There are many things I learned in Deacon school and an infinite number of things that I still need to learn and understand. At times, I am envious of people that can readily quote scripture verbatim citing book and passage. Honestly, there is a caution when scripture is quoted because it is easy to take a pericope (small section) and use it to support a particular point-of-view. I believe that Scripture needs to be understood as a whole. However, there is one scripture verse that I learned in 1971, and it is the shortest verse: “Jesus wept.” We heard these words in today’s gospel. This verse powerfully stands independently.
I did not learn this verse from hearing John 11:35 in church, or reading it, but from The Waltons (Google “Waltons quotes Jesus wept”). This came to mind because this past week we celebrated three funerals here at the Cathedral. In meeting with the families, there was some laughter and some weeping. Both are appropriate. It struck me as amazingly beautiful that we have a God who wept. A God with whom we can personally unite in suffering and in joy. Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding feast, and at other times he wept. All of us have times of joy and times of weeping.
Lent is a time of repentance, a time of fasting, alms giving, and prayer. Yet we’ve read the book. We know the story. We know how it ends. Jesus’ Passion and Resurrection conquered death. There are things to be sad about, yet our focus needs to be on the resurrection. God sent His Son to suffer and conquer sin. He did this because he loves us. My wish is that we unite our joys and suffering to Christ. May each one of us grow closer to Him.
Wishing you peace and joy this Lent as always!
Deacon Chris