Friday, March 9, 2012

Protected

We are moved by the story of Stephanie Decker the woman from Indianapolis who saved her two little children by covering them with a blanket and protecting them with her own body as a tornado ripped through their home. Stephanie lost parts of both her legs, which were crushed by falling debris. But her eight-year-old son and five-year-old daughter survived last Friday's storm unharmed because of her love and bravery.

How like Jesus is this loving mother. Through his passion, death and resurrection he protects us with his wounded body from unending death and misery. Our Cistercian father, Blessed Guerric of Igny, will speak of Christ's love in this way:

Blessed is he who allowed his hands and feet and side to be pierced and opened himself to me wholly that I might enter 'the place of his wonderful tent' and be protected. Indeed it is a safe dwelling place to linger in the wounds of Christ the Lord. The protection this tent affords surpasses all the glory of the world. It is a shade from the heat by day, a refuge and a shelter from the rain, so that by day the sun will not scorch you, nor the storm move you.

from The Fourth Sermon for Palm Sunday