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As Good Friday closes

 From Jonah Goldberg: I didn’t intend to write anything tied to Passover and Easter, but it occurs to me that both are celebrations of triumph over despair. Both start in darkness, the Crucifixion for Christians and the bondage of slavery for Jews. Both are wholly justifiable causes for despair. Jesus has been tortured and slain. The Jews, enslaved for generations, are on the brink of erasure as a people. But Christ rises, and the Jews rise up. Death is not final. The despair of slavery is not eternal. The Powers That Be, whether Roman or Egyptian, are not immutable, unconquerable forces foreclosing the possibility of hope. There is good work to be done, and the doing of it is a reward unto itself.
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Addition for Lent

  Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back,             Guilty of dust and sin. But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack             From my first entrance in, Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning             If I lacked anything. "A guest," I answered, "worthy to be here":             Love said, "You shall be he." "I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,             I cannot look on thee." Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,             "Who made the eyes but I?" "Truth, Lord; but I have marred them; let my shame             Go where it doth deserve." "And know you not," says Love, "who b...
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Lenten Observations, April 2, 2026 - Fifth Day of Holy Week, Maundy Thursday

 Maundy sounds like "mundane" or a word that sounds like something sad, depressing, morose, lamenting.  But it relates to the command to love as shown in the washing of each other's feet.  How? The Latin word for commandment is "mandatum." Over time in French and Middle Engilsh, the vowel took on a different sound.  "A new commandment I give you, that you love one another," is the core. Some of the last words to his disciples!
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Lenten Observations, Wednesday, April 1, 2026 - Judas?

 The Dispatch Faith website contains an essay "The Betrayal of Judas," which deserves reading.  https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/dispatch-faith/palm-sunday-judas-jesus/ A few excerpts: After seeing Jesus condemned, Judas had a change of heart. Blood money in hand, he went to the temple and confessed his sin to the religious authorities charged with mediating mercy. “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,”  he told them . Their response was as chilling as it was brief: “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” In short, “Not our problem. Good luck with that!” Those same religious leaders would later debate what to do with the silver Judas threw down and returned, scrupulous about its moral contamination. In seeking to avoid implicating themselves by taking back the blood money, they were legally precise, but pastorally indifferent.  For Judas, the combined weight of these two betrayals proved unbearable, so he hanged himself. ..... English writer Julian Barnes g...
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Lenten Observations, March 31, 2016 - Third Day of Holy Week

 Borrowing here from website: https://www.thenivbible.com/blog/holy-week-timeline/  TUESDAY: Day of Controversy and  Parables Matthew 21:23—24:51 ;  Mark 11:27—13:37 ;  Luke 20:1—21:36 In Jerusalem, Jesus evaded the traps set by the priests. Tuesday afternoon, on the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem, Jesus taught in parables and warned the people against the Pharisees. He predicted the destruction of Herod’s great temple and told his disciples about future events, including his own return. Tuesday was thus a busy day with a great deal of teaching and confrontation. This same site says that Wednesday was a day of rest. I think not, really. It's just not recorded in a way we would expect it. Judas was betraying, disciples were questioning, and I'm sure Jesus was praying as well as teaching.
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