Triduum ... and Beyond

My heart hasn't been into writing lately; until I get there, old posts will have to suffice.

Triduum ... and Beyond

4-7-12

   Redbuds are blooming and the temperature in many parts of the country is "unseasonably warm." I hope all of you share a pleasant day with loved ones. I know that not all of you share my views and I respect that. I am sharing my feelings about my beliefs with you because that is part of my faith, my friendship.

*

   Took time to go to Maundy Thursday services. For those wondering about the word *Maundy,* it comes from the Latin mandatum, meaning "commandment." Jesus gave his disciples the commandment to love one another. The dozen or so of us gathered to commemorate the Last Supper took the offered Sacrament, sang a hymn, said a prayer and received a blessing. The sanctuary lights were dimmed and, as the piano was played softly, the altar was stripped. A lot of memories flooded over me.

   One vivid memory is actually from a Palm Sunday, early 2000s, First United Methodist Church in Brady, Texas. As the choir began to sing the closing hymn, chosen members of the congregation began to strip the altar. Silently, they made their way down the aisle, bearing candles, paraments, altar cloth, Bible and other items associated with worship. It was a good thing we sang a known hymn because my eyes were filled with tears. I felt so bereft!

   Holy Thursday 1960, I made my First Holy Communion. I was in the last row of communicants. It was past my usual bedtime. I remember the girl next to my nudging my elbow and whispering, "Baugh, wake up." When I told her I had just been resting my eyes, she told me I'd been snoring.

Other memories are not necessarily associated with particular years but are part of my Triduum reminiscences; the washing of people's feet, the dimming of the sanctuary as candles were extinguished one by one, the mournful Via Dolorosa.

   I remember processions, both participated in and observed. The Host, reverently placed in the monstrance,  was lifted high and carried through the church as the Pange Lingua was chanted. At the end of the procession, it was placed on a side altar. At some churches, the faithful will keep watch, staying awake with Jesus.

   On Good Friday, many congregations gather for Stations of the Cross. During my eight years at St. Elizabeth School, on Fridays during Lent students were led in Stations of the Cross. Coming into the sanctuary at noon on Good Friday, the priest may chant, "Behold the wood of the Cross,on which is hung your salvation" three times, baring first one arm, then another and finally totally unveiling the crucifix. Deep in my soul is the sacred intimacy of Veneration of the Cross.

   Sometimes, a crucifix was placed on cushions and people knelt before it and kissed the feet of Jesus. In some churches a large cross may be held up for people to embrace.

Christ's Passion is read, with members of the congregation taking various roles. Some year I think I will volunteer for the role of Judas. It is not a popular choice. Still, have we not all been a betrayer at one time or another, to a greater or lesser degree?

   Good Friday 1997 I got word my paternal grandmother had died that morning. While I cried during the service, a friend asked what was wrong. Upon hearing, she told me, "Well, she's in good company."

I have known Good Friday to fall on April First. To me, that juxtaposition is supremely ironic.

   Holy Saturday, the third day of the Triduum (for those who may not have surmised, it means 'three days'), does not generally get a lot of attention. For many, it is the day to dye Easter eggs and make other preparations for secular observances. My memories of Holy Saturday include fire, symbolizing the light Jesus brings to the world, decorating the Paschal candle, the Litany of Saints and the baptism of new members of the Roman Catholic faith. The Paschal candle will be in the sanctuary from Easter through Ascension. It will also be lit and placed at the head of caskets during funerals.

   I enjoy finding similarities between different religious traditions. Thursday night, as we exited into the twilight, it felt like the church was sitting shiva. Friday, I reflected on the similarities between Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the New Year.

Judaism has the New Year first, then observes a day of fasting later. These are observed/celebrated in the fall. Passover, which Jesus celebrated with his friends, coincides, generally speaking, with the observance of Easter.

   In the Christian tradition, we have Good Friday, a day of atonement, followed by a new year of sorts, Easter: a feast of resurrection and new life. Lent draws to a close, we find that once again, we have survived the emotional darkness of Good Friday. Faith is knowing even if it rains Sunday, the Son will indeed shine!

Alleluia, The Lord is risen!

The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia!

Beyond the Valley/St. George is my patron

Until new inspiration comes, old material that had to be archived when Google Plus dropped a number of services, will be reposted.

Beyond the Valley/St. George is my patron

4-1-12

You have walked through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. And though a piece of your heart stayed behind, it is not yet your time to dwell therein. The Valley seems a sad place, especially after paths diverge and loved ones are parted for a time.

