Seeking Authentic Voice

 A reflection on the Gospel of Luke 24:1-12 for Easter morning, year C The darkness of Good Friday has passed. The pain and suffering of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane is over. The tomb is split open and Jesus is on the move again. In this parish we symbolize the signs of the resurrection in a variety of ways. Gone is the simplicity of Lent, the barren features of our worship space and the glass chalices. Gone is the hearty rye bread and the dry burgundy wine. In its place we have our finest silver, and a light white bread with a sweet wine. Gone are the dried sunflowers and rocks. And the chest at the foot of the altar…. All of Lent this chest has been closed and locked, holding within it the “Allelulia’s” our children created, and symbolizing Jesus’ tomb….. Now   - with the celebration of Easter the chest is burst open, the Allelulia’s are released, (and proclaimed in beautiful array on the bulletin board in the hallw

 A reflection on the Gospel for the Great Vigil, reimagined through the eyes of Mary Magdalene. Whether from gray skies   and starless nights or the weight of grief pressed against my heart - I do not know. But I had not slept— Could not sleep For - my mind raced, struggling to grasp our crushing loss.   Was he truly gone,   Jesus, my friend? No one should endure the agony of love tortured and stolen from them.   The darkness of night Swallowed us,   and there we women remained - until the song of the birds alerted us to this dawning day. We gathered our oil and spices and ventured into the early morning light to go to the tomb. We did not speak. The ritual of this loving obligation to the dead was well known to us,   the only conversation between us   flowed in the sorrowful echoes of our footsteps.