GOOD FRIDAY 2014
I like a look of Agony,
Because I know it's true—
Men do not sham Convulsion,
Nor simulate, a Throe—
The Eyes glaze once—and that is Death—
Impossible to feign
The Beads upon the Forehead
By homely Anguish strung.
Because I know it's true—
Men do not sham Convulsion,
Nor simulate, a Throe—
The Eyes glaze once—and that is Death—
Impossible to feign
The Beads upon the Forehead
By homely Anguish strung.
~ Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
It seems to be a theme for the day.
ReplyDeleteYes, Thersites, -- and in more ways than one.
ReplyDeleteBeware of Happy! Happy! People!
Either they are deluding themselves -- or deceiving you -- often both.
That said, paradoxically the acceptance of suffering as a necessary part of life often leads to greater contentment. Painful as it may seem, the Truth -- if you have learned how to recognize it -- really is very liberating.
Happy Easter Day! -- even if you don't believe in the Resurrection. I do, but not in the literal sense.
Literalism is the Enemy of Enlightenment.
Interesting old quotation from "The Point" magazine circa 1957:
ReplyDelete"It was with understandable confidence, therefore, that we thought to consult Dom Gueranger, preserver of things Catholic, for a few summary observations on the Jews. A re-look at The Liturgical Year rewarded us with: “For eighteen centuries Israel has been without prince or leader ... After all these long ages of suffering and humiliation, the justice of the Father is not appeased ... The very sight of the chastisement inflicted on the murderers proclaims to the world that they were the deicides. Their crime was an unparalleled one; its punishment is to be so, too; it is to last to the end of time — The mark of Parricide here fastens on this ungrateful and sacrilegious people; Cain-like, they shall wander, fugitives on the earth. Eighteen hundred years have passed since then: slavery, misery and contempt have been their portion: but the mark is still upon them.”
Tomorrow we're presenting Bach's setting of The Passion According to Saint John. The chorus "We Salute you, King of the Jews," and the scene where the crowd shouts at Pilate to crucify Jesus and spare the common thief Barrabas, are poignant in their depiction of the insolence, mockery, sarcasm and sheer cruelty of the "crowd."
ReplyDeleteOf course, as Jesus, Himself, has already told us through the Example of His Life and Sacrifice, instead of vilifying and condemning the Jews we should look upon them with extreme pity and the deepest compassion, because -- not as INDIVIDUALS, but as a PEOPLE -- they set themselves at enmity with God, and thus --despite their brilliance, bravery, incredible will to survive, persevere and prevail in the face of adversity, they have brought all the grief they've had to bear upon themselves.
God does not deprive and punish His children; we deprive and punish ourselves whenever we oppose Him.
ALL we have to do to do our part to make things right is STOP HATING. we cannot wait for others to stop hatng us, however. WE, as Christians, must take the initiative.
Holding people accountable for their actions, misconceptions and and misdeeds, however, is not an act of hatred, but rather one of love. Unfortunately, few miscreants are prone to seeing it that way.
There is something terribly terribly -- FATALLY -- wrong when anyone -- or any group -- takes the position that it is impossible for them EVER to be in error.
NO mortal is -- or ever has been -- infallible. Thinking anyone could be is the height of folly.
Certainly the right, as well as the left needs to grow in understanding your final two paragraphs FreeThinke.
ReplyDeleteI am not religious but do have a Happy Easter.
Thank you, Les, and I wish you the same, however you choose to spend the day.
ReplyDeleteI look at "religion" -- at least the kind I believe in, which is anything but typical -- as a continual banquet to which all are invited, but few bother to attend.
The food analogy may be strained, but if some are perfectly intent to live out their lives eating nothing but "pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold, pease porridge in the pot nine days old" -- or McDonald's Happy Meals, who am I to tell them they must partake of heavenly food graciously served in the grandest and most glorious surroundings?
God makes Himself available to us at all times and n all places, but He makes no attempt to force us to take any notice of Him. That's where "religion" too often parts company with God by trying to bully or terrify individuals into conforming to a formulaic "system of belief."
Jesus came to tell us it's better to let yourself be KILLED than to bend to the will of vain, hypocritical, self-serving tyrants.