Saturday, April 19, 2014

Holy Saturday reflections

This morning I read from all three of the prayer guides that I have from the Upper Room books: A Guide To Prayer For Ministers and Other Servants (blue book), A Guide To Prayer For All Who Seek God (green book), and A Guide To Prayer For All God's People (red book).

Several things spoke to me in the readings that I will share.  There has been heaviness that remained with me throughout the morning and into the day.  Maybe it's because today is Holy Saturday, the day after Good Friday and the day before the Resurrection.  Maybe there are burdens on my heart, mind, and soul beyond those of which I'm aware.  I'm not sure. 

A peaceful respite during the afternoon was during my daughter's piano lessons during which I was able to hold a beautiful 6-week old child while she slept.  She woke up toward the end of the lesson, yawned several times, became slightly agitated, and fell asleep again in my arms.  Watching her sleep took me back to the days when my own child was so young, so tiny.  How precious are the moments we have to gaze upon the face of a child, to hold it tight. 

Life.  It is wonderful.  It is amazing.  It is challenging.  It is difficult.  It is heartbreaking.  It is all these things and more.    Most of all, it is truly an adventure.  Life continues to teach me new things, to broaden my horizons, to allow me to explore and to unfold. 

As I reflected this afternoon on this beautiful child and her life at this moment, I listened to my "child", now a teenager, play her lesson on the piano.  She is an incredible gift of life.

Tomorrow, I will reflect more on the resurrected life of Christ so that I might have life.  This life that I have.... I continue to desire to live it with abandon, following the example of the One who surrendered His will and His life so that I might know the freedom of grace.   I continue to fall, to fail in my attempts to live as my Mentor.   Yet, I allow myself to be lifted up by the surrounding community and my Creator and continue on. 

Both the red (149) and the blue (146) prayer guides had this reflection from the Mozarabic Sacramentary:

"The Day of Resurrection has dawned upon us, the day of true light and life, wherein Christ, the life of believers, arose from the dead  Let us give abundant thanks and praise to God, that while we solemnly celebrate the day of our Lord's resurrection, he may be pleased to bestow on us quiet peace and special gladness, so that being protected from morning to night by his favoring mercy, we may rejoice in the gift of our Redeemer.  Amen."

[Since I quoted from the Mozarabic Sacramentary, that may have raised some questions.  The Sacramentary is a collection of prayers, a prayer book, the book of prayers.  The term "Mozarab" refers to the multiplicity of groups (Christians that remained under Muslim rule when the Muslims took over) who lived primarily in Toledo, Spain.  The prayers, chants, and liturgies that came from this time period are still used today.  More about the Mozarabic Rite can be found at the Catholic Encyclopedia link here.  An Order of the Mozarabic Rite can be found here.  (It's a PDF and is in Latin.)]

Why does this interest you?  It might not.  At all.  Why does it interest me?  I studied abroad in Spain in 1984.  I traveled throughout Spain and visited Cathedrals and Castles.  Spanish is my 2nd language.  At one time I knew more about the history than I do now.... Think back brain to those classes I took in undergraduate studies on history and for international studies! ☺

As Holy Saturday comes closer to dusk, I close today's post with some information on Holy Saturday.

Today is a day of silence, darkness, waiting, unknowing, reflection.  What just happened?  What will become of all of us?  What does this mean for us now. 

At the time of the crucifixion and burial, the questions centered around whether or not the man that was killed was truly the Messiah that had come to save them, because if he were, then why hadn't he saved them?  Why hadn't he saved himself?  People were confused, afraid, uncertain, grieving.   There were family and friends that had lost a close companion.  There were others that had lost a mentor and a leader.  Others lost a teacher.  Many lost hope. 

They didn't know what we know today.  That after the burial, there was an empty tomb.  That death did not hold the Messiah.

But, that's tomorrow.  For today, we wait.  We reflect.  We grieve.  We wonder. 

Ah.... maybe this is what today's burden has been all about.

Blessings on your journey into the Easter Season,

Debra

P.S.  Here's a reflection on Holy Saturday for you by Barbara Brown Taylor-- Learning To Wait in the Dark: A Holy Saturday Reflection.

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