A light shines in the darkness

This is where it was heading.

Remember all of the wonderful stuff at Christmas? Angels, shepherds, wisemen, a newborn king?

This is where it was going the whole time. Good Friday.

All that “God with us” stuff? It sounded so sentimental, so warm and fuzzy back then.

This is what it really means.

God with us, when we can’t see a way out.

God with us, when we did it to ourselves.

God with us, at our worst.

God with us.

God with us, carrying our load.

God with us, though we don’t deserve it.

God with us, doing what we could never do on our own.

In everything, especially the worst things, we are never alone. God will never abandon us.

Even if we can’t feel it in the moment. Even when it hurts too much to feel much of anything. Even when we’re angry with God. Even when we doubt God.

That changes nothing.

God loves us too much to abandon us.

There’s this idea that too many of us have, that Faith means nothing ever goes wrong. That if you believe hard enough. That if you’re good enough. That if you’re holy enough, nothing bad will happen to you.

I don’t know where that idea comes from. It certainly wasn’t Good Friday.

Because today, we see the perfect person. Sinless. Someone who raises the dead, heals the sick. Fully God and fully man. Someone who is literally as good as it gets, as holy as it gets.

Murdered. In the public spectacle of a government-sponsored torture killing.

And here’s the thing – being fully God and being aware that all of that was going to happen. Being fully human and being terrified by all of the suffering that would entail.

He went through with it anyway.

This is why I say, this is how I know that God loves us too much to abandon us.

One more thing.

All of this is personal. He did this just for me. He did this just for you.

If everyone else was sinless. If you or I were the only person who ever needed saving in all of history.

Good Friday would still have happened.

Because God loves you too much to abandon you.

Mary and Joseph certainly weren't, walking the deserted streets of Bethlehem desperate for someplace to bring the God-child to birth.⁣

The shepherds weren't, dragged by the angels' Gloria to a stable where they knelt--unwashed, in shabby clothes--to pay homage to an unexpected king.⁣

The magi weren't, bowing low before a peasant child in a nowhere town when a palace glittered not 10 miles away.⁣

The people of God weren't, their eyes searching for a warrior or a statesman though their hearts longed for the freedom only the Prince of Peace could bring.⁣

The nations weren't, reconciled to a world where gods stayed in the heavens (or safely in their shrines) and men were free to wound and weep and wile away the years with little hope for anything more.⁣

The prophets weren't, though their very words foretold him. The lepers weren't, though he gave them all they sought.⁣

The world wasn't ready for God-with-us, for divinity in diapers. Our hearts aren't ready for the reckless love of the incarnation, the reckless love of the Cross, the reckless love of the Eucharist.⁣

That his very gifts are dangerous he shows us when he asks consent before healing. "Do you want to be well?" he asks. Because you might not be ready for a heart made whole and a life made new.⁣

Maybe this year you're ready for December 25th, all your gifts wrapped and treats baked and rapid tests hoarded. But you're not ready for Christmas, for the wild outpouring of love in a manger, for the silent gift heralded by hosts of angels, for the beginning of salvation given for free and costing all our cruelty and shame and fear and pride.⁣

So if your shirt isn't ironed and your presents haven't shipped and your menu is frozen pizza, take heart. If you're grieving loved ones lost to death or division, if you're stuck in isolation wishing for Christmases past, take heart. If you're just not ready to rejoice, take heart. The best way to celebrate Christmas is to acknowledge that you're absolutely not ready. Not for a love that changes everything. None of us is.»

He knew he was going to die tomorrow. He knew his enemies would come for him and there would be no time to say goodbye.

He was going to MISS them.

He knew they would miss him.

Can you imagine knowing you would die tomorrow, and nobody else knew or understood? Wouldn’t you want to touch every person you loved? Share a moment of intimacy and care? Be close to them? Serve them? Give them something to remember, to hold on to?

Um. Yeah. So this happened on my MacBook this afternoon. I don’t know either.

Thrift Shop Parody (I’m Gonna Go To Mass)

Click “Read More” for the lyrics LOL.

I’m gonna go to Mass

Only got a Rosary in my pocket

I, I, I’m coming, looking for my Missal

My God is so awesome

Walk up in the Church, like whaddup, we got a big flock

A billion in the world, shout outs to Peter, the first Rock

Holy Eucharist, not it ain’t symbolic

Sacramental wine, in my cup - alcoholic

Rollin’ in, hella deep, headed to the sacristy

Dressed in all white, except the cope and stole, those are green

Draped in a chasuble, Pope’s all infallible

One hour fasting, Last ate at 4:36……….

Cuz I’m going to the five o clock Mass.

And I be standing and kneeling about to go and get my exercise

Nourished by word and sacrament I swear that I be energized

JP II to be canonized

Sainthood swag, better recognize

Evangelize the nations through our love, Heaven is our prize.

Deaf to all the Devil’s lies, Deaf to all the Devil’s lies

No for real, ask my grandma I ain’t bout that sinful life

That mantilla with that white Roman collar

Prayin up a storm, we all make the Heaven’s holla

Collection basket in my pew so I give a dollar

Flying high above my foes, call me Iguodala

Our Father

Hail our Holy Mother

Help us through whatever

We pray things these things together

One God in the Holy Spirit Forever forever, forever ever, ever ever,

Um. Yeah. So this happened on my MacBook this afternoon. I don’t know either.

Thrift Shop Parody (I’m Gonna Go To Mass)

Click “Read More” for the lyrics LOL.

I’m gonna go to Mass

Only got a Rosary in my pocket

I, I, I’m coming, looking for my Missal

My God is so awesome

Walk up in the Church, like whaddup, we got a big flock

A billion in the world, shout outs to Peter, the first Rock

Holy Eucharist, not it ain’t symbolic

Sacramental wine, in my cup - alcoholic

Rollin’ in, hella deep, headed to the sacristy

Dressed in all white, except the cope and stole, those are green

Draped in a chasuble, Pope’s all infallible

One hour fasting, Last ate at 4:36……….

Cuz I’m going to the five o clock Mass.

And I be standing and kneeling about to go and get my exercise

Nourished by word and sacrament I swear that I be energized

JP II to be canonized

Sainthood swag, better recognize

Evangelize the nations through our love, Heaven is our prize.

Deaf to all the Devil’s lies, Deaf to all the Devil’s lies

No for real, ask my grandma I ain’t bout that sinful life

That mantilla with that white Roman collar

Prayin up a storm, we all make the Heaven’s holla

Collection basket in my pew so I give a dollar

Flying high above my foes, call me Iguodala

Our Father

Hail our Holy Mother

Help us through whatever

We pray things these things together

One God in the Holy Spirit Forever forever, forever ever, ever ever,