Easter Tears - St Mary's Haddington Road...2016/03/13 · the first tree said. The second...
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Contacts:Fr Fachtna McCarthy, Administrator, Fr Patrick Claffey svd C.C., Fr Michael Collins C.C.. Tel 01-6600075 St Mary’s Parish Haddington Road Serving the Community Serving the City Easter Tears From a Sermon The Risen One, Our Brother,” given in 1858 by Johann Christoph Blumhardt Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. “Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (John 20:11-18). In the Gospels there is something especially endearing that gives us much to think about. Je- sus did not remain hidden after he had risen from the grave. Jesus is near and shows himself, even if not in such a way that we are allowed to see him with our own eyes and hear him with our own ears. Nevertheless, we can feel how near he is. To whom does Jesus appear? Take Mary for example. She was looking for the Lord, whom she had lost, and she found him. It is the same today. There are many who feel they have lost the Savior. For whatever reason, Jesus is dead to them. But if we keep on looking, if we seek in spite of the loss and turn to God in prayer, the One we have lost will let himself be found by us. He is never far from those who seek. Jesus is always near seeking hearts. Those who feel they have lost Jesus are actually the very ones in whom Jesus has special joy. They are the ones he is seeking. But notice that Mary wasn’t just seeking what she had lost. She was weeping. She was beside her- self in tears. And because of her tears, Jesus was moved to make himself known to her. Jesus sees Mary weeping and looks into her deeply troubled heart. He cannot look any longer, and so quickly reveals himself to her. We can perhaps imagine Mary’s pain. It was great; greater than the pain of most people. It ’s hard to imagine any greater pain than that of thinking one has found what one was looking for and then being deceived in one’s hope. It was bitterly hard for Mary. She could do nothing but weep. But then the Savior comes and says, “Why do you weep? Whom are you seeking?” Mary’s initial re- sponse offered her little help. So Jesus brings her to himself and does so with the single word, “Mary!” Yes, she hears her name. And then her eyes are opened. All at once everything is changed. She is met. What does this story tell us? For one thing, it tells that Jesus comes especially close to those who weep, especially if their tears stem from higher longings, if they are tears of the spirit, tears for peace of heart because one cannot find inward calm or because one feels so oppressed and without a comforter, without a helper. Jesus always comes close to those who weep so. For this reason, we can be certain that where we see someone weeping, Jesus is not far away. Because of this we should be glad to be with those who weep, for in so doing we immediately come into the company of Christ. He is there too. We harm only ourselves if we run away from those who are sad, oppressed, grieved, and weeping. When we are afraid of being moved by people’s pain, when we avoid those who are hurting and in despair, we are afraid of Jesus himself. We actually deny him instead of finding him right where he is. When we come along side those who weep, it often happens that we bring Jesus to them, even if we are not feeling him ourselves. Sometimes all we can do is empathize, and in so doing feel our own spiritual poverty, or at least our own inability to offer comfort. But it is precisely here that Jesus comes. When we are moved, when we dare to weep with those who cry out for comfort, it is then we bring the Savior along. His calming, comforting powers show themselves imperceptibly. It’s amazing how, after one has been together with someone who is troubled in soul for a little while, eyes are dried, the heart lightens, and one feels something good and right – a deep, mutual understanding that takes away the sting. We sense that the risen one is present, calling those who weep by name. We have not been forgotten. It is wonderful how when two people weep together their very tears bring comfort and healing. The dear Savior is certainly near. He has risen, and for whom? Clearly for us – we who feel desperately alone. Why shouldn’t we believe that he is there when we merely cast a glance toward him and have a longing for him? For certainly the Lord knows our names. He knows our thoughts, our trou- bles, our weaknesses. He does not merely say “brother” or “sister,” but calls us by name: “Mary!” He knows us through and through, down to the counting of hairs. How comforting it is to know that the very highest one, he who ascended from the cross up to the throne of God, is closest of all to those of us who despair of comfort. We are not too small, too weak, or too sinful for him. He is our brother and loves us. And when such a brother rules over us, who can still despair? If we believe it, we will have the risen one with us with all his love, mercy, and power. Johann Christoph Blumhardt (1805–1880) was a Lutheran pastor and a key figure of German Pie- tism. Early in life it was clear to him that his life was to be used by God. Blumhardt studied theolo- gy in Tübingen and, eventually, became pastor in Möttlingen, an obscure village of Württemberg, Ethiopian Orthodox, 17 th c British Library
Transcript of Easter Tears - St Mary's Haddington Road...2016/03/13 · the first tree said. The second...
Contacts:Fr Fachtna McCarthy, Administrator, Fr Patrick Claffey svd C.C., Fr Michael Collins C.C.. Tel 01-6600075
St Mary’s Parish
Haddington Road
Serving
the Community
Serving the City
Easter Tears From a Sermon The Risen One, Our Brother,” given in 1858 by Johann Christoph Blumhardt
Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. “Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (John 20:11-18).
In the Gospels there is something especially endear ing that gives us much to think about. Je-sus did not remain hidden after he had risen from the grave. Jesus is near and shows himself, even if not in such a way that we are allowed to see him with our own eyes and hear him with our own ears. Nevertheless, we can feel how near he is.
