Maurice Denis, The Solitude of Christ, 1918
Today, Jews the world over celebrate Pesach, Passover, when God helped the Children of Israel escape their bondage in Egypt over 3,300 years ago.
The sacrifice of the Passover Lamb is something Christians have identified with Jesus' crucifixion. His Last Supper, commemorated on Thursday, was the Passover meal he shared with his closest disciples. And today's reading in God for Us is Isaiah 49 describing the Servant of the Lord, with whom Jesus' strongly identified himself.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people,
to restore the land
and to reassign its desolate inheritances,
to say to the captives, 'Come out'
and those in darkness, 'Be free!'
Isaiah 49.8-9
I want you to know that I have been enjoying your Lenten posts. We each have our challenges in life. In 2003, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and six weeks later I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Most people do not even know that I have fibromyalgia. It's a silent disease in that I look healthy. I try to put a smile on my face each day and make the best of my situation. For a couple of years I was plagued with double vision. Last summer it finally got to the point, I had to do something about it. I had two MRIs to rule out that the breast cancer was back and in the brain. I had the second one the day my ex-husband of only 7 months was found dead in his apartment. If it's possible I cared about him too much and it was taking a huge toll on me and it became necessary to separate. The same day my daughter had a D&C to determinate an unsustainable pregnancy. So, that's certainly a day upon which I don't want to dwell. One of the things that attracted me to that husband was his faith. I'm finding it very difficult to return to church. I miss hearing his singing, holding his hand when I pray in church - all the things we did together. I am going to a grief group and find that all this is normal and as I heal I will find my new life without him. Your posts have helped me to reinforce that God is all the onmi- words. Thank you for your posts. I found your blog during the hop to increase readership of blogs. In you challenges, you, too are an encouragement and inspiration. I've had many challenges throughout life, beginning with my birth and I've learned that I do not want to be a bitter old lady and I don't want my children to have a bitter mother. I want to be a survivor and an example to my children and grandchildren. My adult son tells me that I am a much stronger person now than when I was married to his dad. Wow, what a compliment. Thank you for your blog of encouragement.
ReplyDeleteBless you, dear Suze! I'm so sorry for your life-challenges, but I'm glad you're getting stronger and that you enjoy my posts! Lent is definitely the time to focus on hardships and difficulties, but also on grace and hope...
DeleteI am no longer a member of the Anglican Church, and my faith has been tested (especially in the past decade!), but I still believe in God, in Jesus (as the archetypal human), in being a Soul having a human experience (to paraphrase C.S. Lewis!)
Richest Easter blessings to you and your family xxx