LISTENING

Read the text below, preferably aloud. As you hear the word, “listen with the ear of your heart” for a word or small phrase that God has for you this day.

Luke 23:33-46

When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [ Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’] And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’

It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last.

COMMENTS

In this passage the words that stand out to me are “darkness came over the whole land until three.” Traditionally, we attribute the darkness to a solar eclipse, but as Fr. Michael Patella notes in The New Collegeville Bible Commentary, there is always a full moon for Passover making an eclipse of the sun impossible. Rather, the darkness was most likely caused by a spring dust storm. Whatever the case, what became clear for me was the limited time placed upon the darkness; the blackness only lasted for a certain time. I imagine that this particular darkness for Jesus was a horrifically long time, but mercifully it was a short time in God’s plan. Just when things seemed most dark, the curtain of the Temple was torn in two. Unique to Luke’s Gospel, the veil is torn even before Jesus died, pouring forth God’s light and love. For Luke, God’s presence makes it possible for Jesus to cry out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit,” and to breath his last.

MEDITATING

Ruminate on the Word, turning it over in your heart and mind. Over the next two or three minutes, pray on the Word that stood out to you. What does the word or phrase you have chosen mean to you today?

COMMENTS

 So what does this scripture, “darkness came over the whole land until three” mean for me, especially at the beginning of Lent? As I meditate on these words, I ask God questions. Is the limited darkness the forty days of Lent which end in the Triduum? Or, is the time of darkness the days of Ordinary Time which gives forth to Lent? Even though I realize that the torn curtain was a once and for all event, is Lent a time when the torn curtain is drawn back in a  powerful way pouring out God’s love? Does God’s love and light enable me to die to myself and to say with Jesus, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”?

Father, what is my particular darkness today? What about my neighbor’s darkness? My child’s darkness? It is so encouraging to know that darkness has a limit, even when it seems that it will go on forever. Where do I see God’s love and light overcoming the dark in my life? In the life of others?

© Crucifixion, Donald Jackson, 2002. The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

SEEING

Return to God’s word for the purpose of “hearing and seeing” Christ in the text. Fix your gaze on the illumination. Ask God to open the eyes of your heart and enable you to see what God wants you to see.

COMMENTS

When I gaze at the illumination with the “eyes of faith” I see groups of people at the foot of the cross, some close and some far. Those close to the cross are awash with the light of God’s love blindingly imprinted on Christ’s body and cross. Gold pours forth from the torn curtain so powerfully that “the people living in darkness have seen a great light” (Matt. 4:16). Even those people in the shadows are surrounded with God’s light. If I am one of these people, have I chosen to stand close to the cross, to be identified with a dying Savior? Or do I choose to be in the shadows further away where it is safe?

Sr. Irene Nowell likens the cross here and the one in “The Nativity” from Luke 2, as a bridge stretching forth from heaven to earth. Throughout, but particularly in these two events, God is powerfully reaching out to the people, of which I am one. I also see resting on the crossbeam what seems to be the wings of a dove, or the Holy Spirit, also ablaze with glory. In the upper corner, a splash of blue reminds me that where there is God’s light, there is a place without darkness.

Although the “bridge” of the cross extends vertically, it also can be viewed horizontally. The thief’s cross to Jesus’ right is alight with love and hope while the cross on his left is still in darkness. By traversing the cross horizontally from left to right, we are called to be transformed from lives of darkness to lives filled with God’s love. The cross on the right is reminiscent of the stamp of the cross on the Precious Body in the Eucharist. Like this thief, when I am transformed by God’s blazing love; Christ’s presence is with me always.

On this second day of Lent, “The Crucifixion” is a reminder to me of the call out of the shadows. God has provided a bridge in the cross of Christ for me to be transformed into a person of light. If I believe this to be true, then I can know that The Holy Spirit who did not abandon Christ in his suffering but abided with him in his glorification, will dwell with me too. In my trials and cares, the Spirit is waiting for my surrender to transform me as well.

Kathy Janku

© Crucifixion, Donald Jackson, 2002. The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota. Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

PRAYING

Pray to God, allowing for transformation of your being and feelings. Give to God what you have found in your heart.

