Kathleen Herzog

Will you run off or will you stay?

I have been at St. Albans over four years now. I help with Wednesday student lunches and Sunday Night Suppers.  

Today's devotional is based on:

"Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins."

1 Peter 4:8

Click here to read the appointed scripture for Saturday In the Sixth Week of Lent.

Devotional

Yesterday I let my cold heart, hardened by grief and anger and loss, be broken- “shattered like pieces on the ground. “ I let myself be broken by the startling, saving Love of Jesus on that Cross..for me. Like Ann Lamont, I just don’t have the right “personality “ for Good Friday or for the Crucifixion. I’d like to skip ahead to the Resurrection; the Easter bunny outside the tomb: Everlasting life and a basket of chocolates. O, yeah. Lately, I feel like I AM someone from the Book of Lamentations or little Job-alene herself . The best thing I read is a saying of Barbara Johnson,” we’re an Easter People living in a Good Friday world.” O, yeah. But today we wait.

In Matthew’s Gospel account, we hear about Joseph of Arimathea, a guy with a lot of money and a lot of gumption who asked Pilate for Jesus’ body. By now almost everybody had run off, except the two Marys. It’s interesting that Joseph acted contrary to custom which was to throw crucified persons in a ditch and cover them with dirt.Because he was a rich man, Joseph could use fine linen and take Jesus to his own tomb. None of the men who heard Jesus speak about the promise of Resurrection was present.Joseph went away, too, after his touching and costly act.

On this Holy Saturday before Resurrection Sunday, will we be present to the risen Christ, Love  made flesh, or will we run away? 

Dear God,I want to keep my mind and my broken heart open to the Love of the Risen Christ. Help me not to go away. Amen