The last homily I delivered was a little over two years ago, in March of 2020, right before the pandemic shut down the world. The gospel reading that morning was Matthew’s account of the Transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:1-9).
In this story Jesus is preparing his disciples for the cross—it’s going to come, so be ready, he seems to say. Jesus knows it’s the only thing that’s going to transfigure them, and the same thing goes for us, too. You see, suffering has this strange and marvelous ability to pull us into oneness. Maybe you’ve seen it happen in your family, at the funeral of a loved one or some other communal tragedy. I think many of us felt it in the early days of the pandemic—before our dualistic politics got in the way—there was a sense that we were in it together.
Until we find the communal meaning and significance of the suffering of all life, we will continue to retreat into our individual, small worlds in our misguided quest for personal safety and sanity. A Crucified God is the dramatic symbol of the one suffering that God fully enters into with us—not just for us, as we were mostly taught to think, but in solidarity with us. The Good News is we do not have to hold that suffering alone. In fact, we cannot hold it alone.
As we approach Easter, let us remember that we too can follow this path, actively joining God’s loving solidarity with all. What starts in God ends in God. All of reality is moving toward resurrection. This is the great hope of our tradition and one that is becoming more and more necessary for the world to hear.
It is my prayer that our work at the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) has been a source of hope for you in these difficult and trying times. The CAC is not funded by any large institution or big foundation, but by thousands of people who have been impacted by this work—people just like you. Through your support we are able to introduce more people to the wisdom and practices of the Christian contemplative tradition, many for the very first time.
Thank you for being a part of this community. Please take a moment to read our Executive Director Michael’s note below. Tomorrow the Daily Meditations will continue exploring the theme of “It Can’t Be Carried Alone.”
Peace and Every Good.
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Please refer to Sarah Young devotional in separate method. I could not copy and transfer due to restrictions.
LET ME FILL YOU with my Love, Joy, and Peace.
But we have this treasure in earthen containers, so that the extraordinary greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
15 For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved;. in quietness and in trust
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