   All emerge from the Valley of Shadows but the perceptions of reality are altered. For a time, they may seem distorted.Those who must return to this plane of existence grieve their "lost" companions. No one is lost, they are simply unseen.

   What of those left behind? There are stories of near-death experiences but, as life is individual, so is death. We seek a commonality to help us know what we might expect.

   My feeling is our loved ones emerge from the Valley to a place beyond the Shadows. They enter a world of ethereal light and joy. Any trace of pain, encumbrance, anything which impedes fullness of joy, is lifted.

   Is it thus for all who depart this earth? Isn't any *afterlife* a reflection of one's "spiritual" life? If one took perverse pleasure in causing others pain, will that person ultimately be rewarded? It is not for mere mortals to say.

   In the beyond, wonders are so vast, sorrow must cede to joy. Your loved ones remember you and delight in knowing there awaits a joyous reunion. Beloved waits with open arms, wagging tail or however love is expressed.

   Those who believe in a benevolent Deity may be ridiculed by skeptics. Does it matter? Always seek the path of love and you will find where you need to be.

*****

The following is a poem I was moved to write after a friend lost a loved one:

They tell me, "Go not gently" into that last goodnight.
But after lo these any years, I'm much too tired to fight.
But even had I strength, I fear I would be loath
to take on that old dragon, to swear a feudal oath.
Don't think I have been conquered because my eyes grow dim.
Death, my friend, has come for me - I'm not afraid of him.
I have ridden proud and sat high in the saddle
But my body has been broken down from long and grievous battle.
Chemo was my ally, though we had our go-'rounds too.
At times I understood him not, he left me feeling blue.
I've seen so many people and many have seen me.
They've seen me being bathed and watched me when I pee.
I've made my peace with God, lived a long, fulfilling life,
kissed all my kids and  friends goodbye and spoken to my wife.
She will let me die with dignity, unplugged from the machine.
She'll trim my hair and brush my teeth and wash my body clean.
Then we'll share a glass of wine and she'll hold me 'gainst her breast.
My eyes will close, I'll breathe my last and finally be at rest.

Today was dark at both ends

[From the archives]
8 April, 2018
   Hope you will forgive the absence of endearments and usual opening pleasantries, but as title implies, this had been a long day. It began when the alarm clock rang at 5:45 a.m. - signifying need to arise from my comfortable bed and ready myself to meet Mary in the lobby at  6:30.
   Quite frankly I debated writing this tonight or waiting until tomorrow; but I feel a journalist's need to report *as it happens* or as soon after as possible. Hopefully you will experience the day as it unfolds.
   After scraping the windshield, we set off to meet the tour bus which would transport our group to Zehnder's in Frankenmuth, Michigan. After picking up breakfast, we boarded in Tecumseh. Next stop was Adrian, then Brooklyn, and finally Jackson. By then, some of us had been on the bus two hours, so our compassionate driver pulled into next rest area. We headed up US 127 toward Lansing because a significant portion of M 14 was closed in Ann Arbor. We arrived at Zehnder's Restaurant about 11:20 and were seated. Lunch was served at noon and entertainer Tom Sadge began his Neil Diamond show at 1:30.
   Sadge is a terrific performer, interacting with his audience. He joked with the crowd, saying he had performed at Neil Diamond's birthday nine years in a row - but Neil had never shown up. Then he clarified that the Neil Diamond Fan Club had booked him all those times to perform at the annual celebration of Mr. D's birthday. A CD of the event was sent to Diamond and one year, Sadge was at a Diamond concert and was called onstage to perform. The day was marred by a couple of drunks with another group who were obnoxiously loud. I noticed on wore an oxygen cannula and it was all I could do to restrain myself from crimping her air hose. Being a vocal supporter of "live and let live," thought I should practice what I preach - but it was tempting. Was pleased that two numbers I consider *musts* came close together: Brother Love's Travelin' Salvation Show, and Coming to America, which closed the show.
   Then we were given an hour to spend money in the gift shops containing outrageously priced merchandise. But wait, there's more. We went down the road to Bronner's Christmas Store, billed as world's largest.
   You already know I have little or no use for shopping, but I enjoyed myself nonetheless. My pleasure came from my passion for communication: everything was labeled in the world's varied languages. As we waited in the lobby to get on the bus, I was studying a sign which read: MEETING PLACE. As I craned my neck to see around someone, a friend asked, "You don't understand all those languages, do you?" Told her no, but similarities between related tongues fascinated me. It was easy to see how close Ukrainian is to Russian; Serbian to Czech; Spanish to Italian.
   At long last (5:37) we were all on the bus and the trip home began. We got the news Detroit Tigers had won their opening day game - though I do believe most fans were just as glad to receive the news second hand instead of being in attendance at the game as temperatures didn't make it much beyond 39F. Precipitation impeded visibility and made road conditions hazardous. We passed one vehicle which had slid off pavement and another car pulled over immediately in front of one with flashing red and blue lights on top.
   Passengers were dropped off in reverse order - *the last shall be first* - and some thirteen hours after we'd boarded, we got off and wearily made our way to cold automobiles and headed for hearth and home.
   Those of us who had someone waiting to hear from us, notified loved ones of our return. I made my requisite phone call, had a glass of wine and a nosh, then filed my report. Hope I didn't leave anything out, but now I really must go to bed.

