And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.(Luke 24: 41-43)
The disciples were not left to themselves. But they must have been emotionally upset by the events of the recent days. And when Jesus appears to them as risen, they do not believe in who they see, even when they can touch Him. Only a meal with Him puts them at peace so that the Lord opens their minds and explains the Scriptures.
A blessed time at the table.
In our Family not always are we able to eat together. However, when it happens it turns out that it is a very important moment. At the table we are closer to each other and there is an opportunity for a conversation. Sometimes it is serious and sometime full of humour. During a meal together we can ask each other questions and explain many difficult things, especially when we invite Jesus, too.
A blessed time at the table.
Thank you, Jesus, that you do not us alone now but that you invite us to Your table, that You are present there so that we can touch You and that You constantly and very patiently explain the Scriptures to us.
Thank you for this blessed time at Your table.
Dorota
Jesus said to her, “Mary.” (John 20:16a)
I am always enchanted with the the story of Mary at Jesus’ tomb, Mary, who was looking for the Lord, and He wanted her to recognise Him as living.
And what if I were at her place? If I had gone to Jesus’ tomb and hadn’t found Him there? If I’d been told that I sought him in vain among the dead, that he’d risen?
Mary recognised the risen Lord when He called her by name, even though she didn’t see Him yet. She believed when she heard His voice.
And how many times Jesus called me by name?
The first time – when I was baptised; at every Eucharist; every day when He comes to me with His word.
Jesus, let me always see You with the eyes of faith, when You call me by name which you’ve always known.
Dorota
He’s coming to you. And He has so much to tell you.
He’s coming to you who say that you haven’t got any strength left, and He says that He knows everything. He is not terrified by your weakness and His grace is enough. You shall have enough of His love to give it to others.
He’s coming to you who are in pain, and He says: I shall fill your wounds with my light and you shall carry them like medals, and they will remind you of the most intimate meetings with Me. In those wounds you’ll meet many people whom you will give a word of consolation.
He’s coming to you – afraid of tomorrow – and He says that He is your tomorrow, and that He’ll never let you down.
It is for you that He’s gone through it all – and has risen. So that you’ll never be alone.
M
Silence is very important to me on Holy Saturday and for me it is very connected with it. I always look forward to silence on Good Friday. Silence and sudden peace, as in a film, when after a big noise suddenly we don’t hear anything. Or as in the eye of the storm when after the madness of elements suddenly everything is quiet and we experience this peculiar relief with the awareness that something is going to happen again.
And I know that the powers of the Holy Week will not come back with this strength again. The awareness that among beloved disciples there is a traitor and that declared faithfulness turns out to be false, that disciples are unable even to keep watch at prayer and that they will disperse and hardly anyone will stay at the cross. Although the heart is still moved by the cruelty of the Way of the Cross it knows that…
I’d leak each of my days to be fulfilled with this expectation of what is known, obvious and so desired. Of the meeting with the risen One. But now – shhhhhh… Let’s keep quiet in waiting.
Michał
On the cross He utters so few words, but He speaks with His entire self.
He says that every human being is valuable, that every person with no exception matters for Him.
That is the last way to say it to those who do not believe in any words of reassurance. Because maybe so much has happened in their lives.
For several years of His mission – He did His best to tell people about His Father’s love. He didn’t get much sleep, had no place of His own, looked for those who got lost and they looked for Him; He healed, forgave and defended. He showed the way leading to the fullness of life.
His final declaration of love is total, He opens himself entirely. To tell you about His love – He becomes defenseless. He takes your burden and lets the others hurt Him so much. When – stripped of all dignity and rejected – He tells His Father about His loneliness, it seems He has no more faith or hope, and the message of His sacrifice is just limitless, “illogical” love.
For the Father. For you. So that you could accept Him. Believe Him. Let Him become the part of your life.