COMMENTS                                                                                                       

O God of light and love, I am amazed that you made a way to enter our darkness. In the Incarnation, you began the tear in the veil, pouring forth your love in the person of your beloved Son. In Jesus’ death on the cross, the tear was complete. From your side, there is nothing that can come between us now.  

If I believe this, the only thing that keeps me in the darkness is myself. Anxiety and worry overshadow my days, rather than trusting in your love to care for me. I do believe that your Word is true…and it says that “darkness came over the whole land until three” which means that my darknes has its limits. Anxiety and worry and all of those other areas of darkness which seem to have so much power over me, are not as strong as they might seem. Rather than dwelling in the shadows, I can respond to your loving light. 

So dear Lord, on this third day of Lent, I will trust you to care for me. When worry creeps in, I will remember your love for me. When I am tempted to give in to discouragement, I will intentionally gaze at the areas where you are working in my life and in the lives around me. Lord, I pray for others battling in their own darkness. Help me to be a word of encouragement and hope in their times of difficulty. Let me point them to the undeniable love of the cross so that together we will remember with tenderness what Jesus has done for all.  

CONTEMPLATING

Notice the transforming presence of God within you. Surrender all that is stirring and rest in God’s embrace.

COMMENTS

O loving God, I come into your arms of love and rest. I thank you that you love me just as I am, and that I can simply come before you and, for now, do nothing but rest. This time of being with you is pure gift.  I love you, dear One. Restore my soul.

Kathy Janku

© Crucifixion, Donald Jackson, 2002. The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota. Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

BECOMING CHRIST-LIKE

Return to God’s word. Allow it to transform you. Notice how your faith is being deepened and your way of life motivated.

COMMENTS

So now comes the part where I need to take the word given to me and put it into practice! That is always the hardest and the most frustrating. How long have I have been dealing with this same darkness? How do I believe that it is limited? I guess my answer lies where I direct my gaze. Do I continue to look at myself in the shadow, dissatisfied with my lack of progress? Or do I look to the One who also experienced darkness for a limited time? Jesus suffered on the cross from noon until three. Even while the “sun’s light failed,” he forgave others and gave hope to the thief. Through it all, he trusted the Father with his spirit.

 To me this says that I don’t have to be out of darkness in order to be forgiving and encouraging Even before I see the pure blue of heaven or my situation resurrected, I can trust God to limit my time of darkness, just as God did for Jesus.

So on this fourth day of Lent, I have faith (which is a gift from God) that God will be with me every moment. When I feel the darkness creeping in, I will believe that even here God is pouring love out upon me. I will answer God’s call to come forth out of the shadow and not be frustrated with my progress. Knowing that I am loved, I will offer God’s love to others in shadow, encouraging them to hope and to trust in the loving God who limits darkness.

Kathy Janku

© Crucifixion, Donald Jackson, 2002. The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota. Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

“Crucifixion” was featured in the first week of our Lenten visio divina series, with reflections by Kathy Janku. This week as Lent approaches its conclusion, we return again to the text and image of the Crucifixion, with reflections by Taylor Morgan.

LISTENING

Read the text below, preferably aloud. As you hear the word, “listen with the ear of your heart” for a word or small phrase that God has for you this day.

Luke 23:33-46

When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [ Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’] And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’

It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last.

COMMENTS

In the Gospel of Luke, the author stresses that while salvation is a gift from God, there is a a definite human component as well. God gives the gift of his Love (seen here in its extreme at the Cross), but we must choose whether or not to accept it. This is a recurring theme in Luke, where we are presented with numerous examples of how some choose to accept this gift, while others do not. [Think of the Rich Man and Lazarus (16:19-31), the account of the ten healed lepers (17:11-19), or perhaps this line from the prediction of the day of the Son of Man: “I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left” (17:34).]

In all of these cases we have a choice. Do we accept the message of Jesus, realizing that to accept the message means to accept the person and everything that comes with him? The crucifixion is the climax for this decision.

