… And They Laid Him In The Tomb

Yesterday, while waiting for the Good Friday service to begin, I was really struck by the impact the bare altar had on me. All of the candles were gone. The altar cloth had been removed. Crucifixes were wrapped in purple cloth. The tabernacle was there with its doors wide open, and it was empty. It really brought home the fact that we were remembering the day Jesus was crucified and buried for our sins.

As I pondered sin and its grievous nature, I realized how little I appreciate the depth of my sins. While a part of me knows that my sin is grievous, a part of me wants to think, I’m a good person. I only do small, venial sins. I’m only responsible for a thorn in his crown, one that is just scratching his skin. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I know I’m telling myself a…

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Jesus Carries The Cross

"For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?"

The Crowning With Thorns

It was common for the Roman soldiers to humiliate the condemned. They would often pick out a victim from among those sentenced to death and mock and abuse them. Think about the psychology here. No compassion, no empathy.

The Prize

I read this on another blog I follow. It blew me away and seemed right to think about during Lent. It ties in a bit with the consideration of the sorrowful mysteries. The author gave me permission to repost. https://underthemask7.wordpress.com/2022/03/20/will-you-also-go-away/

The Scourging At The Pillar

So, I got to thinking about the compressed nature of the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the very minimal mentions of scourging. Why is it that this seeming afterthought in the account of the Passion of Our Lord is one of the Sorrowful Mysteries?

The Agony In The Garden

As a child, the Agony in the Garden held a special mystery. If Jesus is God, and God knows everything, and is all-powerful, then what was he worried about?

Invitation to Pray for Peace from fr. Gerard

Dear brothers and sisters: As we begin the great season of Lent, the Master of the Order, fr. Gerard Timoner, OP, has issued a Lenten message asking us to continue to offer our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving for peace where there is war, unrest, and persecution, particularly for Ukraine, and to remember that we are part …

Lenten Reflection – 2022

When we think of mystery in the context of religion, we generally have a different experience. We hear or read something that we don’t understand, and when we ask about it, all too often we are told, “Well, it’s a mystery.”

To Praise, To Bless, To Preach

If a Dominican is not devoted to prayer and praise, he cannot contemplate; he cannot even hope to contemplate. Without prayer, he will never penetrate the truths of faith. Speaking of Our Lord's mysteries

Dominican Life is Apostolic

Undertaking the task of explaining how “Dominican Life is Contemplative” has been a real challenge (just ask Mark who has read a variety of drafts).