To whom does Jesus appear? Take Mary for example. She was looking for the Lord, whom she had lost, and she found him. It is the same today. There are many who feel they have lost the Savior. For whatever reason, Jesus is dead to them. But if we keep on looking, if we seek in spite of the loss and turn to God in prayer, the One we have lost will let himself be found by us. He is never far from those who seek. Jesus is always near seeking hearts. Those who feel they have lost Jesus are actually the very ones in whom Jesus has special joy. They are the ones he is seeking.
But notice that Mary wasn’t just seeking what she had lost. She was weeping. She was beside her-self in tears. And because of her tears, Jesus was moved to make himself known to her. Jesus sees Mary weeping and looks into her deeply troubled heart. He cannot look any longer, and so quickly reveals himself to her.
We can perhaps imagine Mary’s pain. It was great; greater than the pain of most people. It’s hard to imagine any greater pain than that of thinking one has found what one was looking for and then being deceived in one’s hope. It was bitterly hard for Mary. She could do nothing but weep. But then the Savior comes and says, “Why do you weep? Whom are you seeking?” Mary’s initial re-sponse offered her little help. So Jesus brings her to himself and does so with the single word, “Mary!” Yes, she hears her name. And then her eyes are opened. All at once everything is changed. She is met.
What does this story tell us? For one thing, it tells that Jesus comes especially close to those who weep, especially if their tears stem from higher longings, if they are tears of the spirit, tears for peace of heart because one cannot find inward calm or because one feels so oppressed and without a comforter, without a helper.
Jesus always comes close to those who weep so. For this reason, we can be cer tain that where we see someone weeping, Jesus is not far away. Because of this we should be glad to be with those who weep, for in so doing we immediately come into the company of Christ. He is there too. We harm only ourselves if we run away from those who are sad, oppressed, grieved, and weeping. When we are afraid of being moved by people’s pain, when we avoid those who are hurting and in despair, we are afraid of Jesus himself. We actually deny him instead of finding him right where he is.
When we come along side those who weep, it often happens that we bring Jesus to them, even if we are not feeling him ourselves. Sometimes all we can do is empathize, and in so doing feel our own spiritual poverty, or at least our own inability to offer comfort. But it is precisely here that Jesus comes. When we are moved, when we dare to weep with those who cry out for comfort, it is then we bring the Savior along. His calming, comforting powers show themselves imperceptibly.
It’s amazing how, after one has been together with someone who is troubled in soul for a little while, eyes are dried, the heart lightens, and one feels something good and right – a deep, mutual understanding that takes away the sting. We sense that the risen one is present, calling those who weep by name. We have not been forgotten.
It is wonderful how when two people weep together their very tears bring comfort and healing. The dear Savior is certainly near. He has risen, and for whom? Clearly for us – we who feel desperately alone. Why shouldn’t we believe that he is there when we merely cast a glance toward him and have a longing for him? For certainly the Lord knows our names. He knows our thoughts, our trou-bles, our weaknesses. He does not merely say “brother” or “sister,” but calls us by name: “Mary!” He knows us through and through, down to the counting of hairs.
How comforting it is to know that the very highest one, he who ascended from the cr oss up to the throne of God, is closest of all to those of us who despair of comfort. We are not too small, too weak, or too sinful for him. He is our brother and loves us. And when such a brother rules over us, who can still despair? If we believe it, we will have the risen one with us with all his love, mercy, and power.
Johann Christoph Blumhardt (1805–1880) was a Lutheran pastor and a key figure of German Pie-tism. Early in life it was clear to him that his life was to be used by God. Blumhardt studied theolo-gy in Tübingen and, eventually, became pastor in Möttlingen, an obscure village of Württemberg,
Ethiopian Orthodox, 17thc British Library
Contacts:Fr Fachtna McCarthy, Administrator, Fr Patrick Claffey svd C.C., Fr Michael Collins C.C.. Tel 01-6600075
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The Three Trees, A Folktale for Easter, Anon
Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up. The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: "I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I'll be the most beautiful treas-ure chest in the world!" The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on its way to the ocean. "I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful
kings. I'll be the strong-est ship in the world!" The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. "I don't want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they'll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world."
Years passed and the little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain. The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax, the first tree fell. "Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!" the first tree said. The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is strong. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax, the second tree fell. "Now I shall sail mighty waters!" thought the second tree. "I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!" The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the wood-cutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree will do for me." He muttered. With a swoop of his shining ax the third tree fell.
The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter's shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feed box for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, nor with treasure. She was coated with sawdust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals. The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty ship was made that day. Instead, the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river. Instead she was taken to a little lake. The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard. "What happened?" The once tall tree wondered. "All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain
top and point to God..."
Many, many days and nights passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams. But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box. "I wish I could make a cradle for him," her husband whispered. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and the sturdy wood. "This manger is beautiful," she said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.
One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through the wind and the rain. The tired man awak-ened. He stood up, stretched out his hand and said, "Peace." The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the King of heaven and earth.
One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hands to her. As she was lifted up on the mountain top she felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything. Now every time people saw her she could point them to God, and that was what she wanted all along.