Kisses, my sweet,
Jo Ann

Not a silver spoon

Not a silver spoon ...
Mid-April, 2019

Hello my dear,
   Unless you have been under a rock, or otherwise isolated from any news whatsoever, you are aware of the uproar surrounding single-use plastics. Drinking straws and shopping bags feature prominently on the list of verboten items. During Twentieth Century, making a number of products from hemp was discouraged, frowned upon, and generally punished, in promotion of steel industry. Twenty-First Century has arrived and there is a substantial group advocating for use of hemp. Steel mills resolutely refuse to see the proverbial writing on the wall; blinded by greed. Greed seems to be the obstacle to all forms of social progress. Creating a new group of poor people by immediate cessation of undesirable action would not benefit the greater good. Each of us must steadfastly move toward an end which is not morally reprehensible and sustain action until desired effect is achieved.
   Perhaps because I have never known great wealth, I view it more as a seasoning to life, rather than a lifetime goal. Were I to be suddenly endowed with a vast fortune, I would use it in a variety of charitable actions: pay off student loans for people; supply shelters for needy populations; fund medical/dental clinics [especially in rural areas]; help women escape abusive relationships; and whatever else I could do to aid someone in need.
   Having lunch with a friend recently, we talked about taking our own flatware to a fundraiser. This simple action is a way of keeping at least a few plastic utensils out of a landfill. There is a bonus of not having a flimsy plastic knife break while trying to cut something. It got us to talking about mess kits which were issued to people in armed services. Not coming from a family with history of military service, I have no idea if mess kits are still standard issue but I believe every child born should be given one. It needn't be anything fancy, just utilitarian. Did the convenience of disposable eating utensils come about as a sign of affluence? Whatever the cause, it is [way past] time it is reconsidered. With not a lot of fuss, one can easily keep silverware handy. Of course there will be times it is not at all practical; so in those cases, just go with the flow. I don't want to run (or ruin) your life, I am only asking you to consider ways in which you can be a friend to ecology. We have to share a planet and it is getting a mite crowded; 2050 estimates are for a global population at/exceeding ten billion people; that is a one followed by a whole bunch of zeroes: 10,000,000,000. It is conceivable I will still be alive; if I am, and that number is reached, world population will have tripled in my lifetime.
   Patriarchy and colonialism must be abolished. Civilization has made strides toward doing away with slavery and child labor but there are still places where these hideous practices occur. Right about now, you may be scratching your head and asking yourself, "Wasn't she talking about carrying your own silverware?" You're absolutely right; I was. Life is not a single-issue proposition. Some connections are obvious while others are tenuous, bordering on "I don't get it." Sometimes, I barely 'get it' myself but I will attempt to explain my reasoning.
   Patriarchy is a means of controlling other people, under the guise of "taking care" of them: in other words, it is little more than vile condescension. Colonialism is branching out to destroy ["enhance"] more lives, to further greedy ends: in other words, patriarchy on steroids. An oft-cited statistic claims, *U.S. has 5% of Earth's population, but 20% if the planet's prison population.* According to The Washington Post, the statement is accurate to within fragments of  percentage points. From a WaPo article: "So the numbers check out, give or take a few percentage points. (Clinton, we should note, was careful to say “less than five percent” and “almost 25 percent.”)" The article further elucidates that figures are not complete or easily obtained for certain places: Eritrea; Guinea Bissau; Somalia; North Korea; or China. The U.S. incarceration rate is 716 per 100,000. More than half the countries and territories had rates below 150 per 100,000. This is outrageous and horrifying. Why should United States rates be six to nine times greater than Canada and Western European countries and two to ten times greater than Northern European nations?
   It has more to do with changes in policy, than an increase in rates of crime. Sadly, prejudice is a key factor in what constitutes criminal activity. *Driving while Black* is a real thing and it is damned ugly. For no other reason than skin color, some people lose their lives. Children of color - elementary students, mind you, are handcuffed for "acting out." Certainly, the behavior is disruptive but traumatizing and stigmatizing a child is a far greater evil. Behavioral studies have shown that black girls are judged more harshly than white girls and punishment is meted out more often and more severely for their actions. This practice is barbaric, morally reprehensible, and thoroughly unjustifiable.
   The sins attributable to patriarchy are numerous. Anyone who has ever watched a crime drama is likely familiar with the line, "If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you." Did you know that, even when found not guilty, an indigent person can be sent a bill for defense? This can only be seen as a means of keeping poor people in the poverty rut.
   There are abundant injustices, which are readily visible all around. Please, pay attention, raise your voice to be an ally and call attention to situations which must be remedied. If you remember nothing else, hold onto this: kindness matters.

