Blessed Holy Week, Digital Neighbors!

          Today is the great day of silence and stillness in Cath-O-landia.  No Sacraments to be offered at all today except for the suffering or dying.  Penance, Anointing of the Sick and Viaticum for the Dying are the only Sacraments to be offered today. The church abstains from her normal work to honor the death of her Spouse and celebrate His great victory with silent anticipation.  The Apostles did not know that the Lord of Life had conquered death, had invaded the realm of the enemy, and reclaimed the life of Adam and Eve, of all the holy ones of the Hebrews to open the Gates of Redemption.

          Yesterday the Lord of Life invaded the domain of the enemy using the very tools that terrorize us. We are fearful of suffering; we strive to avoid death.  Only in moments of profound sacrifice and heroics do we disregard our wellbeing to risk losing our life for another.  The Master says it is the greatest act of love, to lay down your life for a friend.

But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinnersChrist died for us. . . . . . But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by that one person’s transgression the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one person Jesus Christ overflow for the many.

In the silence and stillness of today there is overflowing grace and mercy for creation.  One of my favorite images in iconography and artwork is the meeting of Christ and Adam and the Harrowing of Hell.  Christ remains steadfast through immense suffering and pain and enters the domain of the enemy to break our bondage to sin and our fear of death.  Some goodness from the Office of Readings and then some artwork in the first comment.