The Way of Mary: Keys

Good Friday morning, good Advent pilgrims who walk The Way of Mary. I'm in Boston for the day. Well, I arrived last night and will leave Saturday afternoon.

It's snowing. It's cold. I had forgotten what it was like to wake up to snow. It's great to look out the window and see it blowing 'round. It's supposed to Really snow between 3-8 PM and then settle down so driving to Logan will be easy peasy and no flight delays. At least, that's my mantra.

Today is the fourth day of the O Antiphons - O Key of David
(O Clavis David)

O Key of David and scepter of the House of Israel;
you open and no one can shut;
you shut and no one can open:
Come and lead the prisoners from the prison house,
those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

Sr. Joan as a wonderful meditation on this Antiphon. She writes:
"We are called to the kind of Christian commitment that opens doors and breaks down barriers between people, that brings unity to a divided world. Try to unlock one door that is keeping someone locked out of your heart."

She prays: "O Key of David, rod and staff of the house of Israel, one who opens and no one closes, the one who closes and no one opens. Come lead prisoners caught in darkness."

Today also begins the journey to the longest night of the year. On the 21st, the earth will begin to rotate differently on its axis, and the days will begin to get longer. Scientists have lots of explanations and theories that sound really impressive, but no one knows how this happens exactly. It just does, at the same time every year.

And so begins our journey deeper into the mystery that is at the center of the universe which we call "The Incarnation."

Many churches will be holding lovely, quiet services tonight that are called "Longest Night" or "Blue Christmas". Maybe your church has already had such a service.

It's a time for those for whom Christmas is decidedly not "the most wonderful time of the year." They've lost someone. Or, perhaps, are losing someone. Or, they've lost a job or a home or a friend or a marriage. Even if the loss was for a good reason, and something better is about to happen, it may not feel so good "right this very minute".

Change is change. A loss is a loss. Grief is grief. Even the Israelites, newly freed from bondage in Egypt, longed for the pomegranates in their liberation.

Dealing with loss is hard anytime but especially this time of year of anticipation and expectation. It's hard to find the energy for that when you're grieving.

And, the thing about grief is that it can break your heart, shattering it into little pieces, following an event that everyone knows and there are people in your life who care.

It can also feel like death by a thousand paper cuts. You are aware that something is off - your energy level, your ability to focus and pay attention, your enthusiasm - and then, a memory will surface and you just can't anymore.

We have a saying in Hospice: "Pain touches pain." And, when that happens, the pain is amplified.

If that's where you are, fear not. You are not alone. And, there is a strange but very real kind of solace in that.

I love the quote from Ted Lasso: "I promise you there is something worse out there than being sad, and that's being alone and being sad."

If you find yourself feeling sad, even if you can't think of a good reason to be sad, give yourself a present and call a friend. Call someone you haven't spoken with in a long time. Call your mother. Call her anyway.

Oh, you'll get through "The Longest Night" alone. It would be so much better if you made the effort to me with someone. Who knows, that someone may need you more than you need them.

I'm off to explore Back Bay, Boston in the snow. I've got on my Uggs, my sweater, my Iona shawl, my gloves, my Scottish tweed hat, and my long Eddie Bauer down coat. It's been a long while but you don't ever forget a cold, New England day.

I hope something good happens to you today.

Bom dia.