Dear Friends,

If we actually paused from the busy-ness and distractions of our daily lives, the recollection and observation of the events that enfold in this coming week and our intentional participation in their liturgical expression, would take our breath away and make our minds reel. During this year amid the diabolical division ever present in our communities, church, and families; amid the obfuscation of Truth, the fear of war and the temptations to abandon trust in God, we might struggle for words to more fully understand and express the Paschal Mystery—our salvation in Jesus Christ. This mysterious Reality, more real than real, however, escapes us and transcends the categories of this limited world beyond the horizons of Absolute Presence. If we observe the Sacred Mysteries of our faith as anonymous bystanders, rather than intentional participants as disciples of Jesus; we will reveal our cowardice to engage and apathy to understand the depth of the cost of our own eternal salvation. This wondrous mystery of unconditional Love is beautifully expressed in the great Easter Proclamation, the Exultet.

Our birth would have been no gain had we not been redeemed. O wonder of Your humble care for us! O love, O charity beyond all telling; to ransom a slave, You gave away your Son! O truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the Death of Christ! O HAPPY FAULT that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer!

Appealing to literature, prayer and poetry, allow me to assist in contemplating the Good News that God traces through our lives specifically revealed in the events commemorated in this Holy Week, that He is with us in our suffering and pain and we are intimately united with Him through His death and resurrection.

At the end of “Prince Caspian,” the fourth volume in his magnificent series, The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis articulates in language meant for children the mystery of salvation, which we celebrate during this most Sacred Paschal Triduum. He teaches a profound yet succinct lesson on the psychological, philosophical, and theological aspects of Christian Anthropology. His understanding of the Church’s revelation of the dignity and worth of the human person, not only by his being created in the image and likeness of his Creator God, but also by his participation in the fullness of the divine life through the Incarnation, Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, true God and true man. At the same time, Lewis cautions us from pride to always assume a stance of humility, in accepting ourselves as God created and redeemed us. Prince Caspian overwhelmed with both his ancestry from pirates and the responsibility he assumes as a King of Narnia and doubting his suitability to accept this task says to Aslan: “I was wishing that I came of a more honorable lineage.” Aslan responds:

“You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve; and that is both: honor enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth. Be content.” (Scholastic, 1951: 218)

St. Thomas Aquinas does the same in seven theses based on the virtues. “First: the Christian is one who, in faith, becomes aware of the reality of the triune God. Second: the Christian strives, in hope, for the total fulfillment of his being in eternal life. Third: the Christian directs himself, in the divine virtue of love, to an affirmation of God and neighbor that surpasses the power of any natural love. Fourth: the Christian is prudent; namely, he does not allow his view on reality to be controlled by the Yes or No of his will, but rather he makes this Yes or No of the will dependent upon the truth of real things. Fifth: the Christian is just; that is, he is able to live, “with the other” in truth; he sees himself as a member among members of the Church, of the people, and of any community. Sixth: the Christian is brave (courageous), that is, he is prepared to suffer injury and, if need be, death for the truth and for the realization of justice. Seventh: the Christian is temperate; namely, he does not permit his desire to possess and his desire for pleasure to become destructive and inimical to his being.” (J. Pieper, A Brief Reader on the Virtues of the Human Heart, Ignatius, 1991: 10)

Another way of understanding this unfathomable reality comes from a more contemporary perspective in a powerful poem, written in 2015, by Amena Brown. He is here. He’s right here. In this room, in your heart. He is near. Nearer than breath, heartbeat. Nearer than you are to you. Closer than second chance, or next opportunity. Closer than tonight or yesterday. He is real. More real than touch, see, hear, smell, or taste. More real than reality—he is our reality. More real than joy, pain, sorrow, or the love of being in love. He is present. Like space, wind, time, silence, night. He is waiting. Like creation, like words on the tip of tongue. Like songs that have yet to be sung. He is beauty. In oranges, blues, every hue, every shade. Sunset and sunrise whisper his name. He is holy. Cannot be touched, explained. Like sweet seconds of prayer, like grandmother on knees, wood floor bare. He is old hymns. The extending of limbs stretched across trees. Stripes to heal disease.

He is Son. Distinctly three, distinctly one. The only one, the only wise, the only resurrector of lives. He is king. And no earthly throne can house him. No amount of elegant words can espouse him. He is moment and voice, power of choice. In word and deed, in fruit and seed. Pierced side, nailed hands and feet. Innocent wounds that bleed. He is believe and trust. He is enough. He is all, he is call and purpose. Everything we can sacrifice—he’s worth it and more, much more. Our good deeds are mere pennies, will never even the score. He is behold and wow! He is who, what, when, why, how. He’s the one who puts on the show. He’s the one that we come to see. He is soul’s cry and sinner’s plea. He is the epitome that no one light a candle to or come within a million foot pole of. He is above. He is a father’s love. Maker of ways, of earth and wind, Ancient of Days. Has no fear, had no fear, have no fear. Our God is here.

Be of good cheer and Blessed Holy Week!

Msgr. Grous