Paschal Mystery and Lament
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by Fr. Bede Camera, O.S.B. 4/12/21
“ that you may know the immeasurable greatness of his power “ Eph 1:19
I loved you
before you were born
and then I became like you
so that I could die for you
because of my passionate love for you,
and yet still you fear
that I would turn from you
for some offense
you were powerless to resist.
Do not fear.
My agony obliterated
your guilt.
My shame
restored your honor.
My blood
dissolved your sin.
My Resurrection
insures
your eternal existence.
Let all things,
all creatures,
all you see and touch
and hear and taste
tell you
that I AM,
have been,
and always will be
in love with you.
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Take Up Your Cross by Jon Guerra
*click on link to listen
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The Holy Longing by Ronald Rolheiser
Coming Home to Your True Self by Albert Haase
Open and Unafraid by David O. Taylor
*Click on links to buy books
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“Mourn, my people, mourn. Let your pain rise up in your heart and burst forth in you with sobs
and cries. Mourn for the silence that exists between you and your spouse. Mourn the way you
were robbed of your innocence. Mourn for absence of soft embrace, an intimate friendship, a
life-giving sexuality. Mourn for the abuse of your body, your mind, your heart. Mourn the
bitterness of your children, the indifference of your friends, and your colleagues’ hardness of
heart…Cry for freedom, for salvation, for redemption. Cry loudly and deeply, and trust that your
tears will make your eyes see that the Kingdom is close at hand, yes, at your fingertips!”
~Henri Nouwen,“On Mourning and Dancing”
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Luke 15:11-31
John 12:24
Matthew 16:24-26
Psalm 13,17,22,25,28
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Read Psalm 13 and notice the structure of David’s lament.
The pattern of lament:
A complaint
A petition
A resolution
The God Who Sees
by Wendy Gerdes
Tears streaming down my face, I shared with my spiritual director the difficulty I was having in the season I found myself in.
A couple of years prior, we had left our church of fifteen years where we had lived so much life. Although the move was one we knew we needed to make after much thought and prayer, the hole was still gaping and the loss profound. Our family had grown up there, making the pain a family affair.
I continued, “It just feels like we worked years and years planting a field and hoping for beauty. Instead, the field caught fire and when I look, all I see is burned out trees and a smoking field. There is literally nothing to show for our years except pain and ruin. I see it vividly in my mind.”
As many good spiritual directors do, she sat for a moment and asked me to close my eyes. She then asked an important question, “Where is Jesus?” In other words, can you see?
After a moment, I sensed Jesus with me. The picture changed from me standing alone on the edge to Jesus standing with me. His arm wrapped around me with compassion, I sensed he was not worried or anxious but full of anticipation. My perspective shifted.
With him, I knew there were things I could not see below the surface and beauty was being made from ashes even though ashes were all I could see. Grieving still happened as I mourned the loss of what was, but hope grew. I was seen and I saw. This changed everything and enabled me to look up ever so slightly.
I am not the only one who had a desert encounter of sorts. In the Old Testament, there are many stories of God showing up in wildernesses and deserts. Perhaps one of my favorites is the story of Hagar in Genesis.
Not able to conceive a child, Sarah gave Abraham her slave, Hagar, to provide a baby for him. When Hagar conceived, Sarah and Hagar began fighting and Hagar fled into the desert. This is where the Angel of the Lord found her, but this was not any angel, it was God himself. He asked her, “Where have you come from and where are you going?”
After listening, he gave her wisdom for what to do next. Her response to this divine encounter was to name him, “You are the God who sees me.” She then continued, “I have seen the One who sees me.” With this, she received the courage to do what God had said. She now knew God saw her continually. Knowing she was seen in her desperation changed her perspective and reminded her she wasn’t alone.
Trevor Hudson writes in Discovering Our Spiritual Identity:
“The God in whom we live and move and have our being is the Christlike God who loves every one of us sacrificially and extravagantly. Like the shining sun that continuously sends forth its rays of light and warmth, there is no time in our lives when God is not actively loving us. His transforming love radiates toward us in every single moment and experience of our lives.”
This is the God who sees us every moment of our lives. There is not a valley he cannot see fully. We are never alone - not in devastation, not in loss, not in loneliness, and not even in success or joy. May we learn to notice and see the God who is already beholding us. From this, we will gain the courage we need to live our lives as they were meant to be lived no matter what season we are in - with Him - being both seen and learning to see.
* Writing taken from soon to be published book Quietly Drawn: Words, Drawings and Practices For the Spiritually Formed Life
