God in all things

Today is Palm Sunday, the start of a week-long journey to Jerusalem and the cross. Today though the cross seems a million miles away as the crowds celebrate and hope for a change. Branches raised high in pews today were tossed along the path for the donkey to trod upon. This day, this holy day, says it all about our own faith journeys. They are a roller coaster.

Many days we can sing Hosanna and wave our arms in utter joy and thanksgiving to the King of Glory. This One we celebrate took the form of a slave, born in a human form, and yet divine. Every knee on earth will bend and every voice shall give praise at the name of Emmanuel.

The ecstatic scene shifts after the congregation processes with their palms. The readings are heavy–the Psalmist agonizes as to why God has forsaken us and then the Passion is read. Celebration flips to solemnity. We see our own humanity mirrored in the disciples. How many times have we said, “Surely not I, Lord?” or “I will never desert you” and yet as life unfolds we see we are no different than these intimate friends of Christ. We fail…miserably. We are human and some days we cannot stay on the path as much as we desire. We fall asleep. We disappoint ourselves. We try to be what we cannot be. Christ knows all of this. He knew then, and He knows now. The cock crows to remind us of our frailty. We weep.

The goal though is to not stay in a puddle, crying about our inadequacies. Christ did not die for that. Jesus died to show us we are forgiven. We can sometimes choose Barabbas and forsake the One who gave us Freedom but we must not stop there. We must choose again–every single day. Each time we do, we must try to seek out Jesus. We must stand at the foot of the cross, despite our betrayals, our short-comings, our sin, and our praise. Whether we wave the palms or sing the praise, we must take our place by the cross where we belong.

Today, raise your palm, sing hosanna, and know that tomorrow you may be distracted from the real journey. We are blessed to belong to a God of second, third, a thousand chances. This day, celebrate our King of Glory. The Passion is coming. We live with the tension of being Loved sinners. For the moment, let’s pause on Loved and meditate on what that might mean in our lives.

Peace,

Suzanne

I was at the prison for my monthly volunteer time tonight and I met a very interesting young man from Northern Canada. He was first arrested at age (almost) 10. Half of his life has been spent behind bars. He mentioned to me that he had lost a relative this past week and that he was feeling sad to miss the funeral.  As is sometimes possible, we connected on more than a superficial level and our conversation wound around remarkable places during the coffee hour.

I felt an initial sadness creeping in as I listened to his story and yet hope shone through it all. The cross he was carrying was heavy and yet along the way he had encountered the One who died on the cross. He had been redeemed and now was looking simply for peace. There was something refreshing about him. Part of me wanted to break the rule of no touching and give him a big hug. I wanted to affirm the fact that Jesus did love him and want so much more for him. The cross is central to Christianity as we discover in this week to come and this young man had discovered that. For him, I think Easter has already arrived. Jesus is at work and he wants a new life with new Life.

Some days the prison visits are challenging. Most nights though, the volunteers are grateful for our encounter with Christ amongst these men. Tonight was one of those times where I was deeply moved to see God working hard to reclaim one of his lost sheep. May we all have eyes to see God at work and grab a hard hat to assist in the work.

Peace,

Suzanne

I took this photo about a week ago and the snow is melting here since. I have been home for a week and do not seem to have mice scurrying around. This is a blessing. I can maybe start cleaning tomorrow and moving on with my life. I hope they have scampered outside to enjoy the nice weather. I am sure this winter has taken its toll on all creatures big and small.

I am back doing Brene Brown’s e-course and this week’s intention is “I will honour the basic need to rest and play.” Getting caught up in life is easy; chilling is a challenge. Taking time to play will lead to much happiness and joy. Time for tea, anyone?

Is it time for you to come out of your hole and play?

Peace,

Suzanne

Now that spring is sneaking in through the back door, I must confess that I love to drive in this province of mine. The wildlife is returning to activity and the vast prairies roll out, still sprinkled with snow, but hints of new life will start replacing the dead grass beneath.

Beauty is all around us if we only look. What does it take for you to find God in all things?

