During Lent, we meditate on the passion of our Lord. The part of the passion that we relate to on a daily basis is the carrying of the cross. We all have a beam of wood that we carry on our shoulders. Every beam is different, none heavier than the other... for God gives us what weight we can handle. For some, we share the cross with the Simons close to us, those who help when we have fallen. We may have Veronicas in our life that will wipe our faces, clear our eyes so that we can see that where we are headed will be worth it in the end. We often will switch roles, and we become a Simon or a Veronica. Wherever we are in our walk with the wood... I pray that we can walk it ... in beauty. To find the beauty in pain and in suffering. I am reminded of this beauty when I was taught this prayer by my Navajo family:
Walking in Beauty: Closing Prayer from the Navajo Way Blessing Ceremony
In beauty, I walk
With beauty before me, I walk
With beauty behind me, I walk
With beauty above me, I walk
With beauty around me, I walk
It has become beauty again
Today I will walk out, today everything negative will leave me
I will be as I was before, I will have a cool breeze over my body.
I will have a light body, I will be happy forever, nothing will hinder me.
I walk with beauty before me. I walk with beauty behind me.
I walk with beauty below me. I walk with beauty above me.
I walk with beauty around me. My words will be beautiful.
In beauty all day long may I walk.
Let us think of Jesus as that beauty that will walk with us as we carry our crosses.