Imagine yourself in the place of the two criminals, suffering the intense agony and pain of crucifixion. But it is not just you…the man who is said to be the Messiah is suffering right on your side…his mission and ministry and promises have come to this. He spoke of peace but you feel no peace now. He preached love and life, you are facing scorn and death. He talked about a kingdom…is this his throne?

Do you accept this suffering man as the anointed one of God?

As in the rest of the Gospel, there are two choices, and the two criminals show them to us. The one rejects the Messiah who can’t or won’t prove himself in an awe-inspiring display of power. The other accepts this broken and bloody messiah, whose message is somehow deeper than such a show of might ever could be.

-Taylor Morgan

© Crucifixion, Donald Jackson, 2002. The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

MEDITATING

Ruminate on the word you were drawn to in yesterday’s scripture passage (Luke 23:33-46). What does the word or phrase you have chosen mean to you today?

COMMENTS

The word that stuck out to me yesterday was “hanged”. Aside from the obvious connotation of hanging as a form of execution, the word stands out to me partly because of its casualness. Jesus and the two criminals are “hanging”, like a picture frame or a sheet out to dry. This is my savior, discarded, abandoned, hanging.

Yesterday I was drawn to the idea of the two criminals’ choices. The one rejects Jesus, and I find it hard to blame his lack of believf. Not having our perspective, perhaps never meeting Jesus before, a man being killed is told that the person next to him claimed to be the messiah. The Messiah? Hanging next to him? The man seems powerless, not powerful.

I find myself questioning how often I subconsciously view Jesus as powerless. Of course I admit God’s omnipotence, and on an intellectual level I do believe that Jesus can do whatever He desires. But in the midst of my own problems, my own suffering, even while I cry out to God, there is a doubting voice inside. “He’s not going to help you with this. Maybe he wants to help, he can’t. You’re on your own, figure it out.”

When I listen to this voice, I am viewing Jesus like the criminal did. I am failing, like he did, to see beyond Jesus’ powerless appearance…to see beyond the Jesus who is hanging. It takes the faith of the other criminal to know that in spite of however things may seem, Jesus is still in control, and it is to Him that I must cling.

I don’t understand why we must suffer, and I don’t understand why it seems like God doesn’t answer. But I trust that Jesus hears our pleas, and that in the end, all will be well. I am reminded of a quote by C.S. Lewis, from his book, A Grief Observed:

When I lay these questions before God I get no answer. But a rather special sort of ‘No answer’. It is not a locked door. It is more like a silent, certainly not uncompassionate, gaze. As though He shook His head, not in refusal but waiving the question. Like, ‘Peace, child; you don’t understand.’

-Taylor Morgan

© Crucifixion, Donald Jackson, 2002. The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

SEEING

Return to God’s word for the purpose of “hearing and seeing” Christ in the text. Fix your gaze on the illumination. Ask God to open the eyes of your heart and enable you to see what God wants you to see.

COMMENTS

Part of the foundation for the practice of visio divina is that art can say something about God. When I first learned about The Saint John’s Bible project, I thought that meant that the artist read the text, decided some part of it he or she wanted to display, and if they did a good enough job I would be able to look at the artwork and get the artist’s point. But this doesn’t really do justice to the role of the one seeing the work. It is true that the artist decides what to create, but visio divina is about the art itself speaking to our hearts…something much closer to a conversation than a one-way lesson.

That’s part of the reason that different people are drawn to different parts of the illuminations in The Saint John’s Bible. They have a role in what they will learn from the artwork, and by making it a prayer, they invite God to guide their hearts, minds, and eyes towards Truth.

A few weeks ago I shared this particular illumination with my 6th grade religious education class, and one of the things they picked up on was that some of the people in the crowd were in light, and some were in darkness, even though all of them were seeing the same thing. How appropriate. I’ve personally fallen into the trap before of thinking that if I just had all the evidence before me, if I could just have seen Jesus and all of his works, then I would fully believe. How many books are still being written today trying to elicit the tiniest details of Jesus’ historical life? The reality is that there is always a leap of faith; no matter how much we might know, we somehow have to step beyond what we see with our minds to what we see with our faith, the Truth of the man hanging up on the cross.

