A few thoughts:

I found in reflecting on some sermons of Karl Rahner today in my prayer time a breakthrough to the deep truth of the Paschal Mystery of our invitation in this dying of Jesus to find our own dying--in whatever form it takes in life, and to know this dying of ours with Jesus to be gift--not something to be feared. . . .

I had heard the encouragement from within that "I will come to you in the silence; I will lift you from all your fears."  That seems to have come for me today in these writings of Rahner on Lent and Good Friday. I found myself picking up his book immediately after I recalled how I have traditionally walked in local ecumenical Stations of the Cross over here on the EAstside. I believe I will go there again tomorrow.

I am closer today now, since this reflection time, in understanding ("standing under") the truth of "Good" Friday--that there is a radical kind of new life to be found in all the little dyings of everyday--including those that involve respecting our limits. 

Also in Rahner I found the peace of realizing that God's work in us and our free choice to surrender to God's ways in us are one and the same. God and I are not in competition with each other. Or as a deep voice in me said a number of weeks ago during the night: "You don't have to scorekeep anymore."  I realized today that was about scorekeeping with God. No more need of that.

I do thank each of you for your walking with me through this time of coming to appreciate the gift of God in brokeness...in dying...in letting go...in honoring my limits and the limits of earthly life itself, of which I am a part!

I deeply believe new life will come as we permit our letting go's--our dyings--to be united with those of Jesus and as we stay open to notice and receive the new life that arises from our willingness to die our daily deaths. Such deaths hurt. They are hard. But they are not in vain. They are the seedlings of our hope.

Eileen