theROCK

The Price of Eggs

The price of eggs is crazy! That was the opening comment made by my sister as we sat around the dinner table contemplating Easter. My sister, who has no children, graciously opens her house each year to a mad-cap day of Easter egg hunts, morbid consumption of candy, and overactive grandchildren who are shaking off their indoor winter doldrums to traipse fresh new spring mud into her house.

This year, we all watched the price of eggs skyrocket and heard or experienced restaurants charging an “egg” fee to bills. Fortunately, the price of eggs have reentered earth’s orbit. We wondered whether people would dye less eggs this year. With eight grandchildren, we are usually into the third dozen before colored dye marks every work area.

What’s with dyeing eggs anyway? (Nothing like a few extra dollars out of your pocket to reassess a life-long tradition.) Easter has always heralded the end of winter; a time for humankind to experience new life, from the daffodils pushing their way up despite our cold weather, to the tulips which in their beauty come and go so quickly. Christianity has absorbed many of the pagan springtime traditions and “repurposed” them as signs of Jesus’ resurrection. The Easter egg is one of them. Eggs have been an ancient symbol of new life. Christianity has revalued this oval wonder to symbolize the resurrection of Jesus; new life, forever. According to some sources, decorating Easter eggs is a tradition dating back to at least the 13th century. One explanation for this custom is that eggs were formerly a forbidden food during Lent, so people would decorate them to mark the end of penance and fasting and eat them on Easter as a celebration.

According to Good Housekeeping magazine, early Christian missionaries dyed the eggs colors to represent different aspects of the Easter story. Yellow represented the resurrection, blue represented love, and red the blood of Christ. Cracking a hard-boiled egg is opening the tomb. I guess the question is, did you dye less eggs this year because of the cost?

It makes me reflect on the cost Jesus paid for our sins. What is the price you would pay for salvation? What response can you offer to a God who paid with his only Son to bring us back to him?

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live in righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed (1Peter 2:24). This Easter, ponder the price Jesus paid and the trivial distractions which we think are so important, such as the price of eggs. Have a blessed Easter!

Fill Jesus Up

Do you know the song “It’s My Party” by Lesley Gore? While I might be dating myself on that one, I grew up listening to “the oldies.” In reading today’s Gospel, this is what popped in my head. For not only did I read the Gospel, but also the verses that come after it where Jesus laments for Jerusalem. Jesus is crying at His own party.

Have you ever felt sad at a party? I have.  Now that I think about it, I may have felt sad at a party on more than one occasion. What would cause one to be sad at their own party?

• Knowing that the joy and fun of the party will come to an end.
• Maybe a certain special person isn’t there that you wanted to be there.
• Realizing that you have spent so much time making sure that everything is “just so” that you miss the moments of connection (I call this a Martha Moment).

There most certainly may be more, but you get the idea. While I have never experienced anything like Jesus did, I can imagine that this event was anything but celebratory for Him, or was it? What would cause Him to be sad at His party?

• He is aware that this moment is fleeting.
• He is aware that terrible suffering is looming.
• He is aware that His disciples aren’t quite getting it and that is frustrating.
• He is aware that He is going to die a very painful and humiliating death in a few days.

With all this being known, does He participate in the party? He most certainly does! How can I tell? He rebukes the Pharisees. Jesus is enjoying the celebration and wants it to keep going.  It may be just what He needs knowing what He knows. The cheers of recognition and love are filling His cup before His cup is emptied. 

Take the opportunity of this Palm Sunday to fill up Jesus’s cup before He pours it all out for us this Holy Week. Give Him everything you have by prayer and supplication so that Good Friday is so, so good!

Thank you, Jesus, for preparing such a tremendous banquet for us. We can’t wait to join you at the heavenly feast where there will be no more crying. Ever.

Come Back to the Cross

Two years ago, as our mom began her journey home to God, she held court in the ICU room. There were conversations with spouses, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. One by one the five of us, her children, entered alone to listen. A strong and loving woman with remarkable faith, she chose her words carefully so there could be no argument. Arguing was pointless, you were not going to win, besides, she was usually right. She opened her prayer book, instinctively brought to the hospital, and handed me the prayer "Come Back to the Cross."

Dear Lord, you became man, suffered, and died to win salvation for all souls.

Look graciously on the souls of those who have drifted away from You and the faith.

Grant them Your grace to see the errors of their ways and return to the fold of Your care

Teach me to stay close to them during this trying time and strive to convert them by action and prayer more than by words that may antagonize.

O sweet Jesus, I trust You to do everything to bring Your children back to You. Amen.

Mom said, “Michael, you need to get them back to Jesus, get them back to His Church. Get the babies baptized.”  Thanks mom. That isn’t too daunting. But isn’t this what we are ALL called to do? Is there a better time to start than Lent? Is there a better image than THE Cross? You share your favorite restaurant, movie, recipe…why not your faith?

In my early 20’s, I was lost, distracted. Working Sunday mornings was a good rationalization. I was busy. God would understand. Decades later, a framed prayer in my office reads: “Lord, I shall be very busy today. I may forget Thou, but do not Thou forget me.” Yep, it was mom’s, She is still teaching me.

Add these prayers to your daily conversation with God. Share it with those who need to see it. Seek the lost or distracted during this Lent; family, friends, or acquaintances. God will provide the words.

LISTEN to their story…it is still being written and Jesus has the lead role.

SHARE your story of how Jesus is your rock; how He gives you the strength to face the challenges of this world.

PRAY WITH them. It may be awkward at first, but both will move past it.

JOIN them during the Triduum and at Easter. Join them the Sunday after Easter.

There are three players in this story, Jesus, the lost, and those called to “Be Christ” and walk with the lost (that is all of us). Thankfully, all is possible with and through God. He gave His only Son for us. The least we can do is give Him our hearts and tell His story.