That’s why, as my students pointed out, some of the crowd were in light, and others in darkness. Sometimes, perhaps, just seeing is not believing. In visio divina, when you are asked what you see in the illumination, you are faced with the same question. Not just what you see with your eyes, but what you see with your heart, your mind, your-self.

-Taylor Morgan

© Crucifixion, Donald Jackson, 2002. The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota. Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

SEEING

Return to God’s word for the purpose of “hearing and seeing” Christ in the text. Fix your gaze on the illumination. Ask God to open the eyes of your heart and enable you to see what God wants you to see.

COMMENTS

Yesterday I wrote about how in visio divina people are drawn to different aspects of the image, and how that “conversation” with the artwork can lead us towards discovering something about God. Today I ask myself what I personally am drawn to.

The cross is obviously forefront in the image, but it’s not just because its the biggest or the brightest. It seems to me to becoming out of the frame of the image. The rightmost part seems to be behind the frame, but then the cross is angled so that the top and left parts seem to be coming towards me.

I think that “coming forth” speaks of the significance of the event. I imagine that people who were actual witnesses to Jesus’ crucifixion likely thought of it as the end. “Well, this is how his story is settled, and his promises are dying with him.” But Jesus isn’t confined by that image…his crucifixion is something that we believe has changed the world, and continues to do so today. It transcends that moment in history and comes forward into today.

I think the same can be said for how I view Christ. So easily Jesus is “settled” in my mind: “I know what happened with Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. I believe it. Now that that’s settled, I can get back to living my life.” But Jesus won’t remain boxed in by history, and he won’t remain boxed in by my mind. Jesus breaks forth, and if I am going to have a meaningful relationship with him, I had better be prepared for that, unsettling as it may be.

-Taylor Morgan

© Crucifixion, Donald Jackson, 2002. The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota. Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

PRAYING

Pray to God, allowing for the transformation of your being and feelings. Give to God what you have found in your heart.

COMMENTS

Lord, to be honest I do not know what to make of your crucifixion. We believe that your Incarnation is the most definitive, the most direct, way that you have entered into our world. After thousands or millions of years, you yourself come down into human history. And then what? You spend 30 years among us, and then it all ends with you on a cross, suffering and dying?

When I stare at this illumination of your crucifixion, I see that the artist has painted your act of suffering with glorious gold. I am told that somehow Lord, I am supposed to see in that act the height of your love. Help me do that.

I admit that I do not understand the workings of your plan. I can barely sort out your movements within my heart. Yet I have faith that at the crucifixion, you acted in a way that changed all of human history, spreading forth even to today, when I live. I don’t understand, but I believe. I feel more and more questions and reasonings and thoughts arise in my head, but I will let them sit God. I will try to stand, mentally at the foot of the cross, and simply be still, knowing that you are God.

-Taylor Morgan

© Crucifixion, Donald Jackson, 2002. The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota. Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

CONTEMPLATING

Notice the transforming presence of God within you. Let go of words and images. Surrender all that is stirring, even if only briefly, and rest for a few minutes in God’s embrace.

COMMENTS

This Wednesday the Seeing The Word team met for our own visio divina session, and we happened to use The Crucifixion Reflection Guide. It’s always a privilege to hear others speak of their spirituality, to have them say what they see in the Illumination and describe how they feel our group prayer intersects with their daily lives.

In the midst of this, I sometimes feel myself drifting away from the prayer experience of Seeing The Word and towards something much more self-focused, much more vain. “What clever insight can I draw from this Illumination? What is the best thing I can share with this group?” Asked in the right way, those questions are not too far off the right track. But I have to be careful not to make visio divina about proving my spiritual worth.

I have found a similar experience in all of my prayer, whether in a group or alone. Either I am focusing on how I appear to the group, or I am focusing on “praying the right way”.

The Contemplation step of visio divina is about quieting our minds. It’s a reminder, and an opportunity, to just be with God. Here we are invited to let go of our insights, our concerns, our fears, our worries, our efforts, and just rest in God. This, to me, is perhaps the most important part of the prayer experience.

-Taylor Morgan

© Crucifixion, Donald Jackson, 2002. The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota. Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.