It is Lent and I have to ask - am I walking with Jesus? Can I walk with Jesus? In Pier Palo Pasolini's masterpiece, "Gospel According to St. Matthew" Jesus moves, talks and works with relentless intensity and sense of direction, and from that film I have formed a sense of how Jesus moved in the world from his Baptism until his crucification. In this film he often preaches to those he passes while he continues walking in his single minded direction. He gives people sometimes just a one line chance to consider the Kingdom of Heaven. While the language of this film is faithfully and exclusively from Matthew, it's relentless motion reflects Marks tersity and drive. but certainly in every Gospel Jesus is always on the move. He tells us himself that "Foxes and birds have nest and lairs, but the Son of Man has no where to lay his head."
Last Friday night at Stations of the Cross , language out of the preparatory prayer for our walk with Jesus to his death leapt out at me. "Pardon me, my God, and permit me to accompany Thee on this journey. Thou goest to die for love of me; I wish also, my beloved Redeemer, to die for love of Thee."
Do we have the love and courage to accept his challenge to "pick up our Cross and carry it"? Can we walk, through accepting his grace, even for the short period of time of Lent, a walk of repentance and change? Can we walk to Good Friday?
Last Friday night at Stations of the Cross , language out of the preparatory prayer for our walk with Jesus to his death leapt out at me. "Pardon me, my God, and permit me to accompany Thee on this journey. Thou goest to die for love of me; I wish also, my beloved Redeemer, to die for love of Thee."
Do we have the love and courage to accept his challenge to "pick up our Cross and carry it"? Can we walk, through accepting his grace, even for the short period of time of Lent, a walk of repentance and change? Can we walk to Good Friday?
Comments
Post a Comment