A Lenten Meditation

By a “Dominican in Spirit”
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I was meditating on the stations of the cross this weekend and
on the 5th station I thought how everyone wants to have the tree
of life, from Eden, to nourish them but when we find out that the 
tree of life is actually the cross we run from it. 
 
Simon wanted anything else but to be dragged into the passion
story by carrying Christ's cross. He had children, he didn't live
there, he had just come into the city, he wasn't at the condemnation,
didn't know who was in need of his help, didn't want to be beaten 
or die (who would care for his children - legit concerns) and was 
not part of the story until that moment. He just happened to be 
there and was presented with the tree of life which he did not 
recognize & ordered to help a man whom he did not recognize & 
tried to reject the task.
 
He likely spent the rest of his life thanking God for dragging him
into that service, probably kicking and screaming (like the rest of us).
Luke tells us in Acts that his children were given great honor/respect
in the early church for their father's actions.
 
We are so stupid, evil and self-willed. It is a wonder that such a Love
exists that would willingly suffer and die for us ungrateful, unwilling,
selfish, conniving bastards (it is somewhat easy to see how many can
doubt such a love exists)....And yet such Love does exist and His
Name, JESUS CHRIST, is above all other names. A name at which, some
day, every knee of every creature will bend in homage, in heaven, on 
earth and under the Earth.
 
Glory be to God that He chose us to receive His gifts of copious grace.
May He never stop striving to make us worthy of this great gift, despite
our (on my part at least) unwilling stubbornness.
 
I do not deserve His love, my wife, my family, my abilities, my wealth
(more than some less than others), my experiences, my health, my
senses, my faith or for that matter your friendship, yet, miraculously 
I have them; despite all of my past betrayals. God grant that I keep this 
in mind every day for the rest of my life.

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