Peace,

Suzanne

I think even the birds are happy that the sun was shining today and the temperatures warm. I saw many hawks and a bald eagle as I drove through my beautiful province. Once I got outside the city, the snow seemed to be much less prevalent. I felt like I was shedding the winter doldrums as each kilometer passed. My spirits lifted and I felt the gratitude pour out of my soul.

What are you grateful for today?

Peace,

Suzanne

Today’s first reading is one that I have loved from the day I first read it. A priest told me about it: Daniel 13 and the story of Susanna.  This lovely story is only read on weekdays at masses. I so admire Susanna’s steadfast love of the Lord and her fidelity to God. She trusts the One who will save her. 

The ones who try to seduce and violate her are done in by their own lies due to a tree. They do not agree on the type of tree that was crucial in the web they were weaving. Daniel catches them in their sin. Daniel goes out on a limb and speaks on Susanna’s behalf since her voice has no power.  Susanna chose death rather than sin. She stood by her God and walked in the path of righteousness. It is unfortunate that more people do not get to hear this woman’s story. If you are unfamiliar with it, give it a read.

Was there a time that you chose to stand in your faith rather than give in to sin?

Peace,

Suzanne

I love today’s Gospel reading of the Raising of Lazarus. When I was in Singapore, I went to a concert by Corrinne May who had a song entitled Lazarus that caught my attention. “Lazarus, come out of your tomb.” The imagery of the song is that everyone thinks Lazarus is dead but Jesus knows he is not and invites him to rejoin life. Perhaps Lazarus felt like he had waited for his friend Jesus too long and could no longer wait. He had given up, unable to get up and move forward. How many times in life do we demand to know where Jesus was and why it took Him so long to come?

Jesus weeps. He weeps for us too when we give up on ourselves and on Him. Christ knows we each have someone who loves us deeply and mourns for those days when we feel dead. There are days when like Martha we complain about it not being good enough–if only you had been here, Lord….things would have been different. Other times we are like Mary, beckoning “Come and see” echoing Christ’s own invitation. Sometimes we can point the way to Christ without truly knowing that is what we are doing and when we do that for a friend who feels as if the darkness is too dark, we shine brightly.

I have been in a weekend by Michael Crosby on compassion and realize that Jesus is a perfect model for it. In this Gospel, we see that Jesus is compassionate towards both sisters in their grief. Moved by love, Christ cares deeply as he gently goes about the task of doing one of the greatest miracles in the Gospels.

If you need some loving care, turn to Jesus and come out of your tomb.

Peace,

Suzanne

For those of you who follow me regularly, you may have wondered where I was. I took a break from the Internet during my silent retreat. I had a very powerful and healing time in the stillness. I brought my camera with me and took this photo one day as I sat looking at the purple tulips that were on the table. Another day I sat in front of a stained glass piece of the crucified Christ, contemplating and when I opened my eyes I saw a fox, scampering across the snow-covered golf course next door. The words I hear were from The Little Prince: What is essential to the heart is invisible to the eye.

I feel blessed from the time spent in prayer and praise. I discovered a few gems that were invisible to the eye but accessible to the heart. I entered deeply into the solitude with a marvelous group of people. It was a Catholic boot camp of sorts but I am so glad I decided to go, knowing that the inner work would be hard.

When was the last time you did something selfish for yourself but knew it would benefit everyone around you?

Peace,

Suzanne

Which God do you worship? There are many. Some we do not even know we bow down to. Perhaps you do not worship any God at all, except your own power and independence.

I am going on retreat for a week, taking time out for spring break to renew my spirit. I pray that I might be refreshed and come back ready for the remainder of Lent. I want to soak up all the Love I can and be ready to share it when I return.

In today’s Psalm 95, we are bid to come and worship, to bow down to the One who made us. Listen to God’s voice and harden not your hearts. Come and take some quiet moments to learn who this Creator is. Prepare my heart, Jesus to spend time with the Trinity.

Peace,

Suzanne