Lenten journey: lifting the veil

     Today is God Friday, seems like an oxymoron. On this Friday , so long ago, Christ was put through tortures that eventually led to his being nailed to the cross, then he died an excruciatingly painful death. On face value, what's so good about it?

     Of course we know , revel and give thanks that God gave us his only Son and that he ( Jesus ) was willing to die for us. Actually I always note that if YOU were the only person alive, Jesus would still have died just for YOU. You are loved and cherished that much. We know that he died for our sins. Is that all we know?

     Was this some singular act that allows us to go forth confidently, self righteously and arrogantly forward knowing "we are saved" or "we are forgiven"?  Jesus' death is so much more than that. The symbolism of the veil being torn ends a whole episode of humanity. There is no longer a veil between God and us. Jesus' death is also our symbolic death to how we used to view God and 

ourselves. Jesus' death becomes as current as right now for us. We no longer worship God from afar with sacrifices of slaughtered animals. We are now empowered to sacrifice the way used to live as humans. We are actively called on a day to day, minute by minute and  up to the second mission of love. No longer killing others or ourselves, literally or figuratively. We are called to a whole new way of life embracing the Godliness and holiness within us. Wow. Not some simple act of redemption.

      In today's fix it and forget it society, we are called to be all that we can be. And yes, we are saved. And yes, we are forgiven. But by Jesus' death and resurrection we are called to live infinitely better lives.