This year we will celebrate the Holy Days and Easter, virtually, with the monks of Christ the King Priory. I have spent the Holy Days with the monks in Schuyler many times and the prayers and chants are the most beautiful of the liturgical year.
During the Holy Triduum, we remember the events leading up to Easter. Each Holy Day is significant to the fullness of Jesus’ story—his life, death, and resurrection. Jesus’ life was full of joy—learning, teaching, helping others, growing in his authentic identity, and embracing his essence—but, also, as the Gospel of John poignantly states, “Jesus wept.” Even Jesus could not escape his own suffering—the death of a friend, concern for political and religious corruption, the betrayal of his disciples, his own physical persecution, and, finally, his fear of abandonment, that he had been forgotten by God and everyone. No doubt about it, Jesus experienced both joy and suffering.
Consider joining the Benedictines for the Holy Triduum. Times and prayers listed below. All prayer are live-streamed HERE.
Inspired to learn more about Mary Magdalene and especially by Cynthia Bourgeault’s book, The Meaning of Mary Magdalene, Alana Levandoski puts words and music to what she imagined in a journey with Jesus. See Easter through Mary Magdalene’s eye in song. Links below.
“In thanks to the example of Mary Magdalene, we won’t be hiding out somewhere waiting to see what happens. Instead, we can walk with Mary, who never left Jesus, through it all, and go to the very heart of this planet, reconciling all things, and come Sunday, find out that we are more involved in the resurrected presence than we think.”
-Alana Levandoski
I would know those feet
Anywhere
Like you would know mine
Human one
And it breaks my heart
To see them so
Like it would break yours
Human one
I feel helpless
You feel forsaken
But love is stronger
Love is stronger
You said follow
And I will follow
Wherever you’re going
I will go
There go those feet
Descending
And so will my feet
Human one
Into the heart of the world
Reconciling all things
I will hold fast with you
Human one
And all the hell that ever was
Has nothing on us
‘cause love is stronger
Love is stronger
You said follow
And I will follow
Wherever you’re going
I will go
What’s this I see
Your feet again
Here in our garden
Human one
But I cannot cling
The ripple’s gone out
Beyond the stars and back
Human one
But neither death nor life
Can separate us
‘cause love is stronger
Love is stronger
You said follow
And we will follow
Wherever you’re going
We will go
Human One directed, filmed, and edited by Alana Levandoski song written, performed, and produced by Alana Levandoski
Listening to the sweet and soulful songs of Alana Levandoski is prayer itself. I discovered Alana through the Center for Action and Contemplation and have used her contemplative songs and chants in retreats I have led and in my own prayer practice. Whether setting music to her own words, or lyrics drawn from poetry or scripture, her singing is elevated prayer.
Ring Out, Wild Bells, a poem sung by Alana, is a heartfelt, prayerful intention to ring out the old of 2020, a year of great challenges, and to ring in the new of 2021. The poem, In Memoriam, (Ring out, wild bells) was written during a time of grief, nearly 150 years ago by Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892). The lyrics ring true for both letting go and welcoming in—letting go of the false, feuding, dying, grief, pride, partisan divide, and civic slander WHILE welcoming in the new, true, noble, sweet, pure, love, truth, light, and peace. Read more HERE.
Sources: Luke 18: 9-14; Good Work; Teaching and Learning—Always We Begin Again by John McQuiston II
We begin our Oblate Meeting with Lectio Divina practice by reading Luke 18:9-14.
We began our discussion with the question: Can I find myself in both the Pharisee and the tax collector? There is no doubt that we have each of them within us, not just one or the other.
We can dig deeper by asking: How can I come into relationship with Jesus and others knowing I am a multi-facetedperson, not all good or all bad. This parable is addressed to those who feel their righteousness (I’m a good guy), and may despise others for not being as good. We compare ourselves to others—our good works become a score card rather than a gift from our heart. We must avoid creating a tally of our good works or making comparisons with others about how good or bad I am (or how good or bad someone else is)—we are ALL sinners and in need of God’s mercy; not one of us is more worthy than another.
Being Benedictine 