Here we go again

April 2019

   Google Plus has abandoned many of its 'subsidiaries,' forcing clients to jump ship, as it were. So, after seven years of blogging, I saved everything to my gmail account; as I will this. Cynicism is the order of the day and it permeates various facets of human culture. I'm not sure anything was ever "forever" but when I was growing up, *starter* spouses were not [commonly] a "thing." That's just a "by the by" statement; a non sequitur, I believe.
   One of my friends had quoted my own words back to me, "How hard it is sometimes to lay arrogance aside, especially when one feels it is one's only suit of clothing and does not wish to appear before the world naked and vulnerable." She assured me it would "preach." This wasn't the first time I had heard that. Maybe fifteen years ago, I mused on the similarity of: 'Oh, man;' 'I mean;' and 'Amen!' and my pastor said, "That'll preach." Both people making this observation are ordained ministers; presumably they know what will or won't "preach." As someone who was once a certified lay speaker, I have spent a little time at pulpits. So what the heck; I'll give it a go.
   The first, I maintain, is a definition of bullying. As with other personality traits, bullies are not born, but made. It is the most basic reason for ensuring that every child born, is nurtured and loved. Bringing children into stable, welcoming, environments, means giving women freedom to choose whether or not to let a pregnancy continue to term. It also means ending totally unbalanced wealth disparity. Eliminating this hideous obscenity starts with workers being paid a living wage and being able to accrue vacation time and sick leave at a reasonable rate - not something that amounts to slavery. In the interest of promoting general welfare, the populace needs to have ready access to adequate and affordable health care. This is made possible by taxing the ultra wealthy at a rate of at least seventy and in some cases, ninety percent. It has been done and it works. To do that would likely require making off-shore banking illegal, unprofitable, and very uncomfortable. Not only does nobody need more money than they even know they have, it is unhealthy: not only for an individual but the surrounding society. Studies have shown these wealthy persons to worry so much about safeguarding their wealth as to not be able to enjoy it. [My opinion is they couldn't possibly enjoy it - not ALL of it anyway, because they literally have too much of a good thing.] Now, when special-interest groups are trying to bully people into believing higher taxes for wealthy persons don't work, they use the example of a person who has ten dollars, paying nine of them in taxes. But the higher tax wouldn't even kick in until, say, the hundreds of millions dollars mark.
   Let us consider the issue, on a scale of one hundred dollars per hour. Figures in parentheses show [my] ideal of what percentage of population would be in each category.

• $97.76-$100.00    Ultra Wealthy                20%
• $90.01-$97.75      Moderately Wealthy      11%
• $75.01-$90.00      Upper Middle Class         9%  
• $38.01-$75.00      Middle Middle Class      55%
• $25.01-$38.00      Lower Middle Class       4.99%
• $5.01-$25.00        Poor                                0.01%
• $0.00-$5.00          Destitute                         0.0%

   It would be these two uppermost tiers that would pay taxes of seventy to ninety percent. Mind you, this is not just income but overall wealth, which [should] help ensure that those who have the wherewithal pay their fair share in taxes. Ideally, no one should be absolutely destitute - unfortunately there will probably always be a few; because, you know, greed. The goal of our global economic system should not be focused on generating wealth but making sure everyone has "enough" to live.
   Perhaps it is true that "morality" cannot be legislated but if greed is stridently punished as a wrong against the whole of society, there should be less of it. So, back to that whole 'standing naked and vulnerable before the world' thing; everybody would have a decent suit of clothes and *solid footing,* which would eliminate the most common reasons to bully. To which all people should be able to utter heartfelt affirmation, either: Amen; I mean; or Oh, man! Know what I mean?

Grace and Peace,
Jo Ann