City Called Heaven

When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. [Mark ...

The day between Good Friday and Easter does not get much attention. Seemingly, nothing happens. The gospel texts lay Jesus in the tomb before the sundown beginning the sabbath. And then, nothing until morning of the following day. Tradition has filled in the gap, having Jesus descend to the dead, breaking open the gates of hell, and bringing his resurrection to the righteous dead of earlier generations. It is also a day for churches to be busy with preparations for the Resurrection celebration of the vigil service or Sunday morning. But that day after his death, Holy Saturday, deserves its own place. It is a time where one thing has ended, and the new thing that is to follow is not yet visible. "A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how" [Mark 4:26b-27]. Buried in the earth, out of sight, under the radar a holy mystery is taking place. In the "real world," his followers are...

We pray to you this day mindful of the sorry confusion of our world. Look with mercy upon this generation of your children, so steeped in misery of their own contriving, so far strayed from your ways and so blinded by passions. We pray for the victims of tyranny, that they might resist oppression with courage and may preserve their integrity by a hope which defies the terror of the moment. We pray for wicked and cruel men, whose arrogance reveals to us what the sin of our own hearts is like when it has conceived and brought forth its final fruit. O God, who resists the proud and gives grace to the humble, bring down the mighty from their seats. Excerpt from a prayer by Reinhold Neibuhr. Artwork by Edward Boccia, Stations of the Cross - Station XII Jesus Dies on the Cross (1964).

Kyrie eleison – Lord have mercy; Christe eleison – Christ have mercy; Kyrie eleison – Lord have mercy. Like most acts of violence there are likely many strands which came together to produce today's massacre. It is tragically easy to find a scapegoat. But there has never been a scapegoat that deserved the weight of all the sins cast upon them. O God, you came among us and suffered the pain of violence and the loss of your life. Have mercy upon our fallen world. Receive the dead into your care. Lay your healing hand upon the wounded and suffering. And bring forth compassion and mercy among your people, that violence be met with love, and that which is senseless may bring forth better understanding among your people. Amen. AP Photo/Matt Rourke - People embrace outside a Catholic Charities office where counselors tend to relatives of victims of the shooting in Binghamton N.Y., Friday, April 3, 2009.

This Sunday is Palm Sunday - the last Sunday in Lent and the entrance into Holy Week. For centuries, Christians have turned again and again to the story of Jesus' Passion. This story exposes the work of sin which condemns righteousness to death, makes sacrificial offering of others, and leaves a trail of broken bodies. And this story also reveals God's mysterious work of salvation, realized in forgiveness, self-giving love, and the breaking of bread. Come - let us turn our hearts to the mystery of Holy Week and the victory of God. The shouts of "Hosanna!" which Christians so often hear as triumphal hope, actually means "Please save!" or "Save now!" One of the roots of Christian praise is in our experience of God as savior. And, regardless of nuance, our approach to God is always connected with our need - to be made whole, for forgiveness, for deliverance. As we draw near to Jerusalem, as we prepare to ascend to the place of pilgrimage, let us pray...