From darkness to light when all is dark

From darkness to light when all is dark
MSW is correct, Jesus did have it coming. He had been told by his mother of the miracles surrounding his birth (and she cherished all these memories and held them in her heart).

He had done everything right. He had even forgiven his torturers. All day, people had been mocking him, saying he should be able to save himself. Some part of him must have hoped that the Father would, in fact, save him from death. At the end, he rejected his own origins in giving care if his mother to John, his nephew (son of Mary Salome, wife of Zebedee and his sister), putting a dagger through her heart.

He gave up his mission and hope of resurrection. He said nothing about having John get the band back together, that he would return and establish his kingdom. At this point, he was empty. His faith in himself was gone and, like Job, he rages at God. Even then,  when he said he was thirsty for the wine that he promised not to drink, some thought God would save him. God did not, but in an act of faith, he drank the wine, commended his spirit to God, quit resisting his torture and died.

In the end, only the Centurion, whose daughter Jesus had raised from the dead and whose words we recite when we take communion, believed that Jesus was the son of God. Later, his men witnessed, but never witnessed to, the resurrection. Had they done so, Rome might have fled. He could have appeared to Pilate. He did not. In the end, Rome won, destroying Jerusalem, coopting the Church and adding its male asexual ideal to our morality, further ruining it.

His disciples believed he would restore Israel as he was about to ascend to his Father. Paul thought he would return at any moment and John of Patmos thought Israel would be restored with Christ at the head.

Every generation has thought Jesus returning any day now. We are out of Popes on Malachy's list (which many in the Curia put faith in), so now must be the time. Evangelicals and Trads for Trump believe he will be used by Christ to bring forward the new era. So far, no Rapture.

In these times, doctors and nurses endeavor to save every COVID patient, seeing their death as a loss. They are not resurrection people.

We are the witnesses, even in a Church where darkness still reigns in its treatment of women, whom Richard Dawkins continues to mock.

Still, we believe in the victory of Christ over his death, our own and the victims of COVID/SARS. On Easter, we boldly sing that we believe our redeemed lives and on the last day, we shall rise again. This is the song that moves me to tears. May we all be able to sing it before the season ends.