M
A friend of my Husband’s, a father to two small children, fell ill with cancer several years ago. The diagnosis leaving very little hope arrived during the Triduum. After a tough battle for life, which took many months, he and his wife very briefly shared their memories of that difficult time during a retreat for families. They said that it was very painful to listen to the phone which fell completely silent, to witness no more visitors, and to receive no more proposals of social events. They thanked my Husband for maintaining usual contact. And yet I remember him going to the hospital to see his friend after an operation which proved entirely unsuccessful. He was afraid and thinking: “What am I going to tell him?”
We could say, if you want people out of your way, tell them about your suffering to which you know no cure. Helplessness disturbs in people the memory of simple words and gestures which may bring relief to those in pain. We find it easier to be busy and “effective”.
What’s left to say to Jesus, facing the last days of His life, already doomed, sentenced to death? Well, He surely will manage somehow on His own, God’s ordained it all, there’s nothing to do to prevent it. Soon it will be Saturday, Easter Sunday and Monday.
And yet it does make such a great difference to Him – if there’s someone with Him. Someone – means you, because no one can replace you in His heart. He would like you to be there – with the small range of things to do. But don’t you hold your child’s hand when it’s ill? And if you were alone and facing the terror of death – wouldn’t you like to know that someone is there with you?
Certainly we all carry in ourselves Peter, and the potential for desertion, we’re no better than him. But we also have in our hearts John and Mary Magdalene with their limiltless and “irrational” love. Did Jesus, in the great spectacle of rejection, notice that they were with Him? His life faded in torment.
But even in fading, and maybe especially when we seem to fade away – don’t we need someone to be there with us till the very end?
Margaret
I am sure you’ve gone sometimes somewhere in windy weather. I mean here a very strong wind in your back. No, not such wind that helps you walk. But such wind when it’s impossible to stop, when we hardly control the direction and pace and when it’s even dangerous. .
What am I driving at? The Lent is just passing away. The Holy Week is beginning. I have no idea when this time has passed, really. I feel as if I, pushed by a crazy wind, unable to stop, suddenly realised where I was. I analyse my Lent, my resolutions etc. It’s all important, it helps us adequately go through the days ahead but…
The Holy Week is not Holy because of how we have gone through the Lent. It is clear that our resolutions do not make it holy, even if they are magnificent and even if we managed to realise them in full. It is not holy because of the beautiful ceremonies in church, nor because of the queues to confessionals. It is not holy because of us commemorating the events from Christ’s life. It is holy because of these events that are truly great. And it is important how we go through these events of torment and resurrection. The things I mentioned before are helpful here but I believe that the most important things is to get quiet and open our hearts, eyes, ears, our whole selves so that we can hear Him.
I hope that we will meet in many holy places, and certainly under the cross and at the empty tomb.
Michał
„Be very simple with me. What do you do for good morning and good night in your own family? You give a kiss and it’s very natural. And sometimes during the day because of a given word or a gift you exchange a glance. We look at each other with love and fondness. It is so nice and heart-warming.… oh, if only I were allowed to become a bit a family member…” (Gabriela Bossis, He and me, Michalineum 2007, vol. I ,p. 182).
I’d like Jesus so much to feel like a member of our family and not to miss attention, kindness, nice gestures and words. I’d like Him to take a rest in our place.
Through the sacrament of marriage He has become a full member of our family. Does He feel all right with us?
Basia
“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”(J 8:31)
Unfortunately, sometimes we quarrel with each other. Even recently. And at the end; a riposte to the Husband. So that I got the upper hand. Perhaps many people would praise me for it and give me a “like”.
But in my heart of hearts U yearn for understanding, acceptance and closeness. I cannot obtain them by means of weapons. A riposte will not get me a sweet fruit of kindness. More likely, it will bring about self-defence.
With Jesus I can see what is underneath a grudge. Perhaps a fear of losing something, a fear about oneself. He is not afraid to look with me at the truth about. me. He can show me what truth about myself I can show to the other and how I should accept his deepest truth about himself: about his desires, dreams, needs etc. Jesus never stops believing in me and shows me that I can always be a gift to someone, even if I am weak.
Dorota
and Małgosia,
the masters of riposte
