actually just to a Best Buy just across town)… but when he mentioned his Acquisition Plans, of course i offered to drive & then Treated For Coffee at the Very Nice Starbucks close by (& this time added a Lunch Snack to help celebrate!)
…& then there were the High Level Discussions (‘what will you do with your iPad2?’ : )
As the New Beneficiary of his iPad2 upgrade, what fun to be had! & what will become of the iPad1? Perhaps She Who Has A Birthday this week will also benefit from our Benevolent Brother …(act like it’s a surprise, will ya Cin?)
thanking God for gifts grace-wrapped & thanking my brother Dwight for his (always) Awesomely AWESOME generous heart!
grace, peace & Technology Upgrade Beneficiaries
Virginia : )
p.s. an afterword to the original ‘iPaditis hangover’ post — i made fun of games & must (MUST) repent of such jesting. Before Dwight gave me the iPad2, i made him take off all the games because i had to take them off the iPad1 because once i started playing i PLAYED THEM TOO MUCH (did not help iPaditis hangovers at all, at all, staying up until 1:00AM playing Scrabble, or Solitare, or Jumbline — ’tis amazing how long you can keep going on that word game!) NO GAMES! ...oh, except the Malaria No More Game (hey, that’s for a Good Cause! : )
Image: by Pattanaik (from Wikimedia commons)
This prayer from the deeply spiritual Trappist monk, Thomas Merton, has been a favorite for eons – at least 20+ years since taking a class at Georgetown in DC & reading as many of his books as possible! (like i got up at 5:00AM to read them before work to keep up with the evening class reading list + peer pressure from my good buddy, Carol, who was also a major Merton groupie & added MORE to our ‘must read & discuss’ list!) Thought it relevant today as we wind down the Lent road to Easter…
“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this You will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”
Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude
grace, peace & ‘on-the-road’ prayers
Virginia : )
While working in Tanzania, we were blessed to have lots of support from the South African High Commission (the High Commissioner, Theresa Mary Solomon) & the South African Business Forum. It was inspiring to see black & white South Africans working together on behalf of their country to support our local community development, HIV/AIDS & education projects.
It was also an inspirational to visit South Africa several times, at one point celebrating a lovely two-week Christmas break there. But visiting Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned in 1964, is on the top 10 of my global most inspirational experience list. (It’s a really long list!)
Of course, I remember well when Mandela was finally released from prison in 1990. Singing in the Gospel Choir of an inner city church in Washington, D.C., that Sunday I thought the roof was going to lift off from the jubilant celebratory singing (!) We rejoiced as the world rejoiced in Mandela’s freedom, and then, again, as South Africa moved forward away from its apartheid past into a long-dreamed & prayed-for future.
There are still many challenges but with Nelson Mandela’s leadership (& the efforts of many others), so much blood that could have been shed in civil strife was not.
robben island prison, south africa (vlw)
Back to Robben Island. When my brother & I visited, we were blown away by our tour guides, FORMER PRISONERS, who took us around the island for 2 hours. First hand knowledge imparted from their hearts, they shared raw hopes & past hurts overcome. Despite the accounts of brutality, I noticed their all out efforts to present a balanced view (our guide said that some of the prison guards at times actually helped them.)
Here’s a link to a moving short YouTube video from a former prisoner guide:
http://www.youtube.com/Robben Island Prisoner
What makes leaders like Nelson Mandela great? Vision, humility, willingness to forgive, openness to move within change of oneself to be change & lead change, to think outside the box, to take risks….and wisdom.
Here’s a link to learn more on the Nelson Mandela Foundation website: www.nelsonmandela.org/biography But I’ll leave you with a few of his wise words (some from his book, A Long Walk to Freedom.)
“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”
“I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”
“Courage is not the absence of fear — it is inspiring others to move beyond it.”
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.”
inspiring view of Cape Town hill, South Africa (vlw)
“I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.” Nelson Mandela
grace, peace & Inspiring Leaders
Virginia : )
Roses in the Rubble 