Stripped

Starter Prayer:  "Solitary Jesus, you get more alone as the week goes on, till all you have is a naked but enduring hope in God.  Do not bring me to such a test, I would not know how to survive." (From Wondrous Encounters by Richard Rohr)

Walking and praying through the descent of Holy Week is not popular.  Plans in the church and in many families are already leaning towards life's allure -- what to wear on Easter, where to have the Easter Feast.   Even as I pray and write this, I am aware of today's newsletter deadline and I must write a post-Easter article.

So, now, in this moment I call a halt to anticipation.  I invite a rooted awareness of the aloneness of Jesus.  I pray with the increasing exit of friends, of followers, of life itself that approached Jesus.

He was left with nothing the world could offer.

He was left with nothing but God's love, and God's fulfillment.

Reflection:  How does the presence of Christ in your life point to how you can survive when you are stripped by betrayal?  It may be betrayal by friends or family.  It may be a shattered life expectation.  Perhaps your own body is betraying your hope for wellness.  Can you sink into oneness with the solitary Jesus?