The Mission of Harvesters Wanted:

To spread the Good News of JESUS CHRIST in word and in action! As well as promoting the baptismal call of all the faithful to follow whatever vocation our God has called them to!

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. ~ Matthew 28:19-20

The place to find homilies and reflections given along the path of faith by Fr. Adam Carrico, a Roman Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Louisville.

When this life is complete, I pray they say I lived For The Greater Glory of God +AMDG+

Thursday, April 2, 2015

That Escalated Quickly

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion

That really escalated quickly. We went from the entrance to Jerusalem to the crucifixion in seemingly no time at all. We see it almost every week. A new celebrity scandal or political misstep. It doesn't really matter who they are, just that they are famous in some way. It might be a race car driver, an actress, a sports star, a singer, a politician, a billionaire, or a celebrity famous for being a celebrity; they seem to be going along just fine and then suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, they take a drastic fall. That's really a big part of it, isn't it? Why society watches, why we watch? We wait for something big to happen, we might even predict that something big will happen.

Christ's Entrance into Jerusalem 

In a similar way Jesus had a lot of people watching him. We are frequently told that great crowds gathered to listen or see him perform a miracle. Jesus had a flock of spectators, and in those crowds there always seemed to be some group wanting to see him fall. The drama will escalate this week. We will go from his triumphant entrance into Jerusalem, to the last supper and the institution of the priesthood and the Eucharist on Thursday. We will witness Christ's agony from the garden to the cross on Friday, and at the Vigil we will watch as new members enter the Church and Christ is risen from the dead. All of this celebration will continue on through Easter Sunday.

We have a choice: we might decide to watch all that is going on in the Church this week, we might decide to ignore it all together, or we might desire to enter into the experience, making ourselves available in terms of time, and space in our hearts. No matter what you decide to do Christ has already decided on what he will do. Christ will regard us. He will do more than look at us, watch us. He will look into us and he will not turn away with shame, or anger, or regret. Instead Jesus will look at us, and see us for what we truly are! His beloved for whom he was willing to die!
All those people who looked at him, Jesus regarded them. The people who gathered to witness him early on, he truly saw them. The people who came and cheered for him, he regarded them with love, and with that same love he looked upon the very people who cheered for his death. Imagine looking at a crowd of cheering people, knowing that in a few short days they would be shouting for you to be crucified? How would you look at those faces? Would you be able to look at them at all?

Tintoretto, Crucifixion, 1565

I believe the reason for life is simple, it is a quest to be known. To be known so fully, so completely by another, that it is both pleasure and pain. To have another look into our eyes and 'get it.' I think that is what motivates the vast majority of what we do. Sisters and brothers the eyes of another person will eventually fail you. At some point even your eyes won't recognize the person staring in the mirror; and the person you thought understood you will disappoint you in an unspeakable way. The eyes of Jesus never fail. The eyes of Jesus always look upon you with complete love and understanding. This Holy Week will escalate very quickly, where will your eyes fall?


Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)