This blog is an online resource for meditations during Lent. The theme comes from the Desert Tradition, and sayings from the Desert Fathers and Mothers will be posted daily for reflection.
“[One of the Fathers] questioned Amma Theodora saying, ‘At the resurrection of the dead, how shall we rise?’ She said, ‘As pledge, example, and as prototype we have him who died for us and is risen, Christ our God.’” (The Sayings of the Desert Fathers Theta.10)
An old man was asked, ‘How can I find God?’ He said, ‘In fasting, in watching, in labors, in devotion, and, above all, in discernment. I tell you, many have injured their bodies without discernment and have gone away from us having achieved nothing. Our mouths smell bad through fasting, we know the Scriptures by heart, we recite all the Psalms of David, but we have not that which God seeks: charity and humility (The Wisdom of the Desert Fathers 90).’
On of the old men said, ‘In the beginning , when we came together, we spoke to the good of souls, we advanced and ascended to heaven; now when we come together we fall into slander, and we drag one another to hell (The Wisdom of the Desert Fathers 106).’
Tonight Begins the Paschal Triduum; the most important liturgies of the entire year.
Wednesday of Holy Week (Tenebrae at 7 pm at Church)
An old man said, ‘Spiritual work is essential, it is for this we have come to the desert. It is very hard to teach with the mouth that which one does not practice in the body (The Wisdom of the Desert Fathers. 108).’
Tuesday of Holy Week (Morning Prayer at 9:30 am at Church)
An old man said, ‘The monk’s cell is like the furnace of Babylon where the three children found the Son of God (Dan. 3), and it is like the pillar of cloud where God spoke to Moses (Exodus 13:21-22; Ps. 99:7) (The Wisdom of the Desert Fathers 74).’
Monday of Holy Week (Morning Prayer at 9:30 am at Church)
A great old man had become clairvoyant, and he affirmed with great vigor, ‘The power that I have seen at the moment of baptism, I have also seen at the clothing of a monk when a habit is put on him (The Wisdom of the Desert Fathers 234).’
The crowds gathered at the gate, awaiting the arrival of a
king. It may seem odd that a king would ride on a donkey’s colt however, it was
the way of kings to ride to battle on horses, but when they returned to
Jerusalem in peace, they rode upon a donkey. And this is where we find Jesus,
being welcomed as a king and riding upon a donkey’s colt. But it isn’t just
kings who are carried upon donkeys, but sacrifices, as well. Jesus comes to the city in peaceful mien, his whole purpose
to herald an age of peace. All the while, the powerful machine of the Roman
Empire maintains Pax Romana, the peace of Rome, with military force. The irony
is all too clear for the pilgrims who had gathered to greet this humble king.
His entrance into the city is overwhelmingly significant,
both in its signs, and its meanings. Jesus is greeted as the very line of
David, the Tribe of Judah, reclaiming the throne of Israel. For the people who
believe, the coming of Jesus is the promise of liberation; the coming of a new
era.
I’m not certain that the crowd of pilgrims who stand waiting for Jesus are the
same people who shout “crucify him.” But if they are, they represent for us the
weakness of spiritual vision; a kind of short-sightedness that eventually
blinds hearts.
Certainly there is a period of time between his entrance and
trial (which we do not read about today) in which their hearts may have been
turned against Jesus. Whether through capriciousness, or short-sightedness, we
cannot know for certain what caused such vehemence against Jesus. However, we
can pretty easily guess at some of their reasoning.
After all, it isn’t hard to miss that a king and messiah would become a
sacrifice for all of Creation. Likewise, most revolutions are defeated after
the death of their leader. It also isn’t hard to miss the presence of a kingdom
which “is and is not yet” at the same time. If anything, Palm Sunday/Passion
Sunday makes our own short-sightedness so much more evident, especially since
we move so quickly from a triumphal entry, to a brutal execution.
What remains, however, is the promise that this is only the
beginning. Today is the beginning of Holy Week, the precursor to a new season
of new life, and the memorial of our redemption. So how do keep from missing
the significance of today? How do we train our spiritual eyes so that we will
not miss the presence of the Kingdom of God in the midst of the Kingdom of
Earth? It starts with our “Hosannas.” But more than that, it is our ability to
see beyond every moment of everyday, and recognize that the foundations of
God’s Kingdom are laid in our hearts. Because this is promise to those who
Christ redeems. When we realize this, we need not look very far to see the
triumph of Jesus’ humility and the Messiah in the King.
This is a video called "The Manchester Passion." It is a retelling of the Passion Story in a modern context, using music from the Manchester England area. It's, if nothing else, thought provocative. Enjoy!
