Monday April 2, 2007 Holy Week
Monday of Holy Week
April 2, 2007
“A bruised reed he shall not break.”
Isaiah 42:3
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More info on Fr. John's Book, Reaching Out to Joy. We anticipate having a book signing/selling time in Portland at St. Joseph the Worker the first weekend in June. After that, the book will be available at the church office. The book will be available in San Diego at the end of July, 2007. More details to follow. If you want to order via mail, please refer to Palm Sunday and make the checks payable to Fr. John Amsberry. Thank you!
I think this would be a good visual to show how we are a bruised people. What if one day in church I asked all the people gathered to admit how they have been broken and bruised and how they suffer from it? I would just start naming things that may have bruised us like divorce, depression, addictions, pride, lust, greed, sloth, selfishness, sin, unforgiveness, harmful decisions to our bodies and dignity, not praying or practicing our faith, worshipping false Gods, materialism, neglect of our family, the poor and elderly, alcoholism and drinking/drugs, etc. As I named a persons bruise, they would come up to get a tourniquet bruise and tie it (loosely) around their arm. This would symbolize that they are bruised and bleeding and they want it to stop. I bet you we would all have a tourniquet on our arms by the time we were done.
From bartenders to beauticians to teachers to parents to doctors/nurses to counselors to priests/ministers, we all know we are bruised. Now, take this reality of how bruised we are and put it smack dab in the middle of the world we live in. You are at a traffic light and you do not start to move within two seconds of it turning green and the horns behind you start honking. Or, maybe you are the one doing the honking. And this is just the beginning of road rage which has led, in some instances, to killing. Think about this one I just saw on the computer. A college guy was breaking up with his girlfriend right in the middle of campus. He chose to have it videotaped and there were hundred’s of onlookers in this ruthless bruising. The two degraded each other, called each other filthy names, and all human dignity and respect was thrown out the window. And now this ruthless and horrible bruising is on the Internet for the whole world to see. This, my friends, is often the world we bruised people find ourselves in.
Where is the gentleness? Where will we bruised people not get ripped apart more? Where is the hope, help and healing for us in our dog eat dog world?
We do not get through unscathed. Admit you are bruised. Come in front of the church, pick up your tourniquet and tie it around your arm. Admit it to Jesus and admit him into your bruised life. Find him coming to you in gentleness. He says, “Come to me all you who find life burdensome. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. For I am meek and humble of heart. You souls will find rest.”
We need his gentleness in our bruised world. Until we know his gentleness we will keep on bruising and breaking and crushing each other. Bring his gentleness to this world which is so bruised and in dire need of healing.
Live the confronted life!
+Fr. John
I think this would be a good visual to show how we are a bruised people. What if one day in church I asked all the people gathered to admit how they have been broken and bruised and how they suffer from it? I would just start naming things that may have bruised us like divorce, depression, addictions, pride, lust, greed, sloth, selfishness, sin, unforgiveness, harmful decisions to our bodies and dignity, not praying or practicing our faith, worshipping false Gods, materialism, neglect of our family, the poor and elderly, alcoholism and drinking/drugs, etc. As I named a persons bruise, they would come up to get a tourniquet bruise and tie it (loosely) around their arm. This would symbolize that they are bruised and bleeding and they want it to stop. I bet you we would all have a tourniquet on our arms by the time we were done.
From bartenders to beauticians to teachers to parents to doctors/nurses to counselors to priests/ministers, we all know we are bruised. Now, take this reality of how bruised we are and put it smack dab in the middle of the world we live in. You are at a traffic light and you do not start to move within two seconds of it turning green and the horns behind you start honking. Or, maybe you are the one doing the honking. And this is just the beginning of road rage which has led, in some instances, to killing. Think about this one I just saw on the computer. A college guy was breaking up with his girlfriend right in the middle of campus. He chose to have it videotaped and there were hundred’s of onlookers in this ruthless bruising. The two degraded each other, called each other filthy names, and all human dignity and respect was thrown out the window. And now this ruthless and horrible bruising is on the Internet for the whole world to see. This, my friends, is often the world we bruised people find ourselves in.
Where is the gentleness? Where will we bruised people not get ripped apart more? Where is the hope, help and healing for us in our dog eat dog world?
We do not get through unscathed. Admit you are bruised. Come in front of the church, pick up your tourniquet and tie it around your arm. Admit it to Jesus and admit him into your bruised life. Find him coming to you in gentleness. He says, “Come to me all you who find life burdensome. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. For I am meek and humble of heart. You souls will find rest.”
We need his gentleness in our bruised world. Until we know his gentleness we will keep on bruising and breaking and crushing each other. Bring his gentleness to this world which is so bruised and in dire need of healing.
Live the confronted life!
+Fr. John
posted by Patti @ 8:35 AM
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