Our Sinfulness — God’s Holiness — And the Sacrifice of Jesus that Changed the World

April 9, 2017

This day we enter Holy Week. It is the intersection of all of our crosses and the one holy Cross of Christ.  This is where all of our sinfulness, all of God’s holiness meet as the sacrifice of Jesus changes the world.  On Friday of the Passion of the Lord, the blessing proclaimed to those who gather speaks to the direction of this week.

           May abundant blessing, O Lord, we pray

           descend upon your people

           who have honored the Death of your Son

           in the hope of their resurrection;

           may pardon come,

           comfort be given

           holy faith increase

           and everlasting redemption be made secure.

           Through Christ our Lord.

                        -roman missal

All of this is our petition to God this week.  If we are faithful to the mystery and bring ourselves to the sacred days of the Triduum, pardon will come.  If we are faithful to all that is proclaimed, comfort will be given.  If we enter the death and resurrection of the Lord at the Easter Vigil, holy faith will increase.  The power of God is revealed, celebrated and given to us in these sacred liturgies, these sacred prayers and sacred experiences.  God longs for our joy of everlasting redemption to be made secure.  He is the One who offers all of this to us. Who does not want these things, for pardon to come, comfort to be given and holy faith to increase?

It all begins on the evening of the Lord’s Supper and continues from there.

     This is Where His Love,

                  Our Lives,

                              And the Mystery of God’s Desire,

                                        Breathes Life.

See you Thursday night,

Reverend John J. Ouper