Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
St. Dominic Church, NOLA
His tomb is close by. Joseph of Arimathea, the one who first came to him at night, is coming now in the light of day to take his body down from the cross. Pilate has given him permission. In the light of day, Joseph is bringing with him a one hundred pound mixture of myrrh and aloes, reams of burial cloth, and. . .what else? Grief? Regret? Hope? What else will he bury in that garden tomb? In the light of day, how long can Joseph keep his love for Christ hidden? 'Til he rolls the stone across the grave? Whether we come to Christ under the cover of darkness or in the bright of day, can we keep our love for him a secret? The tomb is close by. The tomb is always close by. Death will have one victory, a passing victory: the grave. So, we must decide: what else will we bury with our passing? Grief? Regret? Hope? Christ went to the cross heavy-loaded with the sins of the world—having emptied himself to make room, he went burdened to the cross with the failures of fallen creation. For this and more, we love him. Can we keep our love hidden, a secret? Will we bury it with our passing, unspoken? In the light of day, what do you bring to be buried with Christ?
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I couldn't form a coherent comment yesterday, and again I read it and find commenting difficult. It is beyond good. . . it summed up much of how I felt yesterday and continue to feel today. But I don't know how to put words to my thoughts. Perhaps because my thoughts will betray too much of me, too much of that which I struggle to keep hidden from the world. And in that struggle, I see those fears which hold me back. . . and for right now I can't face them.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for Easter!
Your first mention of Joseph made me remember of Nicodemus. Wasn't he the one who came to Jesus by night (and isn't he traditionally believed to have been with Joseph in retrieving Christ's body)?
ReplyDeleteThe homily, by the way, was beautiful; it left me pondering and I couldn't think of any comment to make...