Pax et Bonum

The Online worship resource for St. James Parish

March 10, 2010

To make of his story something that could neither
Startle, nor shock, nor terrify, nor excite,
Nor inspire a living soul
Is to crucify the Son of God afresh.
---Dorothy Sayers---
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to your Cross I cling;
Naked, come to you for dress;
Helpless, look to you for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
---"Rock of Ages" by Augustus Toplady---

Lenten Meditations

In this edition of the Pax, I share with you a meditation from St. Augustine of Hippo, on the work of the cross. It is another reminder of Christ’s gift to us, and another look at his moments, his last words, his sacrifice.

Further into this edition, you will find a beautiful meditation by Debra on the Fourth Word from the cross, My God, My God, why have you forsaken me, which will be the subject of our Lenten Series tonight with Bishop John Rabb.

The maker of man was made man,
that the Ruler of the stars might suck at the breast;
that the Bread might be hungered;
the Fountain, thirst;
the Light, sleep;
the Way, be wearied by the journey:
the Truth, be accused by false witnesses;
the Judge of the living and the dead, be judged by a mortal judge;
The Chastener, be chastised with whips;
the Vine, be crowned with thorns;
the Foundation, be hung upon the tree;
Strength, be made weak;
Health, be wounded;
life, die.
To suffer these and suchlike things,
undeserved things,
that He might free the undeserving,
for neither did he deserve any evil,
who for our sakes endured so many evils,
nor were we deserving of anything good,
we who through Him received such good.
---St. Augustine, "The Confessions"---

Father, Forgive Them For They Know Not What They Do.

This Lent, at St. James Parish, we are reflecting upon the last words of Christ from the Cross-.

I did a meditation on the words of forgiveness, traditionally the first words in the list of seven last words.

These first words, Father forgive them; describe the deep mystical work of the Cross. Here Christ shows us with his own body what it means to reconcile the world to God.

The reconciliation of the Cross is a cosmic work. The cosmic Christ is focusing here on the whole world.

Christ on the Cross becomes the truth of God’s great desire and love for humankind. This love stretches out from the Cross through the human arms of Jesus to embrace all of us- saints and sinners, faithful and those who do not have a faith, and all in between. Christ begins the work of reconciliation with forgiveness. And in these last words we see that Jesus is addressing the very heart of forgiveness. Forgiving that which seems unforgivable. Jesus’ forgiveness starts with the particular and moves out to the universal. Jesus forgives the ones who are killing him, he forgives the ones who have deserted him, he forgives all those through the ages who have maligned and degraded him and his followers and he forgives us. But this divine forgiveness is not confined by a particular moment. Forgiveness begins at the Cross and moves through time and space and into the present moment-right now.

How shall we live now that we have experienced the forgiveness of Christ?

What is God inviting in you? Are you being encouraged to forgive someone that it has been hard to forgive? Is that someone even yourself?

Forgiveness allows us to let go of all that doesn’t belong to us, and make room for all that does. We, too, have been lost from time to time and it was forgiveness that helped us to be found.

I pray that you will let yourself be found this Lent by the One who is seeking you.

Blessings,
Debra

Daily Morning Prayer

Daily Morning Prayer

This Week at St. James

Prayers Etc.

Breath of the Spirit of God,
You place faith within each one of us,
Faith which is such a simple trust in you
That it is possible for all to receive it.
Without us yet being able to see clearly,
You enlighten within, O Christ,
Even in the opaque regions of our own being.
--from the Taize Community--

In Closing:

Word made flesh, the bread he taketh,
By his word his Flesh to be;
Wine his sacred Blood he maketh,
Though the senses fail to see;
Faith alone the true heart waketh
To behold the mystery.
 
Therefore we, before him bending,
This great Sacrament revere:
Types and shadows have their ending,
For the newer rite is here;
Faith, our outward sense befriending,
Makes our inward vision clear.
--St. Thomas Aquinas--

Pax et Bonum,
Loree+

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