"This is the dead wood which at his touch is transformed to a living tree."

How I have learned that I love what Caryll Houselander (1954) writes!  He was a British mystic, poet and spiritual teacher, and he speaks to me!  On Sunday in the Magnificat he wrote the Meditation for the day addressing this from the Gospel - "I will draw everyone to myself"  John 12  Jesus says this after a voice comes from heaven - I had forgotten that this happened at this point in the Gospel - and says that He has glorified his name and will do it again.  Jesus answers the bewildered people - "This voice did not come for my sake but for yours.  Now is the time of judgement on this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.  And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself."  John 12: 20-33  Then Caryll writes about the Cross becoming our Tree of Life!!!!!!!!  That is just the idea that I have embraced to the point that soon I will be placing the cross on my front picture window with leaves, fruit and branches coming forth as we receive our LIFE from embracing our Most Cherished Cross!

With letters coming in from all directions to go to Hallel this morning - Ruth dropped her's off on the way to drop off David at preschool, John just emailed his - telling me that he cried as he wrote the first half and then got "just plain silly" with the last, Grandma Verly handed me hers last night on the way to the Mission at Church, Nancy is sending hers this morning by email, Pat's is partially written on the table and I am coming to the end of my 12 page letter complete with pictures of most of what she has missed in the family... Maria just shared some cute stories to add, as her computer is down and she won't be able to send her a note now... It was so cute to talk to Therese on the phone just now..."Mom, bought us some icies!  And she got some M&M Easter candy for the Easter Egg hunt!"  You can tell that these kids are not indulged and that when they get some treats - They are super excited and grateful to mom for being so nice to them!  They make me realize that it is a good thing to be sparing with special things for kids - it is what makes it so special to them.  Otherwise it is just expected and not really appreciated!

Words from Caryll Houselander to ponder...
"Look at the cross, so much bigger than the man whose body wil be stretched to fit it.  So much higher than the height of the man who will be lifted up above the earth on it and who, being lifted up, will draw all peoples to himself.  Christ receives it with joy because he knows that this is the dead weight that must have crushed humankind had he not lifted it from their backs.  This is the dead wood which at his touch is transformed to a living tree.  At his touch, the hewn tree takes root again, and the roots thrust down into the earth, and the tree breaks into flower..."

Ruthie just stopped in and she is at the point where each day you can watch the baby grow!  A call to prayer every time that I look at her...

Caryll continues..."Because Christ is to be stretched to the size of the cross,those who love him will grow to the size of it, not only to the size of man's suffering, which is bigger than man, but the size of Christ's love is bigger than all suffering.  Because Christ is to be lifted up on the cross, all those who love him will be lifted up above the world by the world's sorrow.  He, being lifted up, will draw all men to himself.

Because Christ has changed death into life, and suffering into redemption, the suffering of those who love him will be a communion between them.  All that hidden daily suffering that seems insignificant will be redeeming the world, it will be healing the wounds of the world.  The acceptance of pain, of old age, of the fear of death, and of death will be our gift of Christ's love for one another; our gift of Christ's life to one another."  Caryll Houselander

Lord, I am reminded of the prayer that a young girl prayed at the beginning of Lent - "That each of us might die a little bit each day, and allow Christ to come alive in us more and more!"  Lord, we look upon you on the cross and are reminded that "This is how one loves!"  Give us the strength and courage to die and allow you to LIVE!  This is where we find the ability to LOVE those in our lives, especially those closest to us... those that we treat the worst with hurtful words and deeds.  Forgive us and help us to deny ourselves, take up our Most Cherished Cross - our tree of LIFE- and follow after you!  The Cross has truly born the life-giving fruit of LIFE and LOVE!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Halleluia

Bless-bless, Barb

"No man's cross is laid upon him for himself alone, but for the healing of the whole world, for the mutual comforting and sweetening of sorrow, for the giving of joy and supernatural life of one another.  For Christ receives our cross that we may receive his.  Receiving this cross, our cross the whole world made his, we receive him.  He gave us his hands to take hold of, his power to make it a redeeming thing, a blessed thing, his life to cause it to flower, his heart to enable us to rejoice in accepting our own and one another's burdens." Caryll Houselander

Off to send "the box" to Hallel in France, and to fall on my knees before the LIVING GOD in Adoration!    Lord, may I hold onto your "hands" and receive the power of the Spirit to find your LIFE in your Cross of suffering!  Jesus, I trust in you.